James D. Watson, whose co-discovery of the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 helped light the long fuse on a revolution in medicine, crime-fighting, genealogy and ethics, has died, according to his former research lab. He was 97.
The breakthrough – made when the brash, Chicago-born Watson was just 24 – turned him into a hallowed figure in the world of science for decades.
But near the end of his life, he faced condemnation and professional censure for offensive remarks, including saying…
