Many people feared it was unsafe. Others argued that simpler, traditional methods were preferable. And still others believed the proponents were withholding information and motivated by money.
Decades of evidence proved that it worked, while the scientific consensus behind it grew rock-solid. Yet fierce opposition continued — and continues to this day. In fact, with the advent of the new tools of the Internet and social media, opponents have enjoyed rising success.
You might well think that the subject under discussion here is genetically modified (GM) crops, which proponents like myself believe could have a hugely positive impact on global food security, but which are opposed at every turn by passionate detractors. After all, many of the same basic arguments have been mounted against GM technology now for at least 30 years, despite an international scientific consensus supporting its safety for people and the environment.
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You would, however, be mistaken. The “it” referred to above is the practice of vaccination — which, despite having saved hundreds of millions of lives, has been fought bitterly ever since its debut in the late 18th century in the fight against smallpox.
Read the full, original article: Humanity Needs Science, Not Ideology
