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mysteries |
Twins |
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The extraordinary experiences of identical siblings have implications for all of us and suggest that our destinies are sealed from the day we are born. It was like looking in a mirror. They were both 1.8 metres tall, and had the same weight, build and facial features. It is what you would expect from identical twins. But the similarities went much furthers than that for Jim Lewis and Jim Springer. Apart from their own shared name, both of the ‘Jim twins’ had married a woman called Linda, only to divorce them and marry women called Betty. Subsequent research uncovered countless other remarkable similarities between the brothers. But one mystery remained. Why did they have so much in common, when - since they were born 39 years ago - they had lived completely independent lives, having been separated at birth? The links for identical twins brought up together are often cause for mild amazement, but rarely challenge our views on life. One might reasonably ask why two individuals, born at the same time, and sharing the same genetic material, should not also have the same personality traits in common. It seems that when identical twins are separated soon after birth and meet years later to find they have led strikingly similar lives, the revelations are not only intriguing but also potentially revolutionary. Such cases of separated twins are very rare, especially as adoption practises have improved over the years. Only 68 cases are known worldwide. In Britain in 1979, two other identical twins who had been separated at birth were being reunited after 34 years apart. When they met researcher Dr Tom Bouchard of the University of Minnesota, USA, Bridget Harrison of Leicester and Dorothy Lowe of Burnley, Lancashire, both wore seven rings, had two bracelets on one wrist and a watch and bracelet on the other. They soon found out that they had stopped taking piano lessons at the same age, both had a cat called tiger and while one of their sons was called Richard Andrew, the other was called Andrew Richard. Strangest of all, in 1960, Dorothy and Bridget had both kept a diary. They had both chosen exactly the same brand and colour of diary and had even left the same days blank during the year. Today, scientists around the world are studying identical twins, not only to understand what makes them so similar in behaviour and appearance, but also to cast light on the forces that shape all human beings and the powers that we may all be privy to. Twin Fears. Down through the ages, and across cultures, the ‘strangeness’ of twins has caused people to fear them. Some native American tribes killed twins at birth, a course of action also followed by Inuits in Greenland and aboriginals in Japan and Australia. Sometimes the mother was also killed, or at least subjected to a ritual purification, since it was believed she must have had sex with two men for two children to be conceived. Attitudes towards twins and their parents have moved on considerably since this time, but our understanding of their special powers remains incomplete. The most influential study of twins in modern times is being conducted by Dr Tom Bouchard. Since 1979, Bouchard has interviewed and tested hundreds of identical twins in one of the largest research programs of its kind. Bouchard’s tests usually take about a week to complete and involve personality assessments and medical examinations. Blood samples are compared, fingerprints taken, allergies evaluated, even intimate sexual histories compiled. At the end of over 50 hours of testing, Bouchard’s team know nearly everything there is to know about the twins, from their tastes in food, literature and music to the way they walk, talk and sleep. Bouchard’s work may suggest that a person’s character is shaped more by genetic factors than social ones, but it seems there is another factor involved. Embryonic Split. The work of Richard J. Rose, professor of psychology and medical genetics at Indiana University, USA, has shown that the degree to which identical twins are actually identical is linked to how early the embryo in the womb splits into two. Rose found that the earlier an embryo splits, the less alike in personality identical twins will tend to be in the future. This conclusion suggests that environmental factors will have a role to play in forming personality and shaping what happens to us. Despite the wealth of information from this study and others, the phenomena associated with identical twins are still not fully understood. For example, why do such similar things happen to separated twins at the same time? In July 1975, Nita Hurst suddenly felt an agonising pain in her left leg and witnessed bruises spreading spontaneously up the left side of her body. The mystery affliction became clear when she later discovered that her twin sister, Nettie Porter, had been involved in a car crash at the very same time, 650 kilometres away in California. Martha Burke of California felt as if she ‘had been cut in two’, one day in 1977, as a burning sensation tore across her chest and abdomen. Hours later, she discovered that her twin sister had died in a plane crash, halfway across the world. Even more horrific is the case of 4-month-old twins Samantha and Gabrielle Connolly. On 8th October 1983, their mother Linda discovered that both had suffered cot deaths despite being asleep in different beds on different floors of the house. These ‘psychic’ connections between twins are proof to some people that all human beings share the ability to develop and use ESP. A one year study n twins and ESP at Bristol University in the early 90's, however, provided no conclusive results beyond demonstrating that the twins had a remarkable ability to think alike. When the researchers provided the symbols to transmit to each other, the twins did no better than ordinary brothers and sisters. But when the twins chose there own symbols they scored higher than non twin siblings. In The Stars. Even more radical is the theory that our fates rests with the position of the stars on the day we are born. Dr Suzel Fuzeau-Braesch, director of the National Centre for Scientific Research at Orsay, near Paris, has surveyed the astrological birth charts of twins. Since they are usually born within minutes of one another, twins will have very similar birth charts. Two short character descriptions, summarizing these small astrological differences between each set of twins, were sent t there parents, who had to choose which description best fitted which twin. Chance would dictate an equal number of right and wrong responses. But, out of 218 parents, 153 matched the descriptions to the right twin - well over the 109 expected to get it right. Despite the similarity of the charts, parents were able to match the fine differences to each of their twins. Whether or not astrology proves an insight into the characters and destinies of twins is a side issue of research in this area. Scientists generally remain perplexed by even the biological similarities between twins. For example, it is known that twins are more likely to have symmetrical teeth and be left-handed than singletons. But it is not known why this should be or what it means. Every day, though, technological advances are helping the scientists come closer to an understanding of the complex area of twins. Already, thanks to the increasing use of ultrasound to monitor embryos, it is known that twinning is far more common than was previously thought. At least on in eight of all natural pregnancies begin as twins, even though only about 1/10th actually make through to birth. Because there is considerable evidence that one twin can suffer intense guilt when the other twin dies, this throws a whole new light on the sense of loss some single people feel throughout there lives, as if a part of them were not there. Professor Charles Boklage, a development biologist at East Carolina University School of Medicine, USA, conservatively estimates that around 10 to 15 % of people may have had a twin that died in the womb. Clock Of Life. Professor Luigi Gedda's 'clock of life' theory is one of a few attempts to explain the twin phenomenon. Gedda, of the Gregor Mendal Institute in Rome, Italy, studied more than 15,000 pairs of twins between 1953 and 1978 and came to the conclusion that encoded within us all is a genetic blueprint for our lives - the so-called 'clock of life'. Gedda found that this is especially true for twins, and may account for the many uncanny similarities between them in their lives. A Design For Life. But, despite the advances made in unravelling the secrets of our genes, Gedda's theories remain highly controversial. While it may easily explain why the Jim Twins both suffered heart attacks and haemorrhoids - even why they are both heavy smokers - it is not so clear why they should both marry women with the same name or choose a holiday at the same beach in Florida. For now, twins remain a conundrum for which scientists are trying to find an answer. |
Source: The X Factor |