02-11-2022, 06:12 AM
(02-11-2022, 05:24 AM)Mark A Becker Wrote: It is unfortunate that a Jewish woman, Rosalind Franklin, did not receive the recognition she was due, that was crucial to the work of Crick et al, until long after the Nobel was awarded in '62, more likely because she was a woman, than because of her religion.).This is a myth.
I've been hearing of Rosland Franklin since the 80s. There is no evidence that she was anything other than famous.
She did not receive the Nobel because Nobels are not awarded posthumously. No exceptions.
Rosalind Franklin was working in John Randall's lab at the time when she took the first X ray pictures of the DNA molecule. Linus Pauling had already conjectured that the molecule was a triple helix (without seeing any of Franklin's work), and it was only a matter of time before someone took a stab at a double helix structure. This Watson and Crick did, while Franklin was happy to wait until more evidence became available, and so 'lost out'. Of course, she didn't really lose out because her name was immortalised.
To be clear, the molecular structure of DNA wasn't path breaking work like General Relativity, the Schrodinger equation, or the periodic table. It was just pushing known science an inch over the edge of a cliff that it was already perched on.
Sometimes it's a mystery as to why certain discoveries become more famous than others.
Collins is an interesting personality. Thanks for bringing him up. Will read his book.