Distribution of genetically engineered crops to developing countries proves that "colonialism in science is still alive and well," alleges one Slate contributor. Is there any evidence to support such an allegation? CRISPR-edited eggs could spare billions of male chicks a gruesome death. First came plant-based meat, and now Adidas is turning fungi into shoes to reduce its use of animal products.

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP editor Cameron English on this episode of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Earth-friendly shoes: Adidas developing sustainable leather alternative made from fungus

Adidas and other shoe makers are turning fungi and plants into leather substitutes to attract consumers concerned about sustainability and animal welfare. Their latest product utilizes mycelium, "the mass of branched, tubular filaments (hyphae) of fungi." Just how eco-friendly are these new shoes, and will they win the industry the pro-environment reputation its after?

* CRISPR-edited eggs offer novel way to eliminate slaughter of newborn male chicks

Billions of male chicks are slaughtered every year shortly after they hatch, usually by grinding, because they're too skinny to be used as meat and they can't lay eggs. "It's like manufacturing a billion chairs and then throwing half of them away," says Yehuda Elram, co-founder of biotech startup eggXYT. To eliminate this gruesome, costly outcome—producing chickens only to kill them is an expensive endeavor—the Israeli company has devised a technique that adds a genetic marker to male eggs with CRISPR gene editing. The eggs then glow when passed through a scanner, which allows them to be identified and repurposed for use in medical research or as animal feed.











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The technology, if it becomes widely used, could offer consumers more ethical food, Elram claims, and reduce the egg industry's carbon footprint, since incubating billions of ultimately useless eggs consumes a lot of energy.

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