In The Double Helix, Watson does not hide how competition influenced his work on DNA structure. Throughout his book, Watson references his main competitor, Linus Pauling, a chemist from The California Institute of Technology: In Chapter 20, Watson was glad that Pauling did not pose “an immediate threat on the DNA front” (151) since he had directed his attention to α-helices. In Chapter 22, Watson and Crick celebrate Pauling’s published error on hydrogen bonds, stating, “Though the odds still appeared against us, Linus had not yet won his Nobel” (175-6). In Chapter 23, Watson mulls over “the problem of Linus” and Pauling’s renewed dedication to solving the structural puzzle of DNA (181-5). This repeated commentary on Pauling illustrates how competition strongly motivated Watson in his scientific pursuit.
Among the other motivators for science, the need to control, the drive to understand, and the desire for beauty, the craving of success over fellow scientists is distasteful, to say the least. The acquisition of knowledge based on a competition is greedy; Watson wanted to understand DNA not for curiosity, not for the advancement of science for everyone, but to beat
…show more content…
While the discovery was monumental for biology and genetics, it was not a revolution in the sense that Kuhn discussed in his Structure. At the time DNA was discovered, there was no ruling paradigm on genetics. The field was young and there had not yet been consensus on whether proteins or DNA was the carrier of genetic information. This means that genetics existed in a pre-normal or pre-paradigmatic state, since the fundamentals of the discipline had not been firmly established. In order for there to be a revolution, one paradigm must be usurped by another paradigm, and the discovery of the structure of DNA is what established the paradigm in
At times, regardless of the setbacks, rivalry can be advantageous by giving people the inspiration to continue. Debating on whether to give up the race, Watson realizes the full implications this scientific competition has: “But if I went back to pure biology, the advantage of our small head start over Linus (Pauling) might suddenly vanish,” (Watson 144). The grand quest for finding the structure of DNA is too great for Watson to pass up. Not only does this head start inspire Watson to continue studying DNA, but it convinces him to work even harder. While the desire to quickly find a solution can be too daunting to appease, even the notion of being in the lead can be enough incentive to strive for the goal which is a definite positive effect for Watson. But for every positive advantage, there is a negative setback that other competitors may impose.
Bragg, Melvyn, On Giants' Shoulders: Great Scientists and Their Discoveries from Archimedes to DNA. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
It is clear throughout the “Double Helix” that there are a set of well-defined norms that underlie the actions of the researchers in the labs discussed by Watson. These norms are consistent throughout Watson’s tale and shape much of the narrative, they include: competitiveness between labs, a vast network of interdisciplinary shared information that Merton would refer to as communism, and a rigid hierarchy that determines to some extent whose work is deemed credible. These norms affected each of the players in Watson’s book to different degrees, and both helped and hindered the advancement of discovery.
Francis Crick: He does the same research with Watson and they are both teammates. He is also eager to know what is in DNA and the relationship of it with the double-helix, but at the same time is disorganised, and expected Watson to do a majority of work.
A master and maker in many fields, Linus Pauling lived a very long and productive life spanning nearly the entire twentieth century. By the time he was in his twenties, he had made a name for himself as a scientist. After many significant contributions including his work on the nature of the chemical bond, he turned to chemical biology and is generally accepted as the founder of molecular biology. Later in his life he became very involved in issues of politics and peace for which he is somewhat less well known. In his later years, he became interested in health and medicine and specifically in the use of vitamin C to prevent ailments from the common cold to cancer.
...ich may be described as a desperate addiction to discovery is a fine concept but a dangerous practice. Man's natural flaws debase any professed altruistic goal; all attempts at discovery are ultimately revealed to be corrupt, selfish, and misbegotten.
