So, I've been reading a lot today about eating insects.

[conuly]

Some of these sites are fascinating, and (almost) have me convinced.

I say almost because, of course, societal conditioning is really, really, really hard to overcome here!

I'm tempted to suggest something to the SICM to go with their Bugs exhibit. Oh, I get so tired of people who go in there with their kids and then talk loudly about how "gross" the whole room is. Here's an idea! If you're terrified of bugs, steer your child somewhere else!

Comments

[conuly]

Besides, the intelligence of a species should not really dictate whether it is to be eaten or not.

I disagree.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Do you then maintain that domestic animals are not intelligent enough to be off the menu?

For our domestic animals are much more intelligent than they are credited to be. People that do not associate much with them often tend to experience them as dull and dumb as they are not familiar with how they think and communicate, but cattle, sheep and horses are all quite clever in my experience.

[conuly]

I maintain that animals which are reputed to think more like people are, yes, off the menu, though I don't have a level criteria for where that starts.

Some days, this view of the world is all that keeps me from killing off my fellow man and having a barbecue.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

If you need a more logical reason for not consuming humans then I can tell you that such consumption poses an unnecessarily high risk for pathogen transmission (this is also a reason to avoid eating other simian species), and that we are also rather unhealthy food, for we are high enough in the food chain and long lived enough to accumulate a considerable amount of undesirable molecules and compounds in our bodies. The liver would generally be the worst.

If you on the other hand absolutely must eat a human, the ones that are the closest to being herbivores and the youngest ones would be your wisest choice. In particular if they have been in good health and not known for cannibalism.

[conuly]

No, no, I think I'll go with unreasonable reasons of squickiness to keep from eating the rest of the world. But thanks for the help :)

Glad for the excuse to devour PETA members first in the event of a societal collapse, though. Good to know.