This is a conversation I only hoped would ever happen. Not because I have a vested interest in either outcome, but because I realize the stakes are so high that it would take minds like these to come to a meaningful understanding. For background please read recent NYT article Golden Rice: Lifesaver?

 Link to Twitter Conversation August 28, 2013

J. Craig Venter ‏@JCVenter 3h
Golden rice vitamin A could prevent blindness in 250000 children/year. Anti GMO people check your morals.

Nassim N. Taleb ‏@nntaleb 1h
@JCVenter Pro GMO people, check your understanding of 1) Risk & probability , 2) invoking “morals” as a tactic while endangering people.

J. Craig Venter ‏@JCVenter 59m
@nntaleb you are smarter than that. Small hypothetical risk vs 250000 blind children. <1 vs 100%.

Nassim N. Taleb ‏@nntaleb @JCVenter Point 2: There are other alternatives with controlled & known side effects.