> Watson recognized the pattern as a helix because his co-worker Francis Crick had previously published a paper of what the diffraction pattern of a helix would be.
So Crick had already predicted and published on the x-ray pattern of a helix. Further from wikipedia:
> Watson and Crick used characteristics and features of Photo 51, together with evidence from multiple other sources, to develop the chemical model of the DNA molecule
Seems like they did what all good scientists do: gather all evidence and examine them. This article verges on hyperbole.
The Wikipedia page is much more balanced, noting that there is controversy over whether Franklin would have published a theory on the helical structure of DNA, whether she would have allowed Watson and Crick to even see the photo, and mentions that Watson had presented a distorted image of Franklin in his book.
> Once they saw Photograph 51, Watson and Crick rushed to publish a paper on their model, incorporating the image.
Which is an unfair character characterisation, because according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_51):
> Watson recognized the pattern as a helix because his co-worker Francis Crick had previously published a paper of what the diffraction pattern of a helix would be.
So Crick had already predicted and published on the x-ray pattern of a helix. Further from wikipedia:
> Watson and Crick used characteristics and features of Photo 51, together with evidence from multiple other sources, to develop the chemical model of the DNA molecule
Seems like they did what all good scientists do: gather all evidence and examine them. This article verges on hyperbole.
The Wikipedia page is much more balanced, noting that there is controversy over whether Franklin would have published a theory on the helical structure of DNA, whether she would have allowed Watson and Crick to even see the photo, and mentions that Watson had presented a distorted image of Franklin in his book.