New Scientist: Check My Junk

Gay or straight? A saliva test can predict the answer, and get it right 67 per cent of the time – for male identical twins at least.

The test, which uses clues from tiny modifications to a person’s genome, is the first that claims to detect sexual orientation. Many scientists have expressed caution over the results, while concerns over potential misuse of the test have led the study’s lead researcher to quit the project entirely.

“The scientific benefit to understanding [why people vary in sexual orientation] is obvious to anyone with an iota of curiosity,” says Michael Bailey at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. “The predictive test needs replication on larger samples in order to know how good it is, but in theory it’s quite interesting.” ...

New Scientist.

Who needs gaydar when you've got an 'algorithm using the modification of the genetic information contained in DNA'? 

How ironic that this research is based on looking at something called 'junk DNA'.

If you read the article it becomes clear this is junk science.


What makes us gay?

Nobody has a clue.

If you made a list of all the 'boffins' who've claimed they'd discovered what causes homosexuality, it would reach Uranus.

Update: Picked up all over the place, and presented as some kind of Eureka-like moment - 'coz a scientist says...'

Update2: Some boffins on why it's probably bollocks.

“While there is strong evidence in general for a biological basis for homosexuality my personal impression has always been one of a multiple contributory factors, including life experiences. 

"My gut feeling it that, as the complete story unfolds, the association may not be quite as simple as the summary (abstract) and press release suggest."

Darren Griffin, professor of genetics, University of Kent.