The Double Helix

Written by Michael Black

Every year, countless amounts of children are turned on to the mystical world of science. Whether it be through a Mr.Wizard-type television show or through the classroom, by burning a leaf with a magnifying glass or seeing the latest Disney movie on dinosaurs, a child's introduction into science is always a special thing. An intrigue for science can help show a child's maturing sense of the world as well as an appreciation for its boundless complexity. Just like a child nagging on his parent, asking the ongoing question "why?", the foundations of science are built upon this same question, "why?". Unfortunately, as we grow older, many of us loose touch with our initial amazement with the world and become content with "I don't know" or "it's a mystery" for an answer. Some, however, never lose this initial curiosity for the world around them and will not take "I don't know" for an answer. James Watson is one of these people, and "The Double Helix" is his story.

In the opening chapters, James Watson introduces himself as a man that would more likely be associated with a college fraternity than the discovery of the double helix, the main structure of DNA. He described how at the University of Chicago he managed, "to avoid taking any chemistry or physics courses which looked of even medium difficulty" (22). Although Watson is likely just downplaying his intelligence, he succeeds on putting himself on the wavelength of the general public and quickly dispels the myth of the "mad scientist". Certainly any average reader could aspire to the imagining themselves "becoming famous rather than maturing into a stifled academic who had never risked a thought" (30) and could relate that this vision arose from "laziness" (22), a quality that one usually doesn't associate with a Nobel Prize winning scientist. By showing shades that any underachieving person could relate to, Watson effectively creates a personal foundation for his phenomenal account of the scientific process.

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