Saturday, May 05, 2007

Evil uses of DNA

How many evil uses for DNA can we think of?

  • Leave someone else's DNA at the scene of the crime. (Get a Saturday job sweeping up at the hairdresser.) (We are a nation of suspects)
  • Get an accomplice to leave your DNA hundreds of miles from the scene of the crime, in support of a false alibi. (Low Copy Number DNA testing)
  • If you don't have an identical twin, get yourself a clone. Then nobody will be able to prove which one of you did it. (Two quickies ...)
  • Steal someone's DNA and create a clone. Then threaten to commit all sorts of crimes unless they pay protection money.
  • If you know the genetic patterns of people who may be especially vulnerable to your evil schemes (the gene for "trust" perhaps), you can search the national DNA database looking for potential victims. (Five civil servants fined over DNA espionage)
  • ... any more?

Especial thanks to Robin Wilton and the anonymous FishNChipPapers blogger.

Update: DNA Evidence can be fabricated (New York Times, 17 August 2009)

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