• by Sophie Kleber , February 11, 2010

This is the greatest time that's ever been on this planet, thanks to triumphs of the scientific method. That's the good news. But despite our progress people still go hungry, and besides that, we pretty much trashed our planet.

We are having the hardest time to accept facts. And while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no one is entitled to their own facts. People have lost faith in institutions, politics and society. Therefor it is perfectly legitimate to ask questions, demands proof. But when proof is given, we need to accept it. We live in an epidemic of fear. Fear distorts our scientific thinking. If we don't accept the facts, we leap into the arms of big placebo. See vaccines. Vitamins and antioxidants. Ginkgo, Echinacea, Acai. Ideology is dangerous.

Why do we object to genetically engineered food. And while the food problem around genetically engineered food is real (corporations owning life, mono-culturism, etc.) it's not sciences fault. Michael Specter thinks genetically engineered food is the answer o the world's hunger problem.

There's tumult in the audience after this speech. But it will get better....