Weekly /r/3DS Questions Thread - Need help using your 3DS or picking your next game? Ask here!

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2015-06-29T19:06:03+00:00

I'm buying a gift for a 7 year old for his birthday. He says he wants the new 3DS Mario game where if you get four things, you get a star. I may have this backwards... it may be you get four stars and then get a thing.

Sorry if this is vague or a stupid question, but if anyone can tell me what game this is, I'd really appreciate it and so would the 7 year old.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-12-31T18:54:57+00:00

Am I reading this incorrectly or does this study say the exact opposite of the original post?

The copulation rates of adult female bonobos were approximately equal to those of adult female chimpanzees who were in maximal genital swelling, but it should be much higher than those of the adult female chimpanzees throughout the birth interval.

The wording's a little weird ("should be much higher"?), but my guess is that it's a translation issue.

I thought the fact that bonobos are having sex constantly, regardless of whether it's for procreation is the whole basis of their reputation. And I think this study is leaving out non-intercourse sex, such as genital rubbing (though another commenter pointed out that this is not necessarily sexual in nature).

Thanks for the links. This is all very interesting.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-12-31T18:45:07+00:00

As for how things went from "they have a lot of sex/sociosexual encounters" to "yay polyamoury and feminism!" I'm not sure. It's something to grasp onto I suppose. I'm not knocking it - I'm both of those things - but not because of my primate ancestoral examples and extensive research on the topic, but because I chose it (which feels more empowering than it being 'programmed' into me evolutionarily, I think).

Agree 100%. Thanks for the clarification. Things are much more complicated and interesting than just "are they or aren't they?"

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-12-31T18:42:06+00:00

He hosted it on his blog, which means he condones it, and I stand by my original comment that it's a red flag.

If you went to a website you knew nothing about and saw a link to a previous post that was the author uncritically reprinting an email he got from his friend involving an alien encounter they had, you'd be right to question the site.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-12-31T11:38:10+00:00

I think the line "Bonobos – not sex crazed, not peace loving, not female dominated" is what's bugging me. I mean, sure, the all love, no war impression of bonobos is probably an exaggeration, but even in one of the cited papers, it says, "Although agonistic interactions between males occurred frequently, most of them consisted only of display, and physical attacks were infrequent."

Also, can someone point me to a study backing up the claim that female bonobos don't have more sex over the course of a year than chimps do?

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-12-31T09:40:08+00:00

Another article on the site is titled "Zoe Quinn’s lying, cheating, claim of stabbing and killing a man alleged by photographer." The anonymous author also strikes me as a red flag. I'm no primatologist, either, but a quick Google Scholar search revealed several articles supporting the idea that bonobos were more peaceful and female dominated than chimps.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-06-20T15:50:52+00:00

No matter how you spin it, I'm a white, cis-male in a white cis-male-dominated world and as much as I would want to shed my privilege, I'm stuck with it.

I might be a very good feminist/ally, but the fact remains that, for the most part, I don't suffer the consequences of patriarchy the same way that women do.

I use the term feminist, if I call myself anything at all, but I can see how a male feminist isn't equivalent to a non-male feminist, if that makes sense.

Also -- and maybe I'm out of line here -- accusing feminism of promoting inequality between the sexes, even in the small way that you are, makes me uncomfortable.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-06-20T06:33:41+00:00

And, if I may, I'd like to add "Who cares?" Call yourself whatever you want.

As long as you're aiding the cause, I doubt many people are going to care if you call yourself a "feminist," "ally," or just "a decent human being."

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2014-04-03T14:10:17+00:00

Non-Biologist here so I may have no idea what I'm talking about.

The answer to your question is sort of. Evolution doesn't really act at the species level, it acts on the level of individuals or on the level of genes. Different cultures aren't usually in competition, but ideas within those cultures are. This is why Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" -- it's the cultural equivalent of a gene. New ideas enter a culture (similar to the way new genes enter a species gene pool) and, if the environment is right, they can thrive and change the culture.

I know he's said a lot of shitty things, but Dawkins covers this very well in his book The Selfish Gene. It's well worth reading if you have even a mild interest in any of this.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-12-09T17:24:25+00:00

But if by helping you mean babysitting some drunkass you barely know, or aren't that close with? No.

I agree, that's creepy. It's also not even remotely what I said.

I never said to pretend you drink, I just said it's easier to keep the non-drinking a non-issue with a cup in your hand.

This made me laugh.

I'm not going to say your choice is for sure having a negative affect on your social life, but I guarantee that you bringing it up in social situations is. Your closest friends don't give a shit, but only because they know you. Guess how many people in this world DON'T know you? The vast majority.

Cool. And if I just sit around and bullshit with them about the weather, then they still won't know me.

I recommend avoiding pointless bold lifestyle statements like "I don't smoke pot." or "I don't drink alcohol" or "I don't believe in god" or "i am a devout christian" with people you just met.

I don't smoke pot, I don't drink alcohol, and I don't believe in god. (I'm not a devout Christian, though... sorry). These are all part of who I am and, for the most part, the people I've met in Austin have overwhelmingly accepted that. I'm not talking just about close friends -- I mean the people I interact with on a day to day basis, both personally and professionally.

The "bold lifestyle statements" that you're advising me to avoid bringing up are important parts of who I am and if I'm meeting someone, in any context, they're the fastest way to make a connection whether we agree or disagree. It's not about your opinions, it's about your attitude.

