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"Personally, the thought that no matter what steps I take there’s always going to be people who think my research will harm them is profoundly distressing, and

"Personally, the thought that no matter what steps I take there’s always going to be people who think my research will harm them is profoundly distressing, and feels really unfair." Duh. That's the case of almost every very high professional job on this planet. Almost nobody cares. Almost everybody stays in their own little belief. Few try to learn. Even less will admit they were once wrong. Tell people humanity has been modifying all kinds of life forms for thousands of years and they are flabbergasted. When you tell them it's about selecting plants and breeding dogs or cattle they tell you 'it's not the same', because it was a slower process. They're scared we are going to mess up evolution and then tell us to stop playing god. Kinda paradoxal.

abpavel 9y ago
This. Something so fundamental that has been part of our civilization since forever is suddenly out of fashion because of a name. If you'd try eating real pure non-gmo'd banana you'd break your teeth because of all the seeds, but that thing hasn't existed for millenia. Apples would be disgusting too by today's standards.
- ripsawridge 9y ago
  It's not out of fashion because of a name. It's considered dangerous because of the rate, and there is logic to that. The slow change in dogs or crops over many decades or generations is tolerable. But rapid change can kill, or at least it excites danger signals in the affected organisms (people). A car that creeps towards you slowly is fine. One that moves too fast might kill you. I think rate is the central question in this problem, but it always gets elided in discussion with the word "just," as if rate was a minor concern.
  - AstralStorm 9y ago
    This means we should try to recover original many varieties of the tomato. Because in less than 50 years we killed most of them. Compared to that widespread action, GMO is safe as it is thoroughly tested. Though diversity is not being increased with it either.

abpavel 9y ago

This. Something so fundamental that has been part of our civilization since forever is suddenly out of fashion because of a name. If you'd try eating real pure non-gmo'd banana you'd break your teeth because of all the seeds, but that thing hasn't existed for millenia. Apples would be disgusting too by today's standards.

ripsawridge 9y ago
It's not out of fashion because of a name. It's considered dangerous because of the rate, and there is logic to that. The slow change in dogs or crops over many decades or generations is tolerable. But rapid change can kill, or at least it excites danger signals in the affected organisms (people). A car that creeps towards you slowly is fine. One that moves too fast might kill you. I think rate is the central question in this problem, but it always gets elided in discussion with the word "just," as if rate was a minor concern.
- AstralStorm 9y ago
  This means we should try to recover original many varieties of the tomato. Because in less than 50 years we killed most of them. Compared to that widespread action, GMO is safe as it is thoroughly tested. Though diversity is not being increased with it either.