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Author Topic:   Genuine Puzzles In Biology?
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 153 (562282)
05-27-2010 4:45 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Dr Adequate
05-27-2010 4:36 PM


the green gap
Plants don't absorb green colored light. There's a gap in the spectrum of light that plants can absorb. Why haven't they closed that gap and become capable of absorbing green light?

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 Message 7 by Dr Adequate, posted 05-27-2010 4:36 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

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 Message 16 by Asking, posted 05-28-2010 1:22 PM New Cat's Eye has replied
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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 10 of 153 (562287)
05-27-2010 5:09 PM
Reply to: Message 9 by Coragyps
05-27-2010 4:59 PM


Re: the green gap
My cousin planted some of these plants with white leaves:
I was all:
Are they reflecting all the light? How do they live?
Not that they've closed the green gap, but... yeah, whatever. They're neat.

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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 17 of 153 (562413)
05-28-2010 1:33 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by Asking
05-28-2010 1:22 PM


Re: the green gap
quote:
Plants don't absorb green colored light. There's a gap in the spectrum of light that plants can absorb. Why haven't they closed that gap and become capable of absorbing green light?
I imagine the mutation neccessary in the relevent gene to allow them to utilise green light either hasn't happened or it wasn't beneficial enogh to be selected for.
Well... yeah. But answering the question of why it hasn't evolved by saying that it hasn't evolved isn't really answering the question

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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 67 of 153 (590078)
11-05-2010 5:09 PM
Reply to: Message 66 by jar
11-05-2010 4:30 PM


Not too long ago I was channel hopping and came across a documentary on crows.
Was that the one where they were dropping nuts on the street and waiting for cars to drive over and break them? And they even figured out to wait for the red lights to run out there and pick them up?
That was schweet.

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 Message 66 by jar, posted 11-05-2010 4:30 PM jar has replied

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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 70 of 153 (590177)
11-06-2010 2:54 PM
Reply to: Message 69 by Stephen Push
11-06-2010 2:00 PM


Re: Animal Cognition & Consciousness
Research has shown that crows actually do not use autombiles as nutcrackers:
How'd they show that?
Video shows that they do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NenEdSuL7QU
Dude, crows are smart. Like way smart. Check out this one make a hook:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ykewnc0oE
Tool use?
So now what?
Nevertheless, this anecdote points to another set of Genuine Puzzles in Biology: animal cognition and consciousness.
I'd wager its less puzzling than you think...
Are animals conscious?
Well, they're not unconscious (unless they're sleeping).
A better word for what I think you're talking about would be sentient, no?
What emotions do they feel?
How about another anecdote:
When I was a kid, my friend's mom brought home their little white curly dog after it had just gotten totally shaved for the summer. I sware, that dog was embarrassed. I had never seen it hide and whine under the couch like, ever. Eventually it would come out, and then we'd point and laugh at it (it really was incredibly funny looking), and then it'd run and hide and whine some more.
Although, you could argue that it was just following instincts and not really feeling an emotion and that we were just anthropomorphizing it. So whatever.
Do they have a theory of mind?
Animals? Only humans have theories.
Many interesting questions.
Yes, but I think the science of animal cognition has probably gotten further than you're aware, what with the asking if they're conscious or not, so you should look into it if you find it interesting.

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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 98 of 153 (594215)
12-02-2010 4:51 PM
Reply to: Message 97 by Taq
12-02-2010 3:50 PM


Re: Amygdala & Fear
IMO, pattern recognition is hard wired into the most primitive portions of our brain.
I hafta agree. I'm really afraid of snakes.
But I don't even have to see that its a snake. Even just a shape like this...
...can freak me out. Well, not on a computer screen but if you printed that out and put it on the floor by my desk and stumbled across it, then it'd prolly scare me.
The same for humans. We have patterns associated with danger hard wired into the most primitive portions of our brains. This may be why we call them irrational fears because it overrides the grey matter that evolved in more intelligent species like us.
I've been startled by a cord that was coiled up on the floor. Like heart-racing full on fight of flight...
I creeps me out just thinking about it.
For me, the recognition of that pattern definately causes fear.

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 Message 97 by Taq, posted 12-02-2010 3:50 PM Taq has replied

Replies to this message:
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New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 100 of 153 (594221)
12-02-2010 5:11 PM
Reply to: Message 99 by Taq
12-02-2010 5:02 PM


Re: Amygdala & Fear
The rustling sound made by the spinning wheel and the bb's rattling around in the wheel sent me into immediate panic mode. My heart rate went from 70 to 200 within seconds. After I calmed down a bit I laughed my ass off, but there was no laughing for about 5 seconds.
Yeah, afterwards you really feel stupid... because of how strongly you react.
But I've never scared myself from a noise I caused. Though, my hearing is poor. And my eyes are good.
What about you? Maybe bad eyes and good hearing? Could we just rely more on our strongest sense for the pattern recognition?

the spinning wheel and the bb's rattling around in the wheel
they're called "bearings"

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 Message 99 by Taq, posted 12-02-2010 5:02 PM Taq has replied

Replies to this message:
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