The COVID-19 vaccines saved a lot of lives in 2021, but convincing some Americans to take them proved to be a massive hurdle for public health officials. Constant hectoring from the anti-vaccine movement and efforts to mandate the shots only exacerbated the controversy that has yet to die down. What can the intense political battle over the vaccines teach us about science communication moving forward?

The lab-leak origin story for SARS-CoV-2 morphed from fringe conspiracy theory to valid scientific hypothesis seemingly overnight. One side of the debate continues to assert that the available evidence supports a natural origin for the virus, while the other points to revelations about bat coronavirus research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and argues that we need a fuller investigation to determine where SARS-CoV-2 came from. Will we ever know how this pandemic really started?

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After decades as a stronghold of opposition to crop biotechnology, the UK recently broke with the European Union and began taking steps to allow its farmers to cultivate gene-edited crops. Activist opposition to this dramatic policy shift remains strong, but the British government hasn't been swayed, pointing to the many studies showing that genetic engineering offers significant benefits while posing little risk to human health and environment. Is this development further evidence that the anti-GMO movement is losing its political influence?

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 150 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down the biggest news stories of 2021.

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

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg

The USDA's mandatory bioengineered food labels will begin to appear on many more products next month. What can consumers expect during their upcoming trips to the grocery store? Scientific American may be threatening its survival by injecting politics into its science reporting. Meanwhile, one food scientist wants to know why some US high schools and colleges are teaching students that GMOs are harmful.

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 149 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* USDA’s bioengineered label is coming soon. What can it tell consumers?

In January, the USDA's bioengineered label will begin to appear on more products in grocery stores that contain genetically engineered ingredients. The labels offer consumers no useful information about the nutritional content or safety of the foods they purchase, the USDA acknowledges, but enforcing the labeling rules could cost more than $3 billion for just the first year. Why in the world did Congress pass such an expensive and unhelpful law?

* Has Scientific American strayed too far from science?

Once arguably the most reputable publication in US science media, Scientific American has lost its way, according to some critics. The magazine has grown increasingly political, publishing a variety of dubious stories about contentious cultural issues that have little to do with science, and even dismissing a highly respected columnist who challenged the editor's "woke" politics, as evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne put it. Coyne went on to suggest that Scientific American may be jeopardizing its future by mixing ideology with science:

My prediction is that unless the editors go back to its original format and lay off the propagandizing, the magazine will fold. After all, you can read about social justice and wokeness nearly everywhere, including Teen Vogue, but Scientific American was once unique.

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* A nutritionist reflects on the sad state of health education about GMOs and farming at schools and universities

Genetically engineered crops are widely accepted in the science community as useful tools that help farmers produce our food more sustainably. Yet some high schools and colleges haven't embraced this ...

A recent meta-analysis has alleged that the health risks linked to chemical exposure have doubled in the last five years. Does the evidence actually support that claim? Vaccines of the future may be grown in plants, cutting production costs and giving millions more people access to life-saving drugs. In 1951, Henrietta Lacks visited the hospital to get treatment for cervical cancer. Some of her cancerous cells were taken without permission and used to develop a variety of important medical innovations. Was this a gross ethical violation, or a justifiable act to advance the world's scientific understanding?

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 148 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: ‘Health impact of chemicals doubled in last 5 years’? Media misreporting flawed studies mislead the public

The media frequently reports about the dangers linked to chemical exposure, and a recent review generated a whirlwind of news coverage by alleging that the health impact of chemicals has doubled in less than a decade. But the data in no way justify such an assertion, epidemiologist Geoffrey Kabat argued in a critique of the meta-analysis. "The media coverage of the paper, and indeed the paper itself, are part of a decades-long trend among some scientists and activists to amplify the risk of exposure to chemicals in consumer products far beyond what can be justified by the evidence."

What's fueling this trend to exaggerate the dangers posed by chemical exposure?

