1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's me Josh and for this week's s 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Y s K Selectum choosing Uh the episode on lab 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: grown meat. It first aired in December two, twelve, UM, 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: and it's good to check in on these things. We've 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: made some progress in the field, true, but we still 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: have a very long way to go before there's a 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: lab grown slab of meat in every pot in every 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: house in America. So let's step it up, people. Uh, 9 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: and also keep an ear out for goodbre four Gas. 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: Such an excellent name. It actually rivals Ganto genev as 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: the possible future name for my horse. Uh. Enjoy. Welcome 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: to Stuff You Should Know from House Stuff Works dot com. Hey, 13 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark with me 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: as always as Charles W. Chuck Bryant, and Um. This 15 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: here is Stuff should Know the podcast. Welcome bien venue, 16 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: Bill Coleman. What is that from the producers? I don't know. 17 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: Is that from something? Yeah? I think maybe Cabaret. I've 18 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: never seen it. I don't know. I just just saying 19 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 1: welcome in different languages. Um. So you're feeling good right now. 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: I'm feeling better now that we have gotten the Condom 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: podcast out of the way. I was a little bit 22 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: uh sweaty oh yeah during that one got me all 23 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 1: worked up. Um, so now we can talk about lab 24 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: grown meat. What a great one to punch. Jerry's giggling. 25 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: We are talking lab grown meat, man, We're talking about 26 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: possibly the future of humanity or what the future of 27 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: humanity will eat. Um. And this has kind of been 28 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: a big thing ever since two thousand one, which we'll 29 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: get to a second. Let's flash forward by flashing back 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: to two thousand eight when Peter the People for the 31 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: Ethical Treatment of Animals and posted a one million dollar 32 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: reward to the first researcher that could come up with 33 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,679 Speaker 1: lab grown a K in vitro a k a cultured 34 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: meat that was commercially viable, meaning it was for sale 35 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: and within in ten states by June twenty thousand twelve. 36 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: That didn't happen. No, it didn't happen. But Peter is 37 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: very excited because they said in October the first taste 38 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: test of in vitro hamburger took place. And I think 39 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: we know who that was, don't we was that the man? 40 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: I believe it was a guy named Gabor four gacks. Yeah, 41 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: that's a funny name, but he is one of the 42 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: leaders in the lab grown meat. He's basically one of two. 43 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: There is a Bill Gates and the Steve Jobs in 44 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: the in vitro meat game and Gibor four Gacks. I 45 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: take it as the Steve Jobs. Yeah. He's from the 46 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: University of Missouri and he's a tissue engineering specialist, and 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: he has a company called Modern Meadows. Great name, it's 48 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: a It's one of the better company names I've heard 49 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: of in my life. Yeah, it really fits. It's not 50 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: too clever, you know. I hate the ones that are 51 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: too like not a winkie, you know, like robo cow. 52 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: Yeah is that another one? No, I just made it. 53 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: Oh see, that's awful. That's great. I channel my inner 54 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: John Strickling. That's very good. Um this is I just 55 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: pictured Strickling, like just sticking his head in the door 56 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: and saying a robo cow. Um. So anyway, Modern Meadows 57 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: is his company, and their aim is to get this 58 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: stuff tasty enough and cheap enough to make it a 59 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: viable solution for either people who want to eat meat 60 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: but have reasons to not, or to help solve the 61 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: impending hunger crisis. Not impending it's kind of already here. Uh. 62 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: And apparently it may not have been four gack, so 63 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: it could have been. I don't know, but four gas 64 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: definitely did a taste test himself earlier in two In 65 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven, Um he went to a ted Med 66 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: conference and talked about his synthetic meat and then eight 67 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: some on stage, which is kind of weird because it's like, yeah, 68 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: it's kind of weird. It's like, I mean, I guess 69 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: if you were like hawking hot dogs or something, you 70 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: would eat them in public. So that's not that odd, 71 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: and it seems at first blush, it's a little sounds 72 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: a little bit of a carnival barker uh feel to that. Though. 