We are big fans of VR! Starting this year we have several VR/AR kits we are loaning to our school libraries, complete with lesson plans they can use to connect classes with all kinds of great resources.

Sure, it’s fun to play with these. But virtual and augmented reality is playing an increasingly important role in a lot of other areas. We are going to look at a different use each week, so you can work with your community members to help them learn about the great things possible for them today, and tomorrow.

We have libraries covering some pretty rural areas, and some of those areas include dairy cows. And it gets cold here in the winter – REALLY cold. So we probably understand the value of this article more than some may! Check out the excerpt below, and click the link to read the whole things.

Russian cows get virtual-reality glasses to help them ward off winter blues

“Around this time of year, life in Russia swings from one extreme to the other: from sunshine to snow; green to grey; apricots to atrophied apples. 

The adjustment can cause emotional strain and illnesses in the best of us. But it’s not, apparently, only the humans who suffer.

According to veterinary experts, the country’s 20 million-strong bovine population is particularly susceptible to a bout of the winter blues. 

Luckily, scientists now believe they have a solution to their Russian winter problem in the form of virtual-reality glasses. 

They draw on experimental data that shows cows are better at processing red than they are blues and greens. As a result the movie showreels tend to focus on grass – the lovely, green, summer, meadowy sort. 

A farm in northwest Moscow has already begun testing the prototypes with positive results. 

Almost universally, its cows have become calmer, with improved mood. Researchers say they will continue to monitor the effects on overall milk production. “