Three identical strangers

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Anyone watching? Shocking that this was done deliberately for a study, the results of which will never be made public. Heartbreaking.

They haven't released the study results!!!

It certainly hasn't settled the nature nurture debate though has it...

Genetically they were all predisposed to develop MH issues but on the surface it seems the nurturing approach of David's Dad helped/protected him the most whilst the authoritarian approach of Eddie's Dad made him far more vulnerable- he desperately "needed" them to be a big happy family and ultimately he sadly committed suicide.

I think the Aunt has a very valid point - nurture can play a massive part in overcoming almost everything.

As an aside I think the birth Mum was probably very traumatised, Prom night sex, triplet pregnancy, adoption her only option - who gets over that?

Nature vs nurture and the jury is out. I also remember the research on children who have been ‘adopted’ by an animal community and how they just can never reintegrate into human society. I believe as opposed to suicide they get sick and almost lose the will to live after separation with their animal family. God alone knows if any of this research has been orchestrated. And by the scientific community - often in the post war days when a good chunk of the scientist had fled this type of experimentation.

It reminds me of the Simpson’s when a scientist tries to get some money to run an experiment - buy a baby and put it in a cage away from all human contact. The Theseus is that they will grow up full of rage and murderous intent.

Oh god I just remembered the monkey experiments when they took a baby away from its mum and replaces the mum with a dummy monkey that looked and smelled like mum. But dummy monkey had a bloody great big pointy spike in it but the babies still cuddled mum and I believe some impaled themselves. Why? To prove that babies just wanted their mummies. But I did complain about these experiments at college.

Oh and the outcome of parenting styles I seem to remember also differed according to the nature of the child but the authoritarian was usually viewed as the most unhealthy.

I just watched this now and all I can say is it's had a profound effect on me on a personal level without going too much into why

Those poor men and their families

And those poor people who still don't know they were ever in a study and have a twin

Fucking criminal

Hence testing parenting styles on UD twins and triplets as it massively discounts the impact of the nature of the child.

Amazing and interesting programme but so sad. Apart from the main issues things that struck me were how the boys went to the library and traced their mother themselves- nowadays if a story like theirs had of hit the press the media would have tracked down their mother in no time! It’s also a wonder that she never came forward once they were all over the tv.
It was a shame how they said that they didn’t really gel with their birth mum as they though of their adoptive parents as their true parents but later in the story Eddie’s dad was made out to be strict as unloving. I didn’t think he came across this way.
Both the research people were total weirdos - the guy seemed to find it hilarious how he could have blirted out to any of the kids that they had an identical sibling.
The triplets were so good looking in their youth, true early 80s New Yorkers like characters out of Fame. At least they had some years of happiness together. Eddy’s wife seemed really nice.
According to Wikipedia they were actually quads but the forth baby died at birth.
I too would be interested in how much the adoption agency profited from the experiment and wonder how much longer it might have gone on for if this hadn’t been exposed.

watched this last night ,such a fascinating but disturbing documentary. That old lady scientist gave me the creeps, and the man laughing about ive seen your twin the other day , And Louise Wise, was one of the most creepy villainous looking women ive seen talk about face matching your personality. I thinks its horrendous about the information not coming out til 2066, surely due to the unethical process it should be overturned, and that creepy thing at the end where she said it wont be released till the twins are gone gave me chills, I didnt like the fact they seemed to be largely implying that Eddys dad was responsible for his suicide. some frail old man who may have not been perfect but certainly not the worst.

The scientists really didn't view the children and their families as human - they were merely subjects. It was like a game to show how smart they were. What was the purpose of this experimentation - and did Anna Freud know about this? She worked a lot with children who were traumatised in the aftermath of WW2 so I would be devastated if she had been tied up in this. Were they all just little 2-legged lab rats?

Another insight into how human experimentation was sanctioned by governments - I'm guessing power, influence and money.

I need to watch again as I missed chunks due to family wandering in and out when I was trying to watch, so I think I messed the family dynamics - I couldn't quite make out who the mums and dads where (or is they were all on camera anyway - there was a step mum I believe but I don't think it said if she brought the children up).

Just extraordinary that a Jewish "charity" would get involved in something like this so soon after the atrocities of Nazi Germany and its conspirators.
The poor mother must have been totally traumatised and I can understand if she took to drink.

I wonder about the dad. They didn’t really go there did they - so it wasn’t mentioned if he was on the birth cert or who he was (apart from a guy at the high school prom). They didn’t even say if the mum and her family were also lab-ratted studied (to look for family health or emotional issues that could be genetic in origin etc).

Must watch this on catch-up. I had intended to watch when it was broadcast, but I forgot!

Keep some tissues hands. It starts out really fascinating then it gets really dark. When the ‘boys’ realise that their big sisters were also part of the experiment - oh their faces!