It's a good thing Apple never tries to do that ...

The fact that different cultures perceive math and time different was already demonstrated by Australian Aborigines. In an experiment, they showed a set of 2 matchsticks on the left and a set of 1 matchstick on the right. 1 matchstick was then moved from the left set to the right set. When asked to describe the phenomenon, they cited "There are 2 sets of 2, 2 sets of 3, and 1 3-set-making thing."

"measurement is counting"

But counting is not measurement. I can count the number of planets in the solar system. It does nothing to measure (neither absolutely or relatively) their speed, rotation, density, size, distance from one another, etc.

For the sake of argument, let's say it's in the fracking companies best interest to make it as safe as possible and perpetually strive to do so. Every day, they think and implement new ways to make it even safer than it already is. The problem is, if and when they are wrong, they are not liable. Cheney made sure they are exempt from the Clean Water and Clean Air acts. Even if they are sincerely sorry for the suffering they cause, the litigation that can be brought against them by citizens and government agencies alike is extremely limit. And THAT is a humongous problem.

Filmmakers should consider looking at speech accents from other areas of the world to create more interesting dialects.

It's dangerous thinking such as that which lead to the atrocity known as Jar Jar Binks. In all seriousness, look at the accents of Watto, Yoda, the head honchos of the Trade Federation, Emperor Palpatine, Admiral Ackbar, Jango Fett, etc.

The REAL real hero would be the advisor against naming your child Story.

'Ice cream is about the only thing I can think of that tastes good on a plane,' says Marion Nestle

Isn't Nestle a major seller of ice cream products?

There will be billions who refuse to subject themselves or their children to such bioengineering. Then the totalitarian governments would PURPOSELY POLLUTE MUCH, MUCH MORE so that only the engineered humans could easily survive.

Also, are you going to bioengineer all the OTHER plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals, too?

Didn't they ever read Brave New World where they talk about all the unintended consequences? When they engineered people to patch and mend their clothes so they would consume less, the fashion industry cratered. Actually, that's not such a bad idea. The averted textile pollution might be enough to not need engineered humans in the first place ...

It doesn't matter if even if 99% of the farmers were consciously cheating Monsanto. There is no reasonable way to separate them from those whose crops were planted by creatures or wind -- unless you actually catch the cheater in the act. It is unconscionable to let the law stand by evidence of possession alone.

Furthermore, if Monsanto modifies a gene sequence and patent it, it doesn't matter if the EXACT SAME DNA SEQUENCE has existed in nature for hundreds of thousands of years. The patent is still valid. Monsanto has been persecuting farmers in India who have been growing crops for generations under the false premise they stole a DNA sequence.

The "seed police" are little more than thugs and illegal vigilantes. I would place them under citizen's arrest for trespassing on my farmland if they dared to "audit" me.