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Re:Lab-grown meat might be only 6 months away by sankara on Friday September 02, 2011 @03:19AM (#2953236)
Hypothetical question. Let's say this fruitions and is widely popular. Wouldn't that mean we would simply stop rearing cattle and poultry? Would that mean the species will go extinct? Now isn't that cruelty.
Re:Lab-grown meat might be only 6 months away by dagw on Friday September 02, 2011 @03:43AM (#2953285)
I imagine that, no matter how popular this gets, there will always be a market for real cows, pigs and chickens. It's just going to end up being a high end luxury market. A whole animal for roasting is something that will never be able to made in a lab. Also from what I understand this process produces fairly homogeneous meat, meaning you're probably going to need a real animal to make more interesting cuts, or 'bi-products' like heart, marrow and liver. Combine that with the fact that there will probably also always be a market for real leather (which will also become a high end luxury product) and I can see cows being reared for a long time after this process becomes wildly popular .
Re:Lab-grown meat might be only 6 months away by Leynos on Friday September 02, 2011 @03:48AM (#2953298)
I imagine that there would continue to be the equivalent of "rare breeds" farms if this ever took off.
Re:Lab-grown meat might be only 6 months away by adrianN on Friday September 02, 2011 @03:36AM (#2953273)
I don't think you can be cruel to a species because a species doesn't feel anxiety and pain.
Re:Lab-grown meat might be only 6 months away by sankara on Friday September 02, 2011 @08:47AM (#2953880)
"Now isn't that cruelty" - was meant at the species going extinct. Just a pun. Not a literal comparison with slaughter.