Not long ago at National Geographic, we took a look in our April edition at Soylent, the edible mixture unappetizingly referred to as a meal replacement. Soylent may be best described as a smoothie of raw nutrients, exactly what your body needs each day and nothing more. It’s story of development—featured this month in the New Yorker—is perfectly logical. A bunch of young, male entrepreneurs trying to launch a tech start up realized a vitamin slurry would help avoid the chore and expense of eating actual food.

Over the past two years, Soylent has grown into a viable business. And that’s in spite of the unusual decision for the developers to post the recipe for free online—which has spurred