We urge everyone to join
The Genographic Project
(a research partnership of National Geographic and IBM,
supported by The Waitt Family Foundation (of "Gateway Computers").
Dear Readers,
One of our main interests is the ancient history of mankind, especially in terms of the impact of that history - real or imagined - on current events. Consider the Middle East, for example, without that history. It would be a much different place than what we see today. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of that region of the Earth, and thus also the rest of the world, are all victims of events which took place thousands of years before us. And these historical events are selectively chosen and often inaccurately portrayed. After all, who were the Jews and Palestinians in 10000 BC, and who occupied Israel in 100000 BC? Potentially, the Holy Land is the cradle for all modern humanity, and if so, it belongs to everyone.
We live in a world marked internationally by hatred, violence, war and now the threat of nuclear war, all of which are senseless developments when one considers that all men and women on this planet are closely related genetically, differing from one another minimally.
Political history may separate men and nations, but genetic history unites them. Genetically seen, the difference between a Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim is small. The "big" difference exists primarily in the imaginations of men, but not in actual physical reality.
The only way to limit the senseless circle of international violence is to educate the masses about their true heritage and the close genetic relationship between all human beings. God did not create Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists or Muslims. Rather, God created only human beings, with no religious affiliation. Religion is man's invention, not God's.
The National Geographic - in a joint project with IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation - is currently in the process of conducting The Genographic Project, "a landmark study of the human journey". As written by the National Geographic about The Tree of Humanity:
"We were born on the African savanna. Humanity is rooted there.... At some point we left our African cradle and colonized the world. Yet the saga of what must have been our greatest epic journeys has lain untold for ages. A new explorer, however, thinks it is possible to now tell that story....
One by one, the outlines of epic migrations are being sketched.... So a map is emerging, but it is a map with much terra incognita [unknown terrain]. To chart more accurately this formative stage of human history, we need to expand the pool of genetic samples available to science."
In other words, to tell the story of ancient human migration on our planet accurately, The Genographic Project needs more DNA data, your DNA data. As the National Geographic writes:
"Public participation is critical to the project's success. By purchasing a Genographic Project Public Participation Kit [the price of ca. $125 per kit is far below what labs generally charge for such a DNA analysis], you may discover something about your own genetic past as well. You have an ancient story encoded in your genes, too.... Your results ... will indicate ... the ... genetic markers [your] ancestors bequeathed you thousands of years ago, which chart your remote ancestors' migratory wanderings and indicate from which branch you hang on the global family tree. And if you choose to add your results to the research database, your profile will help fill out that greater tree, better articulating its profusion of twigs and branches."
Hence, we urge everyone to join the National Geographic / IBM / Waitt Family Foundation Genographic Project. And urge your friends to join as well.
The Genographic Project
(a research partnership of National Geographic and IBM,
supported by The Waitt Family Foundation (of "Gateway Computers").
Dear Readers,
One of our main interests is the ancient history of mankind, especially in terms of the impact of that history - real or imagined - on current events. Consider the Middle East, for example, without that history. It would be a much different place than what we see today. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of that region of the Earth, and thus also the rest of the world, are all victims of events which took place thousands of years before us. And these historical events are selectively chosen and often inaccurately portrayed. After all, who were the Jews and Palestinians in 10000 BC, and who occupied Israel in 100000 BC? Potentially, the Holy Land is the cradle for all modern humanity, and if so, it belongs to everyone.
We live in a world marked internationally by hatred, violence, war and now the threat of nuclear war, all of which are senseless developments when one considers that all men and women on this planet are closely related genetically, differing from one another minimally.
Political history may separate men and nations, but genetic history unites them. Genetically seen, the difference between a Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim is small. The "big" difference exists primarily in the imaginations of men, but not in actual physical reality.
The only way to limit the senseless circle of international violence is to educate the masses about their true heritage and the close genetic relationship between all human beings. God did not create Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists or Muslims. Rather, God created only human beings, with no religious affiliation. Religion is man's invention, not God's.
The National Geographic - in a joint project with IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation - is currently in the process of conducting The Genographic Project, "a landmark study of the human journey". As written by the National Geographic about The Tree of Humanity:
"We were born on the African savanna. Humanity is rooted there.... At some point we left our African cradle and colonized the world. Yet the saga of what must have been our greatest epic journeys has lain untold for ages. A new explorer, however, thinks it is possible to now tell that story....
One by one, the outlines of epic migrations are being sketched.... So a map is emerging, but it is a map with much terra incognita [unknown terrain]. To chart more accurately this formative stage of human history, we need to expand the pool of genetic samples available to science."
In other words, to tell the story of ancient human migration on our planet accurately, The Genographic Project needs more DNA data, your DNA data. As the National Geographic writes:
"Public participation is critical to the project's success. By purchasing a Genographic Project Public Participation Kit [the price of ca. $125 per kit is far below what labs generally charge for such a DNA analysis], you may discover something about your own genetic past as well. You have an ancient story encoded in your genes, too.... Your results ... will indicate ... the ... genetic markers [your] ancestors bequeathed you thousands of years ago, which chart your remote ancestors' migratory wanderings and indicate from which branch you hang on the global family tree. And if you choose to add your results to the research database, your profile will help fill out that greater tree, better articulating its profusion of twigs and branches."
Hence, we urge everyone to join the National Geographic / IBM / Waitt Family Foundation Genographic Project. And urge your friends to join as well.
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