DNA: Destiny or Distraction?

A few years ago, the goody bag from the first TED conference I attended included a kit for 23andMe. That kit is basically a tube you spit into (it requires a lot of saliva and takes a while) and mail to the company. Doing so allowed me to participate in an early version of genetic testing. 23andMe does not do a full genome sequencing, but instead an examination of only one million SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) of the billions in your genome. However, that is plenty to tell a lot about you. 

One 23andMe tests your saliva, there is quite a bit you can do with that data on the Web site. You can learn about your ancestry and find relatives among the subscribers. So far, the closest relative I’ve been able to find are fourth cousins. I have no idea who they are or if it is correct. 23andMe has made some real contributions to science by polling its members and comparing their answers to their genetics. As someone who loves data, I have found the information fascinating.

The most interesting data is related to diseases and what my SNPs say about my susceptibility to them.  Over the years, 23andMe has added more and more diseases to its databases.  They put things in terms of what a particular SNP indicates about you versus the general population. They also indicate the confidence in the underlying science on which the data is based.

For example, my risk of prostate cancer is only 6.8% vs. 17.8% for the general population of European descent. My genetics also indication good news regarding my susceptibility to melanoma, colorectal cancer, Type 1 diabetes, and celiac disease.

Of course, not all of the news is good. My risk of Psoriasis is 22.4% vs. 11.4%; gallstones, 11.1% vs. 7.0%; and Rheumatoid Arthritis, 5.0% vs. 2.4%. I have to say that none of those worry me. Of greater concern is my risk for Venous Thromboembolism is 41.8% vs. 12.3%. That is obviously a significant risk. That data is useful as I now know to make a real point of doing things like getting up and walking around on longer airplane flights. It also played at least some role in my conversion to using a standing desk at work. Of course, proper diet and exercise are in order as well. 

There is a piece of data, however, that is very scary to me even though the risk is lower. This data comes from fairly recent research. It indicates that my Alzheimer’s risk is 14.2% vs. 7.2% for the general population. The very specific wording is: 

14.2 out of 100 men of European ethnicity who share Bill Catchings' genotype will develop Alzheimer's Disease between the ages of 50 and 79.

Bill Catchings has one copy of the APOE ε4 variant. APOE ε4 is not the only factor contributing to Alzheimer's disease. Although it is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's, many people with the APOE ε4 variant never develop it.

The heritability of AD is estimated to be 60-80%. This means that genetic factors contribute more to individual differences in risk for AD than environmental factors do. Genetic contributions to AD risk include known factors, such as the APOE gene variants we describe in this report. There are also rare mutations in other genes that cause early-onset (before age 65) forms of AD that run in families; this report does not currently include information on these mutations, or for additional genetic factors that have relatively weaker effects on AD risk. Non-genetic risk factors for AD include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, poorly controlled diabetes, and history of head trauma. 

As you can tell, they are very careful in their wording. The reason this one worries me more is that my dad suffered from Alzheimer’s as did at least my grandfather. It is decidedly not a good way to go. It certainly makes me freak out when I forget someone’s name, like I often do!  A book I read a while back, Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss is helpful to know what is normal.

I also have to keep in mind that these are only probabilities based on the current best science. Even in the last couple of years, I've seen the risk percentages change on 23andMe.

Given all of that, is it good to know this data? I think that depends upon your personality. At one level, it is good to have real data to help inspire yourself to change your life. At the same time, however, the answer is almost always cut down on stress, eat a good diet, and get plenty of exercise. 

Beyond that, however, I have to acknowledge that this is out of my control. I can’t say as that I’m happy about that. On the other hand, that is certainly is the lesson I need to hear (and actually learn). God is in control, not me. And, he is better at being in control than I am.

The power of sports

As you might guess, I’ve been following the Tour de France over the last week. In fact, coverage of this morning’s time trial is playing in the background as I write this. At one level, the Tour de France is fairly boring—even if the scenery is beautiful. At the same time, I have long found it strangely compelling. I remember watching Greg Lemond’s dramatic time trial on the last day of the 1989 Tour. Lemond was coming back from a near-fatal shotgun injury a couple years earlier. After over 2,000 miles, 50 seconds separated Lemond and Laurent Fignon, a renowned time-trial cyclist. I also remember tearing up as Lemond overcame what was considered an impossibly large time deficit to defeat Fignon by 8 seconds. Even today, I find watching that video enthralling. 

