[antegamisou]

Phrenology thrived and was heavily celebrated only one century ago as well.

In the case of PRS assessment where it's already an established discipline, and not at all as unreliable as fortune-telling, it wouldn't be so hard to weaponize it.

[johnnyanmac]

Astrology isn't much farther off, and some still like to believe it to this day. Yes, even some very smart people can fall into absolutely baseless conjecture without peers to course correct.

But there's a difference between forming a cult and trying to convince the minds en masse of something.

[antegamisou]

Your info is off if you believe PRS assessments are anywhere close to pseudoscience.

And ok, let's agree for the sake of it that it is like astrology. Astrology is unnervingly popular, there are columns of big newspapers HN reveres dedicated to zodiac signs.

A cult consisted of people buying into something very close to eugenics masked as science doesn't sound it would have trouble gaining mainstream appeal in today's American society.

In fact, there's a great example of such discipline having already gained significant traction, even on this website, and it is none other than the field of evolutionary psychology. This field has provided close to zero replicable hypotheses yet it has been successfully weaponized into justifying prejudice and antisocial behavior, especially in the context of racial differences and dating.

Something like advertising reliable prediction of behaviors based on DNA would be cherry on top.