Scientists Push Back Against Booming Genetic Pseudoscience Market
By Kristen V. Brown,
Gizmodo
| 07. 14. 2017
The premise behind Yes or No Genomics is simple: Genetic disease is typically caused by a variation in at least one of the many thousands of genes in the human genome, so knowing whether your DNA code contains variants could suggest whether your health is at risk. And for just $199, the scientists at Yes or No Genomics can use special technology to determine that.
Except Yes or No Genomics isn’t a real company. It’s satire.
The mind behind this parody is Stanford geneticist Stephen Montgomery, who hopes the website he launched this week will highlight the extreme absurdityof many of the “scientific” consumer genetic tests now on the market. Fork over $199 to Yes or No Genomics, and you will find out, inevitably, that you do have genetic variants, because everyone does. And that “specialized optical instrument” used to determine this? A kaleidoscope.
Montgomery is one of a growing number of scientists pushing back against wild claims in the consumer genetics market, which is flush with tests promising to plumb the secrets of our DNA...
Related Articles
By Diaa Hadid and Shweta Desai, NPR | 01.29.2026
MUMBRA, India — The afternoon sun shines on the woman in a commuter-town café, highlighting her almond-shaped eyes and pale skin, a look often sought after by couples who need an egg to have a baby.
"I have good eggs,"...
By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times | 01.22.2026
The National Institutes of Health said on Thursday it is ending support for all research that makes use of human fetal tissue, eliminating funding for projects both within and outside of the agency.
A ban instituted in June 2019 by...
By Mike McIntire, The New York Times | 01.24.2026
Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development — a study that they told families could yield invaluable discoveries about DNA’s impact on behavior and disease.
They also promised that the children’s sensitive...
By Phil Galewitz, NPR | 01.20.2026
Serenity Cole enjoyed Christmas last month relaxing with her family near her St. Louis home, making crafts and visiting friends.
It was a contrast to how Cole, 18, spent part of the 2024 holiday season. She was in the hospital...
