WEBSITE OF THE DAY - 23andme.com

See where you came from. And perhaps where you're going

23 January 2008 0:00 GMT / By Ian Hughes

Hardly big news, but it's the 23rd today. All day.

Intriguing number, 23. Google it (other search engines are available) and you'll be presented with countless weird and wonderful ideas that all life, and conversely death, revolves around the number 23.

2 divided by 3 equals .666, Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death on May 23 1934, the Hiroshima bomb was dropped at 8.15am (8 + 5 = 23), the ill-fated Knights Templar had 23 grand masters. The list goes on and on and on.

More importantly it's the number worn by Michael Jordan and David Beckham.

So what, you're all asking. Well today sees the grand unveiling in Europe of 23andMe, the do-it-almost-yourself DNA testing kit. Send them a saliva sample (oh, and £500) and they'll test your DNA, revealing all the mysteries and secrets held within your own 23 pairs or chromosomes.

(If they can tell me what happened to my mad old Great Uncle Luther, last seen jumping a ship to Canada, then I'm in.)

However, it's more likely that you'll find out about your ancestry and inherited traits. With a little expert guidance (we can only assume that this costs extra) you might even be able to see what illness you're likely to be susceptible to later in life.

Not sure this is what they had in mind when spending billions on researching DNA and the Human Genome Project, but it's an interesting development nonetheless.

Especially if it helps me find Uncle Luther.

www.23andme.com

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