Stronger Plants, Stronger Science, and Stronger Communication
The article “Exposed: The Great GM Crops Myth” published by The Independent is surprising, and at first glance looks like it could be about significant research indicating that genetic engineering has unforeseen yield decreases. However, I’m not very good at first glances. Instead, I read deeply and find out more. This post is going to…
The 10 April Nature presents the results of a survey that aimed to determine how many scientists are using cognition enhancing drugs. Caffeine is of course the most widely used stimulant, but it seems that quite a few people are using other substances to improve concentration. For those who choose to use, methylphenidate was the…
Reason magazine has always had rational articles on technology, including genetic engineering. Their commenters are also surprisingly lucid, understanding that technology can be used to help people live better lives while also protecting the world around us. A recent article titled “Demon Seed: How fear of life-saving technology swept through Africa” discusses an new book,…
Reason‘s science correspondent Ronald Bailey has written an amusing retort to the Friends of the Earth report “Who benefits from biotech crops?” As expected, the FoE twist the facts and call scientists liars, in their attempts to sweep the ISAAA report under the rug. They may be friends of the earth, but they certainly aren’t…
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London’s Times Online had a great editorial about GMOs this past week, called “Frankenstein foods are not monsters.” It’s a sort of wake-up call to England and Europe, saying that the benefits of genetic engineering far outweigh hypothetical dangers that are based more on gut feeling than science and that still haven’t manifested. Unfortunately, the…
Some pesticides are, frankly, frightening. As a DoD certified Pest Controller, I was taught the history, usage, and dangers of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. so I say this with some authority. Our instructors would joke about “methyl-ethyl-death”, referring especially to fumigants that had been widely used on food crops in decades past. Pesticides frequent news…
Once a transgene is designed and created, getting it into plant cells is surprisingly simple. There are two main ways to transform plants: the gene gun and Agrobacterium tumifaciens. The gene gun literally shoots tiny gold particles coated in DNA into cells. Agrobacterium is a natural soil bacteria that incorporates some of its genes into…
I just got back from a visit with a nutritionist. I generally make good choices, but wanted to get concrete numbers for what my daily fat, protein, and carb intakes should be. She was really nice, and was candid enough to say that dark green veggies actually have more calcium than milk. Calcium from plants…