On the latest episode of Science Dispatch, Ana Dolaskie and Cameron English sit down with chemist and science communicator Dr. Simon Maechling. With over 17 years in agricultural research and development Dr. Maechling brings a clear-eyed perspective to one of the most pervasive myths in science communication: the appeal to nature fallacy.
We dismantle the widespread belief that “natural” automatically means safe, while “synthetic” or “lab-created” equals dangerous. Dr. Maechling explains how this emotionally charged narrative fuels chemophobia, drives misguided policies on food, pesticides, and biotechnology, and ignores basic toxicology: dose matters far more than origin.
Join us as we break down some of the most pernicious science myths on the internet.
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Cameron English
Director of Bioscience
Cameron English is a writer, editor and co-host of the Science Facts and Fallacies Podcast. Before joining ACSH, he was managing editor at the Genetic Literacy Project.
