Illumination 2.0

This post is here because earlier today someone asked me to think of a reason to build a scholarship. I thought of Jessie. Jessica Justice was a dishwasher that became a scientist.  This is what I wrote about her, and it was published on April 7, 2010 on Skepchick.  Make sure you read the next post tomorrow.  If this moves you at all, tomorrow will bring tears. The topic is important today as it was then, and your note is still priceless Jessie. Science Needs Women Kevin M. Folta In three weeks I will put on the cap-and-gown professor outfit I bought on Ebay and witness something that probably never should have happened: the graduation of a self-described dumb blonde. Jessie came to my laboratory looking to make some extra cash as a dishwasher. Little did she know that she would be remolded, repackaged and refocused by a cadre of women that identified a change that needed to happen, then took the initiative to make it so. In my laboratory the ratio of X to Y chromosomes

I was blown away to see that the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium was sponsoring "Science on Tap" an event at a local bar that featured a speaker on a scientific topic. However, the speaker for November 13th was a local dietitian with clear activist leanings, planning what appeared to be a baseless criticism of transgenic crop technology in her talk "GMO's (sic) Exposed".  My analysis of the speaker and the situation here. A few emails and notes on social media brought a first wave of responses that suggested bringing in "all views" was the job of science and that her talk was appropriate.  My head almost exploded.  Since when is a "science center" promoting "teach the controversy"?  Science Center endorses a local dietitian to speak on the dangers of GMO foods.  Zero illnesses or deaths in 18 years.  88,000 deaths a year from alcohol. Finally tonight I received word from their CEO that they'd be "

If you are planning to visit the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, you might not see Jesus riding a T. rex ,  or a model of the earth with expanding glaciers.  These are the things that crackpot pseudo-science museums might promote.  Nothing like that could happen here... or could it? An event next week was brought to my attention.  The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is sponsoring Science on Tap- GMOs Exposed!   November 13th you can go hear about how GMOs are 'exposed', whatever that means... Maybe we should dig a little deeper... The presenter is Michelle Parenti Lewis, a local RD.  So what can an apparently trained RD "expose"?  A quick google search shows that the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium has been duped.  They have scheduled what will likely not be a scientific talk, but an activist parasite posing as science.  This is the most disgusting of all scams. And they fell for it. A little poking around shows t

Hearts fluttered and hearts sank.  Election returns brought some to ballrooms and others to bathrooms. Others remained too close to call. It appears that the ballot initiatives mandating labels on foods containing ingredients derived from transgenic crops did not pass. But it is no victory. Many will disagree.  Grocery manufacturers, seed companies and farmers will claim victory because voters will not mandate what seed they use, or force unneeded hassles of separating products depending on if they contain a single gene or not. However, the anti-farmer, anti-scientific voters that use a ballot box to vote on if science is true will return to the drawing board for two more years.  That's a temporary victory to those that spent (wasted) millions to push them back.  It should never have gotten that far. Once again a comma defines the sentiment.  Worse in watching the persuasive ads for YES and NO, both camps manipulated fear and emotion to influence voters.  There was no

I just get sick when I hear proponents of Oregon 92 and Colorado 105 claim that they demand food labeling because they deserve a right to know . In reality, there is no need for a right to know , at least as imparted by a clunky, expensive, and scientifically invalid law or amendment.  The right to know begins with a desire to learn.  A right to know begins with a willingness to listen to, and understand science. As it stands, proponents of the ballot initiatives hope the right to know is a punitive tool.  It does not teach, it does not inform. It simply provides a means to distinguish food produced from certain farmers that chose specific seeds. It will be a way for them to conjure fear around perfectly safe foods, based on no real information. That's some powerful right to know .  What good is a right to know, if you know nothing, or worse, know false information? What good is a right to know if you use it to harm farmers, consumers and the environment, let alone the n

One big difference between scientists and activists is that the latter have no problem using manipulating language to scare the public.  The former uses information to help the public make sound decisions. Here's a stellar example from GMO Awareness.com.  It features fossil biotechnologist Dr. Theirry Vrain, a guy that used to work on the genetics of nematodes and used some molecular biology tools in the process.  Since his retirement, he's enjoyed the stage as one of the handful of sort-of-scientist darlings of the anti-scientific, anti-GM movement. It bothers me when guys like Vrain and Huber use their former credentials to perpetuate bad science today.  Maybe I'm a little pointy because I was asked to analyze his YouTube video and it cost me an hour of my life I'll never get back. However, it did help me understand who he is and why the anti-GMs love him so. The sure love Thierry.  He tells them what they want to hear, and aside from a good 1980's u

This is a video from Morning News Winnipeg, October 24, 2014. Mike Koncan was the interviewer and asked great questions with almost no prep time. That guy is a pro! Thanks Mike!