Where in the World are my Genes?

After two years of mulling over the idea, I’ve ordered the Participation Kit for National Geographic’s Genographic Project.

What is this, you ask?

The National Geographic Society, IBM, geneticist Spencer Wells, and the Waitt Family Foundation have launched the Genographic Project, a five-year effort to understand the human journey—where we came from and how we got to where we live today. This unprecedented effort will map humanity’s genetic journey through the ages.

With a simple and painless cheek swab you can sample your own DNA and submit it to the lab.Your results will reveal your deep ancestry along a single line of direct descent (paternal or maternal) and show the migration paths they followed thousands of years ago. Your results will also place you on a particular branch of the human family tree.

An interesting concept that provides a good primer on human genetics and human pre-history. A cursory review on the net reveals others bloggers who have particpated in this study:

Pop’s Blog
CreativeBits
Bill Hertha
PrayingMantis
Anand’s Blog
The Personal Genome

Posted on January 28, 2007  ::  Categories: Tech Toys  ::  Tags: Genographic Study, SciFi
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