Shiftless2
Well-known member
One way to think about it
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What to call this thread?
- Thread starter Shiftless2
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Shiftless2
Well-known member
Actually it's more like factory installed firmware - something that can't be changed.
And, conversion therapy doesn't work - fact is it's actually harmful.
And, conversion therapy doesn't work - fact is it's actually harmful.
That is why I brought up puberty, since that would seem to be to be big change in the software?
Metaphor and analogy may serve as shorthand to clarify in some cases.
It seems out of place here.
We're not computers.
Our software is chromosomes in our nuclei.
Any young person entering the portion of life where any of this matters,
should have access to relevant information.
Ultimately the decision is theirs. BUT !
They should not only know they have the Liberty to choose their own path,
and be empowered to review the facts. That includes:
- stats on population percentages
- stats on % that physically transition
- stats on suicide rates
- stats on happiness of those that transition, compared to those that don't.
It would be simple to bias such education. To minimize that risk neutral objectivity should be the guide.
Most of that I agree with, but instead of saying, "Our software is chromosomes in our nuclei.", its a little less direct than that.
The chromosomes are more like architectural blueprints.
They are transcribed in order to create RNA, that then transcribes hormones, that then are supposed to caused certain physical changes.
The problem is the process is failing at a higher and higher rate as we pollute the food chain, the Y chromosome degenerates, etc.
Yes, but we're back to metaphor again.
soft·ware (sôftwâr′, sŏft-)
n.
Computers
The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation. *
chro·mo·some (krōmə-sōm′)
n.
1. A linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary information. *
* The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
"Software" & "blueprint" are both metaphors. In this case is one superior to the other? A blueprint isn't software?
My view of this is that offered by Wilson.
When as a teen, during the tape-recorder era I learned of Watson & Crick's Nobel prize, I imagined our chromosomes to be where we record our traits.
We use modified playback for cellular succession.
Wilson persuaded me that's about exactly backward.
Our DNA field us to compete, much as nations field Olympic competitors, to contest others for supremacy, for dominance.
DNA that competes successfully proliferates. Proliferation seems to be the prime directive of DNA, not only for humans, but gazelles, cheetahs, and venereal diseases.
Merry Christmas
Software is monolithic.
When you run it, it can only run one way, with one result.
Chromosomes are less absolute.
There are many layers of functionality, any of which can vary or fail, so that there are lots of different possible results.
By the way, they say the Y chromosome is falling apart, and will fail completely in less than 11 million years.
{...
The Y chromosome is expected to lose its functional genes over time, with some computer models projecting a complete disappearance within 11 million years if the current rate of gene loss continues. However, the Y chromosome retains functional genes that are subject to natural selection, suggesting a stabilization of its gene content. If the Y chromosome were to eventually disappear entirely, the most significant implication would be for human sex determination, as the SRY gene on the Y chromosome is currently responsible for triggering male development. This adaptive capacity is not unprecedented in the animal kingdom, and some rodent species have already lost their Y chromosomes and developed new sex-determining genes. For example, in the Amami spiny rat, a small DNA duplication near the SOX9 gene on chromosome 3 appears to activate SOX9, taking over the role of the missing SRY gene in male development. This demonstrates that mammals can evolve new sex-determining systems when the Y chromosome is lost, offering a path for humans. Beyond sex determination, the disappearance of the Y chromosome could also impact male fertility, as several genes on the Y chromosome are involved in sperm production. However, adaptive capacity suggests that evolutionary pressures would favor the development of new genetic solutions to ensure the continuation of male offspring and human reproduction, potentially leading to the emergence of different sex-determining systems across populations.
...}