DNA Scientist James Watson has died at the age of 97

@NJChicaa (125205)
United States
November 7, 2025 6:16pm CST
He was an American scientist who was interested in studying the structure of DNA during the race to work it out back in the 1950s. He worked at Cambridge University in England with coworker Francis Crick. They were racing to beat the Oxford University team of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins and the American scientist Linus Pauling. The Watson and Crick team won the race to figure out what DNA structure was. (method shady) They even along with Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize for Science for their work. I could write a whole post on that but I don't think anyone cares. James Watson was a rock star in the biology world. . . until the recent decades. He said in an interview that African-Americans do worse and Asian-Americans do better due to their genetics. It was an awful thing he said and he quickly lost his standing and even his job as the head of a research lab. He eventually put his Nobel Prize statue up for auction because he needed money. James Watson has had a very shady career from the DNA research and the book he wrote to his racist crap in more recent times. The discovery of the structure of DNA was extremely important. His opinions? Not so much.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46856779
6 people like this
5 responses
@marguicha (229102)
• Chile
8 Nov
As my father was a biochemist, I knew the names Crick and Watson united to the DNA. But fortunatly I never heard of his stupid ideas about genetics.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (105906)
• United States
8 Nov
That’s sad. That you do such important work, and yet your true colors are so ugly you lose everything.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (80040)
• United States
20h
It goes to show you that there are sleazy people in every walk of life. Even the highly intellectual departments.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (66618)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Nov
I read this to my hubby. He earned a degree in Aeronautics and Astronatics. Now we have interesting conversation going on.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50594)
8 Nov
I recall reading his story. Being a racist is one of the most despicable things a person can be. And we ALL know at least one, don't we?
1 person likes this