The Double Helix: Watson’s Indirect Views on Rosalind Franklin and Underlying Scientific Competition
Arguably one of the most influential (and outspoken) scientists of the twentieth century, James D. Watson played a significant role in revolutionizing the field of genetics and molecular biology. In his personal narrative, The Double Helix, Watson recounted his journey toward discovery--a discovery which he and many other prominent figures took to ultimately unravel the mysterious structure of DNA. Some of the viewpoints mentioned in his narrative are representative of beliefs many people shared during that time period as well as today. Specifically, I believe Watson’s views on Rosalind Franklin and competition within the scientific community
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is fundamental in order to understand one of the most important scientific discoveries ever made. Today, the stature of women in STEM fields is much higher than it was in previous years, thanks mainly to scientists such as Rosalind Franklin who paved the way for many women to pursue their dreams in a male-dominated field.
Yet, Franklin’s career was a difficult journey that ultimately led to a tragic ending. What I found extremely painful to read in Watson’s narrative was how Franklin was often demeaned, even if it was done indirectly. Watson described Franklin as having a foul personality with characteristics of the quintessential bitter and unloving career woman. By referring to Franklin as ‘Rosy’ instead of her full name, complaining about her lack of femininity, dull physical features, and stating that she needed to “be put in her place” (17), Watson completely belittled and undermined Franklin professionally. As a woman, it was frustrating to read his words. If I was in her shoes today I know I would have to doggedly pursue my aspirations while breaking stereotypes along the way to be taken …show more content…
seriously. Of course, Watson’s account is only one side of the story, and we have no primary account of Franklin’s story. For this reason, it is not possible to truly understand the relationship they had. I just simply wish Watson would have been more cognizant while writing about his colleague, as I believe she is not given due credit. In the epilogue, however, Watson does write about Franklin in a more positive light. Initially, I thought he was simply exercising “damage control” to pacify his publisher, however I was mistaken. Firstly, Watson completely surprised me by stating that he realized “years too late the struggles that the intelligent woman faces to be accepted by a scientific world which often regards women as mere diversions from serious thinking” (226). Secondly, Franklin was mentioned as “Rosalind” instead “Rosy.” Even though his final words were music to my ears, it is unfortunate that it takes someone’s passing to truly understand their worth. In addition to Watson’s views on Franklin, I found it interesting when he alluded to the inexhaustible competition amongst scientists all around the world.
Such fierce competition reminded me of a rat race; whoever solved the structure first would be crowned the ultimate winner. The prize in this case was a concrete answer to a multifaceted question (much like finding the prize at the end of a scavenger hunt). The researchers would not risk anything if it would mean that they would not come first. For example, Watson very candidly expressed his apprehensions about letting Pauling know about the double helix discovery in his letter to Delbrück (228). Naturally, this type of competition can be observed in a variety of fields today, but I do not hear about it often (in the media for example) in the scientific community. Learning about the dynamics between these scientists really opened my eyes, as it shows that scientists can have their own scandals
too! Solving the structure of DNA was nothing less than a milestone in terms of scientific achievement. The discovery would usher in a new wave of scientific thinking that could help uncover a multitude of unanswered questions about mankind. In The Double Helix, I especially found Watson’s candid views on Rosalind Franklin as well as the competitive nature of scientific discovery interesting and something to further think about. I was able to put the discovery of the DNA structure into a fresh perspective; after all, understanding any discovery is incomplete without taking different perspectives into account.
Sheila Kemp did an outstanding job in her short history of one of America’s most treasured -- arguably the most looked up to -- political heroes. Whether the Cockpit had as astounding an effect on Franklin’s political career, and the defining moment that pushed him on the path as an advocate for independence is up for argument. Did Kemp adequately protect her position: that Benjamin Franklin became a revolutionary after his incident at the Cockpit? The questions seem to be answerable morally, as well as historically. In truth, Kemp defended her position with as much armor as she could smith whilst writing her definingly short biography, but sometimes lost her argument in midst of a flood of historical information. Thus, in this review the writer seeks to find the ‘do’s and don'ts’ that Sheila Kemp wrote on the path of drawing her conclusion, and thus he seeks his own conclusion as to whether the cockpit truly represented Franklin’s most defining political moment of change.
In early American History Ben Franklin was known for being a different kind of person. He never followed the rules like everyone else and always “marched to the beat of his own drum”. This difference from everyone else made Franklin a prominent figure in early American society. Franklin also used this to help get his beliefs across subtly. One way he does this is in “The Trail of Miss Polly Baker”. On the surface, this story is just about a women pleading to a jury about the punishments she has been given. People in this society saw this as a little hearted story that was created for entertainment purposes. But if you dive deeper into the text you can see that Ben Franklin is actually using satire to take jabs at how society and the judicial system treats women. In this story he uses satire with a sarcastic tone to help get his point
Rosalind Franklin: Seeing a woman as a scientist during this time is somewhat rare, so the fact that she has taken up this profession show that she is persistent, dedicated, and smart. The only problem is that she is undervalued because of her gender. She is also very quiet and reserved because she’s in a different country.
