Humans have altered nature for thousands of years. Farmers have trimmed weeds into ever more productive grains and bred bigger, tastier animals. Is genetic engineering only the next evolutionary step or a step too far?
Big yielding, nutrient-packed crops that survive drought, salty water, even floods: the visionary dreams of genetic engineers. Back in today’s world, the vast majority of GMOs have one of two traits, herbicide tolerance or pest resistance. How helpful are they?
Genetically modified crops successfully feed the world’s livestock, its cotton mills, and its biofuels industry. People, however, prefer conventional crops. Will food shortages force them to change their minds?
Could genetically modified organisms (GMOs) help feed a growing world population? Walter Alhassan of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa describes their potential and limitations in a continent struggling to feed itself.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become part of everyday life, but little is known about their long-term impacts. Johannes Klose, Scientific Advisor, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, talks about the risks and opportunities.
Genetically modified crops could help feed the hungry, says Krystyna Swiderska of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), but their expansion also threatens biodiversity, nature's best defense against climate change.
Learn ten key facts and figures about GM crops: what crops dominate; where they are grown and by whom; what they are used for; and where the technology is heading.
When it comes to nanotechnology, it is difficult to separate science fact from science fiction. Christine Peterson at the Foresight Institute, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of nanotechnology, tells the story so far and predicts what is to come.
Promoted as a cure for cancer, a basis for more effective sunscreen, and a source of clean water, nanotechnology promises revolutions in science, medicine, and manufacturing. Where did this technology come from and where is it going?
Nanotechnology has been presented as a potential hazard. How dangerous are particles that could pass through our skin and trick our immune system?
