Activist groups effectively use fear-based PR campaigns to drive pesticides and other important products off the market. What can scientists do to stem this threat to technological innovation? Mosquitoes tend to bite some people while ignoring others. A recent study may have uncovered why these "little flies" have a preference when it comes to whom they bite. Prominent anti-vaccine advocate and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK, Jr.) has many supporters on the political left and the right. How has a figure as polarizing as Kennedy earned the endorsement of people who have fundamentally different worldviews?

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Join guest host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 220 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Mythinformation: ‘Fear campaigns from anti-biotech NGOs make it a challenge to even keep products on the market let alone introduce new technologies’

Technological innovation yields essential products that protect public health and promote sustainability. For example, low-toxic pesticides help control weeds and insects that threaten crop yields and jeopardize the safety of our food supply. Developing these technologies is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor on its own, but the science community faces another massive challenge: defending these products against ideological activist groups that spread falsehoods about pesticides, vaccines and other important products in order to get them banned. Scientists and the industries they work with have to continue developing their communications skills so they can answer these activist challenges to their work. If they don't, there's a risk that future innovations will never materialize.

* Blood dinner: Why are you targeted by mosquitoes but some lucky few are spared?

Why do mosquitoes bite some people but not others? A study recently conducted in Zambia indicates that certain individuals produce the right combination of chemicals—a mixture of carbon dioxide, carboxylic acids and other compounds—that mosquitoes find appetizing. Future research based on this study could help identify why certain chemicals in specific quantities attract the insects, potentially leading to the development of a repellent that could further prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illness.

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* Viewpoint: Trump of the left? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

A viral Facebook post recently alleged that Goldfish crackers contain dangerous amounts of the weedkiller glyphosate. Is there any science behind this claim? Never mind the rumors you've heard; the COVID vaccine has not been added to our food supply. Could using marijuana cause schizophrenia? A recent study suggests a link between the two, but how compelling is the research?

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Join guest host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 219 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

Glyphosate fact check: Micro-traces in food do not constitute a ‘dangerously high amount of weedkiller’

Are goldfish crackers contaminated by dangerous amounts of glyphosate? A viral Facebook reel recently spread that alarming message to millions of parents, but the evidence—gathered by independent scientists all over the world—continues to show that consumers of all ages are exposed to only trace amounts of this pesticide, which cannot possibly cause any harm. Moms and dads can rest assured that this popular snack poses no chemical risk to their children.

Snopes fact-checks claims by ‘deep state conspiracy grifters’ that US government adds COVID vaccines into our food supply

Some critics of the COVID vaccines have claimed the US government is developing edible plants that contain the mRNA found in Pfizer's and Moderna's shots. Rumors that the vaccines are entering the food supply through immunized animals have also spread like wildfire. The problem? There is no edible vaccine anywhere close to commercialization, and no mRNA shots have been approved for veterinary use.

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Marijuana and psychosis: Cannabis use linked to 30% of diagnoses in young men

There are few topics more polarizing than drug use. And a recent study linking heavy cannabis use to schizophrenia has only intensified the debate. The research generated a lot of media attention and support from some experts, though critics were quick to point out its limitations. Who's right here? Is marijuana a relatively harmless substance, or a potential cause of a serious psychological disorder?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on Twitter @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health.

Is ChatGPT more empathetic than your doctor? A recent study seems to suggest so. An emerging consensus of scientists is alarmed about falling sperm counts in western countries; their critics say that's a racist idea and should be discarded. Should we quit testing new drugs on animals and replace them with "cruelty-free" mini organs on microchips?

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Join guest host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 217 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* AI medical assistants? ChatGPT answers patient questions with more empathy than human doctors

AI chat bot ChatGPT gave more empathetic and detailed answers to patient questions 79 percent of the time compared to doctors responding to the same questions, according to a recent study. While the research is preliminary, it seems to suggest that artificial intelligence, properly calibrated and regulated, could help physicians provide more personalized care at a time when giant stacks of paperwork and other administrative tasks cut the amount of attention they can give their patients. Are there any pitfalls that could limit AI's usefulness in medicine? And how do health care providers avoid them?

