Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Meanwhile, in Russia: Cows Wear Virtual-Reality Headsets To Help Them Ward Off Winter Blues

From the Independent:

Images show green meadows in effort to boost mood and increase milk production 

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/11/26/14/urqvy4uxj8ayrfx1mx7t3thseavocfgf5q6e0t3ngeg5lmvio4a9wmqdsaxwfmvjvk1fbzvnvcxc6nuexpn3w6ffa9dmztcr.jpg?w968
Around this time of year, life in Russia swings from one extreme to the other: from sunshine to snow; green to grey; apricots to atrophied apples.
The adjustment can cause emotional strain and illnesses in the best of us. But it’s not, apparently, only the humans who suffer.

According to veterinary experts, the country’s 20 million-strong bovine population is particularly susceptible to a bout of the winter blues.
Luckily, scientists now believe they have a solution to their Russian winter problem in the form of virtual-reality glasses.

The exact design of the prototype kit is top secret. But some details have already leaked. According local media, the wrap-around glasses boast a “unique form” that has been adapted to the cow’s anatomical structure....
....MUCH MORE