>>49109554I think you underestimate how much research goes into determining just how intelligent animals are. Which is somewhat unrelated to the meat industry you are complaining about.
What science says or doesn't is always up in the air. Science is rarely unified even in matters thought of as uncontroversial. And even if it were unified, there is no lack of new discoveries throwing everything we "know" to the trash. Such discoveries are known to be unwelcome in science, but only at first. "Science advances one funeral at a time".
A better example than cows is maybe pigs. Who are actually known to be highly intelligent. So I don't think anyone is trying to hide how smart animals are. It's just people don't care even if they are smart. So long as they don't have to see the killing.
