Sheep learned to recognize photos of Obama and other celebrities

I always did assume Obama followers were sheep but this article is a whole new take on that.

Sheep learned to recognize photos of Obama and other celebrities

Of the roughly 1.1 billion sheep on Earth, roughly 1.1 billion have no idea who Barack Obama is. But there are at least eight sheep who can recognize the former president by his face. After a few days of training at the University of Cambridge in England, the animals learned to select the former president's portrait out of a collection of photos.

Recognizing Obama meant the sheep won a snack. The scientists, in turn, were rewarded with better ways to measure sheep brain function.

I'm making light of this but it is actually a serious study.

The woolly critters learned to recognize human celebrities through three training scenarios. In each step, the sheep were presented with two options: a photo of the celebrity facing forward for the camera, or a photo of something else. The farm animals had 15 seconds to approach the celebrity image and trigger an infrared sensor. If the sheep chose correctly, the testing device popped out a treat. The first test was the simplest. The sheep chose between a black screen or the celebrity face. The second round was slightly more challenging. Celebrity profile photos were randomly paired with images of one of 62 objects, all head-sized but lacking faces. (A sheep might have had to select Emma Watson vs. a football helmet or gas lamp, for instance.) The third test pitted the sheep's celebrity targets against unfamiliar humans.

Who knew sheep were so smart. If only the sheeple could be trained to think for themselves.

Sheep The Epic:

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

That's a long video. I watched with the volume muted but there's enough text to know what's going on. Very cynical but lot's of truth to it.

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Funny but not surprising in the least. Just your basic classical conditioning, AKA Pavlovian conditioning.

originally posted by: scojak
a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Funny but not surprising in the least. Just your basic classical conditioning, AKA Pavlovian conditioning.

Pavlov's sheep?

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Sheep are herd animals. Pre-domestication they followed the Ram, then Shepards, now any Human. Its in their DNA for thousands of years.

Baby geese bond to the first living thing they see too.

Hopefully thats mother goose, not George Bush.

"I may be ewe, I may be ram, I may be mutton, may be lamb. But on the hoof or on the hook, I b'ain't so stupid as I look."

I don't know what it means but I am sure Obama voters could shed some light on it.

Sheep...Obama....Baaahahahaha

November 8th just keeps on giving.

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

I always assumed only sheep call other people sheep..

Interesting study though, despite the lowbrow attempt at humour.

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Without the music it isn't an experience.

Funny when your side call Liberals sheep, when it is your side who regurgitates any catch phrase or talking point Trump or conservative media bring it up.

"fake news", "nothing burger", Clinton"..just to bring up a few.

I know....breakthrough in r@d

then one peer published in agricultural order magazine......they found the actual mechanism for the recognition and subsequent licking the photos.....it was......when the scientist noticed for his hypothesis to be optimized, he used both the Clintons next to Mr obama...twas the sense of smell.......to the sheep and it is not understood why the sheep salivated at the site of the trio.....and other celebreties

but this author noted the smell lingers man....badly still friggin lingering

Doesn't surprise me at all. My Koi all come to the surface and expect to be fed when I am near the pond. Anyone else - they go deep. If fish can recognize me, then it certainly makes sense that sheep could.

a reply to: jacquesdarippa

there's a lot of sheeple to go around. Neither party has a monopoly.

originally posted by: Tripnman
Doesn't surprise me at all. My Koi all come to the surface and expect to be fed when I am near the pond. Anyone else - they go deep. If fish can recognize me, then it certainly makes sense that sheep could.

They are just hoping you fall in so they can eat you, strangers just don't look all that appetising to them, their not scared.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

I always assumed only sheep call other people sheep..

Interesting study though, despite the lowbrow attempt at humour.

I'm so sick of the usual mud-pit stuff that when I came across this, I figured it would be a bit of something different. The lighter side of the news.

originally posted by: Tripnman
Doesn't surprise me at all. My Koi all come to the surface and expect to be fed when I am near the pond. Anyone else - they go deep. If fish can recognize me, then it certainly makes sense that sheep could.

]
Please tell me you didn't dump the entire food box in the water!

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti

Please tell me you didn't dump the entire food box in the water!

I did, spoon and all, but only after the Japanese PM showed me how it was done.