@david Greene: Biotech industry has passed commissioned research off as independent scientific investigation. They have also had others’ independently reviewed articles removed/retracted from the journal publication process. Worse still, they have persecuted scientists for communicating their research findings (publishing and presenting). These things are not science.

Even if some scientific investigations don’t find health problems with GMO’s in food, people have a right to know if there are GMO’s in their food. Biotech Industry is already criminally liable for violating that right (again, regardless if it caused medical harm).

Although I generally agree with the contents of this podcast, one objection I have is with professor Wolff’s treatment of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) as a health risk. This assertion has, to my knowledge, no basis in reality and GMOs have been rigorously tested to be generally safe for consumption. I have yet to find compelling evidence suggesting that GMOs are a major health risk in any dietary capacity.

The main problem with GMOs is regarding their impact to our environment and the patenting laws which surround them. Only in that capacity do GMOs “risk our lives”, and not very much. Their consumption as food, however, is generally safe and GMOs should in fact be heralded as an extremely useful technological achievement in food production. To treat them as a dietary public health threat is, at best, ignorant if not outright dishonest fearmongering. Given Wolff’s credibility and history, I can only assume that I either misunderstood his commentary, or they weren’t clear, or Wolff is not very informed about the specific topic of GMOs.

My only other comments are that, for clarification purposes, I’d like to point out that the weapon Omar Mateen used in the Pulse nightclub shooting was reportedly a Sig Sauer MCX (not an AR-15, like previous reports stated), which is a semi-automatic assault rifle. While it technically is an “automatic rifle”, as both Wolff and Fraad stated, “automatic rifle” usually refers to fully-automatic rifles. “Assault weapon” isn’t a very meaningful concept and isn’t used as a formal classification for firearms, so I’d advise against using it.

Lastly, while the analysis of what has happened economically to white men in the United States is accurate, it’s not entirely relevant to the Florida nightclub shooting. Omar Mateen was from parents who both emigrated from Afghanistan. By any definition of the term, Mateen was not a “white” person. It is relevant only insomuch as Mateen’s environment and the emasculation he experienced influenced his decision to shoot up the Pulse nightclub in Florida.

Where can I find other local people to get involved

Hi Professor,
Can you please make a comment on the Brazilian economic disaster of today? By the way, the army and police situation in Rio for the Olympics is not new. The same happen during the World Cup where the Brazilian government spent billions of dollars to build stadiums, gyms, hotels, new airports with public money AND under a corruption system by the contractors and enterprises. Back then, they had the army on the streets and people who live on the slums were PROHIBITED to leave their houses in certain days so the turism wouldn’t be affected. The Brazilian situation is very much like a civil war, extreme violence, prices and unemployment reaching its peak. Thank you!

Thank you Michael!
I did not recognize that as a download button.

You can still download the mp3, just click the icon that looks like a little box with a downward-facing arrow!

My long post disappeared. I suggested:

1) Adding indexes or TOCs for better navigation w less scrolling
2) Enabling pause/play (player) functions from keyboard
3) Adding a community forum(s); more interaction and contribution than blog comments and bridging the community meetings in person

I want to second Arjan Den Hollander’s comment. I usually download the update so that I can listen to it when I have my computer in places where there is no wi-fi available. Please restore the download capability. If you really do want to spread your philosophy, that is.

I always useved to listen to the economic update radio bloadcasts in mijn car, which made longer trips a so much more useful thing to do, I enjoy learning while driving.
But after the web site changes, there no longer appears to be a download function.

And to be honest if I’m home and have the full use of my computer I tend to read, watch and listen to a wider variety of information sources available, vastly deminishing the change I’ll actually get to listen to E.U.-radio.

I’d like to make the request Economic Update be made available again for easy MP3 download.
Regards.