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Serious question: Do they have any actual nutritionists working on the product yet or just a bunch of hybristic 20-somethings who think they can "hack" the nutr

by n72 12y ago

Serious question: Do they have any actual nutritionists working on the product yet or just a bunch of hybristic 20-somethings who think they can "hack" the nutrition space without any real education, cause, you know, "disrupt!".

TarpitCarnivore 12y ago
A better question is what really separates this from any of the other meal replacement drinks/bars out there? To me it just seems like another darling of the Valley built on hype. I recall reading an interview, or perhaps someone's personal review, stating how it was difficult for them to eat meals and they'd often forget to eat. Soylent solved this problem for them because it gave them an instant meal any time of the day. Upon reading this I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I've read and stupid justification for buying Soylent.
Kiro 12y ago
> 20-somethings It's funny that this term is used every time Soylent is discussed on HN. Why is that?
- Dirlewanger 12y ago
  Are you seriously asking this? What about their website/marketing video makes you think this is not aimed at millienials? Their founder is a 20-something.
- n72 12y ago
  It has to do with the hubris issue, for me. Typically with age comes the realization that, hey, maybe I don't have all the answers. If there are some hybristic 20-somethings "disrupting" and "hacking" the real estate market or the mobile games market for women from 35-55 years old, and they fail because they thought they knew it all, well, it doesn't really matter. In the case of Soylent, though, they're playing with people's health. This is a big deal and far more healthy skepticism regarding their product is morally warranted. There are millions of years of man-hours which have gone into the study of nutrition and everything I've seen from Soylent just seems to sweep it all under the table.
  - Afforess 12y ago
    Nice attempt to cover up your blatant age discrimination.
    - collyw 12y ago
      How about describing it as experience discrimination.
  - derekp7 12y ago
    There's also the counter argument, that quite a bit of innovation was done by less than fully mature people. Part of this, is the life experience that makes one realize that something isn't possible or practical also is a barrier to trying anyway. I know that for myself, I used to write a lot more code that I wouldn't even dream of starting now, just because I realize how much work is involved for the little return. But sometimes I which I could get temporary amnesia so that I could recapture that youthful enthusiasm.
    - n72 12y ago
      I wholeheartedly agree that a certain healthy naivete or unbridled idealism or whatever can lead to wonderful things. My point is that when you're dealing with something as serious as health, this idealism has to be tempered with some sober acknowledgement of the pitfalls. As I said, everything I've seen from Soilent indicates to me their just brushing aside warnings from real nutritionists.
      - conjecTech 12y ago
        >" As I said, everything I've seen from Soilent indicates to me their just brushing aside warnings from real nutritionists." Real nutritionists? https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/no-true-scotsman https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/no-true-scotsman Soylent provides a means by which we can gain a greater understanding of nutrition. It is, in a very controlled form, an experiment. and Rob's blog posts on his own early usage of Soylent have indicated just that. I'm not sure why you are so vehemently against this, but your posts are full of logical fallacies including many ad hominem attacks at a person you seem to know relatively little about. You can disagree without resorting to such petty and embarrassing tactics.
morley 12y ago
I can construct a straw man too: Do they have any actual smart people working on this, or is it just a bunch of desk-riding "nutritionists" who went to med school 40 years ago when all the books were written by tobacco lobbyists in the 1920's? Who needs to have a real conversation when you have snark!
- n72 12y ago
  So, next time you feel ill, I trust that, instead of going to a doctor, who went to med school 40 years ago and (in your world-view apparently) is only prescribing medications pushed on him by his pharmaceutical rep and only suggesting procedures that will make him money, you'll take care of your condition by reading up on it on webmd and leaving it at that.
  - kbenson 12y ago
    I'm fairly sure that comment was a critique on your method, not necessarily your goal or point. Snark begets snark.
kuida0r3 12y ago
Per https://faq.soylent.me/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutrition https://faq.soylent.me/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutrition - The Soylent recipe is based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and is approved as a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soylent 1.2 was developed under the close guidance of our nutritional advisor, Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., MPH. Pi-Sunyer is professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. At St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center he serves as chief of endocrinology, diabetes, and nutrition, and is director of the New York Obesity Research Center. Dr. Pi-Sunyer is also a senior attending physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
- Someone1234 12y ago
  Being created by a nutritional advisor and a professor of medicine is legitimately credible. I just want to add that this: > is approved as a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Is utterly meaningless. All that means is that everything that goes into the product is "food grade" and that it was prepared in basically sanitary conditions. Nothing more. I highly doubt the FDA has examined their health claims (namely that you could live exclusively off of it). And likely won't unless there is public or political pressure to do so. As an aside, I wonder if they could get a military or relief effort contract? Seems like the type of product perfect for both, as you "just add water!"
  - tbrake 12y ago
    > As an aside, I wonder if they could get a military or relief effort contract? Seems like the type of product perfect for both, as you "just add water!" A lack of readily available clean water may be a challenge for use in relief efforts. There are also already products out there e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut
    - Someone1234 12y ago
      The relief will have to bring in water regardless (so people don't die). If they add it to the product that isn't "wasted" water as your body just re-extracts the water and uses it like normal.
paulojreis 12y ago
This is the team behind Soylent: http://www.rosalabs.com/team/ http://www.rosalabs.com/team/ I share your worries. It's frightening - it sounds like an engineering degree is enough for... everything.
- jasonisalive 12y ago
  Here's a fascinating concept... if you don't like the product/don't trust the company... don't buy it. Boom. Go back to buying whatever crap new vanilla melto-choc insta-coffee sachet Nestle thinks they can get a 4% ROI on. Or buy some unmilled wheat and chia pods from your local Spirit Journey Nutritionist and spend an hour making artisan flatcakes. Whatever you want really, it's a free world.
  - paulojreis 12y ago
    Yeah, I would agree with you if we were talking electronics and nerd stuff. As the subject is nutrition, health and they're proposing a "nutrition revolution", your rant is futile and misplaced. Engineers proposing a "nutrition revolution" because "disrupt" is a problem. Maybe a public health problem, but definitely a mindset one.
    - jasonisalive 12y ago
      Why don't you let people make their own decisions about what is good for them? It's none of your business "knowing better" than people. And if you think Soylent's raison d'etre is "disrupt" then you're really stupid. Read Rob's blog. He writes a lot about the problems in contemporary food production and how he wants to tackle them with Soylent. If you ignore that in favour of portraying him as a blind hipster then you are not just stupid, but willfully so. Let's not forget either that Rob and many others have been living healthily off of Soylent for years now.
      - paulojreis 12y ago
        > Why don't you let people make their own decisions about what is good for them? It's none of your business "knowing better" than people. Because we're not discussing buying a new phone or laptop. If you look at guidelines for nutrition, you'll see that most of them advocate diversity. People are not simple computers, organic systems are way more complex. This is not sofware requirements analysis: you can't grasp all nutritional needs by fulfilling a table of nutrients and daily requirements, and this happens mainly because we don't have the knowledge to do so. If we can't tell everything we need, nutrition-wise, how can we develop a full nutritional replacement? I'll answer you: by oversimplifying the problem, by simply being ignorant about the complexity at stake. > ... Your second paragraph deserves no response or consideration whatsoever. > Let's not forget either that Rob and many others have been living healthily off of Soylent for years now. That's anecdotal (at best, because there's surely a bias there). And let me remind you, again, that we're not talking "electronics" or gadgets. The fact that they're functioning for a few years doesn't mean that everything's okay. What if they're not "looking" at the right signs? And how do you know that problems won't be developing on the mid/long-term?

