October 14, 2019

  • Talkin' Science

    Who knew that having a conversation about commercial heredity genetic tests would lead to uncovering uncomfortable truths about the intellect of people in the room? I can reconcile the religious beliefs of anybody as long as those beliefs are not held in face of observable scientific discovery. For example, if you are going to believe that the planet Earth is about 5000 years old because you added up all the documented years in the bible, then I am going to err on the side of labeling you an idiot. I will double down when you claim dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time or the dinosaur remains are a trick by the devil. At least that example takes science completely out of the context.

    What I experienced last Saturday while watching college football at a friend's house was more disturbing to me. During a conversation about these mail-away cheek swab tests, I tried to point out the veracity of the results regarding the supposed geographic origin correlations those companies attempt to make with their "heritage reports". The statement was then made by my friend's wife that everybody in the world has Middle Eastern genes. The foundation for this belief was, obviously, that Adam and Eve lived in the Middle East and they are everybody's original ancestor.

    Shit like that is enough to give a guy a permanent facial tick.