World Records often involve peril and great feats of courage, and in a way A.J. Jacobs’ plan to stage a Global Family Reunion in New York City this June is a kind of daring 
tightrope walk of its own.
The daylong event – which the New York Times recently described as “part TED talk, part Coachella and part family picnic” – is billed as the largest family reunion ever.
AJ has put together an event that sprinkles in a little science, a little fun and a lot of socializing. Among the featured speakers are Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., who is also a host of the PBS show “Finding Your Roots”, the documentarian Morgan Spurlock, and performances by the illusionist David Blaine and the group Sister Sledge.
If A.J., an editor at large at Esquire and good friend of 23andMe, pulls it off, it will clearly be one for Guinness’s record book, but more than that the reunion also marks a sea change in the use of genetic testing for genealogical purposes. This direct to consumer genetic testing thing is really here to stay.
There’s also a point to the reunion beyond just setting a record. As A.J. has said both here on our blog but also in his well-received talks, we’re all family.
“I want to remind people that we are, in fact, one big family,” A.J. told the Times. “We do share 99.9 percent of our DNA, and that we need to treat each other with a little more kindness.”
There are still tickets available with money from the event going toward Alzheimer’s disease research. 23andMe will be on hand as well.
So if you plan to be in New York City on June 6 why don’t you drop in on some family?
(Ed’s note: A.J. really wants to connect with you if you are a 23andMe customer and are signed on you can connect with him here. In addition, A.J. has been generous enough to offer a discount for 23andMe customers. You can go here and get 25 percent off tickets.)
WHO IS INVITED: All members of the human family.
THE CAUSE: Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and the Alzheimer’s Association NYC.