James Watson, one of the three scientists credited with discovering DNA’s double-helix structure, has died at the age of 97. He died in hospice care on Long Island in New York.
The Chicago-born researcher received the 1962 Nobel Prize alongside Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for showing that DNA — deoxyribonucleic acid — consists of two strands that coil around each other. Cells duplicate their DNA when they divide in a process where the two strands of the double helix pull apart. Following the discovery, the double helix became a widely recognized symbol of science.
Watson arrived at Britain’s Cambridge University in 1951, where he began working with Crick. The pair analyzed DNA’s structure, drawing in part on X-ray research by Rosalind Franklin and her graduate student Raymond Gosling, as well as work by Maurice Wilkins. Franklin is now often cited as an example of a female scientist whose contributions were overlooked; Watson has been criticized for his negative portrayal of her in his 1968 autobiographical account of the discovery.
Later in life, Watson faced widespread condemnation for racist remarks. In 2007 he said he was pessimistic about development in Africa and claimed that Black people are less intelligent than whites. Those comments led to his resignation from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), a Long Island biomedical research center he had led for decades. He reiterated similar views in a 2019 television documentary, prompting CSHL to denounce the statements as his “reckless personal opinions,” sever ties, and revoke his honorary titles.
Edited by: Zac Crellin.
