Socialising the Genome

#mygnome

#DNAZING

#genedeckshuffle

#glitch

#reasonstobecheerful

#searchme

Does this make you feel anything ?

X

liked it


not at all very

indifferent


not at all very

mentally engaged


not at all very

bored


not at all very

sensed a deeper meaning


not at all very

confused


not at all very

sparked my interest


not at all very

unsettled


not at all very

1 / 8

About this survey

This research is all about connection and so we’d love you to tell us how each film makes you feel.

To read more about our process, have a read of our evidence base page.

AKA The Only Human Origin Story

Back in 2013, Only Human’s three principals agreed that there was something fundamentally anti-social about how medical science ‘spoke’ to the ordinary people especially around the subject of genomics. The language used sometimes upset, confused or disenfranchised people instead of informing and empowering them. 

So the three (Middleton, Parry and Borra) collaborated on a project to research whether a more insightful and emotionally driven type of creative story telling might provide better ways to start a conversation.

Building on insights from focus groups with everyday people from a housing association in London, a parents group, a men’s curry club, a choir and a women’s institute, new creative ideas were born on how to explain genetics to people who know nothing about it. And so Gnomes, Glitches, new sexual euphemisms, and the odd conspiracy theory entered the genomics conversation.

From all of this, Only Human was born. 

Behind the Scenes: ‘Socialising the Genome’

Only Human

Some people are alienated by and distrustful of advances in medical science and research, especially around DNA and genetics.

The majority of the British public feel that scientists should listen more to what ordinary people think. We agree with them. And we research how to communicate better. Which is why we’ve developed this website.

Watch a video, then use the quick-response survey questions to let us know how you feel about it. There’s a range of videos you can watch, in different genres, tones and lengths.

You can also download them all for free and use them yourself.

If you want to join our consortia, contribute, donate or just be part of the Only Human movement then contact Professor Anna Middleton: kavlicentre@educ.cam.ac.uk

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