New Delhi: American Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, who discovered the structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97. In 1953, he, along with British scientist Francis Crick, identified the double-helix structure of DNA, one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the 20th century. However, his statements regarding race and gender severely damaged his reputation. On a television program, he controversially remarked that genes may account for differences in IQ scores between Black and White people. Discovery of DNA Watson's death was confirmed to the BBC by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he worked and conducted research for several decades. Watson won the Nobel Prize in 1962 with Maurice Wilkins and Francis Crick for the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. At that time, he declared, "We have discovered the secret of life." Later, his controversial statements on race led the scientific community to distance itself from him. 7 science‑backed benefits of meditation The statements proved costly. In 2007, when he previously worked at Cambridge University's Cavendish Lab, he told The Times newspaper that he was "pessimistic about the future of Africa" because "all our policies are based on the assumption that Africans have the same intelligence as us, while all tests show otherwise." Following this statement, he was removed from his position as Chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Lab in New York. In 2019, when he made a similar statement, stating a link between race and intelligence—the lab stripped him of all his titles, including Chancellor Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, and Honorary Trustee. The lab stated, "Dr. Watson's statements are false and not supported by science." DNA was discovered in 1869, but scientists did not know its structure at the time. Sold the Nobel Prize In 2014, Watson sold his Nobel Prize gold medal at auction for $4.8 million (approximately £3.6 million). He stated that he was selling the medal because he felt isolated from the scientific community after his statements on race. Science Behind Goosebumps: What your body is really telling you? A Russian billionaire purchased the medal for $4.8 million and immediately returned it to Watson. Did Research in Cambridge Watson was born in Chicago in April 1928. His parents, Jean and James, were descendants of settlers from England, Scotland, and Ireland. At the age of 15, he received a scholarship to study at the University of Chicago. To continue his research on the structure of DNA, he went to Cambridge, where he met Francis Crick. Together, they began building large models of possible DNA structures. Watson took charge of New York State's Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory- an old institution in 1968. Under his leadership, it became one of the world's most prominent scientific research centers.
