fandomhigh | Debate, Wednesday, September 21, 2016

"Alright, welcome back," Tony said cheerfully. "Today we'll be sort of branching off the debate from last week into the question over whether or not GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. In this instance we're addressing it in regards to food production."

Wow, wouldn't this be fun, kids?

"And not, say, me," Steve said dryly. "I think I probably fall under genetic modification."

Tony considered that for a moment. "Technically me too. Though it's really more of a cyborgization... not important now." Because no need for a nerdy little rant there, Tony. "Many plant species have been altered over the years to produce a particular look or taste or hardiness for human or animal consumption. These days it's been taken to a more scientific level and many people have objected to that."

"Is it because sometimes they taste bad now?" Steve asked. "Because sometimes they taste bad."

Steve Rogers: looks 26, sounds 145.

"Captain Rogers will be taking the anti-GMO stance," Tony announced, giving Steve suuuuch a look for being an actual grandpa here. Next thing you knew, he'd be demanding to eat dinner at 4 pm.

Well, first dinner, maybe. And then another at 6:30. And a protein drink around nine! "And Mr. Stark, surprising no one, will argue in favor of scientific meddling," Steve said with a quick grin.

Which just made Tony laugh. "Just a little bit of meddling. Biology isn't even my area of expertise!" Then turned to address the class, "Research your side of the topic and we'll begin."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Name, then pro or con!

Negasonic, Pro.

Ada Miller, con.

Isabela, pro.

Anders, con

Maria DeLuca, pro

Kaylin Neya, pro any kind of food. No really, any kind.

Aw, Steve. Your grandpa is showing.

GMOs, yes or no?

"So GMO's may get a bad rap, but the process of blending DNA from different species to make a stronger product have been around for years," Negasonic said flatly. "In the mid-fifties Normal Borlaug created a new species of Dwarf Wheat that saved billions of lives because it had a shorter stalk and was disease resistant."

There had been a re-run of a certain episode of ~~meta-for~~ West Wing last night.

"In 1978 we were able to create human insulin from bacteria to help diabetics. In 1995 scientists were able to create a insect resistant potato from the same techniques."

Thanks Wikipedia.

"True. In the wrong hands GMOs can cause problems. Then again we could have billions of people starving to death across the world."

She shrugged.

"I'd rather people didn't starve."

"When I was growing up, they gave cigarettes to people with asthma and talked about how healthy tobacco was," Steve said. "The cutting edge of science in the present can cause all kinds of unanticipated problems in the future. An insect-resistant potato can lead to a unkillable insect as it evolves to solve the problem we've just fixed."

And with Steve's luck, the super-bug would then try to take over New York City.

Mostly likely it'll be a collective of bees controlled by a the conscience of a Nazi scientist going by the name of Swarm.

Beeeeees.

However Negasonic was just eyerolling at Grandpa Steve.

"So we should just let people starve then because we're afraid of a few bugs?"

"Of course not, but we shouldn't just assume that because it's the latest thing it's going to be the best idea ever," Steve said. "Slow down a bit. Research the consequences."

Ada was...not debating. Ada was reading the research to herself under her breath as she tried to puzzle through all the words she didn't know. Which was most of them.

She knew she was clever. If it as a literature book, she could have read it easily, and any new words she would have figured out the context. But science had never been her strong suit, and none of this was anything the homeschooling program had ever covered. She'd never even heard of a 'GMO' before today, let alone things like cross-pollination or biotech or monoculture.

Ada probably wasn't going to be actually debating, at least for awhile. She was too busy trying to understand what any of it actually was.

Which would be why Tony eventually made his way over to check on her. "You doing okay?"

She eyed him warily for a moment then shrugged. Ada wasn't embarrassed by her lack of formal education, just currently frustrated as hell by her lack of understanding of the material. "I don't know most of these words," she admitted. "Can't debate stuff if'n I don't understand what it is, or how t' say it."

"More right brained than left?" Tony ventured with a grin.

"Don't know what that means, either," Ada replied. "Government homeschooling curriculum ain't big on science."

Sorry, Tony, you just drew one of the least-science-literate people in class.

"Like, say, GMOs," she said, pronouncing it carefully in a mild-mimic of how Tony had said the term. "You said it means 'genetically modified organisms,' an' that means someone used Science--" Look, Cosima had been her roommate for a year. Ada knew the difference between science and Science, at least, "--t' make them do things they wouldn't normally do. But, was the Science in a 'let's give it a radiation shot an' see what happens?' way, or more th' 'breeding plants like some people breed horses or dogs' way?"

"It's a bit of an old wive's tale splitting people into creative or scientific categories," Tony offered quickly.

He took a breath, considering his words before going with, "In the most modern terms it's a process in which researchers actually analyze the DNA of a plant or animal to tweak whatever trait they want to enhance or remove. But you're on the right track with animal breeding. Humanity has spent generations changing plants and animals to suit our needs through selective breeding."

He was way too cheerful to be discussing science even if wasn't a branch he focused on.

"Only science I really know is mechanics," Ada answered. "Guess 'm more creative than not."

"That...helps." At least she now had a vague idea what the argument was about, but she still frowned down at her paper. "So what do they mean by a 'monoculture,' or 'ethically produced?' What does ethics have to do with corn? It's food, you eat it."

"Without mechanics, the modern world would fall apart," Tony replied with a grin. Then did a fast refresh on farming with Extremis because it was in no way something he easily retained. No magical farms in his canon, thank you. "Monoculture is when a single crop or animal is produced in one location. Like a cattle ranch or a Midwestern farm with soy beans."

He took a seat on a nearby desk to consider the other part.

"Ethics... In this case, the fact that we don't know the long-term effects of these changes for the consumer or the product. Also how they can be patented, which can shut down smaller farms or ranches who can't afford to pay for the engineered product."

They love to talk!

They did indeed! Though Tony was sliiiightly less prone to talking about 'when he was a kid.'

So.

Shots fired.

Steve would probably not call any of you "whippersnapper," but it kind of depended on his his mood.

Edited 2016-09-21 12:00 (UTC)

Debate, Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Sign in 9/21

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Listen to the lecture

Debate!

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Talk to Steve and Tony

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OOC