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Future Astronauts May Survive On Eating Silkworms

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the still-better-than-tang dept.

sciencehabit writes "Science reports that silkworms may be an ideal food source for future space missions. They breed quickly, require little space and water, and generate smaller amounts of excrement than poultry or fish. They also contain twice as many essential amino acids as pork does and four times as much as eggs and milk. Even the insect's inedible silk, which makes up 50% of the weight of the dry cocoon, could provide nutrients: The material can be rendered edible through chemical processing and can be mixed with fruit juice, sugar, and food coloring to produce jam."

34 of 384 comments (clear)

  1. Food for thought by jerep · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now we just have to solve this space radiation issue and how to shield astronauts from it.

    --
    Do you D?
    1. Re:Food for thought by sdpuppy · · Score: 5, Funny
      Hmmm, given the article's topic, now I wonder if they ever tested the radiation shielding properties of silk.

      Hey if that works, they've got the solution to space travel all wrapped up!

    2. Re:Food for thought by compro01 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In space, yes. Outside the earth's magnetosphere, no. Even out on the moon, the magnetosphere still protects them from much of the nastiness (solar wind, cosmic rays, etc.), but if we're gonna go to Mars or wherever, we'll need to bring our own protection.

      --
      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
    3. Re:Food for thought by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Funny

      If anything they could use it to spin some lingerie for the female astronauts to help with those lonely space nights.

    4. Re:Food for thought by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

      The depths of the ocean are just creepy.

      Wow, man. That's deep!

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    5. Re:Food for thought by A.+B3ttik · · Score: 5, Interesting

      From what I understand, it's almost impossible for people to have sex in Zero-G. Male Astronauts have apparently tried quite a bit, even with the help of drugs, but they -can't- get an erection.

      This makes sense since most of the blood in your body flows to your head when you're in Zero-G.

      Sorry to burst all of your geeky dreams.

    6. Re:Food for thought by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Funny

      Male Astronauts have apparently tried quite a bit

      Unless you have a citation for this I'm going to assume that you are confusing the NASA channel with old Cinemax reruns of Emmanuelle in Space ;)

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    7. Re:Food for thought by Experiment+626 · · Score: 4, Funny

      From what I understand, it's almost impossible for people to have sex in Zero-G. Male Astronauts have apparently tried quite a bit, even with the help of drugs, but they -can't- get an erection. This makes sense since most of the blood in your body flows to your head when you're in Zero-G.

      So NASA just needs to screen astronaut applicants for the ability to mastrubate while standing on their head...

    8. Re:Food for thought by nospam007 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Female astronauts have no problem, they have blood in their head during normal sex too.

    9. Re:Food for thought by RoccamOccam · · Score: 5, Funny

      Null gravity's awkward for lovers,
      especially pushers and shovers.
      The problems of docking
      and then interlocking
      are greatly increased when one hovers.

      Source: Omni Magazine, limerick contest

  2. gross by yincrash · · Score: 4, Funny

    so what do they taste like??
    can we make them taste like bacon?

    1. Re:gross by astrodoom · · Score: 5, Funny

      With enough butter, anything can taste okay. The best part is their texture though. Nice and silky.

    2. Re:gross by Bobartig · · Score: 5, Informative

      They taste kind of like a very musty bean, but they have the typical cooked larva mouthfeel to them, a slightly taught exterior that 'pops' when you bite into them, and a soft creamy interior.

      I'm not just talking shit either. Silk worms are a very common street vendor food in Korea, and I tried some the last time I was there. I'd seen them for decades, but I'd chickened out when I saw them in my earlier years.

      If I was in some sort of survival environment, like the harsh vacuum of space, I wouldn't mind eating silk worms, but on a regular basis, I'm not too fond of them.

      --
      This is where I get my recommended daily allowance of "Foot in Mouth."
    3. Re:gross by Beat+The+Odds · · Score: 5, Informative

      can we make them taste like bacon?

      Yes... just wrap them in bacon...

    4. Re:gross by Hadlock · · Score: 4, Interesting

      How are they served in Korea? Sounds like you ate them whole... cooked or raw? Can you get them fried? (yes I'm from the south). If they taste like beans can you grind them up into a hummus or bean dip? Refried worms, mmmm.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    5. Re:gross by Zordak · · Score: 5, Informative

      I think musty bean is being generous. I tried one, and it just tasted like dirt. Korea has some great dishes, but bbeon-dae-gi isn't one of them.

      --

      Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
    6. Re:gross by nickdwaters · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Space travel is extreme backpacking! If you've ever backpacked, you don't think twice about eating food you wouldn't normally eat at home. There are various gateway foods you can eat, such as sushi and in particular uni (sea urchin testes...no shit...nasty), which will make the consumption of silk worms seem like dessert. Hunger is a powerful motivator.

    7. Re:gross by MikeDirnt69 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hakuna Matata!

      --
      Am I eval()? - http://www.monst3r.com.br
    8. Re:gross by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Last time I was there I had some great meat balls. They really were the dog's bollocks.

