Some might end up worrying that these AI chat rooms might attract too much of a young persons time or lead to plagiarism, but darn this thing is far more accurate than what the public or students will find in the NEWS!!
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(Basically, bees eat nectar (“the semen of the plants,” as Diemer bluntly put it) then puke it back up and seal it in the honeycomb with a secretion of their own. In this case, the nectar is replaced with lanternfly excrement.)
Now even the most ignorant MIGHT make the mistake of calling pollen (the semen of plants) but nectar. Come on.
I have forgotten too much about botany except that the central stigma is where the pollen (male gametophyte) is deposited. The pollen comes from the surrounding anthers which contain the flowers pollen sacs. The multiple penises to such ignorant minds. Sometimes humans attribute far too much in what they see and do not understand.
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POLLEN needs to be carried by wind or insect to the stigma of another plant. This central stigma might be misconstrued by such writers as the plants penis as it sticks up. But it basically is the tube that leads to the ovary of the plant. There again, the pollen is not really equivalent to sperm as somehow in transit to the ovary it divides to provide male gametes. |
| But NECTAR described as becoming the equivalent to sperm because it is liquid is beyond stupid. The plant dictates: Do the work, you get paid. However some other plants use the nectar to ATTRACT predators such as ants to hang around for the snack and provide aphid or other sucking insect defense. Plants do not like to be used in a way that may damage a plant! That includes mold and viruses. |
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| I also love the adaptation of using nectar to attract insects to fall into acid baths therefore feeding the plant. The flowers for reproduction are cleverly held ABOVE such devious and insect alluring nectar prizes. You hit the Lotto, now drown. Pitcher plants. |
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Insects are attracted to the pitchers because they mimic flowers—the pitchers are brightly colored, and are endowed with sugar-exuding glands called extrafloral nectaries (i.e. nectar sites that are not in flowers). It is significant that the pitcher coloration and distribution of nectaries are usually strongest near the pitcher opening—a dangerous place for incoming insects!
All in all, as a lure nectar has an effect on plant reproduction but has nothing to do with actual reproduction aside from being clever bribes of sugar, proteins and basically a good fueling stop reward for the insect who has visited the working sexual part of the flower.
Coevolution at the best. Some insects try to steal the frigging reward without doing the job. The buzzing bee gets the plant to up the ante and adds more sugar or protein to the nectar. Some even add Caffeine! Plants can do this within minutes of the flower feeling those vibrations. COME TO ME!!! Meaning, that PLANTS can hear bees! Think about those shapes … flowers often resemble satellite dishes.
Other plants add more floral scents to the nectar to attract the insect.
“Nectar-robbing is a common activity across all known bee species, and occurs in healthy populations. It can also be a learned behavior, passed from one species to another.” … nectar-robbing may benefit bees in stressed situations in the short-term, providing them access to nectar for quick energy for flight—even at the detriment of the plant’s ability to pollinate and produce seeds.This tension makes nectar-robbing a fascinating habit. While it may cause less fruit to be produced in many plants, it also represents a fascinating evolutionary behavior to circumvent natural systems.”
The AI responded this way.
No, nectar and pollen are not plant semen. Nectar is a sweet, sugary liquid produced by plants that attracts pollinators. Pollen is a powdery substance produced by the male reproductive organs of plants that contains the male reproductive cells. Plant reproduction typically involves the fusion of male and female gametes, which is not the case with nectar or pollen.
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SO is this AI a leap forward or a frightening advance? It got overloaded with traffic and replied by a sonnet.
“Amidst the rush of curious minds,
The chatbot ChatGPT stands strong and true,
Withstanding the influx of requests,
Working hard to fulfill each one’s due.
But alas, the server cannot cope,
And the error message rings loud and clear,
“Please check back soon,” it gently hopes,
As it begs for a moment’s reprieve, to reappear.
As the chatbot works to restore its might,
We wait in anticipation, with hopeful hearts,
For the chance to chat and learn, with delight,
And see what knowledge and wisdom it imparts.
The last two lines say much to me.
I would vote all forward for the Chat box … any day verses the idiot press, Facebook, Twitter under Musk or creatures like Trump.
More interesting are some real explorations into alternative consciousnesses.
A few good books I have found.
How Forests think.
My own fascination in alternative communication being The Octopus, or Cuttlefish. Other minds:
The Soul of the Octopus.
The question to ask is when we find a mind equal to our own, how will they find us? Will they find us lacking and turn away in disgust or pity us? Perhaps the latter will be the only thing saving us. Forgiveness for our brutality to other species, exploitations of the land environment and right now the stupidity of mining and overharvesting the oceans which are NOT our domain.
Another good book I am devouring is Elderflora by Jared Farmer. Simply for the adventure and exploration aspect. Botany and the scientific process is but one aspect, but the why of it is what impresses me. Why do we investigate such things.