You’ve heard of plant-based meat substitutes like the Impossible Burger. Now scientists have figured out how to make protein such as steaks and chicken literally out of thin air. Companies including California-based Air Protein and Finland’s Solar Foods can take carbon dioxide and transform it into artificial meat, using a fermentation process similar to the way yogurt and cheese are made. The idea came from 1960s NASA research on how to feed astronauts in space using the carbon dioxide they were breathing out. If this process catches on, it could help fight climate change by soaking up carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. But some consumers remain skeptical of alternative proteins, and the meat industry argues artificial meat products shouldn’t be called meat at all. Still, many scientists say that experimenting with new types of proteins could help the planet and fight food insecurity around the world. “We are suddenly seeing possibilities we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago,” Pasi Vainikka, CEO of Solar Foods, told the website FoodIngredientsFirst. “Our vision is to change the way food is produced.”