    9. Re:gross by CyberLord+Seven · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Mod this guy up.

      People around the world eat some strange shit. Snails, dog, pork guts (chitterlings), carob-coated insects, fish eggs, and probably some nasty shit I've never heard of. Some of this stuff might be considered a delicacy tody, but I am sure it all started due to hunger.

      Have you ever looked at a cow? What made some poor bastard decide to milk that huge, stinking thing? Yep. Hunger!

      I watched a documentary a few years back that showed a guy driving a stick into the side of a cow. A stream of blood mixed with something else poured out of the animal and was collected and ...gagh... drunk.

      --
      We have always been at war with Eurasia!
    10. Re:gross by kimvette · · Score: 5, Funny

      Who was the guy who first looked at a chicken and thought "I'm gonna eat the first thing that comes out of that bird's butt."

      Thank god the egg came out first.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    11. Re:gross by vidarh · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Cut urchin in half with kitchen shears while enjoying the spines moving about in your hand. Add a dash of soy sauce. Eat with spoon. Repeat.

      I think you just made PETA's hit list for that comment.

  3. The death of a myth by 4D6963 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They started drinking their own pee, and now they're gonna eat silkworms? No wonder why kids don't dream of becoming astronauts anymore, this thing is more awful than Survivor!

    --
    You just got troll'd!
    1. Re:The death of a myth by db32 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I dunno...young kids think pee drinking and worm eating is funny and often do strange things of that nature. What killed it for me was "Oh wow, Astronaut Ice Cream!" *munch* *munch* "This is disgusting semiflavored chalk! To hell with this nonsense."

      It doesn't help that the previous generation had Apollo 11 and that "one small step" thing as a huge success. Then they had Apollo 13 and "Houston we've had a problem" that while missing the moon turned into a huge survival story success. My generation has had the Challenger and Columbia *kaboom* everyone dead stories. Now...building the Mir space station was a big story when I was a little kid. I remember our science teacher had us save our little milk carton things from lunch until we could build a huge one to hang up. Of course that one ended in a publicity stunt with Taco Bell promising free tacos if Mir hit some giant floating target in the ocean.

      The previous generation got all the really cool and amazing space stories. My generation has gotten a few monumental failures, some publicity stunts, and space robots (which are pretty cool, but not a whole lot of that man to the moon excitement stuff).

      --
      The only change I can believe in is what I find in my couch cushions.
  4. Hey by IceCreamGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    "What's for dinner tonight, Dave?"
    "Oh, I don't know, Frank, how about... MORE FU(#1NG WORMS!?"
    "Just calm down and pass the worm jam."

  5. oblig by pak9rabid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Fear Factor: Astronaut Edition

  6. Re:Cutlery! by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ah the Spork. With spokes to short to grab anything, however their unique shape prevents it from pickup liquid well either.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  7. Food Coloring? by fractalVisionz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The material can be rendered edible through chemical processing and can be mixed with fruit juice, sugar, and food coloring to produce jam.

    Do we really need to waste precious cargo space and weight to bring up food coloring? I suppose astronauts might want green or purple catchup too.

  8. Must be in the NASA manual... by Cheerio+Boy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Astronaut 1, "But where in my contact does it say that I have to eat the same food for breakfast everyday for three years?"

    Astronaut 2,"Paragraph 47, subsection 19, cause 9a. You can find it in the index under S.U.A.E.I."

    Astronaut 1,"S.U.A.E.I.?"

    Astronaut 2,"Shut up and eat it."


    Apologies to Babylon 5.

    --

    "Bah!" - Dogbert
  9. Spnife by Nerdposeur · · Score: 5, Funny

    Even better is the Spnife: round enough to hold soup, but sharp enough to slice your mouth.

  10. If they taste like they smell...... by MjDelves · · Score: 5, Funny

    so what do they taste like?? can we make them taste like bacon?

    Last year I was in Korea where the streets are lined with vendors frying up silkworm pupae on the street as an, *ahem*, delicacy. The smell wafting down the road can only be described as a cross between death and pus. I would eat my fellow astronauts over silkworms.

  11. The mass still has to come from somewhere by nasor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The big issue with space missions in mass. Silk worms aren't going to magically create silk worm meat (or whatever you call it) from nothing - for ever 1 kg of silk worm that you grow to eat, you will have to bring along at least 1 kg of silkworm food. So why not just bring human-edible food instead of silk worm food?

    1. Re:The mass still has to come from somewhere by A.+B3ttik · · Score: 5, Informative

      Several points:

      1) The article states that Silkworms seem to be the most compact form of Human-edible food. 1kg of Silkworm Meat will give you far more nutrients and proteins than 1kg of Chicken meat.

      2) For a long-term space mission, (we're talking at -least- decades from now) you would need a renewable food source that ultimately converts solar energy into consumable chemical energy, since Humans can't eat sunlight. So futuristic Arcology-like spaceships might have greenhouses to harness solar energy, and astronauts could eat grown food. However, even Vegans need vitamin supplements and the article states that for protein and nutrient purposes, Silkworms make a great compact, efficient, renewable food source.

  12. Spin Control by Chris Moriarty by argent · · Score: 4, Informative

    I guess Chris Moriarty's novel "Spin Control", where a good deal of the biomass for a long-term space mission was silkworms, was ahead of the curve.