Can a leaf detect the difference in blue light coming from above and green light surrounding it? Can it detect the green and brown light surrounding it? The red light reflecting off a bird sitting above it?
If it's sensitive enough to the different wavelengths a leaf wouldn't really be all that much different from an eye.
All plant pigments are photoreactive in 'some' manner:
Its ancient dusty, pre-covid exposure memories, but I took a course as a graduate student covering the quantum physics of photosynthesis, and that's basically what a leaf is doing. In the above image, the peaks on the left at around 400-500 can be thought of as blue light, and the peaks around 640-800 can be thought of as red light. Both of these wavelengths of light are involved in photosynthesis, which you can think of as in a manner, solar fusion in reverse. The plant has to take the light from the sun (the product of fusion), and get that energy reattached to a molecule. In fact, iirc, its basically the same electron orbital diagram. And it does make sense, because physically, that is what is happening.
These days I do much more boring stuff, but I always loved photosynthesis. Its probably one of my favorite chemical reactions. Nah fuck that it is my favorite chemical reaction.
So like, yeah. Plants have a TON of information about their environment. Granted, their photosensors don't have lenses, but they are constantly gathering and reacting to information about the quantity, quality, and locations of light. Afa resolution? Thats like, actually a super interesting question. Not having a lens is a big drawback.
If some lady brought out a conversation that fucking awesome, I wouldn't want a second date either. I'd fucking propose. Well, would have. There's very little sexier than enthusiasm and a love of knowledge.
And no, not literally propose, and it would hopefully turn into a second date, but that's no fucking fun to open up with in a comment, ffs, you fucking pedant.
As a woman with that level of enthusiasm about niche science info (I got a degree as a science communicator, because I literally canโt help myself sharing interesting info when it seems a good time to do so)..
Itโs very very difficult to find people who arenโt intimidated by it, or put off by the enthusiasm about something they donโt begin to understand/care about. Of all the people I talk to randomly, maybe 1 out of 30 people actually likes the enthusiasm past the first 5 min. And even that 5 min can be a stretch. That is to say, they tolerate it, they donโt tend to engage with it or encourage it. Mostly you get โoh, thatโs neatโ. Which is a great way to shut the entire conversation down, cuz where do you go from there?
I tend to agree that enthusiasm is interpersonally attractive, itโs why I make small talk by asking what thing the other person finds interesting that they learned recently. (Not something they think I want to know, something they are interested in). I donโt think the majority of the population views it that way, though. They only think enthusiasm is good if itโs a subject they already care about in some way. And they donโt want to share theirs in case itโs not something you are interested in, even if all you actually are interested in is whatever sparks their passion.
I guess it could be my area, but Iโve been a lot of places (mostly within the same country ofc) and found about the same whether rural or urban, north or south. Also I donโt think my observation is because Iโm a woman, but it could be a contributing factor, idk.
Well, as much as I hate to say it, most people are so busy looking for their turn to talk that it wouldn't matter how interesting what you're saying is.
Which, I get. I'm not immune to eventually losing attention to unfamiliar material. But that's why you listen; you pay attention and ask about what they just said if you aren't familiar with it. If nothing else, let your brain perk away while you listen and wait for it to ring the bell of association! Until you get into some really arcane subjects, there's almost always going to be a point where something relates to something you already know, so it's just a matter of being patient.
But, sadly, I think you're right. Women simply get ignored, even by other women. Doesn't matter how much they know, how high their degree of expertise is. People tend to rank anything coming out of a woman's mouth as less important. It certainly isn't the entirety, but I would agree it contributes, as you said.
It's not about them though, it's about you, and you can't expect science enthusiasts to submit to the will of ignorant bullies and hide who they are and what they care about to appease other people.
In fact, people like you have fallen for the ruse that science has to submit to ignorant people in hopes of convincing them to not be ignorant, and you can't see how deeply you've been manipulated. It's a power play. They do it to emotionally blackmail you into not correcting them so they can have power over the conversation.
I'll take being called a know-it-all arrogant ass than allow obviously abusive, manipulative people to push your's and society's buttons in an obvious social dominance power play so they can do and say whatever they want without any consequences.
Yeah, that's not my experience at all. Men say they want a girlfriend / wife talking about stuff like that, but it's just not how they choose their partners.
But here's what that kind of enthusiasm means in general; passion. Anybody that can love a section of knowledge so much that they can gush about it is a person that can have true passion for knowledge overall.
That's a sign of an active, usually quick, mind. And that is something that anyone with sense wants in a partner.
I don't deny that people put women into a little box that says "not of equal mind", if only by subconscious absorption of that behavior. It happens all the damn time, even by other women.
So, it's obvious that plenty of men are going to be idiots that default to quiet or otherwise not enthusiastic women. And I've seen plenty of lesbians do the same.
But, a year or two down the line, they stop talking to each other, and things turn into this empty, dull rut. They turn into a caricature of a relationship where nobody is truly happy.
That idea is horrible to me. And, I don't think I'm that big of an outlier. Not the majority for sure, but it isn't like the idea of wanting to partner with someone that can find joy in learning about something and sharing that knowledge is that unusual. I've known too many men that picked a partner with that kind of personality and mind.
WHOA - The above comment was having edited. This was done incel bot 2000 type of content before and now it's all slick and not at all in the previous vein of it.
For the incels, it didn't used to say it was a woman.
2nd edit - the above comment wasn't edited at all, I'm just drunk and stupid. Still tho - BAM INCEL