Polkinghorne asserts that “scientists are motivated by the desire understand what is happening in the world.”(551, Polkinghorne). As a physicist himself, Polkinghorne understands the desire to understand the world, even shifting careers to become a priest to better his understanding. Science asks how things happen, and does not attempt to answer every question. Questions asking why go ignored, as if they are not necessary to fully understand the world and the life that lives here. Science alone
A nobel prize winning, architect of the atomic bomb, and well-known theoretical physicist, Professor Richard P. Feynman, at the 1955 autumn meeting of the National Academy of science, addresses the importance of science and its impact on society. Feynman contends, although some people may think that scientists don't take social problems into their consideration, every now and then they think about them. However he concedes that, because social problems are more difficult than the scientific ones, scientist don’t spend too much time resolving them (1). Furthermore he states that scientist must be held responsible for the decisions they make today to protect the future generation; also they have to do their best, to learn as much as possible,
"The discovery of the structure by Crick and Watson, with all its biological implications, has been one of the major scientific events of this century." (Bragg, The Double Helix, p1) In the story of The Double Helix, James Watson tells of the road that led to the discovery of life's basic building block-DNA. This autobiography gives insight into science and the workings within a professional research laboratory that few members of society will ever be able to experience. It also gives the reader an idea of the reality of life for one scientist and how he struggled with the problem of DNA. However, the author's style is marked by his lack of objectivity and inclusion of many biased opinions and personal prejudices.
Moreover, the nature of human beings in “The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolution” is to change. Kuhn’s work mentions that as the universe is evolving, human beings seek
The Double Helix tells a tale of fierce competition, perseverance, and scientific innovation as we follow James Watson and his cohort Francis Crick on their quest to discover the secret to life, the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Although already fascinated with DNA, Watson struggled with finding chemistry exciting enough to learn it in depth. He had studied birds in college and thereby managed to avoid any formal chemistry or physics courses. As he later pursued a PhD in biochemistry, he realized he could put it off no longer and attempted to learn organic chemistry at Indiana University. However, after a mishap in the lab, he was encouraged instead to study nucleic acid chemistry with Herman Kalckar in Copenhagen. There, his mind strayed from his work and he began doing unauthorized research in the lab of Ole Maaløe, studying phages. Herman stopped teaching Watson after going through a divorce with his wife, and sent Watson off to a scientific conference in Naples. Although he was bored by many of the lectures, Maurice Wilkins’s talk about X-ray diffraction fascinated Watson. He was struck by an X-ray diffraction picture of DNA that Maurice presented and was determined to study the acid. He later got to know more about Maurice’s colleague, Rosalind Franklin, who was proud, stubborn, and very difficult to work with. Watson greatly admired the lecture given by the renowned Linus Pauling, who had discovered the structure of the alpha-helix and was thought of as the leader in DNA research in the scientific world.
"We often think of science as something inescapably linked to progress, and of progress as continually marching forward. We assume that there is something inevitable about the increase of knowledge and the benefits this knowledge brings" (Irvine & Russell). Provide humanity with wisdom and speculative enjoyment. This enjoyment of the public is through reading, learning and thinking. But scientists are met with the real research work.
Power has played a significant role in the motivation of scientific progress, specifically in comparing modern science and ancient science. Power-seekers have been greatly attracted to scientific pursuits, seeking monetary, life-giving or glory-earning ends. In ancient science "the lure of health, wealth, and eternal life charmed many an alchemist to the poorhouse, madness, or an untimely death" (Coudert 35), while modern society itself has embraced scientific development with a similar fervor.
Discoveries in DNA, cell biology, evolution, and biotechnology have been among the major achievements in biology over the past 200 years, with accelerated discoveries and insight’s over the last 50 years. Consider the progress we have made in these areas of human knowledge. Present at least three of the discoveries you find to be the most important and describe their significance to society, health, and the culture of modern life. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating molecule or material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent in chromosomes. It encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses.
Clearly, most of us have some unknown fear toward science. Regarding individual’s apprehension toward science a Nobel Prize professor, Michael Bishop, in his article "Enemies of Promise", has stated: "Resistance to science is born of fear. Fear, in turn, is born by ignorance. And it is ignorance that is our deepest malady" (p241). To prove the importance of science in our daily life and the difficulty that people have with dealing with scientific ideas, he has also mentioned that: "we live in an age of scientific triumph. Science has solved many of nature’s puzzles and greatly enlarged human knowledge. And the fruits of science inquiry h...