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From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (Gordon Hlavenka)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Tomatoes from Space ?
Message-ID: <2708f67f-1b7.5sci.space.shuttle-1@vpnet.chi.il.us>
Date: 2 Oct 90 21:55:05 GMT
References: <61190@masscomp.ccur.com> <1990Sep30.150742.1828@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Lines: 23

Lines: 22


>   I remember reading after the seeds were all distributed that somebody had
>done an analysis of the seeds, discovered that ... and that no fruit from 
>them should be eaten...  There was a big to do, and many schools returned 
>theirs seeds, and the program was changed such that the teacher was supposed
>to remove all flowers so no fruit could be produced (in public labs/schools)

What actually happened was that a reporter (as is the wont of reporters)
phrased a question so as to produce that answer.  It was something along the
lines of "Wouldn't it be possible that a random mutation might cause the
plant to produce poisonous fruit?"  (concept only; no attempt to quote).  Of
course the scientist who was asked this question responded as a true
scientist, saying that pretty much _anything_ was possible with random
mutations...  Some members of the press attempted to panic, but were
unsuccessful.

No poison fruit has been found to date.

-----------------------------------------------------
Gordon S. Hlavenka            cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
Disclaimer:                Yeah, I said it.  So what?