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"DOUBLE HELIX, THE" (JAMES D. WATSON).
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Critical review of work on human & scientific aspects of discovery of DNA, the building block of human existence.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Critical review of work on human & scientific aspects of discovery of DNA, the building block of human existence.

Paper Introduction:
James D. Watson, in The Double Helix, presents the account of the remarkable and significant scientific discovery of the building block of human existence. As such, the book is certainly careful to cover the fundamental biological aspects of the story. However, just as important is the author's determination and ability to make the story a fascinating, human drama. This is not a dry, technical study of a scientific breakthrough presented by and for only those with vast scientific knowledge. To the contrary, any lay reader even vaguely interested in science, if he or she gives this book a chance, will not only learn the basics of DNA, its significance and its discovery, but will also be rewarded with an exciting story about human beings in a most dramatic set of circumstances. As the author of the foreword to the book notes, this story

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It is telling that the male authorreduces the issue to the feminism of this "trained crystallographer": "Thereal problem . However, the human drama not only makes thescientific aspects more accessible, it also allows us to see these men interms which brings them down to the level of the reader. Watson at no point is merely out to showoff his education, knowledge or brilliance, but instead tells us everythingwe need to know when we need to know it. However, what Watson has done ismake these people accessible to the reader both as human beings and asscientists. As it turned out, however, this match was not to be. Instead, he tells the story of thisdiscovery as he and his colleagues were moving through the process itself,allowing the reader to enjoy the thrills of the breakthroughs as theyoccur. Thereader must decide for himself or herself whether these two events (gettinghis sister a date, and gaining access to Wilkins' invaluable data) were asequal in the author's mind as he seems to claim they were. Neither is itto say that the characters included in the book are not unique andbrilliant people, for they certainly are. We see them asflawed and fascinating human beings, not as abstract thinkers in whitecoats working with test tubes and indecipherable formulas. For example, at one point two ofthe major players are arguing over a technical point: The high point in Chargaff's scorn came when he led Francis into admitting that he did not remember the chemical differences among the four bases. They are, to the contrary,obviously crucial to the story. It seems unlikelythat in the 195 s a woman who stood up for herself and demandedprofessional respect---as any man would be expected to do---would be referred to as a"feminist" rather than as something far more demeaning and sexist. This attraction would have served two purposes, from theauthor's point of view. The readercomes to trust the author and the author's perceptions about what needs tobe explained and what does not. Instead, its steps forward (and sometimes backward) are often very human events in which personalities and cultural traditions play major roles (ix). Even as the report of the discovery is being typed up, the authorincludes the human element at the heart of the scene: Our Cavendish typist was not on hand, and the brief job was given to my sister. We also hear of thefortuitous offer of a place to live when the author was thrown out of hisdwelling by a landlady who felt he was not following house rules, such asnot flushing the toilet after ten at night (36). Watson, in The Double Helix, presents the account of theremarkable and significant scientific discovery of the building block ofhuman existence. James D. Another interesting point involves the author's repeatedly impliedcriticisms of Wilkins, the man whom Watson admits supplied the data whichthe author and his colleague built upon. There was no problem persuading her to spend a Saturday afternoon this way, for we told her that she was participating in perhaps the most famous event in biology since Darwin's book (14 ). As the author of the foreword to the book notes, this story includesimportant ethical considerations as well, which bear significantly on theprocess of scientific discovery in general. Not remembering which of the bases had amino groups, he could not qualitatively describe the quantum-mechanical argument until he asked Chargaff to write out their formulas (86). Specifically, the book dealswith the legitimacy and morality of claims about such discoveries, which,in this case, involves the fact that Watson and Francis Crick applied abrilliant idea to the work which had been done by another researcher,Maurice Wilkins. The Double Helix. . was Rosy. What turns this story into such a dramatic and suspenseful account isthe author's decision to present it without the perspective of hindsight.That is, he could have neatly but drily recounted the events knowing whathe knew after they had all taken place. This reference is amusing, but it also points out the male-dominatedworld of the upper echelons of science, at least in that era. He also allows us to see that science is not always marked bythe kind of rational order and organization which the lay person might toooften imagine: Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward and logical manner imagined by outsiders. First, it offered the promise of his sisterbecoming involved with someone other than the "series of dull nitwits" shehad dated previously. This may be a problem for the average reader, even though the authorusually includes an explanation of the scientific details important to eachscene. As such, the book is certainly careful to cover thefundamental biological aspects of the story. New York: Mentor, 1969.