A Staggering Level of Lack of Knowledge Regarding GMOs
You know, as a person with a strong background in the sciences (Bachelors in Biology, only 2 classes shy of a minor in Chemistry, plus extensive coursework in the sciences in dental school), and a long-time passion for critical and skeptical thinking, I find the increasing trends of scientific illiteracy in the USA quite troubling, in particular with relation to the GOP takeover of the US Senate. There will soon be Republicans in positions of power in Committees that are all about science……who are so obviously and grossly ignorant of science, that it is frightening.
Of course, those people can only be voted into power by a public that is equally ignorant, and yesterday I was confronted with a stark, painful example of the kind of scientific ignorance so prevalent in the anti-GMO camp. Here is the quote from a woman who doesn’t want fish genes in strawberries:
“Well, I just don’t want any fish killed so Monsanto can put the genes in strawberries.”
OH.MY.GOD.THE.CLUELESSNESS!
It’s situations like that which frustrate the living daylights out of those who actually understand scientific methodology and technology available today. In all seriousness – it is almost impossible to reason with someone who thinks that statement is either reasonable or intelligent, when in fact it is neither. It is in fact a statement of such ignorance that it staggers the imagination. And yet, that is the kind of thinking that allows people like the “Food Babe”, and Natural News/Mike Adams, and Wellness Mama, etc. to not only exist, but to exert power. And the same kind of thinking can be found in the denialist camp of global warming/climate change, the anti-vaxxers, chemtrail conspiracy theorists, etc.
I wish I had an answer, some kind of solution to help such people understand the reality of scientific methodology and critical thinking. I don’t. Thankfully, there are people far smarter and more able than I am, who are out there on the web every day spreading REAL science and debunking the junk/pseudo-science. I am so grateful for them, and I do what I can to support them.
Are You on the Fence about GMOs?
If so, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me provide you with some EXTENSIVE resources with solid scientific foundations. GMOs have been studied extensively, and they are perfectly safe. I eat them, I feed them to my family, to our guests….in fact, I don’t care if they’re GMO or not. I don’t want them labeled, because quite frankly, too much of the public is too ignorant to even understand what the labels mean.
It was this very topic that got me un-friended by a respected Plusser who became infected by Food Babe’s misinformation and lies (she’s a former computer programmer with absolutely ZERO background in biology, chemistry, genetics, food science, or anything else that she really should to say a damn thing on the subject), who thinks that he “read enough” to know the truth, when in reality he barely read anything, nor does he have enough of a scientific background to know how little he knows. And yet he insulted me, when I simply sought to provide him with information that could refute the lies he was told. So be it.
I understand that this stance may cost me some friends on the Plus. So be it. I would hope that these friends would give me the benefit of the doubt and listen with an open mind. But I will not sit back any longer and let the bullshit go unchallenged. I will do my best to be respectful, and I expect the same, but in today’s world, it is imperative that those who know and understand and respect science stand up for it against the pseudo-science and lies.
But I gotta admit: I still have no clue how to deal with ignorance of that magnitude. 🙁
#scienceisawesome #thinkskeptically #gmosaresafe
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