The mind boggles.

[Chippy_Tea]

BBC News -

Scientists have discovered goats are drawn to humans with happy faces, how much time and money was spent to discover that and why.

If these people don't have any proper research to do it's time to take a ******* big axe to these departments these are the places government cuts should be taking place, it was only a few months ago we were told white mice eating brown sugar put on more weight than brown mice eating white sugar, well that was money well spent.

 

[Oneiroi]

Given that the experiment consisted of printing a few photos and showing them to goats I'm guessing not a lot of time and money

I have to admit, to me a simple experiment looking at how animals recognise emotion seems like a fairly legitimate scientific experiment. I might be mad though :tinhat:

I'm sure there's some actual scientific value add there that isn't gone into in a fluffy press release but tbh even if this one turns out to be useless you need to take punts in research, sometimes they work, sometimes they pay off in unexpected but fascinating ways and sometimes there a dud.

 

[The Baron]

This is why the country is in a state. Scientific research should be spent on finding cures for illnesses. I wonder what parents of dying children would think if they were told that £200,00 was being directed in that way when they had lost a child or their child was doing without some medical treatment due to cut backs. Who really wants to know that goats like people that smile?

 

[Cwrw666]

So, there's a huge scientific establishment run by the government, funded by taxpayers, set up to discover the likes/dislikes of goats is there? I think not.
Probably the work of behavioural scientists employed at a university primarily as lecturers but who do research work in their field. Might even be the work of their students.
Get a grip people - the BBC is no different from any other media outlet publishing half baked reports to get a rise from their listeners...

 

[Clint]

I conduct similar experiments at home.
For example....
If I have a pork pie or some other tasty morsel my jack russel terrier is very happy. It will sit on command and do lots of cute gestures and tail wagging.
However,if on arriving home and I discover same dog has yet again eaten the stair carpet,on me flying into a rage the dog does not respond and hides behind the shed.
Amazing!

 

[Mr Fro]

More single source stuff. :-)

Let's face it, the majority of "proper" research in to disease eg cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, pain etc is carried out by private companies (who often dress themselves as charities).

The goat thing might well just be someone's PhD or post doc project.

 

[Clint]

It's probably been conducted with captive goats rather than wild ones. These would learn by association that a smiling person would be there because they like them,would pet them and feed them. For a proper concencus they should climb a very high mountain and try again ..

 

[GerritT]

BBC News -

Another place for cuts.

 

[Gunge]

Scientists have discovered goats are drawn to humans with happy faces

Ah, so that's why they always try to attack me. The ******* love me though...

 

[Clint]

 

[Covrich]

BBC News -

Scientists have discovered goats are drawn to humans with happy faces, how much time and money was spent to discover that and why.

If these people don't have any proper research to do it's time to take a ******* big axe to these departments these are the places government cuts should be taking place, it was only a few months ago we were told white mice eating brown sugar put on more weight than brown mice eating white sugar, well that was money well spent.

From the tone of that post no goats will be pestering you anytime soon

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Our lass calls me a miserable barsteward so you are probably right.

 

[Clint]

I wonder if ghosts are the same?

 

[Gunge]

Another place for cuts.

Thought you said something else involving an 'n' in the word 'cuts'at first glance! Both would be appropriate...

 

[GerritT]

Thought you said something else involving an 'n' in the word 'cuts'at first glance! Both would be appropriate...

 

[Dutto]

A mate of mine always threw his Cornflakes boxes into the goats field as a snack; and they loved them!

For some reason, his goats weren't as keen on eating plain brown cardboard boxes and would always go for the Kellogg's boxes first.

I wonder what the scientists would make of that? Maybe urge Kellogg to put a goat on the boxes instead of the cockerel? aunsure....

 

[simon12]

This sounds like fake news we need to get a new government team to investigate and rule out Russian propaganda.