Helen D. Fisher Obituary – Cause of Death : “Forgotten Female Scientist Unveiled Universe’s Composition”

Since her death in 1979, the woman who discovered what the universe is made of has not so much as received a memorial plaque. Her newspaper obituaries do not mention her greatest discovery. Every high school student knows that Isaac Newton discovered gravity, that Charles Darwin discovered evolution, but few know the name of Rosalind Franklin.

Rosalind Franklin, a brilliant scientist whose work was crucial to the discovery of the structure of DNA, passed away recently. Despite her groundbreaking contributions to science, Franklin’s achievements have been largely overlooked in the history books.

Franklin’s work on X-ray diffraction images of DNA played a key role in helping James Watson and Francis Crick determine the double helix structure of the molecule. Her photographs provided the crucial evidence that led to one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century.

Despite her significant contributions to the field of molecular biology, Franklin’s work was often overshadowed by her male colleagues. It is a tragedy that she did not receive the recognition she deserved during her lifetime, and it is even more tragic that she has not been properly memorialized since her death.

As we mourn the loss of Rosalind Franklin, let us also remember to honour her memory and celebrate her legacy. It is time to give this pioneering scientist the recognition she has long been denied.