Editor's note

DNA testing is all the rage these days, with more online companies promising to divulge all kinds of juicy details about your identity. Theoretically, you can find out your family history, disease profile and even, supposedly, the kind of wine you’re most attracted to. But before you get too excited, Jane Tiller and Paul Lacaze have listed some things to consider, including whether there’s evidence behind the promises, and thinking twice about what unknown entity might have access to your genetic information once you’ve spat in that tube and sent it off into the ether.

Meanwhile, new research has found social media are a vital resource for Indigenous Australians, connecting them to community, culture and care networks and offering an outlet for political activism. But as Bronwyn Carlson and Ryan Frazer write, many encounter racism online.

Sasha Petrova

Deputy Editor: Health + Medicine

Top story

DNA testing has its risks, including that you don’t know who will own your genetic data. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Five things to consider before ordering an online DNA test

Jane Tiller, Monash University; Paul Lacaze, Monash University

Online genetic testing promises many things. Some are the stuff of fantasy, while others, even if scientifically feasible, still carry risks. Consider these five things before ordering a test.

Arts + Culture

Politics + Society

Commonwealth Games 2018

Science + Technology

Education

Business + Economy

Environment + Energy

  • Children aren't liabilities in disasters – they can help, if we let them

    Christine Eriksen, University of Wollongong; Avianto Amri, Macquarie University; Briony Towers; Emma Calgaro, University of Sydney; John Richardson, University of Melbourne; Katharine Haynes, Macquarie University; Scott McKinnon, University of Wollongong

    It's understandable to want to shield children from the impacts of disasters. But research suggests that they should be given a voice in disaster planning and a role in reducing the risks.

  • The pro-coal 'Monash Forum' may do little but blacken the name of a revered Australian

    Marc Hudson, University of Manchester

    The new pro-coal ‘Monash Forum’ follows in a rich political tradition of think tanks and pressure groups, all with names calculated to lend themselves maximum gravitas and a large dose of obfuscation.

Health + Medicine

Columnists

   
 

Featured jobs

Research Fellow (Centre For Information Discovery)

RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria

Clinical Skills Lab Assistant (Indigenous Applicants Only)

University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria

Research Fellow

Australian Catholic University — North Sydney, New South Wales

Executive Officer

Catholic Social Services Australia — Braddon, Australian Capital Territory

More Jobs

Featured events

Fenner Conference on the Environment: Urban Sustainability and Conservation

The Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia — University of Melbourne

Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series - "Where Next for Leadership Research?"

Lecture Theatre 1040, Level 1, Abercrombie Building (H70), crn Abercrombie Street & Codrington Street, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney

Wentworth is the New Prisoner

RMIT Activator (Level 2, Bldg 98), 102 Victoria St, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia — Monash University

UTS Science in Focus: Staying Safe in Cyberspace

Ultimo, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007, Australia — University of Technology Sydney

More events
 

Contact us here to list your job, or here to list your event.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here