January 22, 2008

1,000 Free 23andMe Kits For Davos Attendees (plus one for TechCrunch readers)

Michael Arrington

211 comments »

At a dinner last night at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 23andMe founders Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki announced that they are providing 1,000 free 23andMe personal DNA testing kits to conference attendees. Damn, I thought, I already paid $1,000 (more) for my kit (so much for the benefits of being an early adopter). Rumor is the company is also sending 100 free kits to attendees of the TED conference.

Anyway, after long minutes of negotiation regarding a refund since I could now get a kit for free, Linda and Anne agreed to give one more kit out, to give to a lucky TechCrunch reader. Just tell me in the comments why knowing your genetic background is important to you, and we’ll choose a winner. We’ll stop comments after 24 hours and choose then.

The company won’t say how many kits have been purchased, other than commenting that sales are “way above expectations.” Yesterday the company started selling kits in Europe and Canada. And they just recently launched their corporate blog, fittingly called “The Spittoon.”

I just recently got my 23andMe test results back. I’ll be posting highlights next week.

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Pierre Carion

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:06 pm

I need to know what, in my genetic background, made me be the first one (I hope) to post here …
Matt

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:09 pm

I would like one honestly because I am curious to see what the results would be.

Medically, with a history of diabetes and cancer in my family, having something like this to see what diseases or conditions we could be prone to would be incredibly useful to prevention or catching something in the early stages.
Ryan

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 pm

I want to know if any of my ancestors created unique products or tools too?
Matt Terenzio

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:17 pm

I need to know because I suspect I am the baby ape left by Cornielus and Zera, waiting to rise to power in Conquest for the Planet of the Apes.
Paly

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 pm

I think I may be adopted, predisposed to cancer, and the father of 30-45 illegitimate children.
Chris

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 pm

I’m 24 and losing my hair at a very rapid rate. When I thanked my mom for the genes she got upset, thinking my sister had told me that I was getting Sevens and Luckys for Christmas. When I spelled it out for her (no mom, not THOSE jeans) she told me her father had started losing his hair at 19 and she was surprised mine lasted this long.

Send me the kit so I can determine what other genetic curve balls I have coming my way!!!
joe

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm

Having been adopted it’s a unique opportunity to know myself better genitically and what I need to look out for.
Steve

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 pm

My parents have it tough being forced to immigrant over here. Because of that, they get angry and ignore my requests about anything related to the past. I don’t know about my grandparents because they passed away at a very early age. I really have no knowledge about my background. I’ve tried to ask both of my brothers and sisters, but none of them really know. Born and living in the states, although I enjoy this culture, I would love to know more about my background. I never had much luck prodding for information from my parents.
dfb

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 pm

I am an adopted father of three- I would like to know, for my kids sake, as well as my own, what predispositions I (and possibly, they) have.
Robert hillman

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 pm

I am very interested in learning more about my genetic background because I have a very limited knowledge of my family—my grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and many others were killed in the Holocaust because they were Jewish and the Third Reich wanted to eliminate the “Jewish Race”–what a fitting turn around to be able to learn something about my genetic traits and background through this DNA test.
Jesse Venticinque

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm

I want a rundown of my genealogical profile - basically, analyzing the genetic data to determine my comprehensive genetic history, including ethnic origins and biogeographical ancestry. Surnames and family history can go only so far without true DNA fingerprinting…The data would also be useful for exploring human migratory patterns, but i’ll leave that to 23andme…
Ghaus

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm

I wanna know my background because….ummm….. I want to know for how long I was a TechCrunch reader ? lol
Alex

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:41 pm

Need to see if there are any signs of cancer, in particular genes/proteins associated with brain cancer. My mother passed away at the age of 56 (far too young) and it scares the hell out of me having two young children.

….feel free to donate or read up National Brain Tumor Foundation: http://www.braintumor.org
LT

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:43 pm

I’d like to know why my mother and father have brown hair, and mine is blond?
Mauricio

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 pm

Hello,

I would like to know my background because both my origins and development are very mixed. I’ve been currently living in Canada for 6 years, but I am originally from Colombia. My dad’s side, if traced back a couple of hundred years, goes back to the “pais vasco” in spain. My mum’s side can only be traced back to south-amerindians. So, my DNA must have generations of european genetic material combined with south american native DNA. To add a spin, that genetic material is been heavily influenced by the new environment conditions: North America (more specifically Canada), Web 2.0, eCommerce and the MBA degree I am pursuing at HEC Montreal. So, I would really like to know what comes after you put all those things together.

