logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
18m 53s

The DNA Debate

The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios
About this episode
February 28, 1953. Two scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, burst into a bar and exclaim that they have discovered the secret of life. But there was another person involved in the discovery of DNA’s double helix, a scientist named Rosalind Franklin. Why didn’t she get any credit, and what does her story tell us about the politics of discovery itself?S ... Show More
Up next
Today
9/11: Rescue on the Water
September 11, 2001. On a clear and sunny day, Captain Richard Thornton is piloting his ferry boat back and forth between New Jersey and New York City. But when he hears an airplane flying too low to the ground, he knows something is wrong. After the World Trade Center’s North Tow ... Show More
26m 36s
Aug 31
The Radium Girls Fight Back
September 12, 1922. Twenty-four-year-old Mollie Maggia has a toothache. In less than a year, this otherwise healthy young woman will be dead. Others like her will soon follow. They’d all shared what seemed to be a dream job: applying glow-in-the-dark paint to clock faces. The pai ... Show More
34m 33s
Aug 28
Free preview: How Las Vegas Made America a Gambling Nation (HTW+)
A five-minute taste of our full interview on how Las Vegas became Las Vegas. Subscribe to HTW+ to hear the rest at htwpod.com or in your Apple Podcasts app. 
6m 5s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
70th anniversary of the discovery of DNA’s structure
James Watson and Francis Crick, who detailed the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, are perhaps two of the most iconic scientists of the 20th Century. Yet the story of how they made their incredible discovery is perhaps equally famous, with a notorious narrative suggesting th ... Show More
32m 46s
Apr 2019
SYMHC Classics: Rosalind Franklin, DNA's Dark Lady
We're reaching back to 2011 for an episode from Sarah and Deblina about a woman scientist. The men who are usually credited with discerning DNA's structure won the Nobel Prize in 1962, but they used Rosalind Franklin's research. In 1952, she captured the best DNA image available ... Show More
25m 11s
Jul 2020
Rosalind Franklin: the hidden story of DNA
This week we're celebrating the hundredth birthday of DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin and how her work helped to unravel the DNA helix. Plus, in the news: COVID causes heart damage, water shortages in England thanks to climate change, and magic bullets to make shellfish more nutrit ... Show More
56m 7s
Mar 2023
The man who almost discovered the double helix
Seventy years since James Watson and Francis Crick first revealed DNA’s double-helix structure, Dr Kersten Hall shares the story of the scientist who almost beat them to their major discovery: molecular biologist William Astbury. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Kersten details how, ... Show More
46m 10s
Jul 2025
2. The woman who DISCOVERED DNA & i'm too DUMB for my degree | OVERLOOKED EP 2
💉 #sciencepodcast #stempodcast #womeninstemWelcome to Episode 2 of OVERLOOKED! This series is all about diving into the forgotten side of his-tory , the women in STEM who made massive contributions but didn’t get the credit they deserved! 🥲This week, we’re talking about one of ... Show More
44m 8s
Dec 2023
The Nature Podcast highlights of 2023
In this episode:00:54 Franklin’s real roleWhen it comes to the structure of DNA, everyone thinks they know Rosalind Franklin’s role in its discovery. The story goes that her crucial data was taken by James Watson without her knowledge, helping him and Francis Crick solve the stru ... Show More
45m 5s
Jul 2023
Ancient DNA Secrets
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Horrible Histories alum Ben Willbond, ancient DNA experts Prof Turi King and Dr Tom Booth and Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, as they uncover some of the incredible revelations being revealed through study of ancient DNA. The discovery of ... Show More
42m 26s
Nov 2021
Could A Human Actually Get Super Powers?
Greg James and Bella Mackie take a lesson in genetics from Biology teacher Ms Marwick.Greg and Bella look at the science behind DNA, find out why loving cheese is a secret super power, and discover how genetic manipulation could help humans fly, go invisible or even freeze themse ... Show More
44m 3s
Sep 1999
Genetic Determinism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the theory of Genetic Determinism. In the middle of the last century two men - Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, and Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, established the central theories of modern biology and changed the world forever. Darwin’s On ... Show More
28m 9s
Jul 2025
Science versus the law | The Lab Detective Ep3
Scientist Carola Vinuesa and her team test their extraordinary genetic discovery in a court of law.Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights. Reporter: Rachel SylvesterProducer: Gary MarshallMusic supervisor: Karla PatellaSound design: Rowan Bi ... Show More
33m 32s