Photography and the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA Author Information First author: Jose Cuevas, Ph. D. San Bernardo 89, 5 Izq., 28015 Madrid. Spain Visiting Professor of Film and Media Studies Complutense University of Madrid and Carlos III University of Madrid E-mail:
[email protected] Jose Cuevas is a photographer and documentary filmmaker, author of numerous documentaries and photographic exhibitions. He has published articles and books related to his main subject of investigation: the role played by photography in the acquisition of scientific knowledge. Personal and academic interests are focused on the study of the relationship between art and science through the theory and practice of photography. His most recent book is Photography and Knowledge: Photography in the Age of Electronics: From its Origins to 1975 published by Complutense University of Madrid, Spain in 2009. Second author: Laurence E. Heglar, Ph.D. Juan de Urbieta 12, 3 B 28007 Madrid, Spain E-mail:
[email protected] Laurence Heglar is Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Syracuse University, Madrid Spain Campus. His research interests include language development, methodological issues in the social sciences and the philosophy of science. He is presently working on a study of the American philosopher John Dewey. His most recent publication is ‘Cognition and the Argument from Design’, American Psychologist, 51(1), 1996, 57-58. 1 Photography and the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA The development of X-ray diffraction photography was central to the discovery of the helical structure of DNA in 1953. Unfortunately the story of how this technique was developed receded into the background as subsequent attention focused on the moment of discovery by Watson and Crick.