Why are Europeans White? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#31

Post by devs1010 » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:02 AM UTC

kqr2 wrote: post #24

devs1010 wrote: post #23

Is it just me or do some Asians not seem nearly as white as caucasians? It seems especially Japanese can be fairly pale, I think its fairly subjective to say people of European ancestry are universally the most pale on earth.

The depigmentation ("whiteness") referred to in the article also applies to hair and eye color. Although some East Asians may be pale, their hair and eyes are generally not depigmented.

I understand that point, I just think the author goes a bit far in his assertions. There are many races that have some extent of depigmentation, which I take to mean that they can change their skin tan level by going out in the sun more or less, so it can be a bit subjective to say exactly which are the most pale, however the hair and eye color is less subjective.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#32

Post by nosse » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:12 AM UTC

jpxxx wrote: post #14

Nitpick: That heat ferried by the gulf stream is what warns the Baltic is a quasi-religious supposition from the father of oceanography. The thermal ballast of the Atlantic ocean that develops in the summer is primarily responsible for most of Europe's uncommonly warm winters.

Sources please? I live in Finland and find that very hard to believe.

EDIT: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Sea_ice....

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#33

Post by nosse » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:15 AM UTC

davedx wrote: post #30

[deleted] wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

"On the long-term average, the Baltic Sea is ice-covered for about 45% of its surface area at the maximum annually. The ice-covered area during such a typical winter includes the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, Väinameri in the Estonian archipelago, the Stockholm archipelago and the Archipelago Sea." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea

Baltic sea is much less salty than ocean. And there are less waves to keep the water moving. Both help a lot to get some ice-fishing conditions.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#34

Post by losethos » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:17 AM UTC

India niggers? They are arrogant and stupid and, thus, detestable.

I tell an India nigger I wrote a compiler/assembler and he says it's GAS assembler. Umm... no, it's my compiler and I made it just how I like.

God says...

defender Devil forging lines commiserating

I got an India-nigger doctor. I write an operating system and the little fucker doesn't believe me and makes me take meds that make me impotent. India is the vermin. I'm a fucken genius. Sucks.

Some India nigger accusing me of changing answers. Thank God for Internet Archive. Little fucker will dispute that, too. Stubbern, nasty, shit-for-brains.

Fuck you, I like soda.

God says...

5:13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

---

Yeah, I'm a new species. Son of man.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#35

Post by SagelyGuru » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:19 AM UTC

Interesting theory. Pity though for the author that it is well know that white people migrated into Europe from Iran and Northern India.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#36

Post by nosse » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:22 AM UTC

devs1010 wrote: post #23

Is it just me or do some Asians not seem nearly as white as caucasians? It seems especially Japanese can be fairly pale, I think its fairly subjective to say people of European ancestry are universally the most pale on earth.

Japanese have beauty standard to be pale. Scandinavians have the opposite here.

And do you know anyone from japan who is not albino and virtually could not get a tan. I myself and loads of Finnish people I know are really sensitive to sunlight.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#37

Post by bencoder » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:28 AM UTC

devs1010 wrote: post #29

batista wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course they do not. Malaysians for example are dark colored, as are Indonesians etc. Also Indians are far from pale.

I work with many Indians and they themselves refer to "Asian" as a different race (meaning East Asian), so I didn't mean Indian people by this, rather East Asian, obviously many East Asians are much darker skinned than whites, however I personally know Asians that are fairly pale and I am sure at times I have been more tan than they are (when I would spend more time outside) and I primarily of German-Irish ancestry.

For whatever reason, pale skin is highly coveted by many Asian cultures and some will avoid the sun almost entirely to avoid darkening their skin. As well as using (potentially dangerous) skin lightening products which is a huge market in Asia: http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_273.pdf

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#38

Post by nosse » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:31 AM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #17

berntb wrote: post #3

Uh, light skin, blue eyes and blonde hair is just 6000 year old?! Sounds really weird to get so common so quickly. This should already be well known, by the mutation speed of the relevant genes? What about an alternative hypothesis, like sexual evolution? Edit: From the wikipedia page, this theory seems to be quite recent. Interesting. (Sigh, I liked the idea of blonde neanderthals. :-) ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…

Peter Frost has been writing about this for years. He comes down on the side of the sexual selection theory, so if you're interested in that, check him out. http://evoandproud.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-are-europeans-wh... http://evoandproud.blogspot.com/2010/04/puzzle-of-european-h...

Then how come not every Scandinavian girl have c-cup tits? I thought sexual selection yields wildly variating features. And Scandinavian skin pigment was some time ago strikingly uniform.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#39

Post by devs1010 » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:33 AM UTC

bencoder wrote: post #37

devs1010 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work with many Indians and they themselves refer to "Asian" as a different race (meaning East Asian), so I didn't mean Indian people by this, rather East Asian, obviously many East Asians are much darker skinned than whites, however I personally know Asians that are fairly pale and I am sure at times I have been more tan than they are (when I would spend more time outside) and I primarily of German-Irish ancestry.

For whatever reason, pale skin is highly coveted by many Asian cultures and some will avoid the sun almost entirely to avoid darkening their skin. As well as using (potentially dangerous) skin lightening products which is a huge market in Asia: http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_273.pdf

Interesting.. although the ones I'm referring to live here in the U.S., some were born here so I don't think they are a part of this trend.

Re: Why are Europeans White?

#40

Post by nosse » Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 9:44 AM UTC

InclinedPlane wrote: post #21

molmalo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that the most visible advantage/disadvantage of having different skin colors, are the frequency and severity of sunburns. Black people are more resistant to sunburns than white people. And given that they would need to move hundreds or thousands of kilometers, to be exposed to lower latitudes and heavier solar radiation, and that it was a loooong trip in those prehistoric times, maybe they didn't get to see t…

How common were sunburns before indoor lighting and industrialization though? If you spent at least an hour outdoors every day from early spring through late fall would you ever get sunburned?

People have used protective clothing for a long time now. Farmers used to use big hats. I can't prove anything from 5000 years ago, but there was a kind of cowboy hat in Finnish farmer culture about hundred years back.

http://rautu.fi/Tallenne/EntinenRautu/Maanviljely/Jurtin-har...