* Molecular farming? Edible plant-based vaccines are cheaper, easier, and quicker to produce than traditional shots

Vaccine production is an arduous, expensive process. And while the shots it produces prevent the spread of many diseases and save lives, they are often difficult to manufacturer and transport to developing countries, where they are severely underutilized. A solution may be on the horizon as scientists begin growing the ingredients for vaccines in plants. This "molecular farming" approach, advocates say, is safe and far more efficient than the decades-old process still used to produce many shots, including the seasonal flu vaccine.

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* Henrietta Lacks’ immortal genes are now the subject of a legal battle

Henrietta Lacks visited Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 to undergo radiation therapy for cervical cancer. While under anesthesia,

A new at-home dementia test may help predict your risk of cognitive impairment late in life, though some experts fear the new diagnostic tool could have harmful unintended consequences. MRNA technology gave us effective COVID-19 vaccines; could the same platform yield better flu shots as well? Advances in gene-silencing techniques could begin to replace chemical pesticides in the coming years, developers claim. Are we really moving closer to farming with fewer pesticides?

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 147 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* 5-minute at-home dementia test has some health experts concerned

If a test could determine your risk of developing dementia, would you want to know? Experts are split over the deployment a new diagnostic tool that may be able to make such a prediction. Detractors say that with no effective treatment for dementia, widespread testing makes little sense, unless we want to unnecessarily scare the public. Proponents argue that more information is better than less, and may allow people to alter their diet and exercise habits to possibly reduce their dementia risk before it's too late.

* mRNA technology can revolutionize the flu vaccine, too

Less than a year after SARS-COV-2 began to spread around the world, pharmaceutical companies introduced two mRNA-based vaccines to reduce transmission of the virus and the severity of  COVID-19 symptoms. Developing safe and effective flu shots based on same technology seems like a logical next step given our experience over the last 19 months. What would it take to get new influenza vaccines onto the market and into people's arms?

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* Replacing chemical pesticides? Sprays made from RNA may be the next generation of plant pest control

Chemical pesticides remain a necessary aspect of crop protection. But gene-silencing technology, and a tool known as "RNA interference" in particular, may begin to reduce the quantity of pesticides farmers use to protect our food from harmful insects and microbes. Instead of traditional chemicals, growers could utilize pesticide sprays that turn off certain genes in an insect's genome, for instance. These tools could help keep pests at bay without taking a toll on human health or the surrounding environment. What progress are scientists making in developing these next-generation pesticides?

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host.

Does Monsanto control the seeds Mexico's farmers can grow? No, but anti-GMO groups do. An increasing number of Americans don't have children and instead treat their pets like kids. Is there an evolutionary explanation for this phenomenon? Meal-replacement company Soylent once vocally celebrated its use of genetically engineered soy in its products. But the company has suddenly gone silent about GMOs in its marketing, fueling speculation that the drink maker has permanently pulled away from its "pro-science" messaging.

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 146 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Viewpoint: Monsanto doesn’t control Mexican farmers’ seed choices — activist groups do

 Anti-GMO groups often assert that seed companies, Monsanto being the most notorious, dictate the kinds of products farmers can use. As it turns out, the activists themselves often exercise this power over the people who grow our food. In Mexico, for instance, the government has banned biotech crops, under the influence of public officials affiliated with anti-GMO advocacy groups. The growers themselves are actually quite happy to utilize biotechnology to reduce their pesticide use and increase their crop yields.

* Is there an evolutionary explanation for recent surge in child-free pet parenting?

Starting a family appears to be going out of fashion as more people begin treating their dogs and cats like their children. Some research suggests that humans evolved a capacity to care for children who aren't their own as a means of establishing basic communities. Now, some evolutionary psychologists suspect this altruistic trait, known as alloparenting, explains why many people consider their animals to be their "fur babies." Is this a reasonable hypothesis?

