$999 For a Complete DNA Scan, Worth it? 451
DoroSurfer writes "ZDNet is reporting that 23andme.com will open its doors on Monday, allowing you to send them a cheek swab and have your DNA analyzed for $999 (plus shipping, of course... ;)). So what's a thousand bucks buy you? They can tell you your ancient ancestry, They can tell you what diseases you're predisposed to, They give you a "Gene Explorer" that allows you to do a search in your genome to find out if you have a certain gene (e.g., you just heard on the news that Gene XYZ has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease)."
Recommended viewing (Score:3, Insightful)
They may have a nice privacy statement, but that doesn't mean any thing if they aren't really enforcing it. Who knows?
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Re:Recommended viewing (Score:4, Interesting)
After that...I wonder how long before the various branches of government will require this DNA data be turned over for the US Homeland security national DNA database?? Of course, we won't know about it...this will be required with a national security letter, which will gag the company from even mentioning the requirement.
More and more I find that Python wasn't just being funny with the skit "The Importance of not being Seen", they were prophetical.....
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So why bother disclosing your real information? I don't know what the payment methods will be, but signup under an alias and them mail them an untraceable money order. They may have your exact genetic makeup, but if they don't know who you are, your DNA might as well be anonymous itself.
Taking it a bit further, it seems like a good way of dealing with privacy in this area is to hide thing
Re:Recommended viewing (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, if somebody finds my Netflix data, they may find out my most secret movie preferences. If insurance companies or employers link me to my DNA and discover a genetic pre-disposition to brain cancer or a debilitating disease, I'll never get health insurance again, and the misfortune will probably extend to any offspring as well. And would anybody hire you (and again, your children) if you have a genetic pre-disposition to MS or some other debilitating condition? Prospective employers are already googling for damaging Facebook information; just wait until genes enter the mix!
Until good privacy protections and anti-discriminatory legislation are in place, we're talking about a whole different level of risk. -- Paul
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One way would look like this. The customer buys a package which has the sample kit, a pair of postage guaranteed mailers with no return address, a ten sided die, and a sample container with a universally unique, random identifier. The customer takes the sample and places it in the container. He then rolls the ten sided die to generate a fifteen digit PIN
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Reminds me of the story of Tux the penguin who took his truck in to have it fixed.
He had to wait for the repair to be made so decided to grab a snack and ate some ice cream. Since penguins don't have hands he got some ice cream on his face while eating his snack.
He returned to the mechanic and asked what the mechanic found. The mechanic said "Looks like you blew a seal"
Tux said "No! it's ice cream."
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Your Netflix rental history isn't as helpful for a nosey insurance company looking to drop policyholders with genetic predisposition for expensive illnesses.
Re:Recommended viewing (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Recommended viewing (Score:5, Insightful)
In Other News (Score:3, Interesting)
Citizens, including juveniles who have been arrested for a crime(but not convicted) are being added to the governments DNA database.
Re:In Other News (Score:4, Interesting)
In addition to the fee they collect from you this company might be recieving your tax money through an outsourcing program to the help populate the government database or they may strictly maintain client confidentiality until they receive a national security letter [wikipedia.org] from the department of homeland surveillance, but the end result is the same.
In my previous post I linked to a 4 year old cnn article to show that the government has been using questionable means to populate codis [wikipedia.org] for quite some time now and I doubt that this government intrusion into personal privacy will be exposed until it is too late and the entire population is effectively mapped.
Last time on Gattacadot (Score:2)
No. (Score:2)
Re:No. (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:No. (Score:5, Insightful)
One could much more easily go in later and interpret the sequence, than have to do it a second time to fill in the missing gaps.
Personally, I'm going to pass at least until I can have my entire DNA sequenced. I may even then wait depending upon the level of concern I have for what is done with the information.
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1: There's only about 20k-25k protein-coding genes (ORFs - open reading frames) in the genome.
2: There's a lot more going on in our cells than we know about. About a third of the mRNA transcripts in a cell can't be adequately explained by our current understanding of transcription.
3: Of the genetic diseases we know of, they can all (AFAIK) be explained by polymorphisms in the ORFs, or their associated
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Gattaca, anyone? (Score:4, Insightful)
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And yes, I said famous. I have a quotes encyclopedia (Yale Book of Quotations?) that even lists it.
