By: Myles Power Edited by: Hannah
In my opinion, the Internet has been one of the greatest achievements of mankind. The ability to share information and ideas instantaneously has changed they way we communicate, do business, develop relationships, conduct research and express ourselves. The Internet is not owned or controlled by any person, company or nation, allowing for material that would be censored to be released worldwide. This has led to – amongst other things – the downfall of goverments and companies with shady business techniques. Let’s not forget that the Internet is also responsible for keeping us updated on the world of Cats Doing People Things. However for all the benefits the Internet offers us, it is also a place where we always have to be sceptical, as it’s simply rife with misinformation. It can be compared to a game of Chinese whispers; a place where the work of scientists can be bent, twisted and manipulated until it no longer resembles the original work. A perfect example of this can be found in a post named “Genetic Modification Gone Wild: 10 Signs That Our World May Be Destined To Resemble A Really Bad Science Fiction Movie”, whose sources include the Daily Mail, Alex Jones and Sky News.
The post is obviously a ‘fear piece’, created for the most paranoid of readers, which explains why the advertisements on the website are for LPC Survival, Emergency Essentials (C) and for a survival food sale. The only picture in the post is one of a number of human pickled fetuses that have nothing to do with any of the research mentioned and are obviously there to mislead the reader into thinking that they are the product of genetic modification. The post states: “Most people believe that scientists only have our best interests at heart and that they would never do anything weird or dangerous”. It then goes on to say, “Well, read the following examples of genetic modification below and decide for yourself whether or not things have gotten out of control”. The post then lists ten examples of research which the author believes are examples of scientists going too far and may result in the world resembling a “really bad science fiction movie”. They include the development and research of so-called enviropigs, spider goats and monster salmon.
