This year is the Whitehead Institute’s 25th anniversary. This afternoon, there’s a celebratory shindig going on there. On the Whitehead’s website is an interesting compilation of photos and anecdotes looking back over the last 2 decades. It’s not only a commentary of the institute’s history, but also a look at how much biology has changed in the last 25 years.

Highlights include a slide show if you like looking at famous Cambridge scientists with their 1970s-style mustaches and hairdos. Also some interesting pics showing the neighborhood around the Whitehead back in the early 1980s, when there was almost nothing else around (stark contrast to today).

And if you’re looking for some light Friday afternoon reading, take a look at this online forum where Whitehead folks have posted anecdotes and memories: some funny, some introspective, some a little unbelievable, some a bit gossipy and some even sentimental.