This is pretty amazing - the fact that it can be immunity-boosting and slow age-related brain function. This is an area that needs to be explored further.
Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
21–30 of 102 posts
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#22I like how the article starts but I think it got lost a bit in hypothetical and anecdotes towards the end. Not holding it against the article though. As the article rightly points out, anything involving sex drags in biases as well. I wonder how convergent evolution [0] fits into this? Maybe one form of reproduction leaves a large niche open for another type of reproduction to fill in. Could it be that there was sexu…
Viruses
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't it a common known fact that while average IQ is the same for males and females, male IQ varies more and hence there are more male idiots as well as more male geniuses? I'm sure you can google the IQ variance stuff. I'm also willing to bet the height distribution, libido, interest in hobbies, single-mindedness vary a lot more in males than in females. Politically correctness aside, wouldn't it make perfect sense…
> Isn't it a common known fact that while average IQ is the same for males and females, male IQ varies more and hence there are more male idiots as well as more male geniuses? I had heard this as a kid, but I haven’t seen anything to back it up recently that didn’t turn out to be wishful thinking by the author/reposter. > wouldn't it make perfect sense that the sex that produces more gametes in a day than whole count…
If you have a person with $2 billion dollars, and then 1000 people with $100,000, they have an average wealth of $2.1 million, but the average really fails to capture the dynamic.
This should hold for males, and I can see it making the number of gametes relevant. Historically, 80% of women and 40% of men have reproduced. In terms of reproduction, a woman could have maybe 20 children if they usually had twins or something. If a male wins big, like Genghis Khan, they might literally manage thousands.
I mean, it really doesn't seem like a stretch to see different selection pressures on males and the Y chromosome.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Even acknowledging the basic fact that males have more diverse expression is touchy these days on its own, I find; possibly because people are upset that men and women won't simply be hammered into the same form.
You guys mind backing up your facts? > The simple answer comes down to the fact that a species has to find a balance between maintaining genetic diversity, which is important for resilience and adaptation, and maintaining a strong breeding population. > the basic fact that males have more diverse expression Not to be a jerk, but you guys are just throwing out this stuff without backing it up and it's not at all self-…
> How are males more diverse?
Most of the pictures of human females I see on the internet look the same. Young, nubile, thin, light-skinned, teased hair, painted like a clown, and where visible, completely devoid of body hair.
Perhaps observation bias is at play?
If you go to actual scientific literature, it's surprising how much everybody knows to be true is complete and utter billshut.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Even acknowledging the basic fact that males have more diverse expression is touchy these days on its own, I find; possibly because people are upset that men and women won't simply be hammered into the same form.
You guys mind backing up your facts? > The simple answer comes down to the fact that a species has to find a balance between maintaining genetic diversity, which is important for resilience and adaptation, and maintaining a strong breeding population. > the basic fact that males have more diverse expression Not to be a jerk, but you guys are just throwing out this stuff without backing it up and it's not at all self-…
Currently on mobile so won't be able to post much.
To focus on one particular subset of this, recent research seems to indicate pretty conclusively that there is greater variability of (certain aspects of) intelligence among men than among women.
The reasons for this are poorly understood.
Is it genetic differences? Are boys and girls encouraged to investigate different things? Is it a limitation of our testing methods?
We aren't entirely sure yet so it's hard for people on either side to claim any complete understanding or provide a definitive answer.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variability_hypothesis
While it's difficult, I feel all sides should be willing to research and discuss these differences without resulting to pearl clutching.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variability_hypothesis#Modern_...
> In general, most researchers have failed to find greater variability in either sex in any area that is consistent across cultures and not confounded by social factors.
But then the following paragraphs contradict that. Especially this study:
https://largescaleassessmentsineducation.springeropen.com/ar...
I would look at all the studies listed, rather than a summary written by the wikipedia editor.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
You guys mind backing up your facts? > The simple answer comes down to the fact that a species has to find a balance between maintaining genetic diversity, which is important for resilience and adaptation, and maintaining a strong breeding population. > the basic fact that males have more diverse expression Not to be a jerk, but you guys are just throwing out this stuff without backing it up and it's not at all self-…
Currently on mobile so won't be able to post much. To focus on one particular subset of this, recent research seems to indicate pretty conclusively that there is greater variability of (certain aspects of) intelligence among men than among women. The reasons for this are poorly understood. Is it genetic differences? Are boys and girls encouraged to investigate different things? Is it a limitation of our testing metho…
Yeah, we should be able to discuss topics like this without pearl clutching and the only way to really do that is with actual facts supported by evidence.
I appreciate you providing that information, really.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
You guys mind backing up your facts? > The simple answer comes down to the fact that a species has to find a balance between maintaining genetic diversity, which is important for resilience and adaptation, and maintaining a strong breeding population. > the basic fact that males have more diverse expression Not to be a jerk, but you guys are just throwing out this stuff without backing it up and it's not at all self-…
> Not to be a jerk, but you guys are just throwing out this stuff without backing it up and it's not at all self-evident to me. Well as for "you guys", I don't know this guy, I'm just adding my two cents to this dollar. As for it being self-evident: of course it's not self-evident, that's why it's a matter for scientific research. Your answers will be found searching for literature, not impugning the motives of rando…
It really wasn't a knock at your motives and it wasn't personal. I just feel like if you are going to make statements and even go so far as to label them as fact, it is your job to back it up.
Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#29These comments make me sad. I thought the HN community was better than this.
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Re: Why Sex? Biologists Find New Explanations
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Y chromosome only codes for 55 genes, while the X chromosome codes for 900 genes [1]. The Y chromosome self-evidently doesn't contain genes necessary for basic survival, because females don't have it. Males have only one X chromosome. Each cell in a human female has one X chromosome fully active and another one partially active [2], which means their phenotype, as far at it depends on the X chromosome, has lower…
This isn’t about sex chromosomes, we have 1000’s of genes that are sex-biased this means that their expression is dependent on sex. The level of bias isn’t even solely dependent on the gene in question but on much more complex mechanisms that are frankly not well understood for example in humans testicles and mammary glands have some of the highest levels of sex biased expression in of all tissues. Other tissues like…
The existence of those mechanisms doesn't mean the increased variance from only one X chromosome disappears - for males to have equal variance the increase from just one X would have to be compensated somehow, which is probably impossible given how directly important X is - the needed information is gone.