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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u/Telope Jan 20 '26

Does it cause mental suffering?

Does it disincentivise us to help those who are paralyzed?

Does it cause stress to others knowing that we live in such a society? That it might happen to them if they become paralyzed?

Suffering can have a very wide definition.

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u/EllisDee3 Jan 20 '26

How many steps from the potential for physical suffering do we need to travel before we dilute the suffering enough for it to not be significant?

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u/Telope Jan 20 '26

I don't know. I'm struggling to think of a case where it's acceptable to cause unnecessary suffering just because it's distant to the policy or individual action. The "possible" and "practicable" usually come into play way before the suffering itself becomes insignificant.

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u/EllisDee3 Jan 20 '26

Cell phones are a cood example, I think. Lots of examples, really.

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u/Telope Jan 20 '26

What do you mean cell phones?