DNA check...

I came across this article "23AndMe Will Decode Your DNA for $1,000. Welcome to the Age of Genomics" from Wired Magazine. I know I'm pretty far behind on DNA technology (okay truth be told I never read about DNA technology) so forgive me if I'm late to find out about companies doing this. But, I thought it was pretty interesting- for the pawltry fee of $1000 this company will scan your DNA, and more or less tell you what genes, traits and characteristics you inherited from your family. They also match it up with their database to let you know what diseases or conditions your genes make you a risk for. It also shows what risks you may pass on to your children.

But as quoted from the article, "This new age of genomics comes with great opportunity — but also great quandaries. In the genomic age, we will no longer have the problem of not knowing, but we will face the burden of whether we want to know in the first place."

My view is- Hell yeah I want to know! I'm the type that I want to know the bad news immediately, because I'd rather know than not know. "An ounce of prevention..." and all that jazz. My grandmother on my dad's side died from heart problems, and my mother has heart problems. I'm left assuming I'm going to have heart problems probably around my 60's-70's (and assuming I live that long). But if doctors were to know now while I'm, well, sorta young, what my genes show, then they would know how I should best start prevention of those problems.

And then there's Hubby's view- Hell NO I don't want to know! He already knows his body is falling apart from a bone disease, and knows doctors would tell him to stop drinking his beer, smoking, eating anything that tastes good... so he just doesn't want to know about it. To him knowing would be worse than not knowing. Which of course bums me out because I'd rather keep him around a little longer by knowing what other problems may rear their ugly heads, and what to do about it.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting article of what's on the horizon for preventative medicine. But then it also goes into checking traits of children to know what their talents may be to create a sort-of "strategy" for their life, which I think is going a bit too far. Just because a kid's DNA may show he/she is predetermined to have musical talents doesn't mean the kid would enjoy playing the violin. And you know too many parents out there would do that.

But I told Hubby that if he were to go through the miracle-of-science-reversal to have a kid again, I can just hear him telling his boy "Your DNA shows you're going to be a Denver Broncos quarterback, so get your butt out there and practice!!!" hahaha