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$999 For a Complete DNA Scan, Worth it?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the something-to-think-about dept.

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)."

4 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No! by Loether · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have a grandfather with Alzheimer's disease, a disease which if treated early can be very effectively treated extending your life and more importantly to me improving the *quality* of life. This disease begins with no symptoms and progresses slowly going possibly untreated for years. I for one would like the head start.

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  2. Re:Add it to the Christmas list by GryMor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The benefit of a 'healthy' full body scan isn't finding current problems. When you do have a problem, already having had a scan when you didn't have that problem, allows a new scan to be much more useful, in as much as you already know what was there ahead of time, and can take a gander at what has changed.

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    Realities just a bunch of bits.
  3. Re:Recommended viewing by macklin01 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I know, I know. You could probably just data-mine the DNA itself to figure out individual identities. In the future, if you ever go to another site and put it a few genes (for whatever purpose) that get linked to your real identity, you will be screwed. But hey, how's that any different than data mining Netflix?

    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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    OpenSource.MathCancer.org: open source comp bio
  4. Re:Recommended viewing by ncalsmitty1369 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Aren't there laws about illegal wire tapping?