Ever wondered about your roots? Risk of disease? etc.. cheap DNA test

[blankall]

https://www.23andme.com/store/

For today only the top of the line test is on sale for $99 plus $60 shipping. This is a fraction of the regular price of $499.

I don't work for this company in any way, but I just ordered one. I've always had an interest in issues like this. I think it will be extremely intersting to see where my ancestors actually come from.

I know a branch of my family goes back in Canada for hundreds of years. Am i part Metis? Aboriginal? etc somewhere.

I'm also intersted to see if I am pridisposed to preventable diseases.

[Knut]

I am going to order two

http://paulstamatiou.com/review-23an...sease-ancestry Here is a review. I guess Google Co-founder Brin is a stakeholder in this.

[jar_e]

I ordered two...one for me and the gf. Should make a good gift.

Though $60 priority shipping kinda sucks lol

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by jar_e

I ordered two...one for me and the gf. Should make a good gift.

Though $60 priority shipping kinda sucks lol

Yeah, the shipping was a pain. This will either be the best or the worst birthday present that my wife gets.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Hesla

I am going to order two

http://paulstamatiou.com/review-23an...sease-ancestry Here is a review. I guess Google Co-founder Brin is a stakeholder in this.

Wow, I didn't know it actually let you get into contact with people that may be related. That is cool.

[prarieboy]

It's $499 now. I missed the boat. I was going to order tonight but they jacked up the price.

Thanks for the heads up though, really would have liked to order one of these tests.

[Thor]

I'd just like to add a little caution to risk factors for disease, although we've come along way you should certainly not take any results as absolute.

You'll find lots of legal notices with your results stating this as well, just so you don't freak out if you find something genetic that puts you into a risk group for a particular disease.

We have lots to learn still.

Oh found it, PBS recently did a show on this, check it out if your interested in the science of it.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0302/01.html

Here's a quote from a geneticist speaking on the reliability and accuracy of personal DNA tests:

Q: The genetics associated with common diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are very complex. How do companies quantify an individual's risk of getting one of these diseases? Which genetic markers are being used? Have they been extensively studied? Is the basic knowledge about the association between genes and disease really at the point where we can use that information to start predicting disease risk? Don't you think the general population, with its lack of genetic literacy and understanding, will misinterpret the significance of their results?
Anonymous
A: The fact is that we are still in the very early and foundational days of being able to reliably predict one's lifetime risk for common age-related diseases, e.g. cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease. Personally, I have serious concerns about the validity of the numbers being provided by Navigenics regarding one's lifetime percent chance for getting common age-related diseases (as shown on the NOVA segment). This is because for the various diseases they are testing, there are many different risk-conferring and protective gene variants, and it is the combination of all of these risk-conferring and protective gene variants that influence one's lifetime risk for late-onset common diseases. For most of these diseases, only one or two established genetic risk factors are known; the majority of risk/protective genetic factors involved have yet to be established.

from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/science...02/01-ask.html

[Buzzard]

I was interested in doing this one.

Much cheaper. I'm assuming shipping would be much less too, as they just use regular mail.

Edit: Woops...guess it'd help if I posted the link.

https://genographic.nationalgeograph...hic/index.html

[Knut]

Just going to pick my package up tonight!!!

Very excited to spit in a tube.

[VladtheImpaler]

Is this the one where everyone turns out to be Jewish?

[MikeN]

Lol

[Wookie]

I hope the posters who bought it for their significant other turn out to be related!

[Knut]

^ Better to find out now, before I get married.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Hesla

^ Better to find out now, before I get married.

Why, does that make it hotter?

[Komskies]

For people interested in genealogy, PBS had a really great series about it called Faces of America.

What made America? What makes us? These two questions are at the heart of the new PBS series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Harvard scholar turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans — professor and poet Elizabeth Alexander, chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, novelist Louise Erdrich, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, actress Eva Longoria, musician Yo-Yo Ma, director Mike Nichols, Her Majesty Queen Noor, television host/heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, actress Meryl Streep, and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

You can watch the whole thing online: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/

[The Goon]

My results are still being processed, but - there's been a bit of an issue over at 23 and Me:

http://gawker.com/5558355/family-ter...-genetic-tests

[Thor]

Yeah thats the tip of the iceberg too, there is a lot of concern over these types of tests, I'd be very wary of any results, in fact I'd suggest just going for the natural geographic genealogy tests and skip these tests that claim to show you much of anything about your health risks, etc..

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by fotze

I would totally do the non-health one, but $400 is ######ed. Chances are it is like one of those useless horoscope tubes you can buy on your birthday.

I own a piece of the moon so, regardless of my genetics, I should be able to retire in style.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by fotze

I would totally do the non-health one, but $400 is ######ed. Chances are it is like one of those useless horoscope tubes you can buy on your birthday.

Only $99 with National Geographic, and you get to see your results online in their ever growing database. Its neat stuff.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/n...6&code=MR20027

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Thor

Only $99 with National Geographic, and you get to see your results online in their ever growing database. Its neat stuff.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/n...6&code=MR20027

I only paid 99 for the 23andMe test. It was only on sale for one day though. For 4-500 bucks I wouldn't recommend it.

The 23 and Me one does all the things the national geographic one does and more.

I will be pissed if they mix up my sample, but it wouldn't be the first time an online order of mine got messed up.

One of the coolest features of the 23andMe kit is that they give you the option to get in touch with relatives you may not know about. Having a fractured family, this is especially interestign for me.