What is it about sports that I (and billions of others) find so compelling? In the case of cycling or basketball, it might be because I love or have loved participating in the sport and so identify with the participants. I don’t claim to be able to ride anywhere near as fast as Greg Lemond or to have the post-up moves of Charles Barkley, but I at least have some idea what they are doing. On the other hand, I find sports like soccer or football compelling even though I really have little idea what playing them is like. I think there is something in our basic nature that identifies with competing. Especially with competing against a superior opponent. 

Over the weekend I watched a documentary, I Am, recommended by a good friend. The movie was generally good, but at one point it tried to contend that human nature is cooperative, not competitive. The Bible, and my observation of human nature, indicate that quite the contrary, human nature is largely competitive. David’s battle against Goliath is something that resonates with us at a very deep level. 

Is competitiveness wrong? While David defeating Goliath was good triumphing over evil, Cain and Abel was not. I think it is safe to say that it depends what one is competing against.

But, what about sports where there generally is not a good versus evil motif? If you think maybe that the Miami Heat is evil, what about children’s soccer teams or church basketball leagues? Is that kind of competition something to be encouraged or avoided?

In the Bible, Paul uses sports metaphors to describe aspects of living a Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. There I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” Paul in other places talks about running a good race and fighting a good fight. He seems to view at least parts of sports to be commendable. There is real value in disciplining our bodies (and minds) in the pursuit of excellence—both in the Christian life and in competitive sports.

Based on that, I plan to try to improve my bicycle riding abilities, even as I age. And, I plan to cheer on athletes who dedicate themselves to pursuing goals. I will try to keep in mind that the goal is not victory at all costs, but rather the discipline that comes from sport. That means I’ll try keep perspective and remember that cycling needs to be kept in the proper place in my life. And, to choose the competitors I root for not just based on where I live or whether they win. Go Spurs! And, go whomever is actually not cheating in cycling!

Patriotism

Susie and I visited Philadelphia a little over a week ago.  That visit, coupled with the approach of Fourth of July, has made me think about patriotism. We went to most of the typical tourist sights. We had each been when we were kids, but thought it would be interesting to see again. One place we visited was Independence Hall where they signed the Declaration of Independence. The picture below is of that nicely restored room. The tour guide was very careful to let us know that though the furniture was of that era and matched descriptions of the original, it was not all original pieces. Regardless, it gave a sense of what it would have looked like. 

The guide told us that even though they worked on the negotiations during the heat of the summer, they kept the windows closed and the blinds drawn so no one would know what they were doing. He told of the risks they took in signing that document. 

A relative of Susie’s (John Hart) was a signer and his role led to him having to go into hiding and the British raiding his farm. My initial thought was that I wished I had the opportunity to stand up and risk everything for my beliefs and my country. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was glad that I did not have to as I am not certain how well I would act. Further, it is not like such opportunities all vanished 200 years ago. They are available today. Those were very humbling thoughts.

Fourth of July makes me think of the people who are risking (and giving) their lives for America today. It reminds me of a very powerful moment two years ago when I attended the Fourth of July parade in Milltown, NJ where I grew up. Milltown has always celebrated the Fourth in a fashion befitting a much larger town. There are fireworks, fishing tournaments, and a big, good, old-fashioned parade. Parades seem to be dying out in the era of ubiquitous entertainment. Why go to a little parade in the heat when you can stay at home and watch highlights from the best parades in the country? Milltown’s parade, however, still is well attended. The video above gives a bit of a flavor of it. It may not have been the best parade in America, but it was a good example of small town America at its best.

The picture to the right is of a woman carrying a poster of a soldier who died. I don’t remember whether it was her son or husband or whether it was in Iraq or Afghanistan. As she walked by with a highly decorated soldier marching behind her, I found myself tearing up. Click on the picture to zoom in and look at her closely and see if it does not affect you similarly. The young man on the poster had made the kind of sacrifice that the signers of the Declaration of Independence had risked.  And, in a different way, so had the woman carrying the poster. Again, very humbling. 

