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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2006-01 > 1138749675


From: (John Chandler)
Subject: Re: [DNA] Newsweek Article: In your Blood (DNA Testing)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:21:15 -0500 (EST)
References: <3796-43DF8177-4009@storefull-3337.bay.webtv.net> <76ab240083539362be0720aed6ee2c8e@midcoast.com> <REME20060131142426@alum.mit.edu> <cc3001560c164b725bd9c8b8426bc299@midcoast.com> <REME20060131162718@alum.mit.edu> <207aa6c9d0701df3589ab7891f7caada@midcoast.com>
In-Reply-To: <207aa6c9d0701df3589ab7891f7caada@midcoast.com> (message fromthomas goulde on Tue, 31 Jan 2006 16:55:24 -0500)


Tom wrote:
> The article is quite clear - Mr. J identified himself as
> African-American throughout his life.

I gather you haven't seen his picture. I have. In appearance, he
is at most 10% African. As the article made quite clear, his
self-identification was not based on tradition, not appearance.

> There was no indication in the article that Mr. J was a statistician or
> scientist or genealogist or comparative physiologist or divine. He was
> a journalist/storyteller who took a test and got a surprise.

As I explained already, he should not have been surprised. As you
say, he is not a scientist, and so he probably did not understand what
the test could and couldn't do. The point is that his case is not at
all out of the ordinary for DNAprint testing and should not be held up
as a case where the test "failed".

John Chandler

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