A cartography of human histology is in the making

What gets hyped, and what remains neglected, often depends on good storytelling. When the Human Genome Project began, in 1990, it had a simple story, well told. From a standing start, American taxpayers would pay for an exhaustive map of the DNA that makes up the 24 sorts of chromosomes found in the human genome (women have 23; men possess an extra tiddler that carries the genetic switch for maleness). Others were welcome to join in (and did; a third of the work was done in Britain, paid for by the Wellcome Trust), and there would be international co-ordination, to stop duplication of effort. But the moving spirit was the American government. And the budget was measured in billions.

It was a brilliant success, both scientifically and as a public-relations exercise for American science. By the time it was done, most people who would consider themselves well-informed had heard of it. Indeed, in a rare shift in public consciousness about scientific jargon, journalists no longer found themselves required by their editors to explain what DNA actually was every single time it was mentioned.