Posts

A Petty Stance Against Student Progress

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Last fall a student walked into my office. She wanted to survey public opinion about genetic crop improvement.  What are the triggers that excite or scare the public about how crops are changed by breeding, mutagenesis or other genetic techniques?  I thought it was rather brilliant and solicited the assistance of Dr. Thomas Colquhoun, a friend that has mastered the use of Ideamap-based survey algorithms to gauge sentiment on a given topic.  This is the approach used by many agencies, from food manufacturers to governments, to learn about how the public really feels about a topic.  We structured the study and hired a firm to obtain survey information from  over 450 random people across all demographic groups. The data are astounding.  Lots of time to carry a sign, but can't muster a few minutes to help an aspiring young woman scientist. I thought we could add an interesting  highly biased  layer by applying the same survey instrument to traditionally "pro-GMO&qu

When I Was a Waiter- My Brush with Celebrity Greatness

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Tonight I was reflecting back on times when I was a waiter.  It was back in the late 1980's when I was in college in DeKalb, Illinois .  DeKalb was about 70 miles west of Chicago, and probably still is, but I haven’t measured it in about 30 years. I was in college at Northern Illinois University.  In fall of 1985 I kept a job from 8PM-3AM working for Domino’s Pizza.  It was good money, not great, but I got to meet every crackpot, stoner, and whackjob in DeKalb, as well as was invited to lots of parties after the shift. Good times. It was fun for about two semesters.  I moved back to my parents' place and worked the summer at Domino's near their home. That same summer I found a job shuffling Mexican food to tables at Annie’s Santa Fe in Oakbrook Center , and arranged to work there during the school year.  This place was an hour drive, but I could make real money working Wednesday night 5 to close, and 10AM to 11PM on Saturday.  It was in the ritzy end of Chicago&#

Shiva: "Screw All Ya'll Florida Farmers!"

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I get rather irritated when I listen to Vandana Shiva, mostly because her ideas are rooted in a place of environmentalism, something we both agree upon.  The problem is that she is touted as an expert in science and transgenic (GMO) organisms, and she is absolutely clueless.  Couple this to an anti-corporate agenda, and this seemingly kind person with concerns for the planet and people is a fountain of bad information. She puts her anti-corporate agenda ahead of the needs of those that desperately need technology, and Florida farms are a great example. She describes herself as a physicist, carrying an undergraduate degree in that discipline.  I know dozens of people with undergrad degrees in psychology. That does not make them psychologists.  Then she comes to a state in an agricultural crisis, and then trashes the leading solution.  The first word is "physicist", as they try to build her credibility as a scientist. She is an activist wtih a narrow and clear age

One Sentence Tells Us About Truthiness

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Recently the Organic Consumers Association has gone ballistic, even more unhinged than usual.  GMO Answers.com provided a proposal to convene a panel in Austin at the SxSW Festival this month. Cathy Enright was going to represent the scientific side that transgenic crops pose no special risk over traditional breeding, and offer more rapid means to genetically improve food.  A representative from Ben and Jerry's with a less favorable view on the technology will also serve on the panel.  Apparently OCA felt that they were invited, and then un-invited . Only two people know the actual conversation, the two that were on the phone together.  Both have published accounts of the discussion. How do we know what to believe? For me it is relatively simple, as we can we learn from the meta-information about truthiness. What can we learn from manipulative language to gauge trustworthiness? It is important to pay close attention to words that are used and their intent to mislead.  Once we u

Sad from Their Rage

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Last week a video circulated that my family, friends, students and colleagues found deeply disturbing.  The Moms Across America shared a weekly recorded meeting with Stacy Malkan from US-Right to Know, the organization demanding my email records because I volunteered time to answer questions on the GMOAnswers.com website. From the beginning, the women were ecstatic about voyeuristically probing into my private correspondences, one stating, “I’m just crazy you are going after him.” They also make many claims about me that are simply not true, even showing a picture of me with “Monsanto Owned” written across it in “Welcome Back Kotter” font.  The joy in their voices of defaming a public scientist is just a rallying cry for science and reason. While those that know me are angry, maybe disturbed, I feel sad for Zen, Kathleen and the other one I can't remember.  It must be difficult to live with such baseless rage. I also have deep empathy for their situati

The Apple Technology Paradox

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US-RTK and Intimidation

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I've heard a lot about how public records requests can be used to intimidate and harass scientists.  I know that the documents requested from me will likely be used to harm my reputation, as I see things that will be taken from context and used to attack my credibility. It is not a question of if, it is a question of when.  A twitter post circulated yesterday where scientists are living in fear of a few that are agents of the "biotech/chemical industry" that successfully intimidate others, forcing them to shun their morals, ethics and responsibility and "look the other way".  This is how you are being painted by a registered dietitian, a person most likely dispensing food and health advice to paying customers.   Hey you, flimsy university scientist... You're either a bully or a spineless twit, either way playing perfectly into the hands of the chemical industry. I present this because this is the perception.  This is what people in heal