[ExI] Fame meat

Kevin Freels kevinfreels at insightbb.com
Fri Apr 25 13:52:09 UTC 2008


ben wrote:
> I don't get it.
>
> If somebody could do this, why would they need or want to compete for a
> measly $1M prize?
> The point of a prize is to encourage development of a new technology.
> The commercialisation of it comes after. These people seem to be
> offering a prize for a mature, already commercialised technology.
> They're not offering an incentive that doesn't already exist.
>
> It's as if the Ansari X prize had been for the first company to
> successfully run an orbital hotel for 6 months.
>   
Actually the X prize analogy is very good. They are looking to reward 
someone for doing something that is "possible" with our existing 
technology, but the details and specifics haven't been tested or worked 
out. A LOT of development has to happen to accomplish this just as a lot 
had to be done to make a private vehicle that could reach space and 
return within a short period of time. They aren't asking for rib-eye. 
They are asking for a lab-grown meat that has the taste and texture of 
chicken. It's really not that far out there and I expect someone will 
win this prize. A small step in the right direction, but a very 
significant one. Of course $1mil isn't enough to compensate for the 
development costs any more than Burt Rutan recovered his costs through 
the X prize. He had to develop everything from scratch as well. It's not 
like the whole launch system was made from off the shelf parts. Some 
parts were, but so will some of the parts for a meat making machine.

$1 mil isn't a lot, but it's better than a kick in the arse. And it 
comes with plenty of media attention as well. In the end the real reward 
will be the income earned from the sale of such meat.
>
>   



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