Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
"Inthefirstplace,byfarthelargestcropwedealwith(andthepercentageisgrowing)isyeast.Wehaveupwardoftwothousandstrainsofyeastinproductionandnewstrainsareaddedmonthly.Thebasicfood-chemicalsofthevariousyeastsarenitratesandphosphatesamongtheinorganicstogetherwithproperamountsofthetracemetalsneeded,downtothefractionalpartspermillionofboronandmolybdenumwhicharerequired.Theorganicmatterismostlysugarmixturesderivedfromthehydrolysisofcellulose,but,inaddition,therearevariousfoodfactorswhichmustbeadded.
"Forasuccessfulhydroponicsindustry–onewhichcanfeedseventeenhundredmillionpeople–wemustengageinanimmensereforestationprogramthroughouttheEast;wemusthavehugewood-conversionplantstodealwithoursouthernjungles;wemusthavepower,andsteel,andchemicalsyntheticsaboveall."
"Whythelast,sir?"
"Because,Mr.Byerley,thesestrainsofyeasthaveeachtheirpeculiarproperties.Wehavedeveloped,asIsaid,twothousandstrains.Thebeefsteakyouthoughtyouatetodaywasyeast.Thefrozenfruitconfectionyouhadfordessertwasicedyeast.Wehavefilteredyeastjuicewiththetaste,appearance,andallthefoodvalueofmilk.
"Itisflavor,morethananythingelse,yousee,thatmakesyeastfeedingpopularandforthesakeofflavorwehavedevelopedartificial,domesticatedstrainsthatcannolongersupportthemselvesonabasicdietofsaltsandsugar.
