Scientists, however, say there’s more sizzle than science involved—and many worry about the unintended consequences of racing to profit. The Human Genome Project’s Francis Collins scoffs at the idea of Nike’s new shoe. “I’d like to see their data,” he says. (“The data told the story,” says Nike.) New York University sociologist Troy Duster, who specializes in the study of race, argues that race is largely a cultural invention. “If you believe these differences are real, why wouldn’t you slip into the thinking that performance, in the classroom or on the basketball court, is also explainable by genetic or biological differences?” Whatever the reality, marketers are banking a pretty penny.
