Fake news, pseudoscience, and quackery have become scourges, spreading through society from social media all the way to Congress.

The line between entertainment and reality, between fact and fiction, has become blurred. Some of the most crucial issues of our time--climate change, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms--have become prime targets for nefarious disinformation campaigns. Far too many people have become distrustful of real science. Even those who still trust science no longer know what to believe or how to identify the truth. Not only does this result in the devaluation and distrust of real science, but it is also dangerous: people acting based on false information can hurt themselves or those around them.

We must equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to fight back against all this disinformation. InScience and the Skeptic: Discerning Fact from Fiction, you will learn how science is done, from the basic scientific method to the vetting process that scientific papers must go through to become published; how and why some people intentionally or unintentionally spread misinformation; and the dangers in believing and spreading false information. You'll also find twenty easy-to-follow rules for distinguishing fake science from the real deal. Armed with this book, empower yourself with knowledge, learning what information to trust and what to dismiss as deceit.

We're not just fighting an epidemic; we're fighting an infodemic. . . . This is a time for facts, not fear. This is a time for rationality, not rumors. This is a time for solidarity, not stigma.--Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO

Our deepest beliefs should help navigate reality, not determine it.--Michael Gersen, The Washington Post

Journalism is very much about trying to simplify and distribute information about what's new and where advances have been made. That's incompatible with the scientific process, which can take a long time to build a body of evidence.--Kelly McBride, Poynter Institute

From the contributors to The Conversation, this collection of essays by leading experts in biotechnology provides foundational knowledge on a range of topics, from CRISPR gene sequencing to the ethics of GMOs and designer babies.

In The Conversation on Biotechnology, editor Marc Zimmer collects essays from The Conversation U.S. by top scholars and experts in the field, who present a primer on the latest biotechnology research, the overwhelming possibilities it offers, and the risks of its abuse. From an overview of CRISPR technology and gene editing in GMOs to the ethical questions surrounding designer babies and other applications of biotechnology in humans, it highlights the major implications biotechnology will bring for health and society. Topics range from the spectacular use of light to fire individual neurons in the brain to making plant-based meats; from curbing diseases with genetically modified mosquitoes to looking back on 40 years of opinions on IVF babies.

The Critical Conversations series collects essays from top scholars on timely topics, including water, biotechnology, gender diversity, gun culture, and more, originally published on the independent news site The Conversation U.S.

Contributors: Nathan Ahlgren, Ivan Anishchenko, Trine Antonsen, Jennifer Barfield, Pedro Belda-Ferre, Ari Berkowitz, Adeline Boettcher, Jason Delbourne, Kevin Doxzen, Mo Ebrahimkhani, Eleanor Feingold, J. Benjamin Hurlbut, Cecile Janssens, Samira Kiani, Amanda Kowalczyk, Mariana Lamas, Andrew Lapworth, Rebecca Mackelprang, Kathleen Merrigan, Saman Naghieh, Sean Nee, Dimitri Perrin, Christopher Preston, Jason Rasgon, Penny Riggs, Jason Robert, Oliver Rogoyski, Gary Samore, Sahotra Sarkar, George E. Seidel, Patricia A. Stapleton, Craig W. Stevens, Paul B. Thompson, Christopher Tuggle, Vikramaditya G. Yadav, Marc Zimmer

New research and innovations in the field of science are leading to life-changing and world-altering discoveries like never before. What does the horizon of science look like? Who are the scientists that are making it happen? And, how are we to introduce these revolutions to a society in which a segment of the population has become more and more skeptical of science? Climate change is the biggest challenge facing our nation, and scientists are working on renewable energy sources, meat alternatives, and carbon dioxide sequestration. At the same time, climate change deniers and the politicization of funding threaten their work. CRISPR, (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) repurposes bacterial defense systems to edit genes, which can change the way we live, but also presents real ethical problems. Optogenetics will help neuroscientists map complicated neural circuitry deep inside the brain, shedding light on treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Zimmer also investigates phony science ranging from questionable health products to the fervent anti-vaccination movement. Zimmer introduces readers to the real people making these breakthroughs. Concluding with chapters on the rise of women in STEM fields, the importance of US immigration policies to science, and new, unorthodox ways of DIY science and crowdsource funding, The State of Science shows where science is, where it is heading, and the scientists who are at the forefront of progress.

What do giant squids, mantis shrimp, and fireflies have in common? These animals, along with a wide range of creatures, are able to give off light; this is called bioluminescence. Different species use different chemistries to bioluminesce, and they produce their light for a variety of reasons, including communication, hunting, and self-defense. Bioluminescence is a unique and fascinating adaptation found in the animal kingdom. Surprisingly, about half of all known phyla (a classification for animals that share the same body type) contain some bioluminescent species.

