Rated 5 out of
5
by
petrarch from
Identity Ancestral DNA
This is a must-watch for anyone who is interested in genealogy through the use of DNA. I hope the Great Courses continue publishing information on the how-to's of tracing one's ancestors through this marvelous technology.
Date published: 2020-10-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
slcleary from
Great Presenter and Interesting Material
Dr. Foeman was an excellent presenter. She presented the material in such an engaging manner that led me to want more when the lecture ended. I learned some insights into ancestry and identity that I had not encountered before.
Date published: 2020-10-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
EdNy1977 from
Very Nice Start.
This is a nice Pilot. I enjoyed the instructor's style and approach. I'm definitely interested in seeing more. Will it be made into a full course?
Date published: 2020-10-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Gerry3851 from
Absolutely fascinating!
Very well done. Great organization. Flowed smoothly from one area to another. Very interesting - would like to learn more. Good at the 10,000 foot level. Would be great as a full course. Dr. Foeman presents information at a very good level - not too pedantic and not overly complex.
Date published: 2020-10-01
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Humangen from
The developing story of our history.
I love the approach that was taken in this course. I have worked in the field of the molecular genetics of animal models but my personal fascination has been human evolution since a child reading about the Leakeys. We understand meaning through our stories. Professor Foeman provides an engaging narrative that is valuable for reflection on this evolving story.
Date published: 2020-09-15
Rated 2 out of
5
by
skaar from
Horoscope glorified.
There are two well known Retail genetic "ancestry" products that should be considered the equivalent of the horoscope: "For Entertainment purposes only." I have worked in this field and bring a skeptic cynicism to them... the first lecture of this series shouldn't be on focusing on the psychological outcomes of the tests (and I've seen some dramatic outcomes). but to Debunk most of these tests as low-resolution guesses as to your ancestry. Very low resolution.
Retail tests are not very accurate at all... and the statistics provided in the Retail Reports are also routinely misunderstood. The $100 upgrades ("medical analysis") are expensive version of the better and cheaper 3rd party DNA submission services (the Retail Tests allow you to UPLOAD your results for more detailed analysis - easily found on the web). One notorious instance was a co-worker who had a "hit" for Breast Cancer on a retail test... generated tens of thousands of medical tests, etc. ... BRCA1/BRCA2 positive... which she wasn't. Thankfully talked out of a mastectomy.
These are not-ready for prime-time services. They do NOT sequence your genome (a common misunderstanding).
It would be premature to delve into this topic with the current state of retail genetic testing... this kind of course will not age well. And the kind of course that would age well would be tedious and boring.
Having said all that, this is still an important topic... and plenty of good information could be provided... but mostly at tapping down expectations. Receiving a result that you are "8% Indigenous South American" is virtually meaningless.... people don't want to hear that.
Date published: 2020-09-11
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Max1 from
Okay
Facilitator is pleasant. However the information presented is not really enlightening.
Date published: 2020-09-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Amanda10 from
Very Interesting
I would love to see the full course for this having gotten into my own genealogy a few years ago (and discovering some surprises!). I find ancestry absolutely fascinating and I love learning how the results are determined.
Date published: 2020-09-07
1: Identity in the Age of Ancestral DNA
Twenty years ago, the first draft of the full human genome map was completed, and consumer-based ancestry DNA kits started to get popular. Join Professor Anita Foeman to look at how—and if—these kits work, what the results mean, and the ways people have changed how they think about lineage, race, and ancestry.
29 min