Comments on: Are Pain-Free Animals the Future of Meat? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Nicola http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11402 Nicola Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:18:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11402 Pain free animals will be a step in the right direction. But its not perfect yet. What about loneliness, abandonment feelings, being packed in too narrow cages? What about diseases? What about pollution because of the toxic drugs used? Dr. Ray Kurzweil wrote in his book Transcend that in only a few years from now the new technology of bio engineered meat will surpas the marketability of farm meats. This new technology is pain free, suffering free, loneliness free, pollution free, bio hazard free, and green. Scientists develop meat parts of animals in petri dishes, which grow like plants. Those are cell accumulations, often cell differentiated, but those cell clusters have no nerve cells in them at all. Those are live cells like in plants, but they are the cells of animal DNA. With this technology we can basically grow meat plants in a whole new meaning and literally and green as in clean. We can grow animal protein like we grow plants. This technology needs to be supported as soon as possible and hopefully given incentives. But knowing the factory farm lobby the incentives will most likely not come from governments. The consumers need to ask for it, lobby and petition to get it on the market sooner. The animals will thank us for it. Pain free animals will be a step in the right direction. But its not perfect yet. What about loneliness, abandonment feelings, being packed in too narrow cages? What about diseases? What about pollution because of the toxic drugs used?

Dr. Ray Kurzweil wrote in his book Transcend that in only a few years from now the new technology of bio engineered meat will surpas the marketability of farm meats. This new technology is pain free, suffering free, loneliness free, pollution free, bio hazard free, and green. Scientists develop meat parts of animals in petri dishes, which grow like plants. Those are cell accumulations, often cell differentiated, but those cell clusters have no nerve cells in them at all. Those are live cells like in plants, but they are the cells of animal DNA.

With this technology we can basically grow meat plants in a whole new meaning and literally and green as in clean. We can grow animal protein like we grow plants. This technology needs to be supported as soon as possible and hopefully given incentives. But knowing the factory farm lobby the incentives will most likely not come from governments. The consumers need to ask for it, lobby and petition to get it on the market sooner. The animals will thank us for it.

]]> By: Tim D. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11399 Tim D. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:20:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11399 Genetically modifying animals to not feel pain makes no sense. It seems more humane but I think it would end up being more dangerous than helpful to the animal. Genetically modifying animals to not feel pain makes no sense. It seems more humane but I think it would end up being more dangerous than helpful to the animal.

]]> By: Melody G. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11398 Melody G. Thu, 13 May 2010 21:28:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11398 While scientists are genetically modifying the animals to not feel pain, they should also genetically modify the animals to speak. Then the animals themselves could tell us whether the pain they feel truly bothers them or not. While scientists are genetically modifying the animals to not feel pain, they should also genetically modify the animals to speak. Then the animals themselves could tell us whether the pain they feel truly bothers them or not.

]]> By: Prem Das http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11397 Prem Das Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:55:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11397 Anyone who has had a serious injury or have had been stabbed, would tell you pain is not a factor. You go into shock and feel no pain. Since it is predation nature has chosen to balance itself, it has also made sure to keep suffering to a minimum. So there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Increasingly I am being convinced that all scientists are retards (especially the evolutionists). I would suggest instead, spare them the feeling of fear for they know they are facing certain death or if thats not possible consume less meat so animals can be farmed humanely. There is the added bonus of it being better for us healthwise. Anyone who has had a serious injury or have had been stabbed, would tell you pain is not a factor. You go into shock and feel no pain.
Since it is predation nature has chosen to balance itself, it has also made sure to keep suffering to a minimum.
So there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Increasingly I am being convinced that all scientists are retards (especially the evolutionists).
I would suggest instead, spare them the feeling of fear for they know they are facing certain death or if thats not possible consume less meat so animals can be farmed humanely. There is the added bonus of it being better for us healthwise.

]]> By: David Lee Evans http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11396 David Lee Evans Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:00:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11396 Great ideal!!, I thought that I would have to wait until I visit MilliWays, the restaurant at the end of the universe, before I could get genetically engineer meat. One Ameglian Major Cow steak for me please. This all sounds far more sensible then safe artificial soy meat products, which are healthier for you, environmentally safer and has a the prospect of being a tractable solution for feeding the increasing human world population. Great ideal!!, I thought that I would have to wait until I visit MilliWays, the restaurant at the end of the universe, before I could get genetically engineer meat. One Ameglian Major Cow steak for me please.
This all sounds far more sensible then safe artificial soy meat products, which are healthier for you, environmentally safer and has a the prospect of being a tractable solution for feeding the increasing human world population.

]]> By: sierra http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11395 sierra Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11395 hehe..........!! hehe……….!!

]]> By: Dennis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11394 Dennis Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:03:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11394 spiked says: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7357/ spiked says:

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7357/

]]> By: People Eating Their Animals http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11393 People Eating Their Animals Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:58:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11393 If one less beak here and there makes my chicken nuggets a nickel cheaper, then break out the soldering iron. Don't even get me started on foi gras- I've spent a life time drinking copious amonts of whiskey and when I die, who will be there to eat my delicious liver? If a goose could talk, he would thank you. Party up, this buffet we call Earth is about to close shop. Savor the morsels left to us, and drop the guilt and piety- it interfers with digestion. If one less beak here and there makes my chicken nuggets a nickel cheaper, then break out the soldering iron. Don’t even get me started on foi gras- I’ve spent a life time drinking copious amonts of whiskey and when I die, who will be there to eat my delicious liver? If a goose could talk, he would thank you.

