DNA ... Remember Rosalind Franklin .. ???

[defendandprotect]

"I hope the smoke of witchcraft will soon be getting out of our eyes," Wilkins wrote to Crick and Watson in 1953, as Franklin prepared to leave Wilkins' lab for Birbeck College in London.

"We hope our burglary will at least produce a united front in your group!"


'Lost' Letters Reveal Twists in Discovery of Double Helix

Jeremy Hsu, LiveScience Senior Writer

livescience.com – Wed Sep 29, 3:25 pm ET

Rediscovered letters and postcards highlight the fierce competition among scientists who discovered DNA's famous double-helix structure and unraveled the genetic code.

EXCERPT ...

Rather than end the letter by praising Wilkins for now having a clear chance to solve the DNA structure, they crossed it out and wrote: "...So cheer up and take it from us that even if we kicked you in the pants it was between friends. We hope our burglary will at least produce a united front in your group!"

The exchange emphasizes the different attitudes among the scientists, Gann explained.

"Watson and Crick are jovial and cavalier, even though they've just been humiliated," Gann told Livescience. "But Wilkins was always anxious and tortured about different things."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100929/sc_livescience/lostlettersrevealtwistsindiscoveryofdoublehelix

[The Second Stone]

1. Rosalind Franklin lost her life

as a result of all the x-ray work she did that these assholes took the credit for. She is an unsung martyr of science.

[defendandprotect]

2. Very happy to see that many continue to pursue this injustice ....

and agree with you re Rosalind Franklin --

:)

[BrklynLiberal]

3. The women behind the men...There are some who think it was Einstein's wife

who was instrumental in some of his most famous ideas.

[defendandprotect]

5. Yes .... many suspicions .... including Anne Shakespeare ...!!

:)

[Permanut]

4. Glad to see that name come up here;

She's well recognized in scientific circles, and Watson and Crick both acknowledged her contributions. Wikipedia has some great information. I always thought it should be "Franklin, Watson and Crick"

[DCKit]

6. She deserves a retroactive Nobel and mention in every textbook. n/t

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. The show I saw said Watson was quite jealous of her.

This was a show about her on PBS. Probably on NOVA.

I remember that Watson was quite unhappy that she was dating the Concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, instead of a dweeb like him, I guess.

I can understand exactly why she'd date an intellectual fiddler, instead of a lab guy with no social skills. I dated techie types (math/physics/engineering guys) who were classical musicians, back in my dating days. Classical fiddlers are very incestuous.