Slog Comments
Today In Science: A Genetically Modified Retreat, and What's Cooler Than Cool?
1
Riiiight. And nuclear fission is super keen because one of the EarthDay founders says so.
Just label the GMO food already and let consumers decide, instead of big corner-cutting corporations.
Just label the GMO food already and let consumers decide, instead of big corner-cutting corporations.
2
The Stranger cares about science - and we need you at the "Raise a glass to science" event Thursday, Jan. 10. Read about it here: http://nwscience.org/events/130110-nswa-…
You'll meet tons of others in #scicomm and have organic food.
You'll meet tons of others in #scicomm and have organic food.
3
"it certainly won't settle the fears of the nervous protestors"
Much like the anti-vaccers and the people upset over chemtrails.
Much like the anti-vaccers and the people upset over chemtrails.
4
While I don't have anything against labeling, it doesn't really address the problem of the situation, which is that people are not really educated enough to determine for themselves whether an individual GM product is good or bad. They are all different.
The FDA should be looking more closely at these products and making judgements on their safety levels.
Every new strain of plant or animal should get this treatment, GM or otherwise. Selective breeding can give you the same sorts of results in many cases.
The FDA should be looking more closely at these products and making judgements on their safety levels.
Every new strain of plant or animal should get this treatment, GM or otherwise. Selective breeding can give you the same sorts of results in many cases.
5
Since the only likely thing to get thru at the fed level (e.g. FDA) in the next few decades is GMO labeling, why not just do GMO labeling.
If modified organisms are so beneficial, it's free advertising.
Of course, if there is some unanticipated or unmeasured negative, it's truth in advertising.
Either way the consumer wins.
If modified organisms are so beneficial, it's free advertising.
Of course, if there is some unanticipated or unmeasured negative, it's truth in advertising.
Either way the consumer wins.
6
Except lumping them all together is like lumping all foods together. GM product X might be bad while GM product Y might be really great. You must have some way to differentiate them.
7
@Arsenic7
What you're asking for is not remotely feasible. You'd need double blind trials any time a genetic modification was made to anything. The fact that some plants and animals we consume reproduce sexually, plus the fact that random genetic mutation can occur even in species that reproduce asexually, means that you could never be sure about anything.
What you're asking for is not remotely feasible. You'd need double blind trials any time a genetic modification was made to anything. The fact that some plants and animals we consume reproduce sexually, plus the fact that random genetic mutation can occur even in species that reproduce asexually, means that you could never be sure about anything.
8
I've never fully understood the fear of GMOs. I can accept there may be things I don't know about GMOs, but where have the credible arguments that our health is in danger been? Like #3 mentioned, anti-GMO arguments have never elevated past the logic of the anti-vaccine or climate change denial crowds.
10
@5 Labeling products based on some medieval belief that GMOs are going to harm your health makes as much sense as demanding we place warnings on automobiles that may have been assembled by non-Christians.
11
@8, 10: I have a few hesitations about GMOs, but only really on the supply/business side of things. For example, consider what might happen to native salmon species if this GMO super-salmon gets into the wild. Monsanto sucks for a lot of their business practices, too.
12
@8 - The proper studies haven't been done. Short term industry led studies don't pass the credibility test.
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agricultu…
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agricultu…
13
@10: Isn't that comparison more accurately read as "with parts of your automobile replaced with new designs that you don't need to know about, and this assembled automobile may be humping other automobiles and resulting in interesting new automobiles down the road"? Kind of a tortured comparison, that.
14
Isn't anyone else outraged that they've been lying to us all these years about the measure of the so-called absolute zero? What else aren't we being told?! WAKE UP, SHEEPLE
15
No, Ben, absolute zero is still absolute zero: the point at which all matter stops moving. All they're saying is that they can make it even colder than that.
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