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