The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAThe classic personal account of Watson and Crick’s groundbreaking discovery of the structure of DNA, now with an introduction by Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind. By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science’s greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick’s desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work. |
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adenine answer argument arranged arrival atoms bacterial base pairs Bertrand biochemistry biological Cal Tech Cambridge Cavendish Chargaff chemical chemistry chemists conversation Copenhagen crystallographic cytosine Delbrück dinner DNA molecule DNA structure double helix Elizabeth evidence existed experimental experiments fact fellowship Francis Crick genes geneticists genetics girls guanine Herman hope Hugh Huxley hydrogen bonds idea immediately important interest ions John Kendrew King’s College knew large number letter like-with-like Linus Pauling London look lunch Luria manuscript Maurice Wilkins Maurice’s Max and John Max Delbrück Max Perutz model building months Moreover morning never Nonetheless nucleic acids nucleotides Odile Pauling’s Perutz Peter phage phosphate groups possibility problem protein purine and pyrimidine pyrimidine quickly realized reason Rosalind Franklin Rosy Rosy’s scientific Sir Lawrence Bragg solve soon sugar-phosphate backbone talk tautomeric forms tell thought thymine told viruses walked wanted Watson week X-ray diffraction X-ray photographs X-ray pictures