蜜芽传媒

For the Victorians, privacy meant keeping people out of your business.

Tiffany Jenkins hears from geneticist Sir Paul Nurse who has had several family secrets kept from him.

And discover the importance of secrecy within the family as he describes the revelation of these secrets.

Series exploring the idea of secret knowledge.

Secrets have never been more suspect. Post Snowden, post Savile, institutions which keep secrets are automatically seen as having something to hide, and openness and transparency are seen as the new imperatives. Any deviation from the new orthodoxy of honesty is punished - by exposure.

But the story of secrecy is not as black and white as our contemporary prejudices would have it. For centuries secrecy has been seen to serve a useful purpose. It has protected citizens from the prying eyes of governments, it has protected the feelings of individuals and kept couples together.

It has safeguarded professional integrity, and protected the vulnerable from abuse. Have we lost more than we have gained by abandoning our respect for the power and sanctity of secrecy?

Producer: Kate Bissell

First broadcast on 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4 in December 2016.

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