Mr. Ippolito D Even
October 15, 2018
Current Event
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans
Most people are now aware that, in this day and age, the internet and other technology limits our privacy. But are they aware that now not even their DNA can be assumed to be private? Recent research shows that it may be impossible to protect the anonymity of catalogued genetic material. Such DNA was collected though crime scene investigation, donation to scientific research, and other means. This article explains that Yaniv Erlich, chief scientist and MyHeritage (a consumer genetic testing company), found that "using DNA matches to relatives... they could narrow the identity of an anonymous DNA owner to just one or two people". Author, Saey, explains that this poses an ethical dilemma, as government officials claim that all recorded genetic material is stripped of information including names, ages and addresses, a fact that is "clearly untrue". This raises the question: how can scientists reasonably guarantee that peoples' genetic information will remain secure?This article describes a potential conflict that is very relevant in our society. Our privacy has already been threatened by society's reliance on technology. However, most social media and internet users are aware of these dangers, while most of those contributing their DNA to scientific studies believe it will remain confidential. Scientist need to develop a system in which DNA can be recorded for use in studies and investigations that does not compromise the basic rights of those it belongs to. Saey does concede that, currently, identifying individuals though their DNA is extremely difficult. Regardless, such information should learn to be protected now for, as technology continues to improve, tasks like this will only get easier and the information will become less secure.
Overall, I feel the article was excellently written. It summarizes a very complicated topic in a well organized, eloquent and overall effective manner. One weakness I noticed in this piece is that the author makes large claims on data that is not yet concrete. While towards the end she does concede, "Erlich's example might be an oversimplification", she still makes many admittedly reasonable but inaccurately certain claims based on the shaky data.
Anton Tarazi
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
Current Events 5
10/16/18
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans
This week I read Sofia’s critique of “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans” by Tina Hesman Saey. I thought that the article itself was very informative and Sofia’s review captured the article very well. One thing that I like that she did was her use of rhetorical questions throughout the first paragraph of her critique. These questions served to put the topic into context and relay the subject in a very easy way to understand. Another thing that I liked in Sofia’s critique was her use of quotations. By using quotes from the article to back up her claims, the points made in her critique were supported by evidence. A third thing that I liked about Sofia’s critique was the general flow of the text. Often times, the article critiques are full of grammatical errors and hard to read, but I felt that hers was very well written and easy to understand, with almost no errors that would make it hard to read.
Though I liked many aspects of Sofia’s review there were a few things that could be improved upon. Namely, I felt that her critique was mostly just a summary of the article itself and she did not mention her personal opinions or thoughts on the matter that she was discussing. Secondly, I noticed that while Sofia mentioned the weaknesses of the article, she did not really discuss any opposing viewpoints that would have allowed for a more complete picture of the hot topic of DNA databases.
Overall I thought that this was a very well-written technique on an informative article on a fascinating subject. The issue of privacy is more prevalent in modern times than it ever has before, and DNA databases are just another way that this issue is seeping into our lives. This topic has the potential to affect all of us, as one day it may be our DNA that ends up being on a database, and that surely is a scary thought. Nevertheless, there are benefits that come with that, such as tracking criminals, so a genealogy database is really a double-edged sword. Only time will tell where we are headed with this crucial issue.
Layla Brinster
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
10/16/18
Current Event #5
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans
After reading Sofia’s review of Tina Hesman Saey’s “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans, I thought she did a nice job of capturing the reader with her introduction, connecting the issue of privacy to society, and pointing out how the data may not be exact yet. Sofia began her review with a general statement, followed by a question to the reader- are people are aware that their DNA may not be private? I think this is an excellent hook because DNA is very personal and unique; raising the question that everybody may have access to it engages the reader and makes them want to find out why. Another technique Sofia executed was connecting the article to society and expanding upon it. She brings up social media and technology, how we place all of ourselves out there for anybody in the world to see. I think it is important that people’s DNA remains anonymous and inaccessible. Lastly, Sofia did a nice job pointing out how the data is not concrete yet. The author made a generalized claim on data that she later states as a possible oversimplification. This information is vital for the audience to understand before they arrive at conclusions.
