What? A Cowgarithm?????

From Big Questions with Cal Fussman by Curiosity Media

April 14, 2026 · 8 min · Season 4 · Episode 172

About this episode

Cal Fussman explores the intersection of cattle and artificial intelligence through a personal narrative and unexpected discoveries.

What do Clint Eastwood, a Montana snowstorm, and a herd of cattle have to do with artificial intelligence? Cal starts with the romance of the old cattle drives and the sound of the old show Rawhide, remembers the pull of the open range and a freezing night that made him question whether he'd even make it to the ranch alive. Then he finds something on the internet that stops him cold. No cowboys. Just cows . . . being guided by AI. The technology inside a cow collar is being called a "Cowgorithm." That discovery leads somewhere unexpected—into a late-night experiment with AI that stretches until sunrise… and opens a door Cal didn't see coming. Step inside.

People in this episode

Host: Cal Fussman

Topics covered

artificial intelligence
cattle drives
technology
Montana
AI experiments

Keywords

artificial intelligence
cattle
Cowgorithm
Cal Fussman
Montana
technology
AI

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Cowgorithm

Books & works: Rawhide

Places: Montana