Sci-fi tech is already in your kitchen, and it’s nanotechnology. In this episode, we dive into the dark side of materials measured at a billionth of a meter, which, as environmental lawyer George Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety explains, are fundamentally different than their larger counterparts. These tiny engineered particles, though not yet directly in most food (that we know of), are extensively used in food packaging for their enhanced antimicrobial effects—like nanosilver—to help food last longer. Kimbrell warns that this unprecedented size gives nanoparticles terrifying properties: unprecedented mobility (they can pass the blood-brain barrier) and increased intrinsic toxicity due to their vast surface area, posing unknown risks to both human health and the environment once they leach out of packaging. The core issue is the  ...