Thanks!

Mauricio
Malcolm

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm

I would like the opportunity because curiosity is the driving force behind progress and given the chance to know; why should it be turned down?
Yuri Ammosov

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm

I strongly doubt anyone at Davos will give away his DNA after thinking twice. This public is extremely sensitive to their personal information.
Phil Dewey

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 pm

My Father had colon cancer and almost died. My Grand Father had colon cancer and it killed him. While I know this makes me 8 times more likely to have colon cancer, this test could help me avoid having six feet of cold stainless steel shoved up my ass every year until I die of something else…
David

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:49 pm

I want to know my genetic background as a due dilligence for Sergej’s investment strategy
AnonTroll

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm

I want to see if I’m related to Michael Arrington.
Beasley

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm

My father is a retired jockey (5′3″) and my mother, a marine (6′1″).
If anyone needed to see their own source code - it’s me.
’nuff said…
Spencer

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm

I don’t want the 23andmekit because I’m pretty sure this is what they were talking about in the bible, you know that thing about the mark of the beast. ….- ok just kidding now give me the kit!
randy

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm

I want to see if I’m related to Warren Buffett.
Steve

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm

I really want to know what my genes say about me.
Hendra

January 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 pm

My grandpa told me that we are linked to the 1st emperor of China, I need a confirmation so as not to spread the same lie/truth to my future generation.

Contact me and I’ll let you know where to send the kits.
Fish

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Interesting business. But for $1000 for the kit, they couldnt make the shipping free? Sheesh!
Chris

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 pm

i just want to see if it works. what is all the hype about?
Alexa

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 pm

@ #1 Pierre - I was going to post a reason but yours was so funny you should get it.
j.

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm

my mother was artificially inseminated in the early 70s, when records weren’t kept. i know nothing whatsoever about half of my genetic makeup and have no way to find it out other than genetic sequencing. no idea of heritage, no idea of genetic illnesses, no idea how many half-siblings i may have.

even on my mother’s side, little is known about our family history beyond a few generations for various reasons.

i was planning to have a full sequence done once these services become more affordable, but i’d sure love to do it sooner.
Rudy

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm

All of this is woven together, but I will try and separate it some.

Selflessly, I would like to know so I can share with children, spouse, and family so that there might be a better glimpse of the future for all. What part am I playing and contributing and what can I share with those who have some of the same cards as I do. For my family, what parts of my example and story can I tell as a warning and what parts of our identity can I learn?

Selfishly, I am interested in knowing who I am and what I am. I am fascinated with the question of where have I come from to hope to have a better understanding. This curiosity is a fire. I want to know, understand, compare, examine, and ponder. There is fear and hope in the idea of finding things out, of the unknown, but also a necessity of metaphorically sweeping back a bit of the fog.

Objectively, the demanding questions in each case are of material ailments and perhaps what struck some of my ancestors down at early ages is detectable and preventable. Is part of my machinery broken in some way?

Fundamentally, I just want to know. I think this is the core motivation. It is why I am here telling personal thoughts to you and the other strangers who will read this. The idea of tests like this is that–within statistical bounds–we will see part of the future of our lives and those we have create written out. I don’t think it writes the story but it does shade in some of the background and the rules.

I’d like this tool to learn and share what I find.
ChrisW

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:07 pm

I want the kit because I recently read that one in 5 children born in the world is Chinese. I have 2 sisters (Michelle and Emily) and 2 brothers (Peter and Xiang Hou) … I have an awful feeling that I might be the one that is Chinese. Then again, it might be Peter. I need to know - it’s driving me crazy!
LS

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 pm

My uncle claims that the family is descended from a mixture of Mongol hordes and African slaves. That would be a trip for a family of eastern european jews. Anyway, wouldn’t that be kind of fun to find out?
Keith

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:18 pm

I would like the kit because I really have no clue where my ancestry is from. I would like to know the what makes me who I am. I’ve often thought it would be awesome to spend $1k to look into my DNA, but I have a family to support and unfortunately it would be foolish to spend it at this point of my life.

Thanks for the opportunity to get the kit for free…
Pascal

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Wow, many interesting reasons why one needs that DNA checking. Well, I “need” one because our family is plagued with cancers and I want to know whether there is some sort of mutation running around in our gene pool. I lost two grandparents to cancer, two siblings of my father already had a cancer (breast and testes) and my mother and her sister both were diagnosed with breast cancer in the last three years.
Andrew Michael

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm

I’m curious to see what recessive genotypic traits and/or disorders that I’m pre-disposed to, so that I can take precautions to avoid expressing them.

