Frequently Asked Questions

Genetics related questions

Learning Center questions

Technical/website questions

Genetics related questions

Q. I'm researching a genetic disorder for personal interest. What can you tell me about it?

A. The Genetic Science Learning Center is an education program. We do not work with medical or clinical issues arising from the diagnosis of a genetic disease, nor do we treat patients.

Your questions can probably best be answered by a genetic counselor, as they are health professionals who are trained to help families understand genetic disorders and to provide information and support to those families. See information about locating a genetic counselor.


Q. I read an article or saw a news story on TV about genetics and I have questions.

A. We don't have the staff to answer these types of questions. You can go to http://www.google.com or your local library and do a search on the topic. You can also try the website http://www.madsci.org where you can search their archive or questions people have asked in the past or submit a question for a scientist.


Learning Center questions

Q. I would like to use some of your materials for a project I'm working on. Can I do this?

A. Please see our permissions policy for complete details. But basically, you are free to use our materials for non-commercial educational purposes.


Q. I am a student and I need to interview a scientist for a class project.

We are unable to provide this service at our facility. However if you go to The Human Genome Project and American Society of Human Genetics Mentorship Program, and click on your state you can find a list of volunteer mentor scientists who you can contact.


Technical/website questions

Q. I see a message saying that my browser doesn't comply with current web standards. What should I do?

Our site complies with the current standards of the W3C. Only the more recent web browsers fully support these standards. Very old browsers such as Netscape Navigator 4.x are incompatible with our site. Here is a list of suggested browsers (follow the links to download a copy for free):

At a minimum, you should at least have Internet Explorer 5.5 or later, or Netscape Navigator 6.2 or later, or Mozilla 1.0.1 or later.


Q. How can I change the size of the text on the page?

A. You can adjust the size of most of the text on our site using your web browser.

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
    Go to the View menu and choose Text Size.
  • Mozilla and Netscape Navigator
    Go to the View menu and choose Text Zoom.

Q. How can I print out the pages on your website?

You should set your printer for "Landscape" mode. This setting varies from printer to printer. In Microsoft Windows it is usually located by clicking the "Preferences" button on the print panel.


Q. I'm having trouble viewing the animation on your website. What can I do?

You'll need the latest Macromedia Flash Player to view the interactive and animated activities. (You probably already have the Flash player, but it may not be the latest version.) You can download it here.


Q. How can I view the files on your site that are marked "PDF"?

You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view "PDF" files. You can get a free copy here.