Years ago someone asked me if it was possible to be patriotic if you did not agree with your country. My response was something to the effect that it is sort of like being in a family. You may not always agree with your family members, but they are family and you stand by them. You try to correct them, you try to improve them, and you try to serve them. You may even have to give them tough love and stand in the way of them doing something wrong. But, you love them and you stand by them. 

In that sense, I aspire to be a patriot. I may disagree with much that is going on in my country, but it is my country. As such, I must try to improve it. Even if that means risking something. I hope I can find my way to live up to the Founding Fathers of our country. And, to that young man whose picture was marched through the parade.

Proud Papa

Ethan, my younger grandson, just turned 2 years old. Susie and I were out of town, so we missed his birthday party. My daughter-in-law Emily always has themed parties for the boys. As this picture shows, the theme this birthday was baseball. My other grandson, Tommy (3 years old), is on the left and Ethan is on the right. It would be very hard to be anything but a proud grandparent with two grandsons that cute.

Part of the reason we were out of town was that while Susie was at a medical conference in Philadelphia, I was able to spend Saturday in Milltown, NJ where I grew up. I went to the graveyard where my dad is buried and took a picture of the gravestone to show my mom who probably will never have the opportunity to visit it.

My dad’s grave is in my mom’s family plot. Among other relatives, my grandfather is buried there. He was always my favorite relative. I called him Gramps. I remember lots of fun times with him. He taught me to play Pinochle and other card games. He used to tell me stories he made up and silly rhymes like, “Adam and Eve and Pinchme went down to the river to bathe. Adam and Eve got drowned, who do you think got saved?” Of course, the correct answer of Pinchme resulted in getting pinched.

My dad was not at all into anything athletic. I don’t remember him ever throwing me a ball. Gramps would. He would play kickball with me or whatever sport I was interested in. He traveled extensively and told great tales of his travels. To me, he was a larger-than-life character that I loved.

I found out as I got older that he really was quite a character. He had no middle name, but always referred to himself as James Vernon Cockerill (note the gravestone). As best we can figure, he borrowed the name from Vernon Castle.  I still have some pieces of wood that he claimed were from the crash of Castle’s airplane. Gramps claimed he served during World War I at the airfield in Texas where the crash happened. I use the word claim because separating truth from reality with him was hard. 

He got in trouble one time while visiting the island of Guernsey as he claimed to be going to visit the queen. They take the queen rather seriously over there and suspected him of who knows what. The friend he was visiting in Guernsey never spoke to my grandfather again after the episode. 

Gramps wore outrageous clothes and was vain enough that he would never admit how old he was. His grave only has the date of his death, not of his birth. He died in his late 80s while rehearsing for a play at the retirement community where he lived. 

Whatever his flaws, he was Gramps. By contrast, my dad’s parents were Grandmother and Grandfather. There were very much of the children-should-be-seen-and-not-heard school. I remember little about them other than that they were scary and smelled funny. 

It should be pretty obvious which grandparent I want to be like. Not coincidentally, I always wanted to be called Gramps. Tommy, however, calls me Papa or Papa Bill. In truth, he could call me Poopyhead and I would be just fine with it. After all, he is my grandson. Look at that mischievous grin from his train-themed 3-year-old birthday party. How could I not be smitten? So too with Ethan’s crooked smile. 

I want to be a part of their lives. I want to be that fun grandfather that is willing to do crazy things with them. I look forward to the day when I can go bike riding with them, help them build amazing Lego creations, teach them to play Pinochle or to post up in basketball, or join them in whatever they want to do. For now, I will make funny faces at them, wrestle with them, and maybe even trick them into saying, “Pinch me!”

Privacy is so 20th Century

One consequence of writing a blog is that people read it. (OK, not a lot of people.) I wrote about my trip to Bolivia a while back only to realize that one of the teenagers I mentioned may have read it. After quickly making sure what I said was OK, I starting thinking about the loss of privacy due to technology. I’m aware of how much data on me corporations have. While I try to minimize that, it doesn’t bother me too much that they know what I like to buy or do. I'm more concerned with what individuals know about me.

The younger generations seem to care much less about privacy. After all, look what people will say (and show) on Facebook and Twitter. I avoid saying much on Facebook and avoid Twitter entirely. But, now I am writing a blog. I worry about posting blog entries when I’m out of town. Why let the world know I’m cruising in the Mediterranean until I’m safely at home? Is that paranoia or prudence? How can I even be concerned about privacy when I write about myself? Such are the privacy questions we all face.

