New Dating Sites Match People Through DNA Tests

The Installer writes with this excerpt from an Associated Press report: "A couple of genetic testing companies are promising to match couples based on DNA testing, touting the benefits of biological compatibility. The companies claim that a better biological match will mean better sex, less cheating, longer-lasting love and perhaps even healthier children. 'How many dating services can you think of where they can suggest you might have better children?' said Eric Holzle, founder of ScientificMatch.com, one of the first online dating sites to use DNA. ... The idea is that people tend to be attracted to those who have immune system genes that are dissimilar from their own. Biologists say the HLA genes of the immune system — which are responsible for recognizing and marking foreign cells such as viruses so other parts of the immune system can attack them — also determine body odor 'fingerprints.' And people tend to be attracted to the natural body odors of those who have different HLA genes from their own."

Comments

The company name is kind of disturbing

[Anonymous Coward]

"Incest Is Best Inc"

Hmm...

[shrtcircuit]

Yeah... Submit your DNA profile to a for-profit corporation that lets you do things with it through a web interface. Your info will never be hacked. Your info will never be sold. Your info will never be given to government agencies. Trust us.

What could possibly go wrong here?

Re:Hmm...

[commodore64_love]

>>>DNA info? What's it good for?

Watch the movie GATTACA where people were denied jobs (or vice-versa promoted) strictly based upon their DNA. The ability for bosses, politicians, whoever to just look at your "program code" and filter for the best candidate is dangerous. It takes away opportunity who may be slightly dumber, but with more determination and focus to get the job done. (Again I recommend watching gattaca... one of the best science movies of the last two decades.)

Untrue

[Mikkeles]

'The companies claim that a better biological match will mean better sex, less cheating, longer-lasting love and perhaps even healthier children.'

They're lying.

Re:Untrue

[tonycheese]

Here, Discovery Channel did an article focusing on Scientific Match and another company doing the same thing that talks more about the science behind it. But, like the Komo News article, it points out that it's not very likely to work with such a small sample size of both people and genes.

READ THE ARTICLE

[gurps_npc]

For those of you that continue to think they are matching similar DNA, if you read the article you will find that they are doing the opposite.

That is, they are trying to create "Hybrid Vigor" - matching people whose DNA matches the LEAST. Among other things this should reduce recessive traits. No more blond haired/blue eyed children, but also no more hemophilia.

Building up a smell/looks/DNA database

[viking80]

I would like to see the result of this study:
-Take the DNA of all freshmen
-Let the males and females smell each other one by one (in rooms so dark that beauty could be eliminated) and have them rate each other.
-Let the males and females see and rate each others looks (like a criminal lineup)

Now throw all that into a computer to find correlation between DNA / smell / looks.

Now you can build the database to match couples based on DNA. A lot of interesting research could come out ot it too. Exactly which genes likes which genes, and which detest each other. Are there some universally unlikable genes, and what do they code? Are there some universally likable genes, and what do they code?

Re:I didn't RTFA

[mrsurb]

I don't think anyone's stupid enough to think there's a single correlate to mate selection.

I think you underestimate the market-share of stupid.

Alcohol is the best environmental chemical.

[Behrooz]

In similar news, I'm starting a match making service based upon environmental chemical exposures.

Hey, exposure to ethyl alcohol is strongly correlated to time of conception for a majority of slashdotters.