Another vigilante for truth: Jeffrey Smith claims exposed
Another vigilante for truth. Lithodid man exposes Jeffrey Smith #antiGMO claims to light of day in this entertaining video. Well done Lithodid.
Author: pcronald
Cracking the Microbial code, Part II
Jonathan Eisen, scientist and blogger extraordinaire has established a science writing series called “Story behind the paper”. The idea is for authors who have recently published Open Access papers to tell the story behind the paper: what sorts of experiences and experiments led up to the new discovery and how we navigated through the publication…
A math club standout transforms genomics
This excellent New York Times article describes Eric Lander’s journey in science to his position today as not only one of the great genome researchers but a terrific teacher and human being.
Ring out, wild bells
In Memoriam, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him…
Lets Talk: A Story of Interspecies Communication
It was Sept 4, 1939, the day after the UK declared war on Germany, when mathematician Alan Turing reported to work at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. Within weeks of his arrival, Turing and his colleagues were able to intercept high-level encrypted enemy communication signals and decode a vast number of…
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Michael Dimock, Roots of Change discusses sustainable Ag and biotech seeds
Consumers are asking us many questions about biotech seeds and traits. They want to know why some farmers may choose to use them and what the long-term implications are not only for our health but also for the farming/ranching industry. All of the challenges and issues facing the agriculture industry are very complex and multifaceted….
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Where roses are mauve and zebrafish glow
The day your son asks for a genetically engineered glow-in-the dark zebra fish and your wife desires a mauve rose may be the day that public acceptance of plant and animal genetic engineering has finally arrived. Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture concluded that a new variety of rose, genetically engineered to be an…
Jules Hoffman and Bruce Beutler share the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Two great scientists, Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffman, who have changed the way we view the immune response of plants and animals, have been awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Tragically, Dr. Ralph M. Steinman of Rockefeller University, who discovered a new class of cell, known as dendritic cells, which are key activators of…
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What makes an organically grown strawberry environmentally friendly?
Strawberries are a particularly pest prone crop. To control these pests, more than 9.5 million pounds of pesticides, including over 3 million pounds of methyl bromide, a toxic ozone-depleting chemical is applied each year. Methyl bromide is also associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in farm workers. We all like strawberries, but this…
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What would Rachel Carson say about genetically engineered crops?
Generalizing about “GMOs” is almost completely useless. Each food we eat and each farm is so different that the genetic technologies and farming practices needed to optimize sustainability must be different too. That is why each crop (GE or conventional) must be looked at on a case-by-case basis, using science-based evidence. I recently wrote a…
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