This film provides an excellent summary of how James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the molecular structure of DNA. It packs a tremendous amount of information into a short time frame. Hosted by science journalist Olivia Judson, the video contains interviews with Watson and Crick, as well as Sean Carroll (University of Wisconsin-Madison/HHMI), Karolin Luger (Colorado State/HHMI), Robert Olby (Historian/Biographer), and others. Quite a bit of seldom-seen archival footage is used.

Viewers will follow Watson and Crick’s progress toward their famous discovery. They will also learn about some of the mistakes the researchers made along the way. Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin do not go unmentioned, though a description of the controversy surrounding Franklin’s role is absent. Nevertheless, her work’s contribution to the discovery is highlighted. Also included is Linus Pauling’s attempt to beat Watson and Crick to the outline of the DNA structure.

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