quotes & comments... " I have in recent years been busy with the business of DNA - as a designer I am fascinated by what makes us tick, what makes us do the things we do and why. Science and technology are rapidily increasing what we know of ourselves and how we explain ourselves, to ourselves. For anyone in the creative industires this information is both gold dust and inspiration." Professor Helen Storey Designer and artist March 2002 " Genetic science in this century will touch on all the aspects of our lives that we hold most dear; be it reproduction, nutrition or disease. In order to appreciate what these technologies will be able to deliver, what is hype and what is to be avoided, we need to be literate in exactly what genes do and how and why they do it. " Baroness Susan Greenfield President, Royal Institution March 2002 " This event is a fantastic opportunity for children to interact with one of the most important progressions in science in recent years. The discovery of DNA has had a monumental impact on science. It is vital that we take an active role in making these discoveries accessible to young people." Baroness Catherine Ashton Minister for School Standards March 2002 "The gene is the unit of Life. The soul is the unit of Humanity. We know the alphabet of Life, we have unravelled the code. But remember, like words, DNA has a significance beyond the sum of its parts. As Francois Rabelais ( 1483-1553) said "Science without conscience is the death of the soul." David Bromfield, Ambassador for Science Year 2002 Educator and Broadcaster March 2002 "DNA is helping to unlock the secrets of life." Professor Sir Paul Nurse- winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine Director of Cancer Research UK March 2002 "God smiled upon us mere mortals when He gave us Aspirin, Penicillin and the silicon chip, then He got completely carried away and gave us DNA and the whole genome....whatever next?" Professor Sir Christopher Evans OBE Director of Merlin Biosciences March 2002. "That mother nature thought up DNA, something so simple, yet so complex, as the pattern for all living things, is absolutely amazing. That one species has learnt to understand DNA- that would surely amaze 'mother nature'! What is so wonderful about living science is that we are capable of understanding it." Johnny Ball Entertainer March 2002 "I find it extraordinary to reflect that in my lifetime we have gone from the fundamental discovery of DNA to the mapping of the entire human genome. In less than half a century we will have set in train discoveries that will resonate for centuries to come. It is as epoch making as any single scientific discovery in the last 500 years." Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE March 2002 " DNA is the molecule of life. By understanding DNA, we begin to understand the building blocks of life itself. Scientists in the UK worked out the structure of DNA almost 50 years ago, and this has led to astonishing advances and opportunities in many fields, such as medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, computer science, agriculture and the environment. The British Government will continue to support such science, and encourage people to use it safely and beneficially both here and overseas." Lord Sainsbury of Turville Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science March 2002 "DNA Day is a unique and far-reaching event which I hope will inspire and challenge people to think about what the future of the human genome may be. In partnership with other organisations, Science Year is striving to create a forum within which people can investigate, discover and challenge ideas about genetics and other major scientific issues, and determine what they mean to us. This amazing molecule serves to remind us all how fragile and mysterious life can be- and to make the most of opportunities like this, to get involved and be counted." Professor Nigel Paine, Director, Science Year March 2002 Back