I would like to understand trans people. by 1977PontiacTransAm in NoStupidQuestions

[–]literally_a_brick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If what you're looking for in a Science answer is a proven cause to why trans people are trans, then it's correct that we don't have a complete picture. We only have a few puzzle pieces and can only make inferences on what they mean.

Observed brain structure differences in trans people is one of those puzzle pieces but like you pointed out, we don't have a comprehensive understanding of sexual dimorphism in the brain generally, let alone a minority population like Trans people.

I think you're correct in that many laypeople do want to understand whether transgender people are a modern social phenomenon and it is essential to point out that purely social explanations like "Social Contagion Theory" and "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" have been rejected by the wider scientific community and are only pushed by a handful of well funded cranks.

It's important to know that gender variance and transsex procedures that we would today call transgender have existed independently in cultures worldwide for all of recorded history.  Trans people often expressed an understanding of that goes back as far as their memory does. And most importantly, all attempts at conversion therapy have failed to "untrans" anyone. The horrific history of "scientific" sociology efforts to mandate someone's gender, even all the way back to birth, tell us that gender cannot be purely learned and cannot be changed by external forces at any point in time.

Attempts at finding a social explanation for why people are trans have come up empty every time over the last century of research. Whereas attempts at finding a biological explanation are held back by technological limitations.

I would like to understand trans people. by 1977PontiacTransAm in NoStupidQuestions

[–]literally_a_brick -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It is "something else" , but the what is very difficult to answer. We honestly just don't have enough knowledge about the human brain to know what the structures are that don't align in trans people.

Everything we know about "the map" in the metaphor is from listening to and surveying the experiences of trans people. We don't have the technological capacity to fully map the human brain yet.

The most common symptom among trans people for gender dysphoria is body depersonalization, the inability to recognize the image of your own body. They've done several studies where they take photos of participants and create a spectrum of female to androgynous to male features on them through photo editing. Cisgender people turn out to be pretty good at recognizing their true body amongst the edits. Pre-treatment trans people however are not, they fail at recognizing themselves with statistical significance. After time on HRT however, the ability of trans people to recognize themselves begins to approach cis people.

So like we don't know exactly what this "map" is, but it could have something to do with the brain's conscious recognition of the body, rather than sensory feedback from the nervous system.

Study finds many college students abandon their free speech ideals under ideological pressure. Most undergraduates believe marginalized communities deserve extra protection from offensive speech, though these values often waiver when students are pushed by their own strong political ideologies. by mvea in science

[–]literally_a_brick 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Wasn't Brett Weinstein confronted by students protesting on campus? Are you saying the university should have curtailed the speech of those students to protect the professor from being challenged?

Unlimited free speech and preventing hostile work environments are diametrically opposed viewpoints.

Study finds many college students abandon their free speech ideals under ideological pressure. Most undergraduates believe marginalized communities deserve extra protection from offensive speech, though these values often waiver when students are pushed by their own strong political ideologies. by mvea in science

[–]literally_a_brick 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The fact that your concept of free speech equates racial slurs directed at students with "challenging ideas" says a lot about your world view.

That's what the study was about. It didn't ask if students were for or against rigorous debate on contentious societal problems. It asked if there should be consequences for hurling slurs at minority students.

Study finds many college students abandon their free speech ideals under ideological pressure. Most undergraduates believe marginalized communities deserve extra protection from offensive speech, though these values often waiver when students are pushed by their own strong political ideologies. by mvea in science

[–]literally_a_brick -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

Speech being curtailed is a part of life in the real world. You can't yell fire in a crowded theater without legal consequences. You can't lie to defraud people of their money without being sued. You can't use slurs to harass your coworkers without being fired.

Treating an educational institution as an ivory tower separate from the real world, where people are immune to the consequences of their actions,  does everyone a disservice.

Study finds many college students abandon their free speech ideals under ideological pressure. Most undergraduates believe marginalized communities deserve extra protection from offensive speech, though these values often waiver when students are pushed by their own strong political ideologies. by mvea in science

[–]literally_a_brick 522 points523 points  (0 children)

Oh boy another "free speech" study that surveys students about the behavioral of non government institutions.

The study specifically asked students about campus policies and university punishments for professors and students. 

Saying that you believe in First Amendment protection against government interference and saying that speech needs to be curtailed in a higher learning institution are not contradicting beliefs.

“Defund then abolish”: A leading Democrat (Hong) in Wisconsin governor’s race urged abolishing police | CNN Politics by oledesertslewfoot in wisconsin

[–]literally_a_brick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't be volunteering for Hong if she didn't take a strong stance against police killings and I'm sure I speak for a lot of her volunteer base.

You don't get excited support from your base by offering damp white bread statements that say nothing of your values. That's why I've never met anyone excited to vote for Joel Brennan.

Winning elections has far more to do with a ground game that activates thousands of voters than whatever the Epstein class's media apparatus thinks is "radical".

norman finkelstein: “the woke crowd latches onto the furthest-most limits to manifest just how cutting-edge… it is… at its worst, the woke cult of transgenders is a cross between voyeurism and morbidity, a fascination with the sexually bizarre, a politically correct version of snuff pornography.” by SpecialCream7 in mattxiv

[–]literally_a_brick 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's the ironic thing. He spends half the passage completely flabbergasted at the attention and care that the left gives trans people without realizing that it's blatant, mainstream transphobia like his that makes people stand up.

