But once young people began dying of BSE in 1994, public fear of GM foods in the United Kingdom mushroomed, even though the outbreak had nothing to do with gene technology. He and his students surveyed 500 adults in the United Kingdom, concluding that fear is fueling the anti-GM sentiment. Part of the barrier separating consumers and scientists concerning GM foods is a misunderstanding of risk. Consumers demand absolute assurances, but science deals with uncertainty. That is the heart of the debate.
Scientists get into trouble, because they say yes, there is risk.
Iain Taylor , a professor of botany at the University of British Columbia, agrees. Botanists have been caught off guard at the public response to the spin doctoring of the technology. The public perceives that scientists respond that the danger is not real, or the benefits too great to be ignored, and we'll deal with any problems if and when they arise. Despite scientists' image problem, most don't gibly dismiss possible risks of GM crops. But many of these concerns also apply to traditional agriculture.