James Watson, the Nobel Prize-winning American scientist renowned for co-discovering the double-helix structure of DNA, has passed away at the age of 97. His groundbreaking work in 1953, alongside Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, revolutionized molecular biology by unveiling the mechanism of DNA replication and genetic information transmission. This discovery earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. However, Watson’s legacy is marred by controversial remarks on race and intelligence, which led to his ostracization from the scientific community and the revocation of his honorary titles in 2019. In a 2007 interview, Watson expressed pessimistic views about Africa’s prospects, linking intelligence to race, which resulted in his dismissal as chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. His 2019 reiteration of such views prompted the lab to strip him of his emeritus titles. Despite his scientific contributions, Watson’s later years were overshadowed by these controversies. He sold his Nobel Prize medal in 2014 for $4.8 million, citing his alienation from the scientific community. Watson’s death was confirmed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he conducted decades of research.