Chesley Bonestell, “The Exploration of Mars” (1953), oil on board, 143/8 x 28 inches, gift of William Estler, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Reproduced courtesy of Bonestell LLC.

Lab Burgers Aim for the Menu

March 18, 2015

When the first laboratory-grown hamburgers hit the grill, two Arizona specialists in sustainable engineering said in Issues that their $300,000-plus price tag “doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start thinking about how factory-grown meat might transform our food system, the environment, and even our culture.” Now, Dutch researchers report that costs have dropped to around $11 a patty, still a ways from commercial reality, but tipping the scale in favor of paying increased attention to the potential impact of faux meat.