August 4, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode we dive into the world of at-home DNA testing kits. From 23andMe to AncestryDNA, we explore what these tests actually reveal, how your genetic data is used, and the ethical concerns around privacy and consent.
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Support the Podcast Give us a 5 Star review as well as share it with your friends or enemies.
Instagram: @buddhistafpodcast
https://linktr.ee/nc1781
Support my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@randomfactsofboredom
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, everybody, Welcome to the Buddhist af Podcast. I am
your host. No I chance to be suk. So I've
been a bit of a hiatus. I wrapped up the
men's Health three part series and after that we were
gearing up for the big move. Only we're not moving
at least not for now, not for a while. Some
(00:24):
personal health issues came up in the family, not me,
but close enough to stop everything. We had to take
a step back and really ask where do we go
from here as a family? And honestly, I'm still stuck
in this town, this town that slowly sucking every last
(00:47):
drop of optimism out of me, every ounce of joy,
and snuffing out the last flicker of lights from my eyes.
Alex has to go back to school, the very same
school we both hate. I swear he's the only reason
the average GPA hasn't collapsed. And I'm not talking big fish,
little pond. I'm talking blue whale in a damn thimble. Yes,
(01:12):
he's gotten in trouble in the last year for acting
out quote unquote, but let's be real, who among us
hasn't honked at someone who's staring at their crotch while
the light turns green. Despite all that, I know he'll
do well. He always does because we show up, we engage,
we help with the schoolwork, and we keep him grounded. Still,
(01:35):
I hate it here, That's all I'm saying. I finally
got the Switch to I know. I said I wouldn't
get one, but the opportunity presented itself and I bought one.
It's definitely an improvement over the old system. The low
time is so much better, but I haven't bought any
(01:55):
new games to really test what it can do. I'm
still playing Switch one games Animal Crossing, of course. I
got into Mario Kart again, really really into Mario Kart.
I'm actually playing online and doing really well. So yeah,
just still playing Switch one games. But that's on me again.
(02:17):
I really wasn't planning on buying a new system, but
it was there for the buying, so I mean a
bought one. I am currently reading A Lonely Planet's Guide
to Laos. I don't plan on traveling there anytime soon,
but the cover was so beautiful. I just wanted to
imagine what it might be like to travel around the
(02:38):
country of my origin. I've always had a vivid imagination
and if I can't be there, I can at least
pretend to be there. I can picture the sites, hear
the sounds, I can even imagine the smells. The guide
is really does a really really good job with description,
and it's almost enough to feel like I'm there. Almost.
(03:05):
But today's main topic is part science, part identity, and
part ethics. DNA testing kits. You've probably seen the commercials,
maybe even taken a cheek swab yourself, or maybe just
curious about what all the fuss is about. Why do
people get these tests? In my situation, I got it
(03:28):
as a Christmas gift. Mary bought it for me. And
what do they actually tell us? It told me that
I was ninety eight percent Asian? How about that? Huh?
And strangely it kind of bounced around for a bit.
It was saying like one percent Iberian, one percent North African,
and then eventually it's settled on two percent North African,
(03:52):
and I just thought that was weird, Like nine, it's
so specific. It's not like a point blah blah whatever.
