Synthetic meat

[KUSA]

If I took a tissue culture from my penis head and grew it, would any of you be interested in grilling the steak? It will be thick.

[Excited Penguin]

That's awfully vague, lol.

The technology of in vitro meat is fascinating, however....it lacks an application -other- than marketing to ideological interests.

It actually has a very important application in all of the spheres that the former process fails in, as in enviromental concerns, economy, health risks, long term sustainability and so on.


And there's no ideological debate to be had. We make sentient creatures suffer and die for our own survival/comfort and that becomes unethical once viable or even better alternatives are on offer. From that point, you can either live with that or you can't. If you can, that's great for you, though I imagine it will become illegal once these new technologies will fully deliver on the goods they promise as well as become universally available.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The fact is that a steak is muscle tissue. Muscle tissue that has never exerted energy will feel different to the mouth, I'd imagine. The fact that there's probably not going to be any variation in texture or grain or flavoring, which is what you have in naturally-grown meat, is going to make eating artificially-grown meat a different experience altogether.

So 80% might like the idea of eating it, but whether it would deliver the steak-eating experience, I'm highly doubtful.

Actually, you are going to have variation in all of those things and experiments have been conducted and the muscle tissue reacts to stimulants exactly like that taken form live animals. Excuse my poor phrasing, but I think you get the gist.

The fact of the matter is, I repeat, this form of vitro meat would/will be identical to "natural" meat, except for the fact that you can actually manipulate it to be even better, by adding certain kinds of beneficial fats to it, for example.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. I've read enough claims about artificial this or that being as good as, better than, or identical to the natural inspiration that I'm comfortable with my skepticism.

For the record, I didn't have a problem reading Rhythm's post about the problems facing ranchers. Found it a little odd, because the longhorn ranches here all have between twenty and a hundred head, tops, a scale which would seem to be even more fraught with risk. Maybe they raise 'em for the boutique markets or simply as a hobby?

[Excited Penguin]

Actually, you are going to have variation in all of those things and experiments have been conducted and the muscle tissue reacts to stimulants exactly like that taken form live animals. Excuse my poor phrasing, but I think you get the gist.

The fact of the matter is, I repeat, this form of vitro meat would/will be identical to "natural" meat, except for the fact that you can actually manipulate it to be even better, by adding certain kinds of beneficial fats to it, for example.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

For the record, I didn't have a problem reading Rhythm's post about the problems facing ranchers. Found it a little odd, because the longhorn ranches here all have between twenty and a hundred head, ops, a scale which would seem to be even more fraught with risk. Maybe they raise 'em for the boutique markets or simply as a hobby?

Yes, and they have already had tasters taste it. It tastes the same, apparently. We'll have to wait and see for ourselves, however.

My problem with his posts is that they came out of left field.

[The Grand Nudger]

It actually has a very important application in all of the spheres that the former process fails in, as in enviromental concerns, economy, health risks, long term sustainability and so on.

It doesn't, but that makes great ad copy.  

And there's no ideological debate to be had. We make sentient creatures suffer and die for our own survival/comfort and that becomes unethical once viable or even better alternatives are on offer.

Sounds like there is....

From that point, you can either live with that or you can't. If you can, that's great for you, though I imagine it will become illegal once these new technologies will fully deliver on the goods they promise.

In that they can fully deliver synthetic meats sure, you're expecting other goods(and an impressive bill no less).  I think you'll be disappointed on -that- count. The synthetic meat itself is likely to be fantastic. Processed products, for all their flaws...are delicious and -can- be made to be more nutritious than what some might call "natural" products. If you think that producing livestock will become illegal, even if they could and did deliver on everything else you hoped for............I think that you're out of your mind.

[Thumpalumpacus]

If I took a tissue culture from my penis head and grew it, would any of you be interested in grilling the steak?  It will be thick.

If they left it on you instead, sure.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yes, and they have already had tasters taste it. It tastes the same, apparently. We'll have to wait and see for ourselves, however.

There's more to eating than just taste.

And so yeah, I'm in wait-and-see mode.

[Excited Penguin]

It actually has a very important application in all of the spheres that the former process fails in, as in enviromental concerns, economy, health risks, long term sustainability and so on.

It doesn't, but that makes great ad copy.  

And there's no ideological debate to be had. We make sentient creatures suffer and die for our own survival/comfort and that becomes unethical once viable or even better alternatives are on offer.

Sounds like there is....

1) It doesn't? How do you figure? Don't you agree that the way we get our meat now raises health concerns as well as environmental and economical ones? And wouldn't you agree that those problems would be mitigated by vitro meat?

2) So you don't agree that the animals we grow for food suffer in the process? What debate is there to be had about this?

In that they can fully deliver synthetic meats sure, you're expecting other goods.  I think you'll be disappointed on -that- count.  The synthetic meat itself is likely to be fantastic.

What other goods am I expecting?

[I_am_not_mafia]

We've already switched to Quorn. We have a chilli every Friday and don't notice enough of a difference to care whether the mince is from a real animal or not.

[The Grand Nudger]

1) It doesn't? How do you figure? Don't you agree that the way we get our meat now raises health concerns as well as environmental and economical ones?

I do.

And wouldn't you agree that those problems would be mitigated by vitro meat?

I wouldn't, no.  For reasons already mentioned but..apparently, less than digestible.  

2) So you don't agree that the animals we grow for food suffer in the process?

No, I don't.  I think that you can find many examples of bad practices.  

What debate is there to be had about this?

None, right?  Bad practice is bad practice, and where we do agree...is that bad practice is deplorable.

What other goods am I expecting?

Environmental goods, economic goods, health goods, long term sustainability goods, a validation of your ideological position........and a law?  

I think they'll deliver meat, and just that. Frozen in vitro salisbury steaks. 20% Cellulose. Corn starch in vitro gravy in a microwaveable paper casserole dish - family size, $10. In vitro filet mig at $30/lb, pre-seasoned and ready to grill.