Monday, January 06, 2014

One Less Plot for Your Novel about the Perfect Crime

Science Finally Able To Tell The Genetic Difference Between Identical TwinsIt’s such a great conceit for a crime show: guy commits murder; guy denies it; turns out it was guy’s identical twin all along; everyone is happy (except murdered dude). Sadly, procedurals are going to have to get some new plotlines, because scientists at Eurofins have finally discovered a way to tell identical twins apart genetically.

6 comments:

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Sad. I've always hoped someone would write a murder mystery about a bone marrow donor who kills. I was told when I gave bone marrow that the recipient now was genetically identical to me.

Unknown said...

There goes your chance to commit the perfect crime.

Deb said...

We've never actually gotten to the bottom of whether our twins are identical. When I was pregnant, the doctor Ted me they must be fraternal because they were in separate fetal sacs with separate placentas, so although they look very much alike, I always put it down to them being sisters of the same age. Fast-forward 15 years and their science teacher tells them that based on fingerprints, they are identical. Me: If the science teacher wants to spring for the DNA test, we'll find out, until then, you're fraternal.

Unknown said...

DNA tests are getting cheaper. Maybe the science teacher will go for it.

Jerry House said...

Deb, that science teacher should pick another subject to teach. Fingerprints are not genetic and identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. Fingerprints are caused by pressures within the uterus and they are all different. The science teacher would have been just as accurate if he had used phrenology.

Deb said...

Thanks for the confirmation, Jerry. Anyway, the girls are so different in their personalities and styles and likes/dislikes, being twins is almost incidental.