Two areas in which Sofia can improve upon are including statistics and perhaps a more in depth summary. The article mentions that with the current database of about 3 million people anyone with access to DNA can discover the identity of anyone of European descent. I think this would be a crucial fact to include in the summary because it exemplifies the extent of the publicity of DNA. Another area of improvement would be her summary. Sofia mentions the outcomes of the study and genetic technologies briefly, however does not go in detail about the women the researchers were trying to find and how they were able to discover her within a day. Providing an example and a “real world” circumstance validates the information a little more.
I thought that it was astounding to see how public DNA really is. To me, DNA is very unique and personal- I do not think that numerous people should be able to access it. It also makes me question how much of our lives really our private. If something like DNA can be public, what cannot? Additionally, it was very surprising to me how they were able to find the women in only a day. I agree with Sofia, scientists should develop a system in which DNA can remain anonymous because I really do not think it is safe or morally right for DNA to be public without consent, approval, or knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThis current event discussed genealogy databases and how companies can keep records on people's DNA and genetic information. One aspect that was done well was that Sophia explained its use and connection to the real world. She described how it plays a role in the world by saying “Scientist need to develop a system in which DNA can be recorded for use in studies and investigations that does not compromise the basic rights of those it belongs to”. By saying this she is connecting to a bigger idea, the use of security to protect a person’s DNA. Another aspect that was good was her paragraph structure and her use of evidence to back up her claim. She also did a good job of addressing the potential conflict. She did this by describing the use of MyHeritage and other companies to potentially store someones genetic information.
An area to improve is to back up her claims with many pieces of evidence, and by using in-depth analysis. She could have found more information about the investigation. I would have also liked to see more steps to see what genetic testing companies are taking to deal with this issue. How much investigation will need to take place? Sophia can solve these two issues by adding more quotes or by analysing the text more carefully.
This was a very nice topic because it is very current and can affect the world in many ways. This current event revealed how genetic companies like MyHeritage might be storing people's genetic data. Sophia did a good job of answering the question: How can scientists reasonably guarantee that people's' genetic information will remain secure? This will change my perception on the security of our DNA and how safe our data really is. This article brought to my attention how some genetic companies are invading our privacy, and how we must do something to protect our private information.
Grace Sperber
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Events #2-Comment
Sofia Ricciarini-- Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans
www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans.
I read Sofia’ Ricciarini’s review of “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans” by Science News. Firstly, I enjoyed Sofia’s writing craft and construction. I think that the sophisticated style of her writing is conducive to in depth review and summary. I think that Sofia enumerated on all of the important points from the article in a clear and concise way. I especially appreciated her incorporation of key quotes from the article as well as the major companies and prominent scientists that were involved including MyHeritage and Yaniv Erlich. Secondly, I enjoyed Sofia’s use of rhetorical questions to create a lighter and more engaging tone in her review. Lastly, Sofia’s review was outstanding for the connections she made to modern day issues and her explanation of the the implications science has on civil spheres spanning commercial tech enterprises like Apple to government security. Reading this review allowed me to place the issue within its cultural and practical context.
I thought that Sofia could improve her review by focusing on the biological principles involved with DNA identification, namly DNA sequence analysis. I feel that this aspect of the article was under represented in her review which caused it to lack a scientific basis. Another area of possible improvement in this review is Sofia’s critique of the article. I really enjoyed her point about the article’s positing of unfounded claims based on shaky genetic evidence but I thought this point would have benefitted from further expounding. It was obvious that Sofia had a great understanding of the topic including the scientific limitations of DNA identification and I would have like to see this explained more explicitly in her review.
The main message I took away from both Sofia’s review and the original article was that technology is advancing at an astonishing rate, however, ethics may not be able to keep pace. A fundamental question in the scientific community at the moment has to do with balancing progress and morality. This issue becomes increasingly complicated when it involves both the government and commercial spheres as is the case with DNA sequence databasing.
