Francis Crick

Date of Birth: June 8, 1916

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: July 28, 2004

Biography

Francis Harry Compton Crick was a British molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, most noted for co-discovering the structure of DNA in 1953 with James Watson. Their discovery marked a pivotal moment in the field of genetics and earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, which they shared with Maurice Wilkins. Born in Weston Favell, Northamptonshire, England, Crick displayed an early interest in science, which led him to study physics at University College London. After serving in the Admiralty during World War II, he shifted his focus to biology. Crick’s career was distinguished by his work at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, where his collaboration with Watson took place. Later in his career, Crick made significant contributions to the study of the genetic code and neuroscience. He spent the latter part of his career at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, investigating the nature of consciousness.

5 Interesting Facts about Francis Crick

1. Francis Crick was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 along with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins.

2. He served in the British Admiralty during World War II, working on the design of magnetic and acoustic mines.

3. Crick and Watson used data from Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling, which was critical in deducing the double helix structure of DNA.

4. He was an outspoken advocate for scientific research and often engaged in debates about the ethical implications of genetic engineering.

5. Francis Crick spent the latter part of his career at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, focusing on neurobiology and the study of consciousness.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Francis Crick

1. “The dangerous man is the one who has only one idea, because then he’ll fight and die for it.”

2. “Time and again, we see that the more we investigate, the more we discover that there is some deep underlying mathematical structure in the universe.”

3. “It is one of the more striking generalizations of biochemistry — which surprisingly is hardly ever mentioned in the biochemical literature — that the twenty amino acids and the four bases, are, in a sense, all equally important.”

4. “A theory should not attempt to explain all the facts, because some of the facts are wrong.”

5. “We used to think that our fate was in our stars. Now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in our genes.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Francis Crick’s highest net worth is not widely documented, but his contributions to science are invaluable and his legacy is priceless.

Children

Francis Crick had three children: Michael F. Crick from his first marriage to Ruth Doreen Dodd, and Gabrielle and Jacqueline from his second marriage to Odile Speed.