Week 4 Day 3 History of Biology Case Study

I am excited about today's case study, specifically pages 1-70 from Watson's well-known book. One of the first things I noticed was Watson's sly sense of humor, this helped to make the selection truly enjoyable to read. I found myself chuckling out loud more than once at some of his comments and maneuverings. It would be interesting to read the perspectives of the other major characters to see how or if they correlate with Watson's recollections of events. The author strikes me as mischievous and almost devious in his administrative and scientific dealings with his colleagues and superiors. He certainly seemed to enjoy socializing, sometimes with alcohol, and apparently had an eye for the ladies as well. Of course this is also keeping in mind his tremendous intellect, even though my judgement so far is that Crick was the superior thinker of the two.

I think scientists at least give lip service to a common "code of conduct", and in fact most scientists adhere to it. As Bauer points out, scientists are human after all, and fraught with the same weaknesses as any other member of society. I think sometimes the pressure to produce papers or make notable breakthroughs is overwhelming, and as Bauer also says sometimes the temptation to cut corners is too strong as well. Additionally, sometimes the interpersonal dynamics in a lab or a department can foster less than ethical behavior. In my opinion the code of conduct is simply that you give credit where credit is due, and if you are going to use someone else's work or ideas be sure you are up front about it and have their blessing or even better their cooperation. I think Bragg's and Watson's characterization of the code of conduct is best illustrated by the incident in chapter eight wherein Crick feels Bragg used one of his ideas in a paper without crediting him and becomes furious, almost to the point of leaving. Bragg eventually acknowledges that they must have had the same idea independently. The problem here is in perspective, because it is Watson relating the story, and neither Crick nor Bragg are able to directly their versions of events. Watson seems to have no problem with the fact that he personally relied heavily on Crick's intuitions and the work of many others like Franklin, Pauling, and Wilkins in developing the idea of the self-replicating double helix of DNA. No doubt Watson helped bring it all together, but his own code of conduct was questionable in other ways, such as his dealings with the fellowship office in Washington.

This book has opened my eyes to some aspects of the development of the model of DNA that I had no knowledge of, and it has reinforced my prior understanding in some areas. For instance, I feel even more strongly now that Rosalind Franklin should have been included as a Nobel prize winner, as all indications are her work was indispensable to Watson and Crick's collaboration. Also, similar to how I felt about Mendel, I see Watson especially, but also the other major characters in the book, in more human terms, and not just as some hagiographic sidebar in one of my texts. Readings such as this are invaluable to me as a science educator in properly relating the progress of science to my students.

Bibliographic Note:

James D. Watson, The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA, (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1968). "By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a brilliant young zoologist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest unsolved mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of the life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. He is impressed by the achievements of the young man he was, but clear-eyed about his limitations. Never has such a brilliant scientist also been so gifted, and so truthful, in capturing in words the flavor of his work."

Further Reading Note:

I intend to read The Molecular Biology of the Gene, by Watson. I would also like to review works by Franklin, Pauling, Wilkins and other contemporaries, competitors, and workers who Watson and Crick drew from in their own studies.