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How I discovered DNA - James Watson

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TED Talk

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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.

At the time of his TED Talk, Watson was excited about identifying the genetic components for many diseases. For a handful of these diseases, like Huntington’s chorea, we can test for the faulty gene—but there’s still no way to alter the course of the disease or cure it. For other diseases like Alzheimer’s, genetic testing may suggest that someone is predisposed for the condition, but not guarantee that it will develop. In each case—would you want to know? Why or why not?

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