73 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: They say that every great scientist is one part BF Skinner, 74 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: one part P. T. Barnum. Yeah, well that's a principal 75 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: Skinner said, oh yeah on The Simpsons. Yeah that's good. 76 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: That's good saying though, like it. Yeah, um, the other 77 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: the Bill Gates or was that the Bill Gates? I 78 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: think four Gacks is Steve Jobs. Okay, so the Bill 79 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: Gates is Marquis post from night Court from TV's Night Court. 80 00:04:55,080 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: Oh no, Mark post from My Strict You Diversity um 81 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: which is in the Netherlands. Right, It's like these two 82 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: universities get their researchers swapped smart Post is in the 83 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: Netherlands and get more four gases and when University Missouri 84 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: maybe they did an exchange program or something. So Post 85 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: is a vascular physiologist and he and they say that 86 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: they're not competing. No, And if you look at their 87 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: their stuff, they're coming up with two very different means 88 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: to the same end eventually. But who knows, maybe their friends. 89 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: I would imagine that's a pretty small community, the synthetic 90 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: meat community. Yeah, they're probably on each other speed dial, 91 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: I bet right. And they're supposedly only about thirty groups 92 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: working on this right now. But what's what's mind boggling 93 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: is just how much of an impact a breakthrough, a 94 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: real breakthrough. And by breakthrough, it was like you were 95 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: saying four gacks said like, you have to get it cheap, 96 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: you have to get it tasty, and then you have 97 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: to get the public to eat it. But how much 98 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: of a real breakthrough that would be. If someone were 99 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: able to do that, it would be tremendous, okay, and 100 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: potentially solve a lot of problems that are impending so 101 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: this idea is not new, the idea of creating lab 102 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: grown meat, the Churchill thing. Yeah, you don't think that's 103 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: exactly what we're talking about. Oh, I guess so. Plus 104 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: it's Winston Churchill. He's like one of the coolest people 105 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: of all time, that's true. Before he was a prime minister, 106 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: Churchill predicted that by quote, we shall escape the absurdity 107 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the 108 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: breast or wing by growing these parts separately under a 109 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: suitable medium. And he was off roughly by twenty years man, 110 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: you know, and he may have met like mass produced, 111 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,559 Speaker 1: like we'd be doing that by then in fifty years 112 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: in two thousand one, twenty years after his prediction, UM 113 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: or the deadline of his prediction. UM A guy from 114 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: UM two or O College. I've never heard of them, 115 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: New York Toro College, t U r oh never heard 116 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: of it either. Well, his name is Morris Benjaminson. His 117 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: dad's name is Benjamin. Uh. He came up with this 118 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: idea to take gold fish goldfish muscle cut fresh out 119 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: of a live goldfish. Yeah, it was pretty bad for 120 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: the goldfish, and then thrown into a vat of nutrient 121 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: rich fetal bovine serum, which is wow. I wonder why 122 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: use goldfish? That's what I don't get. Why didn't he 123 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: use like talapia or something someone might want to eat. 124 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe that was the only thing that 125 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: was handy. There was an office goals. She brought it 126 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: into his little plastic bag and instead of eating it 127 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: live for his fraternity prank, he grew some more. He 128 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: actually grew fourteen percent more. Yeah, um of what was 129 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: what he put into this fetal bovine serum? The cells divided, yep, 130 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: they he They were live, which is big, but the 131 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: serum coaxed it in, continuing to divid ed and again 132 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: formed four more mass than was originally introduced, more mass 133 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: or did you write this? No? This is Patrick Kiger, 134 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: as Patrick puts it, worth of additional flesh on the chunks. Yeah, 135 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: I like your like mass better than flesh on the chunks. 136 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: Flesh on the chunks is good. It's a band name. Yes, 137 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: So this guy has this bit and he's like, holy cow, 138 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: it worked, let's eat it. So he tried to. He 139 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: started to fried up with a bit of lemon olive 140 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: oil and garlic and pepper, right yeah, it makes great sense, 141 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: and no one would eat it. I would have tried it. 142 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: I would have to. Actually, I don't know if I 143 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: would have tried goldfish, if it would have been something else, 144 00:08:44,080 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: the goldfish is still a big turn off. So his 145 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: initial thought was this could be great for astronauts, um, 146 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: if they could eat goldfish or I guess fake meat 147 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: out in space. That