Agricultural Transgenics and Jeffery Smith- Part 4

[FurieMan]

While i personaly think that geneticaly modefied is basicly essential for humans continues survival, I still think that the issue of "Genetic polution" is something we need to guard for.

One example of this tough Algee plant that became popular in aquariums, that is currently spreading wildy in the mediteranian, pretty mush killing off everything else around it.

Note: the algee wasnt directly modified, it was aparently a random mutation in a aquarium.

[EvoGenVideos]

@FurieMan Well, a random mutation isn't exactly modification, or intentional human genetic manipulation. Genetics is only very vaguely related, but its more of an ecological problem than a genetic one (the introduction of an invasive species).

[EvoGenVideos]

@FurieMan (part 2) In short, that isn't "genetic pollution," or anything similar. It's literally the introduction of an invasive species into an eco-system, which is an entirely different scenario alltogether.

[rationalw0lf]

Wait -- I just had some weird though -- Since people, too are GMO's by the evolutionary process, doesn't that mean that he owns himself?

[EvoGenVideos]

@rationalw0lf Lmao. That would be true technically. Just replace artificial selection with natural selection.

[LithodidMan]

Such an important series! This was great. I think it would be great to make a commercial for a store selling GMO-free foods "All Natural!" with like shelves stocked with measly little grass seeds as wheat, bitter little leaves as lettuce, etc. Actually I just gave myself a video idea....

[EvoGenVideos]

@tyrongkojy Wild bananas are practically unedible.

[nemo3590]

I've noticed that among the religious there's this mentality that God made natural foods perfect as they are, so there's nothing man can do to make them better. Flawed as their thinking is, I can see how that would make sense from their point of view. Another reason why religion needs to die.

As for the anti-GMO atheists, they've been suckered in by bad science from bastards like this Smith guy, which is why we need your videos to counteract him.

[johnnyd101]

great seeries you should have more subscribers

[traog]

Fascinating area of science your getting into. One thing I've heard of is horizontal gene transfer in plants. What I've heard is that the herbicide resistance from GMOs has or might be transferred to weeds then it will be more difficult to control them. I'm very skeptical of this "problem". Is it even very common for this type of gene transfer to happen to Multicellular life forms? Of all the genes that could be transferred how likely would it just happen to "pick" this one?

[EvoGenVideos]

@traog Well, that's just it, it wouldn't just be that gene that got passed on. Horizontal gene transfer doesn't just conveniently transmit one copy of an inconvenient gene. But in the form of polyploidia (fusion of two or more genomes) which is more common in plants, assuming the two plants can interbreed to produce viable offspring, it would also end up with all of the other genes from the domesticated plant, including the genes that make it weak.

[EvoGenVideos]

@traog (part 2) Typically, when things become domesticated, they tend to become weaker than wild varieties. Most plants harvested for food are like that, and need a regular supply of food, water, sunshine, fertilizer, and protection from weeds and pests, and thus aren't as able to survive in the wild. But the same genes that make that so would mean that any hybrids with wild plants wouldn't last long enough to pose much a problem.