DNA

[Pat Farrell]

In message Mon, 13 Jun 1994 18:54:10 +0200 (METDST),
  Mats Bergstrom <matsb at sos.sll.se>  writes:

> Databases of fingerprints and retina-images might still have a future
> for specialized applications but DNA-typing (why not on a simple blood
> sample at birth) combined with a fixed social security number valid for
> life will probably become a widely used method for governments to control
> the identity of their serfs.
> [good stuff elided]
>
> Unfortunately there is no known method of encrypting one's DNA code
> in situ but hopefully they will safely (in escrow?) encrypt it in
> the databanks.

This issue came up at the CFP-2 conference (Computers Freedom and Privacy,
March 92 edition). There were speakers there claiming that the audience,
when getting up from their chairs, would leave sufficient hair, skin
flakes, sweat, etc. behind that DNA mapping would be easy. Of course, this
mapping would be without the "suspect" having any knowledge of when the map
material was gathered.

I don't know if this was factual then, but no one rose up to claim that the
speaker was in error, and there were lots of folks in the audience that
could have challenged it. None did.

This speach was a major motivation in my interest in these topics.

That, and a chance to listen to Bruce Stirling, DED, and Jim Bidzos...

Pat

Pat Farrell      Grad Student                 pfarrell at cs.gmu.edu
Department of Computer Science    George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Public key availble via finger          #include <standard.disclaimer>