Comments on: Long-Lost Letters From DNA Pioneers Reveal Conflicts and Tensions http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: martin packer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22425 martin packer Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:15:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22425 I have brought this debate to the attention of Professor Lynne Elkin in California, who have just read the full article in "Nature" and will no doubt want to comment on the points above. I have brought this debate to the attention of Professor Lynne Elkin in California, who have just read the full article in “Nature” and will no doubt want to comment on the points above.

]]> By: Torbjörn Larsson, OM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22424 Torbjörn Larsson, OM Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:53:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22424 Thanks for the info, it will be interesting to see deep reviews of this find. "Also, I find your comment: “Scientists like to think they’re too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest,” confusing and contradictory. Would you please clarify?" Now you are confusing. Intelligent people such as researchers have more resources to delude themselves or others when it happens. Why would sexism be different from other delusions (or more generally, habits)? And where is the contradiction? Yes please, clarifying would be in order. Thanks for the info, it will be interesting to see deep reviews of this find.

“Also, I find your comment:
“Scientists like to think they’re too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest,” confusing and contradictory. Would you please clarify?”

Now you are confusing. Intelligent people such as researchers have more resources to delude themselves or others when it happens. Why would sexism be different from other delusions (or more generally, habits)?

And where is the contradiction? Yes please, clarifying would be in order.

]]> By: Eliza Strickland http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22423 Eliza Strickland Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:10:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22423 @ martin packer: Thanks for catching the typo. I fixed it, so it now reads "the use of Frankin's data in the failed model..." Cheers, Eliza, DISCOVER online news editor @ martin packer: Thanks for catching the typo. I fixed it, so it now reads “the use of Frankin’s data in the failed model…”

Cheers,
Eliza, DISCOVER online news editor

]]> By: Jennifer Welsh http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22422 Jennifer Welsh Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:18:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22422 Hey all, thanks for reading and commenting. The role of Rosalind in the discovery is really interesting and it definitely tells us a lot about the culture of science in those days. What was fascinating, but I didn't get to delve into in the article above was how Franklin and Wilkins' relationship deteriorated quickly from a single argument. Supposedly, Franklin showed up to her new job and thought that Wilkins would be working for her, but I guess he thought the opposite. She ended up working for him, but it really put a dent in their relationship. So, anyway, @martin - since Franklin was working for Wilkins, some of the data was hers while some of it was gathered from others. And @nick, while it's interesting to consider whether the Nobel committee would have included Franklin in the prize, it was actually impossible for them to do so, since she had died and the Nobels aren't given posthumously. I'm excited to be able to look at these letters when they are finished being digitized! Thanks again for reading and commenting! Jen Hey all, thanks for reading and commenting.

The role of Rosalind in the discovery is really interesting and it definitely tells us a lot about the culture of science in those days. What was fascinating, but I didn’t get to delve into in the article above was how Franklin and Wilkins’ relationship deteriorated quickly from a single argument.

Supposedly, Franklin showed up to her new job and thought that Wilkins would be working for her, but I guess he thought the opposite. She ended up working for him, but it really put a dent in their relationship.

So, anyway, @martin – since Franklin was working for Wilkins, some of the data was hers while some of it was gathered from others.

And @nick, while it’s interesting to consider whether the Nobel committee would have included Franklin in the prize, it was actually impossible for them to do so, since she had died and the Nobels aren’t given posthumously.

I’m excited to be able to look at these letters when they are finished being digitized! Thanks again for reading and commenting!

Jen

]]> By: Aaron http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22421 Aaron Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:10:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22421 @nick: I strongly disagree with your assertion that "History is doing it’s best to bury her." I have only seen Dr. Franklin, her general work, and her specific contributions to this topic brought forth and elevated in recent times! For example, did you read the "Posthumous Recognition" section of the Wikipedia article that you linked to? Also, I find your comment: "Scientists like to think they’re too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest," confusing and contradictory. Would you please clarify? @nick: I strongly disagree with your assertion that “History is doing it’s best to bury her.” I have only seen Dr. Franklin, her general work, and her specific contributions to this topic brought forth and elevated in recent times! For example, did you read the “Posthumous Recognition” section of the Wikipedia article that you linked to?

Also, I find your comment:
“Scientists like to think they’re too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest,” confusing and contradictory. Would you please clarify?

]]> By: martin packer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22420 martin packer Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:13:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22420 "in part on data gathered by Rosalind Franklin" "The use of Wilkins’ data in the failed model" ? “in part on data gathered by Rosalind Franklin”

“The use of Wilkins’ data in the failed model”

?

]]> By: Kea http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22419 Kea Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:09:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22419 May Rosalind Franklin rest in peace. This is of course not surprising. May Rosalind Franklin rest in peace. This is of course not surprising.

]]> By: nick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22418 nick Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:09:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22418 Franklin was robbed because she was born with a vagina (a fact which was actually the death of her). Scientists like to think they're too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest. History is doing it's best to bury her, as evinced by the first paragraph of this article, as if the Nobel prize is all that validates a discovery as monumental as this. Sure, if she wasn't there someone else would have done the work - you can say the same thing of Einstein's theories (in fact, you could say the same thing about Einstein's theories and his wife...). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin Franklin was robbed because she was born with a vagina (a fact which was actually the death of her). Scientists like to think they’re too smart to be sexist, which can lead to them being more sexist than the rest. History is doing it’s best to bury her, as evinced by the first paragraph of this article, as if the Nobel prize is all that validates a discovery as monumental as this. Sure, if she wasn’t there someone else would have done the work – you can say the same thing of Einstein’s theories (in fact, you could say the same thing about Einstein’s theories and his wife…).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin

]]> By: Rhacodactylus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/30/long-lost-letters-from-dna-pioneers-reveal-conflicts-and-tensions/#comment-22417 Rhacodactylus Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:16:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=20759#comment-22417 It's always nice to get new information on Franklin, she sometimes gets talked about in biology classes as though she's a feminist ghost story, part real, part legend. <a href="http://untitledvanityproject.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">~Rhaco</a> It’s always nice to get new information on Franklin, she sometimes gets talked about in biology classes as though she’s a feminist ghost story, part real, part legend.

~Rhaco

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