According to Dorothy Nelkin and Susan Lindee, it has become a sacred entity – the modern equivalent of the Christian soul, an individual’s essence. While some forms of biological determinism, such as the belief that race or gender dictates a person’s destiny, have been widely rejected, the idea that a person can be genetically predisposed, say, to get into debt, become a ruthless dictator, or vote regularly in elections remains socially acceptable.
此外，DNA还引发了一些流行文化的神秘元素。根据内尔金（Dorothy Nelkin）和林迪（Susan Lindee）的说法，DNA已经成为神圣实体（sacred entity）——基督灵魂的现代等价物、个体生命的本质。某些形式的生物决定论——比如认为种族和性别决定了一个人的命运已被大众所拒绝，但一个人可能天生具有（比如）负债倾向、容易变成残酷的独裁者、或定期参加选举的观点仍被社会所接受。