DNA Evidence - rights and wrongs

[maximus]

Perhaps they would, but we can all predict the total shambles that further tampering by this government would produce.

Maybe they could even sterilise certain children at birth if they had genes which showed they were going to be "disabled" in later life or carried genes that could lead to disabled offspring.

The definition of what "disabled" actually means could be varied according to political aims at the time.

That's quite a leap to get from databases for solving crime to Eugenics, but we do already practice a form of Eugenics with amniocentesis testing during the early stages of pregnancy - is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[sparklelard]

Does anyone watch CSI? These guys can get your DNA by just looking at you now!

[threaded]

In real life I have read studies where they try and infer certain markers by looking at you, and in others, going the other way, they can try and infer your surname from your DNA.

My favourite, that I keep mentioning, is if you like pictures of trees, forests that kinda thing, you're more likely to have a Germanic or Scandinavia background and if you find them scarey then you're more likely to be southern European.

[EternalOptimist]

I have a fear of birds, but I hear that you like a cockatoo

[threaded]

I do appear to have built up a collection of them. Blessed things, two year old children given wings and a combination ice pick, file, tin snips with which to set out and destroy.

[expat]

In real life I have read studies where they try and infer certain markers by looking at you, and in others, going the other way, they can try and infer your surname from your DNA.

My favourite, that I keep mentioning, is if you like pictures of trees, forests that kinda thing, you're more likely to have a Germanic or Scandinavia background and if you find them scarey then you're more likely to be southern European.

Yes, I have heard it said that it's a better predictor than eye colour. But is it genetic? I should have thought cultural.

[Board Game Geek]

Perhaps it will get to the stage where we have Time Cops (like Minority Report I guess) who jump ahead, check out the news of crimes, then jump back and stop them happening.

Eg....Following a review of the natural lifestream of Mr X, we can see that :

Age 5 : Pulled the wings off a butterfly
Age 9 : Hit his sister in a sibling fight
Age 13: Had his 1st cigarette
Age 17: Sprayed a wall with graffit
Age 21: Got drunk and smashed a shop window
Age 27: Was paid too much change in a shop and didn't hand it back
Age 32: Dodged a fare on a train
Age 43: Kicked a dog
Age 45: etc, etc

Based on this report, we can see that Mr X is a lifetime serial offender, and as such, recommend that the foetus be terminated, or prior to that, the parents be sterilised, or prior to that the grandparents being shot, or prior to that...ad infiniteum