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An expert advisory panel recently revised the decades-old recommendation to take aspirin daily to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Is this a flip-flop or scientists just following the evidence wherever it leads? Recent media reports claimed a breakthrough procedure moves us closer to performing animal-to-human organ transplants. Once specialist says that's "hype and bullshit." Do the costly glyphosate-cancer lawsuits prove we desperately need tort reform in the US?

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 145 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Recent flip-flop on aspirin recommendations for heart disease is a sign of good science at work. Here’s why

For decades, middle-age Americans have been encouraged to take low-dose aspirin daily to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently updated this guidance based on new evidence showing that an everyday-aspirin regimen may be unnecessary for many people. The shift comes at a time when Americans are already frustrated by ever-changing infection control measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also suggests that scientists are willing to update their recommendations as new data come in.

* ‘It is hype and bullshit’: Scientist challenges claims that pig-to-human xenotransplantation is close to realization

Calling it a "breakthrough" procedure, the media reported recently that surgeons kept a brain-dead patient alive for 54 hours by sewing a pig kidney onto her leg. The risky surgery, outlets like the New York Times and AP reported, moves us closer to using animal organs to save human lives. The problem? Such a procedure has been possible since the early 1990s; reporters unfamiliar with the relevant science amplified a story that didn't deserve the attention. The misplaced hype suggests that news consumers need to be skeptical of what they read in the headlines.

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* Class action tort reform: Why ‘outrageous’ judgements against Bayer in glyphosate cancer scare makes a case for dramatic legal changes

Biotech giant Bayer has set aside more than $10 billion to settle roughly 100,000 lawsuits alleging that its weedkiller glyphosate causes...

Medicine is bowing to academia's "fashionable nonsense" surrounding a variety of important issues, and the consequences could be serious. Home pregnancy tests are accurate, easy to use and relatively inexpensive—but they weren't always. Throughout history, prospective parents relied on a number of rather strange methods to confirm a pregnancy. Bayer, one of the largest producers of weedkillers and biotech seeds in the world, is putting new focus on its organic seed business. Is the company just trying to boost its green credentials?

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

* Viewpoint: ‘Fashionable nonsense’ — The deadly impact of ‘kowtowing to academia’s political zeitgeist’ in biomedicine

From the dangers of alcohol to "quantum healing" and biological sex, medicine is increasingly catering to fashionable but false ideological claims. It's bad enough when the social sciences embrace dubious ideas, but, according to biologist Alex Berezow, it's downright deadly when medical journals do it because "public health officials use medical journals to guide decision-making."

* From mixing urine in wine to peeing on barley: A history of pregnancy tests

Today, accurate home pregnancy tests are available at any drugstore, but it wasn't always that way. Would-be mothers in the ancient world were stuck with much less sophisticated methods of pregnancy testing, like urinating on barley and watching to see if it sprouted. It was until the early 20th century that pregnancy testing saw significant technical improvements, and it was still very expensive and thus off-limits to most people—a situation that didn't change until the late 1970s. What can we learn from this odd bit of medical history?

* Agribusiness giant Bayer introduces new focus on organic seeds

Bayer, well known as a major of glyphosate-based weedkillers and genetically engineered seeds, turned heads recently by announcing that it would expand its organic seed business starting next year. The company says the move was a response to growing consumer demand for organic vegetables, a market that could worth close to $500 million annually by 2025. Bayer's decision may seem surprising to the general public, who have been misled by activist groups into believing that conventional and organic agriculture are enemies.

The reality is much less scandalous. Many farmers grow genetically engineered and organic crops, and seed companies are happy to sell them whatever they want.

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

Cameron J.

Many people simply refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Is their skepticism justifiable, or are they plagued by biases that hinder their ability to consider the evidence? Your genetics determine a lot about your health, but developing the right habits can modulate the impact of your genes and extend your lifespan. Can you be "addicted" to junk food? A growing body of research suggests the answer may be "yes."

