spike asked
> How is that gene search done? Do they just collect a bunch
> of natural believers on one side, nonbelievers on the other, sequence
everyone's
>
> genes and see how group A is different from group B?
Unfortunately we can't do that yet. It will be possible but at present we can't do that. The reason is that you have to sequence the genome to get the data that you want to line up against each other. At present it costs around a buck per site, so people will sequence say 400 sites and look for familial linkage. Unfortunately you need people who are related to one another and you need hundreds of people to get any kind of power at all, because you are dealing with linkage and crossing over at meiosis breaks linkage.
In about 15 years when we can sequence the entire genome of a human for $400 (instead of the current multi-billion dollar cost ala human genome project) your dream will be realized. we will be able to do genetic studies in unrelated people with 100% power.
>> I guess that we could run a Dopamine cable from the <thinking-about-the-
>> -universe-as-a-vast-empty-mindless-space> module down to the
>> <feeling-really-good> module ... that might be fun ;-)
> i volunteer to be wired. {8^D spike
Now this is actually being done. I wouldn't volunteer though ;-)