It's ninety eight Asian, two percent North African. And so
something happened there. I don't know what. I didn't I
didn't really dig too far into I know, I lied,
(04:13):
I digged a digged, a dug a little bit, and
it narrowed it down to Morocco. So I am Moroccan
and Asian, which is a very odd combination. And I
still can't figure out how that happened. Is silk trade
routes or something like that. That's the only thing I
can think of. So maybe more yeah, during Mulana, But
(04:44):
back to back on topic. Most importantly, what happens to
your DNA once you send it off? Are we really
in control of our own genetic data? So these questions
are especially relevant to folks in the diaspora, like many
of us in the Lao community, where I identity and
roots are deeply intertwined. In this episode, we'll cover the
(05:05):
popular DNA testing brands, what each offers, how your data
is handled, the pros and cons, and some other interesting
bits you might not have thought of, and as always,
we will bring in the Buddhist perspective to help us
reflect on what it all means. Hmm. I don't know
why I wrote that, but I just wanted to write
(05:27):
that in there because I've had some feedback that my
podcast is called the Buddhist af podcasts, and rarely do
I ever talk about Buddhism in my podcast, and so
I put that little piece in there versus Buddhist respective
just so you know, get people off my back. Yeah. See,
(05:48):
I put a thing in there, you know, like when
they say the movie title in the movie. Yes, I
did that right there. So popular brands and what they offer,
Let's start with the big names. Twenty three and meters,
which is the kit that I used, is probably the
most well known. They offer two main types of reports,
ancestry and health. When you send your sample, you get
(06:10):
back a breakdown of your genetic ancestry by region, sometimes
down to a specific country or ethnic group. On the
health side, they test for genetic variants associated with certain
conditions like BRCA one and BRCA two, g mutations linked
to breast cancer US and traits like how your body
(06:30):
metabolizes caffeine or your likelihood of lactose intolerance. In my case,
I am very very lactose intolerant, but I am going
to eat ice cream. I am going to drink milk
because I like those things. And damn it, I bought
the ticket and I'm going to take the ride. One
thing to note the health reports are not diagnostic, very informative,
(06:55):
but they don't replace a doctor's advice or clinical testing.
They're more like a up that you might want to
look into something further. So in my case, I did
do the genetic testing, and I found a lot of
people on my mother's side to be diabetic, to have
(07:15):
a high blood pressure, to be like toose intolerant, to
have heart conditions, and no cancers, which is very odd
because both my grandparents on my mother's side passed away
(07:36):
from cancer, but no cancer. So I guess a lot
of people on my mom's side just didn't check that box.
But my dad's side, on the other hand, strong as oxes.
A few of us have that soap cilantro thing, which
(08:00):
not for me. I still taste cilantro just fine, thankfully.
And of aversion to asparagus, I don't know, but lots
of people checked that box. On my dad's side. They
hate asparagus. And I can attest this because my dad
hates asparagus, not hate eating it. He hates the fact
(08:24):
that he planted it. One year, decided he didn't like
asparagus very much, and so he dug up all of
the asparagus plants that he planted. Little did he know
that it is invasive. And even though he dug up
where he believed he planted it all, it had already
spread and so it came up elsewhere and it was
(08:48):
like playing a game of whack a mole for my dad.
He really really hates asparagus. Now, so there we are.
Then there's ancestry. Ancestry which is what Mary took, and
she found out that she was predominantly English, Irish and Scottish. Yeah,
(09:10):
all I can say is there is a lot of
hollowed bone people in her family. That's all I'm going
to say. You're welcome, Alex. Their focus is mainly on genealogy.
They have one of the largest user databases, which makes
their family matching service very powerful. If you're curious about
(09:32):
finding distance cousins or building a family tree, this might
be the service for you. However, health testing requires an
extra add on. Then there's my Heritage. It's a younger
player for but it's growing fast, especially outside of the US.
They offer ethnicity estimates and tools for building family trees.
Their database is smaller than ancestries, but still substantial. Now
(09:56):
those who want to go deeper companies like Nebula Genomics
offers a whole genome sequencing, Unlike the others, which look
at specific markers in your DNA a small fraction of
your genome. Whole genome sequencing reads almost your entire DNA sequence.
This gives you more detailed information, but it comes at
(10:17):
a much higher costs and requires more knowledge to interpret.
A quick note on ethnicity estimates. Different companies use different
reference populations and algorithms, so it's common to see variations
between tests. Your percentage of say Southeast Asian ancestry, might
be reported differently depending on the company. So I have
(10:39):
also thought about doing ancestry dot com AncestryDNA dot com
because it digs a little deeper into your ancestry. If
if somebody came over to Ellis Island, it will figure
that out for you. I doubt any chance the viso
scheme over to LS Island, and I think we kind
(11:00):
of just snuck in through like banana boxes or something
like that. But it's a fun thought. So what happens
to your DNA? Here's where things get complex. When you
send your saliva or cheek swab, the company extracts and
sequences your DNA then stores it on their servers. But
(11:20):
that's just the beginning. Many companies use your anomalized data
to improve their databases, advance scientific research, or develop new products.
