Lobsters are an essential part of summer meals. Give me a whole steamed lobster with some corn on the cob and boiled potatoes, and I'll be happy for days. Throw in some steamers and I'll be ecstatic (and don't even get me started on fried whole-belly clams).

Many people cook whole lobsters by bringing a pot of water to a boil and simply tossing the critters in. After all, lobsters are the bugs of the sea, right? They don't make sounds and scream in horror, they're not cute and furry (well, I do think they're cute but others might not agree), and it's been commonly believed that they don't feel any pain.

Well, recent scientific studies have suggested that, in fact, lobsters and other crustaceans do feel pain, which is leading some folks to wonder if boiling lobsters alive is inhumane. The practice is already outlawed in Italy, and many are debating what's the most humane way to kill a lobster. I've been taught to insert my knife into the center of the head and then quickly bring my knife down, cutting the head in half. This, apparently, kills the lobster instantly and relatively painlessly...but really, I have no idea if this is true. Especially since the lobster keeps moving around for a couple minutes after you do this, which is supposedly just its nerves working after the lobster is dead (If you watch the video embedded in the article, you'll see that this is the way Eric Ripert kills his lobsters too, so at least I'm in good company.) It's a little creepy, but hey, at least the killing process is quick.

Anyway, what's your take on this -- is boiling lobsters alive inhumane? My guess is that unlike Italy, we can't create any laws around this -- how would they enforce it in home kitchens across the country? And, let's face it, a lot of people don't really have the stomach to actually kill an animal like a lobster with a knife. A pot of boiling water with a lid just seems so much easier and less gruesome.

And while we're on the subject, what about all the other animals that are slaughtered on huge factory farms, living in crowded, unsanitary conditions and being shot up with antibiotics; isn't their treatment inhumane, too? Shouldn't there be a bigger uproar about that? And do people just care less because don't actually have to deal with it face-to-face?

--Maggie

photo: a. grablewski/getty images