by n72 12y ago

TarpitCarnivore 12y ago

A better question is what really separates this from any of the other meal replacement drinks/bars out there? To me it just seems like another darling of the Valley built on hype. I recall reading an interview, or perhaps someone's personal review, stating how it was difficult for them to eat meals and they'd often forget to eat. Soylent solved this problem for them because it gave them an instant meal any time of the day. Upon reading this I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I've read and stupid justification for buying Soylent.

Kiro 12y ago

> 20-somethings It's funny that this term is used every time Soylent is discussed on HN. Why is that?

Dirlewanger 12y ago
Are you seriously asking this? What about their website/marketing video makes you think this is not aimed at millienials? Their founder is a 20-something.
n72 12y ago
It has to do with the hubris issue, for me. Typically with age comes the realization that, hey, maybe I don't have all the answers. If there are some hybristic 20-somethings "disrupting" and "hacking" the real estate market or the mobile games market for women from 35-55 years old, and they fail because they thought they knew it all, well, it doesn't really matter. In the case of Soylent, though, they're playing with people's health. This is a big deal and far more healthy skepticism regarding their product is morally warranted. There are millions of years of man-hours which have gone into the study of nutrition and everything I've seen from Soylent just seems to sweep it all under the table.
- Afforess 12y ago
  Nice attempt to cover up your blatant age discrimination.
  - collyw 12y ago
    How about describing it as experience discrimination.
- derekp7 12y ago
  There's also the counter argument, that quite a bit of innovation was done by less than fully mature people. Part of this, is the life experience that makes one realize that something isn't possible or practical also is a barrier to trying anyway. I know that for myself, I used to write a lot more code that I wouldn't even dream of starting now, just because I realize how much work is involved for the little return. But sometimes I which I could get temporary amnesia so that I could recapture that youthful enthusiasm.
  - n72 12y ago
    I wholeheartedly agree that a certain healthy naivete or unbridled idealism or whatever can lead to wonderful things. My point is that when you're dealing with something as serious as health, this idealism has to be tempered with some sober acknowledgement of the pitfalls. As I said, everything I've seen from Soilent indicates to me their just brushing aside warnings from real nutritionists.
    - conjecTech 12y ago
      >" As I said, everything I've seen from Soilent indicates to me their just brushing aside warnings from real nutritionists." Real nutritionists? https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/no-true-scotsman https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/no-true-scotsman Soylent provides a means by which we can gain a greater understanding of nutrition. It is, in a very controlled form, an experiment. and Rob's blog posts on his own early usage of Soylent have indicated just that. I'm not sure why you are so vehemently against this, but your posts are full of logical fallacies including many ad hominem attacks at a person you seem to know relatively little about. You can disagree without resorting to such petty and embarrassing tactics.