I’d also like to know if I’m really related to the ancient pharaohs of Egypt…wouldn’t that be cool
Canadian

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:21 pm

I believe that I may be inbred. My mother and father bear an uncanny resemblace to each other, both had the same last name before they were married and they tell me that I can only meet one pair of grandparents.

I have been plagued by bad health and learning disabilities my entire life and I am cross-eyed. At school, my classmates tease me and say that I’m missing a chromosome. I sort of look like Larry Page except I’m even more deformed looking.

If I am truly inbred, it is likely that I have genetic abnormalities that may cause serious medical conditions and could very well cut my life short. This is problematic for me since my only dream since the 1st grade was to have my own Web 2.0 startup. I started coding my Web 2.0 application when I was 7 and I expect that I will have an alpha version ready by 2010. I hope to then apply for YCombinator or TechStars.

23andMe can not only provide the confirmation that I am the result of an immoral act, but can tell me if this has left me with deficient genes. Michael, this could be my only hope. I work as an assistant manager at Harvey’s and all my free time is spent trying to code Ruby on Rails. Therefore I don’t have the ability to earn enough money to pay for a 23andMe kit. Please find it in the kindness of your heart to give me this kit. I would do anything for you if you give me this one chance to find out my fate. I’d even go so far as to hook you up with a free Angus burger with onion rings.

Sincerely yours,

Inbred Canadian
SG

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:24 pm

Knowing my genetic background is important because the composition of my genes counts for everything and my life long experiences count for nothing…?
/barf

It would just be cool I guess
FTW!!
kamakau

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 pm

My father immigrated to the US from the Philippines but died when I was young. I don’t know much about his side of the family. My mother is Native Hawaiian, Asian, and European. So I’m pretty mixed up. I love to see what the results of the tests show for my ancestry. I just spoke with one of my sisters tonight and tonight she actually told me her friends and family remark that I look nothing like my three sisters. Maybe my mom wouldn’t like the results of this type of test. I doubt I’d blog about the results (figure you are looking for this), but I will share the results with my family. Maybe a way to get us to talk a bit more about important stuff like ancestry. I’ll also share the results with you guys. Heh, perhaps 23 & me also needs some rare mixed-up Hawaiian, Asian, & European DNA to put their markers to the test. Thanks for offering it to your readership.
Tino Buntic

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 pm

I’d like to know if I’ll live longer than you, Mike.
Timothy O'Leary

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pm

A Harvard Medical researcher recently proved that the alcoholism is strongly genetic. Me folks died o’ liver failure when I was young from years of heavy drinking. However, I’ave good reason to believe I may be adopted.

I have never had even a drop of god’s medicine in me entire life, but my 21st birthday is just a month shy. So I really need yer aide.

If it turns out I wasn’t adopted, I’m really gonna need this test. The $1,000 I can get for it on eBay will help me pay my bar bills.
Ricardo

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:52 pm

I should be getting some free kits too! At least I’m going to Davos too, on friday

But well I’d love to know where I’m descendent from!
Tech For Novices

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:57 pm

I want to be part of the 1000 genome project. Hence I need to know first hand whether I qualify

Do I get it ???

http://www.genome.gov/26524516
Joseph

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:58 pm

I wonder if I have an addictive personality for gambling, lottery, and sweepstakes.
Brendan Fitzpatrick

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm

I’m just really curious about it and I don’t have the money to spare, but i have saliva in spades !
Andy

January 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm

I’m planning on starting a startup called mememe, not meme, but mememe. All employees will be clones of myself. In order to properly form a business plan I need to know everything about my employees, particularly how much I can expect to spend on health care, and what their particular aptitudes might be.

I promise to advertise on TechCrunch once we get funding.
Dominik Lukes

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 am

A London cabbie recently told me that I must be Jewish because ‘It takes one to know one’ and the guy who came to install my phoneline, for some reason, thought I was a Rabbi. There is no record of my family having any Jewish ancestry but my grandfather was from Ukraine so there’s always the slight possibility. It would be nice to know either way.
Alex

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 am

For a long time I have wanted to find out more about my genetic heritage.