was his original thought, was astronaut used, 148 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: isn't that what everybody thinks whenever you think of something 149 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: made in the lab that normally nature produces, it's like, oh, well, 150 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: astronauts will go bonkers for this. Well, apparently Benjamin said 151 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: had the same idea, like you said. But as news 152 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: of this got out, UM Peter and other animal rights 153 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: organizations were like, whoa, whoa, wait, what did you just do? 154 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: We are full supporters of this idea, because again People 155 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Americans Society for 156 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. When you eat a steak, 157 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: when you eat um pork or bacon or ham, all 158 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: these things come from an animals, often lovable animal, but 159 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: people still like to eat them. People still get nutrients 160 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: from So if you take the idea that an animal, 161 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: a live, sentient animal, suffered and died so that you 162 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: could eat it and still eat it. Man. That's like, 163 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: that's the bonanza right there. It is for at least 164 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: for people who object to eating meat for out of 165 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: cruelty and still want to eat meat, object on the 166 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: grounds of cruelty to write to eating meat. Um. In 167 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight in Norway they had a conference 168 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 1: the first time ever on testued meat and they released 169 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: a study saying, you know what, we could potentially manufacture 170 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: the stuff for five thousand dollars a ton, which would 171 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 1: make it competitive on an economic basis with real meat, um, 172 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: by which is right now they are about thirty different 173 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: research teams working on this. But like we said, I 174 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: get the feeling that post in igor what was his name? 175 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: Good four gags are definitely a deleting edge. Um. And 176 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: I did a little calculating here, Chuck, if if you 177 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: don't mind, I found how much it costs in Illinois 178 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: in two thousand seven to raise a pound of beef 179 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: and it was something like sixty five cents a pound, right, which, um, 180 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: that's how much it costs to raise it Right about now, 181 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: it's about two eight eight a pound for ground beef retail. 182 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: It's like a markup of like four point five times 183 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: for chuck or for or are we just talking? I'm 184 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: just okay, yeah, I'm just this is just rough back 185 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 1: of the envelope kind of stuff. Um, if if you 186 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: took that five thousand dollars a ton um in vitro 187 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: meat figure and that's how much it costom manufacturer, and 188 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: then also did that same four point five time mark up, 189 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: you come to about eleven dollars a pound, which is 190 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: pretty competitive. Yeah, because I mean think about it. You're 191 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: paying that much for filet, right, Uh well, yeah, if 192 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: this were marketed correctly, it would seem even cooler than filet, 193 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: and people see it tasted good. Yeah, And people pay 194 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: a lot of money for kobe beef. Most times are 195 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 1: not even getting kobe beef. You know about that whole thing, right, 196 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: It's it's a big a lot of times, it's a 197 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: big scam. I could see that because I mean, who knows, 198 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: there's probably a handful of people in the world who 199 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: could differentiate the taste of kobe beef from other beef. Yeah, exactly. 200 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: Even like really renowned restaurants are serving what they call 201 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: kobe beef for a lot of money. It's not Kobaby 202 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: is messed up it up. That's like a lobster. Lobster. 203 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: The price of lobster is like in the basement right 204 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: now in restaurants are still charging as much as ever 205 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: for it and making tons of money, and but the 206 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: lobster men are just getting like the short end of 207 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: the stick because there's a huge supply of them right now. Yeah, 208 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: but in lobster, one of those where they usually don't 209 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: say market price on the menu, isn't usually like just 210 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: straight up it'll say market price even if it does, 211 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: and they're still charging you a bunch like what market 212 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: price used to be when the price of lobster actually 213 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: was high. I wonder if you could come in with 214 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: some numbers and say, no, no, no, that's not market price. 