NOVA Season 3 Episode 8 Race for the Double Helix (The)

In NOVA season 3 episode 8, titled "Race for the Double Helix", viewers are taken back to the years of intense scientific competition between two researchers, James Watson and Francis Crick. The episode follows their quest to solve the structure of DNA, which had been the subject of much scientific interest for decades.

The show explores the dramatic story behind the race, which began in earnest in 1951 when Watson, who was working at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England, became interested in the problem. Watson teamed up with Crick, a student of the physical sciences, and together they began to work on the puzzle.

The episode covers the difficulties the two men experienced in their research. Many scientists had attempted to solve the structure of DNA before them, but had failed, and Watson and Crick were no exception. They faced numerous obstacles, from a lack of funding to insufficient equipment, to personal rivalries within the scientific community.

However, the episode shows that Watson and Crick were determined to succeed, and their breakthrough came in 1953 when they famously announced that they had "discovered" the structure of DNA. We see how the duo's work was informed by the research of others, most notably Rosalind Franklin, a chemist who had taken X-ray diffraction images of DNA, which Watson and Crick used as crucial pieces of evidence in their own work.

The show also highlights the controversies surrounding the discovery of DNA's structure, including the question of who deserved credit for the discovery. Watson and Crick received the Nobel Prize for their work, but Franklin, who died in 1958, was not recognized by the prize committee until much later.

In addition to the personal and scientific dramas surrounding the race to unlock the secret of DNA's structure, the episode also delves into the larger implications of the discovery. It notes the enormous impact that the discovery has had on fields as diverse as medicine and agriculture, and also explores the ethical questions that arise when the secrets of life are unlocked.

Overall, "Race for the Double Helix" is a fascinating episode of NOVA that offers viewers a detailed look at one of the most important scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. The show takes viewers on a thrilling and suspenseful journey through the personal and scientific dramas that accompanied the race to solve the structure of DNA, and it highlights the ongoing importance of this discovery today.