Illumination 2.0

Is the anti-GMO movement scientific terrorism ? Terrorism is defined as  acts committed which are intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious, political or, ideological goal.  Here I will show evidence from only one recent source that supports the assertion that the anti-GMO movement is scientific terrorism. Last week we saw Zen Honeycutt and Moms Across America deploy explosive nonsense, outright falsehoods, in an attempt to cause as much intellectual collateral damage as possible- to build fear, create terror -- when no scientific reason exists. This week let's look at an on-line petition from ForceChange.org.  Note, this is not "inspire change" or "scientifically influence change".  it is FORCE CHANGE.  Change is demanded and they will use any means possible to achieve it, even if it is not scientifically warranted.  Their stated goal is to force change because their beliefs and ideological goals dictate that they do-- th...

The tragedy at the Boston Marathon was a rookie job.  Sadly it ended in death and injury, so to those it touched it is quite serious and just as horrendous as a jet plane into a skyscraper.  The unexpected instantly changed many lives, and those killed and those surviving feel tragedy forever. The goal of the perpetrator was to generate fear and terror. Fail. In their place is only anger and courage, and an understanding that we will not tolerate this bullshit and we'll fix it if it happens again.  We will care for those affected. (Predictions and thoughts ahead) If the goal of this person, and it was one person , was to generate terror and fear, then it is a major fail. This 34-year-old white male targeted the Boston Marathon.  He wanted to raise fear and terror. Instead he raised anger, resolve and dedication to a bigger ideal.  He picked the wrong event. The marathon is the ultimate display of human resolve and character, an ability to play through ...

The recent discussion of the data appearing on the Moms Across America have gone viral.  They have shown up across the interwebs.  Just google "stunning corn comparison" and you can see how the non-discriminating science palate of activist websites have bought the story as the highest scientific evidence of transgenic plant harm.  Even Natural News calls this made up data on a flyer a "paper" insinuating that it is some peer-reviewed work. The readers of this blog have been wonderful in searching out reality.  Several have posted the original links to a pdf from a fertilizer company in Canada that subscribes to anti-transgenic crop nonsense. Today I was directed to the Moms Across America again by blog reader Alun Salt.  It was the 'Moms' site that started the whole flap about how transgenic corn has no nutritional value but is loaded with glyphosate and formaldehyde.  The corn is rich in zinc an copper but has no calcium or carbon-- numbers that just d...

A friend sent me a link to an alleged scientific report.  The "report", found here , claims to show the "stunning" nutrient content in GMO corn vs. non-GMO corn.  Mom's Across America, a website dedicated to fear mongering and cleansing of scientific input, posted this information and decorated it with a healthy sprinkling of non-critical thinking and logical fallacy.  Unfortunately for them, the "report" has no source cited, no methods, no anything.  Definitions in the footnotes are wrong.  It appears to be a table of soil data (there is more zinc and copper than carbon present, etc) or is a complete fabrication.  When corrected by scientists in the comments section , we were ripped apart by aggressive robot-like dogma that discredited us, slandered us and distorted our work.  When we replied, many of the replies were censored from the website , allowing only the insane comments of bitter non-scientists to be presented.  As usual, if y...

Last week I pointed out that some data pitched as the dangers of GM corn were actually not from corn, but from soil itself. I found the root of the problem on Moms Across America  a website desiring to stoke fear of biotechnology-- even if it means lying to readers and silencing critics that dare to talk science. Moms Across America- Keeping Children Safe from Critical Thinking Since (at least) 2013 To recap, they posted a table of data allegedly comparing GM to non-GM corn.   The whole story is here . The conclusion from their side is that GM corn contains more zinc and copper than carbon and is loaded with glyphosate and formaldehyde.  My conclusion was that they were fooled with soil data, which is obviously the case. When I called out the bogus information the followers of the site immediately jumped to diffuse-and-attack mode.  The comments below show this beautifully.  Not only do they try to link me to Big Corporate Ag (predictably), they also mo...

"Proof is boring, proof is tiresome, proof is an irrelevance.  People would far rather be handed an easy lie than search for a difficult truth, especially if it suits their own purposes" Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings I got a note on Facebook from a friend... "Kevin, what do you make of this?"  He must have smelled a rat.  He also must have known that I was enjoying a nice Friday night working on a nearly-complete manuscript and was one-third through a 12-pack of Sierra Nevada.  I had my favorite sweatshirt on and warm socks. It was a peaceful night, until his email.  A click on the link would make veins pulse in my head, as a misrepresentation / fabrication of data was presented as a new argument against transgenic technology. The anti-GM goofballs bought it, hook, line and sinker. The website is shown below, and claims "Stunning Corn Comparison: GMO Versus Non-GMO".   True to its word, it did not disappoint.  It was stunning. ...

A petition has gone viral.   Spawned from an ambitious, maybe eight year old girl Alicia Serratos of Orange County, CA, a petition has been launched on Change.org to persuade the Girl Scouts of America to remove transgenic (GMO) ingredients from girl scout cookies.  Alicia claims (well, her parents claim) that "GMOs studies (sic) (in animals) have linked them to infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system." The page from Alica's anti-GMO cookie petition.  It is hard to get a hunger for cookies when you have been fed full of deception.   Of course, there is no real evidence to support her claims of health problems that is accepted by the scientific community.  Scientific consensus is that transgenic crops have an outstanding safety record and have no plausible mechanism of harm. While her parents should be congratulated about raising a daughter that is inspired...