Is your future really written in your genes? A geneticist reveals the truth

We live in an age when a simple DNA test promises to unlock your future, but geneticist Giles Yeo argues that when it comes to who we are, our genes are only ever part of the picture.

By Saga Magazine | Published - 10 Mar 2026
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Is our future really written in our genes? Geneticist Giles Yeo tackles one of the most fascinating questions in modern science and one that's becoming increasingly relevant as consumer DNA tests like 23andMe promise to reveal everything from your athletic potential to your ancestry.

Drawing on the story of Olympic cycling couple Jason and Laura Kenny, Giles unpicks what our genes can and can't tell us about who we are and who we might become. The answer, it turns out, is more complicated – and more reassuring – than you might think. Your genes are only ever half the story.

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