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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Page 90
... conversation instead centered upon a young art student then about to marry Odile's friend Harmut Weil . This capture was mildly displeasing to Francis . It was about to remove the prettiest girl from their party circle . Moreover ...
... conversation instead centered upon a young art student then about to marry Odile's friend Harmut Weil . This capture was mildly displeasing to Francis . It was about to remove the prettiest girl from their party circle . Moreover ...
Page 96
... conversation . Moreover , by this time neither of us really wanted to look at our model . All its glamor had vanished , and the crudely improvised phosphorus atoms gave no hint that they would ever neatly fit into something of value ...
... conversation . Moreover , by this time neither of us really wanted to look at our model . All its glamor had vanished , and the crudely improvised phosphorus atoms gave no hint that they would ever neatly fit into something of value ...
Page 212
... conversation between equals . With obvious pleasure Rosy showed Francis her data , and for the first time he was able to see how foolproof was her assertion that the sugar- phosphate backbone was on the outside of the mole- cule . Her ...
... conversation between equals . With obvious pleasure Rosy showed Francis her data , and for the first time he was able to see how foolproof was her assertion that the sugar- phosphate backbone was on the outside of the mole- cule . Her ...
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Common terms and phrases
a-helix adenine answer argument arranged arrival atoms bacterial base pairs biochemistry biological Cal Tech Cambridge Cavendish chains Chargaff's Chargaff's rules chemical chemistry chemists College conversation Copenhagen crystallographic crystals cytosine Delbrück dinner DNA molecule DNA structure double helix Elizabeth existed experimental experiments fact fellowship Francis Crick genes genetic geneticists girls Griffith guanine Herman hope Hugh Huxley hydrogen bonds idea immediately important ions John Kendrew keto King's knew large number letter Linus Pauling London look lunch Luria manuscript Maurice Wilkins Maurice's Max and John Max Perutz ment model building molecular Moreover morning never Nonetheless nucleic acids nucleotides Odile Pauling's Perutz Peter phage phosphate groups polynucleotide Pop's possibility problem protein purine purine and pyrimidine pyrimidine quickly realized reason Rosalind Franklin Rosy Rosy's scientific solve soon sugar sugar-phosphate backbone talk tautomeric forms tell thought thymine tion told walked wanted Watson week X-ray photograph X-ray pictures