My mother is Polish and my father’s family originally come from Russia and Ukraine, but for some odd reason I look very little like my father. All “the milkman is your father” jokes aside (yes my parents do joke about it - haha), research has shown that our tribe likely mixed with Genghis Khan’s (although I have also read that this is not uncommon in the modern world given the size of the Mongolian empire) and I am keen to know how significant this percentage of my heritage is.

That aside, I would also like to know about my potential health problems and susceptibility to cancer etc. One of my grandfather’s died very young of a heart attack, so only half of my genetic picture is complete and it would be nice to know whether that may be a fate I should preemptively deal with or if that was merely down to his non-genetic health.

Thanks,

Alex
Adrien F.

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 am

I’d like to have the free kit just to throw it away

Actually, I think that giving one’s DNA sample to a private company could be quite dangerous. So, as part of my effort in boycotting this concept, I’d like to have that free kit and throw it away, so that they have one customer less
Sean Mulvihill

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:12 am

If you selected me, I would leverage the press associated with winning by re-offering the kit (in a public statement) to the current lot of Presidential hopefuls. Each candidate would be notified concurrently and the first candidate who responded favorably would then be able to leverage the press associated with that moment to achieve the following:

1) Provide the public better health knowledge of themselves than any other candidate

2) Demonstrate that the truth of what is known is more powerful than the fear of the unknown.

For TechCrunch, this enables you to further promote and place your brand in a year where politics will compete heavily for your readers’ attention without necessarily awarding ‘airtime’ to any one candidate over another.

For 23andMe, they would reap national exposure with historical proportions. Imagine how pivotal this moment will be when historians cite the first Presidential candidate (possiber the winner, too) to provide the public with a complete genomic map.

Yeas, I’d like to know more about me. But something in my genes is telling me that the future of our race will rest in the hands of one of ‘them’. I’d like to know how trigger-happy those hands are.
Michael Lambie

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:12 am

i’d like to take a peek at my source code to do some quality testing. I’m hoping to do a few speed hacks and write some new efficiency algorithms. Would also like to refine my search processes and truncate my db.

all this of course will lead me to be able to port my code to write a sweet semantic facebook friending tool which will basically be a digital version of me.

What do you say Mister Arrington?
Dyde

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:13 am

I want to know if my DNA is defect free, so I can sell my genetic information to some dumba** VC so they could create advertisement infusing DNA mutation viruses.

Imagine the possibilities, instead of spending huge sums of money on ineffective TV ads, companies like Nike or McDonalds could gain market share by spreading these viruses. And unlike traditional advertisements, brand loyalty would be passed through generations.
Manikandan

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:16 am

I always knew that i had inherited a great deal from my father including the nature of being short tempered. Thats to say that i know what positives and negatives of my dad in me.

But then when it comes to my mom, its only the negatives that i know being inherited in me. The positive characteristics which i think are from my mom need some clarification. This is because according to me, my mom is a great soul and my role model. I would like to see if the kind heart in my mom resides in me.
FK

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:16 am

Reading through a few requests, I find it shocking how selfish most people are.
I - on the other hand - would accept to be genetically tested only because future generations would profit from the results that my DNA yields. 23andMe might even find the cause of my superior intelligence, my extraordinary appearance or even my charism.

And, Michael, the handover of the kit would be really simple: you can hand it over during the “Public Eye On Davos” awards today…
Simon Rabente

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 am

Hi, my father still found out, that I’m a great-great-great-great-child of the brother of Karl the Great (800 a.c.)! I don’t believe that, but perhaps the situation will become a little bit clearer
Andrew Meyer

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 am

Hey Mike, damn, I already raised $1000 for a 23andMe kit over on my blog. Just ordered one yesterday morning.
Chris Banach

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:40 am

My mother is only 63, and already on a late stage of a very rare syndrome called “Corticobasal Ganglionic Degeneration”, or CGD.

It’s a mix of Alzheimer and Parkinson. It’s terrible because she suffers from both physical (parkisonish limb stiffness) and mental (strong alzheimerish dementia and epilepsy) symptoms at the same time.

Alzheimer looks like a walk in the park compared to what she has, because until recently, she was totally aware of her particularly slow degeneration and inexorable fate. She leaves with us for the past 4 years now, and has been ill for over 8 years.

It’s such a tough disease, only I can really help at this stage, even care givers can’t handle her, because of her rigidity and now difficulty swallowing. I’m afraid it’s her last year, even though I want to believe in the miracles stem cells research could bring soon.

