Sometimes DNA Test Results Are Just The Beginning Of The Story...

Welcome to April 25, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate weird science and staying connected. 

When Lydia Fairchild, a pregnant mother of two found herself in an economic pinch, she decided to apply for government assistance.  Imagine her surprise when a DNA test revealed that her children were not her own.  She was so upset by the implications of fraud that she asked for a government witness be present at the birth of her third child.  Now here’s where it gets strange.  An immediate test of the newborn confirmed that the child was not Lydia’s either.  This case had experts so baffled until science determined that Lydia was a “chimera.”  She herself had absorbed her own twin while developing in utero and it was her twin’s DNA that showed up during testing.  On National DNA Day, celebrate the weird science that may only reveal one piece of the truth.

The first words ever spoken on a telephone were: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” That was the phrase uttered by Alexander Graham Bell to his partner Thomas Watson back in 1876. In the nearly 150 years since then, this invention has dramatically changed the world. Mr. Bell would probably be shocked to see what has become of his simple device. Even in our lifetimes, we’ve seen the telephone transform into what is essentially a hand-held computer, but its main purpose remains the same: bringing people together. On National Telephone Day, celebrate by reaching out to your loved ones. Mr. Bell would be awfully glad you did. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.