----------------------- 1 . This approach humanizes the scientists, showing their flaws anderrors, and demystifies science, at least to some degree, by showing theroles which non-rational or irrational factors play in the scientificprocess and even in such remarkable discoveries as the structure of DNA. BibliographyWatson, James D. One of the many pieces of good news in the book is thatthis moral dilemma was resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, withWilkins receiving his due credit. . The thought could not be avoided that the besthome for a feminist was in another person's lab" (21). As stated earlier,the work done by Crick and Watson depended much upon the work of MauriceWilkins. However, just as important isthe author's determination and ability to make the story a fascinating,human drama. The authordoes note the role of Rosalind Franklin, an expert crystallographer.However, the contribution of "Rosy" is minimal because she was seen asconfrontational by Wilkins, who claimed her as his assistant when she sawherself as an independent researcher. However, with or without such explanations, the drama of the humanrelationships among these brilliant scientists carries the reader over thesmall technical difficulties. To say that Watson is able to explain in clear and simple terms theimportant, fundamental aspects of this area of science is not to say thathe reduces basic complexities to a comic book level of understanding. At times, the complexities of science do intrude into the reader'sdesire to understand what is happening. To the contrary, any lay reader even vaguely interested inscience, if he or she gives this book a chance, will not only learn thebasics of DNA, its significance and its discovery, but will also berewarded with an exciting story about human beings in a most dramatic setof circumstances. The book is a fascinating success, both for the accessibility of mostof the scientific aspects of the story, as well as for the very humanizingapproach taken by the author. One of the important accomplishments of the author in this book ishis success in demystifying science and in humanizing scientists. Wemight criticize the author for his indirect maligning of Wilkins'personality and sometimes even his mind, but, again, this can also be seenas simply another aspect of the human drama being told by Watson. . The connection between Watson and his partner and Wilkins,however, was almost founded on an attraction between Wilkins and theauthor's sister. He subtly criticizes him for thesexist views which led to the transfer of "Rosy." He suggests again andagain that Wilkins is a difficult man to deal with, and that he is awindbag: "Maurice's long-drawn-out reply never came to the point" (1 8). For example, on thefirst page of the book proper, he writes, "He had been collecting X-raydiffraction data from hemoglobin crystals for over ten years" (15). He never loses track of the factthat this is simultaneously a human and a scientific story. It is accessible to the layreader, but that lay reader is required to be perceptive and educated if heor she is to truly enjoy and appreciate the book. Second, of course, it meant access for the author tothe mind and discoveries of Wilkins: "If Maurice really liked my sister, itwas inevitable that I would become closely associated with his X-ray workon DNA" (28-29). Watson does not alwaysstop to explain the scientific details of his story. At times, this juxtaposition of the human and the scientificis truly humorous and shows the role which chance can at times appear toplay (or almost play) in such a monumental discovery. . For thosewho seek to explore this area, Watson includes a footnote referring thereader to a book which explains the X-ray diffraction technique. This is not to say that the scientificaspects of the story are not important. Hedoes not insult the reader's intelligent, and the more intelligent thereader the more this book will be appreciated. The reader is also struck by the many small details of the struggleswhich the author must go through on a daily basis as he tries to focus onwhat would turn out to be a majestic discovery affecting profoundly so manyareas of human affairs. This is not a dry, technical study of a scientificbreakthrough presented by and for only those with vast scientificknowledge. For example, we read of the sad fact that theauthor and his colleagues at times had to scrounge for financial backing inthe process of struggling toward that discovery. It isclear, however, that it is not necessary for the reader to understand whatthis means in order to stay with and understand the story itself. This isnot to say that the lay reader will understand everything there is tounderstand about DNA by the time he or she finishes the book.

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