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2025/11/08
On November 6, 2025, the scientific world mourned the loss of one of its most influential figures. James Dewey Watson, co-discoverer of DNA's double helix structure and Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, passed away in hospice care on Long Island, New York, at the age of 97. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where Watson worked and led for decades, confirmed his death following a brief illness. citation citation
As a tech blogger covering the intersection of science and society, I find it nearly impossible to overstate Watson's impact on human civilization. If Einstein's E=mc² revealed the relationship between matter and energy, Watson and Crick's double helix unlocked the very secret of life itself.
James Dewey Watson was born in Chicago on April 6, 1928, to a family that believed in "books, birds, and the Democratic Party." This intellectually curious environment nurtured a prodigious talent. By age 19, Watson had earned his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1947, followed by a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1950. citation
In 1951, at just 23 years old, Watson arrived at Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory for postdoctoral work. There he met Francis Crick, a brilliant scientist preparing his doctoral thesis, who had "the loudest laugh he had ever encountered." The two formed an instant connection and, from October 1951, turned their attention to unraveling DNA's structure. citation
Their breakthrough came from an X-ray diffraction image of DNA taken by Rosalind Franklin at King's College London—the famous "Photo 51." After seeing this image, Watson suddenly realized that DNA's essential components—four organic bases—must be linked in definite pairs. This insight was the key factor that enabled Watson and Crick to formulate a molecular model for DNA: a double helix, resembling a spiraling staircase with flat base pairs forming the steps between two intertwined sugar-phosphate chains. citation citation
The model also revealed how DNA could duplicate itself—the two strands pull apart like a zipper, with each strand able to find a new partner. In Watson's own words, the final product was "too pretty" not to be true. citation
On April 25, 1953, Watson and Crick published their landmark paper in Nature. The breakthrough discovery suggested how hereditary information is stored and how cells duplicate their DNA when they divide. Nine years later, in 1962, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material." Tragically, Rosalind Franklin, whose crucial X-ray crystallography work made the discovery possible, had died of ovarian cancer in 1958 and could not share in the honor. citation
This discovery has been described as "a turning point in science"—understanding of life was fundamentally changed, and the modern era of biology began. Ranked alongside Darwin's theory of evolution and Mendel's laws of heredity, the DNA double helix structure is considered one of the three most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century, alongside relativity and quantum mechanics. citation
Watson's discovery of DNA's structure was just the beginning of a remarkable scientific career. From 1956 to 1976, he served on the faculty of Harvard University's Biology Department, promoting research in molecular biology. During this period, he helped demonstrate the existence of messenger RNA (mRNA) and discovered important bacterial proteins that control gene expression. He also wrote his influential textbook, "Molecular Biology of the Gene," which educated generations of biologists. citation
In 1968, Watson embarked on another transformative chapter of his career by becoming director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island. What followed was nothing short of remarkable: Watson transformed a relatively small but important laboratory with a troubled past into one of the world's major centers of molecular biology research.
Watson successfully raised funds from public and private sources to expand and renovate facilities. He shifted the laboratory's research focus to cancer studies, particularly DNA viruses that cause cancer. More importantly, he greatly expanded both the laboratory's education programs and meeting programs, making Cold Spring Harbor the leading venue for learning the latest research in the life sciences. citation
Publishing also increased under Watson's leadership, notably of laboratory manuals epitomized by "Molecular Cloning," and several journals began publication, led by "Genes & Development" and later "Genome Research." citation
Bruce Stillman, who took over from Watson as director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1994, said in an interview: "Jim Watson created a research environment that is unparalleled in the world of science." Under Watson's tenure, the laboratory evolved from a modest institution into a powerhouse that has produced numerous Nobel laureates among its faculty and associates. citation citation
In 1988, Watson was appointed Associate Director for Human Genome Research at the National Institutes of Health, and in 1989, became Director of the National Center for Human Genome Research. In this position, he successfully launched a worldwide effort to map and sequence the human genome—an endeavor dubbed the "moon landing" of biology. citation
Watson's important contribution to the Human Genome Project was creating the project's huge investment in ethics research, which he simply announced at a news conference. He believed that "the nations of the world must see that the human genome belongs to the world's people, as opposed to its nations." citation
In 1992, Watson resigned his position in protest when NIH began applying for patents on brain-specific cDNAs, opposing the commercialization of gene sequences. Despite his brief tenure, he succeeded in persuading scientists to participate and politicians to provide funding, laying a solid foundation for this ambitious project. citation citation
Watson was present at the White House in 2000 for a historic moment: President Bill Clinton announced that the federal project had completed an important goal—a "working draft" of the human genome, basically a road map to an estimated 90% of human genes. Clinton said: "Today, we are learning the language in which God created life." citation citation
The Human Genome Project not only mapped complete human genetic information but also provided unprecedented opportunities for disease research, drug development, and revolutionary treatment methods. This work opened a new era of genomics, biotechnology, and personalized medicine.
Beyond laboratory research, Watson was a prolific writer and educator whose textbooks and memoirs profoundly influenced generations of scientists.
