From the Publisher

By Elizabeth Valk Long

Forty years ago this month, American James Watson and Briton Francis Crick made history when they unraveled the secret of the dna molecule, the genetic blueprint that determines whose eyes are brown, whose physique is round and who is most susceptible to such hereditary diseases as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease. The partners, who won a Nobel Prize in 1962, don't get together much anymore, but last week they and a group of distinguished colleagues gathered on Long Island, New York, at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where Watson is now director, to celebrate the anniversary of their landmark discovery. They took some time out to sit down for a rare joint interview in which they reminisced about their breakthrough and discussed its future implications with TIME contributor Leon Jaroff, who wrote this week's story on the team. "They solved the mystery of dna, and it changed the world," says Jaroff. "And it's going to change it even more."

Jaroff first met Watson two decades ago, when the magazine ran a cover story on genetics. He has kept in touch over the years, but this was his first meeting with the more reclusive Crick. "They're both very clever and very funny," says Jaroff. "They were almost as euphoric as they were the day they discovered the mystery of life."

That kind of enthusiasm about the work they do is essential for the best scientists. The best journalists too. Few possess more of it than Jaroff, who has been explaining the mysteries of the universe to TIME readers since 1966, when he became the magazine's chief science writer. Later named senior editor of the section, he oversaw projects, including the memorable cover on anthropologist Richard Leakey and a centennial tribute to Albert Einstein, that proved so successful they led to his role as founding editor of Discover magazine. Four years later, he returned to TIME in the newly created position of sciences editor.

Although he officially retired five years ago, Jaroff continues to work as a contributor, writing big articles, such as the cover story on the discovery of the prehistoric Iceman, which was our second-best-selling cover of 1992, and smaller pieces, like his personal favorite on the scientists who use the nests of pack rats to study the state of the ecosystem thousands of years ago. His ; continuing delight in these stories reflects what he calls a "child-like" fascination with the subject matter. "Children are fascinated by science," he explains. "They're curious, and they ask questions. When you become an adult, you stop doing that because it's embarrassing to say 'I don't know.' But I still have this curiosity and excitement about science." Here's hoping Leon doesn't reach adulthood anytime soon.