I have a tough time accepting my faults. I think it’s a pervasive American trait to feel we are the best at everything, and prove it.
Then again, many eastern and european cultures disdain failure, even to the point of death. So are we ready for 23andme.com’s genetic testing? Are we ready to unlock our personal mystery that is locked in a sequence of four nucleotides?
Is Genetic Testing a Crystal Ball For Failure?
So, what if we know we are destined for failure? I am no geneticist, nor do I play one on TV. However, I feel that most genetic abnormalities are problems, not benefits, despite what comic books told me. Most of the beneficial traits of genetics: strength, speed, height, intelligence, stamina, coordination, good looks/symmetry, show themselves early on. By the time we would think of genetic testing for ourselves, the only things we could find out about would be either looking in the past, including the aforementioned traits and ancestry, or seeing how our minds and bodies will fail, things like cancer, parkinsons and alzheimers. Where are the benefits?
Coping With Genetic Testing
As the volumes of information cascade to us in new and unexpected ways, are we ready to add a completely new, but absolutely personal, piece of information? I don’t think so. If life is about living, how can knowing how we fail make it better? There might be a way but I can not see it, nor is it universally known. So if the panacea for the problems with 23andme.com’s genetic testing are not there what is the solution.
The Critical Point for Genetic Testing and the Information Revolution
What we need is to develop a culture of mechanism, not discovery and coping. Science has exploded, and given us many new and amazing tools that did not evolve through a natural evolutionary process. We need ways to address these amazing discoveries and tools on a personal level.
We need a new way of thinking beyond our genetics. I believe the latest books on neuroscience are the “brain hacks” that might take us there.