Seeing double
Science can’t yet explain where identical twins come from, and the bond they share is shrouded in mystery. We investigate this curious phenomenon
WORDS: JOHN C SILCOX
PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK BALLON
‘People often double-take when they see us in the street together,’ says Felicity ‘Fizz’ Thompson, as she sits next to her identical sister Miranda. ‘At parties it’s an immediate icebreaker. Strangers seem to warm to us more quickly. They often ask a tonne of questions and they’re really interested in finding out who was born first, which was me by the way.’
The two sisters are in a photography studio in East London, where Audi Magazine has invited three sets of twins for an interview and a shoot. There are lots of stories about twins and their strong mutual connection, so we’re trying to find out more about this mysterious bond. It’s hard not to stare when faced with the same person doubled up. There’s something oddly fascinating about it. ‘Maybe it’s because nobody can resist a two-for-one bargain,’ Miranda quips.
Jokes aside, history shows that twins have always been figures of interest, and enjoyed a special status in society. According to legend the Roman Empire was founded by Romulus and Remus; twin brothers who were raised by a wolf mother. Greek mythology celebrates the siblings Castor and Pollux, who were fathered by Zeus, the king of gods. The pair even have their own stars in a constellation called Gemini, which is Latin for twins.
Today twins still play an important role. Forget celebrities such as the fashion designing Olsen sisters or pop stars Jedward. The real contribution comes from thousands of non-famous twins who are part of twin registries for scientific research. Since the 1990s, large studies using this collected data have helped track genetic diseases all over the world, such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis. There have been many scientific and medical breakthroughs as a result of this work. TwinsUK is the largest registry in Britain, with 12,000 twins.
‘Twins, especially identical ones, are vital for scientific study,’ explains Dr Nancy Segal, a psychology professor at California State University and author of Entwined Lives: Twins And What They Tell Us About Human Behaviour. ‘They represent an amazing opportunity to see how much our lives and health are affected by environment rather than our genes. Identical twins start life with exactly the same genes and their benefits or predispositions, so by studying the complexities of health-related issues across their lifespan, researchers can learn a lot.’
Dr Segal specialises in behavioural genetics and her field of expertise is the psychology of twins and their social relationships. She is especially interested in the special bond that links twins, and has spent a lot of time looking into cases of twins separated at birth, such as the famous Jim twins. These identical brothers were raised by two different families and met for the first time aged 39, only to discover that both suffered tension headaches, bit their fingernails, smoked Salem cigarettes, enjoyed woodworking, and holidayed on the same Florida beach.
“Twins, especially identical ones, are vital for scientific study”
‘For me all of these similarities are due to genetics,’ says Dr Segal. ‘Many people think it is something to do with telepathy, but I see no evidence right now. I can explain the similarities between twins because of their shared genetics and their close relationship. Scientifically it’s more grounded, but we do have to allow for the possibility of telepathy for open-minded study.’
According to Göran Brusewitz, a researcher at the University of Greenwich, there are a number of significant findings that lead to the possibility of telepathy between twins. He explains: ‘Parapsychological research into distant interactions between individuals seems to indicate that the bond between sender and receiver is important. Studies looking into the relationship between telepathy and attachment between twins deliver very interesting results.’
Among the twins at the photo shoot, none admit to ever having experienced paranormal events, but the strength of the link between them is undeniable. For Abs and Adam Hassan, the owners of London property company Prime Living, nothing comes between them – even girlfriends.
‘I couldn’t date a girl if my brother didn’t like her,’ says Abs. ‘For us the twins come first. We’ve been together 28 years now so it would be strange to suddenly change the priorities. We’re best friends, we live together, we work together, we share a gym membership and we even share money too.’
Architects Olga and Evgeniya Yatsyuk also share many aspects of their lives, and use this to explain why they often don’t need to talk in order to understand each other. ‘We spend so much time together that we are very happy to sit in silence,’ says Olga. ‘Most of the time we can guess what the other’s mood is and what’s on their mind. It’s really good to have someone who knows you so well when you need cheering up. Sometimes they can even tell you what’s wrong when you don’t know yourself.’