________________________________________
/ "We report here our experimental \
| demonstration of flexible egocentric |
| tooling in a pet cow (Bos taurus), |
| Veronika, who uses a deck brush to self- |
| scratch. Across randomized trials, she |
| preferred the bristled end but switched |
| to the stick end when targeting softer |
| lower-body areas. This adaptive |
| deployment of tool features reveals |
| multi-purpose tool use not previously |
\ reported in non-primate mammals." /
----------------------------------------
\ ^__^
\ (oo)\_______
(__)\ )\/\
||----w |
|| ||
For me, the cow was just below the bottom of the screen, which caused me to first wonder what the heck and then get great comic relief after scrolling down!
The Wikipedia page about tool use by non humans started me down a rabbit hole that lead to this delightful video of Stoffel the Honey Badger who clearly understands tool use.[2]
I'm a small time cattle rancher and raise a few pigs per year. Also friends with many fellow ranchers. My only response to this is entirely "duh". Cows and pigs maybe dumb, but they figure things out with trial and error at an amazing rate.
Also, using a stick as a scratching tool is not really on the same spectrum as flint-knapping a knife, sun-baking a pinchpot, or sharpening a fire-hardened spear point.
This is like those articles that claim that trees "communicate" because they exude more waste products under duress, or somesuch horseshit.
Finally an appropriate time to use cowsay!
For me, the cow was just below the bottom of the screen, which caused me to first wonder what the heck and then get great comic relief after scrolling down!
The Wikipedia page about tool use by non humans started me down a rabbit hole that lead to this delightful video of Stoffel the Honey Badger who clearly understands tool use.[2]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_use_by_non-humans
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c36UNSoJenI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_tools
^^ A lovely gateway to the world of single panel comics, really enjoyed the Solar Sands video on the topic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4npsyTE-m_k)
I'm a small time cattle rancher and raise a few pigs per year. Also friends with many fellow ranchers. My only response to this is entirely "duh". Cows and pigs maybe dumb, but they figure things out with trial and error at an amazing rate.
Also, using a stick as a scratching tool is not really on the same spectrum as flint-knapping a knife, sun-baking a pinchpot, or sharpening a fire-hardened spear point.
This is like those articles that claim that trees "communicate" because they exude more waste products under duress, or somesuch horseshit.
Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46681153
I feel that the tool lacked something in sophistication
Someone should nominate the authors for an ig Nobel prize.
Love the video. And Veronika
Someone get this cow Clawdbot. Cowdbot.
cow tools.
I love you, Veronica!