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Home > Dictionary of Science Quotations > Scientist Names Index A > Bruce Nathan Ames Quotes

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Bruce Nathan Ames
(16 Dec 1929 - )

American biochemist and molecular biologist who developed the Ames test that is an indicator of the carcinogenicity (cancer-causing potential) of chemicals.


Science Quotes by Bruce Nathan Ames (3 quotes)

Almost all the world is natural chemicals, so it really makes you re-think everything. A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They've identified a thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. But we only found 22 that have been tested in animal cancer tests out of this thousand. And of those, 17 are carcinogens. There are ten milligrams of known carcinogens in a cup of coffee and thats more carcinogens than youre likely to get from pesticide residues for a year!
— Bruce Nathan Ames
Paper to the American Chemical Society, 'Pollution, Pesticides and Cancer Misconceptions.' As cited by Art Drysdale, 'Latest Insider News: Natural vs. Synthetic Chemical Pesticides' (14 Feb 1999), on the mitosyfraudes.org website. Bruce Ames has delivered a similar statistic in various other publications.
Science quotes on:  |  Animal (651)  |  Cancer (61)  |  Carcinogen (2)  |  Chemical (303)  |  Coffee (21)  |  Cup (7)  |  Everything (489)  |  Known (453)  |  More (2558)  |  Natural (810)  |  Pesticide (5)  |  Residue (9)  |  Test (221)  |  Think (1122)  |  Thinking (425)  |  Thousand (340)  |  World (1850)  |  Year (963)

The effort to eliminate synthetic pesticides because of unsubstantiated fears about residues in food will make fruits and vegetables more expensive, decrease consumption, and thus increase cancer rates. The levels of synthetic pesticide residues are trivial in comparison to natural chemicals, and thus their potential for cancer causation is extremely low. [Ames believes that “to eat your veggies” is the best way to prevent cancer.]
— Bruce Nathan Ames
Paper to the American Chemical Society, 'Pollution, Pesticides and Cancer Misconceptions.' As cited by Art Drysdale, 'Latest Insider News: Natural vs. Synthetic Chemical Pesticides' (14 Feb 1999), on the mitosyfraudes.org website. Bruce Ames has written a similar sentiment in various other publications.
Science quotes on:  |  Best (467)  |  Cancer (61)  |  Causation (14)  |  Chemical (303)  |  Comparison (108)  |  Consumption (16)  |  Decrease (16)  |  Eat (108)  |  Effort (243)  |  Elimination (26)  |  Expense (21)  |  Fear (212)  |  Food (213)  |  Fruit (108)  |  Increase (225)  |  Level (69)  |  Low (86)  |  More (2558)  |  Natural (810)  |  Pesticide (5)  |  Potential (75)  |  Prevent (98)  |  Rate (31)  |  Residue (9)  |  Synthetic (27)  |  Trivial (59)  |  Vegetable (49)  |  Way (1214)  |  Will (2350)

When we understand how animals are resistant to chemicals, the mechanisms are all independent of whether its natural or synthetic. And in fact, when you look at natural chemicals, half of those tested come out positive.
— Bruce Nathan Ames
Paper to the American Chemical Society, 'Pollution, Pesticides and Cancer Misconceptions.' As cited by Art Drysdale, 'Latest Insider News: Natural vs. Synthetic Chemical Pesticides' (14 Feb 1999), on the mitosyfraudes.org website. Bruce Ames has written a similar sentiment in various other publications.
Science quotes on:  |  Animal (651)  |  Chemical (303)  |  Fact (1257)  |  Independent (74)  |  Look (584)  |  Mechanism (102)  |  Natural (810)  |  Positive (98)  |  Resistance (41)  |  Synthetic (27)  |  Test (221)  |  Understand (648)  |  Understanding (527)


See also:
  • 16 Dec - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Ames's birth.

Carl Sagan Thumbnail In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) -- Carl Sagan
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