Hi, Chemist here 👋

Why do some people think synthetic mRNA is dangerous?

Because they’re told it’s “unnatural,” untested, or secretly rewriting their DNA.

Let’s break that down - with facts.
(Spoiler alert - it's not). 🧵👇 1/ “It’s synthetic!”

Yes. And?

So is paracetamol. So is insulin. So is your Wi-Fi.

Synthetic doesn’t mean dangerous.
It just means designed to work better. 2/

Pesticides are among the most misunderstood tools in society today.

Everyone talks about what they are.

Almost no one explains how they’re tested, regulated, and monitored.

Let’s fix that.

A thread on pesticide safety,
and the science behind it: 🧵1/ First: most people think "chemical = dangerous."

But science doesn’t work that way.
Risk ≠ Hazard.

Even water can be lethal at high enough doses.
What matters is how much and how often you're exposed.

That’s the core of toxicology.
It’s called “The dose makes the poison.” 2/

For over a decade, anti-GMO activists demanded long-term studies in mammals.

Not mice.
Not rats.
Primates.

Well... scientists did just that.
And the results are in.

Let’s talk about a 7-year feeding study in macaques.
🧵 1/👇 Researchers fed two generations of cynomolgus monkeys diets made of ~70% GM maize.

The maize carried:

🌽 cry1Ab and cry2Aj (Bt proteins — insect protection).

🌿 EPSPS (herbicide tolerance — glyphosate resistance).

Control groups ate non-GM or conventional maize. 2/

We fear invisible chemicals.

But we ignore the ones we can see. The ones that actually harm us every single day.

Let’s talk about the visible poisons we breathe, burn, and touch… and why no one seems to care. 🧵1/ We panic over “glyphosate traces” in cereal.

Meanwhile, burning wood in your cozy fireplace fills your home with benzene, formaldehyde, and fine particulates that cause cancer.

Nobody panics. We call it “natural warmth.” 2/

The idea that everything we touch, breathe, or eat is slowly killing us sounds scary, right?

That’s the point.

I want to explain why this panic is manufactured - and what really matters for your health.👇🧵1/

thefirebreak.org/p/the-exposome… The exposome is the new buzzword for an old idea:
That “chemicals” and “pollution” cause all our modern diseases.

Give it a scientific-sounding name and - boom - suddenly it’s a reason for new funding, new policies, and new fears. 2/

Every GMO debate ignores one simple fact:
You've almost never eaten a “natural” food in your life. 👇1/ Corn?
Used to be a wild grass with hard kernels smaller than a fingernail.

Humans reprogrammed it over thousands of years.
The result? Modern corn.

A genetically modified organism. No lab needed. 2/

What was behind biggest-ever U.S. honey bee die-off?

Hint: It wasn't pesticides.

The U.S. just lost 62% of its commercial honey bee colonies in 7 months.

Here’s what happened - and why it should terrify anyone who eats. 👇1/ Bees are more than honey.

They pollinate 90+ crops and drive up to $30 billion in U.S. agriculture.

No bees = no almonds, no apples, no avocados.
This winter, they collapsed.

Researchers finally found the main culprit: 2/

A chemical’s name tells you nothing about whether it’s safe or dangerous.

But that doesn’t stop people from freaking out over “scary-sounding” chemicals while trusting “natural” ones without question.

Let’s fix that. 🧵👇 1/ Ever heard of dihydrogen monoxide? Sounds dangerous, right?

That’s water. 💧 You drink it every day.

Meanwhile, botulinum toxin is one of the deadliest substances known. It can kill in micrograms. Yet people inject it into their faces as Botox. 2/

I work in industry.
That often comes with assumptions:

• That I’m biased.
• That I’m hiding something.
• Or that I’ve been “bought.”

Let’s set the record straight. 1/ Industry scientists are among the most rigorous and evidence-driven professionals in the field.

What do we do?

• Develop life-saving medicines.
• Build sustainable agricultural tools.
• Design safer, smarter materials for global use. 2/

Glyphosate is not just a herbicide.

It's a totem.
It’s a symbol.
It's a scapegoat.

And that’s exactly why it’s under attack. 🧵1/ Not because the science is unclear - it isn’t.
Not because safer alternatives exist - they don’t.
Not because it’s the most dangerous chemical - it isn’t.
2/

Most people think medicine has saved the most lives.

But what if I told you that title belongs to something else?