Ella Stupart
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito C Even
October 17, 2018
Current Event Comment
Citation:
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/genealogy-databases-could-reveal-identity-most-americans
Ricciarini, Sofia. Rev. of “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.” Science News, 12 Oct. 2018,
https://bronxvilleapbiology.blogspot.com/2018/10/genealogy-databases-could-reveal.html
In Sofia’s review of the article “Genealogy databases could reveal the identity of most Americans” by Tina Hesman Saey, she successfully intrigued her audience in her opening paragraph, gave a strong and concise summary, and referred back to a topic that she introduced in the first sentence when explaining the relevance of the topic of the article today. By opening with the sentences “Most people are now aware that, in this day and age, the internet and other technology limits our privacy. But are they aware that now not even their DNA can be assumed to be private?”(Ricciarini 1), Sofia brings up a topic, privacy with regards to technology, that will intrigue most people which increases the likelihood that people will continue reading her review and consider her opinion. Another one of Sofia’s strengths in this review is her summary. She introduces a new idea with each sentence and intentionally introduces ideas in an order that will most effectively help the reader understand this complex topic. Sofia starts off with a hook, moves on to explain how and why DNA is collected, states the issue, and then briefly explains the issue. Her summary was informative and easy to follow. A third strength in Sofia’s review is that when explaining the relevance of the information obtained from the article she was reviewing to the average person’s life, she tied in the topic she began to discuss in her opening. The allusion to technology was effective, because it relates the complicated issue to one that is familiar to most people. This helps the reader better understand the topic being discussed as well as revealing the relevance of the issue to the reader.
While Sofia’s review was overall successful, it would be improved if she further explained the negative effects of having your DNA public and could have mentioned the credibility of the author. Sofia explains how DNA is obtained and she explains how quickly and accurately someone can be identified from their DNA, but she never explains the disadvantages of this. I was left wondering why I had to worry about being identified using my DNA. Sofia could have briefly explained why someone may be at a disadvantage when put in this situation. Secondly, Sofia never mentions how credible the author of this article is. Without more citations of quotes and opinions from qualified individuals or overall evidence of credibility, it is difficult for the reader to completely believe everything the author of the article claims to be true.
After reading Sofia’s review, I wonder how the public will react to this information. Considering recent privacy issues on certain social platforms such as Facebook, I believe that people will be less than pleased that their genetic code is so easily accessible to the government. I am definitely surprised that such private information can be made available so easily, and I am worried about possible risks that it may introduce. As Sofia mentioned, a huge portion of our lives is already online for the world to see and I believe that making our genetic codes so easily accessible is unacceptable.
Michael Grieco
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event 6 - Comment
October 25, 2018
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Genealogy Databases Could Reveal the Identity of Most Americans.”
Science News, 12 Oct. 2018,
https://bronxvilleapbiology.blogspot.com/2018/10/lifeboats-amid-worlds-wildfires.html
Sofia uses a well crafted structure to draw the reader in. She starts out broad, saying, “Most people are now aware that, in this day and age, the internet and other technology limits our privacy. But are they aware that now not even their DNA can be assumed to be private?” That rhetorical question draws the reader in and creates flow. Additionally, Sofia is clear and concise with her summary of the article, which allows the reader to get a good sense of what the study is and how it will affect our lives without even reading the article. And finally, Sofia exposes one aspect of the article that must be understood to read this article properly and validate the author. She says “that the author makes large claims on data that is not yet concrete.” This affects the credibility of the author and should be considered when basing knowledge off of this article.
In general, Sofia’s review may have been too broad. She gave a great summary, but I believe she should have touched on the scientific aspect of the article, and how it works instead of just giving examples. Additionally, it would help the review if statistics were included. Going through the original article, there are many numbers that help contextualize this study. If Sofia included some of those statistics, her review could have been more specific to the study instead of just describing it generally.
From Sofia’s review and the original article, I was able to visualize an example of how one must balance the ethics and scientific advancement. This shows how it is tilted more towards scientific advancement, and how the scientists are not considering the ethics enough. This could become a large privacy issue, especially because governments are starting to use this technology for their purposes, which could be exploited.