A scientist who named a new species of parasite after President Obama defended his decision, and said that it was meant to honor Obama, not insult him.
“Before you accuse me of being some kind of hater, racist or worse — as plenty have — let me be clear: I absolutely intended it as an honor,” retired biology professor Thomas Platt wrote in the Washington Post late Thursday.
“I’ve had two species of parasites named after me, and I take great pride in the fact that colleagues thought my contributions to the field warranted this recognition,” he added.
Platt named his new species Baracktrema obamai, which is a flatworm that lives in the blood systems of the hosts they inhabit. But Platt said that while parasites can kill their hosts, they are also beneficial in the long term because the hosts that survive the parasite often emerge stronger than ever.
“[T]he hosts that survive possess immune systems that are better equipped to combat the infection and pass those attributes on to their offspring,” he wrote.
