The loudest voices often know the least.

It’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect - and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Here’s why it explains everything from anti-vaxxers to flat-earthers 🧵: 1/ In 1999, psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger made a hilarious but disturbing discovery:

People who know the least often overestimate their competence—while true experts doubt themselves.

In short:
❌ Ignorance breeds confidence.
✅ Knowledge breeds humility.
2/

I’ve seen my share of anti-science activists.

But few are as dangerous as Vandana Shiva.

She brands herself as a "food sovereignty" advocate.

In reality? She’s an activist spreading misinformation about GMOs, pesticides, and modern agriculture.

Here’s the real story 🧵: 1/ She’s an Indian activist who claims:

❌ GMOs are killing farmers.
❌ Big corporations control our food.
❌ Pesticides are poisoning the world.

It sounds noble - until you realize she ignores science, distorts facts, and blocks real solutions to hunger and poverty. 2/

I care about the environment.

Do you know one of the biggest obstacles to real progress?

Greenpeace.

What started as an activist group fighting pollution and whaling has turned into an anti-science, anti-innovation machine.

Here’s how Greenpeace lost its way 🧵: 1/12 Greenpeace was once a force for good.

In the 70s and 80s, they:

• Fought against nuclear weapons testing.
• Helped raise awareness about industrial pollution.
• Played a role in protecting whales and rainforests.

Greenpeace was fighting for real environmental issues. 2/12

One of the biggest myths about "Organic" food is that it’s more nutritious than conventional food.

Here’s the truth: it’s not.

Let’s break down the science behind this common misconception 🧵: 1/11 First, what does “organic” mean?

Organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMOs.

But what it doesn’t mean is “healthier.”

Nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants don’t depend on whether a crop is organic or not. 2/11

The GMO that could have saved millions of lives.
🌾Golden Rice.

It’s a genetically engineered crop designed to fight vitamin A deficiency.

A condition that blinds and kills millions every year.

Here’s the story of Golden Rice and why it matters🧵: Let’s start with the problem:

Vitamin A deficiency affects:
• 190 million children worldwide.
• Over 500,000 children go blind every year.
• Half of them die within a year of losing their sight.

It’s preventable—but only if people have access to enough vitamin A.

Europe has romanticized organic farming to the point of harm.

We promote it as the gold standard, but the truth is, organic farming is less efficient, more resource-intensive, and not as “green” as we think.

Here’s the story of Europe’s organic farming myth 🧵: 1/ Let’s start with the facts:

Organic farming avoids synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

That sounds great, right?
But here’s what it really means:

• Lower yields per hectare.
• Higher prices for consumers.
• More land needed to produce the same amount of food.
2/

Europe made a colossal mistake:

They banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) while the rest of the world embraced them.

Now we rely on imports, pay more for food, and miss out on sustainable agriculture.

Here’s the story of Europe’s GMO debacle 🧵: 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.

1/ We love talking about “natural” food, but here’s the truth:

Almost everything we eat has been modified by humans.

From Apples to Zucchini, our ancestors transformed wild plants into the crops we rely on today.

Here’s the story of how humans shaped our food 🧵: 2/ Let’s start with the facts:

Corn?
It started as a wild grass called teosinte.

I’m a scientist.

But even among scientists, few can claim what Norman Borlaug did:

He’s credited with saving a billion people from starvation.

How? By changing the way we grow food forever.

Here’s the story of the man
behind the Green Revolution 🧵: 1/ Let’s start with the problem he faced:

In the mid-20th century, global hunger was a ticking time bomb:

• Populations were booming.
• Food production couldn’t keep up.
• Famine threatened millions in developing countries like India and Mexico.

The world needed a miracle. 2/

Almost everything you eat has been modified genetically by humans.

Here's how:
1/ Cross Breeding.

By crossing two different types of plants, such as white and red dragon fruit, breeders create a new variety, like the pink dragon fruit, which combines traits from both parent plants. 2/

No matter what farming method:

→ Agroecological,
→ Conventional.
→ Regenerative.
→ Organic.
→ No-till.