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

* Viewpoint: A psychological deep dive into the minds of COVID vaccine ‘refuseniks’

Science educators have spent years trying to understand what drives people into the anti-vaccine movement. Some studies have posited that vaccine "refuseniks" have a propensity to believe conspiracy theories and may come from segments of society that feel alienated from the broader culture. But is there more to the story? And why has vaccine refusal reached such a fever pitch during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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* Living longer: Genes set limits, but diet and exercise can extend lifespans

Is your lifespan dictated by your genes? The answer is complicated. While your genetics certainly influence your overall health, research continues to show that the habits you cultivate can modulate the impact of your genes, helping you avoid obesity, for example, or a serious disease that may run in your family. These factors tend to be most important in middle age; if you can avoid them, then your chances of living longer increase significantly.

* How the brain drives food addictions

One well-known origin story of the obesity epidemic tells us that ther...

Poison Ivy plagues outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Is a vaccine on the horizon? Exercise is great for your health, but a new study shows that working out might not help you lose as much weight as you had hoped. Several new videos promoting essential oil vegetable washes and demonizing pesticides are making the social media rounds. Let's take a look at everything they got wrong.

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

* We have little relief for poison ivy rashes — but a vaccine is in the works

For many of us, poison ivy is just a fact of life—though it may not be in the coming years. Researchers are developing a compound called PDC-APB, which contains a synthetic version of the active component in urushiol, the chemical that causes those irritating poison ivy rashes. If approved, the drug would be administered once or twice a year, giving the immune system of an individual prone to poison ivy rashes a head start.

* Why exercising more doesn’t necessarily lead to weight loss

A recent study shows that exercise may result in roughly 25 percent less weight loss than projected by the simple calories-in-calories-out calculation we're all familiar with. The research adds to existing evidence showing that the human body evolved complex energy-sparing mechanisms designed to help our ancestors retain calories for the long fasting periods they often experienced. What does this mean for those of us today who regularly hit the gym in hopes of slimming down?

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* Videos: Debunking three viral social media videos that promote ‘snake oil’ products and spread misinformation about the ‘dangers’ of pesticides on produce

New pyramid-marketing videos promoting pesticide "cleansing" products have garnered lots of attention on social media. The viral TikTok clips, while perhaps compelling to the unsuspecting viewer, are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of agriculture.

Recommended Twitter follow: @Thoughtscapism and @GadSaad

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

Cameron J.

Smokers appear to face a reduced risk of catching COVID-19. Does their deadly habit offer them some sort of protection? CRISPR crops may mimic nature, but that doesn't mean they should evade strict regulation, a team of researchers argues. After losing several expensive lawsuits, Bayer has finally successfully defended its Roundup weedkiller against a claim that it causes cancer.

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

* Smokers are less likely to get COVID: French researchers explore whether nicotine might prevent transmission

A new study adds to the growing body of epidemiological evidence that smokers are less likely to catch COVID-19. In a region of France with high smoking rates, the researchers found that non-smokers faced a 400 percent higher risk of illness than smokers. Does something in tobacco smoke, perhaps nicotine, offer protection against the deadly SARS-COV-2 virus?

* Viewpoint: CRISPR gene edited crops ‘mimic nature’ — but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be regulated

Many advocates of CRISPR gene editing have defended the technology, in part, by arguing that it mimics natural processes that induce mutations in the DNA of plants and animals. Critics of the new breeding technique aren't impressed. Who cares, they ask, if CRISPR approximates nature? That has no bearing on the risk the technology poses and, as a result, how it should be regulated. Nuclear weapons are natural in many ways, critics claim in comparison, yet we tightly regulate them. Does this argument stand up to scrutiny?

* Bayer claims first victory in glyphosate litigation, as jury rejects claim weedkiller caused a child’s non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Bayer has been pummeled in court over the last few years. Three plaintiffs have convinced as many juries that the company's glyphosate-based Roundup weedkillers caused their non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, though there is no evidence to support that charge. Those losses, two of which Bayer has appealed to the US Supreme Court, forced the company to settle 96,000 similar  lawsuits.

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Earlier this month, however, Bayer won its first case.