this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
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Science Memes

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[โ€“] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Or they produce it exactly because animals are entertained by it to spread its spores. Or it's random. Or who the hell knows. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

[โ€“] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Psychedelic mushrooms likely developed their "magical" properties to trip up fungi-munching insects, suggests new research

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180227115548.htm

Scientists. Scientists are who knows.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] -3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Right... In the same way that gravity is still only a theory.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes, in that way. Scientists can't say something is true for sure. You can argue (correctly) that gravity has more evidence backing it up. It's the accepted theory that gravity works the way it does because it lines up with every observation made involving it.

In the same exact way, psylocybin being produced by mushrooms to deter predators (certain insects in particular) comports with every observation made about it and explained with the same theories of evolution that lead to similar results with organisms producing chemicals all over the animal kingdom. Like gravity, it's bad science to say it like an absolute fact, but it's likely based on all available data.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

it's likely

So then not something scientists know is true.

[โ€“] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

I could see that being really bad for something that size.

[โ€“] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago

These things usually aren't random. It takes energy for the organism to make it, so there's usually some evolutionary advantage.

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Or they produce it exactly because animals are entertained

Reminded me of this.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Dropped my phone can you help me find it?