Wellcome Collection events

To coincide with the exhibition, a lively programme of discussions, debates and performances will allow visitors to engage in dialogue about issues from race to the National DNA Database and animal behaviour.

Secret Lives

Saturday 23 January, 15.00-16.30 Hear about the extraordinary stories of people who have given up their old identities and taken on new ones. In a night of detection, deliberation and exposure, we'll examine examples from history and unpick the psychological impacts of leading a secret life.
Blurring Boundaries

Thursday 28 January, 19.00-20.30 Differences in race may be obvious to the eye but is there any scientific basis underlying skin colour? Contemporary science is split on this complex question. The use of 'race' in science is loaded with a dangerous past so should we confine it to the history books?
The National DNA Database on Trial

Thursday 4 February, 19.00-20.30 The UK has the largest forensic database in the world, with details of more than 5 million people. The size of the database and the length of time a sample can be held for are controversial and under review following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. Find out more about the science of the database and join its defence or attack.
China: Birth and belonging

Friday 26 February, 19.00-21.00 and Saturday 27 February, 10.30-17.00 In the West we have an egocentric sense of the self. China provides us with different social, philosophical and scientific perspectives. From the impact that the state has on an individual's identity to issues around stem cell research, over two days we'll explore Chinese ideas of birth and belonging through performance, talks and discussion.
Creature Collective

Thursday 18 March, 19.00-20.30 Many species have evolved strategies of collective behaviour where groups work together 'as one', and are capable of more than the sum of their parts. From social insects to flocking behaviour, meerkats to migrations, we'll explore the genetics underlying these feats.
Rewiring the Mind: Should we erase traumatic memories?

Thursday 25 March, 19.00-20.30 Scientists may soon be able to erase painful memories, offering a cure for phobias and stress disorders. But what might this mean for our identity and humanity - how far do our memories make us who we are?