New York, USA – The scientific world don lose one of e legend as James Watson, wey co-discover the structure of DNA, don kick the bucket at the age of 97. Dis man na one of the brains wey unlock the double-helix structure of DNA for 1953 with Francis Crick. Dem call am one of the biggest breakthroughs wey change science forever.
But no be everything wey shine be gold o, as Watson late comments on race and sex scatter wetin e build for many years. E don run mouth plenty times wey make people vex, especially about black people and their IQ. Him comments don send am from scientific king to outcast, as even the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory wey e dey work resign am from chancellor position.
Watson and Crick, with Maurice Wilkins, collect Nobel Prize for physiology in 1962 because of their groundbreaking work. For dat time, dem sabi say dem don discover the ‘secret of life’. But as dem say, pride go fall, as Watson later find himself in wahala for his mouth alone.
For 2007, Watson talk say e dey “gloomy about Africa” because e believe say all social policies dey base on intelligence wey e think no dey equal. Dis one no go down well with plenty people, and e come make am lose e chancellor title and plenty other honors because of dat statement. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory even release statement say e comments dey “reprehensible, unsupported by science”.
As people dey time pass, dem no fit ignore the work wey Rosalind Franklin do for DNA discovery, but for Watson book, e portray her as a shrew. Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s just say, dis na example of how to spoil friendship and career with one story.
But no be all about negative things, o. Watson fit vex dem plenty people, but he also inspire young scientists during him time at Harvard by inviting hunger dem for breakfast. Na dat kind move dey make some people call am Cornflakes Jim, as he no hide the love for science and mentorship.
Watson legacy go never clear as him many remarks about genes, race, and intelligence don cloud wetin he achieve for science. E still help kick off Human Genome Project wey attempt to map the entire human DNA sequence, but e own mouth for matter wey concern race don make people dey doubt him integrity as a scientist.
Watson don join him fellow scientists, and although he give the world revolutionary science, no be all about e groundbreaking work, as we see how one person fit collect beliefs wey no grounded on science and scatter every good work wey e do. For the end, the man wey fit discover DNA go leave as a controversial figure wey don reshape views on race and genetics.
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