They might share or sell it to pharmaceutical companies or
research institutions. Some even partner with universities or health organizations
for large scale studies. Most companies have privacy policies outlining
(11:44):
these practice and offer options to op out, but op
out isn't always straightforward, and policies can change over time.
I said, screw it, do whatever you own my DNA,
because quite frankly, I have twenty four There are so
social media accounts that I am aware of. I don't
(12:06):
always check up on them. I have a YouTube channel
that I don't remember the password too. I have a
podcast that's listened to by thousands of people. Strangely weirdos subscribe.
But yeah, I said, go ahead. You know, if my
(12:28):
DNA is going to help somebody out twenty years from now, whatever,
I mean. I'm already donating my organs anyway, so I
don't care. I am dead, I don't care. Then there's
law enforcement in cases. In some cases, police have used
publicly accessible DNA databases to solve crime. The infamous Golden
(12:49):
State killer case was cracked at using this method, where
investigators uploaded DNA from a crime scene to ged match
a public genealogy database and found relatives to narrow down
the suspect. This use of genetic data raises ethics questions
about consent. Did the people who submitted their DNA realize
(13:11):
it could be used in this way? What about privacy
for family members who never consented. For communities like ours
who often navigate issues of trust and marginalization, these concerns
are particularly important. Yeah, I mean, I guess you don't
want to find out that your cousin twice remove is
(13:36):
like a serial killer or something like that. That would
be bad in the Asian community because once somebody hears
about I guess what, everyone is going to hear about it,
and then the story's going to get much more spectacular.
Because fun fact, apparently while I was in San Diego,
(13:57):
while I was living in California, thousands of miles away
from Rochester, apparently I had shot someone in Rochester. That
was a rumor that somehow got to my parents, that
somehow got to me while I was still living in California.
(14:21):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I get it that you know
we all look alike. Yeah, I get that. For a reference,
my eyes are much more around it than most Asian people.
Must be my two percent Moroccan DNA. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying. I'm just saying, but no, I did
(14:41):
not shoot somebody in Rochester while I was in California.
I'm just saying. I just want to put that on
record now. Statute limitations be damned, I did not shoot
anyone in Rochester while I was living in California. Pros
and cons. Let's weigh the good and the bad. So
pros discovering your roots. For adoptees or those with unknown
(15:04):
family history, these tests can be life changing connecting them
to biological relatives. I do have a relative that I
match with on twenty three. I mean, she was adopted
and we did connect. We connected on Instagram and you
know we we we're still friends. We still talk on
(15:25):
Instagram every now and then, and it was really cool
because I I didn't think I had that much family,
to be honest with you, I mean, I thought I
met everyone I needed to meet. But no, we like
we follow each other on Instagram. And you know what,
we get along really well, and we still keep up
that that must be what, you know, the chant of
(15:48):
the thing we keep up with each other. Health awareness.
Finding out you carry a gene associated with certain disease
can motivate proactive health measures. No, I just had a
popsicle and I'm diabetic. Actually no, no, I don't know
(16:09):
if I updated you guys. I'm no longer diabetic. Yeah,
I got my numbers down, so I am no longer
on any medication whatsoever, and I'm no longer diabetic. So
FA family connections. You might find cousins you never knew existed,
or confirmed family stories passed down through generations. Yeah, I
(16:30):
found a few cousins I never knew existed. And we
are again. We are connected to each other on Instagram
through twenty three and me we had great talks, little
chats on twenty three in me and I said, you
know what, Hey, do you have an Instagram? Do you
have a Facebook or something like that? And you know, yeah,
we have we have such and such an I follow
(16:53):
most of my family members that I met through twenty
three and me either on Facebook or an Instagram or both.
Excuse me, I should press the pause button. But I'm
not going to encouragement for healthier living. Some people use
genetic insight to make lifestyle changes in diets, exercise, or
stress management. No, no, actually no, I take it back.
(17:19):
I have been drinking a lot more water because I
rediscovered my love, rekindled my love for drinking water out
of a restaurant to go container. And let me just
say it is the best and only way to drink water.
