science literacy
GLP podcast: Greenpeace v Golden Rice; Vaccine side effects—myth or reality? Objective truth under fire
The Philippines has finally approved Golden Rice, and Greenpeace is doing everything in its power to reverse the decision. A ...
Viewpoint: How to constructively engage on social media with those who post anti-GMO and anti-vax conspiracies
The other day, a tantalizing question appeared in my Twitter feed: “If you were writing a book about 2020, what ...
A precautionary tale of COVID and GMO pseudoscience
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it’s sparked numerous conspiracy theories that are often spread by extreme right and “alternative” medicine ...
Has coronavirus killed consumer interest in food fads and junk science?
A recent survey by Proof Strategies found that Canadians’ trust in doctors and scientists has increased by over 10 per ...
‘Bad stuff is just easier to believe’: Why GMO disinformation captures consumer attention
A couple of years ago, a former company data scientist and I tapped into our common fascination with social networks ...
Science majors less skeptical of GMOs than other undergraduates? Yes, but not by much
For the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to supervise a number of students working on their undergraduate thesis in ...
GMO, climate change skeptics change their minds after learning the facts, study shows
The use of information provision has been criticized as an ineffective way to increase support for evidence-based environmental policies, but ...
College undergraduates embrace biotech after teaching high school students the science behind GMOs
Some college students tested a class on their knowledge of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. "Two of these chips are ...
Podcast: Fighting drug-resistant bacteria; consumers embrace CRISPR-edited food; bomb-detecting plants; and life-saving biosimilar medicines
Our inability to rapidly detect the novel coronavirus has made it difficult to properly combat COVID-19 ...
Public views pesticides as ‘bad industrial chemicals’. Here’s how farmers can turn that fear into support for sustainable farming
The online conversation around pesticides is expected to explode by 212 percent over the next two years, despite the fact ...
Podcast: Vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit explains the ‘dos and dont’s’ of battling scientific misinformation
Paul Offit has forged a second career as an influential spokesman for scientific thinking ...
Viewpoint: Afraid of GMOs, CRISPR? Here’s the science that could change your mind
Scientists can do some amazing things with genes, from saving papayas from extinction, to making apples last longer before turning ...
Viewpoint: International science communicator warns crop biotech proponents not to oversell its benefits to wary consumers
We all agree any mention of “genes” and related techniques, tools and applications evoke strong emotions and varied opinions. This ...
More than one-third of Americans do not know that foods with zero genetically modified ingredients contain genes—and why that matters
More than a third of Americans think that only GMO foods contain genes. Even worse--people aren't looking to scientists to ...
Opuah Abeikwen: Fighting to protect Nigeria’s indigenous crops
Opuah Abeikwen was introduced into agriculture and food production by his grandmother, a famous pigeon pea farmer in her local ...
The more biotech science you know, the less you fear GMO crops, study finds
Genetically modified (GM) foods are often met with harsh public opposition, though little research has attempted to understand why this ...
Teaching skeptical consumers the science of biotech crops may calm their fear of GMOs
Genetically modified (GM) foods are often met with harsh public opposition, though little research has attempted to understand why this ...
Science communication 101: Being strategic isn’t unethical
Scientists interested in educating the public about controversial issues—such as GMOs—should focus on communication goals and strategies backed by social ...