215 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: Apparently you can argue with just about anybody really. Yeah, 216 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: And and often when you know, our buddy Julie was 217 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: in Maine, she vacations in Maine some and she said 218 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: they're like given her lobsters on her last trip, like 219 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: here's twenty of lobsters, Like we don't want them to 220 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: go to waste. Julie of stuff to blow your mind. No, 221 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: Julie Smith, Oh okay, yeah, a producer, Yeah you have 222 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: TV um. Yes, it's because there's like a huge boom 223 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: in the lobster population. Yeah, man, I love a lobster 224 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: roll boy. We got really off track here, all right. 225 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: See little there's synthetic lobster. It's actually cod right. Oh 226 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: the that' sementation crab meat. Yeah, that's not synthetic though, 227 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,479 Speaker 1: it's imitation. Yeah, imitation a big difference. Alright. So um, 228 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,839 Speaker 1: the Dutch team headed by Marquis Posts, they are using 229 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: cow stem cells to create this meat. So they culture 230 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: the stem cell little petrie dishes, put it in a 231 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: small container um to produce muscle cells. Sounds kind of gross, 232 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: and they form little small pieces of muscle about two 233 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: centimeters long, centimeter wide, and a millimeter thick. And they 234 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: say that it looks a little more like calamari than 235 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: any kind of a hamburger. And the taste initially is 236 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: pretty bland, right, And the reason the taste is bland 237 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: is because it's missing a lot of essential ingredients to meat, 238 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: like blood, blood uh fat, yeah, blood veins, And it's 239 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: sent as muscle cells, but muscle fibers are you're eating. 240 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: And do you know that it was only within the 241 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: last couple of months that I realized meat steak is 242 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: muscle mass. That told me that you were shocked back then, 243 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, what do you think it was? 244 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: I I hadn't really thought of it. I thought it 245 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: was its own thing, like there's fat, muscle meat and 246 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: then steak. Yeah, like that's really what I thought. And 247 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: then I suddenly just I don't know why I was 248 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: thinking about it. I think I wanted a steak because 249 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: I was thinking about a steak and I thought too 250 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: hard and all of a sudden realized what a steak was. Um. 251 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, so it's but it's not just this muscle. 252 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: It's muscle fibers, it's fat, it's blood. It's like all 253 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: this stuff comes together and they're gonna have to really 254 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: lick that before they can make the stuff commercially viable. Absolutely. Um. 255 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: One of the ideas that modern meadows using is to 256 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: use a three D printer to spray what they call 257 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: bio inc which is muscle cells and stuff like that 258 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: to build up you know, they like spray many layers 259 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: of the stuff to build it up into like more 260 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: viable meat. Option, which is pretty cool. Three D printers. 261 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: Pretty awesome to hear about Japan's photo booth. They they're 262 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: opening the world's first three D printing photo booth. So 263 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: you go in and you come out with like a 264 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: little statue of you or you and your your lady 265 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: and yeah, yeah, I would do that totally. I don't know, 266 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: but I would guess a lot. It's sort of like 267 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: in vitro meat. Alright, So what are the other hurdles here? Um, 268 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: it's tricky, like you said, it's it's a a mix 269 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: of fuel and salt and minerals and hormones, and this 270 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: is just to grow the cells that are healthy enough 271 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: to survive. Like that's not even talking about getting it 272 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: to look like a steak or a hamburger patty, because 273 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: like you said, it's not just you know, it's very 274 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: complex a group of stuff in there. It's not just 275 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: like muscle and that's it. And uh, it's extremely expensive. 276 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: Right now, I think we were kind of touched upon. 277 00:16:56,280 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: But Mark Posts said that his his hamburger, the first 278 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: one that he would ever make, would cost about grand Yeah, 279 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: but he's looking for a celebrity chef to cook it. 280 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: Kind of drum up business and gabore um fo gas Right, 281 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: that's his last name, four gack four gack Um. He 282 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,160 Speaker 1: was saying his modern Meadows stuff would be between umte 283 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,880 Speaker 1: a d eighty bucks a pound, right, which like you said, 284 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 1: is competitive with Kobe. Yeah. And and that's four Gacks 285 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: sees this as he I don't think he sees it 286 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 1: as like, hey, this is gonna be the everyday solution. 287 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: He sees it as a niche industry. Um. He also 288 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: said that his first product is more likely going to 289 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: be leather because it's not as regulated and it's a 290 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: little easier to accept us for the public at large. Um. 291 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,160 Speaker 1: He also was saying that as far as creating food goes, 292 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: like we are imaginations immediately jumped to building a steak building, 293 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,959 Speaker 1: a hamburger building like a pork top or something like that. Right. 