What secrets are lurking in your double helix? via NIST

DNA tests are often the province of “You are NOT the father” jokes or unrealistic depictions on CSI: Richmond. They can be useful if you’re curious about how your family came to be your family, and maybe even toss you some surprises, like cluing you into the fact you have secret Tibetan cousins. Or maybe your family ends up being exactly what you thought it would be. In that case you’d be better served not paying full price for your DNA test, and the good news is now you don’t have to, thanks to a Living Social deal at AncestrybyDNA.

The test is usually $195, because science is expensive, but the deal knocks it down to $97. It all works pretty simply: you swab your cheek, you send it to the AncestrybyDNA people, then they analyze it and tell you your DNA breakdown by four racial categories (European, Indigenous American, East Asian and African). You also get a certificate of DNA authenticity, so if anyone tries to say you’re some kind of cyborg or something, you can point to that as proof that you’re all human.