richard ridley

Wrong fruit flies!

Palin’s remark had nothing to do with Drosophila. She was referring to a bit of earmarked pork, sent to the USDA lab in Paris for the control of Olive Fruit Flies ( Bactrocera Oleae).
Could those public dollars have been better spent on a study on the potential genetic origins of Autism? I think so. Let the Olive farmers pay for their own research.
It is my understanding that this species has never been widely used for medical or genetic research. So, I suppose, Hitchens’ piece needs a correction from Slate.
This earmark was made famous by Citizens Against Government Waste, and was readily available to anyone who had bothered to check.

The organization doing the researcch is tha USDA, as in agriculture. Rep. Thompson got some free research for fat cat farmers in Napa Valley.

sandy

It is not surprising that Palin’s remarks were interpreted to mean Drosophilia. When fruit flies are mentioned in the context of scientific research, that would be the default interpretation.

The fact that Palin was referring to tax dollars funding research for commercial purposes is not what she is trying to disparage. From this, and previous remarks, I don’t think Palin thinks too deeply about science and scientific research. She supports creationism to be taught alongside evolution – which demonstrates that she has no idea what science even is.

Andre

Regardless of the type of fruit fly, its amazing that the first thing she decides to bash is scientifical research, with more people like her in power, less we will have to talk about

Jerry

“Palin’s remark had nothing to do with Drosophila. She was referring to a bit of earmarked pork, sent to the USDA lab in Paris for the control of Olive Fruit Flies ( Bactrocera Oleae).”

This is also very important research for controling pests and could end up saving many American jobs, not to mention leading to additional genetic discoveries (which these types of research often do). Lets increae funding for science all across the board, and decrease funding for wasteful spending on things such as Palin’s multimillion sports stadium she commissioned in Wasilla.

kelly

Richard: “It is my understanding that this species has never been widely used for medical or genetic research.”

You obviously understand little to nothing about medical or genetic research. Drosophila melangoster is perhaps the single most important model organism used in genetic research. I could not even begin detail the enormous contribution to medical science that this organism has provided for us within this post. But I assure you that it would surmount to volumes. The obvious information is also very widespread; Every high school or college Biology textbook devotes special attention to this very important organism.

maysara

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