Mosquitoes are a real annoyance. They land on you, drink your blood, make you itchy and can carry deadly diseases. But you might have noticed that some people get bitten more than others. So, why does this happen? It turns out to be more complicated than you may think.
Find your family tree without compromising your data
Seven million 23andMe customers thought they were just getting insights into their family history — instead, they got their data hacked.
It went beyond names and addresses. Hackers got their hands on DNA genotypes, predispositions to certain conditions and carrier status. And they were able to hunt down genetic relatives for millions of 23andMe customers. So scary.
Here’s the good news. You can research your family history without handing over your DNA. I found ancestry resources, and none are paid family tree research sites collecting a ton of personal data.
Start with a free site
Get started with these research tools, and remember — you’re in control of what info you hand over.
- AccessGenealogy: An online directory of digital genealogy resources. They specialize in Native American genealogy research and have helpful links for pre-Civil War African-American genealogy research. Some of the sites they link to are paid — but they indicate it with a dollar sign. Otherwise, it’s all free and doesn’t require registration (links to other sites might!)
- The Statue of Liberty — Ellis Island Foundation: Know your family came through Ellis Island? Use the site’s passenger search function to find the tens of millions of Americans who had at least one ancestor pass through the port.
- FamilySearch: From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this platform includes a collaborative family tree tool and is free for anyone (regardless of religious affiliation). Note: You choose what data you share — just keep in mind it could be shared with third parties or the Mormon churches near you.
Then, head to these libraries
They’re for more than your next book club read. Local and statewide libraries and historical and genealogical societies host a wealth of knowledge resources.
- HeritageQuest: This tool is offered for free by thousands of public and state libraries. It’s an online database, but you must visit a physical library and use your library card to access it!
- Digital Public Library of America: This one is technically a library, but it’s free to access online, no library card necessary! You can search for family names or ask cool questions like “What did downtown Memphis look like in the 1910s when my family lived there?”
Go deeper with public records and community archives
- The National Archives: These archives include Census, military service, immigration and naturalization records. You might hit gold at county courthouses, which have even more records, such as deeds, wills and land. Some statewide archives have county-level records, too.
- Find A Grave: A subset of Ancestry, browse this free community record of cemeteries and pay your virtual respects. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also hosts a Gravesite Locator for veterans.
So … what about DNA testing?
Use your computer's processing power to help scientists cure COVID-19
The coronavirus has people around the world practicing social distancing. To stave off boredom, we’re all spending a lot more time online than ever before, but it’s negatively impacting those who need a good connection to work from their home offices.
Can you get cancer from what you eat?
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🦇 Bat to the bone: Taxidermied bats are all over online marketplaces. They’re trendy Halloween decor, and some people actually wear them as jewelry. Scientists are warning it’s not just unsafe (hello, diseases), but it’s also cruel. These bats are harvested in questionable ways, and rarer species are in danger.
While coronavirus is killing people, Amazon searches for a cure for the common cold
Diseases are tricky adversaries. Not only are they too small to see, but their effects are often wild and unpredictable. Even the mildest diseases we face don’t have one-size-fits-all remedies. Usually, the burden lies on us to protect ourselves by staying hygienic.
Track your health: More doctors are incorporating the Apple Watch into patient care, especially for managing diseases. Case in point (paywall link): A woman with atrial fibrillation sends data from her watch to her doc to make sure her medication and lifestyle are on point. Want one? Check out the Apple Watch SE, Series 9 or Ultra 2.
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