In the 1932 essay called “Fifty Years Hence”, in which he offered his notions of how the world might look in 1982, Winston Churchill wrote: “We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.”

It might have taken longer than 50 years, but Churchill was certainly on to something. Today, scientists are slowly converting his ideas to reality by producing small quantities of “cultured meat” in research laboratories. Indeed, Mark Post of Maastricht University, one of the pioneers in the field, claims he will be able to produce a cultured burger by the end of the year.