Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D. JD

We've had multiple members of our Facebook Group, Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques, describe their successes (and of course failures!) with totheletterdna. There is also Genetic Legacies in Utah that offers this service...

What is the most novel & interesting way you've used generative AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.) recently? I use it all day as a now-essential component of my two jobs (attorney and genealogy educator), but I recently used it to critique and improve my skincare routine! What fun example do you have?

Classic rage-baiting! But looks like it worked, so kudos!

"Digital fossil" is a new generative AI term for me! I love how the researchers tracked the origin of this fossil!

It may seem that way, but it is 100% incorrect. Retirement accounts are YOUR money. You know full well that the social security you have paid was for the retired generation, just like the younger generation is supposed to pay SS for your retirement. That's how SS has always worked, from day 1

Note, sigh, CA AG Rob Bonta absolutely did NOT "urge customers to delete their data from 23andMe’s website." He simply reminded us that we have the option and should consider whether or not to do so. I expect much more from Science Friday, but paranoia has taken over unfortunately...

graphic of branching lifelines, with the path taken traced through it. past paths no longer in play are greyed out, possible future paths spread out like a network of roots in front

The future is a web of branching paths, and each choice opens up new possibilities as it closes others. This is as true for a civilization as it is for an individual. The more our collective intelligence can inform each choice, the better our chances of finding paths through to a beautiful future.

As a geneticist, I will not mourn 23andMe and its jumble of useless health information | Adam Rutherford Millions paid to give away their most personal data. At least in return they found out more about their earwax, says academic and author Adam Rutherford

This op-ed is an example of paternalism & privilege blindness that genetic genealogists see from some academic geneticists. Many cannot understand individual genetics when their work focuses on population genomics. 1000s found medically actionable information in 23andMe results... #genealogy #DNA

Americans Are Unhappier Than Ever. Solo Dining May Be a Sign. The United States slipped to its lowest ranking ever in the World Happiness Report, in part because more Americans are eating alone. Once again, the Finns came out on top.

For more: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/u...

Sharing meals with others: How sharing meals supports happiness and social connections The World Happiness Report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an independent ed...

This is fascinating research: "sharing meals with others is strongly predictive of greater life evaluations, increased positive affect, and decreased negative affect."

And learning that the word "companion" means "with bread" is so fascinating!

My dear friend and colleague Robert Charles Anderson passed away yesterday. Bob was the finest scholar in the field of #Genealogy I had ever known. A library of knowledge is now gone, yet preserved in his scholarship with @americanancestors.bsky.social He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

What a wonderful person and incredible genealogist!

If you have zero education, but learn how to ask AI models the right questions , in many jobs you will be able to outperform someone with an advanced degree, but who is unwilling to use Large Language Models.

Just takes a smartphone, curiosity to experiment and a mindset to learn.

Haha! There are ALWAYS worse problems (such as the ultimate demise of the Universe!). That's rarely an excuse to ignore an issue!

New #DNA #geneticgenealogy #genealogy Seminar open for registration with great speakers @davevance.bsky.social @grandmasgenes.bsky.social @blainebettinger.bsky.social and Jim Brewster More info from @victoriags.org and registration www.victoriags.org/content.aspx...

The Genetic Genealogist DNA, Genetic Genealogy, Genealogy, Autosomal DNA

I don't blog much recently, but I have a full archive! www.TheGeneticGenealogist.com

Hotpot in NYC with my husband and my best friend (not shown!) last weekend, what else could be better? #food #nyc

So cool! Was she named?

AND incredibly beautiful inside!

Looking forward to great things in 2025! Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

I follow everyone that follows me, by default (in large part because I don't have time to research individual profiles). Some of the followers I lose are bot or scam accounts that I followed and are eventually deleted.

Many are sharing books that heavily influenced them, and I want to join the fun! I first read Tuck Everlasting as a kid, probably around 10 or 11, and fell in love with it. Action, a love story, immortality, it has it all! #books #bookchallenge

#2!

In addition to being a genealogist, I am an intellectual property attorney, specializing in medical and health devices/methods, AI/machine learning, genomics, and much more! And I also enjoy the small niche of exploring the records of the U.S. Patent Office! #AI #patent

Fellow genealogists, what is your FAVORITE non-genealogy must-follow Bluesky profile?

Love this! Social media has been a tough place the past week(s), but knowing that I have so many friends that support me makes it all worthwhile!

Hello world! Finally joined (11/13/2024) and looking forward to connecting with all of my friends and colleagues!