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Comment by stupidhn | Hacker News Reader

>Soylent claims to be nutritionally complete-- as in, you could theoretically live off it alone-- and Slim-Fast does not.

Soylent can claim what they wish. When it comes to my health, I think I'm going to hedge towards the side that doesn't purport to be everything your body needs for nutrition in powder form, crafted by people with little nutritional science background.

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That's an interesting point of view. Sort of like, when it comes to wiring up my new house, I'm going to go with the guy who doesn't purport to be a licensed electrician.

...sarcasm?

purport: appear or claim to be or do something, especially falsely; profess.

Would you choose the guy who _purports_ to be an electrician, or the guy who _is_ a licensed electrician?

I would go with the guy who _purports_ to be an electrician, over the guy who specifically states that he is not an electrician. That is the comparison when you say "I am going to trust Slim Fast as a meal replacement over Soylent." I used purport because that was the word originally used, but the "falsely" part doesn't apply here, there is no evidence that Soylent isn't healthy, and lots of evidence that it is.

>I would go with the guy who _purports_ to be an electrician, over the guy who specifically states that he is not an electrician.

I wouldn't hire either without seeing some legitimate qualifications.

But it has what plants crave - electrolytes!

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