Trend Longevity Rating
matured and remains highly relevant, even where the details changed
How this trend held up
The science landed almost exactly as predicted: whole-genome sequencing costs fell well below the book's $1,000 target, direct-to-consumer genetic testing became routine, and pharmacogenomics is now a real part of prescribing. But the trend's own case study became a cautionary tale rather than a triumph. 23andMe — the company the book used to illustrate the personal-genomics revolution — suffered a major data breach in 2023 and filed for bankruptcy in 2025, with its genetic database becoming exactly the kind of sensitive asset the book's own "Unhealthy Surveillance" chapter warned about. Medical genealogy as a scientific capability succeeded; medical genealogy as a consumer business model did not.
Every past trend prediction is re-reviewed and graded with a Trend Longevity Rating, measuring how much each originally curated trend still matters years later.
