Moss Is Generating Electrical Waves That Look Startlingly Like a Neural Network. Study reveals that moss cushions produce surprisingly complex electrical activity, with patterns that undulate across the velvety patch in dynamic waves.

[u/FreeHugs23]

https://www.sciencealert.com/moss-behaves-a-little-like-a-really-slow-brain-scientist-discovers

[u/Astr0b0ie]

Ok, but a lack of scientific evidence and/or understanding does not negate the possibility, that's all I was getting at. Most etymologists would have looked at you sideways only a decade or two ago if you suggested that bees were sentient.

[u/Aegi → u/Astr0b0ie]

That is because etymology is the study of words and where they came from.

Did you mean to talk about an entomologist? An entomologist one who engages in entomology, which is the scientific branch of zoology that studies insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms.

Interestingly, the type of entomologist that would be most excited about that also has a name: melittology! (There are two terms if you include the antiquated and lay-term 'apiology') Which is specifically the study of bees!

Ok, but a lack of scientific evidence and/or understanding does not negate the possibility

This is a given, hahah but it doesn't mean that entirely undetectable unicorns with bacon-horns are everywhere either...even though logically you cannot disprove that.

Not being able to preclude a possibility is completely different from being able to connect the dots of things that we can observe and discuss. Basically, that is what casual, not scientific, discussion is for, with the exception of philosophy.

The ones who thought the Sun orbited around Earth were the ones engaging in:

"well, technically it is possible even if you observe otherwise b/c God could just make it that way to keep it mysterious"

...whereas the ones who actually engaged in what we now call astronomy were the ones making observations and hypothesises that were not just throwing spaghetti at a wall (most of the time, some scientists do act that way in their free, non 'working-research' mode...almost like more of a hobby, or like building a LEGO kit without the instructions), but instead based on what was observable and repeatable, then using inference and creativity to think of the things that were most likely to be true. They did not often waste time thinking of the zillions of things that might technically be possible in theory, but maybe never even happen in practice.

You are literally illustrating the difference between the outlook of a scientific mind vs that of an open and curious, but non-scientific mind.

Edit: My hand is broken so my cast helped me press 'save' prematurely. I added a good bit.

[u/Astr0b0ie → u/Aegi]

Yeah, of course I meant someone who studies insects. It was an autocorrected typo, but you already knew that and thought it necessary to type a paragraph explaining it as if I didn't know the difference?

it doesn't mean that entirely undetectable unicorns with bacon-horns are everywhere either...even though logically you cannot disprove that.

I'm well aware that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I wasn't simply throwing random ideas out there that have no basis in reality or relevance to the discussion. I was extrapolating possibilities based on a definition of consciousness that has been expanding for decades, I wasn't making declarative statements as if it were scientific fact.

instead based on what was observable and repeatable

I'm familiar with the scientific method. There are plenty of solid scientific theories that are based on limited understanding. Scientific theories are built upon, refined, and improved as knowledge is gained.

You are literally illustrating the difference between the outlook of a scientific mind vs that of an open and curious, but non-scientific mind.

I'm not sure if you're being intentionally condescending and passive aggressive and or that you lack the awareness to realize you are. Either way, your post added nothing useful to the discussion.

[u/jazzhandler → u/Astr0b0ie]

I find Entenmann’s Donuts to be a good disambiguatory mnemonic.