Why a beefless Burger King Whopper is cause for excitement

Beefless meat enters the mainstream.

The new BK Impossible Whopper is on the left. Image source: CNET
  • Burger King is testing its first major foray into the field of beefless patties.
  • On top of plant-based meats, cellular agriculture — or "cell-ag" — can also yield animal-free patties.
  • A new report lists 90 reasons that cell-ag holds a lot of promise.
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Technology & Innovation

Eggs are again linked to heart problems — though the study has problems

Though eggs are back on the menu, some are trying to rewrite the script.

Photo by REVOLT on Unsplash
  • A new study at Northwestern University found a link between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
  • The research relied on self-reporting at the beginning of observation, with no follow-up reporting.
  • Correlation is likely, not causation, as larger studies have found the opposite to be true.
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Surprising Science

Why humans struggled to make 'f' and 'v' sounds until farming came along

Love to drop F-bombs? Thank the shift to agriculture.

Blasi et al.
  • A new study suggests that the f and v sounds were made easier to pronounce by the change in our diets the invention of farming made possible.
  • The idea isn't a new one, but is only now being taken seriously.
  • Even today, many hunter-gather cultures lack labiodentals in their languages.
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Surprising Science

Active ingredient in Roundup found in 95% of studied beers and wines

The controversial herbicide is everywhere, apparently.

(MsMaria/Shutterstock)
  • U.S. PIRG tested 20 beers and wines, including organics, and found Roundup's active ingredient in almost all of them.
  • A jury on August 2018 awarded a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma victim $289 million in Roundup damages.
  • Bayer/Monsanto says Roundup is totally safe. Others disagree.
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Surprising Science

IBM says to expect 5 big changes in the next 5 years

Food is about to change.

(Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock/Big Think)
  • IBM's 2019 5 in 5 predicts major changes on the horizon.
  • Food chain technology, from farmers' financing to desktop pathogen sensors, is about to explode.
  • IBM and others have big ideas about reducing famine and food-borne illness.
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Technology & Innovation