One might have thought that Sarah Palin would take a more active interest in one aspect of scientific research. Palin's youngest son has Down's syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21. Although a geneticist by training, I am certainly no expert on the pathogenesis of this condition, nor the significance of Drosophila research into Down's syndrome. So, I typed "drosophila trisomy 21" into PubMed, the scholarly biomedical equivalent of Google. There were 109 results, the most recent published just the day before Palin's gaffe. The concluding sentence of that study — about the genetic cues that steer nerve fibres around during the growth of the fruit fly — suggests that the paper will "have implications for the pathogenesis of Down's syndrome".

These two are drops in the ocean of fruit fly research that have clinical relevance. Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, autism, diabetes, ageing research, cancers of all types

"Eight seconds' worth of Googling would have revealed that to Palin."
"Whatever happens on November 4, the fruit fly's contribution to the public good will always far outweigh that of Sarah Palin, and she would do well to show some respect. I kid you not."
...

some food for thought.

Fine explanation, thanks.
The fruit fly, because of its habit of laying eggs in fruit (my bloody papaws), has doomed itself to a death in beer. (Better than eating toxins too)

Once somebody dumb, it is serious and for long, if not for life.
It is no shame in this unless you are not projecting your dumbness on others. We are all can be dumb so often.