I purchased a $1,000 23andMe DNA test back in December, spit in the tube when the kit arrived and, just a few weeks later got the results back. Yeah, its too bad I didn’t wait a month when I could have gotten a kit for free, but a lucky reader was able to get one instead.
I promised to post the results so people can get an idea of what 23andMe is offering (without paying that fee), and here they are. Also, as of last week 23andMe started allowing users to create free demo accounts. if you create one, add my username, TechCrunch, as a friend and I can share the data with you directly.
Results are below:
Genetic Traits
Once you have your test results in, you can view them in the Gene Journal. 23andMe is adding more information over time about your gene map (they added 30 more traits last week, including paternal ancestry). Here’s a screenshot:
Some of the information is just for fun - I have “wet earwax,” for example, and don’t have the “alcohol flush” gene that turns people’s faces red when they drink. I don’t detect odors as well as some people. Less usefully, 23andMe notifies me that I have brown eyes. I have a gene which makes people tall (I’m 6′4). I do not have a sweet tooth.
Then there is the more serious stuff. It turns out I have a gene that makes me substantially more likely to have lower back pain (something that has plagued my father all his life, but not me so far):
I have a higher than normal chance of getting Type 1 diabetes, but a lower than normal of getting Type 2. I have a lower than average chance of getting prostate cancer and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I do not have the genetic material that gives some people resistance to AIDS, although I do have a gene that makes it progress more slowly. I am not genetically resistant to Malaria. I have slightly increased memory performance.
Ancestry
On my mother’s side my ancestors come from Europe, Asia and North Africa. On my fathers side is a common European gene found in the Irish, Basques, British, French (I am mostly European and part Native American). I share, apparently, some genetic stuff with John Adams from my fathers side. My mother, by the way, is about as white as they come - but perhaps that picture is one of her ancestors.
There is a lot more information included in the results, and I’m happy to share this with readers. Just create a demo account and add TechCrunch, and I believe you’ll get access to the data.
Mike,
Congratulations on your good DNA. Except for the wet earwax and hopefully that lower back pain wont act up.
Pretty cool, but I can’t imagine spending $1000 on that.
So Michael, on a more personal level, how do these results affect your understanding of yourself? Do you think differently of how you should live your life now more than before?
Very informative!
Wow all that from spit, amazing eh.
This - for better or worse - represents a peek into future society that the next generations will be exposed to from their earliest entry into the world.
Of course, if does NOT matter who ones ancestors were - the Human Race is and will continuously evolve and integrate until the very end.
Knowing your propensities for illnesses is okay if not abused. But you can still get regular checkups and live a reasonably healthy lifestyle REGARDLESS of your proclivities.
But one has to wonder if the corporations and governments of the future will make this analysis mandatory for all citizens and use it in ways that would automatically categorize people and their potentials
Now that you have your data, would you say it’s worth the $1000 price tag? Would you recommend it to others?
I think you need to send the invite and there is no way to add a ‘friend’
So I did create an account on 23andme, but you have to add my account for me to see your results. I can’t add you as a friend, since I only have a demo account. My id is: rksprst id love to see the results there.
Alex - i’m getting emails from people who’ve added me, I’ll accept them and people should be all set.
Hi Michael:
I am not interested just in your DNA results. you seem fairly successful,
may I have your DNA? (looking for a donor ……)
Wheres the ‘Arrogant A-Hole’ gene result?
sexy girl - of course. call me and we’ll set up an appointment.
I think that’s pretty cool. Knowing what diseases you are prone to will help people make changes in their diets, exercise or work habits to make the risk of getting these diseases or conditions even smaller.
Obviously some people may not find value in this but in cases where people want to know what types of cancer they are prone to or as Michael said, about being resistant to AIDS, is absolutely invaluable.
To those putting their tin foil hats, I say this: it is possible for some companies to be in business to help people and make money at the same time. I highly doubt that the executives at 23andMe are sitting in their boardrooms twisting their mustaches and laughing that Stage 1 of their master plan is nearing completion. Google and others may knowing more about us but I can’t imagine that they care about each of us individually, it’s to make their products and services better and easier to use. Have a little more faith in humanity!
could you add “tedcash”
thanks
Well…
Welcome to Gataka !
That was easy, but it looks darn close…
The pricetag is ridiculous, but the information would be extremely useful to some people, especially those adopted with no means of finding their birth parents.
LOL @ #13… classic!
Michael,
I guess the big question here is, and aside from obvious curiosity factors and perhaps a heck of an interesting story, was it worth it? Do you find yourself any more enlightened? Are you going to change your lifestyle? Eating habits? Be more proactive about, say, strengthening your lower back?
What’s the net result of all this for you personally?
I’d probably pay $100 just out of wasteful curiosity… but a grand is out of the question!
This is incredibly cool. I agree with Sandra G that some of the posters need a little more faith in their fellow man. However, I have been known to wear the tin foil hat on occasion, and I could see a day in which insurance companies would leverage data like this to establish who they would/wouldn’t insure etc. “We see in your data that you may be anorexic someday - coverage denied!”. I’m making assumptions and enormous leaps on the accuracy of this data, but it is an interesting scenario to think about.