If you work at a restaurant, you don't use a
(17:39):
glass because that means the other person has to wash
the glass. You take a to go container, soup, to
go container doesn't matter if it's a pint or a court.
I happen to have a quart and lots and lots
of ice. There has to be a major amount of
condensation coming off of this court, and that is the
best drink, best water. I don't give a damn of
(18:02):
its tap. I don't care if it's filtered, as long
as it's coming out of this container with lots of ice,
with lots of condensation. Maybe, if you're fancy, maybe an orange,
maybe a lime slice in there. But if you just
go on the rocks, that's perfectly fine. As well, that's
the way I'm drinking it right now. In fact, I'm
holding one in my hand while I'm talking to you guys,
getting ready to drink this bad boy while it's dripping
(18:24):
with condensations the best so quick pause, Ah delicious. So
let's talk about the cons privacy risks. Genetic data is
the ultimate personal information. If it falls into the wrong hands,
it could lead to discrimination or breaches of confidentiality, emotional impact,
(18:46):
Discovering unexpected results like mistribulation, parentage, misattributed parentage, or genetic
risks can be difficult to process. Imagine imagine if you will,
you are getting married, or you're dating. All right, let's
(19:09):
just say you are in love and you both decide
to gift each other DNA tests. You know where I'm
getting with this, right. What if that would be emotional?
That would be traumatic, That would be unless you're living
(19:32):
in Virginia or West Virginia very bad. I'm just joking
Virginia and West Virginia, even though Virginia state for lovers
n all. I'm saying, Yeah, I imagine that, you know,
like you're you're ready to settle down with this person
(19:53):
all of a sudden, like oh, hey, we're related. Moving
on limitations, test provides probabilities, not certainties. Aganetic risk doesn't
guarantee you'll get a condition, or absence of markers doesn't
mean you're risk free. Ethnic estimate variability I had to
(20:15):
type that out. First of all, I had to write it. Secondly,
I had to type it out. If your ethnicity results
change after updates, it can feel disorienting or frustrating. Yet,
for about a year and a half, I thought I
was one percent Iberian, so I thought I was, you know,
somewhere Portugal, Spain, Italy. I thought I was, you know,
(20:35):
I have a nice tan. I'm a secret European. I
talk with my hands. I thought again, I thought I
was one percent Iberian, and I was perfectly cool with that.
But again, come to find out, a couple of years later,
I was moved across the Mediterranean, became two percent North African,
(21:01):
two percent Moroccan. Actually, So now I have a gold iPhone.
I kiss my ring after I say certain sentences to
punctuate the sentence, and I like my coffee very sweet,
(21:22):
and I have a few chest heirs. There explain that
other interesting facts and considerations. Your results can change over time.
As database grow and algorithms improve, so that fifteen percent
Southeast Asian might shift a few points. We've already talked
about this. For diasporic communities, DNA testing can either reinforce
(21:46):
or complicate identities. Genetic data might not always line up
with cultural and familiar narratives, which can be a source
of tension or discovery. From a Buddhist perspective, we learned
that our identity is not fixed. Attachment to the self,
whether that's how you look, where you come from, or
(22:08):
your DNA, is a form of clinging that can cause suffering.
Understanding that DNA is just one part of who we
can help of one part of how we can help
us approach testing results with man Why did I write that?
(22:32):
Who are these notes? From? Oh? From me? Testing results
with equanimity and compassion. The act of sequing knowledge about
ourselves through DNA can be a mindfulness practice if done
with awareness, watching for attachments, judgment, or adversions to what
we find. So what's the takeaway? DNA testing kits offer
(23:00):
a fascinating window to our past and potential health, but
they are just one part of a larger story of
who we are. Your DNA doesn't define your worth or
your path. It's a tool, sometimes a mirror that can
teach us about connection, ancestry, and impermanence. If you're thinking
(23:20):
of taking a test, do so with mindfulness, be prepared
for surprises, and remember to approach your results with compassion
for your family and for yourself. Thanks for joining me
on this journey into genetic identity. If you've experienced DNA testing,
I'd love to hear about it. I hope to get
back on track with my writing and with this with
(23:45):
these episodes. And yeah, things are getting better, but I
still hate dairy New Hampshire. And as always, Bo Binyan,
talk to you later. Bye,
Hey, everybody, Welcome to the Buddhist af Podcast. I am
your host. No I chance to be suk. So I've
been a bit of a hiatus. I wrapped up the
men's Health three part series and after that we were
gearing up for the big move. Only we're not moving
at least not for now, not for a while. Some
(00:24):
personal health issues came up in the family, not me,
but close enough to stop everything. We had to take
a step back and really ask where do we go
from here as a family? And honestly, I'm still stuck
in this town, this town that slowly sucking every last
(00:47):
drop of optimism out of me, every ounce of joy,
and snuffing out the last flicker of lights from my eyes.