Ted Bieler’s Helix of Life (1971) that is located outside the Medical Sciences building at University of Toronto is a sculpture made from a light grey concrete material. Its color appears to be plain which happens to match the exterior of the Medical Sciences building as well. Due to the age of the sculpture, it shows lighter and darker gray dents and streaks near the top and bottom and where it bends. Some of the markings have been made from the material and texture of the sculpture. The material used, which was said previously, is cast concrete. Using concrete without any smooth surface tools creates a rougher and coarse texture which is why it has dents and holes when viewing it up close. As the viewer looks at the sculpture from afar, its
Originally published in 1747, Benjamin Franklin wrote the speech of Miss Polly Baker as a work of fiction, this work indicates Franklin’s usually progressive views of women for his time period. Although for many years some did believe the story and speech to be true, the character of Miss Polly Baker, and anything that concerned her was completely made up. While some praised the speech, acclaiming its message and welcoming it into the canon of modern American Literature, others saw it as it would question the traditional life as so many people of this time knew. Despite these objections, the speech of Miss Polly Baker remains widely read today by reason
...ed some credit. People see the novel as a poor presentation of who she was and how important her ideas really were. However, I see that both are to blame. Franklin could have worked closer with Watson instead of withholding her results; Watson could have mentioned her in his work earlier on. I believe that this competitiveness between scientists was beneficial overall. This rivalry provided motivation and even though defeat seemed so near at times, they were able to persevere. There are several ways that Watson and Crick could have found the answer but I believe it is for the best that these events occurred the way they did because the ending result justifies all previous actions. The rivalry that sparked between these scientists yielded some negative results but it led to something even greater: the secret of life.
Both in fiction and in real life a certain breed of scientists has decided to ignore the scientific method and chase dreams of fame. With that fame, they hope to dig deep into our pockets and reap the benefits of their poor workmanship. It is most evident from the examples given that these scientists, who have seemingly reversed scientific evolution, no longer care for true science and the scientific method, but rather are interested in personal glory.
John Hope Franklin’s childhood had a huge impact on his life and scholarship. His parents were a primary influence in his education and much of the subjects he was passi...
Bragg, Melvyn, On Giants' Shoulders: Great Scientists and Their Discoveries from Archimedes to DNA. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
...be shed. In comparing several passages written about Rosalind Franklin, it can be seen that Watson carried a certain style and pre-determined opinion of women and their place in society. In the first passage written about Rosy's appearance, Watson criticizes her choice of dress and then tries to blame her family for the way she turned out. The second passage dealt with Rosy as a presenter and her appeal to the audience, particularly Watson. In the final passage, Watson is shocked to find that Rosy can be rational and was not always being outrageous. By examining the amount of objective and subjective material in three of Watson's passages, it is viable that his style can be fingerprinted by his lack of objectivity and by his splashing of personal opinions.
...took to writing. An author would certainly not be looked at as a respectable career, and yet those who achieved so did not care. Her social standing would fall, such did Elizabeth's. Regardless of her efforts the standards remained. A good, respectable woman married wisely, birthed children and acted as a proficient homemaker. Careers were mindfully left to the men in this time period.
Each of Jane Austen’s characters in her novel, Pride and Prejudice, experiences a significant character development. Whether the change occurs by self-realization or through the assistance of another character varies from each individual character. For Austen’s leading man, Mr. Darcy, his character improvement is documented through his two marriage proposals to Elizabeth Bennet and her subsequent first rejection of his proposal. His first proposal demonstrates his extreme arrogance, elitism, and blindness to his many flaws. While his latter proposal shows not only the recognition of his deficiencies, but the overall improvement in his mentality. Mr. Darcy’s two proposals, though having the same intended end result, are completely different
Simply put, DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive, and reproduce. The discovery and use of DNA has seen many changes and made great progress over many years. James Watson was a pioneer molecular biologist who is credited, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, with discovering the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. The three won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for their work (Bagley, 2013). Scientists use the term “double helix” to describe DNA’s winding, two-stranded chemical structure.
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
The Double Helix tells a tale of fierce competition, perseverance, and scientific innovation as we follow James Watson and his cohort Francis Crick on their quest to discover the secret to life, the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Although already fascinated with DNA, Watson struggled with finding chemistry exciting enough to learn it in depth. He had studied birds in college and thereby managed to avoid any formal chemistry or physics courses. As he later pursued a PhD in biochemistry, he realized he could put it off no longer and attempted to learn organic chemistry at Indiana University. However, after a mishap in the lab, he was encouraged instead to study nucleic acid chemistry with Herman Kalckar in Copenhagen. There, his mind strayed from his work and he began doing unauthorized research in the lab of Ole Maaløe, studying phages. Herman stopped teaching Watson after going through a divorce with his wife, and sent Watson off to a scientific conference in Naples. Although he was bored by many of the lectures, Maurice Wilkins’s talk about X-ray diffraction fascinated Watson. He was struck by an X-ray diffraction picture of DNA that Maurice presented and was determined to study the acid. He later got to know more about Maurice’s colleague, Rosalind Franklin, who was proud, stubborn, and very difficult to work with. Watson greatly admired the lecture given by the renowned Linus Pauling, who had discovered the structure of the alpha-helix and was thought of as the leader in DNA research in the scientific world.