Lab Food

I've worked for many years in labs.  In graduate school, you pretty much live in the lab when you study some of the molecular biology and teaching all sorts of sciences.  I ran from job to class and often ate in the lab.   Today, my lab is the farm.  Each year I take notes, plan what we will grow from seeds and figure out what we ate, what we gave away, what we sold and what we want for the next year.  I read up on when to rotate, what to give a second year of growth, how much shredded paper to animal manure and compost I can mix to create my fertilizer.  I try to figure out when to plant, how much watering to do, what to mulch vs. weed and how to harvest and preserve.

I've never considered eating what I grow in a laboratory experiment though.  Two articles I've recently read show me that the world of Food Science is moving towards some pretty strange results.

The August Taste Test of the World's First Laboratory Hamburger met with some so-so results.  Those who tasted it in London suggested that they missed the fat, salt and pepper.  One suggested that it stuck together.   Prof Mark Post, of Maastricht University, the scientist behind the burger, remarked: "It's a very good start." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23576143    Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should?

The second article came across my news feed today.  After my post relating to the Farm Bill, this thought of raising brainless chickens as hosting cells without feelings and therefore more humane is crazy.  While this is an Artsy way of looking at the Animal Cruelty problem, it should also get people thinking about how some individuals want to address problems.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/02/21/are-brainless-chickens-solution-animal-cruelty

In the mean time, endangered species hunting permit auctioned at $350,000 to raise awareness of the plight of others?  An older, non breeding male raised lots of money, but some would question whether one life for many is a conservation minded approach?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25702214