The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
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The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
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Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#2A fascinating article, but it's a bit frustrating that there are no colour photos. I tried searching the internet and found photos of other blue-skinned people but none of them had this genetic cause (mostly it was silver "supplements").
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#3Is this article a carnival sideshow? " had that caused "
I get it, we like to look at situations where people are different, but does this actually inform, educate, or improve us by reading? Or is this article just a chance to point out some people who are different.
I've been thinking about this recently, and trying to moderate my curiosity (because blue skin certainly piques my curiosity) against what I'm trying to get out of the article and what the people in the article get out of the article. Is the Fugate's family improved by this? What about other people with methemoglobinemia? Are their lives improved?
Another way to think of it is, who benefits from this? Who is being put on display?
Edit: I ask because I think these are important questions to ask, and because I genuinely have a difficult time telling sometimes. It's useful to see responses of how others interpret this.
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#4Is this article a carnival sideshow? " had that caused " I get it, we like to look at situations where people are different, but does this actually inform, educate, or improve us by reading? Or is this article just a chance to point out some people who are different. I've been thinking about this recently, and trying to moderate my curiosity (because blue skin certainly piques my curiosity) against what I'm trying to…
Well, if I saw someone that had blue skin (from the comments we know that there are still blue skinned people around), I'd probably be extremely curious, stare, ask awkward questions in my head, etc. But now I know, from reading the article, that it's just a blood issue and it no longer seems strange.
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#5Is this article a carnival sideshow? " had that caused " I get it, we like to look at situations where people are different, but does this actually inform, educate, or improve us by reading? Or is this article just a chance to point out some people who are different. I've been thinking about this recently, and trying to moderate my curiosity (because blue skin certainly piques my curiosity) against what I'm trying to…
Well, if I saw someone that had blue skin (from the comments we know that there are still blue skinned people around), I'd probably be extremely curious, stare, ask awkward questions in my head, etc. But now I know, from reading the article, that it's just a blood issue and it no longer seems strange.
Sure. That makes sense. I can definitely see the value for more common issues someone is likely to run into in their lives.
Do you think that was the intent of the author?
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#6Is this article a carnival sideshow? " had that caused " I get it, we like to look at situations where people are different, but does this actually inform, educate, or improve us by reading? Or is this article just a chance to point out some people who are different. I've been thinking about this recently, and trying to moderate my curiosity (because blue skin certainly piques my curiosity) against what I'm trying to…
This article is biologically fascinating! It detailed the genetics and the biochemistry involved, but also included a rich history of those affected. It's a synthesis of things that interest us.
Alzheimer's, cancer, and other disease states are also hugely interesting. That's one of the reasons people study them (in addition to the desire to save and improve lives).
Human stories often intersect with biology. Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line...
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#7Is this article a carnival sideshow? " had that caused " I get it, we like to look at situations where people are different, but does this actually inform, educate, or improve us by reading? Or is this article just a chance to point out some people who are different. I've been thinking about this recently, and trying to moderate my curiosity (because blue skin certainly piques my curiosity) against what I'm trying to…
This article is biologically fascinating! It detailed the genetics and the biochemistry involved, but also included a rich history of those affected. It's a synthesis of things that interest us. Alzheimer's, cancer, and other disease states are also hugely interesting. That's one of the reasons people study them (in addition to the desire to save and improve lives). Human stories often intersect with biology. Henriet…
I think that this article might meet those criteria, I still think it's important to ask questions like this about articles like this. Because it really is a fine line between putting people on display (like we literally used to do when we kept other humans in zoos) and examining the various biological traits in humanity.
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
This article is biologically fascinating! It detailed the genetics and the biochemistry involved, but also included a rich history of those affected. It's a synthesis of things that interest us. Alzheimer's, cancer, and other disease states are also hugely interesting. That's one of the reasons people study them (in addition to the desire to save and improve lives). Human stories often intersect with biology. Henriet…
I think that this article might meet those criteria, I still think it's important to ask questions like this about articles like this. Because it really is a fine line between putting people on display (like we literally used to do when we kept other humans in zoos) and examining the various biological traits in humanity.
So you commented before reading it?
Your critical thinking would be more useful in any other article that you believe does not match that standard.
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#9Why was the color blue chosen by evolution?
Re: The Fugate family of Kentucky has had blue skin for centuries
#10Some real gems in this article- “I’m kin to myself” and “she was as blue a woman as I ever saw” (how many blue people have you seen?)