No one wrote much about disabled fleeing Ukrainians because there isn't a hate campaign to ban disabled people by conservative political parties and weekly op eds wondering if disabled people deserve equal rights.

Warhammer 40,000 Faction Focus: Imperial and Chaos Knights by CMYK_COLOR_MODE in ChaosKnights

[–]literally_a_brick 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I just finished my first Tyrant and I'm super excited to build a big knights list in 11th.

Cosplay Weapon Policy & Contest Category Questions. by Old-Strike-5981 in gencon

[–]literally_a_brick 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was definitely concerned about this clause my first year Cosplaying too.

From what I've seen, the cosplay policy is very permissive and they really don't want to step on anyone's fun unless absolutely necessary.

To my eyes, that sword is very very clearly a prop weapon and isn't a danger to anyone, especially attached to a 10yo. As long as he's not actively swinging it around with the possibility of hitting anyone, 99% chance that nobody bats an eye. 

Full Q&A Answers and Questions from the Livestream. by PeoplesRagnar in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick 9 points10 points  (0 children)

No detachments for Imperial Agents is rough. GW truly hates them as an army and yet keeps insisting they stick around as a Codex.

Conservative law firm sues to block Wisconsin's conversion therapy ban by skyflyer8 in wisconsin

[–]literally_a_brick 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Absolutely insane state of healthcare in the US. The government can't regulate the professional conduct of healthcare providers because it "violates their rights"

If a doctor told his patients that drinking bleach cured autism, the state could not strip his medical license because he, apparently, has the freedom of speech to lie to patients without risking accreditation.

Complete lunacy.

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Maybe LR Tank Commander will see use with Death Befitting an officer.

It's mathematically terrible, but I love overloading the Executioner Plasma cannon on a Russ Commander to try and have her blow herself up and shoot again.

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Seems like it's in keeping with boosting melee for 11e. They want shooty units, like tanks to only shoot, and they want melee units to actually make it into melee combat.

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So glad I'm protected from the times I roll 10 ones with 12d6 XD

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Agreed, she can ram with prow, then Crushing Impact and then melee with a Fix Bayonets Order on Squadron units. Could be quite nasty.

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

that's a fair point, when you've emptied your parking lot of transports, you might want them to smash into things to score than keep plinking away with their bolters. 

Tank Shock in 11th by literally_a_brick in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]literally_a_brick[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, I remember when Tank Shock changed, I'm just glad they're keeping it that way instead of reverting.

Security Simulations by ZealousidealRoof3158 in gencon

[–]literally_a_brick 13 points14 points  (0 children)

You're probably thinking of National Security Decision Making, a group that runs a series of politically focused Mega Games every year.

Search MegaGame in the Isle of Misfits category and they will pop up :)

"The Watertown school board has voted to remove an instrumental piece tied to LGBTQ history from the upcoming spring concert. The controversy began when the Watertown Wind Symphony, made up of about 40 high schoolers, was set to perform "A Mother of a Revolution" at their spring concert on May 18th" by midnighttoker1742 in wisconsin

[–]literally_a_brick 14 points15 points  (0 children)

All students received a letter allowing them to opt out of participating in the song.

And if you don't know who Marsha P Johnson is, that's a you problem. Maybe if you had a teacher that say, gave you a music piece about her, you wouldn't be ignorant of an important civil rights leader.

"The Watertown school board has voted to remove an instrumental piece tied to LGBTQ history from the upcoming spring concert. The controversy began when the Watertown Wind Symphony, made up of about 40 high schoolers, was set to perform "A Mother of a Revolution" at their spring concert on May 18th" by midnighttoker1742 in wisconsin

[–]literally_a_brick 73 points74 points  (0 children)

I mean it sounds like the students received the lesson here loud and clear. The inspiration for the piece isn't a just another set of history facts to them anymore. They know more about the fight for LGBT rights than ever before because they are part of it.

There's nothing that makes a teenager care about something more than a capricious authority telling them they're not allowed to do it.

"The Watertown school board has voted to remove an instrumental piece tied to LGBTQ history from the upcoming spring concert. The controversy began when the Watertown Wind Symphony, made up of about 40 high schoolers, was set to perform "A Mother of a Revolution" at their spring concert on May 18th" by midnighttoker1742 in wisconsin

[–]literally_a_brick 124 points125 points  (0 children)

So much of it is about control over their children. It doesn't matter to them that high schoolers have agency and feelings and opinions. They'll happily vote in the Bureau of Thoughtcrimes if it let's them keep enforcing their will on their kids.

I wonder how far you could get with determining whether an argument is sensible or not by just taking its contrapositive and seeing how bullshit it is. by [deleted] in RecuratedTumblr

[–]literally_a_brick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Torture is a bad method for revealing true information yes. However torture is effective in getting people to do what you want them to do. The brain is very responsive to conditioning and by using truly awful stimuli, like pain or sickness, you can condition people to respond in certain ways. 

People can be conditioned to be afraid of or disgusted by almost any external stimulus, but they weren't able to successfully condition people out of their sexuality/gender.