GLP podcast/video: Weed won’t improve your workout; Predatory science journals attack GMOs; Eating insects will be mandatory?

Can marijuana make your workout better? Probably not, according to a recent study. Four science publications produce a large swath of the anti-biotech, anti-chemical research and commentary we see in the headlines. Is Bill Gates trying to force everyone to eat insects instead of meat?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 252 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• Can cannabis make your workout more productive?

Some people say using cannabis before they exercise improves their workout by reducing pain and improving their mood. But does the drug actually enhance the effects of exercise? A team of researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder, put that claim to the test. They asked 42 recreational marijuana users to consume CBD or THC, chemicals naturally found in cannabis, and then report how they felt during 30 minutes of running on a treadmill. The results will probably disappoint weed aficionados.

• Viewpoint: Whitewash — How four obstructionist journals and their academic enablers are corrupting reporting on the science of chemicals and crop biotechnology

Many of the claims used to attack crop biotechnology and pesticides originate in one of four science publications. While these outlets have all the academic trappings of scholarly journals, they’re actually predatory websites that will publish almost any study or opinion article if the authors are willing to pay. This pay-for-play arrangement, as its known, gives activists a platform to amplify their unscientific claims to an unsuspecting public. What can we do to quell this harmful impact?

• Bill Gates and bug-eating: Conspiracy theory claims billionaire wants to replace cattle industry with insect protein. What’s the truth?

The internet is awash in claims that Bill Gates and other billionaires are conspiring to force average people to eat insects instead of meat. Some reporters and fact-checkers have pushed back on these allegations, labeling them conspiracy theories promoted by right-wing political pundits. Let’s try to settle the dispute by looking at the evidence. Is mandatory bug eating Alex Jones-inspired fiction, or is there actually some truth to it?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish