Rüdiger BenninghausDec 8
Crows are intelligent birds and learn quickly – even from each other.
In Sweden, they are used to collect cigarette butts and bring them to a machine that automatically rewards them with peanuts.

Here some links provides by users:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/25166042241296275
and:
https://www.heise.de/news/Schwedisches-Start-up-hinter-Kippenstummel-sammelnden-Kraehen-meldet-Insolvenz-an-11094091.html
Show threadZ̈oéDec 8

@1Sauerlaender in the age of ai slop I found this hard to believe so I did a bit of digging and I’m happy to report back that this seems to be true!! the startup is called Corvid Cleaning AB

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/25166042241296275

Show threadSistaRayDec 8

@uint8_t @1Sauerlaender

Sadly the startup closed down and the picture of the machine is not real (the actual prototype can be seen in your link)

https://www.heise.de/news/Schwedisches-Start-up-hinter-Kippenstummel-sammelnden-Kraehen-meldet-Insolvenz-an-11094091.html

Schwedisches Start-up hinter Kippenstummel sammelnden Krähen meldet Insolvenz an

Ein schwedisches Start-up trainiert Krähen, um Kippenstummel einzusammeln – so eine Meldung aus 2022, die viral ging. Jetzt hat die Firma Insolvenz angemeldet.

heise online
Show threadSass, DavidDec 8
@sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender let me guess this was extremely toxic for the birds and eventually the humans realized maybe this wasn't their best idea?
Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UKDec 8

@sassdawe @sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender

>Ein Dozent für Ethologie an der Universität Stockholm warnte davor, dass die Krähen Nikotin aufnehmen könnten. Da die Art auf der Roten Liste gefährdeter Arten steht, könnte dies als Tierquälerei eingestuft werden.

indeed, an ethics professor warned this was likely exposing the crows to nicotine and could be considered animal cruelty (and crows are on the redlist of threatened species which surprised me to learn - I thought they were fairly common birds!)

Show thread2xfoDec 8
@vfrmedia @sassdawe @sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender
And if these machines are used in an area I'm smoking in, aren't i depriving the birds of food by taking care of my own waste now? 🙃
Show thread2xfoDec 8
@vfrmedia @sassdawe @sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender
Do you want an army of nicotine dependant machine hacking corvids? Because that's how you get an army of nicotine dependant machine hacking corvids.
Show threadHoward Cohen
@RnDanger @vfrmedia @sassdawe @sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender I think they want an army of nicotine-dependent machine-hacking corvids.
Dec 8 at 10:42pmWeb
Show threadibkDec 9

@hoco @RnDanger @vfrmedia @sassdawe @sista_ray @uint8_t @1Sauerlaender

May I draw your attention to Poorly Drawn Lines:

https://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/a-bird/

https://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/bird-with-cigarette/

Poorly Drawn Lines – A Bird

A thrice-weekly webcomic written and illustrated by Reza Farazmand. New comics every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.