Mammoth Meatball
April 6, 2023 6:20 PM Subscribe
They made a meatball with mammoth DNA. They made a website with mammoth DNA.
I mean... I'd eat it. After all, there's pretty good evidence humans had a lot to do with the extinction of mammoths, and I think it's certainly possible we ate them to death because they were delicious.
posted by Rinku at 6:55 PM on April 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Rinku at 6:55 PM on April 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
It's one protein, cut with an elephant protein, inserted into sheep cells full of sheep proteins. I don't know if they even removed the sheep myoglobin gene, so I suspect it's going to taste more like mutton meatballs. The large size of the meatball in the publicity photo and the rock slab it's served on are what's triggering the cultural association with the Flintstones. (And also masculinity, abundance, wealth, etc.)
It's probably safe to eat, as humans used to eat mammoths in the past, but I notice they don't show any of the scientists chowing down. I guess time will tell if they're trying to bring a product to market or if they're really just trying to drum up support for cultured meat.
All in all, this is probably a better idea than trying to de-extinct an actual herd of mammoths with little idea of who's going to pay for their upkeep. I suspect that program is eventually going to end up selling hunting licenses to the likes of Trump Junior. The rich will clamor for the right to make them extinct again.
posted by Soliloquy at 8:01 PM on April 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's probably safe to eat, as humans used to eat mammoths in the past, but I notice they don't show any of the scientists chowing down. I guess time will tell if they're trying to bring a product to market or if they're really just trying to drum up support for cultured meat.
All in all, this is probably a better idea than trying to de-extinct an actual herd of mammoths with little idea of who's going to pay for their upkeep. I suspect that program is eventually going to end up selling hunting licenses to the likes of Trump Junior. The rich will clamor for the right to make them extinct again.
posted by Soliloquy at 8:01 PM on April 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
I suspect that program is eventually going to end up selling hunting licenses to the likes of Trump Junior.
Some years ago I attended a talk by Fiona Raby and Anthony Dunne of the Royal college of Art. They speculated about some uses of this technology of "victimless meat" including creating steaks made from the meat of human celebrities. Eat the rich could become more than a slogan.
posted by Zumbador at 9:06 PM on April 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Some years ago I attended a talk by Fiona Raby and Anthony Dunne of the Royal college of Art. They speculated about some uses of this technology of "victimless meat" including creating steaks made from the meat of human celebrities. Eat the rich could become more than a slogan.
posted by Zumbador at 9:06 PM on April 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Mmmm... Mammoth meatball *drool*
posted by lock robster at 2:10 AM on April 7, 2023
posted by lock robster at 2:10 AM on April 7, 2023
I guess time will tell if they're trying to bring a product to market or if they're really just trying to drum up support for cultured meat.
I felt the site was pretty clear about their motivations. And it's not bringing mammoth meat to market.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:04 AM on April 7, 2023
I felt the site was pretty clear about their motivations. And it's not bringing mammoth meat to market.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:04 AM on April 7, 2023
*Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm voice*
That's an, ahhh, spicy meatball.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:34 AM on April 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
That's an, ahhh, spicy meatball.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:34 AM on April 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
I mean I get the appeal, who doesn't want to eat a mammoth just to say you ate a mammoth? But wouldn't this have been significantly easier (and significantly fewer barriers to bring to market) if they just took, say, beef muscle cells and grew them in a dish?
The goal is to "change the way we eat" - by using a tissue that they explicitly tell us "we can't guarantee you can eat this"
posted by caution live frogs at 9:10 AM on April 7, 2023
The goal is to "change the way we eat" - by using a tissue that they explicitly tell us "we can't guarantee you can eat this"
posted by caution live frogs at 9:10 AM on April 7, 2023
Beef wouldn't be a news story. They are after publicity.
It really feels like no one read the site.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:07 AM on April 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
It really feels like no one read the site.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:07 AM on April 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
who doesn't want to eat a mammoth just to say you ate a mammoth
Not me. It's weird, because I'm usually into trying new-to-me foods, and am curious about cultured meat, but I had an immediate NOPE reaction to this. Turns out that I have a strong taboo against eating elephant which extends to mammoth. Brains do some really odd stuff when you're not looking.
posted by inexorably_forward at 2:15 AM on April 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Not me. It's weird, because I'm usually into trying new-to-me foods, and am curious about cultured meat, but I had an immediate NOPE reaction to this. Turns out that I have a strong taboo against eating elephant which extends to mammoth. Brains do some really odd stuff when you're not looking.
posted by inexorably_forward at 2:15 AM on April 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
The whole "we can't guarantee you can eat this" makes this publicity-stunt-y AF.
It's myoglobin. I know that there are some (but scant) people who have Alpha-gal syndrome, but that's a reaction to a a "sugar" (glycolic) modification to a protein - not from the primary sequence of amino acids.
Interesting, there has been a report of sensitization to a heat-resistant myoglobin. But this seems to be an extremely rare condition (only 1% of people with "meat allergy" have a reaction against it.
Even so, doesn't seem to be a fatal allergic reaction.
posted by porpoise at 3:32 AM on April 9, 2023
It's myoglobin. I know that there are some (but scant) people who have Alpha-gal syndrome, but that's a reaction to a a "sugar" (glycolic) modification to a protein - not from the primary sequence of amino acids.
Interesting, there has been a report of sensitization to a heat-resistant myoglobin. But this seems to be an extremely rare condition (only 1% of people with "meat allergy" have a reaction against it.
Even so, doesn't seem to be a fatal allergic reaction.
posted by porpoise at 3:32 AM on April 9, 2023
My suspicion is that the giant mammoth meatball is indistinguishable from a giant meatball made from Taco Bell pink slime "beef" - or have an even worse texture.
Maybe throw in some panko crumbs or something (textured vegetable protein, TVP?) to add texture?
posted by porpoise at 3:37 AM on April 9, 2023
Maybe throw in some panko crumbs or something (textured vegetable protein, TVP?) to add texture?
posted by porpoise at 3:37 AM on April 9, 2023
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:39 PM on April 6, 2023