The history of agriculture is the history of humans breeding seeds and animals to produce traits we want in our crops and livestock. Michael Specter More Quotes by Michael Specter More Quotes From Michael Specter Be sceptical, ask questions, demand proof. Demand evidence. Don't take anything for granted. But here's the thing: When you get proof, you need to accept the proof. And we're not that good at doing that. Michael Specter granted demand needs All the food we eat - every grain of rice and kernel of corn - has been genetically modified. None of it was here before mankind learned to cultivate crops. The question isnt whether our food has been modified, but how. Michael Specter crops corn mankind People wrap themselves in their beliefs. And they do it in such a way that you can't set them free. Not even the truth will set them free. Michael Specter atheist people way Your dollar cheeseburger isn't a dollar if you factor in what it's going to cost in health care. Michael Specter dollars cost care I started to write about science and medicine at the Washington Post, in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Michael Specter epidemics medicine writing Daily vitamins are of no value. Michael Specter vitamins values It is not possible to assert publicly that Monsanto is anything other than venal without being accused of being a sellout, a fraud, or worse. Michael Specter being-accused monsanto fraud I think it's too soon to say that, and I think, basically - most of the people that I ran across and most of the studies that I saw suggest people don't go to McDonald's to eat healthy food. They go to eat fries and cheeseburgers. Michael Specter mcdonalds people thinking I think it is true that you can eat extremely healthy food at McDonald's, and you can eat amazingly badly at Chipotle. Michael Specter mcdonalds healthy thinking I understand the horrors of having no insurance, but, believe me, eight hours of sleep and good meals are NOT going to prevent you from getting sick. Don't gamble with your life; it's a stupid bet. Michael Specter stupid sleep believe In the Internet age, with the screaming on the radio, etc., it is hard to know what to believe and who is informed and who is not. Michael Specter radio age believe Vaccination is a public health issue because influenza is a highly contagious disease. If you don't vaccinate your child, his or her schoolmates are much more likely to become ill. That is why some places (New York, for example) are making the vaccine mandatory for school children. Michael Specter new-york children school Flu is easily transmitted, so if you are working with sick people - who are most at risk for getting seriously ill - you ought to be vaccinated. I am not really equipped to say whether it should be the law or not. Michael Specter sick law people There are always potential side effects for every vaccine. Michael Specter side-effects vaccines sides I have never earned one penny from any pharmaceutical company. I will never accept one penny from them either. Ever. Michael Specter pharmaceutical-companies accepting pennies Benjamin Franklin refused to have one of his children vaccinated against smallpox. The four-year-old boy died, and Franklin wrote later of how mistaken he was to expose him to the needless risk. Michael Specter boys children years When people say they prefer organic food, what they often seem to mean is they don't want their food tainted with pesticides and their meat shot full of hormones or antibiotics. Many object to the way a few companies - Monsanto is the most famous of them - control so many of the seeds we grow. Michael Specter grow food people way All the food we eat, whether Brussels sprouts or pork bellies, has been modified by mankind. Genetic engineering is only one particularly powerful way to do what we have been doing for eleven thousand years. Michael Specter doing powerful food way Humanity has nearly suffocated the globe with carbon dioxide, yet nuclear power plants that produce no such emissions are so mired in objections and obstruction that, despite renewed interest on every continent, it is unlikely another will be built in the United States. Michael Specter plants will power humanity It doesn't seem to matter how often vaccines are proved safe or supplements are shown to offer nothing of value. When people don't like facts, they ignore them. Michael Specter value ignore facts people
