Pesticides

One of the problems with science communication is that we are always a day or two behind the mass media. The general pattern is this:

The Environmental Working Group has once again released their Dirty Dozen list — the fruits and veggies they say are covered in pesticides. One minor detail: organic produce contains pesticides, too, but that doesn't quite fit their narrative.

NYT's Nicholas Kristof sure knows how to live harder, not smarter. He's been avoiding chemicals and living clean — as he puts it — for several years.

Several years ago, during a layover in Copenhagen's airport, I struck up a conversation with an elderly British couple.

When studies are published in major journals one assumes that study adds value to scientific knowledge - sadly this is not always the case.

The word pesticide is misunderstood, nearly to the same extent as the word chemical.

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes another growing season.

It's that time of year again. Flowers are beginning to bloom, trees are turning green, the birds are chirping a little louder ... and the Environmental Working Group is scaring you about perfectly safe and healthy food. 

Initial reports suggest that Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, was murdered with VX, a type of agent used in chemical warfare. What is it, and how does it work?

Asking hard questions is one of the true delights of being a science journalist. People's assumptions, understanding of the facts, and inherent biases should be subjected to scrutiny.