Humans, despite our unchallenged success, splendor, and domination of this fair planet, have one major downfall: We're incredibly self-centered. Whenever we discover something new, the first question is always how can it help us. Nearly all scientific endeavor is carried out with humanity's continued success and well-being in mind. This isn't to say that we don't care about our environment, or the other animals that are unfortunate enough to share our planet, but it's nearly always an afterthought. First we try to solve the problem - hunger, pestilence, death - and then we worry about how it might impact our botanical and zoological friends. \nCase in point: Second Livestock, a fictional (for now) company that proposes to put Oculus Rift-like virtual reality headsets on chickens and other livestock. Livestock, once equipped with their VR headset, would be placed in their own individual enclosures, each with an omnidirectional treadmill that allows the animals to roam freely in a Second Life-like virtual world. This existence, according to Second Livestock, would be known as Virtual Free Range™; as far as the chickens are concerned, they get to experience a full and healthy life. \nVirtual Free Range chickens, roaming in their new 3D existence \n Now, obviously this is a spoof - but it does do a very good job of raising meaty questions about how we treat animals, and whether we even know what humane treatment is exactly. Second Livestock's creator, Austin Stewart of Iowa State University, tells the Ames Tribunethat “The goal of the project is to raise that question of how do we know what's best, or what is humane treatment.†In other words, I think we all agree that captive battery chickens probably don't have a great quality of life - but are they happy when they're free ranging? Are their brains simple enough that a VR headset, treadmill, and 3D world would be enough to keep them happy? \nAnd why stop with chickens? What about depressed house cats or caged zoo animals that long for the great outdoors? Can we cure their woes (and wash our hands of any possible inhumanity) just by hooking them up to a virtual reality interface? In the future, as population density increases and we lack the farmland to maintain free-range livestock, this is something that we really do have to discuss. \nOf course, this isn't just about how we treat chickens and other animals, though. As always, Stewart brings it back round to what we really care about: our own well-being. “[The goal of the project is] also to look at how we treat ourselves. We're living in these little boxes, just like chickens.†Here he's referring to the fact that humanity, more than ever, spends its time cooped up in living rooms, office cubicles, and packed commuter trains - and if VR headsets like Oculus Rift become popular, we will only become more cooped up as time goes on. (Read: Virtual reality and the future of sex.) \n \nEventually, of course, if we follow that path to its logical conclusion, we ourselves will end up in (literal) battery-like captivity, just like Neo and the rest of humankind in The Matrix. But, to turn Stewart's words back on himself, who's to say that spending a life in a Matrix-like VR construct is unpleasant or inhumane? [Read: Probing The Matrix: Is our universe simulated, and if so… by who?] If I can satisfy all of my earthly wants and spiritual needs by jacking into a realistic virtual world, why is that a bad thing? Why should I be worried that I'm spending my entire life in a tiny cubicle or pod, hooked up to a machine? \nhttp://www.extremetech.com/extreme/182595-virtual-reality-for-chickens-is-the-future-of-farming-but-is-it-also-the-future-of-humanity
In all honesty, I've been thinking we should be doing this with cows for awhile.. I guess you could with any animal, but cows were my choice. It'd help us hone virtual reality and give the cows a happy life, as messed up as it sounds. I really wouldn't feel that bad about it.. I mean it'd be messed up to do with animals (including people) that weren't a food source, but if it's an animal being raised to be food, I don't see the problem with giving it a fake, happy world. A world with no humans, lack of predators, plentiful food sources.. no physical mistreatment, but would have to find a way to keep their body active so it develops.. which would probably involve some kind of electrical shock, but their mind will be off in lala land. You could even have some fun and make them believe they're some sort of armored cow.. which makes me wonder, if there was a way to create a Matrix that we're existing in, why wouldn't they just have us thinking we're some other animal? If our body is being used and harvested, then it would be extra trouble to keep our minds human.. minds that can question the system. Much easier to have us have the mind of a snake or bird.
Uhh... this is the end of the world shit right here. If you have to FAKE NATURE for fucking chickens and shit, it's over. idgaf what 'possible benefactors' may come of it. it's disgusting and horribly wrong. cramming chickens in a fucking cage and put shit in their eyes and make them think they're living when it's all a lie. total bs
A+ POST Thanks op I'd just like to add that we want our chicken to be dirt cheap, so I doubt chicken will be matrix chicken, but maybe cows are different since there are a llot less minds to worry about. Having an entire device for each one of the billions of chickens that only.lives for 3-6 months seems silly Invitro meat is also on the horizon so I think that will replace factory farming as the new cheap humane way to raise meat "what is a bunny of fish?" - Christopher Brown
you are right about everything you said except one thing. Its not the end of the world. We could very well end up surviving in the world you describe perfectly fine As horrible as it sounds, there is really no way to know we aren't already in such a world. For all we know we are raised in the matrix until our bodies are ready to be rated by our alien overlords. NY definition it would be impossible to know for sure that this is not the case. The point is the universe will continue without so much as a "awe poor human" "what is a bunny of fish?" - Christopher Brown
This is ridiculous. What a waste of time and money. Just cut the damn chicken's head off. Do it quick and clean. This just makes me want to make traditional fois gras on video.
giving individual chickens headsets and putting them on an omni treadmill seems like it would be pretty damn expensive. maybe a computer assisted virtual environment that relies on projection would be alot cheaper and have the same benefits.