Yes. Navigenics is real. This is really happening (aside: can’t help but mention I’ll see Radiohead in Vancouver in August!).

So. Navigenics is a company that will look at your DNA and then tell you what health risks you uniquely have: 95% chance of colon cancer, 60% chance of Alzheimer’s, 5% chance of erectile dysfunction, etc. The company markets itself as an informational tool that you can use to better protect yourself (and, by extension, your family). With information about your health outlook, you can start taking measures now to counter those predispositions.

Right now, Navigenics works by probabilities, however in the future (perhaps even now) they will be able to indefinitely say “You will suffer from X by this age.” Pretty cool. Pretty scary. Also, they are adding more disease everyday. So you’ll get better visibility into how much you could suffer in the future. Then, you’ll have the pre-suffering opportunity to try to do something about it before it happens! However, I ultimately side with Navigenics. Ignorance is not bliss. It is simply ignorance.

I’m sure the founders of Navigenics are geeks, therefore I believe they have seen Gattaca—a movie which shows a future where people’s DNA is the primary way they are judged for relationships and employment. Although Navigenics works hard to present their product as benign and useful, they are challenged by some valid concerns from a society who hasn’t yet become accustom to what is possible with science. It might be a few years before they really start being thought of as normal.

I would be glad to have private and personal insight into my own DNA. The frightening element of this would be if that same information fell into the hands of my insurance company, my employer, or some sort of tyrannical government. I can just imagine someone losing a potential promotion or health coverage because his or her disease risks are too high.

If you have a chance, visit the Navigenics site and see how they communicate their potentially frightening product in a positive way. Those writers and marketers deserve a hand. Lastly, a reason I like Navigenics is that their service is affordable, about $2500 USD for your initial testing and then $250/year for updates, etc. It isn’t dirt cheap, but it is something most people I know could afford, if they thought it was that important.

So, does Navigenics scare you? Would you do it? Let me know.

The Taser/mp3 player has arrived (I’m not joking). I’m certain most users will zap themselves on multiple occasions fiddling with this thing, trying to change songs. Remembering Robert Dziekanski causes me to judge harshly this attempt to normalize and popularize a lethal weapon for the frightened suburban and urban mid-to-upper class (see this article on Taser parties). Tasers are not a safe alternative to firearms. Like firearm owners, all individuals using tasers should be held legally responsible for the possession and use of these devices; moreover, an added legal requirement for proper training on taser use would ensure people respect and understand the weapon that they wield.

Perhaps, instead of purchasing more weapons, people should learn to confront and overcome their fears.

CBC’s Spark just did a show on favourite old technologies. I couldn’t help but add my story into the mix:

My love for “old” technology is best represented by my stereo system: My first cd player was purchased in the early 1990s at Canadian Tire for about $90 (which was a hefty chunk of my dishwashing earnings!). The player survived my teenage years (and associated abuses), although it lost a few buttons along the way. It survived university years, and it still plays music for my wife and I today (although I have to use special technique to get it to play most cds).
I run the player through an old stereo amp that use to be my Dad’s when he was in college in the early 70s. It’s a sweet tube amp that has a great sounds and good power. In fact, I had a friend make me an offer on it, as he thought it was an invaluable relic for refined music tastes . .. I don’t know about that, but I do know I like it.