Sharing DNA (02:03)

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More twins are born now than ever before, allowing scientists to learn from the unique evolution of identical people. Identical twins have the same DNA as one another. One in 250 pregnancies produces twins.

Twins in School (01:35)

Some areas of Britain have more twins than others. One school has 19 sets of twins, forcing teachers to endure lots of blunders. Twins that have grown up together match each other's IQs 80% of the time.

Twin Instincts (03:28)

Twins often have the same mannerisms, quirks, and habits. Twins are instinctively aware of one another after developing together in the womb. Twins Jo and Pipper Cook were both star rowers.

Priests Together (02:09)

Twins Jennifer and Yvonne were both ordained as priests in 1994 and were among the first women to be ordained. Throughout their lives they tried not to do the same things, but they ended up following the same career paths. The genes that people inherit from their parents affect optimism, sports abilities, and religious beliefs.

Anais and Samantha (03:02)

Anais is 26 years old and was born in South Korea, then was adopted and grew up in Paris. In 2013, Anais went to London to study fashion, and while she was there, a friend showed her a video of a girl he thought looked just like her: Samantha, her identical twin living in the states.

Separated at Birth (02:36)

After Anais contacted Samantha, she knew immediately that they were twins. Their likeness was too similar to ignore and they soon met and got a DNA test: they are sisters.

Specialties in Twins (04:05)

Forty percent of twins develop a unique way of communicating with each other. Studies show that twins are more competitive than ordinary siblings as well as being more cooperative.

Emotionally Entwined Twins (02:12)

Twins also report emotional connections. Forty percent of British twins claim that can feel what their twin is doing when they are apart. The Miller twins in Britain feel they are one person split into two, and are physically mirrored.

Mirrored Twins (02:44)

Fourteen month old Louie and Lucas have mirrored bodies down to their hearts and spleens. Louie's heart is on the right side of his body because the single embryo he shared with Lucas split very late, approximately ten days after conception.

Subtle Differences (03:59)

At five months old, Emma and Evie are developing differences already especially in personality. Weight differences also affect the twins, as the heavier of the two is often more outgoing and dominant. Twin toddler Andrew saved his brother's life by screaming to alert their parents when Malcom was suffering from a viral infection that was blocking his airways and suffocating him .

Shared Kidneys (04:07)

Twins often react differently to illness, like the Brown twins, who were born six weeks prematurely and both developed serious kidney problems. Jamie recovered well, but Tim had to lose a kidney. In 2012, Tim's kidney began to fail and James was the perfect candidate to donate a kidney.

DNA Differences (03:48)

Twins' fingerprints are not the same. Scientists can detect small differences between twins, though the process takes months, but dogs can distinguish differing DNA almost immediately. The identity differences between identical twins are caused by unique memories.

Different Sexual Identities (04:19)

Identical twins Bonnie and Brenda were inseparable. When they were around 11 years old, Brenda started feeling attracted to boys, but Bonnie did not. After Bonnie left for college, she told her Brenda that she was a lesbian and later revealed that she wanted to transition to become a man.

Core Connection (03:50)

When Bonnie, now Aidan, decided to go through gender transition and become male, Brenda was in shock for a long time. Eventually Brenda accepted Aidan for who he is.

Peter and Paul (02:42)

Research shows that identical twins are different even before birth. Two eighty-one year old brothers are happily married, sharing the same house with their respective families.

Paul's Diagnosis (04:24)

Peter and Paul have worked together for most of their lives. When the twins were 80, Paul was diagnosed with cancer. Twins live an average of two years longer than most people, possibly because of the emotional support they supply one another with.

Credits: Secret Life of Twins (2015) (00:41)

Credits: Secret Life of Twins (2015)