Now I’m 38 years old, and ready I think to finally have kids. Problem is my wife is afraid our future kid could eventually grab bad genes from my mother though myself, not to mention my own potential degeneration maybe as soon as only 10 or 15 years from now.

At least, if we knew our future kid’s health could potentially be at stake because of my potential bad genes inherited from my mother, then we might consider adoption instead.

But all this is a very tough decision, just like taking an HIV test for someone with suspicion of having contracted aids. How will you react the next day, when you’ll know your life will be significantly shorter ? I for sure won’t ever be the same person, even though nothing had changed yet. But just because now, I’ll know. And that’s a hell of a difference to live with that in mind every day.

Thus I have this kind of dilemma here, and argued a lot about it with my wife. For quite some time, I was trying to convince myself it was better not to know. Because after all, it’s a bit like getting to know the very day of your death … what if it’s tomorrow, from a car accident ? Would you rather know or not ? That’s not a question as easy as it seems.

So after a lot of thinking, and precisely because we want to have a kid now, I’m convinced that she’s right, and I’m ready to take the test. At least I hope I am, because I’m having more and more nightmares lately.

Thus when I read your proposal, I said to myself it’s just the perfect thing to do for me : apply, and rely on chances. Just like playing roulette. If I win, I’ll have no other choice than moving forward and take this 23andme test, giving me the courage that I lacked so far, and putting an end to my nightmares and endless thinkings.

As a conclusion, I’ll tell you one thing : my mother raised me alone, working hard whole her life, expecting like many to retire in Florida when she gets old. This day will unfortunately never come. CGD has drastically changed the way I see life now. I have whole different perspective, and would advise anyone in my path to live every day to the fullest, limiting long term plans to the minimum.

All this could be nicely summarized by my favorite quote from John Lennon : “Life is what happens to you, while you’re busy making other plans.”

_______________________

PS: I may provide my mother’s neurologist information if required.
Marek

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:40 am

I need to know my genes because my girlfriend is doing research on genetics and I would like to become her test subject.
Brent Austin

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:44 am

I’d like to find out once and for all what percentage of Cherokee I really am. Various family lineage, including the Quaker side, is connected to Cherokees, but I can’t determine the appropriate percentage (maybe I could get some grants to help pay off school loans). I’d also like to see if Gavin Menzies hypotheses in 1421 really hold any truth–maybe I have a real reason to pretend to be Asian on the inside!
Marin

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:46 am

I wanna know which gene (or genes) are responsible for posting this comment here.
jonathan

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:49 am

My girlfriend keeps telling me that my genes are in really bad shape and that things are going to become problematic between us if I do not change.

I do not know what here problem is, or how one goes about changing their genes, but with one of these kits I am sure I can show her that my genes are in fact of the highest standard.
gary

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:53 am

I have a blood disease - somewhat unique - that it gene related. I am curious to know if there is a genetic pattern to my illness.
Agov

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 am

i think that anyone who so desperately wants to know his genotype is an absolute narcisist with unresolved Oedipius complex, who secretly hates his father for being such a looser and hopes that his mother fucked with another superman type guy… Don’t need any test, especialy from the wife of Mr.Brin. All this 23&Me is such a typical jewish “ancestry” bullshit… good luck with finding that you’re only a decendant of a monkey village vassal from some european forest
Imran - *read this one!*

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 am

Knowing my genetic background is important to me because…

From dawn of time, man has has strived to overcome its genetic background, always pushing the human nature and abilities to the next evolution step… and taking this into consideration i ask you, i too want to know my next evolution step…

…If you don’t like that *CRAP*

I’m a father of three and to be honest it would be nice to see what i may pass on, and what my future holds.

Thats it!

Thanks
Aurelien

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 am

Hi,

I’m French with an Italian face and a German name !
My family tree goes up to the French revolution somewhere in the North East of France… and it seems like I should be linked to pianist Frederic Chopin.

There is several cancer deseases in my family. Am I exposed to one of them?

Regards,
Aurelien
kk

January 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 am

For one thing, I am 19 and cant afford the DNA kit.

I know so little about my heritage especially on my dad’s side because his parents died when he was small. I don’t even know how they look like. I want to know where my ancestors are from, what do I genetically inherit from them and maybe why I am the way I am. Knowing my heritage will is like completing another half in understanding myself.

