Fri Nov 07 21:08:56 UTC 2025: Summary:

James Watson, the Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, has died at the age of 97. Watson, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, revolutionized modern biology with their 1953 discovery, leading to advancements in medicine, forensics, and genetics. He later directed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and contributed to the Human Genome Project. However, his career was marred by controversial racist and sexist remarks, leading to his retirement and the severing of ties with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

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DNA Pioneer James Watson Dies at 97, Legacy Marred by Controversies

New York – November 8, 2025 – James D. Watson, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who co-discovered the double helix structure of DNA, has passed away at the age of 97. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where Watson spent much of his career, announced his death, stating he died in hospice care on Long Island on Thursday.

Watson, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, revolutionized the field of biology with their groundbreaking 1953 discovery. The work earned the trio the 1962 Nobel Prize and paved the way for advancements in medicine, forensics, and genetic engineering. Watson later became the director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and played a key role in the Human Genome Project.

However, Watson’s legacy is also marked by controversy. He faced widespread condemnation for repeated racist and sexist remarks, including claims about the intelligence of Africans. These statements led to his retirement in 2007, and in 2020, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory severed all ties with him.

Born in Chicago in 1928, Watson’s early scientific pursuits led him to the University of Cambridge, where he met Francis Crick. Working with X-ray images from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, Watson and Crick formulated their model of the DNA double helix, a discovery that would forever change the course of science. Despite his scientific achievements, Watson’s controversial views on race and other sensitive subjects cast a long shadow over his career and legacy.

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