Something…unexpected, and why we risk losing the next one 1/13 We’re 8 billion people today.
That was once unthinkable.

Yet despite wars, pandemics, and climate shocks, famine is rarer than ever.

The reason?
Modern agriculture.

Yes, really. 2/13

Life expectancy used to be 35.
Half of all children died before age 5.

A scratch could kill you.
Hunger was normal.

Then came modern agriculture, food science, and medicine.

They didn’t ruin the world.
They saved it.
Here's how:🧵 1/ Romanticizing the past is easy.
Until you look at the numbers.

In 1800:

43% of children died before age 5.
Average lifespan was around 30-40.

Famine struck entire countries.
Infectious disease was everywhere.

“Natural” wasn’t beautiful. It was brutal. 2/

These are my hands.

My hands move because of science.
Without biotech, I’d be in pain every day.

One molecule researched, tested developed and synthesized by a genetically modified cell gave me back my life.

And it made me ask:
What other innovations have saved lives? 🧵1/ Vaccines? Incredible.
Clean water? Essential.

But the biggest life-saving breakthrough?

Synthetic nitrogen and improved seeds launched the Green Revolution.

Over 3 billion lives saved.
We just used it - and we survived.

So why do we fear innovation now? 2/

“Synthetic = dangerous.”
“Natural = safe.”

This myth is everywhere.

But it’s not just wrong - it’s dangerous.
Let’s talk about how this false belief is hurting us.

🧵1/ People fear synthetic chemicals.

Even if they’re life-saving.
Even if the “natural alternative” is worse.
Even if they’re better tested than anything in nature.

Why? Because we’ve been sold a lie:
That nature is pure - and science corrupts it. 2/

Let me tell you something personal.

I live with rheumatoid arthritis - a painful autoimmune disease.

Without treatment, there are days when I wouldn’t be able to hold a pen, open a jar, or even be able to practice my passion for music....1/ But thanks to a chemical produced inside a genetically modified cell, my life is...

Normal.

One injection a week. No pain.

To me, that felt like the most life-saving technology in the world. 2/

Ever met someone who says,
“I care about science”…

But also believes GMOs are poison, vaccines are dangerous, and chemicals = bad?

That tension in their brain? 🧠
That’s called cognitive dissonance.

Let’s break it down 🧵1/ Cognitive dissonance?

It’s the mental discomfort you feel when you hold two conflicting beliefs at the same time.

Example:

🧪 “I trust science”
❌ “But I don’t trust vaccines”
= Brain error detected

Your brain doesn’t like contradictions.

So it tries to fix the tension. 2/

As a scientist, every time RFK Jr. speaks, I feel a mix of dread and duty.

Not because his arguments are hard to refute.

But because I know they’ll spread faster than the facts ever will. 1/ He doesn’t need evidence.

Just fear.
Just a microphone.

Just enough scientific-sounding words to confuse the public.

And every time, I think: 2/

Europe made a colossal mistake.

They banned GM crops while the rest of the world embraced them.

Now we rely on imports and miss out on a more sustainable agriculture.

Here’s the story of Europe’s GMO debacle 🧵1/ First, let’s start with the facts: Europe has some of the most advanced research in plant science and agriculture.

Yet, nearly all GMO cultivation is banned.

Why? Because of fear - not science. 2/

I’m a scientist.
Every time I hit "post," I hesitate.
Not because I doubt the science.

But because I know what’s coming....1/ Outrage, accusations, and bad-faith attacks.

People who don’t care about evidence will twist my words to fit their narrative. 2/

France just quietly banned something from school lunches.

Not junk food.
Not sugar.
Soy.

Yes, you read that right. Soy.

Let's check it out. 🧵 1/ More precisely: ANSES recommends avoiding soy-based ingredients rich in isoflavones in collective catering.

Think schools. Hospitals. Canteens.

Why?
Because isoflavones can act like hormones. 2/

🚨 Greenpeace just lost $667 million in court.

This could be the biggest financial hit the organization has ever faced.

Lies, sabotage, and reckless activism that does more harm than good.

It’s time to talk about what Greenpeace really is.
🧵👇 1️⃣ They ignore science when it doesn’t fit their agenda

Greenpeace opposes GMOs even though they can reduce pesticide use and fight malnutrition.

They fought Golden Rice, a vitamin A-enriched crop that could have saved millions from blindness and death.