In “Myth busting: Are synthetic pesticides, used with some GMOs, more dangerous than natural ones?“, on Genetic Literacy, L Katiraee reminds us the Bruce Ames works in a clear and interesting way. …
20 Jul 2016
10 May 2016
Most eat-this-don’t-eat-that studies are garbage, in the way that garbage could become a Dr. Oz endorsed superfood with a scientific study designed to generate the desired answer. John Oliver agrees on a sarcastic, hilarious AND serious talk-show on HBO. Barfblog, a reference blog in food safety, publishes a good written summary. It concludes “That’s where his idea for Todd…
10 Aug 2015
“Unhealthy fixation” is a long, detailed, but very clear article. In it, William Saletan, author at Slate, questions “The war against genetically modified organisms is full of fearmongering, errors, and fraud”. This war is very similar to the one against “pesticides”. One important point in this article is how W Saletan argues that every judgment about agricultural practices…
27 May 2015
On the 23rd of may 2015, thousands of people, at a global level, marched “against Monsanto” (read here). What are the arguments leading to this increasing hostility against this company ? Are they valid? Are they a manifestation of a more general issue? The litany The main charges against Monsanto are about : its origins, the invention of the…
29 Apr 2015
In this video, TestTube, Internet site of science popularization, tell a motivating story : short history of apples and of the famous proverb. But also list of the science based health benefits of apple eating: vitamins, fibers, micro-nutrients… The video ends with a praise for food diversity. Not to be missed.
16 Mar 2015
In this article, issued by the Utne Reader (USA) which publishes books extracts, Rachel Laudan dare to tell the truth : “We need a culinary ethos that comes to terms with industrialized food” “For our ancestors, natural was something quite nasty. Natural often tasted bad. Fresh meat was rank and tough, fresh fruits inedibly sour, fresh vegetables bitter. Natural…
20 Nov 2014
In this article, IFL Science, an educational site on science, try to break 5 misconceptions on “chemicals” which “in the news, in advertising and in common usage” are thought to be “bad”. As a result of the emotive language often used in conjunction with “chemicals”, a series of myths have emerged. Myths that Sense about Science and the Royal…
12 Mar 2014
Upon this title, Steve Savage, a blogger about agriculture and technology, gives the example of the quality vineyard in California. This is an example. But the dramatic changes he describes is similar in other crops and other regions. His main and most detailed arguments in his article are about the history of acute toxicity of pesticides, compared to natural…