Channel 7, ABC Los Angeles news did a short news report on DNA testing for ancestry. It aired tonight at 6:00 PM PST. Interestingly one of the customers who possibly is a Family Tree DNA customer reported his ancestry came back as Native American but he claims to be Irish. All his family records indicate an Irish descent. He even pointed out on Family Tree DNA's website of results he obtained from Family Tree DNA. I'd say he probably has been misled by family albeit not intentionally, but because the records become more scarce as time goes further back. DNA is not a perfect science, but it's all we have for now when it comes to determining deep ancestry. Then of course, whoever was watching this news report with me made statements that the DNA tests are all "Bullsh!t"!! And that it's all probabilities. So if that's the case, then perhaps we should just throw away the only evidence left behind from a murder crime being DNA, because of probabilities. Perhaps we close all the labs that deal with fundamental particles (particle accelerators) down because of all the probabilities involved.
The labs which test DNA for ancestry need to hold more responsibility in their statements or claims, not that they're all doing the wrong thing, but the impression people come away with is misleading some of them. We'll always have people that do not understand science or technology and are quick to dismiss any findings, or probabilities with no valid argument to back their comments which are more opinionated than based on facts. I'm hoping companies like Family Tree DNA, Ethnoancestry, DNAtribes, etc. are aware of the potential problems they could be facing if the customers think their direct or specific ancestry can be determined by DNA testing. It's still relatively a "new" science and even case law has been slow to adopt it, but it's definitely better than throwing away DNA forensics based on probabilities.
The labs which test DNA for ancestry need to hold more responsibility in their statements or claims, not that they're all doing the wrong thing, but the impression people come away with is misleading some of them. We'll always have people that do not understand science or technology and are quick to dismiss any findings, or probabilities with no valid argument to back their comments which are more opinionated than based on facts. I'm hoping companies like Family Tree DNA, Ethnoancestry, DNAtribes, etc. are aware of the potential problems they could be facing if the customers think their direct or specific ancestry can be determined by DNA testing. It's still relatively a "new" science and even case law has been slow to adopt it, but it's definitely better than throwing away DNA forensics based on probabilities.
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