How the world should work
Science: Hey everyone! We’ve invented a way to genetically modify plants! We can grow ten times as much food in the same farmland and maybe help solve world hunger! Or we could add nutrients that are naturally missing in the food! Or make it last longer before it spoils!
General public: Interesting! How safe is it for human consumption? Does the food have the same nutritional value? What are the long term health effects?
Science: Good questions! We’re not sure yet, but we’re running trials and studies now. We’ll let you know.
5-10 years pass
Science: Great news! Studies show that the genetically modified food is just as healthy and we have not come across any long-term health concerns!
General public: Great! Bring it on!
World peace and happiness ensues
How the world really works
Science: Hey everyone! We’ve invented a way to genetically modify plants! We can grow ten times as much food in the same farmland and maybe help solve world hunger! Or we could add nutrients that are naturally missing in the food! Or make it last longer before it spoils!
Small subset of vocal anti-science people: What? That’s not natural! It’s Franken-food! It’s turning normal healthy food into abnormal mutant food! I’m not a scientist or anything, but since I don’t understand the science behind it, it can’t be healthy. It uses chemicals and things I can’t pronounce!
Science: Well, what you said doesn’t really make sense, but to be honest, we really haven’t studied it enough yet. We’re running trials and studies now. We’ll let you know.
Anti-science people: It doesn’t matter! We don’t trust it and nothing you can say will change our minds!
5-10 years of anti-science people talking about how bad GMO is
Science: Great news! Studies show that the genetically modified food is just as healthy and we have not come across any long-term health concerns!
General public: But those guys have been saying for years how dangerous GMOs are! I’m not eating that stuff! We should ban it, or force companies to label it so people will know they’re eating dangerous Franken-food!
Science: What? There’s no evidence that it’s dangerous. In fact, we’ve demonstrated that it’s not dangerous. Where did you get this information from?
Anti-science people: Well of course you’d say that. You’re in league with Monsanto and the evil GMO companies to poison the world and get rich!
Science: What?!? That makes no sense at all, and you never answered our question about where you got your information. Why would we try to poison the world? Remember we live in the world too. We’d be poisoning ourselves and our own families. Plus, how does poisoning the world make us rich?
Anti-science people: The fact that there’s no evidence of the conspiracy proves the conspiracy is real! They’re covering it all up!
General public: Conspiracy! GMO is evil!
Science: (sigh)