I came up with the title of this blog to indicate that privacy may be a concept whose time is passing. While doing a little research on privacy, I started to doubt that privacy was something we always had and just recently starting to lose. Instead, privacy may have been largely a 20th Century concept. 

For all that we consider privacy an American right, it is either vague or non-existent in the Constitution. The Bill of Rights protects us from unreasonable search and seizure which some interpret to include privacy. That is hardly a strong indication of a right to privacy. Further, privacy may well not have been what the framers had in mind at all. I’m not aware of the Bible really talking about privacy, though there are some negative references to things done in secret. 

My feeling (admittedly, not extensively researched) is that privacy would have been a fairly foreign concept to most people in most times in history. Most people did not have the luxury of private rooms and spaces to make privacy as easy as it is today. Small communities are generally thought of as places where everyone knows everyone's business.

Why do we value privacy? It seems that privacy should not be so important if we don’t have things to hide. I wonder if the ability to hide things encourages bad behavior. I'd love to know your thoughts or if you are aware of any good resource materials on this topic.

Regardless, I think that privacy is fading in the 21st Century. Maybe the lack of privacy is a new phenomenon or maybe that is a return to the way things used to be. For the moment, I plan to be more private than most, get used to privacy being less than it was when I was growing up, and study more about what level of privacy we ought to have according to the Bible and the Constitution.

I guess I should be grateful that not many folks will read this!
 

Death sucks

On Saturday I went cycling with a couple of good friends, John and Jay. The weather was beautiful and the ride, very enjoyable. We were riding in the gentle rolling hills and farmland between McGee’s Crossroads and Bentonville. We rode by fields of young tobacco, corn, and other crops I could not identify. We saw Enoch’s Winery and Bistro and wondered about a bistro in the middle of farm country. We passed by churches and schools. We pedaled by family cemeteries, abandoned buildings, and odd stores in old buildings. We did not talk much, so there was plenty of time for thinking. When we stopped at a small grocery store at the halfway point, John mentioned he had been thinking about what color to paint his old bike. Then he asked me what I had been thinking.

It was not meant to be a deep question, but my response was the truthful one, or at least part of the truth. I said I was thinking about the inerrancy of Scripture. I didn’t go on to mention that I had also been thinking about the use of metaphor in the Bible. And, about death. There was no need to mention those thoughts as I had already ground the conversation to a halt. We somewhat awkwardly transitioned back to the new color for John’s old pink/magenta bike. 

Back on our bikes, I could not shake the thought that there seems to be way too much death lately. Jay’s dad died a week ago. An acquaintance (about my age) from my church’s worship team died suddenly, also in the last week. I attended viewings/wakes for both of them. My pastor’s mom died a month ago. My friend and business partner’s mom died earlier in the year. It seems like lots of folks are dying. That is probably just a consequence of getting older. Regardless, I don’t like it. 

Like many in modern society, I thought death was distant. Until a few years ago, I had seldom attended a funeral. In the first 40 years of my life, I only remember attending one, that of a teenage sister of a good friend of mine. Funerals seemed to be rare rituals presided over by professionals. Even when I did attend one, it seemed to further distance me from death. I saw but brief glimpses of the dead at viewings. Cemeteries tend to be in out-of-the-way places. Places we don’t visit. My family’s plot is in NJ, where my dad is buried. I think I have been there once in the last 30 years.

Things were different in earlier times. Death was all around.  Children commonly died. The bodies of the dead were tended to by families. Funerals were common occurrences that involved whole communities. Cemeteries were important parts of a town or city.

Today, we use euphemisms to talk about death, saying things like, “he passed” or “the dearly departed.” We may say something like, “she's in a better place.”  These phrases hide the real truth—death is wrong. It is not how things were meant to be. Despite our attempts to keep death in its place, death is still something that happens to everyone.

Paul in I Corinthians 15 talks about the hope that we as Christians share in Christ’s resurrection. After talking about that triumph, in verse 26 Paul says, “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” Death is indeed an enemy. Jesus weeps at Lazarus' death (John 11:35). The night before His crucifixion, and later during His final moments, Jesus does not use such pleasant euphemisms.

