James Watson, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, has died at age 97, according to U.S. media reports.
Watson’s groundbreaking work with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins in the early 1950s unveiled how genetic information is stored and copied, revolutionizing biology and medicine. Their discovery earned the trio the 1962 Nobel Prize, transforming DNA into one of science’s most iconic symbols.
However, Watson’s later years were clouded by controversial statements about race and intelligence. In a 2007 interview, he claimed that Black people were less intelligent than white people, remarks that were widely condemned as racist. Although he later apologized, he was suspended and forced to step down from his leadership roles at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
In a 2019 documentary, Watson reaffirmed his earlier beliefs, prompting renewed backlash from the scientific community. Dr. Francis Collins, then-director of the National Institutes of Health, described Watson’s remarks as “profoundly misguided and deeply hurtful.”
Despite his personal controversies, Watson’s contribution to science remains monumental. The double helix remains the foundation of genetic research, gene therapy, and biotechnology, shaping the modern understanding of heredity and evolution.
Watson’s life encapsulates both the heights of scientific discovery and the depths of human failing — a story of brilliance marred by prejudice.
