Shrinking The Watermelon 59
Makarand writes "Scientists who have already eliminated seeds and sweetened the watermelon
have now
miniaturized this fruit to the size of a cantaloupe. Only the outer speckled shell looks give a clue to what fruit it really is. Syngenta, a Swiss agribusinesses' North American subsidiary has brought this minimelon to the market in 30 states to satisfy
customers who favor something that is easier to store and less troublesome to prepare for consumption. No biotech or genetic engineering at work here - the company merely crossed different
breeds of watermelons to produce the minimelon."
Oblicatory Google Affliate Link (Score:3, Informative)
Genetic Engineering (Score:3, Interesting)
In any case, I bet these will be popular in Japan, if the stories I have heard about watermelons and Japan are true.
Just for the record; (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Just for the record; (Score:2)
Re:Just for the record; (Score:1)
Re:Genetic Engineering (Score:2)
Miniaturized? Hah! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Miniaturized? Hah! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Miniaturized? Hah! (Score:1)
Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon.
So a normal watermelon costs $28 in Japan??? I'm guessing they are imported and not common in that country.
White man's reparation (Score:1, Funny)
â" under the brand name PureHeart â"
Just to let you know, I've patented DNA.
I expect you all to send me 5 Euros or be killed.
Re:White man's reparation (Score:2, Interesting)
Seriously, you can patent the _sequence_ of DNA--which is proprietary code, and subject to all IP laws and such... which is what they've done here. Or at least, I hope they did... if not, there going to be really pissed when someone sequences their Minimelon DNA and copyright's it.
I'm still waiting for the GPL'd Minimelon, which will run better and faster than all Minimelons previous.
Re: (Score:1)
What?? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:What?? (Score:1)
Re:What?? (Score:1)
No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:3, Troll)
Excuse me, but what do you think cross-breeding is?
Crossbreeding IS genetic engineering - just because no gene splicing is involved does not change that.
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:2)
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:2, Insightful)
spinach and pigs [newscientist.com]
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:1)
It's like the word "organic". Sure, it originally meant "molecule that contains no metals", but it has gotten another meaning now, that of "no fertilizers or pesticides". So t
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:No genetic engineering? I don't think so.... (Score:1)
I almost failed freshman chemistry oh those many years ago, so my memory is a little hazy.
Less testing as well (Score:3, Informative)
This does not mean that there is less risk, 'normal' plant breeding is quite capable of producing something toxic on its own
Get in my belly! (Score:5, Funny)
"Those are the cutest baby watermelons," one said on a pass through the produce section. "Aren't those like little babies?" said another.
The real news here is the shocking news that Vons employees like to eat babies. Compared to the image of grocery store checkout workers huddled around cute little baby-sized spheres, cracking them open and eating the sweet, sweet red insides, tiny watermellons just doesn't sound all that disturbing.
Of course, maybe you think tiny watermellons aren't supposed to be disturbing, but that's just because you're tiny fruit desensitized.
Flavour (Score:2, Interesting)
Can anyone confirm this??
About the same (Score:1)
Re:About the same (Score:2)
Re:About the same (Score:1)
Taste (Score:1)
Bill
Easier to prepare? (Score:3, Interesting)
I never knew it was that hard to cut a watermelon into quarters and put it on a plate.
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:2)
This is much more convenient.
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:4, Insightful)
And do you really want to eat 4 pounds of watermelon at a sitting?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:2)
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:1)
Silly slashdotter, read the linked article. The average watermelon has 4 pounds of rind. 16/4 = 4
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:1)
20/4 != 4
Do you normally eat the rind?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:2)
Re:Easier to prepare? (Score:2)
Baseball size watermelons in 1975 (Score:2, Interesting)
We had spherical watermelon seeds ordered from catalog in (circa) 1975. We were on the borderline of their recommended growing climate in Maine, so they grew to merely baseball to softball size by autumn. Tasty, but small -- single-serving size. Many of them fit in my windbreaker pocket, for eating after school while scoring a soccer game. Much amazment from folks who'd never seen a tiny, round watermelon.
Bill
wdr or n1vux as appropriate
Where's the demand? (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, I remember a story on BBC news that some researchers had discovered that women prefer buying smaller melons because it makes them feel less nervous about their chest size.
Curiously, this psychological phenomenon doesn't seem to stop men buying foot-long hot dogs or subs.
Re:Where's the demand? (Score:1)
Re:Where's the demand? (Score:1, Funny)
Bah. (Score:3, Funny)
So, um, take THAT!
The size of Watermelons. (Score:2)
how do you tell the blue sky from hell (Score:2)
The PR stuff is usualy better written and more funny. The smarter journalist often end up in better-paying jobs at agency, writing the "news" for their lazy colleagues at newspaper.
I loved the Vons clerk story, though.
[I may be little paranoid, but that does not mean that nobody is trying to shrink me with these mutant melons]
Freeze the leftovers (Score:2)