* Are endocrine-disrupting chemicals causing a decline in fertility in men? Here’s how ideology corrupts evidence-based science

Evidence gathered in recent decades seems to indicate that sperm counts among men in western countries are falling to alarming lows, exacerbating already declining global fertility rates. Scientists still aren't sure what's to blame for falling sperm counts, though some commentators have addressed the issue by simply denying that it exists. All the concern about sperm counts in the west "has deep roots in white nationalist discourse," a pair of philosophers from MIT and Harvard have asserted. As a result, they continue, we should reject the science behind declining sperm counts because it has political implications that are currently unfashionable. Is this skepticism justified, or is it just another example of ideology corrupting our understanding of biology?

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* ‘Cruelty-free’ lab-grown mini-organs could dramatically reduce need for animal testing

The Philippines recently approved the cultivation of Golden Rice to prevent blindness and death caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD). A supreme court ruling has temporarily halted the crop's release. The weedkiller glyphosate is often maligned as an environmental hazard. In reality, the chemical helps control invasive weeds, protecting endangered plants and animals. Biopharming, growing medicines in plants, could lower the costs of and increase access to important drugs. But regulation may prevent us from taking full advantage of this technology.

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Join guest host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 216 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Farmers in the Philippines blocked from commercially releasing GMO Golden Rice and eggplant by 10-day Supreme Court ruling

After decades of research, development and regulatory hurdles, the Philippines finally approved Golden Rice (GR) for commercial cultivation, which is poised to dramatically expand access to vitamin A in the country. Unfortunately, the supreme court stepped in and blocked the approval by food safety officials, declaring that GR may pose a potential environmental hazard. Did the court have sound scientific reasons to justify its decision? No.

* Viewpoint: Without glyphosate, critical wetlands and wildlife could be strangled by invasive plants

Many environmental activist groups allege that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer's Roundup weedkiller, is a threat to plants and animals that may be inadvertently exposed to the chemical. In reality, glyphosate is a low-toxic chemistry that helps control invasive weed species. These unwieldy weeds threaten a variety of plants and animals, including some endangered species. In other words, groups that exist to protect the environment are standing in the way of protecting the environment.

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* Biopharming can help pioneer new treatments but cumbersome, outdated regulations block innovation

Most drugs we utilize today are developed in laboratories and mass produced in giant manufacturing facilities. That could change in the coming years as more pharma companies turn their attention to biopharming, the process of growing active ingredients for medicine in crop plants. Biopharing could enhance the efficiency of drug production,

Could ice cream reduce your risk of diabetes and obesity? A surprising amount of evidence supports that hypothesis. How do we make sense of the data? A study claiming that the COVID vaccines have caused 278,000 deaths has been retracted. How did a paper chock-full of mistakes get published in the first place? Many consumers are afraid of trace chemicals in their food; they also routinely drink alcohol, a documented carcinogen. Why are people so bad at assessing the risks they face?

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Join guest host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 215 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Could ice cream be good for your health?

Multiple studies over the last several decades have suggested that eating yogurt can reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes. Oddly, similar evidence indicates that ice cream may also confer the same health benefits. The medical community has reacted very differently to the data surrounding these two foods. The potential health benefits of yogurt were trumpeted in the headlines ad nauseam, while the upside of eating a little ice cream daily was quietly sidelined. Why the divergent reactions? Do yogurt and ice cream really reduce diabetes and obesity risk, or should we approach these claims with skepticism?

* Anti-vaxxers based their rejectionism on a study claiming COVID shots caused excessive deaths. Now it’s been retracted

In January 2023, Michigan State University economist Mark Skidmor published a study alleging that nearly 300,000 people may have died as a result of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The paper attracted fierce criticism following its publication and was finally retracted in April. Critics said Skidmor's study was fundamentally flawed because he inappropriately extrapolated from a survey of just under 3,000 people to make substantial and alarming claims about the safety of widely used vaccines. The question is, why was such a flawed paper published in the first place?

