WHY DID I MISS IT?

Je suis navré that I have been ignorant of the Wellcome Collection. It claims to be a free destination for the incurably curious. 

Henry Wellcome

Founded by Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (1853-1936): Pharmacist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector. Henry Wellcome had an early interest in medicine and marketing. The first product he advertised was 'invisible ink' (just lemon juice, in fact). In 1880, he joined his college friend Silas Burroughs in setting up a pharmaceutical company, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. They were one of the first to introduce medicine in tablet form under the 1884 trademark 'Tabloid'; previously medicines had been sold as powders or liquids When Burroughs died in 1895, the company flourished under Sir Henry's leadership. He went on to establish world-class medical research laboratories and amassed the world's most impressive collections relating to medicine and health through the ages.

Wellcome Collection is now housed in the original Wellcome Building (built to Sir Henry's specifications in 1932), which is next door to the headquarters of the Wellcome Trust, his philanthropic legacy. His vision was to create a space to house his collections, where professionals could come to learn more about the development of medicine and medical science.

Unfortunately I am three years out of time for the Identity Project. The Identity Project was a nine-month season of activity from the Wellcome Trust, including a major exhibition and diverse events presented in Wellcome Collection, plus exhibitions, live events and films at other venues across the UK.

Identity: Eight rooms, nine lives

Major exhibition, 26 November 2009-6 April 2010 What influences or determines our sense of who we are? What makes one person distinct from another? How does science inform human identity? This major exhibition explored the tension between the way we view ourselves and how others see us.

The exhibition headings were as follows:

My genes, my destiny? Who am I? Why am I here? What makes me human? Modern science is beginning to unravel some of the answers - opening up further conundrums and surprises along the way.

What do genomics tell me about my identity? As the complex nature of our genes emerges, researchers are increasingly focusing on the areas of the genome outside the actual 'coding' regions for clues as to how our DNA makes us what we are.

Identical twins share 100 per cent of their DNA, so why aren't they identical? Identical twins share 100 per cent of their genes - but can grow to look less similar as they age, and have different personality traits and susceptibilities to disease.

Why do mood and behavioural disorders seem to run in families? A large-scale study is helping to show how parents' mental states are passed on to the next generation.

Is there a 'depressed' gene or is depression passed on through environmental effects? Although we can modify the effects of our genes through our choices and environment, the genetic imprint we get from our families plays a significant role in shaping our identities.

How much do I want to know about my genes? Large-scale studies are playing a fundamental role in helping scientists to identify distinctions between the effects of genes and environment on our bodies and minds. But would you want to know your genetic risk factors for disease?

How much do I want other people to know about me? The sharing of personal and biological information between many different research groups raises concerns about how the anonymity of such data can be protected.

Should researchers be able to access my patient records? The translation of patients' written medical records into electronic documents offers real opportunities to advance research. However, the possibility raises concerns around anonymity and protection of data.

How much do I want the police to know about me?

The preservation and protection of anonymity is a central concern for people donating personal information and biological samples to research.

My identity, my mind? The philosopher Rene Descartes famously declared 'I think therefore I am' - and modern neuroscience is giving us intriguing glimpses of what that means in terms of specific neuronal activity in our brains.

How do we know we exist - and why do we love beautiful things? Professor Geraint Rees at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL is tackling what might seem to be the most daunting of all the big existential questions - the nature and threshold of consciousness.

Do I make my choices - or do they make me? Comforting as it is to believe we have free will, it appears the chemical and structural make up of our brains can hold a very powerful sway over our actions and choices.

Why do some people have more control over their behaviour than others?

Sometimes our brains compel us to repeat choices that are neither productive nor rewarding.