Are Family Smarts and Quirks in Your Genes?

I’m not a “STEM Girl.” I’m a strategist, creative type, and storyteller who loves technology.

I’ve never been one to put myself in a box, but spending a week with family (and extended family) in Cape Cod got me thinking about genetic predisposition (plus great beach time with people I hadn’t seen in ages…plus lobster, ice cream, and needlepoint).

During family dinners, I often felt I was listening to a foreign language. Here’s why…

I have a niece who is literally working on a cure for cancer. Her husband is a biotech consultant. My older brother has an MD/PhD and studies pediatric orphan diseases. My late father pioneered fetal ultrasound, and my late younger brother worked on voice recognition technology before Siri existed.

Two second cousins are therapists, and we discussed family memories and dysfunction, kinks, and vice (which were my podcast themes this month).

I talked to my younger relatives about school and hobbies.

We did jigsaw puzzles and cooked together. We rarely took pix or posted on social media. Imagine that! (I even “cartooned” the feature picture in the article because personal family time should remain personal.)

Although I’m kind of a black sheep in the family, I realized I also possess a mix of qualities I see in other relatives.

My inner research geek compelled me to study how much of who we are is predetermined. And I must have a little STEM in my genes because I’m really fast at using AI to find and validate statistics!

This week on Substack: How AI and technology can help you explore your family history, recognize inherited patterns, and better understand where you’re headed next.

And be sure to subscribe to YOUR NERVE to learn how to turn memories into action.