morley 12y ago

I can construct a straw man too: Do they have any actual smart people working on this, or is it just a bunch of desk-riding "nutritionists" who went to med school 40 years ago when all the books were written by tobacco lobbyists in the 1920's? Who needs to have a real conversation when you have snark!

n72 12y ago
So, next time you feel ill, I trust that, instead of going to a doctor, who went to med school 40 years ago and (in your world-view apparently) is only prescribing medications pushed on him by his pharmaceutical rep and only suggesting procedures that will make him money, you'll take care of your condition by reading up on it on webmd and leaving it at that.
- kbenson 12y ago
  I'm fairly sure that comment was a critique on your method, not necessarily your goal or point. Snark begets snark.

kuida0r3 12y ago

Per https://faq.soylent.me/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutrition https://faq.soylent.me/hc/en-us/articles/200789315-Nutrition - The Soylent recipe is based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and is approved as a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soylent 1.2 was developed under the close guidance of our nutritional advisor, Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., MPH. Pi-Sunyer is professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. At St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center he serves as chief of endocrinology, diabetes, and nutrition, and is director of the New York Obesity Research Center. Dr. Pi-Sunyer is also a senior attending physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Someone1234 12y ago
Being created by a nutritional advisor and a professor of medicine is legitimately credible. I just want to add that this: > is approved as a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Is utterly meaningless. All that means is that everything that goes into the product is "food grade" and that it was prepared in basically sanitary conditions. Nothing more. I highly doubt the FDA has examined their health claims (namely that you could live exclusively off of it). And likely won't unless there is public or political pressure to do so. As an aside, I wonder if they could get a military or relief effort contract? Seems like the type of product perfect for both, as you "just add water!"
- tbrake 12y ago
  > As an aside, I wonder if they could get a military or relief effort contract? Seems like the type of product perfect for both, as you "just add water!" A lack of readily available clean water may be a challenge for use in relief efforts. There are also already products out there e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut
  - Someone1234 12y ago
    The relief will have to bring in water regardless (so people don't die). If they add it to the product that isn't "wasted" water as your body just re-extracts the water and uses it like normal.

paulojreis 12y ago

This is the team behind Soylent: http://www.rosalabs.com/team/ http://www.rosalabs.com/team/ I share your worries. It's frightening - it sounds like an engineering degree is enough for... everything.

jasonisalive 12y ago
Here's a fascinating concept... if you don't like the product/don't trust the company... don't buy it. Boom. Go back to buying whatever crap new vanilla melto-choc insta-coffee sachet Nestle thinks they can get a 4% ROI on. Or buy some unmilled wheat and chia pods from your local Spirit Journey Nutritionist and spend an hour making artisan flatcakes. Whatever you want really, it's a free world.
- paulojreis 12y ago
  Yeah, I would agree with you if we were talking electronics and nerd stuff. As the subject is nutrition, health and they're proposing a "nutrition revolution", your rant is futile and misplaced. Engineers proposing a "nutrition revolution" because "disrupt" is a problem. Maybe a public health problem, but definitely a mindset one.
  - jasonisalive 12y ago
    Why don't you let people make their own decisions about what is good for them? It's none of your business "knowing better" than people. And if you think Soylent's raison d'etre is "disrupt" then you're really stupid. Read Rob's blog. He writes a lot about the problems in contemporary food production and how he wants to tackle them with Soylent. If you ignore that in favour of portraying him as a blind hipster then you are not just stupid, but willfully so. Let's not forget either that Rob and many others have been living healthily off of Soylent for years now.
    - paulojreis 12y ago
      > Why don't you let people make their own decisions about what is good for them? It's none of your business "knowing better" than people. Because we're not discussing buying a new phone or laptop. If you look at guidelines for nutrition, you'll see that most of them advocate diversity. People are not simple computers, organic systems are way more complex. This is not sofware requirements analysis: you can't grasp all nutritional needs by fulfilling a table of nutrients and daily requirements, and this happens mainly because we don't have the knowledge to do so. If we can't tell everything we need, nutrition-wise, how can we develop a full nutritional replacement? I'll answer you: by oversimplifying the problem, by simply being ignorant about the complexity at stake. > ... Your second paragraph deserves no response or consideration whatsoever. > Let's not forget either that Rob and many others have been living healthily off of Soylent for years now. That's anecdotal (at best, because there's surely a bias there). And let me remind you, again, that we're not talking "electronics" or gadgets. The fact that they're functioning for a few years doesn't mean that everything's okay. What if they're not "looking" at the right signs? And how do you know that problems won't be developing on the mid/long-term?