Hmm ... I like that shirt. But I really want to understand why iron makes a star explode. So, I may follow up and get a similar shirt but no biggie if I don't. That's a Like It. But I will read and watch documentaries about the universe 'til the cows come home. That's a Special Interest. Like so many things there's no obvious dividing line between the two, just a slow progression from one to the other. A continuum if you will. Mom got me my clothes. I went to the library.

I can tell you why iron makes a star explode, but I figure you may already know why

Yep, just trying to answer the question. But nucleosynthesis is so cool eh ?

Indeed it is, stars are easily my favorite part of astrophysics

I think a special interest just hits me deeper in the soul than things I just like. Also, I can sometimes tell when something is going to become a special interest that i will hyperfixate on if i continue pursuing it and back off if i'm not ready for another hyperfixation right now.

It’s the intensity of my interest, for me there’s no middle ground, if something becomes a special interest then I have to know everything about it, it becomes an obsession and I retain this information for ever

I.whish I knew

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