This piece over at the Globe and Mail made me realize that it can be a lonely place over here in pro-GM land. When some bark-chewing grass-weaver protests outside chanting, "Down with Franken-'insert your favourite foodstuff here'" we scientists respond by telling them that in actuality, "Functional bacteriorhodopsin is efficiently solubilized and delivered to membranes by the chaperonin GroEL." so you know, there's nothing to worry about.
From the article,
[The term Frankenfood], it turns out was the handiwork of a Boston College English professor and humorist Paul Lewis who concocted the word in 1992 to liven up a letter-to-the-editor he sent to The New York Times. Within days of the letter's being published the term started being used by media everywhere to describe genetically altered food.So any pro-GM names out there? How do you come up with a coinable term that breaks apart as easily as 'Franken' that helps to convey that no, contrary to popular belief, no one is figuring out a way to make tomotoes spew out arsenic, that all that is being modified is the addition or removal of a few proteins - made of the same stuff that's in you body?There are now 19,600 (ed. make that 124,000) references to Frankenfood in Google, and that number that does not capture the terms larger effectiveness as a way of demonizing genetically engineered food.
The word "Franken" alone in front of a specific foodstuff effectively adds venom and fangs to the product. There is Frankenfruit, and Frankenfish, and Frankenchickens, sheep, cows and a host more animals. There is Frankenwheat, Frankenrice, Frankencorn, Frankentomatoes and a slew more vegetables.
Me, I like wonderfood.
This will most likely be integrated into the main page somehow. Just a test for now.
