Catgee DNA Sampling Kit
Item 9216 (£20): You've seen the forensic experts on TV crime, dramas right? Well, here's the kit that lest you sample DNA for yourself - a unique way of collecting something exclusive to you or your loved ones than keeping it, wearing it, sending it for analysis, even getting T-shirts made using it's unique one-off pattern. It's a good crack and it's all set to be the latest craze. What's more, there's not a white coat in sight.
Can anyone say stalker! i'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with random nutters (i.e. my friends) having easy access to my superior DNA chain ...
Can anyone say sad geek! Do you really want a T-shirt with your DNA patten on it. Although (and now this is really sad and geeky), a tattoo with your own DNA chain might be kind of cool. The ultimate name tag ... someone shoot me.
Oh and by the way, the word is CRAIC.
1. razorhead
so someone prints off a t-shirt with a random sequence of [A|G|C|T]+ - like you’re gonna know the difference.
And how can you collect something that is exculsive? I suppose you could start playing DNA Top Trumps: ‘the probability of recessive characteristic X being expressed in future generations: 56%’
2. Stuart
What I don’t get is why the girl on the apcket is either laughing or about to sneeze. Is that what it is? Extracting high-velocity remnants of your lung tissue from a sneeze and wearing it as jewellery for the rest of your days? tasteful.
And if she’s laughing, what the hell is the big joke? Is she laughing at someone’s t-shirt? “splutter You have THAT gene? Oh my GOD! Ha aha aha ahahahaha!”
Bizarre. Surely you’ll have a copy of your own DNA about your person until you totally decompose, right?
3. Chris
I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets annoyed over the misspelling of craic.
4. Sara
I don’t like the idea about getting that for a tattoo. Some of my friends have their social security numbers put into a barcode, then tattoo the barcode on themselves. It look pretty silly to me.
5. Julius
So, the gift is a cotton-wool bud and a pot to put some phlegm in. For £20. Genius.
6. Julius
Stand back - Semi-informed rant coming.
The sequencing aspect - there are about 3 billion base pairs in the human genome. Assuming they are not going to try getting all of them on the T-shirt, which bit are they going to choose? Maybe a summary?
It’s been a long time since I studied genetics, but if I recall correctly, the chances of any specific small segment of functional DNA being unique to one individual are pretty limited - genes tend to come in a small number of working versions - get too individual and you get a defective gene. It’s the combinations of large numbers of genes which give the uniqueness that these guys are trying to use as a marketing tool.
In any event, what are the chances that any samples sent in are actually going to be sequenced? DNA sequencing requires specialist equipment and highly trained staff working to rigorous protocols to avoid contamination. Much simpler to bin the sample, hit randomise on the PC and send Joe Shmoe his specially printed T-shirt. That way, he might actually get a unique code, so it’s win-win, really.
(If the lawyers of the company concerned read this, please note that the above is a joke with no actionable content whatsoever. Thanks.)
7. Kate
Kinda preferred the ties myself ;) I can just see some of the sad tossers at work coming in with their DNA tie on and taking great pleasure in telling everyone all about it. Hmmm… It’s pretty lame, but I guess there’ll be plenty of saddos that’ll be happy to splash their cash on an oversized q-tip.