The man who almost discovered the double helix
HistoryExtra podcast
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Rosalind Franklin: The Unsung Hero of DNA
In 1952, Rosalind Franklin took an x-ray diffraction photograph of DNA that they called it just photo 51. The particular pattern of spots made by the scattered x-rays in that picture gives rise to this really striking cross pattern. Photo 51 was not the only clue that helped Watson and Crick solve the double helical structure of DNA. But its psychological effect was important, as Watson said, it galvanized us into action.
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