I finally saw the Rosalind Franklin video 'photo 51'

The entire story would be a fascinating story about how childish and selfish "collaborative" science can be. Oswald Avery opened the whole thing by showing that DNA WAS undoubtedly that molecule which controlled genetics.We also forgot to add Maurice Wilkins to the pile of conspirators. He provided the samples and the crystalline extracts for Franklin to run on the X-ray powder camera. "photo 51 "and the several others actually show (only together) that there is a dimporphic xline structure to DNA that means that it could only be a double helix. Wilkins seemed more to be collaborating with Watson and CRick. Nevertheless Lawrence Bragg and Linus PAuling had already done everything except infer the complete double helix structure, and Maurice Wilkins began conferring with Watson and Crick because (as was often inferred but never stated ) Franklin , who was already publishing her X ray photos , was exceptionally hard to work with.(was this just a period sexism or was there something to it?)

Wilkins , as it turned out, shared the Nobel with Watson and Crick and, by that time Franklin was long dead and was out of the picture.

I hope someone does a movie on this because it shows how petty folks can be .

Also, we have to factor in Arthur Kornberg whose own earlier work was more important in the function of DNA than was Watson and CRick and Wilkins work that focused only on its structure. Kornbergs Nobel prize was 4 yars earlier than WCandW's

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In the video the person who hired Franklin made some decisions that made the system so wretched for Franklin. Wilkins was a womanizer and he was off for some weeks and in that time the Department head who hired Franklin made Franklin and her Ph. D. student the sole research team without informing Wilkins who was Franklin's immediate supervisor. So you can see the conflict brewing. Franklin thought she was the sole boss of the project while Wilkins thouhgt he was the boss. On top of that there was the competition with Linus Pauling. They were deathly afraid of Pauling. Wilkins began co-operating with Watson and Crick. Franklin was the newbie on the project and was not aware of the competition. She was just doing good work dilligently. She was so good that she was made the sole supervisor of the project.

There was a BBC production back in the late 80's called "The Race for the Double Helix" which showed the human side of the scientific research behind the discovery. Juliet Stevenson was particularly good in her portrayal of Rosalind Franklin.

I also wonder if Watson knew she was Jewish or that she was involved with trade union organisation and women's suffrage? Watson ridiculed her looks.

WAtson did a total rscrub of his image in his 2003 book "DNA". In it he does a comp;lete revisionist view back on all the scientists involved including Franklin. He kisses her ass in death in a way that is a bit curious.

I guess he is worried aout his image for posterity. Maybe he didn't know as they were all scrambling. At that time period things were rough. Maybe he saw the photo 51 video and realized what conspired and feel contrite now. Wilkins and Crick were upset with his "Double Helix" book as Watson portrayed Franklin as the wicked witch academia.

Generally people were threatened by super smart women in those years, they didn't fit in to the system.
Jewish academic women did very well in part from intelligence but the Jewish ethic is one of scholarship and the search for knowledge.
Franklin was coming from a different point of view..

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