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No one really cares that CrowdScience listener Sam has a younger brother, but they do care about his sister. In fact, they’re fascinated by her. That’s because Sam and his sister are fraternal twins.
He’s been wondering all his life why he’s treated differently. Could it be cultural? Twins have long appeared in classical mythology, revered literature, and playful comedies—captivating artists and audiences alike across time and continents. Or is there something more scientific behind our fascination?
Why are twins special?
Anand Jagatia investigates with Nancy Segal, Director of the Twin Studies Centre at California State University in the USA, who has spent her career studying twins. She suggests our curiosity might come down to pattern recognition: twins are rare, and they challenge our basic assumptions about identity and individuality.
But Karen Dillon from Blackburn College in the USA, says it’s more complicated. That our perception has been warped by history and pop culture. As an identical twin herself, she knows firsthand how stereotypes can shape a twin’s identity. Karen explores how fiction and historical narratives have often portrayed twins as strange, mysterious, or even freakish - turning them into something ‘other.’
But the very qualities that make twins extraordinary characters in film and literature have also made them invaluable to science. Just ask Mark and Scott Kelly, who participated in NASA’s twin experiment. What makes them the perfect natural laboratory to learn of human genetics and physiology?
Anand is sure to leave you thinking that Sam, his sister and all the other twins across the globe, are special after all!