I am really bad at sports, just any sport. I have tried all sorts of sport but still couldn’t find one that I can do well. I couldn’t hit the ball like other people could and always miss it when people throw at me, any kind of balls. I always finish last when running. However, I am physically normal. My heartbeat is good and my body is perfect. Hence, I want to know if my DNA can tell my athletic potential or anything that I could do well.

In my family, I am the black sheep. Many people say I don’t resemble my siblings. I am darker than my parents and siblings. I have a high nose bridge, unlike my siblings and dad, theirs are flat. My mom is neither like mine nor theirs. I also have a pair of distinct brown eyes unlike them which are darker and almost black. This relates me to my earlier reason which is to know more about my ancestors, beyond my Asian heritage.

I also want to know what my genetic traits can tell about my personality. It will be interesting and very useful to know how I can improve myself.
Gavriella Caasi

January 23rd, 2008 at 1:02 am

I am a Jewish convert! During my conversion I found out my mothers filipino side came from Spain and that our surname (Caasi) is really Isaac. I want to know if I’ve got Jewish blood or not!!! It would be great for the story!
MattF

January 23rd, 2008 at 1:09 am

My mum is Scottish and my dad in Maltese. Not unique but at least a bit unusual. If I was sequenced I’d hope I’d be helping to expand the genetic diversity that 23andMe have in their database so that future users of the service can benefit.
Vinay G

January 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 am

I feel study of our genetic background will make us relate our behavioural patterns to our ancestors. Also we can evaluate how much of an impact society and people have made to our original traits. It would definitely be a bonus if I can identify some famous personality down the line.
Chuck

January 23rd, 2008 at 1:43 am

I would use it to test my daughter’s DNA. She is too smart, pretty and compassionate to be mine. Plus I’d like to know if she is predisposed to any diseases. She is going to make a difference in the world so wouldn’t want to lose her.
Uhh

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:00 am

lmao @ #1
Gavin

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:07 am

I’d like to know what crazy diseases or other sorry outcomes I might be predisposed to. I feel it is better to takes less of a “Hmm.” approach and more of a “Come on then!” approach - find out now what could be striking me down in the future and then fight it off! Or at least do something to help lessen the chance (or rationalise starting a 50 a day smoking habit).

And who would pass up the chance to find more about your genetic background anyway, it would be a lot of fun.
Emmanuel

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:08 am

To be honest, I don’t need that. Who really *need* this ?

However, I’d like to start my own CSI franchise, so I’ll obviously need a looot of DNA tests, so I can’t pass on a free one

Lastly, I’m way too curious to pass this opportunity to know more about me. Like everyone, there is an history of differents diseases in my family, and as I’m about to have kids, so it makes sense to know if I may pass them some bad genes.
Henry

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:13 am

I would like to develop a product to identify dogs that foul the sidewalk. Cities around the world could then require dogs to take a DNA test and introduce fines for owners that do not clean up after their dogs. taking the 23andme test would be the first step in my research into the project.
Robert

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 am

I want to find out if being a geek is encoded in my DNA or is it just a result of being ignored by ladies through most of my life
Looter

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 am

I want to see whom I can sue for heritage. If something come out of this, we’ll split in half (we can negotiate about that)!
Srinagesh Eranki

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:21 am

I want to make a small dent to the Arrington millions by getting you to post it all the way to Melbourne, Australia.
Anne

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 am

My friends say that I am crossing between the sleeping beauty and E.T.
I’d like to know the truth about it…
shaunau

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 am

My mother was abducted by aliens in 1971 and nine months later i was born. I just want to make sure i’m not an alien human hybrid.
Geoff Wright

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:29 am

MA, give it to 57.

57, can’t you buy one?
Anand Nalya

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:32 am

Because my last name is Nalya, and there is a place called Nalya in australia, and no one in my family knows if there are some links between our family and the place in australia.
Jorel

January 23rd, 2008 at 2:44 am

I would like the kit so I could fully disclose absolutely everything it revealed to me so others could see mine as an example for themselves and determine whether or not it’s the right decision for them. There still seems to be a bit of confusion about what kinds of things the kit can determine and I would want to 100% share the experience with the world so they can know what they’re getting into before they commit.
Gen

January 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 am

I have a very very rare genetic disorder leaving me with significant mobility problems and joints that dislocate on a daily basis. I have utterly bizarre and inexplicable reactions to meds, and like most people with this disorder, pain meds and anaesthetics don’t work at all.