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It's more childish than it is clever or ironic, given that no one believed he would live forever
Only if you interpret it as an argument, rather than a clever/humorous commentary.
If you believe in God and consider Nietzsche presumptuous for believing himself able to comment authoritatively on God's existence, then it's a clever and somewhat funny comment. You can imagine God rolling his eyes at Nietzsche's claim and then after Nietzsche died making the clever comeback -- but this time the statement was accurate.
If you don't believe in God and consider Nietzsche to have been correct, then it seem
Beware early adopters (Score:5, Interesting)
After that, I'm all for it. Not even a needle prick is needed.
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So why exactly should I not expect my DNA information to be archived, cataloged an
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Re:Beware early adopters (Score:4, Insightful)
I think what needs to be done on that front is an improvement in rhetoric. For Bush-ites who support such things in the war on terror, I usually gently point out that another president could abuse such laws even if Bush did not. I usually follow that up by asking them how they'd feel if Hillary had the right as president to check out their library records or conduct a warrantless search because they were deemed a "terroristic threat" for being part of the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy".
That usually makes them think a bit. Then I start to talk about Ron Paul.
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Personally, I'd wait until some poor schmuck sues a genome company for violating his privacy
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I know the real reason. You're just dying to include a checksum of your DNA in your sig.
Dan East
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Re:Beware early adopters (Score:5, Insightful)
For that reasons the medical profession train folk for years to deliver this information - to explain what it really means, for you and for your family. To discuss your options. The data should be available,should be affordable, and should be delivered by a professional, not by an email.
Screw that. Our society has viewed doctors as a combination of voodoo and god for too long. From what I've seen, the average doctor's 'bedside manner' is pathetic enough that an email can't be that much worse.
As someone who's had to diagnose my own medical problems after 8 doctors failed for a decade, I'll take the information and use it myself, thanks.
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Do you have a wife? Kids? Maybe just thinking about buying a house and starting a family? Imagine being in that position and suddenly finding out that a 30 year mortgage isn't going to happen... Imagine you were trying for kids, just got good news from your wife, then get an email and find out you most likely won't see your unborn son graduate high school.
So your argument is that you're better off *not* knowing?
I disagree. I have a family and a mortgage, and if I'm going to die of something in a few years, I'd like to know as soon as possible, so I can make appropriate plans. Sure, I have to plan for my demise anyway because I could get hit by a bus, and even if I found out I have something that will almost certainly do me in by the time I'm 50, I'd still have to make plans to address the possibility that it won't kill me, but the knowledge would affec
I'll wait for the Chinese version (Score:5, Funny)
You come from monkeys
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All three offers are updated with new discoveries and results.
In short no... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In short no... (Score:4, Funny)
I'll say! I just LOVE a strong, assertive woman!
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Looking for Mr. Goodbar. (Score:2)
Dude, this is /. You want the "Interactive Male" forum. :-)
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Hmm (Score:5, Funny)
Need information yoda does.
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Only if... (Score:5, Funny)
...it reveals my latent mutant abilities. I'm personally hoping to find out I can generate fire.
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Re:Only if... (Score:4, Interesting)
And then sell it to who? (Score:5, Interesting)
Also given that the CEO is Sergey Brins wife, I wonder whether Google will get involved at one point?
Relations between Google and 23andme (Score:4, Interesting)
I can't find who the CEO of 23andme is (after only 30 sec of research), but Anne Wojcicki is indeed at least co-founder of the company and member of the Board of Directors: https://www.23andmeobjects.com/res/1570/pdf/factsheet.pdf [23andmeobjects.com]
Oh and Google is already involved in this company, they are an investor: https://www.23andme.com/about/corporate [23andme.com]
Somewhat dupey... (Score:4, Informative)
I'd love to hear about the results, though.
Add it to the Christmas list (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Add it to the Christmas list (Score:5, Insightful)
For instance, high-resolution full-body scans [wikipedia.org] (a CT scan of every inch of your body) are frequently criticized because they are so accurate and exhaustive that they will nearly always find something. Even a perfectly healthy individual will have a variety of benign masses of tissues which will show up on CT. Some experts have even estimated that a full-body scan will statistically reduce your health (or chance of survival or whatever) since it increases your risk due to unnecessary secondary tests more than it reduces your risk due to early detection.
