Live and learn I guess…

DNA 11 sends you a mouth swab that you use to collect epithelial cells from the inside of your cheek. You then mail these back to the company and they conduct a gel electrophoresis run of your genes. The results of this (the black and white bands often seen on CSI and the like) are then photographed professionally and digitally coloured. The result is an abstract painting of whichever colours you want featuring you.

Its a pretty cool idea and I’d imagine I’d have a lot of fun explaining to people what the painting was all about. However, I had some reservations.

I’ve written about genetic privacy before and am aware of the risks of mailing some company my most personal information. If it is stored digitally on a server in the US it become open to the Patriot Act. If they keep the info and the company goes bankrupt then what happens to the genetic information.

I did a little digging around and it looks like DNA 11 is totally legit. First of all they don’t actually decode your genes, they just get a fancy picture of them. Its the same kind of picture that criminologists use to identify two people. Each picture is unique but you can’t tell what any of the lines actually translate to (hair colour, skin colour, etc.). They also guarantee that they will delete and destroy all of the information and samples that they get after they have finished your piece. I sent them an e-mail and they confirmed all of this for me.

They also do personalized finger prints and kisses!

Nerdy? Check. Conversation piece? Check. Beautiful? Check.

Well, that search is over for me. I’m going to do a PhD. What changed my mind? This paper.

Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by lapdancers: economic evidence for human estrus?

Abstract

To see whether estrus was really “lost” during human evolution (as researchers often claim), we examined ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by professional lap dancers working in gentlemen’s clubs. Eighteen dancers recorded their menstrual periods, work shifts, and tip earnings for 60 days on a study web site. A mixed-model analysis of 296 work shifts (representing about 5300 lap dances) showed an interaction between cycle phase and hormonal contraception use. Normally cycling participants earned about US$335 per 5-h shift during estrus, US$260 per shift during the luteal phase, and US$185 per shift during menstruation. By contrast, participants using contraceptive pills showed no estrous earnings peak. These results constitute the first direct economic evidence for the existence and importance of estrus in contemporary human females, in a real-world work setting. These results have clear implications for human evolution, sexuality, and economics.

Wow. How could we not have seen it before? This truly is a scientific breakthough.

Come on! These guys g(and undoubtedly they were guys) got paid $100K+ to sit in a strip club and count bills. This isn’t the job of a researcher, its the job of a rapper. I’m sure it took them at least 2 years of work too.

Where do I sign up to pursue my PhD; the research ideas are brewing already.

You can find the full version of the text here (requires Science Direct subscription).

Evolution is a big deal.

Everyone probably understands the basics of how it works. “Things change over time,” “good traits remain, while bad traits are eliminated” are common explanations from most people. It truly shows the power Darwin’s theory when 150 years later every student leaving high school is (or should be) aware of it. Unfortunately, what we learn about evolution in high school (and even first year biology) barely scratches the surface of how complex and beautiful evolution is.

I once had a physics teacher in first year who asked in front of the class (with my biology teacher in the room) why we still teach students about evolution. “Its basically the same stuff in high school regurgitated.” Besides setting up for an awkward academic debate between the two, the profs highlighted one of the common misconceptions about evolution: that it is a fully explored science. On the contrary, evolutionary biology is still a thriving field with many questions remaining unanswered.

The enormity of his theory is hard to grasp until you step back and take a look a it in the big picture. His process of natural selection is certainly his best known work, and it was as radical as it was significant. The apparent insanity of the idea may have in fact be one of the reasons why it took so long for him to finally publish On the Origin of Species: Darwin himself may not have been convinced of his theory. After all, he never had the ability to test it, it was distilled from a lifetime of observational work. This uncertainty is actually expressed in OoS as Darwin recounts many of the patterns in life that he couldn’t explain through his theory. Many of these examples were have been explained as biology progress (especially with the advent of DNA and genetics), but many of them still remain. Last year I took BIOL 418 – Evolutionary Ecology, a class designed to explore many of the major mysteries that still remain. Some of them we take for granted and might surprise you.

The biggest gift that Darwin gave us is the ability to see ourselves in all living organisms. The same way we can look into the eyes of a human being half a world away and see a piece of ourselves we can look closely at bugs, plants, and animals around us a see our common ancestry. It is truly a revelation not only for science, but also for the philosophy that it espouses.