Alex has to go back to school, the very same
school we both hate. I swear he's the only reason
the average GPA hasn't collapsed. And I'm not talking big fish,
little pond. I'm talking blue whale in a damn thimble. Yes,
(01:12):
he's gotten in trouble in the last year for acting
out quote unquote, but let's be real, who among us
hasn't honked at someone who's staring at their crotch while
the light turns green. Despite all that, I know he'll
do well. He always does because we show up, we engage,
we help with the schoolwork, and we keep him grounded. Still,
(01:35):
I hate it here, That's all I'm saying. I finally
got the Switch to I know. I said I wouldn't
get one, but the opportunity presented itself and I bought one.
It's definitely an improvement over the old system. The low
time is so much better, but I haven't bought any
(01:55):
new games to really test what it can do. I'm
still playing Switch one games Animal Crossing, of course. I
got into Mario Kart again, really really into Mario Kart.
I'm actually playing online and doing really well. So yeah,
just still playing Switch one games. But that's on me again.
(02:17):
I really wasn't planning on buying a new system, but
it was there for the buying, so I mean a
bought one. I am currently reading A Lonely Planet's Guide
to Laos. I don't plan on traveling there anytime soon,
but the cover was so beautiful. I just wanted to
imagine what it might be like to travel around the
(02:38):
country of my origin. I've always had a vivid imagination
and if I can't be there, I can at least
pretend to be there. I can picture the sites, hear
the sounds, I can even imagine the smells. The guide
is really does a really really good job with description,
and it's almost enough to feel like I'm there. Almost.
(03:05):
But today's main topic is part science, part identity, and
part ethics. DNA testing kits. You've probably seen the commercials,
maybe even taken a cheek swab yourself, or maybe just
curious about what all the fuss is about. Why do
people get these tests? In my situation, I got it
(03:28):
as a Christmas gift. Mary bought it for me. And
what do they actually tell us? It told me that
I was ninety eight percent Asian? How about that? Huh?
And strangely it kind of bounced around for a bit.
It was saying like one percent Iberian, one percent North African,
and then eventually it's settled on two percent North African,
(03:52):
and I just thought that was weird, Like nine, it's
so specific. It's not like a point blah blah whatever.
It's ninety eight Asian, two percent North African. And so
something happened there. I don't know what. I didn't I
didn't really dig too far into I know, I lied,
(04:13):
I digged a digged, a dug a little bit, and
it narrowed it down to Morocco. So I am Moroccan
and Asian, which is a very odd combination. And I
still can't figure out how that happened. Is silk trade
routes or something like that. That's the only thing I
can think of. So maybe more yeah, during Mulana, But
(04:44):
back to back on topic. Most importantly, what happens to
your DNA once you send it off? Are we really
in control of our own genetic data? So these questions
are especially relevant to folks in the diaspora, like many
of us in the Lao community, where I identity and
roots are deeply intertwined. In this episode, we'll cover the
(05:05):
popular DNA testing brands, what each offers, how your data
is handled, the pros and cons, and some other interesting
bits you might not have thought of, and as always,
we will bring in the Buddhist perspective to help us
reflect on what it all means. Hmm. I don't know
why I wrote that, but I just wanted to write
(05:27):
that in there because I've had some feedback that my
podcast is called the Buddhist af podcasts, and rarely do
I ever talk about Buddhism in my podcast, and so
I put that little piece in there versus Buddhist respective
just so you know, get people off my back. Yeah. See,
(05:48):
I put a thing in there, you know, like when
they say the movie title in the movie. Yes, I
did that right there. So popular brands and what they offer,
Let's start with the big names. Twenty three and meters,
which is the kit that I used, is probably the
most well known. They offer two main types of reports,
ancestry and health. When you send your sample, you get
(06:10):
back a breakdown of your genetic ancestry by region, sometimes
down to a specific country or ethnic group. On the
health side, they test for genetic variants associated with certain
conditions like BRCA one and BRCA two, g mutations linked
to breast cancer US and traits like how your body
(06:30):
metabolizes caffeine or your likelihood of lactose intolerance. In my case,
I am very very lactose intolerant, but I am going
to eat ice cream. I am going to drink milk
because I like those things. And damn it, I bought
the ticket and I'm going to take the ride. One
thing to note the health reports are not diagnostic, very informative,
(06:55):
but they don't replace a doctor's advice or clinical testing.
