Elyse Schein (left) and Paula Bernstein as children.

What is it that makes us…us? DNA or life experience? Genes or environment?

Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein share 100 percent of their DNA. Separated at birth, the twins were both adopted and raised by loving families. They met for the first time at the age of 35, and discovered that they had been part of a unique research study on the ‘Nature vs. Nurture’ question. Hear their story on this new episode of the Radio Diaries Podcast: Identical Strangers.

See photos of Paula and Elyse through the years here.  To learn more about the twins, check out their book, Identical Strangers.

Radio Diaries is proud to be a founding member of Radiotopia  from PRX — a collective of the best story-driven shows on the planet. This episode is supported by Slack, a communication tool for teams. Visit Slack.com/diaries and create a new team and you’ll get $100 in credit you can use when you decide to upgrade to a paid plan.