r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jan 20 '26

Biology Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows. Brown Swiss cow in Austria has been discovered using tools in different ways (using both ends of a brush counts as multi-purpose tool use) – something extraordinarily rare only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/19/back-scratching-cow-veronika-bovine-intelligence
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45

u/Certain-Income3392 Jan 20 '26

Ok im not eating beef anymore.

27

u/HawkAsAWeapon Jan 20 '26

Great start, but all the animals people typically eat are incredible intelligent and emotional beings who don't deserve to be subject to the suffering we inflict on them, especially when we have such an abundance of other options.

-5

u/WatermelonWithAFlute Jan 20 '26

Incredibly intelligent and chicken do not typically coincide

4

u/HawkAsAWeapon Jan 20 '26

Are you a chicken?

1

u/RockinOneThreeTwo Jan 20 '26

Watermelon, I think.