Skip to main content

How I discovered DNA - James Watson

324,643 Views

11,172 Questions Answered

TED Talk

Let’s Begin…

Nobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his research partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA.

As Watson and his colleague Francis Crick tried to decipher the structure of DNA, Watson says they decided to “not solve it in rigorous fashion.” Instead of employing the usual avenues to identify the molecule’s components, they quickly assembled models using rough coordinates taken from x-ray crystallography. Why was there a need for this rapid prototyping? What was dictating the pace of their work?

Sign in to answer question

About TED Talk Lessons

TED Talk Lessons are created by TED-Ed using phenomenal TED Talks. Do you have an idea for a lesson? Create it now using any video from YouTube »

Meet The Creators

  • Speaker James Watson

More from Awesome Nature