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Does the below excerpt alleviate the belief that GMO foods are harmful? In 1985 scientists believed that few genetic changes had occurred since we were all

by devy 11y ago

Does the below excerpt alleviate the belief that GMO foods are harmful? In 1985 scientists believed that few genetic changes had occurred since we were all hunting and gathering, say 10,000 years ago. Now we know that lots of genes have changed. One fascinating new finding is that within the last few thousand years Eskimos evolved genes for enzymes to process the fatty acids in Arctic fish.

enqk 11y ago
Only if you believe the process followed by GMO engineering is the same as the process of selective breeding
- devy 11y ago
  So your point is ... the same or not?
  - enqk 11y ago
    Well I am careful because I am not a specialist. One would however expect GMO engineers to use techniques that are atypical of the way nature explores the possibility space. It is telling that they call it engineering, which requires intent and goals. Therefore I don't think knowing that selectively bred organisms have been safe so far says anything about the safety of GMOs.
- pluma 11y ago
  In a way selective breeding is a subcategory of GMO engineering. There's nothing fishy about fish genes that are added to crops, for example -- it's just taking the element of chance necessary for mutations to develop out of it, really.
sgt101 11y ago
I can't see why it would. I am sure some people would argue that any GMO food is somehow evil and deadly, but I think that thinking of that sort can be discarded. However some GMO foods achieve pest and disease resistance by causing the plant to secrete toxins - pesticides, and these are what some experiments have shown troubling results for. On the other hand farmers spray these toxins on crops in any case. Personally I grow my own and eat organic when I can, but that's fine if you can afford it and live in the country.
- pluma 11y ago
  > these are what some experiments have shown troubling results for If you're referring to Roundup, the study everyone likes to quote is so hilariously flawed it actually indicates that males who drink a pint of Roundup a day show health benefits. The problem with GMO studies is that the ones biased against GMO tend to be unsound and the ones biased in favour of it tend to be paid for by GMO companies. Even the WHO doesn't bother actually reading the studies and goes around toting dodgy abstracts.

by devy 11y ago

enqk 11y ago

Only if you believe the process followed by GMO engineering is the same as the process of selective breeding

devy 11y ago
So your point is ... the same or not?
- enqk 11y ago
  Well I am careful because I am not a specialist. One would however expect GMO engineers to use techniques that are atypical of the way nature explores the possibility space. It is telling that they call it engineering, which requires intent and goals. Therefore I don't think knowing that selectively bred organisms have been safe so far says anything about the safety of GMOs.
pluma 11y ago
In a way selective breeding is a subcategory of GMO engineering. There's nothing fishy about fish genes that are added to crops, for example -- it's just taking the element of chance necessary for mutations to develop out of it, really.

sgt101 11y ago

I can't see why it would. I am sure some people would argue that any GMO food is somehow evil and deadly, but I think that thinking of that sort can be discarded. However some GMO foods achieve pest and disease resistance by causing the plant to secrete toxins - pesticides, and these are what some experiments have shown troubling results for. On the other hand farmers spray these toxins on crops in any case. Personally I grow my own and eat organic when I can, but that's fine if you can afford it and live in the country.

pluma 11y ago
> these are what some experiments have shown troubling results for If you're referring to Roundup, the study everyone likes to quote is so hilariously flawed it actually indicates that males who drink a pint of Roundup a day show health benefits. The problem with GMO studies is that the ones biased against GMO tend to be unsound and the ones biased in favour of it tend to be paid for by GMO companies. Even the WHO doesn't bother actually reading the studies and goes around toting dodgy abstracts.