But James Watson and Francis Crick's claim was a valid one, for they had in fact discovered the structure of DNA, the chemical that encodes instructions for building and replicating almost all ...

Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick — the first to figure out DNA’s shape — stole data from another scientist named Rosalind Franklin.

A piece that aired on NPR this week about the discovery of DNA's structure neglected to mention the significant contribution of Rosalind Franklin to that scientific milestone.

Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick — the first to figure out DNA’s shape — stole data from another scientist named Rosalind Franklin.

Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick -- the first to figure out DNA's shape -- stole data from another scientist named Rosalind Franklin.

NEW YORK — The discovery of DNA’s double helix structure 70 years ago opened up a world of new science — and also sparked disputes over who contributed what and who deserves credit.

Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick — the first to figure out DNA’s shape — stole data from another scientist named Rosalind Franklin.