Welcome to Tomorrowland, circa 1955, where you are greeted by the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry! Don’t you just love the low-tech fence from year one?
Zooming in, you can see not only the interior of the exhibit, but the reflection of the Clock of the World. Flipping the photo, maybe some braniac out there can tell me the complete date/time of this photo! It certainly is not me!
Here’s a previously posted color shot of the Hall of Chemistry from 1959:
For all you newbies out there, a color shot of the Clock of the World, which also shows the Hall of Chemistry at right (which is now Star Tours):
…and the Circarama on the left (now Buzz Lightyear):
Didja’ know: Bayer bought out Monsanto in 2018, removing the name from all of their products, but continuing to sell the same delicious chemicals that have made the company extremely controversial. Two other tidbits I recently learned: In 2009 Michael R. Taylor, food safety expert and former Monsanto VP for Public Policy, became a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner. I’m sure that there was no conflict of interest going on there. In 2012, California's Proposition 37 would have mandated the disclosure of genetically modified crops used in the production of California food products. Monsanto spent $8.1 million opposing it, making them the largest contributor against the initiative. The proposition was rejected by a 53.7% majority. Labeling is not required in the US. What a surprise!
I wonder if Walt would have allowed them to sponsor an exhibit in 2022? See more Disneyland Hall of Chemistry photos at my main website.
Perhaps the best part of Walt's original Tomorrowland was the exuberant optimism. We charged forward into Science, unaware of the effects of the radioactive isotopes we juggled or the birth defects to come from all the new additives we put into food. Very sad to see that big money can still buy the vote and silence the publication of controversial information. Also, before posting this I checked the box that says "I am not a robot" but with the modified food products I've ingested over my lifetime, I'm not so sure about that one anymore.
ReplyDeleteI live in St. Louis, and know a handful of plant scientists who work for [formerly] Monsanto. It's a shame how their corporate governance has sullied the image of the company, because the scientists who work there are truly enthusiastic about the research they do.
ReplyDeleteRusty - that does seem to be the way; the good intentions get ruined by greed.
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