Whilst we sit and wonder what is the metaverse and how it can help us and if it a good thing for us humans. Lets start talking animals. In Turkey, a farmer has begun putting VR headsets on some of his cattle to see if they produce more milk when they believe they are outside in a nice, sunny field. There have been a handful of early successes, but the idea of a cow living inside VR so they can produce more milk for people is reminiscent of The Matrix and an argument against the metaverse
As reported by The Sun and Turkish news outlet Anadolu Ajansi, the VR cows aka cybercows are owned by Izzet Kocak, a cattle breeder and rancher living in Aksaray, Turkey. Because the cattle are trapped indoors during severe winters, the idea was to use virtual reality to trick the cows into thinking they were actually outside. The hope: They would be happier and produce more milk.
The VR headsets were reportedly first tested in Moscow before making their way to Turkey, and were developed in coordination with vets to ensure the cows are safe. Kocak has used the VR devices on two cows so far and the results are positive, even if the actual system is very dystopian and weird. According to Kocak, the cows’ milk output has gone from 22 liters to 27 liters a day.
Snaps of the experiment have been amusing film buffs on social media, where they have been compared to shots from sci-fi classic The Matrix.
The movie shows mankind living in a simulated reality while machines use their bodies as energy sources.
Keanu Reeves stars as Neo — given a choice between taking a red pill to reveal the truth, or a blue pill to forget the revelations.
One fan wrote: “You take the short grass, the story ends, you wake up in the pasture and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the long grass, you stay in wonderland and I show you how deep the human hole goes.” Another added: “With the sequels The Mootrix Reuddered and The Mootrix Ruminations.”
The headsets were developed with vets and first tested on a farm in Moscow. Cattle breeder Izzet Kocak has now put them on two cows in Aksaray, Turkey — and The Sun has herd results have been good.
Their output has gone from 22 litres of 27 litres a day.
Izzet, who previously played his 180 animals classical music, is so pleased he plans to buy ten more headsets.
They are watching a green pasture and it gives them an emotional boost,” explained Kocak. “They are less stressed.” Apparently, the results are so positive that Kocak is excited to expand his experiment and plans to buy and install 10 more headsets.
Russia’s agriculture ministry said the system was developed on the principle that cows perceived shades of red better than shades of blue and green.
It added: “During the first test, experts recorded a decrease in anxiety.”
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