One of our favourite podcasts is The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, a weekly guide to all things sceptical and sciency from around the world. Its host, Steven Novella, is a brilliant communicator and a true polymath: knowledgable about a huge number of subjects in the world of science. News stories from Ireland get an occasional mention (we’re looking at you Steorn).
As luck might have it, and following on from Eoin’s recent talk in Blackrock Castle, one of their recent episodes focused on the issue of GM Foods. In this podcast, they interview Dr. Kevin Folta of the Horticultural Sciences Department in the University of Florida. If you get a chance it’s worth a listen.
Eoin Lettice, Lecturer in the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UCC
Genetically modified crops have been the subject of considerable controversy for many years. Some of the concerns people have stem from legitimate worries, others are based in misconceptions and rumours. The very idea has become so threatening to some that even small test GM crops planted only for research purposes only have to be guarded in secrecy for fear of attack and destruction by well-intentioned but often misinformed people. After a very thoroughly researched, balanced and well-presented talk by Eoin Lettice on Friday night, the controversy is far from resolved; although the audience can certainly claim to be far better informed than we were previously. It is always frustrating and fascinating to explore a subject that cannot be conclusively pigeonholed into a Good for Humans / Good for the Planet category, and the evening raised as many new questions as it answered old ones.
In his talk, Eoin took pains to emphasise that GM crops were not a panacea to the world’s food problems, but that they could play a beneficial role in certain circumstances. He described the methods by which new genes can be inserted into existing DNA and how marker genes are used to distinguish between modified and unmodified cells (luminous green potatoes, anyone?). A lot of the focus on GM has been on yield improvement, something that fails to resonate with consumers, although research indicates that if consumer uses could be found for such crops (a putative cure for cancer, for instance), that this might have a significant effect on public perception.
Eoin takes questions from the floor
Progress in genetic modification has been affected by political considerations, particularly in Europe, where there has been a moratorium on research until quite recently. It has been proposed to allow the different states of the EU to decide for themselves how they want to address the issue – an unsustainable position according to Eoin.
Questions from the floor included concerns over multinational influence over the framing of legislation (esp. Monsanto); concerns over leakage of herbicide resistance into other crops; concerns over biodiversity and the deliberate sterility of some crops which meant that farmers would be forced to buy seeds every year from the manufacturers. Eoin pointed out that in many cases similar issues existed with non-GM crops and that this was an issue for farming generally and not just for GM alone.
Eoin’s talk was presented with passion and the subject was presented very clearly. The discussion was lively with some valuable commentary from the floor. Clearly, this is an issue that is far from being resolved.
On Friday 18th February, we will host a talk by Eoin Lettice entitled Trust Me, I’m A Scientist: Gentically Modified (GM) Crops and the Public Perception of Science.
With an increasing demand for high-yielding crop varieties, the genetic modification of plants is seen by many as part of the solution. However, with serious opposition in some quarters to GM technology, has there been a failure by scientists to communicate the benefits and risks of GM properly to the public? This talk will look at public perceptions of science and at how science is communicated. Particular focus will be on the area of genetically modified crops and how the public perceive them.
About the speaker:Eoin Lettice is a lecturer in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork. His research and teaching focus is on plant pathology and plant biotechnology. He also writes the Communicate Science blog, which was nominated for an Irish Blog Award, Irish Web Award and shortlisted for an Eircom Spider Award in 2010.
The talk will begin at 8pm on Friday February 18th, in Blackrock Castle Observatory, which is close to the Mahon Point Shopping Centre. Everyone is welcome and the talk is free to attend.
Please see our Skeptics In The Castle page for directions to the Castle.
Last week, Nobel Prize winner Paul Nurse presented a programme called “Science Under Attack” on the BBC’s flagship Horizon science programme. It tackled some of the major disconnects between science and the public opinion, stressing that scientists need to be much more active in getting their message out to the public. It focuses mainly on the Climategate saga, while touching on AIDS denial and the GM Foods controversy.
The interview with James Delingpole was bizarre. His view is that Peer Review should be opened up to everyone just doesn’t make any sense. Surely, if a scientific paper is written, the best people to determine its worth are other scientists working in the same field? Not, according to “interpreter of interpretations”, Mr. Delingpole.
If you missed it last week, it’s available on YouTube. It’s well worth a look if you have the time. It’s in 6 parts, listed in order below.
Cork Skeptics 