VOCAB
What does “DNA” stand for?
Answer: Deoxyribonucleic acid
Why do some Americans take DNA tests?
Answer: To discover their origins
What may happen to your personal data after a DNA test?
Answer: It may be shared with third parties
Why can police use DNA databases?
Answer: To investigate crimes
What does “DNA data storage” mean?
Answer: Using DNA-like molecules to store digital information
What kind of sample is generally used for a DNA test?
Answer: Saliva / spit
Why are DNA tests popular in the United States?
Answer: Because the population is ethnically diverse
Why can sharing DNA data be dangerous?
Answer: Because it can be misused
What is the danger of using DNA tests in criminal investigations?
Answer: Innocent people may be suspected
Why are intelligence services interested in DNA storage?
Answer: Because it can store huge amounts of data
What is ancestry?
Answer: A person’s family origins or heritage
What can a DNA test reveal about a person’s family?
Answer: Their origins / relatives / ancestry
What is the “fine print”?
Answer: Small text in a contract people often do not read
Why are DNA test results not always reliable?
Answer: Because the information may be incomplete or inaccurate
What is one advantage of DNA data storage?
Answer: It takes less space
What does “heredity” mean?
Answer: The transmission of characteristics from parents to children
What can a DNA test reveal about a person’s health?
Answer: Diseases they may be predisposed to
Why is the fine print important in DNA testing?
Answer: Because it explains risks and conditions
What does “surveillance” mean?
Answer: Monitoring people or information
What is another advantage of DNA data storage?
Answer: It uses less energy
What does “manipulate DNA” mean?
Answer: To change or work on genetic materia
What does “predisposed to a disease” mean?
Answer: More likely to develop a disease
What is privacy?
Answer: The right to keep personal information secret
What does “collect data” mean?
Answer: To gather information
What problem do current data centres create?
Answer: They consume huge amounts of space and energy