steingar
Taxi to Parking
We went flying after work and as it got darker and darker I made a comment about how the controls were getting harder to see in his 172. He then told me "women can't see at night like men can, because men have more rods and cones in their eyes." I didn't know whether to laugh at him or punch him. I did neither, and don't fly with him anymore, but he was an older guy so I kind of just let it go. He also made choo choo noises every time he showed me how to turn the ailerons.
Vision in humans is indeed sexually dimorphic, and I have seen reference to sexually dimorphic differences in rods and cones in women and men, with women having more, allowing them to visualize greater detail.
To see better at night, one would need more rods, which are far more sensitive than cones but don't detect color. I have not seen any reference to an increase in rods over cones in men vs. women, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. And saying there is, while potentially not accurate, is a simple statement of fact, and in no way sexist.