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 107
... morning we were in London . Upon my return to Cambridge I had expected to hear from the States about my fellowship , but there was no official communication to greet me . Since Luria had written me in November not to worry , the absence ...
... morning we were in London . Upon my return to Cambridge I had expected to hear from the States about my fellowship , but there was no official communication to greet me . Since Luria had written me in November not to worry , the absence ...
Page 136
... morning I was given a note saying that he had recovered but had to catch the early train to Paris and apologizing for the trouble he had given me . Later that morning Lwoff mentioned that Pauling was coming out for a few hours the next ...
... morning I was given a note saying that he had recovered but had to catch the early train to Paris and apologizing for the trouble he had given me . Later that morning Lwoff mentioned that Pauling was coming out for a few hours the next ...
Page 172
... morning and he was still home in bed glancing at the Nature that had come in the morning mail . Quickly I started to run through the details of the B form , making a rough sketch to show the evidence that DNA was a helix which re ...
... morning and he was still home in bed glancing at the Nature that had come in the morning mail . Quickly I started to run through the details of the B form , making a rough sketch to show the evidence that DNA was a helix which re ...
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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