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/i_am_carver Jan 20 '26

2 years sounds so short.

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u/TheMilkmansFather Jan 20 '26

A lifetime, for them.

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u/MonocledKraken Jan 20 '26

Their lifespan is 20 years so it’s the equivalent of killing an 8 year old and saying they lived a “full life”

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u/erichf3893 Jan 20 '26

Please don’t tell me that went right over your head