Celebrities are known for a lot of things: great hair, spectacular public meltdowns, licking doughnuts … But “sound scientific insights” don’t always make the list.
Unfortunately, there are some celebrities whose outspoken opinions on scientific issues can shake even the strongest faith in human capacity for reason. Some celebrities’ names have even become synonymous with their pseudoscientific food and nutrition gaffes. All the more reason to celebrate those precious times when a celebrity shows a soft spot for good science.
Over the past year, we’ve highlighted several celebs who are standing up for the science on biotech foods (“GMOs”). Let’s revisit the stars and scientists who got their facts straight on biotech. After all, it’s not often skeptics get to say: “Stars!: They’re just like us.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
King of the cosmos, professional hunk science-advocate, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is not afraid to tell it like it is. In a 2014 interview, he broke down the benefits of genetic engineering and used his skep-ray vision to cut through the “fear factor” surrounding GE foods. Watch the clip here.
Jon Stewart/The Daily Show
Millennials may know the Daily Show as their main (and sometimes only) news source, but it’s also known for dishing up snarky science on biotech. This segment on GE potatoes from earlier this year takes a smart, satirical approach to the topic.
Bill Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates have dedicated their lives (and fortune) to making the world a better place. They believe in the power of technology, including ag biotech, to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. What else would you expect from a guy who dropped out of Harvard to build computers?
Bill Nye
Gates isn’t the only Bill who has been outspoken on biotech. This year, “The Science Guy” lived up to his name when he dove into the science on ag biotech. He found that the technology can have major benefits, especially when it comes to preserving the environment and tackling hunger issues. Yes Bill, Science does indeed “rule.”