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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Mart 'n' Al on Tuesday 13 March 18 16:46 GMT (UK)

Title: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Tuesday 13 March 18 16:46 GMT (UK)
I don't know if these two DNA articles in today's Daily Mail should be praised for bring the awareness of DNA to a wider public or criticised for possibly trivialising the subject.

Would YOU take a DNA test to find the ideal flatmate?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5490393/Spare-Rooms-offering-DNA-testing-perfect-flatmate.html

Take saliva test to work out your IQ

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5491541/Intelligence-genes-promote-old-age.html

Martin
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: BumbleB on Tuesday 13 March 18 16:52 GMT (UK)
Well, DNA is "on trend"  :-X :-X :-X

Alternatively, there was the story of a Liverpool radio quiz show, and one of the contestants obviously didn't know the answer so he kept asking "Give us a clue, Billy, give us a clue". 

The mind boggles  :-* :-*
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: davidft on Tuesday 13 March 18 17:39 GMT (UK)
May I ask a question please.

Why do people insist on posting posts about DNA subjects in the Common room when we specifically have a section (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/ancestral-family-tree-dna-testing/ ) for DNA related posts. It doesn't make sense to me.
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Tuesday 13 March 18 18:18 GMT (UK)
My original posting was a bit too light-hearted, off-topic and trivial for such a serious discussion area.  My choice.   Perhaps I was wrong.  Perhaps I was right.

Martin
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: davidft on Tuesday 13 March 18 18:33 GMT (UK)
My original posting was a bit too light-hearted, off-topic and trivial for such a serious discussion area.  My choice.   Perhaps I was wrong.  Perhaps I was right.

Martin

Oh well ..........

Anyway here's another link for you then about how Astronaut Scott Kelly now has different DNA to his identical twin brother after spending just a year in space

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5494589/Astronaut-Scott-Kellys-DNA-permanently-changed-space.html#ixzz59egJxD9g

Food for thought maybe before takung an ancestry DNA test and their wild claims .......

Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Tuesday 13 March 18 18:56 GMT (UK)
I often wonder what would be the effect if the classic 'double-helix ' of DNA was straightened out.  What does the helix achieve?  Rigidity?  Why double and not single or triple?  I do too much wondering.  What if it spiralled the other way?

Martin
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: familydar on Tuesday 13 March 18 20:06 GMT (UK)
So would the astronaut's ethnicity now include a percentage of Martian or Lunar?  Or are there too few Martians/moon people in the database to call that percentage anything other than"unknown"? 

I jest 😁

Out of interest do anc even admit to an unknown category?

Jane :-)
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: familydar on Tuesday 13 March 18 20:21 GMT (UK)
Martin, if it spiralled the other way it would be laevo dna if my school chemistry serves me correct.

Or is that just the "handing" of the molecule?

Jane :-)
Title: Re: Two DNA articles in the news today.
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Wednesday 14 March 18 13:49 GMT (UK)
Thanks Jane, I scraped a Chemistry O-level before the man in the street had even heard of DNA.  I shall follow up your info.

(Said the right-handed honeysuckle to the left-handed bindweed.)

Martin