investigators in the field of genetics, it may not be as clear to those in other fields or in the broader population.65 A failure to appreciate this difference has led to a concerning resurgence of the idea of race as a biological, rather than a social construct, in both social scientific literature67 and popular science writing.68 While advances in genetics have allowed us to identify markers that are differentially associated with geographic ancestry, these markers do not necessarily map onto current racial categories. 66 Many in both the social and biological sciences have spoken out against the idea of a biological basis for race,66,69–72 as public misunderstanding about genetics could result in discrimination and eugenic practices.53 Not only could these ideas reinforce implicit biases in the broader public, but they could also be used to advance racist ideologies.69,71 Geneticists must take care to use accurate terminology when referring to socially defined racial categories versus groups derived based on ancestral background so as to avoid perpetuating confusion and the potentially deleterious consequences that could result.
