It was meant in general and ironically. However the article stated that it could be used for vegetarians who longed for bacon and didn't want to kill an animal. So just spaceflights wouldn't be the only market for these grown meats. Like quite a few things were developed for weightless situations and are now becoming generally used. Such as ridiculous little plastic bags that are covered with metalfoil and contain a drinkable yoghurt. They are advertised here as a handy gadget for people that have no time for breakfast and want to eat on their way to work. It might be smarter to avoid that kind of stress and take time for breakfast and prepare it yourself. Do you have them in the USA? When in the supermarket or any other place where you can buy products, you can see a lot of things that are MUST have instead of NEED to have. Not developed to make our life easier but for us to consume and make a small group of people wealthier. For the amount of money this costs there could be a lot of research on AIDS or cancer or whatever you may find important. I see no need for spaceflights with people on board that may take years. Instead of turning to space in case our planet gets even more overcrowded I think we should try and make a better situation here on earth. Don't forget that the race for the first man on the moon had little to do with science but was a result of the cold war. It was a matter of status who would get there first. And sometimes things will be done just because they can be done. Not because they serve any real purpose. Although I think that interstellar research could benefit us all for as far as knowledge of how the place was even formed and such. Funny remark coming from a diehard scififan as myself isn't it? I'd hate to think we would become so overpopulated that we have an urgent need for looking into spaceflights. Or have so little land left for animals to graze on that we would need this enginered meats. Here in Holland there is talk now about (again) rearranging the meatfarms. Ideally!! there would be farms with huge hangar-like sheds where cows stay indoors all year round. It would cost less then having them in the fields. So the scenery of the black and white cows in the meadows may be a thing of the past. You tell me where the link between nature and what ends up on your plate is then. Kids seem to think carrots grow in tins in the factory anyway and are completely out of sync with nature. With food flown in from all corners of the world they have no clue as to what grows in which season. Not to mention the stress on the environment with all that transport. So this article on space food improvements is something that scares me and I can see the future where it would be acceptable to the public. Paranoid? Nah, realistic. Christy > >They are working on this for years-long space voyages...not for any "us" and >the costs of development are not really the point here... >