[DeanFL]

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Last night, saw a really good "PBS/NOVA" on 'Secrets in our DNA'. Was so interesting, and left me intrigued to -perhaps- try it out.

Seems to be 3 main companies - Ancestry, 23andMe, CRI Genetics.

Of course once your DNA is on file, there may be privacy issues and ramifications, but nothing in life is without risk IMO.

Anyone here on TV use DNA/Genetic test? Results etc.


link to the Nova episode>

NOVA | Secrets in our DNA | Season 48 | Episode 1 | PBS
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[Topspinmo]

IMO I have my doubts? Like FB or any other site with free or minimum charge it’s what they do with you’re information? And of course read all the fine print? I guess for some that will give up their private information it’s worth it. For me no, I know my family history black to early 1700s.

[macawlaw]

My aunt talked my dad into doing this along with a cousin. As dad did not have an e-mail address, all the responses from the company came to me. They used 23andMe. There were not any surprises in his profile. He received numerous e-mails stating they had found relatives. You could decide whether or not to allow contact from them. There were numerous quizzes that they wanted dad to take, such as eye color, height, right-or-left handed, etc. If you took all of these, they would have significant amounts of personal information. I did not like that I kept getting updates on the Privacy Policy. Each change made it seem a little less secure. Also, 23andMe was purchased (I forget who and the details), but something about the change made me wonder how much information was being shared. I asked for no more contact upon his death.

A lot of people use these services. However, I am not yet 65. I would not do this until my health insurance is guaranteed through Medicare. Alzheimer's and diabetes run in the family, and while I do not have either (yet, and hopefully never), I have to wonder about an insurance company learning about potential markers somehow. I am younger than my husband and will have to find insurance on the open market after his retirement until I turn 65.

This information is three years old.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

IMO I have my doubts? Like FB or any other site with free or minimum charge it’s what they do with you’re information? And of course read all the fine print? I guess for some that will give up their private information it’s worth it. For me no, I know my family history black to early 1700s.

You know the part of your history that you were told. Many of my friends have found a few surprises

[cj1040]

yes - we did ancestry and got matched with first cousins that we did not know had done it also and lots of more distant relatives including some from Scotland and Germany ! I thought I was more Irish than I was in the end ! Making a family tree now - so interesting. They located my 99 year old mother''s grandmother and grandfathers photos so I printed that out for her. They also have immigration and wedding and census records and more.
If you want health records I would try 23 and Me - we may do that someday as well.

[retiredguy123]

My interest in DNA testing is about the same as Astrology. None.

[DAN48]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

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Last night, saw a really good "PBS/NOVA" on 'Secrets in our DNA'. Was so interesting, and left me intrigued to -perhaps- try it out.

Seems to be 3 main companies - Ancestry, 23andMe, CRI Genetics.

Of course once your DNA is on file, there may be privacy issues and ramifications, but nothing in life is without risk IMO.

Anyone here on TV use DNA/Genetic test? Results etc.


link to the Nova episode>

NOVA | Secrets in our DNA | Season 48 | Episode 1 | PBS
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I have been doing my own family research for over 20 years, and, yes, Ancestry DNA is worthwhile if you do not expect miracles.
First, it will only match you to others who have submitted DNA. Second, if your DNA match is there, they need to have uploaded a public tree to be valuable. Otherwise, you need to contact them. Finally, DNA matches are less accurate the farther back you go. Don't expect to find a good match with a 6th cousin!
With those cautions, and considering the low cost, I would recommend doing it.

[2newyorkers]

Just be prepared for some surprises. At 69 years old my friend found out she was adopted.

[DeanFL]

Originally Posted by 2newyorkers

Just be prepared for some surprises. At 69 years old my friend found out she was adopted.

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the NOVA episode had several stories as this - and a couple examples where DNA test by someone led to IDing and conviction of a cold-case criminal they were unknowingly related to.
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[manaboutown]

Using Ancestry DNA my results came up pretty much as expected although family lore on both my mother's side and father's side held that we had ancestors from two different ethnic groups that did not turn up which I found amusing.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by 2newyorkers

Just be prepared for some surprises. At 69 years old my friend found out she was adopted.

That is not uncommon. I know a few people who either discovered or were finally told they were adopted as adults. One was told she had a different father than her three siblings when her 84 year old mother had a nervous breakdown and spilled the beans. Another was told by her father who thought he was on his deathbed that he was not her biological father, that her mother had been pregnant by another man when they married. Historically in America about one in ten is not fathered by their mother's husband as in the cases I just noted. Surprise! Surprise!

[UpNorth]

We got the "23 and me" package as Christmas gifts a couple of years ago. Predictable results. Every human has neanderthal ancestors coming out of Africa, and your migration patterns are pretty predictable after that as long as you have some idea of your heritage. If you have little knowledge of your grandparents and heritage, you might find it interesting. Otherwise, a waste of money IMO. And yes, they would like to use your personal information for their "research" if you let them. No thanks.

[dewilson58]

Daughter did it for fun.


Interesting info...............mostly generalities which can not be verified.


Brother & Sister can have very different history.........the services just shrug it off as what is more dominant in each person. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

We got the "23 and me" package as Christmas gifts a couple of years ago. Predictable results. Every human has neanderthal ancestors coming out of Africa, and your migration patterns are pretty predictable after that as long as you have some idea of your heritage. If you have little knowledge of your grandparents and heritage, you might find it interesting. Otherwise, a waste of money IMO. And yes, they would like to use your personal information for their "research" if you let them. No thanks.

Totally agree. Waste of money. A psychic may be more interesting, but I wouldn't do that either.

[Number 10 GI]

I've been with Ancestry for a few years now and it has been very interesting. My father was an only child so there weren't any aunts or uncles on his side or cousins my age, just great uncles and aunts. The family is spread out all over the country so there were very few relatives that we could interact with. On Ancestry I was able to view public family trees of relatives and have spoken with them via e-mail, telephone and visiting them in person.
I have done the DNA thing and found more family through the results of the test. I'm not worried that much about my DNA results being used by the government to track me down as I've never been arrested or committed a crime any more serious than speeding in my car. I held a Top Secret security clearance for many years while in the Army and in a civilian job, so the government knows all about me through that and from my military medical. I'm not adopted as my DNA matches too many family member on both sides of my parent's families. No unknown children have been turned up thankfully.
I have spoken to a few DNA matches and have had some interesting conversations with the about their families. All in all it has been a positive experience for me.
An interesting fact came to light from my wife's DNA test, we found out she has family located in Minnesota and Wisconsin. My wife's mother's family was originally from Bohemia, now Czechoslovakia. Her family in Germany wasn't aware that a family member immigrated to the US many years ago and have no idea who it would have been. I've been able to figure out that they must have immigrated some time before WWI. We have contacted 2 family members about this but there are no family stories or knowledge of the original immigrants. So much gets lost when older family member pass on. Ancestry and similar sites will help to store this information so it won't be lost for future generations.