Genetic Literacy Project
Fake AI celebrity endorsements of quack wellness cures are surging among the elderly
Paris Hilton’s mother Kathy recently tried the “Jell-O diet” to lose weight. She believed other celebrities – Oprah Winfrey, Doctor ...
Viewpoint: Organic food costs more—but is it healthier, safer, and more nutritious? The latest science findings may surprise you.
Few symbols on food labels evoke such an immediate sense of health as the “organic seal.” Its promise of "natural" ...
Trojan fly: Gene-edited living insecticides could help farmers spray less
On June 3, a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, was found with fly larvae feeding on a wound. While ...
From breakthrough to business: The challenging work of scaling gene-edited food for the public
When CRISPR technology first hit the scene in 2012, many saw its promise in tackling stubborn genetic diseases in humans ...
AI vs AI: Can artificial intelligence contain the fake news epidemic that it has helped unleash?
Artificial intelligence doesn’t have a great reputation for veracity. Social media abounds with AI-generated concoctions, from cute images of fake animals in ...
Viewpoint: Here’s how Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded Lighthouse Reports cynically twisted the data to “prove” Big Food is trying to block safety measures
What happens when you want to run a campaign, but you have very limited data and evidence? One strategy more ...
When anecdotes become medical advice: No, ADHD cannot be managed with supplements
If social media is to be believed, ADHD can be managed with supplements, breathing exercises, herbal remedies, and just about ...
Activists vs. Scientists: Could “Butterfly Effect” fears derail gene-drive research targeting the flesh-eating screwworm?
The United States once defeated a ravenous, parasitic fly with mass releases of sterile insects. A genetically engineered strain could ...
The COVID vaccine turbo cancer scare is back. Science still proves it’s wrong.
A viral claim has been resuscitated. You may have seen it early in the COVID vaccine days: the claim that ...
Viewpoint: Is geo-engineering the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ solution to uncontrollable climate change—or manufactured fear
It’s easy to forget today, as more and more people have come to take the idea of solar geoengineering seriously, ...
Viewpoint—Propaganda parrots: Challenging MAHA claims that scientists and health experts are disinformation-spreaders
By now you’ve probably seen the clips. On the morning [of August 2, 2026], Secretary Kennedy went on CNN’s State of ...
Viewpoint—Synthetic influencers and ‘deep fake’ doctors: How AI generates fake experts
Artificial intelligence is transforming how millions of Americans get health advice, flooding platforms like YouTube and TikTok with slick, on-demand ...
Europe’s embrace of sustainable gene-edited crops is accelerating
To reach the experimental maize field, visitors first pass through a locked gate tucked between a railway line, a motorway ...
Viewpoint: How the $6.8 billion wellness industry spins tales of deception
The global wellness industry sells itself as the future of health, happiness, and longevity—but first, what exactly is "wellness"? The ...
41-state Cyclospora outbreak exposes widespread state-to-state communication failures
The response to the current large outbreak of food-related illnesses caused by a microscopic parasite is a communications failure, not ...
Viewpoint—A hard look at the Fauci diaries: Do they change what we know about COVID’s origins?
Recently released diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci reveal significant gaps between what senior scientists and officials said privately about COVID-19 ...
Viewpoint: How disease tracking and prevention has cratered under the Kennedy-Trump administration
Public health relies on data – whether it is tracking the effectiveness of a given year’s flu vaccine, monitoring blood ...
Consumer skepticism about gene-edited milk is neither fixed nor particularly high—and falls even more if it’s priced lower
As temperatures rise, New Zealand’s dairy farmers face a growing challenge: keeping cows cool enough to remain productive. Heat stress ...
The retreat of environmental extremism: Why activist NGOs are losing favor
During the American heat dome or Europe’s summer swelter and the hottest June days on record, we no longer have ...
Viewpoint: What does it mean when critics of conventional agriculture say many fruits and vegetables are “linked” to pesticide poisoning?
“Our job here at Psy Ops is to panic the enemy, to blunt his will to fight. A Psy Operator ...
Viewpoint: Is there new evidence that the animal deworming drug ivermectin decreases the risk of Covid and cancer? Don’t waste your money.
Though researchers have been studying the animal deworming drug ivermectin for decades, there is no evidence that it’s a safe or effective way to ...
Hiroshima at 81: America’s new nuclear bomb, a buried Iranian target, and a question no one wants to ask
August 6 is one of the most consequential and emotional anniversaries for Americans, our World War II allies, and Japan—each ...
Anti-vaccine myths rattle health care
KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows that larger shares of the public express uncertainty over common ...
Viewpoint: Are the U.S. and Europe headed towards a repudiation of agricultural biotechnology red tape?
2026 may well be remembered as the year global agriculture began to untangle itself from decades of precautionary red tape ...
Viewpoint: High-dose resveratrol supplements to extend health and life? Don’t waste your money.
A quick online search for “resveratrol supplements” finds dozens produced by various companies. They contain anywhere from 50 to 500 ...
Peptides, patient autonomy, and the limits of medical freedom
John Stossel’s case for medical freedom is emotionally and philosophically powerful: if we own our bodies, why should the government ...
Viewpoint—The Strategic Litigation boom: Understanding the tightening coalition among NGOs, foundations, journalists, and tort lawyers
Ten years ago, when I started writing SlimeGate, many in the activist NGO world felt uncomfortable about getting into bed with ...
Viewpoint: Yes, we can adapt to a changing climate without devastating the environment and the economy
Adaptation to climate has long been disparaged by climate advocates. Adaptation has been framed as an avoidable cost of the ...
