The Double Helix

As the author of the foreword to the book notes, this story includes important ethical considerations as well, which bear significantly on the process of scientific discovery in general. Specifically, the book deals with the legitimacy and morality of claims about such discoveries, which, in this case, involves the fact that Watson and Francis Crick applied a brilliant idea to the work which had been done by another researcher, Maurice Wilkins. One of the many pieces of good news in the book is that this moral dilemma was resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, with Wilkins receiving his due credit.

One of the important accomplishments of the author in this book is his success in demystifying sc

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thor and the author's perceptions about what needs to be explained and what does not. Watson at no point is merely out to show off his education, knowledge or brilliance, but instead tells us everything we need to know when we need to know it. He never loses track of the fact that this is simultaneously a human and a scientific story. At times, this juxtaposition of the human and the scientific is truly humorous and shows the role which chance can at times appear to play (or almost play) in such a monumental discovery. As stated earlier, the work done by Crick and Watson depended much upon the work of Maurice Wilkins. The connection between Watson and his partner and Wilkins, however, was almost founded on an attraction between Wilkins and the author's sister. This attraction would have served two purposes, from the author's point of view. First, it offered the promise of his sister becoming involved with someone other than the "series of dull nitwits" she had dated previously. Second, of course, it meant access for the author to the mind and discoveries of Wilkins: "If Maurice really liked my sister, it was inevitable that I would become closely associated with his X-ray work on DNA" (28-29). As it turned out, however, this matc
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1634
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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