There is a fantastic article about Darwin, What Darwin Didn’t Know in February’s National Geographic. Check it out if you can.

So why should you care? Technologies developed by the video game industry are being utilized more and more in everyone’s lives. The released of the trendy Wii console from Nintendo attracted gamers that never would have thought about games 5 years ago. The Wii can now be found in tons of retirement homes and senior living centres, helping society’s octogenarians stay fit and healthy.

Today Microsoft released a new technology that is going to allow an unparalleled level of immersion in digital worlds: Natal. What is Natal? It is being dubbed as a controller, but it doesn’t look like a handheld piece of plastic with some buttons on it. It doesn’t even look like the revolutionary Wii controller with its motion capture technology. It doesn’t look like anything at all. Natal allows a user to control themselves in a virtual environment using their body movements, voice, tonality, and facial expressions. Don’t believe me? Check out the video they released this morning (via GameTrailers):

Hello Skynet!

Originally published on www.terry.ubc.ca

Just like putting your credit card information or personal info into ‘legit‘ websites, once your genetic information has been decoded, you have limited control over where it goes and who views it. Unlike a credit card though, you can’t call your credit card company (which I hate) or your bank (which I hate even more) and cancel the card. You only get one set of genes and you can’t order a replacement. Knowing this, your genetic information is something that you should guard very carefully. Currently, outside of research, there are no laws in Canada to protect your genetic information.

Furthermore, there are now companies that offer a full genetic screening privately from the comfort of your own home. The leader in the industry is 23andMe. For the bargain price of US$399 you can learn about genetic disorders you carry as well as a host of other genetophile (who says I can’t make up words) information. Simply spit into a vial, mail it to the lab, then jump online 2 weeks later to discover your genetic past (and future). You’ll learn about the currently mapped 113 traits that you may carry, ancestry, and can even participate in research studies. 23andMe claims that this can help people by increasing their preparedness for potential genetic diseases to come. But here is the rub: do you really want to know your genetic future?

Even if you don’t, there are a host of people out there who do. Lets focus on insurance companies. On many traditional life insurance policies the insured must be completely forthcoming in regards to potential health risks. A family history of heart attacks, strokes, ect. must be fully documented in order for the insurance company to cover you and assign a deductible/premium. If this is the case, does the insurance company have the right to genetically screen potential clients prior to covering them? Can they charge more for someone who lives a healthy lifestyle but is predisposed to heart attacks than someone who is (to be blunt) fat and lazy, but has no negative genetic predispositions?

There is a whole other side to the insurance debate. If you use services such as 23andMe to learn more about your genetic predispositions, you could conceivably take advantage of insurance companies by withholding health information from them. Should an individual’s right to know and control their genetic information take precedent over an industry’s ability to be profitable? Does the overhead cost of the genetic analysis (US$399 or less) stop low income families from having the same advantage as those who can afford it? These are important questions and so far our political leaders haven’t even begun to ask them.

There have been some successes in genetic law. The recently passed Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (or GINA) prevents US insurers from denying coverage or charging increased premiums based on an individual’s genetic potential (more here for Law kids). The bill passed unanimously save for one vote (thanks Ron Paul), signaling this is an issue that can be agreed upon by both sides of the aisle. Ted Kennedy stated that the bill was the “first major new civil rights bill of the new century”.

There is no question that ethical issues will arise around genetics in the next several years. What we need to do now is make sure that our politicians and representatives are aware of the issues and talk about them before the time to act has passed. Educate yourself and your friends about the potential of services like 23andMe and their potential ramifications. You can go to the 23andMe homepage and take a tour that shows you all the information that they offer their clients. Find your MP here and write to them encouraging them to engage with scientists on the issue. (Also refer them to this blog so I can get wicked famous). I would also highly recommend watching GATTACA, a movie that was talking about genetic discrimination well before its time (and its got sexy Ethan Hawke in it). The Pirate Bay might be dead but you could always rent it.

How do you feel your genetic information should be used? Would you pay to rub the proverbial magic lamp and get a glimpse into your future?

Originally posted on www.terry.ubc.ca