How I discovered DNA - James Watson

Nobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his research partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA.

Talk by James Watson.

[Someoneyoudontknow]

Rosalind Franklin died of cancer, probably due to excessive exposure to x-ray since she was so much into x-ray crystallography. And it was her who gave the basis of the double helical structure of DNA but wasn't given the credit that she deserved. She deserved to share the noble prize with Watson, Crick and Wilkins.

[mikewazowski]

Wow I came hear to educate everyone here about Rosalind Franklin, but literally every comment is already talking about her.

[andro]

How did I discover DNA? I don't know, ask Rosalind Franklin.

[raytrebor]

One of the main problems with Rosalind Franklin and DNA was that she died too soon. Most people don't realize that Watson and Crick's article did not receive that much fanfare when it first came out. They did not receive the Nobel Price until 1962, nine years after their first publication, and four years after Franklin died. He didn't write The Double Helix until 1968, 10 years after Franklin died. Had she lived, her contribution would have been more publicized. In fact, many people believe that it would have been Watson and Crick sharing the Nobel Prize Physiology and Medicine, with Watkins and Franklin would sharing the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

[maanvigupta]

Its high time Dr Rosalind is given her due credit in the most righteous manner. Honouring her with a nobel prize wont do anything, but CHANGE THE TEXTBOOKS! let the world know that stealing someone's work and putting it across as yout own isnt okay.

[RavenPH]

9:50 - 9:58 “I think the reason why she wasn’t interested is because she wasn’t a Chemist...”
Franklin is a Chemist.... :/

[ordeloliveros]

The first time I see someone from my school text books in a TEDtalk, awesome

[Suraj_Mishra_]

"How we discovered structure of DNA" should be the Title.

[aira]

Title is misleading, he didn't discover DNA he just discovered the structure of DNA with the use of Franklins' photo

[federicoarmada]

He wouldn't have done anything if it wasn't for Rosalind Franklin.
And Franklin wouldn't have found anything if it wasn't for the insturments she had made by other people.
And those people wouldn't have invented anything if it wasn't for previous scientist.
Science is about continuing the work of others and standing on their shoulders to see farther.
Stop being so individualistic and recognize that depending on other people isn't wrong.

[dragnatspl]

but.... Rosalind Franklin told her idea of DNA to her professor (james) and he called it preposterous, and then used it to become famous and Rosalind never really got much credit....

[lucawits]

Rosalind gave James Watson the beginning of the instruments for discovering DNA. James Watson improves upon it and did amazing things. Rather than everyone screaming about how this person did that and that person did this. We need to realize that scientific discovery wouldn’t be possible without scientists using other scientists work. It’s the beauty of science, everyone shares their work, others improve upon it and find something.

[ceciliasousa]

Didn't you built a model of a three-helix molecule with the phosphates on the inside in November 1951? It was Rosalind Franklin who noted that was impossible for it to hold it together because you put it the hydrophobic part on the outside. And we can't forget the famous photo 51 that was shown to you by Raymond Gosling (without Franklin's knowledge) and Max Perutz (a Medical Research Council) showed you Franklin's unpublished research summary about the double helix. I'm sorry sir, but you didn't..

[gfd-nx]

We need another video about how you discovered rosalind franklin's notebooks

[Truthiness]

Really, really surprised this hasn't gotten more views than it has yet. Many of us know the credit goes to many way beyond Watson and Crick, but it's still a talk by Watson...

[jeannabrewer]

I was surprised by humble how he was and that he mentioned Rosalind. I wish he would have talked about her contribution a little more.

[saikatbanik]

Title should be: How I discovered Double helical structure of Dna and made it's model, after knowing that DNA is helical from Rosalind Franklin

[polygenio]

This gives me cringe, 9:30 He still doesn't give her credit as a chemist, when she actually was. It is an insult for her to say she didn't know any organic chemistry, even knowing that she worked with viruses and organic compounds. What a horrible person this guy is!

[yogeshhm]

Title should be "How me and crick stole DNA structure"

[-.Oz.-]

Rosalind Franklin didn't come up with the final structure, but yes, without her data it would have been impossible. Her X-Rays were the final key, but no one was able to decipher them because they showed a 2 dimensional image. These two nuts stole the data and still couldn't crack the structure, till Crick dropped LSD and it hit him. Rosalind Franklin really did 99% of the work, and LSD did the remaining 1%. Sad that those very same X-Rays ended up killing her