They're more like a up that you might want to
look into something further. So in my case, I did
do the genetic testing, and I found a lot of
people on my mother's side to be diabetic, to have
(07:15):
a high blood pressure, to be like toose intolerant, to
have heart conditions, and no cancers, which is very odd
because both my grandparents on my mother's side passed away
(07:36):
from cancer, but no cancer. So I guess a lot
of people on my mom's side just didn't check that box.
But my dad's side, on the other hand, strong as oxes.
A few of us have that soap cilantro thing, which
(08:00):
not for me. I still taste cilantro just fine, thankfully.
And of aversion to asparagus, I don't know, but lots
of people checked that box. On my dad's side. They
hate asparagus. And I can attest this because my dad
hates asparagus, not hate eating it. He hates the fact
(08:24):
that he planted it. One year, decided he didn't like
asparagus very much, and so he dug up all of
the asparagus plants that he planted. Little did he know
that it is invasive. And even though he dug up
where he believed he planted it all, it had already
spread and so it came up elsewhere and it was
(08:48):
like playing a game of whack a mole for my dad.
He really really hates asparagus. Now, so there we are.
Then there's ancestry. Ancestry which is what Mary took, and
she found out that she was predominantly English, Irish and Scottish. Yeah,
(09:10):
all I can say is there is a lot of
hollowed bone people in her family. That's all I'm going
to say. You're welcome, Alex. Their focus is mainly on genealogy.
They have one of the largest user databases, which makes
their family matching service very powerful. If you're curious about
(09:32):
finding distance cousins or building a family tree, this might
be the service for you. However, health testing requires an
extra add on. Then there's my Heritage. It's a younger
player for but it's growing fast, especially outside of the US.
They offer ethnicity estimates and tools for building family trees.
Their database is smaller than ancestries, but still substantial. Now
(09:56):
those who want to go deeper companies like Nebula Genomics
offers a whole genome sequencing, Unlike the others, which look
at specific markers in your DNA a small fraction of
your genome. Whole genome sequencing reads almost your entire DNA sequence.
This gives you more detailed information, but it comes at
(10:17):
a much higher costs and requires more knowledge to interpret.
A quick note on ethnicity estimates. Different companies use different
reference populations and algorithms, so it's common to see variations
between tests. Your percentage of say Southeast Asian ancestry, might
be reported differently depending on the company. So I have
(10:39):
also thought about doing ancestry dot com AncestryDNA dot com
because it digs a little deeper into your ancestry. If
if somebody came over to Ellis Island, it will figure
that out for you. I doubt any chance the viso
scheme over to LS Island, and I think we kind
(11:00):
of just snuck in through like banana boxes or something
like that. But it's a fun thought. So what happens
to your DNA? Here's where things get complex. When you
send your saliva or cheek swab, the company extracts and
sequences your DNA then stores it on their servers. But
(11:20):
that's just the beginning. Many companies use your anomalized data
to improve their databases, advance scientific research, or develop new products.
They might share or sell it to pharmaceutical companies or
research institutions. Some even partner with universities or health organizations
for large scale studies. Most companies have privacy policies outlining
(11:44):
these practice and offer options to op out, but op
out isn't always straightforward, and policies can change over time.
