Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.11.059

by PlaceboGazebo • 6 months ago

89 15 6 months ago

doi.org

ChrisArchitect• 6 months ago

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46681153

hiAndrewQuinn• 6 months ago

Someone get this cow Clawdbot. Cowdbot.

ganelonhb• 6 months ago

cow tools.

Meegul• 6 months ago

    ________________________________________
  / "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 |
                   ||     ||

ronsor• 6 months ago

Finally an appropriate time to use cowsay!

heckelson• 6 months ago

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!

hypertexthero• 6 months ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_tools

m_w_• 6 months ago

^^ 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)

elil17• 6 months ago

I feel that the tool lacked something in sophistication

lacoolj• 6 months ago

I love you, Veronica!

stefanka• 6 months ago

Love the video. And Veronika

mikewarot• 6 months ago

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

mitchell_h• 6 months ago

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.

IAmBroom• 6 months ago

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.

hmartiniano• 6 months ago

Someone should nominate the authors for an ig Nobel prize.

Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow

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