Conversations with Laureates
Nobelist James Watson is a deliberate, self-assured man. In conversation, he is confident enough to take all the time he needs to scan his mind for the truth, to convey his beliefs or sell an idea.
In the selling of ideas, he could be said to have the talents of the greatest salesmen. He uses conventional methods when possible, but he is not opposed to using outrageous or controversial propositions to get his idea considered on the lab bench or in science policy makers' debates.
The selling of ideas is part of his heritage. He was raised in an Irish Catholic working class family in Chicago in the 30s and 40s, where he describes books, birds and FDR as the bedrock of dinner table discussion. Forming ideas worthy of being sold became a mark of success in the Watson household and second nature to Jim Watson.
Watson knows who he is and how he is regarded. He knows his own intelligence and that his record of achievements will get his ideas—even the ones he frames in the most outrageous, attention-grabbing fashion—serious consideration. He seems at ease being viewed, at times, as controversial or difficult.
Along the way he became committed to truth at all costs. In his latest book, Passion for DNA, Watson expresses the seriousness of his commitment to truth: "You were never held back by manners, and crap was best called crap. Offending somebody was always preferable to avoiding the truth, though such bluntness did not make me a social success with most of my classmates."
Watson is also committed to science, critical thinking and the advancement of science in the national interest. In recent years he has unleashed his talents and energy toward fostering these ideals as president of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a place that fired his passion for genetics when he was a young scientist.
"I think during the summers, well, it is the most interesting place in the world, if you're interested in biology." — Watson on Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, from The Eighth Day of Creation by Horace Freeland Judson.