Unlikely objects

Scientific knowledge has played a key role in shaping our material world, and especially with regard to genetics, our social, political and spiritual lives also. But how dependant is scientific knowledge on historical accident and chance? Could we have a different, and not necessarily less valid, version of scientific truth if history had played out slightly differently – if certain observations had been made or missed, if individual scientists had been more or less successful, if different accidents had occurred? Or, does the scientific method act to eliminate the effects of historical chance, and our present state of knowledge is somehow necessarily true? Unlikely Objects explores these questions through a “Choose Your Own” history of genetics, and the presentation of some more, or less, likely objects from imagined alternative histories of genetics.

Thomas Thwaites is a designer (of a more speculative sort), interested in technology, science and futures research, as well as communicating complex subjects in engaging ways. He graduated from the Royal College of Art Design Interactions MA in 2009, and have since undertaken a number of commissioned projects, including work on social trends, futures forecasting, biotechnology, the history and philosophy of science and bicycles.



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