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Bill Gates has donated $40 million to Scottish researchers trying to create a cow that can thrive in hotter conditions, such as those in Africa:
Tweaking genes could be one way of increasing the hardiness of some livestock breeds. By isolating desirable genetics traits from European and African cow breeds, geneticists hope to design a cow that produces high quantities of milk and is also able to withstand exceptionally high temperatures.
An Edinburgh-based nonprofit, GALVmed (Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines) just received $40 million from Bill Gates to conduct genetic research with this aim in mind. "You can have a cow that is four times as productive with the same survivability," Gates told the Times.
The philanthropist told the BBC that he was investing in the nonprofit's research because "there is great [...] understanding here of both animal diseases and how we can treat it, and how we enhance the genetics so that you can get, say the same type of milk or egg productivity that we have in the U.K."
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 01 2018, @11:28PM (18 children)
Temp regulation is some function of surface to volume ratio. Unless it's a really skinny cow, this is going to be similar for any cow shaped animal and I doubt that they will be able to design in much additional heat resistance. Larger animals must have special adaptations for cooling... (which I'm not familiar with).
(Score: 4, Funny) by KiloByte on Thursday February 01 2018, @11:35PM (2 children)
Thus, decrease this ratio. The optimal cow is spherical.
Ceterum censeo systemd esse delendam.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday February 01 2018, @11:51PM
Conveniently, the optimal milk preservation is in a 0K vacuum.
Who said physicists didn't have practical applications?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @02:06AM
Wrong sign -- spherical has the least surface to volume ratio. For cooling you want more surface area and/or less volume -- that's why heat sinks have lots of thin fins.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by tftp on Thursday February 01 2018, @11:36PM (1 child)
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @05:09AM
Yup. African elephants in particular.
Runner up in the ears department is the desert fox. [google.com]
(Its overall small size is a good design as well.)
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Thursday February 01 2018, @11:36PM
They will create spherical cows.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by linkdude64 on Friday February 02 2018, @12:03AM
Obviously they're trying to engineer the cow to grow its own radiator ports for its circulatory system.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday February 02 2018, @01:12AM (7 children)
Well maybe the cows gain the mad desire to join the Wildebeests in a romp in the river.
Would that be so bad.
I really don't understand why a milk cow has to weigh 1,400 – 2,000 lbs to stand in a field all day, when a Wildebeest can run half way across Africa in giant herds and each one weighs in at only 260 – 600 lbs.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by acid andy on Friday February 02 2018, @01:44AM (4 children)
I really don't think the cows understand why either. I think the dairy herds are still bred to be eaten.
Master of the science of the art of the science of art.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @05:17AM (3 children)
Well, if you are eating veal, it's likely a male born on a dairy farm.
Dairy cows that have ended their value WRT producing milk are likely to turn up in hot dogs, baloney, and dog food.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Friday February 02 2018, @03:38PM (2 children)
After decades of public awareness and campaigning, I can't believe they're still doing that barabaric shit. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be human.
Master of the science of the art of the science of art.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @04:25PM (1 child)
Only takes one bull to service a herd of milk cows, the dairy farmers have to do something with the male calves. Visited a dairy a few years ago and the farmer's comment was that his bull was getting lazy (old), time to raise a new one.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 02 2018, @06:58PM
eating them is one thing. chaining them down is quite another. no excuse for that shit.
(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday February 02 2018, @04:12AM
Aurochs were huge
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by captain normal on Friday February 02 2018, @04:45AM
Ever try to milk a Wildebeest? Cows are easy, not to sure about wildebeests.
"It is easier to fool someone than it is to convince them that they have been fooled" Mark Twain
(Score: 4, Informative) by ese002 on Friday February 02 2018, @02:59AM
Since Cape Buffalo are essentially large cows adapted to high temperatures, the problem does seem to be solvable. The usual ways that large herbivores cool themselves is by circulating blood through their nose where it meets cool area brought in through breathing. Cape buffalo do seem to have broader snouts than domesticated cows.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Friday February 02 2018, @04:11AM
There's at least two different approaches to withstand higher temperatures:
1) Radiate heat better: big noses or ears with high blood flow, less fur, etc.
2) Tolerate a higher body temperature. For example a camel's body temperature normally fluctuates between about 34C at dawn to 40C by sunset,
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 06 2018, @02:57AM
Large crocodiles weigh almost as much as cows but don't need to eat very much.
The issue is tuning down the metabolism with a "global tunable" is likely to reduce the milk production as well.
But not having to eat much is fairly important it's not like you'd want to turn more grasslands and forests into deserts in Africa.