Professor Heinz Wolff
Despite being one the country's leading scientific experts, Professor Heinz Wolff reveals that his true passion lies in his collection of teddy bears. Yes it's true.
He has four honorary degrees, is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Emeritus Professor of Bioengineering at Brunel University.
He is perhaps best known for his appearances on television programmes such as Young Scientist of the Year, the Great Egg Race and Great Experiments Which Changed the World.
But Prof Wolff is also an expert in the facial expressions of toy bears, and believes that much can be revealed from the positioning of their glass eyes and embroidered noses.
Wonderful, wonderful. The voice alone is a national treasure. A foreign national treasure. Oh the irony.
Complain about this postPlease have Rabbi Lionel Blue on your show. I believe in my heart he is Heinz Wolff's separated at birth long lost brother.
Not really but you know what I mean....
The comment about the voice is so true. Bring back the Great Egg Race!
Complain about this postI really liked the background song for this piece. I have discovered the song is called "Me and my teddy bear", but does anyone know who the artist was (there are several cover versions)?
Complain about this postI am desolated! I was hoping for a picture of at least one of the fabulous bears I heard described on the programe!
Complain about this postMany thanks to Polly for sharing her experience of gender realignment with us this morning.
I would like to say, though, that everyone's experience of what is called 'Gender Identity Disorder' is individual and different. My 17 year old daughter, who was born male, tried to take her life on Monday because the pain and distress of living in a male body became unbearable. We know of several other youngsters who have attempted suicide for the same reason and who live in a constant state of distress and sadness because of having been born into the wrong body and because they are bullied and victimised by their peers for being 'different'.
The current under-18's GID service in the UK is under-funded and ineffective and, in my opinion, causing physical and mental harm to these young people, rather than helping them with this terrible medical condition. The Dutch approach to treating young people with this condition is far superior, enabling them to have treatment when it is needed, meaning that they can go on to live lives free from the stigma of never fully 'fitting in' to society. The UK system needs to change fast, before more young people give up and opt out permanently.
Complain about this postThis is for Jools.
You are quite right about Gender Identity Dysphoria (GID) being different for everyone and I can only speak with authority about my own.
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's attempt on her own life. GID nearly destroyed my own life, but I think that it is so much harderfor young people, especially those in their teenage years.
Puberty can be a horrendous time for any young person, as they seek to establish their own identity, their own sexuality and test parental boundaries. Peer pressure is immense as each inidividual proceeds through puberty at their own pace...early puberty seems to worn as a badge of honour and pressure to conform can seem relentless.
The suicide rate among transsexuals seems to be terrifyingly high. Just from my own experiences, it can be as high as 40 times the national average (this is from memory - I am not at home and don't have access to my presentation notes). I have seen one source claim that the attempted suicide rate might be as high as 20% among transsexuals!!! This is quite simply not acceptable. I have heard that the Dutch have good results with their treatment programme and, of course, treatment is physically far more effective when started young. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the Dutch programme to know how they deal with the issue of informed consent for minors, but that is another issue. I agree that the system in the UK needs to change and it needs to change quickly.
You sound like you are very well informed, so you may already be aware of Mermaids at Also, possibly Depend at I ought to say, at this point, that I do help to administer Depend which runs several discussion lists. However, in order to give friends, family, parents and partners a 'safe space' to speak freely, most of the lists are 'transsexual free' zones, which means transsexuals cannot join them (and that includes me).
Warmest regards
Complain about this postPolly