That’s a good long life, so there’s that at least. But otherwise, let this be an object lesson to everyone: you can make marvelous discoveries and launch science in bold new directions, but if you treat people badly, that’s what you’re going to be remembered for. The Washington Post even brought it up.
Dr. Watson also was known for his unsparing, even mean-spirited candor when commenting on the personalities and rivalries at the cutting edge of science. A longtime colleague at Harvard, eminent biologist Edward O. Wilson, called him “the most unpleasant human being I had ever met” and compared him to Roman emperor Caligula, the mad degenerate who fancied himself a god.
I have to paraphrase an old and familiar joke:
So a man walks into a bar, and sits down. He starts a conversation with an old guy next to him. The old guy has obviously had a few. He says to the man:
“You see that lab out there? Built it myself, recruited the staff, and it’s the best lab in town! But do they call me “Watson, the lab builder”? No!”
“And you see that book over there, I wrote that, number one bestseller in the country! But do they call me “Watson the author”? No!”
“And you see that double helix over there? I figured that out, took me years, against the resistance of the establishment, but do they call me “Watson the co-discoverer of DNA? No!”
The old guy looks around, and makes sure that nobody is listening, and leans to the man, and he says:
“but you peddle a lot of racist and sexist ideas…”
I do have to say, though, that I met his wife, Elizabeth, who seemed very nice and struggled to get Jim to shut up, and I feel sorry for her. She seemed to care very much for him, and I hope she’s coping well.
Bit unfair on old Caligula there eh? At least he was well liked by the common people of Rome, and seemed to have a lively sense of humour. Also lived for seventy fewer years.
Closest I got to meeting him was when he almost hit me with his car barreling down one of the narrow roads on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories while I was jogging about 30 years ago. Closer than I needed to get to him.
IIRC, didn’t E. O. Wilson have some racist ideas himself? I guess difference is he treated those around him a better.
Perhaps ironically, Wilson had his own asterisks on his permanent record.
The shadow of racism cast over E. O. Wilson, a giant of biology
From the post title, and from this site’s stances, I had expected a mention for Rosalind Franklin, who was not given due credit for the discovery of DNA’s structure; that was only attributed to him and Crick.
… Edward O. Wilson, called him “the most unpleasant human being I had ever met”…
It seems Wilson must not have met many major Republicans.
I remember the double entendre of the WC model in first year biology. When I later read about the crappy treatment of Rosalind Franklin I realised there was some truth in it.
@John Morales,
I heard about Watson about 20 minutes ago on MPR. They did bring up that Rosalind Franklin’s work on x-ray crystallography was key to the discovery of the structure of DNA. They also mentioned he was, um, a bit rude about describing her and her work they ripped off.
and, sadly, Franklin passed away at 38 yrs old, and was therefore, not eligible to be considered for the Nobel prize for her contributions when it was awarded.
Robbo, procedural exclusion is still exclusion.
(Anyway, I am glad she has not been forgotten)
—
It is meet we talk of her and not of him; she never sullied her reputation.
How about as the guy who ripped off Franklin’s work without acknowledging her contribution?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01313-5
Or the guy who promoted and subscribed to eugenics? Whose laboratory’s research was used to support eugenics, both in the US and was referenced by Hitler in Mein Kamp?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_Record_Office
Or the sexually-harassing asshat who turned CSHL into a toxic work environment for female scientists?
His wife may be a perfectly nice woman; plenty of sexually harassing assholes have very nice wives; it’s part of their cover. Exhibit A: Jim Frenkel, who is married to Joan Vinge. Everybody loves Joan, Frenkel not so much.
https://www.jimchines.com/2017/04/odyssey-con-frenkel-and-harassment/
Crick does seem to be a good fellow, but both knowingly robbed Franklin.
I’m always amused by the trope, “He’s such a schmuck, but his wife is such a lovely, kind person.”
If Watson had married a woman (or anyone) with a personality like his own, it would have been the world’s shortest marriage.
Anyone who could stay married to such an asshole, would have to be the most kind, forbearing person.
[Surely everyone is aware of the allegorical payload of PZ’s ‘I have to paraphrase an old and familiar joke’]
Teacher to classroom : What did Crick and Watson discover?
Student : Rosalind Franklin’s notes sir..
Joke / point recaleld from somehwere, unsure of who firts came up with that.