Study: People against GMOs know the least about GMOs but think they know the most

[Paradoxical]

Natural foods will always be better for you than GMO. I wouldn't be surprised if this article was written by a Monsanto executive.

[Naramag]

That would only work if people were properly educated as to what a GMO is rather than what people perceive it as.

No, People don't need to be educated. If you don't know a thing about bananas, never seen one, etc... and someone gives you one, it is totally okay if you don't want to eat it. You don't need to know a thing about it. It is your choice, it's about how you feel about it. Nothing rational.

On the other hand, take GMOs to areas in africa for example, where people are starving. Tell them "Hey, we used science on this food, it may look like a thing you know and taste like a thing you know and as far as we know is totally save to eat. But there could be negative side effects nobody ever encountered before. You can have it, but we can't guarantee that it won't screw you some way in the future."
And I bet, people will gladly take it.

[petej0]

Natural foods will always be better for you than GMO. I wouldn't be surprised if this article was written by a Monsanto executive.

What do you consider "natural"? What do you consider GMO?

There are alot of everyday foods people eat and wouldnt think are GMO.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

That's okay. I still dont want it.

That's cool.

Be sure not to use salt, pepper, or even fire on your food those. That relies on science (gasp) to chemically alter your food! Science is bad! Chemistry is bad! Genetics are bad! Only eat stuff raw, and only stuff that hasn't been modified in any way. Which is pretty much nothing you can buy at the grocery store these days, including raw food. (Don't forget, no pesticides either.)

You'll show them! You'll live forever!

[ItsRainingMetal]

That's cool.

Be sure not to use salt, pepper, or even fire on your food those. That relies on science (gasp) to chemically alter your food! Science is bad! Chemistry is bad! Genetics are bad! Only eat stuff raw, and only stuff that hasn't been modified in any way. Which is pretty much nothing you can buy at the grocery store these days, including raw food. (Don't forget, no pesticides either.)

You'll show them! You'll live forever!

Thanks, but I think I will decide for myself what to do.

I see no reason to ingest something questionable, when I can decide and afford not to.

[Molis]

Thanks, but I think I will decide for myself what to do.

I see no reason to ingest something questionable, when I can decide and afford not to.

OP is correct you are sure edgy ItsRainingMetal

Every ate a bananna or an apple?
Seedless watermelon?

Most foods have been GMO for decades. It just used to be done through selection rather than in a lab.

[EbonBehelit-]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneti...ified_organism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_breeding

They are not the same.

Selective breeding is a form of genetic modification -- the GMO Wikipedia page even states as such several times. The only difference between the two is that one is far, faaaar slower than the other. They both achieve the same ends.

[Eggroll]

Idiots: We want a way to make enough food to make sure noone in the world goes hungry!

Scientists: Ok! Heres a way we can modify crops to increase yields and decrease grow times

Idiots: LIKE...OMG...modified food is like... SUPER bad ok... like, the guy who writes this like, blog.. TOTALLY told me about how bad it was and vaccines contain mind control drugs, its all the government ok....

Scientists:........................ fuck this planet

That's complete bull tho. We already HAVE enough food production to feed the entire planet. Pity in western countries 40% of produced foods go into the trash. Not to mention the overfed western civilisation... US and EU reek with obesity.

[ItsRainingMetal]

OP is correct you are sure edgy ItsRainingMetal

Every ate a bananna or an apple?
Seedless watermelon?

Most foods have been GMO for decades. It just used to be done through selection rather than in a lab.

Absolutely. One is natural, the other is done by some hack in a lab coat.

How is it edgy btw? Had you been born earlier, would you be a heavy smoker aswell? I mean, people were told it was good for them.
Also, I dont believe for a second, that it's done for our benefit, the only reason they do something like this, is to increase profit margins, big shady companies dont give a fuck about our health or any potential side effects, short term profit is the key.

The simple fact is, it's a relatively new thing and we dont yet know if it causes issues down the line. Until this has been proven otherwise, beyond a shadow of a doubt, im happy to know that we have actual food standards in Europe. But really, there's no need to be so salty, you guys in redneckistan can stuff yourselves with shit food all day, it doesn't really bother me either way, that's your call, lol.

