# Meat growing on trees?!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332 "2003-05-20T12:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MegaDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@MegaDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaDave)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/1 "2003-05-20T12:20:05Z")
A truly intriguing concept, that apparently has come to fruition (pun intended). Read all about it [here](http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/wwn/20030516/105309720008.html) . Now my questions are: What does this mean for vegetarians and vegans since no animals were harmed in getting this meat? Also, is this playing “God”, or is this simply something designed for the betterment of mankind. IMHO I think this could be a truly fantastic thing. If the trees are able to grow in most climates, you could bring meat to areas of the world where it is too expensive to raise cattle. Also, what would this mean to people in India who view cattle as sacred? This isn’t technically a cow, so would they be able to eat it? What are the downsides to this? Can the trees get Mad Cow Disease? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/2 "2003-05-20T12:40:47Z")
Meatfruit. It’s what’s for dinner. 😃 Sounds good to me. I’d like to see how the nutritional content of it compares with regular cow. If there’s any added benefits or not. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/3 "2003-05-20T12:48:12Z")
Meatfruit. It’s what’s for dinner. 😃 Sounds good to me. I’d like to see how the nutritional content of it compares with regular cow. If there’s any added benefits or not. ---
**Author:** ![MegaDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@MegaDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaDave)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/4 "2003-05-20T13:05:49Z")
I’m trying to find out more specifics on it, but the nutritional value may not be available yet. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/5 "2003-05-20T13:06:22Z")
Neither the “UltraModAgri Group” or “Dr. Vincent Tartley” show up on google. OTOH, [Michael Chiron](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&edition=&q=%22MICHAEL+CHIRON%22), the story’s author, is a regular contributor to The Weekly World News, and other fine sources of bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/6 "2003-05-20T13:18:55Z")
Yes- this is a spoof- don’t expect to be eating oaksteaks or porkapples or yet awhile. Another two hundred years perhaps… * * * Sci-fi worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![MegaDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@MegaDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaDave)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/7 "2003-05-20T13:46:22Z")
I did a google search and found a reference to “Meat Trees” on The Weekly World News which is not a good sign. I guess it may be so much BS. Too bad if it is, I thought it was really cool. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/8 "2003-05-20T14:50:22Z")
the article that is linked in the OP is FROM the Weekly World News ---
**Author:** ![MegaDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@MegaDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaDave)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/9 "2003-05-20T15:02:17Z")
damn i didn’t even notice that, thanks SimonX. Well I guess we can pretty much assume it is a hoax ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/10 "2003-05-20T18:42:04Z")
Already saw it on [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) - yes, it’s a hoax. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/11 "2003-05-20T18:42:30Z")
Yeah, clearly a hoax. They harvest spaghetti from trees, so it would be convenient to have the meatballs as well, but not possible yet. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-growing-on-trees/176332/12 "2003-05-20T21:39:19Z")
Snopes has debunked it. Go snopes! 🆒