Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] The other side of the double helix

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004, Stephen Montgomery-Smith wrote:

>> http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/franklin.html
>
> Years ago I read the "Double Helix" written I think by Watson.  In the 
> discourse he described his thorny relationship with Rosalind.  At the 
> end of the book he admitted that they had treated her unfairly.


Yes, that book was written by Watson.  Many people who knew Franklin were 
upset by Watson's silly descriptions of Franklin.  I liked the bit at the 
end where Watson admitted that he had treated her badly, but I have heard 
that Watson added that part after he was criticized by his peers.

Rosalind Franklin seems to have been a much a better scientist than Watson 
gives her credit for in his book.  He claims, essentially, that she was 
violent and impossible to talk to.  This may be his way of justifying 
taking her X-ray photos without her knowledge.  How could he ask to see 
them?  She was just too crazy to talk to!

If she had outlived Crick or Watson or Wilkins, she would have one the 
Nobel prize, but they give a single Nobel prize to three or fewer 
scientists.  The Nobel committee had to wait for someone to die before 
handing out the prize for the structure of DNA.  Franklin died first.

The thing I'll say in Watson's defense is this:  He knew that DNA was 
*extremely* important and he pursued it relentlessly.  Most of the other 
scientists working on the structure of DNA didn't have that big picture 
and didn't care enough about solving the puzzle.  Franklin seems to have 
cared fairly little about DNA, but she did much of the key work on it 
nonetheless.  Watson is still working in molecular genetics today (he was 
only 25 years old in 1953 when his famous paper on the structure of DNA 
was published; he had finished his PhD at age 22).

Mike
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