GM or not GM? More complex than it seems. This excerpt from The Poet’s Guide to Science addresses the ins and outs of genetic modification. As we shop we are bombarded with “No GMO” labels – and are told organic is better than not, but is this right? Plant ecologist Dr Anne-Sophie Dielen is an expert in the field. Watch her deal with the science sceptic Cy N Tist (yes, really) who is as confused as any of the GP.
Cy is so confused that he feels like giving up on science altogether! He wants things to be straightforward. He doesn’t understand why scientists can’t say definitely “This is so” or “This is not so”. He’s not against experts, he just wants explanations, so Dr Phil takes him on a journey of scientific discovery. This is the section where Cy has just spat out some chips in the pub because they are genetically modified and, luckily, the waiter just happens to be an expert on genetic modification. So the question is, after watching this: What do you think? GM or not GM?
Professor Nerilie Abram is a climate scientist who was on the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Watch Climate Science Discussion to hear her speak on the subject with Cy – a questing GP – and Dr Phil – a bulk-billing poet.
Fusion energy = carbon neutral is the first in our Adventures Abroad in Science series. Dr Adelle Wright discusses the progress of her research with characters from Dramatis Scientificae. What will she say to Clive Palmier-Boggs when he wants her to focus all her research on him?
Keep up-to-date with future events, such as the second episode with Professor Susan Scott on gravitational waves and her life as a scientist. Or read some articles by Dramatis Scientificae’s Dr Phil Dooley (Cosmos, National Geographic), who has been published three years in a row (!) in The best Australian Science Writing. If you prefer to see his character Bert get some much needed advice from iron ore magnet (sic) Clive Palmier-Boggs, head over to Fusion Ute and learn why you should never divulge potential money-making ideas to happy billionaires.