Super Bowl Footballs Get The DNA Touch

theodp writes "All 120 Super Bowl XL footballs will be marked with a drop of synthetic DNA to thwart potential counterfeiters (free reg. required to read) who might be tempted to sell phony game-used Super Bowl footballs, which can be worth thousands of dollars. Exposed to a specific laser frequency, the DNA glows to a bright green. 'The chance of replicating this exact DNA sequence is one in 33 trillion,' said the president of PSA/DNA Authentication Services."

DNA on footballs?

[Anonymous Coward]

Eww... doesn't anyone wash their hands anymore?

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:120?

[geofferensis]

Well you figure 2 teams, 30 players each. Yeah it comes out to 120. No wait, you need a football, so 121.

odds

[shr3k]

The chance of replicating this exact DNA sequence is one in 33 trillion

Never tell me the odds!

What about DNA replicating chemicals?

[xtal]

IANA molecular biologist, but isn't there a pretty common process for taking trace DNA, then duplicating it en masse for crime scene investigation?

PSA / DNA Authentication Services Methodology

[faceword]

1) Slaughter a pig.
2) Slice the hide into 120 footballs.
3) Serve the leftovers as bacon during the pre-game tailgate.

All the footballs have the same DNA.

The glow is related to the discount the company received by purchasing from Chernobyl pig farmers.

$5.00 PayPal Donation...

[quokkapox]

To the first person who sends me a photograph of a wealthy net-savvy Nigerian businessman smiling and holding up a genuine fake Super Bowl XXL Football.

The U.S. has a huge trade deficit. Why aren't we exporting this junk?

From the you-oughtta-know-me-by-now Dept

[LouisZepher]

1 in 33 trillion is still only a finite improbability, and now that I know the figures, I just need a cup of really hot tea and I'll have myself a goldmine of counterfeit footballs...

Re:Ewwwwww

[Anonymous Coward]

Christina Aguilera?

And for the rest of us?

[Indy Media Watch]

Exposed to a specific laser frequency, the DNA glows to a bright green. 'The chance of replicating this exact DNA sequence is one in 33 trillion,' said the president

And the chances of a potential purchaser having the specific laser to verify their purchase? About one in 35 trillion...

Go Natural

[truckaxle]

Am I missing something here? Why not just make the pig skins from green pigs [bbc.co.uk] in the first place. Try replicating that in your backyard.

Re:Perhaps

[Plunky]

I hope everyone is aware that this expensive, complex anti-counterfeiting setup is just begging to be broken by some sort of extremely simply method.

Yeah, I bet those pesky Taiwanese have got a flourescent green pig breeding program set up already.

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/1 2/1656250 [slashdot.org]

Re:Nice Odds..

[stupidfoo]

So you're saying I have a chance.

Re:Full text

[coolgeek]

In a related story, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is reported to have been hospitalized follow the game this Sunday for strange growths on his hands and forearms.

Auctions

[inferno10]

You know, I think I saw a blue dress that has been marked with authentic presidential DNA for sale on eBay recently.

It glows white when exposed to a forensics flashlight.

Pig DNA

[phanophish]

Why not just sequence the DNA of the leather? Pigs have DNA too.

Re:Perhaps

[Fred_A]

Someone stupid enough to waste "thousands of dollars" on a misshapen ball should be easy enough to fall for the simplest of forgeries anyway.