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James Watson became a controversial figure after his repeated offensive comments later in life (Picture: Bloomberg/Getty Images) James D.Watson, the controversial scientist who co-discovered the DNA structure, has died at the age of 97. The scientist and his two colleagues spotted the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953. Their discovery ended up revolutionising medicine, criminal forensics, genealogy and ethics. Watson was just 24 when he made the breakthrough finding, and he became a well-known figure in science. However, he faced backlash and condemnation near the end of his life after offensive and racist comments like saying Black people are less intelligent than white people. His honorary titles were stripped in 2019 after his repeated offensive remarks. Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in 2019: ‘His outbursts, particularly when they reflected on race, were both profoundly misguided and deeply hurtful. I only wish that Jim’s views on society and humanity could have matched his brilliant scientific insights.’ Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for confirming that DNA is a double helix made of two strands that coil around each other. The discovery paved the way for genetic studies of living thing such as treating disease, identifying human remains and tracing criminal suspects from DNA samples. Watson’s son confirmed he died in a hospice after a brief illness. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
