# helixes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 16, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267 "2003-06-16T18:42:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267/1 "2003-06-16T18:42:43Z")

</div>

I am curious to know about helixes. It sounds like an awfully fancy schmantzy name for a coil-shaped object. On the other hand, it does seem to be tied up with an awful lot of really neat stuff. Threre’s the coronas known as planetary nebulai that surrounding dying stars and are wont to turn into helixes. There’s the famous double helix of DNA discovered by Watson, Crick and what’s-her-name. Time travellers and people going into nightmares are forever dropping into helixes.

How traditional is the helix as a motif and are they any other interesting uses that you could name?

I’ll be doing my own research, but this could help me with some writing that I’m doing. The Straight Dope Mesage Boards are a most stimulating venue.

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267/2 "2003-06-16T19:10:06Z")

</div>

“Helix” is nothing more than particular type of spiral shape, shared by spiral staircases, screw threads, DNA and Slinkies, among other things. The dictionary definition is:

> [@](#):
>
> A three-dimensional curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, so that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267/3 "2003-06-16T22:21:04Z")

</div>

Here’s an interesting tidbit: the plural of “helix” is “helices,” not “helixes.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iaboy12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ccd318/32.png) [@iaboy12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iaboy12)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267/4 "2003-06-16T23:35:32Z")

</div>

what’s-her-name = rosalyn franklin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helixes/182267/5 "2003-06-16T23:52:47Z")

</div>

Yep, that’s her. Without her x-ray diffraction work, Watson and Crick wouldn’t have been able to deduce the precise structure of DNA.