I’m also a science grad and major geek. To see my genetics and how this disease is inherited would be stunningly amazing.

Any insight into how i could avoid passing it on to my kids would mean so much not only to me, but to the rest of my family who are most likely carriers. It would also be invaluable to any other sufferers, as maybe, just maybe, if the genetics are known something can start to be done to fix it.
Rob

January 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 am

Just made my girlfriend pregnant… how harmful my DNA could be?
Pavlo Zahozhenko

January 23rd, 2008 at 3:42 am

I don’t need this thing at all! I know that I’m a descendant of Genghis Khan without any tests
Anand

January 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 am

I have one plain reason - it’s too costly for me to care for otherwise..
Aidan Henry

January 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 am

Give it to #37, the Inbred Canadian… that’s gold…

Cheers,
Aidan
http://www.MappingTheWeb.com
Aaron

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:01 am

My grandparents died of cancer / heart disease and my mom and her brother have diabetes, so would like to get an idea of what I have in store for me.
Minger

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 am

I want to get tested and join the 23andme social network to see if Michael Arrington is my father since we bear an uncanny resemblance.
Jason Berlinsky

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 am

I am 15 years old, and my brother is diabetic (type I). I need to know if this disorder appears in my genetic makeup so I can prepare and act accordingly.

Jason
JRB Computer Services
http://www.jrbcomputerservices.com/
Pietro

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:23 am

I’m from Genoa, Italy, and trust me we are much worse than Scottish (i.e. I want to save $1000)
Bill

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:27 am

I would give this to my wife. Both her mother and older sister have died from breast cancer.
Michael

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:31 am

I have always wondered about who I am and where my future lies, at 38 years old I feel this information will set my life on a new course. I dreamt of this since i was a small child, seems weird but is a gift i guess.
Krikor

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 am

Simply put, Would change my whole perspective of life
Andy

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:36 am

Simple. I will give you full access to my results as well as a detailed family history. This way we can compare our results and see if any of these so called “genetic” conditions have appeared in our family history. I’m interested to see how many people carry the gene for conditions that never develop.

Also, I’ve never won the lottery so I would like to win something.
S Paul

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 am

Asking “why is it important to me” is like asking an aborigine some 100 years back: “Hello we have a new machine called Camera; Would you like to take a photo?” I would say Yesssssss if I were the aborigine even if i really don’t know what I would do with my photo - Publish it in Playgirl?????
Mgccl

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 am

at first I was thinknig about using this on a non-human animal, but that is a way too expensive joke to play.
This packet can decide if I want kids. I can finally see my genetic disease and who I really am.
Maybe I’m the first high school student to use it.
It’s going to be on my blog for days
creating a t-shirts showing off my nicest genetic traits… is the next thing I do…
Grundy

January 23rd, 2008 at 4:53 am

I may be a lizardman…but I want to be sure.
Take your pick

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 am

Mike finally discover his DNA results…

It come out,,,, Saddam Hussein!!!
Joe Teixido

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:04 am

Well, I have this genetic desease called Polycystic kidney disease (A.K.A. PKD, see more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.....ey_disease) and I know for a fact that both my parents don’t have it but I’d really like to know from what branch of my ancestors I got it and how can it affect my future and my kids.

Also, my grandparents came from Spain running away from the Civil War and shamely we lost every and all information about my family roots. It would be interesting to tell my daughters a little more about where we come from than just my parents history.
JS

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:09 am

I want to use the test to demo what it can *really* tell a a 41 year old female of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, based on the SNPs it analyzes.
Kilian

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 am

since 23andme yesterday announced they are shipping their sets now to germany, i planed to order one as soon as possible.

i’m going to get one either way so I would give the techcrunch one away to an African boy who is as old as I’m (16). i would be really keen on to see if we have matching datasets.
Mark Whiting

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:27 am

I want to have a bunch of kids and I thought I could do the world a favour and check weather that is a good idea first.

I have also wondered why I am always sick.
Catalin

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 am

I would like to know more about my origin and to get some hints about possible health issues.
gregory

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 am

got to build that database

i’ll take a few bets, google in ten years will be another word for evil
Bob

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:43 am

My mom told me that I am the child of either John C Dvorak dvorak.org/blog or Fake Steve Job fakesteve.blogspot.com. The sixties were are fun time as my mom put it and InterOp 1969 was jumping in Vegas.

