Abstract

This fall, a recurrent theme at the meetings and conferences I attended was the benefit of learning as much as possible about one's genome and the genomes of one's children, including newborn babies. Genetic science is progressing fast, and scientists can now unravel and understand ever more about the tiny ways in which one person's genome differs from another's. This emerging data is useful, the argument goes, because (occasionally now but mainly in the promised near future) it can be used to tailor medical care, make more informed lifestyle choices, and chart a personalized education.From here, a related argument can be developed: that one ought to learn as much as possible about one's genome and the genome of one's children. I keep wondering, however, how well I could actually process all this information and whether much of it would, in fact, help me become a better and healthier person, or a better parent.