# Scientists to cook world's first burger made with synthetic beef **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285 "2013-08-03T23:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/41 "2013-08-06T08:01:08Z")
I’d try it, after the price comes down. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/42 "2013-08-06T08:12:34Z")
^ same. But they really need to mix in some fat cells, too. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/43 "2013-08-06T09:57:27Z")
Or splice in some designer Olestra genes. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/44 "2013-08-06T16:13:45Z")
I think it’s amazing - once you are able to do it, then hopefully after this it will be fine-tuning. I loves me some hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops, etc, but I’d happily never eat an animal again if they could all be vat-grown. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/45 "2013-08-06T16:56:21Z")
I wonder what pure muscle meat without fat tastes like? I had no idea the 10% fat content or whatever had that much an effect. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/46 "2013-08-06T16:59:22Z")
Sure, I’d eat it. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/47 "2013-08-06T17:01:19Z")
I’ll eat it and anyone who gets in my way! ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/48 "2013-08-06T17:01:49Z")
Oh hell yes, and please take my money to start working on extinct meats- I want mammoth steaks, and roasted dodo! ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/49 "2013-08-06T17:04:11Z")
I have no problem with the idea. It sounds to me like the biggest problem with the taste test is the way it was prepared–it was an unseasoned fried patty. A regular beef patty cooked that way is no great shakes, either, though I’ll grant that the lack of fat probably made this one seem more overcooked. A little practice and a better cooking method would probably make for a much better result. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/50 "2013-08-06T17:11:45Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I wonder what pure muscle meat without fat tastes like? I had no idea the 10% fat content or whatever had that much an effect. You can get 98% lean or better ground beef at grocery stores. Tastes weird, imho. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/51 "2013-08-06T17:12:40Z")
Maybe they could mix in a little vegetable fat until they start growing the fat cells in a vat. And now I’m thinking that fat cells can’t be hard to grow - I grow them as easily as falling off a log. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/52 "2013-08-06T17:42:55Z")
In a heartbeat. I would actually prefer if they could come up with faux lobster, crab and shrimp that was less expensive than the real ones, and nice thick cod fillets for making fish fry. [I detest catfish - farmed or wild it all tastes muddy to me. And I understand that there is a pollution issue with farmed salmon.] I would love it if we could preserve the fish population, apparently many of the commoner fish are in danger of being fished out within 50 years. ☹ I actually have theorized a way to make faux lobster, crab and shrimp but I lack any form of ability to score a loan to try to make it happen. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/53 "2013-08-06T19:54:35Z")
I’m sure this will end well… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/54 "2013-08-07T00:12:57Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Oh hell yes, and please take my money to start working on extinct meats- I want mammoth steaks, and roasted dodo! This open up whole new worlds for **Mangetout** to explore! ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/55 "2013-08-07T00:20:12Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I’ll eat it and anyone who gets in my way! I’d consider the latter ethically acceptable if it were a simulation grown from stem cells. Even yours. – Why do you suddenly look so nervous? ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/56 "2013-08-07T00:40:52Z")
Oh hell yeah, once the price comes down. (That will take a while; I saw a lot of tissue culture in my lab-worker days, and it’s a finicky process and can be tough to scale up.) It’s pure beef. How many hamburgers we eat right now are pure beef? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/57 "2013-08-07T00:48:13Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I would eat test-tube meat. They need to do some work on it to make it more palatable, though. The meat used in this taste test was 100% muscle cells - no fat. Another problem is that the muscle needs to be exercised, test tube meat where the muscle fibers are never exercised doesn’t taste the same as regular meat. I’m all for it when it becomes cost effective. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/58 "2013-08-07T01:24:46Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Another problem is that the muscle needs to be exercised, test tube meat where the muscle fibers are never exercised doesn’t taste the same as regular meat. > > I’m all for it when it becomes cost effective. I think the taste issues will be non-issues if we actually do manage to create commonly-eaten vat meat - if you grew up eating vat meat, you’d probably think it tasted fine, like meat is supposed to taste. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/59 "2013-08-07T01:42:19Z")
They used electrical pulses to stimulate the fibers in Better Off Ted. Sounds like legit science to me. ---
**Author:** ![Tacit\_Knowledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Tacit\_Knowledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tacit_Knowledge)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285/60 "2013-08-07T03:01:37Z")
Not so much. That’s just nasty. And somewhat disturbing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-to-cook-worlds-first-burger-made-with-synthetic-beef/665285.md?page=4)