Delicious LiveJournal Links for 6-18-2008

[andrewducker]

• Scans see 'gay brain differences'
  More research needed (as ever).
  (tags: brain gay gender homosexuality neuroscience sexuality)
• Last Contact - by Stephen Baxter
  God, he's a depressing bastard. Fantastic short story though, which reminds me a lot of the movie "Last Night".
  (tags: scifi Stephen_Baxter short_story)
• 'Spore' Releases the Pixar in You
  How computer games are democratising 3D design. Fascinating little piece
  (tags: art design 3D technology games culture)
• Israel and Hamas agree ceasefire
  No, I don't have _much_ hope. But it's better than the alternative
  (tags: israel politics)

Comments

[heron61.livejournal.com]

As for the gay brain study, the following quote talking about the brain differences involved:

The Karolinska team said that these differences could not be mainly explained by "learned" effects, but needed another mechanism to set them, either before or after birth.

Struck me as the most dubious and requires exceedingly rigorous proof that I suspect will prove impossible, because I doubt that this is true, given how plastic brains have proven to be.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I'd call the Baxter story extremely sad rather than depressing.

I think the difference is that people keep trying to promote what they care about, both personally and scientifically. It's about losing to superior strength, not about giving up.

[matgb]

So your Glue script is working then. Neither mine nor innerbrat's is. Gah, we thought it was their end again.

[johanna-alice.livejournal.com]

Re: Brain differences. Physical differences have often been quoted as being able to explain someones sexuality. I'm reluctant to shoehorn a group of the population into being gay just because their brain matches a template though - I'm of the opinion there may be some inherent physical factor, but upbringing, the personal own attitudes to life and even the people they meet in their lives are very much contributing factors too.

On the other hand I'd love some researcher to turn up one day saying they had identified a feature in brain topology that was identical in TS's to that of the sex they feel they really are - that would mean I'm TS because the bit of me that sets gender really is female :)

And Palestine...: Any sign of ceasefires and talks has to be a good thing. I don't have much hope of a lasting solution either. But that the ceasefire was brokered by Egypt seems like a good sign, as if they've done it once they'll probably be prepared to do it again.

Peace in Northern Ireland started that way though, with sporadic talks and brief ceasefires brokered through intermediaries. It won't last for now, but hopefully it may just be the start of a process that leads to a peaceful settlement in the future.

Scans see 'gay brain differences'

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

FYI:

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=256

[amberite.livejournal.com]

... That story somehow reminds me of "Epistle to be Left in the Earth", by Archibald MacLeish.