A decades-long campaign alleges that BPA, a chemical used to manufacture many plastic products, is dangerous. There is no evidence to support that allegation, and there never was. A large body of research shows that artificial sweeteners can help people lose weight, so why does the press continue to speculate about the harms of these "fake sugars"? It takes many years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars to discover and commercialize new pesticides. Why is the process so expensive and so time-consuming?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 250 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Anti-GMO activists take page out of anti-chemical and anti-BPA lobby, targeting the ‘black box’ of endocrine disruption

There are striking similarities between the campaigns against GM crops and BPA. That's because critics of agricultural biotechnology utilized the "playbook" of anti-BPA activists to attract media attention and public support for their cause. While there is zero credible evidence that either technology causes harm in real-world settings, a cohort of committed activists continues to insist that both should be banned. Why have these tactics been so effective, and how can scientists counter them today?

* Sucralose, aspartame, stevia: With the use of sugar substitutes continuing to rise, questions mount about their impact on diets

The evidence is clear at this point: artificial sweeteners promote weight loss without causing any serious side effects in the vast majority of cases. Nevertheless, mainstream news reports continue to speculate about the potential harms of so-called "fake sugars," alleging they could damage the gut microbiome and increase the risk of diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease. Let's fact-check the fact-checkers and examine what the science really says about artificial sweeteners.

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* If a viable herbicide was discovered this year, farmers couldn’t use it until at least 2035’: Why new weedkillers take so long to hit store shelves

On average, it takes several decades of research and $250 million to discover and commercialize a new weedkiller.