[ExI] 23andSingularity

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of Mike Dougherty
Subject: Re: [ExI] 23andSingularity

On Sun, Jul 7, 2013 at 12:54 AM, spike <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:
>>... It occurred to me that we could program something like a will to 
> figure out an enormous but very specific question: how are all the 
> carbon units on 23andMe related?... Oooh my, is this cool, or what?

>...yeah, it's cool in the sense "wow, the possibility exists and we can do
it"

>...Not cool in the sense that those with the resources ARE doing it; for
their benefit.

>...Facebork's whole business plan is selling the network of who's who (and
what's what?)

>...And what of that govt operation named after the triangular optics that
refracts light?
_______________________________________________

Ja, so here's my idea, a remarkably simple one.  23andMe has all these
genetic profiles which they sell to medical insurance companies which allow
the companies to cherry pick the most profitable profiles, even to include
some clients which never had their DNA tested.  Reasoning: some of our most
expensive diseases are quite unlikely in an offspring if neither parent has
the genetic marker.  23andMe could infer the offspring are at a low risk,
sell the info to insurance companies for profit.

OK, so now we can do the same trick, only better.  We can figure out which
diseases we are genetically predisposed to escape, then use that info to get
the insurance companies to offer us discounts.  That way, we win on health
insurance costs if we won the genome lottery.

Here's another one for you.  Suppose there is some known disease which is
associated with two particular markers.  If you have one of the markers, you
have about a 2x risk, if you have both, about an 8x risk.  The insurance
company wants to charge you a premium for that risk.  You, being an internet
hipster, look into that particular disease and learn that while true, your
having both markers makes you 8x more at risk, you also need to compensate
by noting your current age.  If the condition in question ordinarily
presents at age 10 to 15, then by age 50, if one still shows no signs of the
disease, the likelihood is low.

In some cases, such as scoliosis, once the patient is finished growing,
there is no further risk of developing the condition.  It is too easy to
imagine insurance companies charging a fully grown adult client a premium
for having a genetic predisposition to scoliosis.  The hip patient could use
knowledge to fight back and get a better deal.

We could set up a system where we are professional advocates for patients
dealing with insurance companies.  It would be like an accountant hired by a
client to deal with the IRS, only the insurance company doesn't have the
authority to have you thrown in prison indefinitely.  A new industry can
emerge here.

spike