I said, screw it, do whatever you own my DNA,
because quite frankly, I have twenty four There are so
social media accounts that I am aware of. I don't
(12:06):
always check up on them. I have a YouTube channel
that I don't remember the password too. I have a
podcast that's listened to by thousands of people. Strangely weirdos subscribe.
But yeah, I said, go ahead. You know, if my
(12:28):
DNA is going to help somebody out twenty years from now, whatever,
I mean. I'm already donating my organs anyway, so I
don't care. I am dead, I don't care. Then there's
law enforcement in cases. In some cases, police have used
publicly accessible DNA databases to solve crime. The infamous Golden
(12:49):
State killer case was cracked at using this method, where
investigators uploaded DNA from a crime scene to ged match
a public genealogy database and found relatives to narrow down
the suspect. This use of genetic data raises ethics questions
about consent. Did the people who submitted their DNA realize
(13:11):
it could be used in this way? What about privacy
for family members who never consented. For communities like ours
who often navigate issues of trust and marginalization, these concerns
are particularly important. Yeah, I mean, I guess you don't
want to find out that your cousin twice remove is
(13:36):
like a serial killer or something like that. That would
be bad in the Asian community because once somebody hears
about I guess what, everyone is going to hear about it,
and then the story's going to get much more spectacular.
Because fun fact, apparently while I was in San Diego,
(13:57):
while I was living in California, thousands of miles away
from Rochester, apparently I had shot someone in Rochester. That
was a rumor that somehow got to my parents, that
somehow got to me while I was still living in California.
(14:21):
I mean, yeah, yeah, I get it that you know
we all look alike. Yeah, I get that. For a reference,
my eyes are much more around it than most Asian people.
Must be my two percent Moroccan DNA. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying. I'm just saying, but no, I did
(14:41):
not shoot somebody in Rochester while I was in California.
I'm just saying. I just want to put that on
record now. Statute limitations be damned, I did not shoot
anyone in Rochester while I was living in California. Pros
and cons. Let's weigh the good and the bad. So
pros discovering your roots. For adoptees or those with unknown
(15:04):
family history, these tests can be life changing connecting them
to biological relatives. I do have a relative that I
match with on twenty three. I mean, she was adopted
and we did connect. We connected on Instagram and you
know we we we're still friends. We still talk on
(15:25):
Instagram every now and then, and it was really cool
because I I didn't think I had that much family,
to be honest with you, I mean, I thought I
met everyone I needed to meet. But no, we like
we follow each other on Instagram. And you know what,
we get along really well, and we still keep up
that that must be what, you know, the chant of
(15:48):
the thing we keep up with each other. Health awareness.
Finding out you carry a gene associated with certain disease
can motivate proactive health measures. No, I just had a
popsicle and I'm diabetic. Actually no, no, I don't know
(16:09):
if I updated you guys. I'm no longer diabetic. Yeah,
I got my numbers down, so I am no longer
on any medication whatsoever, and I'm no longer diabetic. So
FA family connections. You might find cousins you never knew existed,
or confirmed family stories passed down through generations. Yeah, I
(16:30):
found a few cousins I never knew existed. And we
are again. We are connected to each other on Instagram
through twenty three and me we had great talks, little
chats on twenty three in me and I said, you
know what, Hey, do you have an Instagram? Do you
have a Facebook or something like that? And you know, yeah,
we have we have such and such an I follow
(16:53):
most of my family members that I met through twenty
three and me either on Facebook or an Instagram or both.
Excuse me, I should press the pause button. But I'm
not going to encouragement for healthier living. Some people use
genetic insight to make lifestyle changes in diets, exercise, or
stress management. No, no, actually no, I take it back.
(17:19):
I have been drinking a lot more water because I
rediscovered my love, rekindled my love for drinking water out
of a restaurant to go container. And let me just
say it is the best and only way to drink water.
If you work at a restaurant, you don't use a
(17:39):
glass because that means the other person has to wash
the glass. You take a to go container, soup, to
go container doesn't matter if it's a pint or a court.
