TechKnow 120: Discovering a new spider & taste-testing faux meat

January 19, 2014 5:00PM ET

Discovering a new species of spider in the Peruvian Amazon, science of faux meat and e-cigarette research

Topics:
Science
Technology
Food
(TechKnow/Al Jazeera America)

Join our expert "TechKnow" contributors Phil Torres, Marita Davison, and Crystal Dilworth as they explore scientific discoveries and new technology and their impact on our lives. Phil travels to Peru to uncover whether a spider or mite could be constructing never-before-seen circular web structures. Marita gets a taste of Beyond Meat protein products, a type of faux-chicken striving to be completely indistinguishable from the real thing. Plus, Crystal heads to an e-cigarette convention to learn more about the alternative to traditional smoking that's gaining popularity fast.

Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat is a vegan plant protein designed to look and taste just like real meat. The protein is is made of a blend of soy and pea protein, flours, and fiber and can be prepared and eaten like real chicken. The company's goal is to create a successful plant protein that can fully replace the nutritional value of meat at a more sustainable, lower cost.

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