The Potentially Glorious, or Dangerous, Massive Cultural Impact of Mitochondrial DNA Studies.

The increasing use of mitochondrial DNA in determining genetic relationships among human beings opens up the extraordinary possibility of a global registry in which every individual knows his or her antecedents and degree of genetic closeness to all other living human beings.

What would be the result of such knowledge? A delight in finding out that we are all more or less brothers and sisters under the skin, leading — one hopes — to a decrease in hostilities between antagonistic groups? Or would a new clannishness emerge in which anyone who is more, say, than six degrees of genetic separation from oneself is identified as a natural enemy?

SALLY M. GALL, holds degrees from Harvard / Radcliffe and NYU. A librettist, poet, critic, and scholar, she now specializes in writing texts for a broad range of music drama.