[See main article: motifri.com/gmofood] Surprisingly, the first and hardest problem of talking about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is defining them. Advanced biotechnology since the 1990s makes possible direct modification of cellular genetic material through genetic engineering, but the results are distinguishable only by their precision from traditional breeding techniques used for millennia with plants and […]
[See sidebar: motifri.com/gmoguide] Food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) made by genetic engineering (GE) has been in the news recently following the May release of results from a major study conducted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), a private non-profit corporation funded entirely by the federal government and originally chartered by […]
Remember that documentary Super Size Me, where Morgan Spurlock tells his tale of eating only McDonald’s food for 30 days and getting quite ill? I remember it well; I own the DVD. There was one line from that movie that changed my life: 1,000 cows in every patty. It comes in the extras, when Morgan […]
“We are stardust, we are golden… and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Joni Mitchell As icy winds howl outside, I feel as if a part of my soul has died. Spring is a distant dream … but the annual Spring Flower and Garden Show at the RI Convention Center is coming, […]
My journey through the cosmos – by way of the Frosty Drew Observatory – began this past summer. I had attempted to go one Friday night in June. Unfortunately I neglected to notice the thick fog reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Mist during my hour long, 42-mile drive to Charlestown (Yes, I am a Rhode […]
Long ignored by many in favor of the italophile strip just north, the West Side of Providence is considered by many to be the city’s up-and-coming place to live, eat and drink. We’re talking about the stretch of land south of Federal Hill, but everything on and north of Westminster. To the west, it’s carved […]
Allergy season is here. You can tell by the blotchy green dust on your car, the sniggley, snitchy sneezing, and your weeping eyes. Doctors recommend that you begin taking an allergy medication right away and stay on it for the duration. Before you step blindly onto this unending treadmill, we’d like to give you some information that your […]
The tail end of a New England winter can be excrutiating. From potholes assaulting your tires every half mile (when there isn’t a sheet of ice on the road worthy of figure skating conditions) to mountains the size of the Abominable Snowman on your front lawn … if I said it all grows old fast, […]
Providence is, it seems, becoming an incubator for incubators. The success of organizations like BetaSpring, and the dire economic awareness that floats over much of the city, are leading to an embrace of the start-up. Long recognized, yet often little respected, as a primary driver of new jobs and financial recovery, the “start-up” now has […]