Download the episode here!
The dirty dozen and misreporting toxic food
A loyal listener told me that they regretfully were switching to organic apples. “Why?” I asked. They said they read on the CBC website about the Dirty Dozen…the 12 most toxic laden fruits and veggies in our supermarkets.
I discovered the Dirty Dozen is published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)…I investigated their claims, evaluated their data (not really theirs but the USDA) and after a little more research proclaimed the story rubbish.
It got worse though, first because it was such a poor example of “journalism” by the CBC…it took be a few minutes to raise some red-flags about the story and an hour or 3 to complete debunk it…and yet the CBC not only reported uncritically but expanded by include and even worse study.
Secondly, i seem to have my loyal listeners that they did not seem to know how to evaluate this story. So listen to see both why the dirty in the Dirty Dozen applies to the EWG more than the flora and how you too can debunk a story like this.
Further Reading:
- Acceptable daily intake
- USDA – Pesticide Data Program
- Apples top list for pesticide contamination in 2014
- How Wrong Is The Latest Dirty Dozen List?
- Going organic for one week cuts pesticide exposure: study
- Reference dose
- Pesticide Exposure in Children
Blinded by Science
Our semi-regular segment about cool science stories…this week:
Blinded by Science – Mice gotta run
Ever wonder why a mouse will run in those little wheels? Do they like it, are they bored or is it a sign of psychosis? Well, someone did some finally set out to answer that question…list to find out why and how snails came in second place in the wheelly marathon.
Further Reading:
- Wild Mice like Running Wheels
- Will Wild Mice Use Running Wheels?
- Even in the Wild, Mice Run on Wheels
Blinded by Science – The Beast asteroid
This past weekend a continent-killing asteroid whizzed by the earth, what makes this one so scaring is we did not know it was coming until April this year. We talk about the asteroid and the need to increase spending in locating near-earth object…especially those that might want to hit the planet .
Further Reading:
Blinded by Science – DNA expands
DNA is the foundation of all life on earth…as far as we know the universe. Well, scientist have improved on the (at least) billions year old formula. No longer are we limited to the traditional two base pairs…they have added another. Why? How? Listen and find out.
Further Reading:
- Scientists create first living organism that transmits added letters in DNA ‘alphabet’
- Expanding the alphabet of life with artificial DNA
Prairie Correspondent – Reflections on the phrase “thank god”
D-Day…meaning to Canada and the context of controversy