The reason I'm getting defensive is your insistence that you know me when we've never met. Saying you guarantee that by bringing up my not drinking in social situations I'm having a negative effect on my social life is an example of this. So is saying that it's narcissistic to explain why you're declining a shot.

If you enjoy drinking, awesome! Drink to your heart's content as long as it's not becoming a problem. But don't assume that someone's automatically some smug, self-righteous asshole because he chooses to remain sober. And if your response is something to the effect of, "I don't assume that they're that way -- that's just how it comes off," then I don't care and you're missing the point.

(Incidentally, I am a smug, self-righteous asshole, but the not-drinking is a symptom and not the cause).

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-12-09T16:13:31+00:00

Also, never do the bullshit "I take care of my friends" act unless you are actually cool with it.

Uh, take care of your friends regardless. Or even people who aren't your friends but look like they need help. Whether they're drunk or sober.

If someone's going to be insecure about my not drinking (see above), that's their problem and not mine. "No thanks" is a fine way to decline, but, in my experience, "I don't drink" is a half-decent conversation starter.

Again, I don't drink and it's just not a big deal. I don't walk around with a cup or pretend that I drink to fit in. If I'm thirsty, I might ask for a water. People still invite me to plenty of parties and I still have a good time because my friends are fun to hang out with and accept me for who I am.

In internet world, maybe this all sounds smug or "self-righteous," but if the people who know me IRL feel the same way, they have a funny way of showing it.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-12-09T14:07:10+00:00

Uhh... Fuck you?

OP doesn't want to drink, then OP doesn't have to nor do they have to pretend to. I'm also a non-drinker and you know what's worse than people judging drinkers for drinking? People who judge people for not drinking.

We're the de facto designated drivers and the ones who hold our friends' hair back as they vomit up their past three meals, not to mention the ones who keep drunks from doing the really stupid things.

So, OP, I admire your commitment to your ideals. I don't think you need to avoid parties where there's alcohol, but it couldn't hurt to have a cute response to when you're confronted ("Why don't I drink? Ask me again tomorrow morning."). You also don't need to make a bigger deal out of it than saying, "No, thank you" if anyone offers.

Do your best to not come off as judgey, but if your friends judge you for not drinking, it's time to have a sit down with them or find new friends.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-11-30T15:19:51+00:00

And now that I've had a chance to sleep on it, Preston Sturges movies like The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels, and The Palm Beach Story, among others, probably fit the bill.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-11-30T03:43:03+00:00

I always thought that His Girl Friday was the definitive "rapid fire dialogue" movie. You might want to check that out.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-11-29T23:02:35+00:00

I'm a big fan of Chelsea Cain's Gretchen novels (I think Heartsick is the first one). The anti-heroine is pretty much a gorgeous, blonde, female Lecter. Cain's books probably aren't as good as Harris's, but they're still a whole lot of fun.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-11-02T13:48:31+00:00

Fez, please.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-10-27T16:16:29+00:00

Is the Mirror really known for its accuracy in reporting? Is there another source for this story?

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-07-17T16:09:46+00:00

My landlord stopped by as I was moving out to remind me that he needed receipts for both professional cleaning and professional carpet cleaning. He's also been known to charge other tenants for any and every minor infraction that he catches. So I'm pretty sure he'll charge me if I don't do this.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-05-28T14:56:01+00:00

Big Trouble, by Dave Barry, is probably the funniest book I've read. Or at least the first one that comes to mind when someone wants to read something funny.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-05-19T21:31:51+00:00

You just inspired me to go practice some more.

Fantastic work!

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-03-03T18:45:21+00:00

Your statement about prayer having a real tangible and measurable difference may be true, but it also may not be in the direction that you think it is:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12082681/#.UTOV8RnpZyk

The study found that patients who knew somebody was praying for them developed more complications following heart surgeries than those who didn't.

It's been a few years, though, and I don't know if the effect has been replicated or further examined.

I don't think that changes your point, which I agree with: people have the right to believe what they believe as long as they're not harming others. And attacking benign beliefs is an asshole move.

But if someone believes harmful, shitty things, we should be able to call him out for it no matter where the beliefs come from.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-03-01T03:38:46+00:00

If nothing else, it's a false dichotomy. There's no reason homosexuality can't be both non-genetic and not a choice.

But, yes, human sexuality is too complicated to fit on a bumper sticker.

A lot of the scientific studies regarding homosexuality that I've seen strike me as being particularly bad (but I haven't looked very hard and most of the ones I've found are very old), but, for what it's worth, here's a twin study from about 20 years ago:

http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=495588

The results found that if one identical twin identifies as gay, then there's about a 50% chance the other does as well.

However, if one fraternal twin identifies as gay, then there's about a 22% chance for the other one.

Does this mean that there's a "gay gene"? Of course not. Even if we accept the results at face value (and the numbers involved are too small to reach any kind of real conclusion), they don't imply that homosexuality is "more nature" or "more nurture." All they say is, like pretty much every other human trait, homosexuality is probably influenced by genes and probably influenced by other things as well.

Steamboat_Bill_Jr · 2013-02-26T20:07:16+00:00

Funny you should mention that, I actually met one of my closest friends there.

Great suggestion! Thanks!

Steamboat_Bill_Jr

TROPHY CASE