Yet many (overly rich?) people want full-body scans because they want to make sure that any possible disease is caught... not realizing that you expose yourself to risk with each medical test.
I worry this kind of gene-sequencing will do the same thing: many people will see their results, not properly interpret the risks, and go rushing out for secondary tests (some of which have a small danger associated with them). Worse, some people may read their results and change their lifestyle without medical consultation, in order to "manage" a condition that they have not actually expressed yet. (And, again, you can do more harm than good when you try to manage a condition you don't have, at the expense of doing things that would actually make you more healthy.)
Obviously it's a personal choice if you want to gather this extra information about yourself. I just hope that the companies offering this service make the risks clear and help the customers actually understand the data and probabilities.
Re:Add it to the Christmas list (Score:5, Insightful)
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The radiation from a full body CT scan isn't that big a dose, but it has a non-zero chance of causing a lethal cancer, particularly in young people. The chances of having the scan saving their lives is also non-zero, but closer to zero than the cancer risk.
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Gene Sequencing Options (Score:5, Informative)
Very much worth it if one is interested in learning about and working to minimize one's genetic risks.
Misspelling (Score:5, Funny)
The word is "scam", not
"scan".
So what's a thousand bucks buy you? (Score:5, Insightful)
A nice call from your insurance company informing you that they are dropping your coverage due to a genetic predisposition for X disease.
Cost of early adoption (Score:3, Interesting)
That's a lot of money for a relatively new technology. While I think the idea is cool, I'd rather wait a few years when it's cheaper, works better, and there's more competition in the field. Let the early adopters pay the high fee and the rest of us can reap the benefits when the costs come down.
And of course, every year we'll have a better idea of what the results actually mean.
Maybe one day it will be as simple as a home blood-sugar test - "use this combination finger pricker/USB drive to get an instant scan of your DNA!"
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You might be dead by then. However, don't consider this as a good reason to adopt the iPhone.
Genetichondriacs unite (Score:2)
Oh boy... this is going to take hypochondria to a new level.
Source site (Score:3)
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NOT a Complete DNA Scan (Score:5, Informative)
will tell you very little about your health (Score:2)
It's possible that you could find some unknown aspects about y
Beware health insurance implications (Score:5, Interesting)
good news for bio grads (Score:4, Interesting)
My hope is that services like this will start to provide jobs for our current Bio grads, pushing the salaries up to a level that makes the choice of a Biology major much more desirable. Only then will the genetic revolution really start to take off.
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When adjusted for reality your bio people are living below the poverty line in most areas.
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When adjusted for reality your bio people are living below the poverty line in most areas.
Depends on the area where you first get the job offer. I started out in a wealthy area, with moderate housing costs and after a few years moved to an area with a low cost of living. I got a higher (well higher tha
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A huge gamble if the size of your paycheck is the only criterion you use to judge the success of your career choices...there are others - pursuing what you love comes to mind, for example.
Just food for thought...
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Worth it? Absolutely (Score:3, Insightful)
You can claim ignorance is bliss, but seeking to be willfully ignorant of a subject is the height of irresponsibility.
On the question of whether or not it is worth it for $1000... well I think so. Look at things in the long run - you'll have in inside track on those insurance companies.
I wouldn't want to know... (Score:3, Insightful)
I would rather have it surprise me and then live every day for what it's worth. Else you might think you sick and run up a bunch of bills you can't pay when you find out you're fine.
There are some cool DNA projects out there already (Score:5, Informative)
The team behind the project has already collected thousands of samples from people worldwide who have interesting lineages (Indiginous people in xyz area) and found out some REALLY cool stuff.
The $1k thing seems like a privacy nightmare though.
If you have a gene? (Score:2)
If this is your approach genetic diagnostics, then you're pretty much going to find out that you have every 'disease gene' going..
Caveat Emptor (Score:2, Interesting)
makes absolutely no sense yet (Score:2)
there are now hundreds of known "hotspots" in the genome that have been linked to certain chronic diseases
How do they know it's my DNA? (Score:4, Interesting)
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I'm sick of the genetic fraud being perpetrated by these gold-diggers, I want to know up-front if my kids will be hit by the ugly stick on their way out of the womb.