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* Viewpoint: People spread chemophobic drivel about ‘dangerous chemicals’ that science says are safe as used — then continue to drink alcohol

Are you worried about BPA in your food containers and receipt paper, or pesticides in your fruits and veggies? If so, you should stop drinking alcohol immediately. The reason is pretty simple. Although there is very little evidence to justify...

The same technology that yielded COVID-19 vaccines could help protect livestock from deadly diseases, but a growing chorus of skeptics could undermine the use of these new mRNA-based shots for animals. On a related note, do farmers use too many drugs to raise their animals? This myth persists despite abundant contrary evidence. Just a few companies dominate the global seed market; how did these firms become such economic powerhouses?

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* Kill the Messenger: mRNA-based livestock vaccines are under attack by vaccine skeptics. Here’s why their rejectionism is misplaced — and dangerous

Agricultural animals get sick just like humans do. To reduce the risk of infection and its potentially deadly effects, vaccines are administered to protect the chickens, cows and pigs we depend on for food. While this seems uncontroversial, some of the same critics who opposed COVID-19 vaccination are now sounding the alarm over mRNA-based vaccines for livestock. The new shots, skeptics claim, are a stealth means of immunizing vaccine-hesitant people against SARS-CoV-2. Is there any truth to this allegation?

* Does conventional livestock farming use drugs at ‘unnecessarily high levels’, endangering human health, as activist critics claim?

When vaccines aren't an option, livestock are treated with drugs to bring them back to health. Although treating sick animals is necessary and perfectly ethical, some allege that farmers use medicines, antibiotics included, to make their animals grow faster. In reality, these drugs are tightly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and prescribed by veterinarians.

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* Four multinational companies sell half of all seeds globally, says USDA report on agricultural consolidation

Critics of genetic engineering have long complained about consolidation in the global seed market. With fewer and fewer companies selling seed as time progresses, our food supply is increasingly controlled by just a few international conglomerates. Should we be worried about this oligopoly in the seed market? If so, what can we do about it?

Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) metrics are supposed to help promote sustainable industry, but could they actually undermine efforts to make farming more eco-friendly? There's a long list of propagandists who attack modern agriculture and medicine; let's take a look at the top 10. The FDA has proposed to label some foods in the grocery store "healthy." It's a terrible idea.

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Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 213 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: How Environmental—Social—Governance (ESG) screens can be manipulated to promote misleading science and damage sustainability efforts

In theory, investing in food companies based on their commitment to sustainable farming is a great idea. The problem is, many investors define "sustainability" as a synonym for "organic" farming, which a wealth of research shows is actually worse for the planet. If the ESG movement continues to gain influence, could it harm global food production and efforts to protect the environment?

* Top 10 anti-biotech propagandizers: Who are the science deniers and snake oil peddlers undermining science in agriculture and medicine?

Vandana Shiva, Mike Adams, Robert F Kennedy, Jr., Joe Mercola. These are just some of the high-profile activists undermining public confidence in agriculture and medicine. Let's analyze some commentary from a few of these influential but misguided figures. What exactly do they get wrong, and how can we learn to spot their mistakes?

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* Viewpoint: ‘A fool’s errand’ — Here’s why the FDA’s new ‘healthy’ label for foods won’t move the needle on chronic disease

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it wants to label "healthy" foods in grocery stores, in a bid to promote smarter eating habits. There's a number of critical problems with this proposal. Most importantly, and by the agency's own admission, the vast majority of Americans will not use these labels once they are implemented.

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on Twitter

So-called "clean" cosmetics have become a big business in recent years. But as with food fads like "Non-GMO," clean cosmetics may actually be no better for consumers or the planet. England has approved the commercial use of gene-edited crops. Could this development set an important precedent in Europe? CRISPR-edited animals carrying a single mutation could produce a lot more meat, significantly boosting sustainable farming.

