Thinking about animals

Should cultured / clean meat research be done openly in an academic context or in private with VC money?

Interviewer: From a science and research perspective, do you think that that is a bad thing when private companies are conducting [cultured meat]…

Tennis balls without wool felt

Tennis balls usually contain some amount of wool in the felt. The following are responses to inquiries I made to companies about the felt composition.

Gamma sells non-pressurized practice balls without felt. The other major ball manufacturers I…

Thinking behind 2017 donations to reduce animal use

We decided to give primarily to New Harvest this year and to watch and wait for other opportunities. Below are some of my quick thoughts on some of the giving opportunities we considered.

Animal use in truffle foraging and mezcal production

The following uses of animals seem to come as a surprise to many people who are attentive to the use of animals, and they certainly came as a surprise to me when I learned about them.

Truffles

New Harvest should be a Top Charity consideration for effective animal activists

Plant-based and cultured animal product creation are frequently discussed by many animal activists as being game-changing developments with beneficial effects for animals far beyond what other…

Product Review: Hellmann’s Vegan Carefully Crafted Dressing

You probably remember when Unilever sued Hampton Creek over their use of the word “mayo” in their fabulous Just Mayo product. And you probably remember that Unilever dropped the suit. You may even have noticed when early in…

If you oppose horse racing, vote no on Question 1

If you oppose horse racing and vote in Massachusetts, you should vote no on Question 1 (“Massachusetts Authorization of a Second Slots Location”) this November.

Two small items: Well-meaning VCs and possible benefit of self-driving cars

1. Kholsa Ventures won’t sell out to big meat

• From Beyond Meat’s history: “[Ethan] Brown [Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat] met with three venture capital firms and came away with…

Highlights from New Harvest 2016: Experience Cellular Agriculture

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend New Harvest 2016: Experience Cellular Agriculture. Below are some of the things I found most interesting at the event.