↳ Clearing land for crops destroys biodiversity.

The real issue is stopping more land from being converted and here is why...
🧵1/ Some narratives dominate cultures, often shaped by shared values, or decades of marketing. Marketing-driven narratives warrant scrutiny as they serve industries, not society.

For example, the "natural is good, chemicals are bad" distorts reality. 2/

This is what they don’t want you to know:

Pesticides aren’t the main cause of insect decline.

A 33-year study in Western Germany reveals habitat loss, land-use changes, and urbanization are bigger drivers, challenging the oversimplified blame on pesticides. 1/ Insect Decline - Evaluation of Potential Drivers of a Complex Phenomenon.

The true drivers of insect decline are far more complex and deeply tied to how we manage land and shape our environment.

Let's take a deep dive into the publication. 2/

mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/1…

I'm French.

28 years ago, the EU faced a choice:

🚀 Embrace innovation.
❌ Surrender to fear and ignorance.

Europe chose fear and the consequences have been devastating.

Here’s the brutal truth behind Europe’s agricultural self-destruction 🧵: GMOs are crops whose DNA has been modified to achieve specific benefits, such as resistance to pests, drought tolerance, or improved nutritional content.

These technologies reduce the need for pesticides and improve yields, benefiting both farmers and consumers.

Lots of talk about Bovaer.
Chemist speaking here.
Time for some facts.

Bovaer, also known as 3-nitrooxypropanol, is a small organic molecule with a nitrooxy group attached to a propane backbone. Its structure is simple yet powerful in targeting methane emissions in livestock. When added to cattle feed, Bovaer inhibits an enzyme in the gut microbes responsible for methane production. This stops the conversion of hydrogen and CO₂ into methane, reducing emissions at the source.

10 years in the lab taught me one thing.
Everything you think about chemicals is wrong.

Here’s what they don’t want you to know:- There’s no such thing as “chemical-free.”
That label on your shampoo or cleaning product?

It’s a lie.

Water is a chemical.
Air is made of chemicals.

If someone claims their product is “chemical-free,” they’re either clueless or trying to fool you.

Some people say that @elonmusk is a visionary in technology and innovation.

Recently, he endorsed Grok, an AI chatbot built to deliver “up-to-date” information on all topics.

So, I asked Grok → Are GM Crops safe?

Interested to know the answer?

1/ The safety of genetically modified (GM) crops has been extensively studied, and the scientific consensus based on numerous regulatory assessments and academic research suggests that GM crops are as safe for human consumption as their non-GM counterparts:

2/

Pesticide residues are unfairly portrayed as harmful. A misconception exploited by fear-driven narratives.

However, the mere presence of a pesticide residue doesn’t indicate danger. It's like claiming we should avoid apples simply because their seeds contain cyanide.

1/ Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are regulatory tools that ensure best farming practices are followed for managing pests.

MRLs are established to ensure only the minimal effective amount of pesticide is used, keeping residue levels as low as possible.

2/

For a very long time, global average land use for agriculture (per person) remained largely unchanged.

What happened from 1940-2020? 1. Improved Farming Practices (Early 20th Century):

Techniques such as crop rotation and soil management were refined and adopted before the Green Revolution, setting the stage for later increases in productivity.

Why trust the safety of pesticides?

Scientists develop pesticides – also called plant protection products – to help farmers defend their crops against harmful pests, diseases, or weeds. 🧵1/8 These harmful pests, diseases, and weeds are known as “target species.”

During research and development, a particular mode of action is investigated because it leads to an effect in specific groups of organisms. 🧵2/8

“Glyphosate destroys the soil”.

I have often read this sentence.

But what does the evidence actually tell us? 🧵1/9

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/ae…
🧵2/9
It turns out that no detrimental effects of glyphosate were discovered on soil microbial communities associated with glyphosate-resistant corn and soybean varieties, even when considering various farming systems.

Let's dive deeper into this topic.