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| Science & Technology |
| First came the home DNA kits. Now come the support groups |
| 2019-02-25 |
| [Boston Globe] The home DNA kit from AncestryDNA was a gift, and it was supposed to be nice. But when Catherine St Clair sent in her sample, she instead learned a shocking truth about herself: She was not the biological child of the man she knew her entire life as "Daddy.’’ The trauma sent her to his Texas gravesite, where she lay down and sobbed. "I felt I lost him all over again," she said. First came the home DNA kits, with their promise of light fun. Learn if your family is part Scottish! Go on a DNA-inspired globe-trotting trip! Connect with distant cousins! Now comes the fallout: As millions upload genetic results to AncestryDNA and 23andMe and smaller firms, many are learning devastating news. They’re not their sister’s full sibling, not related by blood to anyone in their entire family, not who they thought they were. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #11 I did the test and found no surprises. Family stories were confirmed. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2019-02-25 23:10 |
| #10 Spousal Unit did the test, found a half sister ( dear old dad was plowing somebody else’s field), and another relative took a certain G. Washington to court over aland issue: seems George took that land also. Kinda scary what you can find out.... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2019-02-25 21:42 |
| #9 Can’t hide - rape, cheating, adoption, artificial insemination - the truth is out there. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2019-02-25 19:02 |
| #8 1. Would love to have this information. 2. Would never in a million years trust any US company to do the testing. Maybe I'll try next time I'm in Germany or Switzerland - somewhere where privacy is a thing. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2019-02-25 18:16 |
| #7 Who gives a rip who you're related to or if that's your biological father or not. I know or have known many kids who were adopted. Knowledge of their birth parents usually means a hell of a lot to them. Your mileage may vary. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2019-02-25 16:17 |
| #6 Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Family Style. And, yeah, I've got a brother I'm a little suspicious about. |
| Posted by: Cheng Hatrack1760 2019-02-25 15:09 |
| #5 "Then your family all comes callin' slap you on the back and say cheeee-se... Pleeee-ase..." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-02-25 12:46 |
| #4 Aren't most DNA testing labs located in China? If true, that's a lot of info I don't want China to have. I can just see some futuristic weapon that could be detrimental to some gene or another of Americans. Conspiracy? Maybe. They can sell your info to big pharma and insurance types. Who gives a rip who you're related to or if that's your biological father or not. The only useful bit of info I find is to discover possible medical problems to have a heads up to deal with. But IMO not at the expense of China having the info too. Besides not that sure if I want to know... |
| Posted by: Jan 2019-02-25 12:25 |
| #3 On the other hand, in the last year I gained 2 cousins, kids who were adopted out in the 1970s and who didn't know their birth parents, who had their DNA tested by the same company I used. Now they have hundreds of cousins, and in one case, a half-sister, they didn't know they had. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2019-02-25 11:58 |
| #2 She was not the biological child of the man she knew her entire life as "Daddy.’’ ..but, but #Womendontcheat It appears Fathers Day may become a day of confusion. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-02-25 11:07 |
| #1 Sometimes, ignorance is bliss... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-02-25 09:55 |