DIY DNA: One Father’s Attempt to Hack His Daughter’s Genetic Code

January 22, 2009

“Do you want to see my flashlight?” Five-year-old Beatrice Rienhoff bounds into the foyer of her family’s home, sporting a blond Prince Valiant haircut and a bashful smile. She plops down on the floor and starts unscrewing the top of her toy flashlight, eager to show off its innards. Her hazel eyes brim with curiosity. Beatrice looks like any other healthy preschooler until she leaps into her father’s arms for a hug. As she does, her shorts push up a bit, exposing her legs. They are, as her dad calls them, “little bird legs,” entirely lacking in visible muscle. There is no curve of calf or quadricep, just twiggy bones pressed against flesh. It’s surprising that Beatrice can get around so fluidly on such gaunt limbs. (Wired)