Genome Researchers Wants Your Genes

An anonymous reader writes "The Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) is looking for smart volunteers to donate their genes for analysis. They are seeking subjects with high intelligence; you can only qualify if you got a high score in SAT/ACT/GRE or got awards in competitions like Math/Physics Olympiads or TopCoder. They're also launching a drive to recruit US participants. Their first stop (PDF) appears to have been Google, which has run into trouble with the Chinese government. Also worth noting: BGI is registered in China as an 'Institutional Organization,' which by law requires it to report to a supervising governmental office or agency."

Comments

Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it...

[deains]

It's got to be super-soldiers.

Can you GPL your genes/body?

[houghi]

My great aunt has given her body to science so people will learn as to why she became that old. I would like to do the same thing, but be sure that not some Monsanto makes a shitload of money from it by patenting the shit out of my dead body.

I would realy like it to be some sort of GPL where findings are actually intended for the general public.

Does anybody have any experience with such a thing?

obligatory reading on this subject matter:

[circletimessquare]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Lacks

Re:resolving conflicts through rational discussion

[TaoPhoenix]

Lin Yutang once wrote that if you gave leaders a good meal and a comedy show, they wouldn't get into wars.

Re:limited selection

[MagusSlurpy]

No, the fact that they're limiting their selection means that they are looking for a specific link between high standardized test scores/academic achievement and the inability to recognize people by face. No one is apparently bothering to read the first paragraph on that web page.

We are recruiting subjects for a Genome Wide Association Study of intelligence. Our study of prosopagnosia has not yet begun; if you wish to learn more about this condition, please visit faceblind.org.