Not every Watson is a sidekick

Watson seems to be a good sidekick sort of name. It reminds some of us of the Dr. Watson who shared a flat with Sherlock Holmes and wrote up his adventures for the world. Also, those two syllables may call the mind Thomas Watson, the fellow who worked with Alexander Graham Bell, and was on the receiving end of the first message ever transmitted by telephone.

"Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you," is how I think it went.

Anyway, one famous Watson who was a member of a duo and who was most definitely not a sidekick was James Watson, the biochemist who in association with Francis Crick, developed the double helix model of DNA.

Watson's famous 1968 memoir of that achievement, THE DOUBLE HELIX, begins with the statement, "I have never seen Francis Crick in a modest mood." A fair reading of the book generally indicates that Watson hadn't known many modest moods himself, either.

In the above photo, Crick is standing, pointing out features of the model. Watson is seated. Both are grinning.

So ... here's a toast to him. The nobody's-sidekick Watson. Drink up.

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