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Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 212 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Rethinking the ‘clean cosmetics’ movement: ‘It’s reductive to think that just because it’s biotech it’s inherently more sustainable’

Cosmetic manufacturers have followed the food industry's lead and affixed all sorts of eco-friendly labels to their products. The problem is, makeup made from "natural" or "clean" ingredients is often bad for the environment, since it requires the use of endangered plants. The good news is that identical products can be made using ingredients manufactured in the laboratory, eliminating the need to harvest endangered species. Will consumers embrace these products if they're made using modern biotechnology?

* England becomes first European country to approve gene editing of plants and animals

After living under Europe's oppressive genetic engineering restrictions for decades, England has finally approved the use of gene editing to improve food crops, and may soon green light the technology in animal agriculture. Does England's decision indicate that anti-GMO activism is losing its political influence in the UK and European Union?

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Have we so badly depleted the world's soil that we only have 60 harvests left? No. New "green" pesticides could be available to farmers in the coming years. But there is concern that pests may rapidly develop resistance to these latest and greatest plant-protection products. Environmental groups are trying to subvert the US pesticide regulatory system through litigation, in a bid to get low-risk pesticides banned. Does this tactic pose a threat to our food supply?

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Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 210 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: ‘Only 60 harvests remaining on Earth’? Environmentalist exaggerations obscure dramatic advances in biotechnology-boosted agriculture

Critics of modern agriculture have claimed for years that the world has only 60 harvests left; "industrial farming" has so thoroughly depleted our soil, the argument goes, that we soon won't be able to feed ourselves. Although this idea remains popular, it has never been correct. Food production has exploded in recent decades while the amount of land dedicated to agriculture has only increased slightly. On balance, technological advances, especially in plant breeding beginning with the Green Revolution, have made our food supply far more sustainable.

* Green pesticides are plagued by fast-developing insect resistance. Here’s how that can be addressed

As new biopesticides come online, they are almost immediately confronted by insects, weeds and microorganisms that can rapidly develop resistance to their pesticidal effects. What's the solution? According to a recent study, farmers have to grow a variety of crops and utilize different chemistries with varying modes of action. This helps prevent pests from evolving resistance to any one of the products used to control them. But the question remains: how much progress are we actually making in controlling pesticide resistance?

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* Viewpoint: ‘Regulation through litigation’ — Activist groups team up with lawyers to...

It's the time of year when Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out its much-ballyhooed "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables that are supposedly contaminated with pesticides. Experts continue to stress that EWG's analysis is mistaken and needlessly scares consumers. Speaking of which, any time you look for facts about pesticides, be sure to get your info from hands-on experts, not ideologues. Europe's Farm-To-Fork plan (F2F) was poised to boost the EU's organic food production and slash its fertilizer and pesticide use. The war in Ukraine has brought those plans to a halt.

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Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 210 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* 99.8%: Rebuffing Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ pesticide claims, EPA says almost all fruits and vegetables are safe

Despite EWG's claims about the dangers of pesticides, independent experts and regulators continue to insist that America's food supply is among the safest in the world. There is simply no evidence to suggest that trace amounts of pesticides on your produce can pose a health risk. Let's examine just how extensively officials at the EPA, FDA and USDA investigate the chemicals that farmers are allowed to use.

* Viewpoint: Concerned whether pesticides in the environment are safe? Listen to hands-on experts, not ideologues

Claims that pesticides pose a severe threat to human health and the environment are a dime a dozen. The problem is, most of these allegations come from people with ideological commitments that force them to oppose pesticide use. Talking to experts, who actually work with these chemistries, offers a much more balanced perspective. When pesticides are misused, they can indeed be very dangerous. When used as intended and with the proper safety protocols in place, pesticides play and important role in producing our abundant food supply.

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* How the war in Ukraine has derailed the European Union Farm to Fork initiative — and sparked debate about what constitutes sustainable agriculture

Ukraine is a major grain producer; Russia is one of the top producers of chemical fertilizer used in agriculture. With the ongoing war disrupting both countries' exports,