4 must-see showcases in UCL's Curating Heads exhibition

Whether you want to make a dedicated trip, pop in between lecturers, or get drawn in by misinterpreting society room bookings, you don't want to miss the chance to see these 4 showcases spotlighted in the Wilkins Building's Octagon Gallery's latest exhibition, What Does It Mean to Be Human? Curating Heads at UCL.

1 · Jeremy Bentham's Head

Who can stop by the Octagon Gallery without being drawn to its most infamous centrepiece, the head of the utilitarian philosopher himself?

Dehydrated over a pool of sulphuric acid, Bentham preserved himself for future generations. Dead bodies are of greater utility when studied scientifically, he believed - and while his looks don't entirely live on, what he stood for has, and continues to.

"Bentham was influential in changing the law which made dissection seem like a punishment," informs Collections Curator Subhadra Das, "Bentham's influence [has been fundamental] to our understanding of modern medicine."

Consider our modern attitude towards the organ donor register - and consider how without unprecedented acts like Bentham's at the centre of social reform, it may never have come to pass. If that isn't a moving context to pay Jeremy a visit, I don't know what is!

For the first time in decades, you can see Jeremy Bentham's preserved head on full display behind marauding-King's-College-footballer-proof glass. Who knows when the next chance will be; why risk missing out?

2 · Bentham's Ancient DNA Sequencing Project

Drill into a 19th century tooth and sequence its genes. If you think modern DNA sequencing looks painstaking, you haven't seen ancient DNA sequencing in action.

What's most incredible here isn't just the kit - it's a dictionary. Why? A dictionary represents the whole genome; two pages depict how much genetic data they retrieved; one definition entry demonstrates how much they retrieved is authentically Bentham. Humorously, we do have just enough genetic data to pass the threshold to confirm that Bentham was, indeed, a man.

"99% of the ancient DNA sampled from his tooth comes from bacteria commonly found in the human mouth," Subhadra admits, illustrating the difficulties in dealing with ancient DNA, yet also "fundamentally [questioning] what it means to be human, given that our bodies contain microbiomes of bacteria."

There's always more to think about than what initially appears. As a student, you not only get a real appreciation for what evolving scientific research makes possible, but also the limitations we continue to face. As a researcher, it's a great opportunity to see how you can share the fruits of your labour, and everything leading up to that point, with the broader public. 

3 · The Evolution of Remembrance

From death casts to last wills and testaments to the colour black, we commemorate the passing of the dead in more ways than we know.

In the assortment of items that you find and the stories behind them, consider how the way we remember the dead is so important, yet so rarely spoken of. Coping mechanisms vary through so many emotional, physical and economic areas, and you can be really present to that in this section of the exhibition.

How have our attitudes changed with time, how do we reinvent our perceptions, and how do we view the processes that we've left behind?

A hidden gem of the exhibition, don't let Jeremy's head hog all your attention. What does it mean to be human? Consider how it's much about being human and in how we relate to being human "no longer."

4 · The Blending of Sciences and Humanities

"The ethical debates surrounding modern medical research are in part due to Bentham's line of questioning. Bentham's work encourages us to be a little more disruptive in our own research, and ask those difficult questions."

DNA sequencing is undeniably "sciencey" - but Bentham's consent to today's research almost two centuries ago is very much a social and cultural issue that made it all possible.

Death masks of criminals, the historical footprint of dissection as punishment, and phrenological tools used to pass discriminatory judgement all share the stage of the exhibition, inviting us to think about how the sciences are shaped by the humanities, and how the humanities are shaped by the evolution of science.

Living in an ever-evolving society, don't miss this chance to see how so much of what we take as fact can change, how societal norms and scientific stance shape and modulate one another, and how our experience changes life because of it.

More on Jeremy's active afterlife

Perhaps inspired by our many American affiliate friends, Jeremy Bentham will continue to lead an active afterlife next year when he'll be off to the US for another exhibition. Stay tuned with UCL Culture to track his movements!

Meanwhile, don't be a stranger - stop by What Does It Mean to Be Human? Curating Heads at UCL in the Octagon Gallery in the Wilkins Building before it becomes history on 1 March, 2018!