His most famous work, "The Double Helix," published in 1968, is a personal account of the discovery of DNA's structure. The book tells the story from Watson's perspective, including the personalities, talents, arguments, and friendships of the scientists involved. Its content is vivid and gripping, revealing both the magical and mundane aspects of scientific research. citation
The book was initially rejected by Harvard University Press for being too "sharp" or critical, but after publication, it sparked enormous interest and controversy in the scientific community. It became a classic of science history, showing not just the discovery of the double helix, but also demonstrating how imagination and creativity shine in natural science. Many consider it the most celebrated memoir in science. citation
Another important work was "Molecular Biology of the Gene," an authoritative textbook co-written by Watson and several other distinguished scholars. The book reflects the latest advances in molecular biology and provides the knowledge framework and experimental approaches for biology enthusiasts and researchers. It has been updated through multiple editions and remains a classic in the field.
In a 2003 interview with Discover magazine, Watson said his proudest achievement was not discovering the double helix—which he claimed "was going to be found in the next year or two" anyway—but his books. citation
Watson was not only an outstanding scientist but also an excellent mentor and talent scout. He had a unique ability to identify promising young scientists and help them grow.
During his tenure at Harvard University, Watson nurtured the careers of female scientists in the 1950s and 60s, at a time when that was not the norm. citation At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, he continued this tradition, picking out bright young scientists and helping them succeed.
Many now-accomplished scientists benefited from Watson's guidance and support. The research environment he created encouraged innovative thinking and bold hypotheses, an atmosphere that cultivated generation after generation of excellent researchers.
Watson's contribution to science education is also reflected in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Center. The center is now "the largest high school laboratory program in genetics and biology in the world," opening doors to life sciences for countless young students. citation
However, Watson's life was far from perfect. Particularly in his later years, he made a series of racist and sexist remarks lacking scientific basis, which sparked enormous controversy and seriously damaged his reputation.
In 2007, Watson made comments about the intelligence of Black people in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, triggering an international furor. He was suspended from his job as chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and retired a week later. citation
In 2019, Watson repeated similar racist views in a documentary, suggesting genetic differences in intelligence between Black and White people. This prompted Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to revoke several honorary titles it had given Watson, saying his statements were "reprehensible" and "unsupported by science." citation citation
These controversies cast a shadow over Watson's legacy. It's worth noting that the discovery of DNA's double helix itself sparked controversy—Watson and Crick did not adequately acknowledge Rosalind Franklin's contributions in their 1953 paper, even though her X-ray diffraction images were crucial to the discovery. Watson's portrayal of Franklin in "The Double Helix" has also been criticized as sexist, including comments about her appearance. citation
Science historian Victor K. McElheny pointed out an ironic fact: "Jim Watson's memoir made Rosalind Franklin famous." Although Watson's description of Franklin was not entirely fair, his book did bring her contributions to wider attention. citation
Watson's story reminds us that scientific genius and moral perfection do not always coincide. As STAT senior science writer Sharon Begley, who died in 2021, wrote in a remembrance of Watson: "At age 90, Watson told friends he did care how history would see him. He did care what his obituaries would say. He knew his racist and sexist assertions would feature in them. Not even that could make him reconsider his beliefs, which only seemed to harden with criticism. Now history can reach its verdict." citation
However, we cannot deny Watson's enormous contributions to science because of his personal flaws. The discovery of DNA's double helix structure fundamentally changed our understanding of life and opened a new era of modern biology, genetics, medicine, and biotechnology.
As Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory stated: "Watson's extraordinary contributions to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory during his long tenure transformed a small, but important laboratory on the North Shore of Long Island into one of the world's leading research institutes." As a scientist, his and Francis Crick's determination of DNA's structure, based on data from Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins and their colleagues at King's College London, was a pivotal moment in the life sciences. citation
Watson's death marks the end of an era. He was a witness to and driver of the scientific revolution of the 20th century, experiencing firsthand the entire process of molecular biology from birth to maturity.
From that spring breakthrough in Cambridge in 1953 to promoting the Human Genome Project, Watson's scientific career spanned more than half a century. During this period, life sciences underwent earth-shaking changes. Today, gene sequencing has become fast and cheap, gene editing technologies like CRISPR are rewriting the code of life, personalized medicine is becoming reality—all of this is built on the foundation laid by Watson and his colleagues.
The DNA double helix has become not only a symbol of science but also deeply embedded in popular culture—from Salvador Dalí's artwork to British postage stamps, from movies to literature, the image of the double helix is everywhere. It reminds us that the essence of life can be described using elegant mathematical and physical principles.
Watson once said: "Francis and I made the discovery of the century, that was pretty clear." He later wrote: "There was no way we could have foreseen the explosive impact of the double helix on science and society." citation
Indeed, the discovery of the DNA double helix changed everything. It not only revolutionized biology but also transformed medicine, agriculture, forensics, archaeology, and even our understanding of our own identity. It made us realize that all life—from the simplest bacteria to the most complex humans—shares the same genetic language, and we are all branches on the same tree of life.
As a tech blogger, I believe scientific history should completely record the achievements and flaws of great scientists. Watson's story tells us that scientific progress is accomplished by flawed human beings, but this does not diminish the value of science itself. We should criticize his erroneous views while also remembering his enormous contributions to human knowledge.
In this moment of sadness, let us remember James D. Watson—the young man who glimpsed life's secret in 1953, the leader who transformed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory into a world-class research center, the pioneer who promoted the Human Genome Project, the scientific giant who changed the course of biological history.
His work will continue to inspire new generations of scientists and continue to illuminate humanity's path to exploring life's mysteries. As President Clinton said in 2000, we are learning "the language in which God created life," and James Watson was one of the earliest interpreters of that language.
Rest in peace, father of DNA. The book of life you opened will forever change this world.