Later in the same chapter of I Corinthians (verse 55), Paul says “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Though often quoted, those words are for the future when death has been conquered.

Pondering my own mortality, I rejoice in the future promise of those words.  I don’t fear death, but I do see it for what it is—the enemy, a horrible consequence of the Fall. I look forward to its ultimate defeat. 

In the meantime, death sucks.

Quick book reviews (#2)

One of the nice consequences of our recent Mediterranean cruise is that I got to read a decent amount. I’ve done my usual brief reviews below. These reviews use a scale of 5 stars based on Library Thing. I am generally a tough grader, but these books were all very good. I read all of them on a Kindle or with the Kindle app on my iPad or iPhone. 

Almost Amish: One Woman’s Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life by Nancy Sleeth (4.5 star)

Last year I read, and was very impressed with, The Gospel According to the Earth: Why the Good Book Is a Green Book by Matthew Sleeth.  It does a wonderful job of giving both practical and scriptural basis for the book’s subtitle. His wife Nancy’s book covers similar ground, but from a different perspective. Again, the book’s subtitle does an excellent job of describing the book. The basic premise is that the Amish way of life is an instructive one. Rather than just accepting every technology, wanting every possible thing, and living life on the terms decided by the media and the world, we need to choose which of each of this things to include in our life. The Amish life is a much simpler life, though arguably richer than our lives. As the title implies, Sleeth thinks we don’t need to be Amish, but instead to apply those principles. She gives examples that show how she and her husband have attempted to apply Amish principles to how they live their lives. I plan to be seriously thinking about how to apply some of these concepts to my life. I think I’ll start with an easy one and give any clothes I’ve not worn in over a year to Goodwill.  I would recommend this book to anyone who feels the stress and strain of modern life. 

1491 (Second Edition): New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann (4.0 stars)

The basic question this book tries to answer is what were the Americas like before Columbus and the Europeans arrived. The book pulls together lots of resources to argue persuasively that the year 1491 is not at all like what we usually imagine. Mann contends that the population of the Americas was vastly larger than we once thought and that the Indians were not just hunter/gatherers living in harmony with nature. Instead, they transformed their environment on a massive scale. Rather than just farming vegetables, they farmed trees and entire ecosystems. He contends that much of the Amazon rainforest was actually created by civilizations we know very little about since the climate and geography mean that traces of them are hard to detect. The reason that we think of the native population of the Americas so differently is because European illnesses (and other external factors like weather changes) caused a rapid and massive population collapse, potentially over 95% of the population in 1491 was gone in the next century or so. For example, when the Pilgrims landed, there were few Indians there. The Pilgrims were able to use lands that had been farmed by Indians when they were more numerous. His conclusions are fairly controversial, but he makes them very well. If you are at all interested in American history or anthropology, this is well worth your time to read.

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer (3.5 stars)

This book attempts to look at the creative process. For me, I read this largely through the prism of what I and my company should do to foster creativity in our workplace. Lehrer looks at creativity through individual examples, like Bob Dylan, as well as the latest in neuroscience and psychology to try and understand the creative process. One of the big takeaways for me is the importance of allowing the brain time to wander. This is related to the phenomenon of having great ideas in the shower. As the author himself would probably agree, I need to let the ideas in the book percolate a bit before deciding what to do with them. I would recommend this book to anyone involved in work that requires creativity and who is willing to think about the best way to maximize creativity. Arguably, pretty much everyone and job would be well served by more creativity! 

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Nial Ferguson (3.5 stars)

This book is a fascinating look at the development of money from shells to coins to paper money to today’s complex financial instruments such as the famed credit default swaps at the center of the recent financial meltdown. All of these are levels of abstraction that allow for easier transactions. Without them, we would be trying to pay for our iPhones with carts full of grain. What Ferguson does is walk through the development of these financial innovations and show how they happened, how they work, and the impact each had on history. I enjoyed the book, but it was at times a bit of a chore to read. If you like history and would like to learn more about finance, this book is worth reading.

As to what I’m currently reading, the six I’ve read at least a chapter of in the last couple of weeks include It Happened on the Way to War, The Intolerance of Tolerance, The Philosophical Breakfast Club, Everyday Missions, The Optimism Bias, and The Narcissism Epidemic. Yes, I do read an odd selection of books!