Science Facts & Fallacies

Recent research shows that lab-grown meat may not live up to its environmental hype, requiring far more energy than its supporters claim. California is close to enacting excessive pesticide regulations that could needlessly harm its massive agriculture sector. What is the Golden State thinking? Everybody has to eat, yet presidential candidates spend very little time discussing their agriculture policies. This needs to change.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 235 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Is lab-grown meat environmentally harmful?

Lab-grown, cell-based or cultured meat: whatever you call this alternative protein, it's been sold to the public as an earth-friendly alternative to meat derived from animals. According to recent research, however, that might not be true. Cell-cultured meat production generates around 25 times the emissions of beef, a study conducted by researchers at UC Davis concluded. The result has amplified an already intense debate between lab-grown meat advocates and their detractors in the agriculture industry. Which side really has the science on their side?

* Viewpoint: ‘California’s plan to choose politics over science on pesticides will dump millions more tons of carbon and threaten food security’

California may soon enact legislation that would allow its regulators to place additional regulations on pesticide use beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deems necessary. The new proposal is ostensibly designed to protect public health and the environment, but it's true affect could be to bury farmers and agricultural workers in paperwork and red tape that severely limit their production. A bill in Congress could halt California's plans, setting the stage for a debate over state's rights and regulatory science with profound implications for our food supply.

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The public accepts a lot of myths about nutrition. Let's examine 10 of the most common, but scientifically dubious ideas often treated as established fact. Could anti-vaccine activists misuse ChatGPT to disseminate dangerous nonsense? And how do we stop them? CRISPR may one day help us cure certain mental disorders. But is it worth the risk?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 234 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Organic food is healthier than conventional? Cholesterol is bad for you? Here’s 10 debunked nutrition myths

Should you cut carbs to lose weight? Will saturated fat give you heart disease? Are fresh vegetables better than their frozen counterparts? No, no, and no. These and many other nutrition myths circulate endlessly online. Let's take a closer look at 10 of the most-common beliefs about the nutritional risks and benefits of the foods we eat every day.

* Can OpenAI prevent vaccine conspiracy theories from bubbling up in ChatGPT conversations?

Any technology is capable of doing great good or terrible evil, and language models like ChatGPT are no exception. While these powerful tools can be used to aggregate and disseminate enormous amounts of useful information, they can be abused by bad actors who want to spread nonsense, too. Some experts are especially worried about anti-vaccine advocates using AI-powered tools to confuse parents about the risks and benefits of immunization. How do we prevent such fringe voices (or anybody else) from misusing these rapidly evolving innovations?

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* We could use CRISPR to cure mental illness. Should we?

CRISPR gene editing is a powerful technology with a lot of promise. It's already been used to enhance the food we eat and treat certain types of inherited blindness, to cite just two examples. Researchers are now exploring the technology's potential to cure mental disorders like autism and depression. It's a potentially life-changing application for genetic engineering, but one fraught with serious ethical concerns that can't be easily addressed. Can we responsibly use CRISPR in these circumstances, or has our techno-inspired hubris finally gotten the best of us?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science.

Invasive grasses are the key to unraveling the cause of Hawaii's devastating wildfires, according to a local expert examining the fallout. Why do younger Americans face a higher cancer risk while the rest of us are less likely to develop the disease? Recent hysteria surrounding the sweetener aspartame isn't just baseless, it could actually generate some serious public health consequences.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 233 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* How a ‘foreign invasion’ contributed to Hawaii’s devastating wildfires

While climate change has received much of the blame for the recent wildfires in Hawaii, evidence points to a more immediate and surprising cause: invasive grasses. These species are drought tolerant and capable of spreading over harsh terrain; they're also more likely to survive fire, giving them yet another advantage over Hawaii's native flora. The problem seems to stem from abandoned sugar cane plantations on the islands, left fallow after globalization redirected sugar production to other parts of the world. Can this information helps us mitigate the risk of severe wildfires in the coming years?

* While overall rate of cancer is going down, it’s on the rise in young Americans. Why?

Overall cancer rates are declining in the US—very good news, to be sure. Unfortunately, experts have identified a slight uptick in certain cancers in people under 50, which is most pronounced in young women between the ages of 30 and 39. Researchers remain uncertain about the cause of this small increase, though some evidence points to increasing obesity rates as a potential cancer driver in younger age groups.

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* Viewpoint: ‘Sugar is a far more dangerous enemy’ — Dentist explains why banning aspartame in foods and drinks is a reckless idea

Scaring consumers away from using artificial sweeteners like aspartame could have some potentially troubling unintended consequences: boosting oral health issues and weight gain as more people increase their sugar intake. This scenario underscores the importance of conducting risk assessments when evaluating product safety. Instead of merely speculating that a food or chemical "could" cause cancer, scientists need to clearly explain the costs and benefits of forgoing its use. It's clear in this case that aspartame doesn't cause cancer but allows people to enjoy sweets while reducing their risk of obesity and preserving their dental health.

The same technology behind the mRNA COVID shots could also yield groundbreaking treatments for wide-ranging diseases. A new study posits that COVID killed more Republicans than Democrats in two states. Let's take a closer look at this study. Why is the Washington Post promoting acupuncture?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 232 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* mRNA technology revolution: Battling sickle cell, aging and other tough-to-tackle diseases will soon be easier and cheaper

The same mRNA technology that yielded effective COVID-19 vaccines could be used to treat a variety of serious conditions, from inherited blood disorders to HIV and maybe even aging. A recent study performed with rodents demonstrated that messenger RNA can be adapted to deliver genetic material to the blood stem cells in bone marrow, potentially allowing scientists to correct mutations behind diseases like beta thalassaemia. The next step is to confirm that this procedure can be performed safely on humans. But according to one scientist involved in the research, “This is the future of medicine. The sky is the limit.”

* During the COVID pandemic, Republicans in Ohio and Florida had a higher mortality rate than Democrats

A recent headline-grabbing studied found that more Republicans than Democrats in Ohio and Florida died from COVID after vaccines were authorized for all adults. The researchers claimed based on their results that voter registration may be a risk factor for vaccine hesitancy and thus disease risk. Left out of the many news stories, however, were the study's serious limitations—which render its results, at the very best, speculative.

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* Viewpoint: ‘Acupuncture pseudoscience’ — Washington Post propagates alternative medicine

Like many news outlets, the Washington Post has taken up the task of combating scientific "misinformation." Oddly, the Post continues to spread its fare share dubious research and sham medical treatments, including acupuncture. Why would the news media chastise the public for believing mis and disinformation while promoting obvious examples of pseudoscience?

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

There's no evidence that cell phone use causes brain cancer, so why do so many people, some scientists included, believe it does? A new COVID booster will be available beginning in September, but confusion persists about the shot's efficacy and who needs to get it. A growing chorus claims we need to stop eating animals and start munching on crickets. The science is not on their side.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 231 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Why do some global cancer agencies claim that using a cell phone (like drinking Diet Coke with aspartame) poses a cancer risk?

Radiation from cell phones probably doesn't cause cancer; there just isn't convincing evidence that links iPhone use to brain tumors. Nevertheless, high-profile figures like RFK, Jr., insist that our mobile devices are serious public health threats hiding in plain sight. Let's take a closer look at the data with the help of a cancer epidemiologist.

* A new COVID vaccine is arriving this fall. Will anyone take it?

Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are set to release another round of COVID-19 booster doses in September. These shots have been engineered to fight off the latest omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, but questions remain about who needs to be boosted this fall and how to convince them to get the vaccine. Could the answer lie in treating COVID as another seasonal respiratory illness we immunize against every year?

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* Meet the beetles: Mealworms could be a food of the future

It's time to quit eating meat and start eating bugs for the sake of our planet, according to a small but influential group of academics and activists. The media has treated this controversial idea as a necessary and even visionary step in our fight against climate change. Unfortunately, they've overlooked many critical flaws in the edible insect story. There's no reason to abandon meat as a protein source—and several issues that may make it a bad idea.

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. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter @camjenglish

There are growing calls to ban PFAS chemicals to protect public health. The problem is, these substances are used in a wide range of life-saving products and there's little evidence they pose a threat. Demand for "magic mushrooms" is booming in the US. These popular drugs may have some important medicinal uses, though experts remain divided over their benefits. We routinely hear that "ultra-processed" food is unhealthy. Is there strong evidence to support this claim?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 230 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: Why proposed PFAS chemical bans might do more harm than good

PFAS are used to manufacturer a wide range of vitally important products, everything from cars to consumer electronics and medical devices. Federal regulators have consistently found that these substances pose minimal risk to human health when used as intended. Nevertheless, one manufacturer of PFAS-containing products just settled a series of lawsuits for $10.3 billion. The settlement raises well-worn concerns that baseless litigation could discourage companies from producing useful products for fear of costly court battles, leaving the public with less access to important, and sometimes life-saving, products like firefighting foams.

* Mushroom hallucinogen sales booming despite reports of serious side effects

Advocates of hallucinogenic mushrooms have long argued that these fungi confer a wide variety of health benefits. Anecdotal evidence suggests that certain chemicals in some mushrooms could treat anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. However, there have been cases of people experiencing serious side effects, raising concerns among some experts that we simply don't know enough about mushrooms to recommend their use. Is there a way to reasonably regulate these drugs without prohibiting there use?

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* What makes ‘ultra-processed food’ so unhealthy?

So-called "ultra-processed foods," broadly comprising the packaged foods that have become staples in the American diet, are thought to be major contributors to growing obesity rates and serious conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But the story might not be that simple. Research actually shows that diets high in ultra-processed foods can be quite nutritious. Is it time to abandon our knee-jerk opposition to food processing?

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

Cameron J.

The less informed someone is about a topic, the more likely they are to overestimate their knowledge of it. This is a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect; it's a simple, compelling theory—and it may be incorrect. Is industry inherently untrustworthy? Activist groups have promoted that idea for decades, but there's much more to the story. Anti-GMO advocate Vandana Shiva is hailed as a visionary by her followers and attacked as a crank by her critics. Who is the real Vandana Shiva?

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Join special guest Dr. Cami Ryan and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 229 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Debunking Dunning-Kruger: It’s widely believed that the less you know, the more you think you know. Does everyone think they’re better than average?

The Dunning-Kruger effect is widely accepted in scientific circles. It's often assumed that people challenging the expert consensus on a given topic do so because they overestimate their knowledge of the subject. However, recent research has started to poke some holes in this seemingly universal cognitive bias. These studies have confirmed, as Dunning-Kruger asserts, that everybody thinks they're smarter than average. But that's where the theory's validity ends, some mathematicians argue. They say incompetent individuals are often keenly aware of their incompetence and able to accurately assess their limited understanding. Are these findings enough to debunk Dunning-Kruger?

* Viewpoint: Simplistic anti-agrobiotech narrative — ‘Companies lie; activists are outraged; regulations are tightened further; companies lie again… Wash, rinse, repeat’

Both reporters and members of the general public seem to believe that industry is inherently greedy and dishonest, while the activists who attack industry are motivated by science and a desire to protect consumers and the environment. According to one risk expert, though, this perspective is deeply flawed. Although companies certainly do behave unethically sometimes, they are often incentivized to do so by activists who support excessive regulations that businesses can't possibly comply with. Is there any real-world evidence to support this idea?

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* Viewpoint: Queen of Green Social Justice or Reckless Green-Revolution Rejectionist — Who is the real Vandana Shiva?

Vandana Shiva is a known promoter of fringe, dangerous ideas. She's claimed that the first SARS virus originated in farm an...

Marriage is a major milestone for many people, but how has the institution influenced human evolution? A growing list of Silicon Valley billionaires has endorsed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK, Jr.) for president. Why does this incendiary figure attract support from so many tech luminaries? A new study shows that milk's positive nutritional impact more than offsets its contribution to climate change.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 228 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Pair bonding: How wedding vows have contributed to human evolution

Marriage is an important cultural and legal institution around the world, and every society throughout history has maintained the custom in some form. It's universality prompts an important question: how has marriage impacted human evolution? A large but often overlooked body of research indicates that marriage has helped maintain order in society by encouraging monogamy, promoting stability at home and improving individual well being. What insights can we glean from these observations about marriage and evolution today?

* Prominent tech-investors throw support behind vaccine-rejectionist RFK, Jr.’s campaign for Dem nomination

RFK, Jr.'s outsider presidential campaign has generated broad support from people across the political spectrum. But Kennedy has attracted endorsements and donations from one group that seems puzzling to many observers: Silicon Valley billionaires, or 'tech bros' as they're sometimes called. This demographic is wealthy, well educated and intimately familiar with the latest developments in biomedicine, a field which RFK, Jr., has harshly criticized as a leading vaccine critic. Why does this group of science-literate investors have a soft spot for a rebellious character like Kennedy? His anti-establishment rhetoric may lead us to the answer.

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* Rethinking sustainability: Does nutritional value of dairy offset environmental impacts of milk production?

Animal agriculture is routinely lambasted for its supposedly significant contribution to climate change; many high-profile figures have even declared that we must end our dependence on animals as a food source to slow climate change. However, recent research could throw a wrench in their plans, in particular a new study showing that the dairy industry produces more than enough nutrients to offset its actually modest greenhouse emissions. Ridding the world of dairy would yield insignificant climate benefits while depriving billions of people of an important source of esse...

Is meat-eating analogous to human sacrifice? One Washington Post contributor says yes, but how strong is her case? Another expert panel has reaffirmed the safety of the weedkiller glyphosate. Is the long-running debate over the chemical nearing its end? Activists and lawyers are targeting the sweetener aspartame as a supposed cause of cancer. Is there any science backing up their claim?

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Join host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 227 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: With meat alternatives flourishing, ‘people might eventually look back on meat-eating much the way we view cannibalism and human sacrifice’

As synthetic alternatives to animal foods become more widely available, some proponents say the world will begin to look at meat eating as akin to universally deplored behaviors like human sacrifice. Although novel products like lab-grown burgers have some promise, many questions remain about their suitability to completely replace animals as a source of nutrients. For instance, is it truly sustainable to mass produce these products as part of an effort to end animal agriculture? And more fundamentally, is it actually unethical to eat animals? If so, why?

* Safety of herbicide glyphosate reaffirmed by European Food Safety Authority, rejecting activist claims

Another massive evidence review conducted by experts in Europe has reaffirmed that glyphosate poses minimal risk to human health and can be safely used by farmers. The report was followed by leaked news that the European Union will reauthorize the weedkiller for another 15 years, signaling its rejection of activist claims that glyphosate poses a cancer risk to humans. How much longer will the world continue to fight over the settled science behind this herbicide?

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* Aspartame spins the $25 billion Wheel of Mis-Fortune: How the environmental activist—tort lawyer money machine manipulates journalists, misleads policymakers and scares the public

In a campaign that bears a striking resemblance to the crusade against glyphosate, tort lawyers and activist groups now assert that the artificial sweetener aspartame is carcinogenic. As with their earlier claims about the weedkiller, their case against aspartame rests on a report from the controversial International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Much of the nutrition research that attracts media attention is deeply flawed. A new study explains why. Silicon Valley tech guru Steve Kirsch went from obscure entrepreneur to anti-vaccine celebrity. What led him down that troubling path? Confident people appear more intelligent to those around them. This odd quirk of human evolution has important implications for science communication efforts.

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Join host Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 226 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: Misleading guidance — Why so many nutrition studies get the basic science so wrong

Whether it's sugar, fat or protein; meat, candy or soda, many nutrition studies focus on the potential health risks or benefits of eating a single nutrient or food. The results of this research are straight forward, widely covered in the press—and often wrong. Human nutrition is much more complicated than individual nutrients, as it turns out. What can we do as discerning consumers of media (and food) to properly assess the studies that we seen in the headlines?

* Scientific 180? One tech multi-millionaire’s journey from evidence-based advocate to COVID misinformation missionary

Steve Kirsch made a fortune as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. At the beginning of the pandemic, he was poised to make an important public health contribution by establishing the Covid-19 Early Treatment Fund (CETF). The non-profit went to work investigating FDA-approved drugs as potential off-label treatments for COVID-19. Then Kirsch went off the rails.

Although he recruited respected scientists to conduct the foundation's research, he began disputing their results if they weren't to his liking. For example, the anti-depressant fluvoxamine seemed affective against the virus in preliminary studies, but subsequent research has yet to produce conclusive results. Kirsch nevertheless insisted that the drug's usefulness as a COVID treatment was being suppressed. That conclusion eventually led him to the belief that a campaign was underway to minimize the efficacy of existing drugs so pharma companies could sell their vaccines.

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* Confidence heuristic: Why humans are biologically programmed to follow self-assured, poised people

Research shows that confident people inspire trust in those around them. Part of this appeal stems from the perception that confidence is indicative of intelligence. Such a trait was quite useful throughout human history as people rallied aro...