[SyphonRT]

Selective breeding is a form of genetic modification -- the GMO Wikipedia page even states as such several times. The only difference between the two is that one is far, faaaar slower than the other. They both achieve the same ends.

Molecular biologist here.
Selective breeding is a form of genetic modification yes. I think most of the confusion comes from the question whether it is theoretically possible for an organism to acquire the modified trait in a natural way, or not.

Example: selective breeding to produce a bigger kind of fruit would theoretically be possible to occur in nature, whereas bacteria producing human insulin, or golden rice with super high levels of vitamin A would never be possible without a laboratory for recombinant DNA technology.

I think that most people associate the term GMO with organisms that were modified using recombinant DNA tech, which is often a transgenic organism. Sceptics are partly right in that there currently is insufficient data to predict what would happen if a transgenic organism would be released into the wild.

[ohwell]

(Source)

Sadly not surprising, while there are arguably justifiable criticisms with companies like Monsanto, most people who hold anti-GMO views are seemingly doing it out of a naturalistic fallacy or because it's “new” (despite GMO research going back to the 1970s).

A lot of the vegetables we eat today are technically GMOs as in they've been GMOs for a very long time. You want to eat corn and the others the way they originally existed? They really need to google what certain vegetables/fruit used to look like before humans intervened.

[Altrec]

No, they are not the same thing. In layman's terms, one occurs "natural" and the other only through our doing. The goal might be identical though. But if you try to argue that the distinction in itself is bullshit... you are right.

Selective breeding is also our doing. That is why its called selective breeding. We are the ones doing the selecting.

[ellieg]

Same people against GMOs prob have some stupid dog breed lol

[Schwaymang]

Why care? Because just like idiot vegans they're trying to stop the rest from using it. They're luddites trying to stop technological progress. Did you forget how they trampled golden rice that could save millions in poor countries?

People who are against GMO are mongoloids and should be treated as such. They're against GMO "in their food" when GMO food has been tested thousands of times more than conventionally farmed food. If anything the village idiots should be afraid of things like ecological foods because their effects have barely been tested at all.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Thanks, but I think I will decide for myself what to do.

I see no reason to ingest something questionable, when I can decide and afford not to.

But it's ALL questionable! Where does fire really come from? I mean, if you're this ignorant about GMO -- despite all the actual scientific information available at your fingertips -- one can only assume that you're equally ignorant about everything else on the planet. But why salt? Salt's not natural! It's a ROCK!!! YOU'RE EATING ROCKS!!!! That's not food! DEAR GOD, MAN! IT'S ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

And yes, people like you sound that fucking stupid when you say shit like that about GMOs.

[Arenis]

Selective breeding is also our doing. That is why its called selective breeding. We are the ones doing the selecting.

But we don't manually edit the genome. We don't manually insert/delete genes or operons or whatever you like. We let "nature" do its thing (bar some techniques) and just breed from there.

[AmbivalentOne]

GMOs are poison. The reason these "scientists" support GMO is because they are paid by Monsanto to say it's safe.

[ItsRainingMetal]

But it's ALL questionable! Where does fire really come from?

As it turns out, fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Now you know, dont you feel better already?

But really, why are you so salty? Do remember to put some extra salt on your food to make up for it, or well.. Dont worry, I suppose your daily McDonalds will do that for you, that, and all kinds of shit you dont need, in abundance!

[Doctor Funkenstein]

As it turns out, fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Now you know, dont you feel better already?

"No! That's just hibberty jibberty! Fire is bad, it burns things and causes smoke, and smoke is bad for you! You're eating SMOKE! HERP A DERRRRRRRRRP!!!" --People like you when it come to GMOs

But really, why are you so salty?

Nope. Just intolerant of ignorance, especially when that ignorance has the potential to make life worse for me and those I care for. You know, like anti-vaxxers, environmental deniers, and so on and so forth. You're the dangerous nitwits, not everyone else.

[Kumorii]

Why care? If they don't want it why does it matter why they don't want it? Companies do not have a right to make profit.

Considering GMO can help solve both world hunger and environment crisis I would think people would care more about it.
Funnily enough it's usually environmentalists that kinda shows this disdain for GMO's when you'd think they would embrace it the most.