294 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: He was saying, probably the first stuff that we're gonna 295 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: see is going to be like flower and he pointed 296 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: out in this one CNN article we read like you 297 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: don't eat flour flowers and like everything that you eat. Um. 298 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: And he was saying, like this will be stuff to 299 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: create meatballs with or pete. It's like instead of taking 300 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: a chicken and chopping it up and then using it 301 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: in that pete. You would, you know, use it although 302 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: more as an ingredient rather than like the steak on 303 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: the plate exactly, at least for now makes sense. Um, 304 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: this could potentially be a great thing for many reasons, 305 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: one of which is uh not, the least of which 306 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: is that lab grown meat would have about seventy eight 307 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: fewer greenhouse gasses, less land obviously, eighty two to ninety 308 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 1: six percent less water, and eight of the world's greenhouse 309 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 1: emissions come from the livestock sector right now. And you 310 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: know from what well, gas and and gas yeah, two 311 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 1: types of gas. Yeah, like we have a methane problem 312 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: from cow poop and gas and then all the gas 313 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: used to you know, obviously take care of the industry. 314 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: Plus it's also just a lot more energy efficient. We 315 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: use a hundred grams of grain to produce fifteen grams 316 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 1: of meat. That's acent efficiency. Because what do you do 317 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: in chuck when you like, feed something something? Right, you take, um, 318 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: you take the energy found in a plant and feed 319 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: it to an animals. It's energy transfer, but you lose apparently, 320 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: and you're thinking, um, with lab grown meat, the energy 321 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: efficiency will be like, that's awesome, and some of the 322 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: other costs. To grow a pound of beef regular beef 323 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: necessitates gallons of water, twelve pounds of grain, thirty five 324 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: pounds of top soil, and the equivalent energy wise of 325 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: one gallon of gas to grow a pound of meat 326 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: just one pound of ground beef. Right, So you've got 327 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: a lot of people standing for meeting meat because of 328 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: the animal cruelty aspect um. You have a lot of 329 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: people saying it's just socially irresponsible to eat meat. Um. 330 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: And then you have people who, um, well, I guess 331 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: that's it, right, that's the only reason people don't eat me. 332 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, Well people like my wife who don't like 333 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: the taste. Okay, well this is not going to appeal 334 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: to hurt at all, there no, no, no, um. But 335 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: you were saying like that this this the environment or 336 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: ecological consumption that it takes to create a pound of meat. 337 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: Apparently they think that meat production is going to have 338 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: to um double in the next forty years because of 339 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: increasing incomes around the world. Typically, when your GDP goes up, 340 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: your consumption of meat goes through the roof, and China 341 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: and India are on the way up, and they're thinking 342 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: that meat is going to get in higher demand. Not 343 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 1: enough land right like right now, I think it's said 344 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 1: seventy of dry land on the earth is used for 345 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: either grazing or some factor of livestock. So like, what 346 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: are you gonna do there's not that much more land 347 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 1: left to just use for cattle. Well, what they would 348 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,959 Speaker 1: do is the price of meat would just go up 349 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: and up and up. Yeah, it would just become more scarce. 350 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: I guess ye until this is but as the price 351 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 1: of meat rises, the economic sensibility of lab grown meat 352 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: will become more viable. Yeah, you know true, because I mean, 353 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: right now, one of the things is so cost prohibitive 354 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: aside from the fact that it looks like calamari and 355 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: it tastes plan Yeah, they said it potentially could be 356 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: healthier to UM. Jason Matheny, director of New Harvest. It's 357 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: a nonprofit research org, and they said that it would 358 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: have health advantages like UM because it's easier to control 359 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 1: pathogens and a lab and fat content could be systematically controlled, 360 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: making it healthier. Like we're gonna put this layer of 361 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: fat in with our three D printer because you need 362 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: the fat. That's where the lot of flavor comes from. Definitely, 363 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: you gotta have fat, and then you just got to 364 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: convince people once it gets cheap enough and tasty enough. 