Jed Rothwell wrote:
The PETA prize turns out to be bogus. They will only give it to researchers who have already succeeded and who are in a position to make billions.
That was actually quite clear from the earlier stories. The stuff must go all the way to market before it's eligible, by which time a whole lot more than a million$ will have gone into the research whether or not it's a hit in the market.
The main thing this does -- to the extent it does anything -- is it provides PETA endorsement for in-vitro meat. Since PETA is the "frange de la frange" among animal rights groups, it may help to give the whole idea "legitimacy" among those who are strongly opposed to chemical fertilizers, GMO foods, gasoline-burning automobiles, and the rest of the "mainstream package".
If we're sure that this research is driven entirely by market forces, in that it's just a search for "cheaper chicken", then the PETA prize is totally irrelevant. If, on the other hand, this research is driven in part by moralistic issues, and in part by a desire to sell into the "Vegan burger" market, then the PETA prize means something: it's the opening salvo in the war over whether in vitro meat should be treated like BT corn, or like tofu. If PETA accepts it, then a lot of other people will most likely fall in line, too.
This is like offering a prize for a working cold fusion generator. See: http://www.slate.com/id/2189693/ - Jed