Party up, this buffet we call Earth is about to close shop. Savor the morsels left to us, and drop the guilt and piety- it interfers with digestion.

]]> By: Jules http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11392 Jules Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:54:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11392 While I am a vegetarian, vegan actually so Walter up there who says not to talk to him about ethics- guess you didn't realize that some of us actually did give up the leather clothing, accessories, etc. Of course, because I am a vegetarian, I would say to just give up the meat. However, I don't believe this is practical. What I do think is practical is a combination of a few things: 1. The consumer should have all the power. If everyone stood up and said "I won't buy your products because I disagree with what your company is doing" it would be in the best interest of the company to change to continue getting business and making a profit. So, if most people still wanted to eat meat but didn't agree with factory farming, they could ban together, write letters to the company, stop purchasing their products while purchasing from more humane companies, until overall, the other companies realize they need to change their system (not searing beaks, providing more room, providing more sanitary places, etc.) or they'll go broke. And from what it seems, they have plenty of money to make the changes- they're just being greedy. 2. We would have to have some way of knowing that they have changed. That whole addage about the glass walls and if we knew what we were eating, we wouldn't anymore- well we would need the glass walls. I think a lot of people may feel mistrusting of companies who use such cruel efforts to save a penny. The consumers should have the right to know where their food is coming from. After all, this isn't just a piece of furniture- it's something we put inside of ourselves and has consequences to our bodies. This might have to involve more government- I don't know but we have to have the right for the above to actually happen as well. Just my 2 cents. While I am a vegetarian, vegan actually so Walter up there who says not to talk to him about ethics- guess you didn’t realize that some of us actually did give up the leather clothing, accessories, etc. Of course, because I am a vegetarian, I would say to just give up the meat. However, I don’t believe this is practical.

What I do think is practical is a combination of a few things: 1. The consumer should have all the power. If everyone stood up and said “I won’t buy your products because I disagree with what your company is doing” it would be in the best interest of the company to change to continue getting business and making a profit. So, if most people still wanted to eat meat but didn’t agree with factory farming, they could ban together, write letters to the company, stop purchasing their products while purchasing from more humane companies, until overall, the other companies realize they need to change their system (not searing beaks, providing more room, providing more sanitary places, etc.) or they’ll go broke. And from what it seems, they have plenty of money to make the changes- they’re just being greedy.

2. We would have to have some way of knowing that they have changed. That whole addage about the glass walls and if we knew what we were eating, we wouldn’t anymore- well we would need the glass walls. I think a lot of people may feel mistrusting of companies who use such cruel efforts to save a penny. The consumers should have the right to know where their food is coming from. After all, this isn’t just a piece of furniture- it’s something we put inside of ourselves and has consequences to our bodies. This might have to involve more government- I don’t know but we have to have the right for the above to actually happen as well.

Just my 2 cents.

]]> By: Mike Mueller http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11391 Mike Mueller Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:03:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/09/03/are-pain-free-animals-the-future-of-meat/#comment-11391 When we genetically modify plants and animals, we rapidly increase the loss of environmentally (or nature) mediated cultural experiences and knowledge. This knowledge has sustained some cultural communities for thousands of years and we should think about the potential trade-offs that GMOs endorse. In general, I don't think people today are being educated to make decisions about these kinds of trade-offs within their local communities. Environment is deemphasized or ignored in schools because of high-stakes testing and the focus on comparing kids from different parts of the country and world. So all people see is the final product in the supermarket (and we take-for-granted our assumptions that influence how meat is supposed to look). We may not care much about how animals and plants are being treated or whether GM crops and animals are changing the ways in which we frame our relationships with the environment. I wonder whether it would even matter if videos of animals being slaughtered would even make much of a difference. A good analogy can be made with the rapid increase in digital communications, which has in many ways, deemphasized face-to-face conversations and reliance outside of the market. What human experiences are being lost that may be needed to afford future generations some similar environmental qualities of today? Perhaps tomorrow's generations will not care about whether they have digital pets or the real thing, but we should not discount the qualities of experiences that are gained from having a farm animal as friend and food. Farm animals have just as much right as we do to feel or sense the experience of a friendship with humans. The idea of genetically modifying animals to not feel pain also opens the door for conversations about how to modify children in ways that are more culturally desirable (or driven by popular media), already taken up in this forum discussion. When we genetically modify plants and animals, we rapidly increase the loss of environmentally (or nature) mediated cultural experiences and knowledge. This knowledge has sustained some cultural communities for thousands of years and we should think about the potential trade-offs that GMOs endorse. In general, I don’t think people today are being educated to make decisions about these kinds of trade-offs within their local communities. Environment is deemphasized or ignored in schools because of high-stakes testing and the focus on comparing kids from different parts of the country and world. So all people see is the final product in the supermarket (and we take-for-granted our assumptions that influence how meat is supposed to look). We may not care much about how animals and plants are being treated or whether GM crops and animals are changing the ways in which we frame our relationships with the environment. I wonder whether it would even matter if videos of animals being slaughtered would even make much of a difference.

A good analogy can be made with the rapid increase in digital communications, which has in many ways, deemphasized face-to-face conversations and reliance outside of the market. What human experiences are being lost that may be needed to afford future generations some similar environmental qualities of today? Perhaps tomorrow’s generations will not care about whether they have digital pets or the real thing, but we should not discount the qualities of experiences that are gained from having a farm animal as friend and food. Farm animals have just as much right as we do to feel or sense the experience of a friendship with humans.

The idea of genetically modifying animals to not feel pain also opens the door for conversations about how to modify children in ways that are more culturally desirable (or driven by popular media), already taken up in this forum discussion.

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