I happen to have a quart and lots and lots
of ice. There has to be a major amount of
condensation coming off of this court, and that is the
best drink, best water. I don't give a damn of
(18:02):
its tap. I don't care if it's filtered, as long
as it's coming out of this container with lots of ice,
with lots of condensation. Maybe, if you're fancy, maybe an orange,
maybe a lime slice in there. But if you just
go on the rocks, that's perfectly fine. As well, that's
the way I'm drinking it right now. In fact, I'm
holding one in my hand while I'm talking to you guys,
getting ready to drink this bad boy while it's dripping
(18:24):
with condensations the best so quick pause, Ah delicious. So
let's talk about the cons privacy risks. Genetic data is
the ultimate personal information. If it falls into the wrong hands,
it could lead to discrimination or breaches of confidentiality, emotional impact,
(18:46):
Discovering unexpected results like mistribulation, parentage, misattributed parentage, or genetic
risks can be difficult to process. Imagine imagine if you will,
you are getting married, or you're dating. All right, let's
(19:09):
just say you are in love and you both decide
to gift each other DNA tests. You know where I'm
getting with this, right. What if that would be emotional?
That would be traumatic, That would be unless you're living
(19:32):
in Virginia or West Virginia very bad. I'm just joking
Virginia and West Virginia, even though Virginia state for lovers
n all. I'm saying, Yeah, I imagine that, you know,
like you're you're ready to settle down with this person
(19:53):
all of a sudden, like oh, hey, we're related. Moving
on limitations, test provides probabilities, not certainties. Aganetic risk doesn't
guarantee you'll get a condition, or absence of markers doesn't
mean you're risk free. Ethnic estimate variability I had to
(20:15):
type that out. First of all, I had to write it. Secondly,
I had to type it out. If your ethnicity results
change after updates, it can feel disorienting or frustrating. Yet,
for about a year and a half, I thought I
was one percent Iberian, so I thought I was, you know,
somewhere Portugal, Spain, Italy. I thought I was, you know,
(20:35):
I have a nice tan. I'm a secret European. I
talk with my hands. I thought again, I thought I
was one percent Iberian, and I was perfectly cool with that.
But again, come to find out, a couple of years later,
I was moved across the Mediterranean, became two percent North African,
(21:01):
two percent Moroccan. Actually, So now I have a gold iPhone.
I kiss my ring after I say certain sentences to
punctuate the sentence, and I like my coffee very sweet,
(21:22):
and I have a few chest heirs. There explain that
other interesting facts and considerations. Your results can change over time.
As database grow and algorithms improve, so that fifteen percent
Southeast Asian might shift a few points. We've already talked
about this. For diasporic communities, DNA testing can either reinforce
(21:46):
or complicate identities. Genetic data might not always line up
with cultural and familiar narratives, which can be a source
of tension or discovery. From a Buddhist perspective, we learned
that our identity is not fixed. Attachment to the self,
whether that's how you look, where you come from, or
(22:08):
your DNA, is a form of clinging that can cause suffering.
Understanding that DNA is just one part of who we
can help of one part of how we can help
us approach testing results with man Why did I write that?
(22:32):
Who are these notes? From? Oh? From me? Testing results
with equanimity and compassion. The act of sequing knowledge about
ourselves through DNA can be a mindfulness practice if done
with awareness, watching for attachments, judgment, or adversions to what
we find. So what's the takeaway? DNA testing kits offer
(23:00):
a fascinating window to our past and potential health, but
they are just one part of a larger story of
who we are. Your DNA doesn't define your worth or
your path. It's a tool, sometimes a mirror that can
teach us about connection, ancestry, and impermanence. If you're thinking
(23:20):
of taking a test, do so with mindfulness, be prepared
for surprises, and remember to approach your results with compassion
for your family and for yourself. Thanks for joining me
on this journey into genetic identity. If you've experienced DNA testing,
I'd love to hear about it. I hope to get
back on track with my writing and with this with
(23:45):
these episodes. And yeah, things are getting better, but I
still hate dairy New Hampshire. And as always, Bo Binyan,
talk to you later. Bye,
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