When your society has inhabited a small, remote island for countless generations and boasts a population of only 300,000, the odds of having sex with a relative are significant. Luckily, Icelanders now have a handy tool to avoid family sex.
Íslendingabók — meaning “book of Icelanders” — is an online incest avoidance search engine. Plug in your name and that of a potential mate, and the site searches a genealogical database to see how closely you’re related. It’s likely that you’ll have some overlap many generations back — in which case you’re probably safe from mutant children. But if you share great-grandparents, you might want to reconsider your Nordic hookup.
But there’s a twist! As GlobalPost reports, new research says sexing with a distant cousin is actually beneficial for fertility, as your genes are more comptable than someone from the other side of the planet. So, avoid creepy incest, but seek out good incest. Iceland — constantly at the top of quality of life lists, and an easy place to sleep with an attractive cousin. [GlobalPost via TNW]
Photo: Stephane333