Pros And Cons Of The Race For The Double Helix

In science, genes and how they reproduce was one of the greatest mysteries. That was until February 28th, 1953 when scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Raymond Gosling, and Maurice Wilkins made breakthroughs in the discovery the double helix structure of DNA. The story of their fame and success is portrayed in the movie The Race for the Double Helix. In this film, the scientists use two different techniques in their research of DNA. In the end, the double helix is discovered when Watson and Crick read a thesis that was written by Franklin. The thesis was written after Franklin had studied X-ray photographs of genes. Watson and Crick used a detail in the thesis over-looked by both Franklin and Maurice to complete a scientifically
accurate model of DNA that formed the shape of a double helix. While it had been Franklin’s thesis that provided them with the necessary information, Watson and Crick got most of the recognition for the breakthrough discovery. In their race for the double helix, the pairs of scientists used very different methods of research. Watson and Crick used a less scientific method. They mostly relied on blunt instinct and a guess-and-check system. Though both of them had done many years of research concerning cells and DNA, they were still unsure of the exact shape and structure of the gene. Despite this, in their haste to win the race, they built a model that was inaccurate and scientifically impossible. Afterwards, they continue to use the same method until they finally succeeded in building a second, more precise model with the help of the research done by Franklin. Franklin, on the other hand, used a more practical approach. She and her assistant, Raymond Gosling, did much of their research in the lab. While she made many advancements with her work, due to the social standings of women during the 1950s, she was hesitant to publish her work and refused to work with other male scientists, including Watson and Crick. While each scientist's’ methods proved to be effective, I believe that the method used by Watson and Crick was the more appropriate method. They were able to use the information they had previously gathered and apply it in different ways. Although their first model was unsuccessful, they were able to detect the flaw by observing the model and as a result, they incorporated new developments into the model to create an accurate representation of DNA. Franklin had gathered large amounts of data in her lab, but she failed to apply it. Even though women in that time were not treated equally, the movie depicts scenes of Franklin arguing with other male scientists, like Watson and Maurice Wilkens, and refusing to work with them in their research. In science, good information means nothing if you choose not to do anything with it. Throughout history, significant scientific advancements have almost always been “races”.
Many different scientists compete to discover the same thing, the winner receiving the fame and accolades. However, scientific exploration should not be this way. Instead of competing with one another, scientists should instead collaborate on similar issues for more effective and efficient innovations in science. In such an intellectual race, many pros and cons arise. One benefit is that discoveries and solutions are found sooner due to the vast rewards for being the first to succeed. In certain cases, such as finding a treatment or cure for an illness, this can help save thousands of people. Also, the race may encourage other people to pursue a career in the scientific field or to submit their findings. “Winning” the race for a discovery can provide people with the money and recognition they need to be successful as they advance in their research. Finally, a race could yield more accurate data. Since expectations for an answer are high, it would force scientists to gather research from more reliable sources and the information would have to be backed by solid evidence, which could lead to a lower risk of scientific error. Despite all of these benefits, there are many disadvantages to scientific races. The reward that comes with winning the race may discourage scientists from working together. This is shown in the film, as Franklin refuses to work with Watson and Crick due to the race to discover the double helix. If scientific exploration were not a race, she may have been more open to collaborating with them in their research. In a similar argument, the greed the reward of a race creates may drive some scientists to do immoral and illegal things, such as plagiarism or stealing information from other scientists. Finally, a race can cause scientists to rush their work, which may lead to inaccuracies. In The Race for the Double Helix, Watson and Crick were so eager to submit
their work, they did not carefully review the model they had made. As a result, their work was incorrect and it set them back in their research. After the discovery of the double helix, Watson and Crick received most of the rewards that came with such a monumental advancement. They both won the Nobel Prize for their research in 1962. Maurice Wilkins also received a Nobel Prize for his work, but due to her early death, Franklin was not eligible for the award. I believe that Wilkins and especially Franklin should have been given the same amount of fame and accolades that Watson and Crick received for their work on the structure of DNA. As portrayed in the movie, Watson and Crick completed the missing part of their model after reading the thesis Franklin wrote on her research. Without Franklin, it may have taken Watson and Crick many more years to discover the double helix, or Franklin may have even discovered it before them. Although Watson and Crick did large amounts of independent research, the breakthrough to their discovery came from Franklin. She should have been given the same amount of recognition as Watson and Crick. Wilkins also did many years of research on the structure of DNA and provided lots of valuable data. The fame and accolades should have been given to all four of them for their work on this scientific discovery. In conclusion, the discovery of the double helix can be considered one of the greatest scientific achievements. It provided breakthroughs in the study of gene reproduction and aided in countless other advancements such as understanding DNA and the human genome, treating genetic ailments, and the cloning of genes. This was all made possible by a small group of scientists competing for the same goal. Each one used a different method of research, each with different benefits and disadvantages. The pressure of being the first to discover the structure affected their investigations, both in a negative and positive way. In the end, it was James Watson and Francis Crick that succeeded, and the efforts of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins seemed to have been almost forgotten. Regardless of its discoverer, the double helix opened many doors of scientific research in the late 1900s and continues to do so in our modern research today.