Are They Bad Seeds? From the "Science Can Be Fun" files, comes this item: Bad Seeds. Well, perhaps "bad" is not the best word. "Infertile" is a tad more accurate. And isn't that just a bit peculiar? What's the reason? You ask? Good question. Marketing. That's right, what the company is essentially doing is marketing, by producing a special strain of seed. The companies that produce the seeds genetically "alter" the make-up of the plants that will come from said seeds, so that the seeds that plant produces are sterile. In other words, plants that won't produce plants. By doing so, or not doing so, farmers can't let a crop go to seed, so they will have the seeds for the following year's crop. No, those seeds will be worthless. You can plant them in the ground, and water them all you want to, but they won't produce plants. Ah-ha! So, each year, the farmers (and other planters, such as the home gardener) will have to buy new seeds. What a racket! People will corner the cucumber market. Wheat. Corn. Peppers. You name it. And not only is there money in it, but power. When you control the food supply, you control the world. The obsolescence of products is no new idea in this country. The concept all but killed Detroit. The four year turnover ratio drove a lot of people to foreign markets, for cheaper cars that would last longer. American auto manufacturers have since produced somewhat better products, but they still try to get you in the door to buy a new one before the financing plan on your old one runs out. And hey, it makes sense. If products lasted forever, the manufacturers would eventually run out of markets (which explains why tobacco companies would market their products to kids). But food? Imagine buying zucchini on the black market. You're walking down Main Street, and a guy steps out of the misty shadows. "Psst. Hey buddy, you lookin' for vegetables?" "What you got?" You ask, almost instinctively. "Oh, man, I just got these fresh squash. Look at 'em." "Wow, these are nice," you say, admiring their color. "How much?" "For you?" He asks with a wink. "$20 each." "What?!" You shout, then lower your voice, looking around to make sure no one's watching. "You've got to be kidding me!" "Hey, they're fresh. You get what you pay for," he says, and then the insult. "Besides, you don't look like someone who can afford the seeds." Ouch. That hurts. Not only do you have to suffer the indignation of buying your produce from street hustlers, but you have to endure the nasty comments as well. It could happen. We just have to hope we never lose the seed recipe. If all seeds became sterile, nothing would grow. And it wouldn't be the first time genetic tinkering ran amok. A few years ago, for example, Belgian scientists produced special soy bean plants that were resistant to herbicide. Unfortunately, that special characteristic made its way into the surrounding weeds. So, despite their genetic efforts, they ended up dealing with weeds the way man has since time immemorial - pulling them by hand. So this should be considered before we go tinkering with the food supply. Of course, if nothing will grow, we can always clone sheep. Lamb chops, anyone? Sorry there's no mint jelly...