I guess not everything that happens in stays in Vegas.
Phil

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:47 am

I’d simply like to know for one reason. I’d like to know. No real other reason besides that.
Blair

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:47 am

Fundamentally, we are products of our genome and our environment. Having a nice readable summary of my genome would be satisfying for a variety of personal and professional reasons. Of particular interest to me, is to see how they present this complicated set of data with huge ethical and scientific responsibilities (googling ‘penetrance’ on their site only returned one hit).

But actually, I’m interested in having the raw data- the output of the SNP chip- which measures my genotype at hundreds of thousands of locations throughout my genome. I don’t know if this is part of the package, but it would be really great to do some personal research on my own genome. With that, I could estimate haplotypes, and then use an HMM to try and estimate ancestory (assuming that I have decent information about allele frequencies in ancestral populations- a big ‘if’)- I wonder how that compares to 23 and me’s algorithms (probably not quite as good, but…)

Anyhow, if I were to get a decent SNP chip of my genome (with requisite meta-data of course), it would get me back into genetics, maybe put out a paper or two- one of those that’s been holding up my coffee cup.

Further, this makes me think about the cost/value of one’s genome. As my current job is in the pricing realm, and my last job was in genetics, - a natural question is “How much is knowing your genome worth?” More generally, how is the (price) elasticity of this information changing?

Plus, I hang with Darwin’s Posse, and I applied for a position at 23 and me a couple of weeks ago- can’t hurt my chances….
Luciano Evaristo Guerche

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:48 am

I am a mix of a lot of ethnics (portuguese, slovene (maybe), brazilian natives (maybe), who inhabit Brazil before portuguese people arrived, african (maybe) and others (maybe).

Brazilians are a mix and don’t afford paying US$ 1.000 to figure out who/where they came from, so one should be mine.
Sky

January 23rd, 2008 at 5:55 am

I don’t want one for myself, but can I request one for my girlfriend?

She is a Korean adoptee with a history of depression and she constantly questions her self-worth. No matter how many times I tell her how wonderful she is, the fact that she was abandoned by her parents leads her to think she is not worthy of a loving family. I would rather not go to deep into her problems (she wouldn’t like that), but I do think that this might give her something to grasp onto. She has always wondered what kind of medical history her family might have, and gets a sad look in her eye’s when I speak of mine. This would be something very special for her, and for myself. I would love to know more about her.
Mike

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:04 am

Because I am still very young (under 20), knowing for which diseases the possibility is elevated that I will get them will give me the chance to adjust my life accordingly. Maybe (hopefully not :S) TechCrunch could then say they saved my life. Scary thing this new service…
Diego

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:05 am

I don’t have health insurance and since it’s only getting more expensive, it’s unlikely I’ll get it in the future. I’m figuring that getting a GNOME map and information regarding preventable diseases will help me adjust my lifestyle and live longer (without health insurance).
Leonardo Cassarani

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 am

I have to say, it’s a bit naïve of you to ask if anyone is interested in knowing their genetic background, serious health issues that may arise in the future, or genetic diseases they could pass on to their children – who wouldn’t? Unfortunately I really can’t afford the test for the time being but I’m sure I’m going to do it when I decide I want to have children. Besides, my grandfather was Irish while the other half of my family is from Italy, so that’d be something interesting to look for in my genes. So if I had $1,000 (or whatever that is in euros) I wouldn’t think about it twice, but hey – you’ve got to prioritise.

Though I’m very jealous of you Michael – how come you always get these fabulous offers? I should set up a techie blog about the Web 2.0 phenomenon too!
John Brady

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:18 am

It seems to me I should be dead by now, I would like to know why I’m not.
Steve

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:20 am

I think I am related to Michael Arrington…. comparing your results to my results is the only way to know for sure!
patrick

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:23 am

I would like insight into my genetic background in hopes of better understanding my past, present, and future. My father died at age 42 from a massive heart attack. Three years ago next month, my oldest sister died at age 42 from kidney cancer. I am now 32 and the father of two: Dana, 7, and Jay, 6. What will happen to me 10 years from now? Unknown. By better understanding my ancestry and genetic makeup, I can improve my odds for longevity and prepare my children for their own long, healthy lives. 23andMe won’t help me uncover everything, that I know. But I hope it can be a valuable tool in protecting my children from ending up young and fatherless like I did.
Russ

January 23rd, 2008 at 6:28 am

I would like a kit because I believe I am a descendant of Rollo, King of the Danes. The King that was so big he could not ride a horse. This would once and for all s