RE: The Double Helix, Photo 51 and the Challenge of Priority: Who Gets Credit in Science?
This story never gets old. Rosalind Franklin is one of my favorite scientists and it's still a shame she hasn't been officially recognized for this work.
Fortunately, the drama around the incident has highlighted her efforts and public opinion is well in her favor these days.
A few extra tidbits to add to this story:
I visited Cold Spring Harbor for a conference a few years ago. Watson had been a major fixture there for a long time (I'm talking statues dedicated to him), but his presence there had been significantly diminished due to his racist comments. Plaques were removed and statues hidden to get his name away from the institute. At this point, CSHL has completely severed ties with Watson and tries to distance itself away from him as much as possible.
Rosalind Franklin did make some significant scientific contributions to science after taking that photo. If I remember correctly, she studied the structure of virus envelopes and earned some fame in the science world from that work. Unfortunately, she died early from cancer which may have been caused by her extensive work with X-rays.
I began this blog because of Rosalind Franklin. I was stunned by the shenanigans of her colleagues. Everything I've read about her that's been published since her death extols her unique brilliance. She did have a distinguished career before and after the DNA drama. Imagine if she had lived? Her death, though, allowed those Nobel Laureates to get away with their disgraceful behavior. Watson and Crick. We all know their names.
What I find interesting about Watson and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is the irony of someone accused of racism finding (temporarily, at least) a home there. Cold Spring Harbor has a notorious history as a eugenics laboratory. I live pretty close to the facility and was amazed when I first read about the role of the laboratory in the eugenics movement.
As I was doing research for this blog I came across Rosalind Franklin's papers at Wellcome Trust. I thought of writing a book--but that book has been written, many times :)
Thanks for your comments. Really gratifying to see you stopping at my blog.
Well you wrote a great article so you deserve all the attention you can get. I didn't know about CSHL's eugenics history. I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever go back there.
Thank you!