Ancestry tests are “genetic astrology" -- an article

[ScandinavianCelt]

https://bigthink.com/life/ancestry-t...tic-astrology/


Thoughts, anyone?

[Sylvanas]

Misleading headline

[Sheppey]

https://bigthink.com/life/ancestry-t...tic-astrology/


Thoughts, anyone?

Without even reading that link I will say I think that commercial tests are cynically marketed towards Americans so they are like Astrology but there are some non-commercial or some not very super commercial tools that can be legit but are not user-friendly or have a steep learning curve or whatnot .

[Sheppey]

https://bigthink.com/life/ancestry-t...tic-astrology/


Thoughts, anyone?

I think culture is an extended phenotype of the underlying genotype e.g. a beaver makes a damn because it is programmed into his genotype and the dam is the extended phenotype. Anything else is liberal hippy crack propaganda.

[Smeagol]

Physical anthropology is much more useful.

[ScandinavianCelt]

Misleading headline

Hi. Misleading in what way? Or, rather, what do you think the author means in that expression? Keep in mind he/she uses quotes, which has an affect on meaning.

[Sheppey]

Physical anthropology is much more useful.

Yes, thanks to AmeriKwans setting the bar for other companies to follow suit. Americans are mediocre at science and bad at maths. 23andme is run by fruitcake Jews and ancestrydna is run by mormons and they were the pioneers in the industry or whatever.

[Token]

I was expecting a good article given that there are indeed many problems with ancestry tests, but his whole point is that "our genes aren’t our identity, no matter what the DNA testing companies say in their advertising campaigns." Needless to say this is no critique to ancestry tests, since it assumes that their results does indeed represent "our genes", which is false.

[lei.talk]