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 33
... realized that I might have had a tremendous stroke of good luck . Maurice had noticed that my sister was very pretty , and soon they were eating lunch together . I was immensely pleased . For years I had sullenly watched Elizabeth being ...
... realized that I might have had a tremendous stroke of good luck . Maurice had noticed that my sister was very pretty , and soon they were eating lunch together . I was immensely pleased . For years I had sullenly watched Elizabeth being ...
Page 42
... realized that I had come directly to the lab from the station and had not yet seen any of the colleges , he altered our course to take me through King's , along the backs , and through to the Great Court of Trinity . I had never seen ...
... realized that I had come directly to the lab from the station and had not yet seen any of the colleges , he altered our course to take me through King's , along the backs , and through to the Great Court of Trinity . I had never seen ...
Page 131
... Realizing that this was not the moment for science , he slowly retreated , ask- ing Griffith to tell him again the ... realized that Griffith's interests were else- where . It was all too clear that the presence of popsies does not ...
... Realizing that this was not the moment for science , he slowly retreated , ask- ing Griffith to tell him again the ... realized that Griffith's interests were else- where . It was all too clear that the presence of popsies does not ...
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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