DNA matching

[bungeejumper]

Not being very much of a science person, I was more than impressed - and maybe just a little bit bothered as well? - by the implications of what they can do these days with DNA matching.

The "impressed" part is easy. A cop who'd committed 13 murders and numerous other violent crimes during the 1970s was identified in 2018 by police who matched the scene-of-crime DNA with material from a popular genealogy website. They'd narrowed down their search by creating "a family tree dating back to the 1800s", according to the BBC, and then joining up the data dots to close in on their man. That's a hell of a lot of data they've had to reverse-engineer there! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53226327

The "bothered" part? Wondering what this impressive technology could do if anybody ever tried to use it for unscrupulous/evil ends? No, I can't think of any specific ways you could abuse it, but I'm sure there must be some?

Either way, and for better or worse, it does however seem to cross a line when a private company's DNA database is used for state surveillance purposes. I was under the impression that they couldn't do that? Evidently I was wrong.

Glad they got him, anyway. No hiding place these days!

BJ

[GoSeigen]

Not being very much of a science person, I was more than impressed - and maybe just a little bit bothered as well? - by the implications of what they can do these days with DNA matching.

The "impressed" part is easy. A cop who'd committed 13 murders and numerous other violent crimes during the 1970s was identified in 2018 by police who matched the scene-of-crime DNA with material from a popular genealogy website. They'd narrowed down their search by creating "a family tree dating back to the 1800s", according to the BBC, and then joining up the data dots to close in on their man. That's a hell of a lot of data they've had to reverse-engineer there! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53226327

The "bothered" part? Wondering what this impressive technology could do if anybody ever tried to use it for unscrupulous/evil ends? No, I can't think of any specific ways you could abuse it, but I'm sure there must be some?

Either way, and for better or worse, it does however seem to cross a line when a private company's DNA database is used for state surveillance purposes. I was under the impression that they couldn't do that? Evidently I was wrong.

Glad they got him, anyway. No hiding place these days!

BJ

I've solved a similar "crime" involving my father's natural father who had an adulterous affair with his mother. Managed to find out to a high level of confidence who the miscreant was, confirmed by remarkable likenesses in his immediate family.

All in a day's work for a family historian, but you're right, it's remarkably powerful stuff.


GS