Scientists don't yet understand all facets of bioluminescence, but they have managed to harness the glow and use it in a myriad of ways. One of the most important applications involves using bioluminescence as a microscope in medical studies. For example, laboratory scientists can create fluorescent malaria parasites to track the path by which the disease is spread from a mosquito to the animal it bites. Bioluminescent proteins are also helping researchers learn more about cancer, HIV and other viruses, and complex neurological processes. In fact, bioluminescent proteins are so useful to twenty-first-century medicine that two groups of scientists, one in 2008 and the other in 2014, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work with these proteins and related technologies. Even artists and fashion designers use bioluminescence in their work to create glowing, light-sensitive paintings and clothing lines. Author Marc Zimmer, a world-renowned specialist in fluorescent proteins, takes readers on a glowing journey into the frontiers of bioluminescence.

What if neuroscientists could look inside the human brain and watch individual brain cells send signals to one another? What if they could then control these brain cells to direct thoughts and actions?

This may sound like science fiction, but it's actually a scientific revolution called optogenetics. Neuroscientists would like to use this new technology on human brains to uncover secrets about how the brain processes information and drives human behavior. Doctors hope to use optogenetics to restore sight and to treat Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, and other debilitating or deadly health problems. Discover how the innovative work of leaders in the field is poised to radically transform science, medicine, and human health.

Many of the most toxic materials on Earth--from arsenic to plutonium--occur naturally, but manufacturers have also used them in products such as paints, plumbing, pesticides, nuclear fuel, and weaponry. Without careful management, toxins can leach into groundwater or pollute our environment. Exposure to toxins leads to various cancers, impairment of the immune and reproductive systems, as well as cognitive problems. What can be done? Solutions include a wide range of infrastructure approaches, such as better water filtration, governmental and manufacturing regulations, outright bans on certain chemicals, careful monitoring, and the use of alternative fuels. Learn more about key contaminants and their impact on health, as well as solutions on a global and individual level.

Green fluorescent proteins have been floating in the ocean for more than 160 million years, but it took a curious scientist, fascinated by pinpricks of green light, to begin unlocking their potential. Now these jellyfish proteins have become one of the most important tools available to researchers in modern medicine and biology. By using them to illuminate other proteins that were previously invisible even under a microscope, scientists are now able to observe facets of disease that would have otherwise gone undetected. Green fluorescent proteins are used in over three million experiments a year and have proved invaluable for tasks such as tracking HIV, breeding bird flu-resistant chickens, and confirming the existence of cancerous stem cells.

In Illuminating Disease, Marc Zimmer introduces us to these revolutionary proteins, acquainting readers both with the researchers responsible for the proteins' discovery as well as their wide utility. The book details the history of genetically modified fluorescent parasites and viruses, which provide scientists with lifesaving information about the spread of diseases. Green fluorescent proteins allow scientists and doctors to understand diseases better by quite literally illuminating various microscopic interactions occurring in living cells that otherwise would have gone unseen.

The book is richly illustrated, showing the visually striking uses of green fluorescent proteins, and many of these scans have won awards in biological imaging competitions. An ideal introduction for students and advanced researchers alike, Illuminating Disease is an accessible yet deeply probing investigation into one of the most important developments in medical research of the last several decades.

Marc Zimmer has written the first popular science book on an amazing new area of biotechnology that will help fight cancer, create new products, improve agriculture, and combat terrorism. For more than one hundred and sixty million years, green fluorescent protein has existed in one species of jellyfish. In 1994 it was cloned, giving rise to a host of useful and potentially revolutionary applications in biotechnology. Today researchers are using this ancient glowing protein to pursue exciting new discoveries, from tracking the process of bacterial infection to detecting chemical and biological agents planted by terrorists.A recognized expert in this field, Zimmer begins with an overview of the many uses of these glowing genes to kill and image cancer cells, monitor bacterial infections, and light up in the presence of pollution. He then discusses the biological reasons that glowing proteins first evolved in jellyfish and fireflies, and looks at the history of bioluminescence and the dedicated scientists who devoted their careers to explaining this phenomenon. The story of how glowing genes were located, cloned, and then mass-produced is in itself a fascinating tale.Zimmer next turns to the serious, and not-so-serious, uses of fluorescent proteins. In agriculture it may soon be possible to produce crops that signal dryness by glowing. In industry a red fluorescent protein originally found in corals may find a use in sheep as a substitute for environmentally harmful wool dyes.Furthermore, the glowing gene revolution has led to significantly more humane treatment of laboratory animals. No longer must animal lives be sacrificed to understand disease processes; now researchers can observe the spread of cancer and infections by treating animals with green fluorescent genes and similar proteins.In the fight against terrorism a glowing gene has been created that lights up in the presence of anthrax spores, chemical warfare agents, and landmines. And in a completely different arena, we have already seen the emergence of transgenic art in Alba, the fluorescent bunny rabbit.Glowing Genes is a highly informative, fascinating, and entertaining read about a burgeoning area of biotechnology that promises soon to revolutionize our world.