Behold the Beefless 'Impossible Whopper'!

In this column, we highlight important macro topics, new technologies, productivity tips - effectively, things that move humanity forward.

Burger King is introducing a Whopper made with a vegetarian patty from the start-up Impossible Foods. The deal is a big step toward the mainstream for start-ups trying to mimic and replace meat.

Impossible Foods was founded in 2011 by Pat Brown, a former Stanford University professor, who became a vegan soon after college and founded his company with the explicit goal of decreasing the world's reliance on animal agriculture.

Mr. Brown, who is 64, was motivated by his discomfort with the ethical, health and environmental costs of meat. But he said he came to believe that consumers would make a change only if they had a product that satisfied their cravings for beef.

Now, that's an exciting future to work towards!

More in this NY Times article