365 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 1: Like you said, the third hurdle is like eat fake 366 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 1: meat people, right, you'll like it, trust me. I think 367 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,719 Speaker 1: the big lesson is to not call it something like 368 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 1: soil and green modern meadows is perfect. Yeah. I wonder 369 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: what posts the name of his group is. I didn't see, 370 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: did you. I don't know. I would taste this just, 371 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, if they I wouldn't pay three dollars for 372 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: a hamburger, but um, I would taste it just to 373 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: see what it tasted like. But I don't know. It 374 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: sounds kind of gross to me. I would. I would try, 375 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,360 Speaker 1: But a lot of people say that eating meat is gross. Year. 376 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: So before you send in those emails, let me cut 377 00:22:45,080 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: you off. I understand that. Good go and chuck uh. 378 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: If you want to learn more about lab grown meat 379 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: or any kind of things like that, you should check 380 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: out the Innovations channel on how stuff Works. It's pretty awesome. 381 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: Um go to how stuff Works homepage and you will 382 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: see in them top navigation bar. Innovations is one of 383 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: the channels that we have to click on that or 384 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: you can just search for lab Grown meet in the 385 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: handy search part how stuff works. And I said handy 386 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: search part, which means it's time for listener mail, Josh 387 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: when we call this mentor ship email. UM, Hi guys, 388 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: my name is Colin and I've been listening to you 389 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: guys since the biking episode. I've never really been diligent 390 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 1: with emails, but I always wanted to write in. I'm 391 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: in my senior year of high school and involved in 392 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 1: a class called Independent Study Mentorship. This program works like 393 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: an internship for high school students. We're responsible for finding 394 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,719 Speaker 1: a mentor in which ever career field we are interested in. 395 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,720 Speaker 1: We do hands on work with our mentors, and throughout 396 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: the year we can pile a portfolio that will eventually 397 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: be a binder filled not with women, but with everything 398 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 1: we take part in and research throughout the year. It 399 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: will end up about as thick as a good sized 400 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: dictionary or two. My whole reason for writing you, guys 401 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: is to thank you for doing the podcast. I've been 402 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: able to get by without research for about a dozen 403 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: or so topics for essays and projects because you guys 404 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: usually cover far more than my school curriculum does. Um. 405 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: I've even been moved up to several advanced classes thanks 406 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: to you. Keep on doing what you're doing. It's great. 407 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: And if I happen to get a mention at the 408 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: end of an episode, I'd be pleasantly surprised. I've always 409 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: kind of wanted to mention. Here you go, Colin, and 410 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: so all you need to do is ask, yeah, way 411 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: did you go? Well, you have to ask any excel 412 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 1: at school because of us. Yes, and he says, feel 413 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: free to mention my name if you find this worth 414 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: mentioning in. Yes, I did say, y'all because I'm from 415 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: text Is and everyone from Texas is required to inform 416 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: everyone else that they're from Texas. That's true, is it? Oh? Yeah, 417 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: all right, well Colin from Texas. Good luck with your mentorship, buddy. 418 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: And uh, I think it's a marketing he said, and 419 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: drop us the line. Let's so how it went, Uh, 420 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: that's awesome? Yeah. Uh, Let's see what do you want 421 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: to ask for, Chuck? Oh, would you eat in vitro meat? 422 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: Let's let's get that debate going. Huh sure, And you 423 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 1: know what we're gonna cover, factory farming. Because we got 424 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: a lot of I got a lot of heat because 425 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: I went off on bull fighting and a lot of 426 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: vegetarian said, well, how can you go off from bullfighting 427 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: and eat meat? Um, So I'm gonna make up for 428 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: that by doing like a factory farming podcast. Well that's great, 429 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:47,719 Speaker 1: Can I do it too? You can sit in, you 430 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: can tweet to us at s Y s K podcast, 431 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: you can join us on Facebook dot com slash stuff 432 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:54,959 Speaker 1: you Should Know, and you can send us a good 433 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: old fashioned email to Stuff Podcast at Discovery dot com. 434 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 435 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot com. H