Any other scientists feel like you are in an alternate reality?

Tbh, I am an academic and it is the scientists at my institution who believe in this. The humanities scholars are used to thinking critically about gender as a cultural construct (and often a pernicious one). I recently had a senior medic tell me that LGB Alliance was a hate group e.g.

Scientists definitely are not immune (sadly).

Yes, I think alienation from nature is a big part of it too.

But another thing in terms of the larger problem people are having with science, in terms of things like vaccination, climate change, etc is that some of the science boosters haven't been doing it any favours in other ways. You don't have to look far to see political types, including public health people, presenting "scientific" information in a very simplified and reductive way, or to see medical scandals (vaginal mush, anyone,) or to read about journals caving to political pressure or conversely, publishing made up articles.

I do not think these words mean what you think they mean

Hear me out on this. Have we taken an awfully long time to recognise that a Turing Test experimental bot is posting among us?

I think merrymouse had it on page 1 though. We expect to control so much of our world these days that some people behave as though science doesn't exist instead of acknowledging that science I what allows us to do that.

Also, accepting that science hasn't allowed us to completely beat nature is too scary for some. There are still limits on what we can do.

Maybe we just aren't evolved enough to be completely detached from our bodies?

But presumably that kind of thing is just too boring and basic for people with advanced sex spectrum knowledge.

It's essentially because many people got stuck believing science was simply X and Y, without acknowledging Darwinism and spectrum. They are being left behind. As what has happened in the past with flat earthers.

Oh dear Mishy really?

You're probably right RockPaperScience I could save it as a lovely surprise for tomorrow morning to read over my morning cup of tea [ever the optimist].

It’s amazing evidence to have Mishy pop on the thread to demonstrate really nicely just what we were talking about. Thanks, Mishy!

I'm particularly interested in how these spectrum sexes have passed on their characteristics through evolution.

Help me please as I only have a lowly A-level in Biology, but I don’t get the “most of us don’t know if we’ve got a full set of male or female characteristics” bit from that tweet. Surely anyone who has managed to successfully reproduce knows? Would I have been able to get pregnant, gestate a baby and give birth without the characteristics they list?

It's essentially because many people got stuck believing science was simply X and Y, without acknowledging Darwinism and spectrum.

Almost 8 billion people on the planet. Please could you explain which of them had parents whose sex was on a spectrum, and what those spectrum sexes are?

Please explain, @MishyJDI, how sex is a spectrum and how one can identify where along the spectrum any one individual sits? And indeed what the two ends of the spectrum are. And how someone can move along the spectrum during their life. And what Darwinism has to do with it. Should be pretty simple for someone like yourself who hasn't been left behind by the science. Educate us, if you would be so kind :-)

"Most of us live our whole lives not knowing for sure if we have a full set of whatever "male" or "female" characteristics are"

No we really, really don't. If that were the case we wouldn't be here, because the human race would have died out long ago.

It’s not just science that’s the problem.

I have boxes full of old uni essays in the attic, very average degree from very average uni. But still a degree. I have essays in international relations, sociology and women’s studies models where I have conflated the meaning of prejudice, discrimination and oppression and been graded 2:1s or firsts.

And all it took for me to learn the difference was a couple of lines written on Miranda Yardley’s site I read over a decade ago.

Why would not only school but uni avoid the hard work involved in a few sentences of explaining the difference and why it matters?

If I was in the mood for tin foil fashion choices I’d think leaving generations ignorant must benefit somebody somewhere.

Finally someone will explain to me how "sex is a spectrum" works with evolution, yippee.
I was going to go to bed, I have a very early meeting tomorrow (the joys of colleagues in different time zones) but I'll stay up for that.

Its funny you mention the flat earth theory, @MishyJDI. The parallels between those who believe in the earth being flat and those who are followers of gender ideology are striking. Both movements have many of the same characteristics - lack of any evidence. Deliberate mis-understanding of basic scientific tenets. An inability by its' followers to use critical thinking skills. And an ability to conceed that they might be incorrect in the face of overwhelming evidence.

And I am really sure that Darwin would be agreeing because… there is no third sex and a person who cosmetically modifies their body and artificially changes their hormones won’t actually change their sex.

Great that you point that out Mishy!

I'm not a scientist.

I saw a qualified biologist acquaintance insist that sex was a spectrum and that there are more than two sexes, recently. Middle aged woman. Mother. Reasonable and intelligent, as far as I can tell.

It's the mistaken idea that every opinion counts just as much, every opinion is just as worthy. The postmodern world where everything means what we want it to mean, and every fact is negotiable.

without acknowledging Darwinism

Say what?

How did we get to this sorry, ugly, baffling state of affairs of science and biology denial.

I think the reason is that, ironically, science has enabled more detachment from the physical world.

Climate can be managed with air-conditioning or heating.
Childhood illnesses like polio have been eradicated in many countries.
Contraception means pregnancy can be postponed.

We are also less and less likely to be able to understand the workings of the machinery and scientific advances that enable our standard of living.

It's all magic.