DNA: The Secret of Life

Dr. James Watson talked about his book DNA: The Secret of Life, published by Alfred A. Knopf. In 1953 at the age of twenty-four, Dr. Watson, along with Francis Crick, successfully proposed the double helix structure for DNA and for this work, the two men, along with Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962. This week, an international consortium of scientists announced that they had completed the finished sequence of the human genome. This new book, published in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of their historic discovery, describes the vital role that DNA has played in a variety of fields since 1953. Dr. Watson talked about how genetics are used in DNA crime scene testing, genetically modified foods, genetically modified babies and cloning. He also talked about the ethical questions that surround these issues. He answered audience members' questions. close