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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. Blatant Misuse of the English Language by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    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). Can they also tell you if you lack the basic mental capacity to correctly edit & format an English sentence with proper grammar & capitalization? The 'question' posed as the headline for this story lacks a verb or any sensible structure for that matter.
  2. FAGORWZ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Goals I personaaly part of GNAA if

  3. Check to make sure it's "your" sequence by MDMurphy · · Score: 0, Troll

    There's another company out there doing wall art based on your DNA sample. If I cared enough to spend the money I'd pondered sending them 2 samples, but from different customer names. In theory, the art should have matched.

    I'd like to see some consumer watchdog group do this with these guys. Send the same sample, supposedly from different people, then compare the results.

  4. Congratulations... by daveschroeder · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...on posting an over-four-year-old story to slashdot that has no relationship to the story at hand, other than also involving DNA, and getting modded up for it.

    Good if you want to do nothing except try to bring your politics into everything somehow, I suppose. Bet you're loads of fun at parties!