Meh. (Score:2)
You're from Africa. Next question.
Human? All of them. And one of them is going to kill you one day. Or you might get hit by a bus tomorrow.
Now this sounds interesting,
Gets you out of CSS (Score:2, Interesting)
So it's $1,000 for me... (Score:3, Insightful)
Seems overpriced to me. I already know I'm at risk for diabetes and heart disease, but I have no idea what breeds are mixed up in my mutt...
-F
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What happens if you scan a Creationist? (Score:3, Funny)
Ownership of company (Score:3, Informative)
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Re:No! (Score:5, Insightful)
No it can't (Score:3, Informative)
It's likely that this will change in the future; sooner or later it's likely that somebody will figure out how to slow down or stop the damage to the brain characteristic of Alz
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I'd rather know sooner than later if I am going to have a terminal illness.
For one, preventative measures might make me live long enough for a cure if caught early on.
Secondly, I wouldn't worry so much saving for retirement or paying off bills. Seriously, it would suck to finally have all this money and then get too sick to enjoy life and die shortly the
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It sounds like you're the kind of guy this would be perfect for. Send it in, find out you've got some disease that's going to kill you when you're 45... well fuck that healthy lifestyle! Time to smoke, eat trans-fats, lots of red meat, hookers, high risk activities... all the good stuff!
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But I find that those who abbreviate English in a space saving and understanding way are more intelligent than those who never do. Not that it isn't messy or ugly, but it's not a sign of stupidity.
There is a type of English screw-up that does indicate stupidity. For example, using "ironic" a lot, or screwing up "they're," or completely screwing up commas in a consistent manner, or most obvious are blatant misspellings all indicate an
Re:Blatant Misuse of the English Language (Score:4, Funny)
Alanis Morisette. That damn "Ironic" song isn't even ironic. It is the damn Murphys law!
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Me? I wouldn't have used that colon. A comma would have done the job.
I does like proper English.
Re:Blatant Misuse of the English Language (Score:5, Insightful)
1. If you are below a certain level of intelligence and you think it looks cool, do it. Example: Can u read this?
2. The rules of standard English are kind of stodgy and don't really hold up well in polls. Just use whatever you think works and most people will know what you mean even if you don't write it correctly. Also make sure to embrace Appalachionics since it has a warm and homey feel that makes you seem like someone people would want to have a beer with: My warshing machine needs fixed. Or... The nukyelar family is important above else all!
3. Make sure to avoid using more than one or two sentences per paragraph and no more than four paragraphs when writing stuff unless you want someone to think you're boring. Example:
a. Good writing:
"That guy's a troll. He sucks donkey dicks
It's a good thing we're on Digg. None of those crappy Slashdotters.
Go back to Slashdot you asshat."
b. Bad writing:
"Please don't feed the trolls. If you pay more attention to them, they'll keep coming back and lower the tone. The other fallout, is that we have more noise vs. signal if you insist on engaging the trolls. This has been a truism since the beginning of Usenet. I should know, I was there..." (Goes on for ten paragraphs with endless words that are boring, like "truism". WTF is a truism and why should we know?)
4. Make sure to nip any kind of conversation in the bud that isn't beer drinker friendly. The best way to do that is to instantly refer to the poster as a troll if they say something you don't like. The second best way is to invoke Godwin's law even if it doesn't really fit. The main is to keep people from talking about stuff that sucks. Remember, if it won't play on Spike TV, The SciFi Channel, or G4, then it shouldn't be on line either.
5. Always ALWAYS A-L-W-A-Y-S use pictures of videos instead of writing. It's so much cleaner and easier to understand than all that messy and archaic mucking about with text. All you need is a photo or video the presents what you want it to say, then a subject like "Amazing thing!!!!" and you're all set. You'll be communicating in the 21st century in ways that would have had Gutenberg himself breaking out into a cold sweat over.
Welcome to the intarweb tubes. Don't forget to tip heavily!
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Right... but then you said:
Wouldn't a "private lab" be just as susceptible to government pressure/warrants?