On the flip side, I do see a ton of upside value in this. “What’s that I cant get AIDS??!”. Wild, promiscuous, unprotected, sex orgies ensue :-). Kidding.
The privacy folks will have an absolute field day watching this baby unfold.
1000$ for that ? Man, you got took. What good is any of that info? It all looks probabilistic. Send me 50$ and I’ll make up a bunch of stuff about you, it’ll be just about as relevant.
I just created a demo account, could you send me an invitation please? My username is bjohnson.
interesting.. could you add my id: rshvarts - this is a very interesting concept.. and for people who dont want to spend a grand.. the prices will of course start coming down
Could you add my id ‘jbloom’ ? For demo accounts there is no way to add you directly, you have to add us.
Thanks.
so how long before health insurance companies starts implementing this for policies? Should be cost effective even at $1000. With the current cost of drugs and treatment if they find out they’ll need to pay for a $1000 treatment during your lifetime, they can add that cost to your police to offset the cost.
I’d love to be able to see your profile as well. My username is chewskydoo.
Of course you have wet earwax and no alcohol flush. These are characteristics of Asians. I could have told you this by looking at you. Michale, that will be $1000 please.
oh, these test results can redefine the concept of nationality and origin.
many nations have been divided, assimilated, etc. and many people may count themselves from one nation while actually they are from another.
if everyone took the test and fill into one global database new origin groups and subgroups could be defined.
Also just created a demo account, my username is nicearray. Can you please invite me? Thanks.
I love the idea behind 23andMe and I’m slowly but steadily saving up to purchase their service, could I have a look at your profile in the meantime? My username is lcassarani. Thanks
In my opinion this is a good product. Quite expensive but … hey, all good things have a price. Even with a very good medical exam, you do no get all this information. So I think that this will become more and more popular, and with the help of competition … more accessible.
could you add me as well,
my username is: normcopeland
Thanks!
Please add “apogee”.
Thanks.
Please add “OnkelSchark” as well… wow Mike, looks like you’ll need an intern to add all these accounts for you
Although its amazing someone can obtain this information now via mail, it raises some concerns. For example, if an individual’s information contains negative info (e.g., a gene that increases the risk of a certain disease) and those results get leaked or otherwise obtained by the insurance companies, will the individual become uninsurable? Does anyone know whether there is anything to protect individuals if this happens? On the one hand, you want people to obtain this information to the extent it can help them take preventive measures. On the other hand, there appears to be some risk that could be mitigated by legislation.
really interesting stuff…I’m looking forward to purchasing in the future. I think the $1000 is fair. Similar to all new technology…it will come down over time. For me, $500 and I’ll pull the trigger.
Brilliant information
Knew the Irish were in their somewhere
Please add “rthornton”
Well, if someday companies/insurance start screening DNA to select only good candidates, the work force will be reduced to 1 or 2 human beings in all (and there always be business in the “long-tail”, just think of subprimes…).
The truth is that it is considered that 65% of the population has some kind of sensory impairment (from bad sight to deaf, cognitive, etc). I can’t remember where did i read that number, but it is the right number (it kind of “shocked” me, and the site seemed to deserve some respect). So, DNA is a messy thing.
Some of these impairments can even be considered good mutations. For example, there is a red/green range color-blindness that affects 8% of the male population (it is located on the Y chromosome). Some studies found that these people can “see thru” camouflages (like soldiers suits).
It is a genetic defect today, but if you imagine yourself walking the sabanah 50000 years ago, with lions, hiennas and many more cloaked predators trying to make lunch out of you, then it was an evolutionary advantage.
Who knows what the future will give us… Maybe red/green color-blind astronauts will be selected for other worlds exploration
As of the product and analisys, i will do it in a few years (the price will likely be in the few hundreds, rather than the 1000’s).
Sweet disc disease: I had an artificial disc replacement.
I can’t find a way to “add” you. The system says:
” Demo accounts cannot send invitations to other accounts.
However, if you know someone who has been genotyped through 23andMe, they can share their genetic profile with you. Simply tell them your username. To purchase our genotyping service, please visit our online store”
Could you add account “riomurr”? Thanks.
This is great - and congrats for the good results.
Could you please add my account “nasser” on 23andMe?
Thanks a lot.
Request for access
hi please add (or send invitation to) sridiyer account on 23andme.
thanks
hi michael,
this is interesting but nothing revolutionary. For thousands of years I-Ching masters could check all these things just by having your birthdate and doing Face Reading.
I could even reccomend you one of world experts in this field. And he could go much more in details and give you exact personal advice.
Its funny to see how our western modern sience is discovering some “revolutionary” things which are actually very well known in ancient eastern knowledge for thousands of years. And we think that our technology is so advance.
Weird, it says I need to pay $1000 for it…
Hey could you add dudez12? thx
$1000???
and one more think Michael,
I could also tell you that you have lower back problems and here is how.
From pictures of you i have seen that you have very dark circles around eyes. In Chinese medicine this is directely connected with kidney problems. Who ever have kidney problems he will also have lower back pain.
This is just very simple face Reading sample.
I wanted to tell you this months ago but now I have good topic to connect with. You should really take care about your health. And smoking big cigares does not help at all. I know it looks cool
Couldn’t agents of health and life insurance companies friend people in this service and abuse this highly private data?