Interesting Links for 22-04-2019

[andrewducker]

Rich kid who thinks homeless are 'lazy' spends 3 nights on streets - and it ends badly

(tags:homelessness tv )

Japan's Ainu will finally be recognized as indigenous people

(tags:Japan racism history )

Dutch engineers build world's biggest floating sun-seeking solar farm archipelago

(tags:solarpower water netherlands )

Please remember to register to vote!

(tags:voting uk )

Denying the Neuroscience of Sex Differences

(tags:gender neuroscience psychology brain )

Comments

[danieldwilliam]

I remain confused by the question of differences in the physical brain and in the behavour between sexes and genders.

[andrewducker]

I think confusion is better than taking a firm side at this point.

[danieldwilliam]

Certainly from the position of ignorance in which I find myself.

[rmc28]

Oh god that homelessness article! I mean, yes how heartwarming that he has seen the error of his ways and will be nicer to homeless people in future, but it's like the occasional round of "I never realised how much abuse women on dating sites / the internet / in public got until I posed as one!" stories. Why on earth can't these people just try listening to the experiences of other people and believing them, instead of having to go through such a performance before they will change their mind? Who made them the One True Judge Of Everything?

[andrewducker]

I think this is a generalised version of the Fundamental Attribution Error.
People think that if they have problems it's down to the situation, but if others have problems it's because they aren't trying hard/smart enough.

It's also very hard to empathise with a situation outside of your experience, but very easy to assume someone has made a mistake.

(Which is why movements like MeToo are vital, they make it really hard to deny that that kind of abuse is really common.)

[heron61]

Your link to Denying the Neuroscience of Sex Differences is to an article on Quillette, which is a right-wing ideological site of exceptionally dubious worth, and which is known to publish exaggerations and outright lies that support it's reactionary agenda.

[andrewducker]

Dammit.
As far as I can tell, this person is actually reputable. But I shall avoid articles from that site in the future. Thank you for the information!

[anna_wing]

I thought that homelessness experience ended really well. He didn't get killed, and he learned a bit. That's as good as it gets, surely.