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Breaking news, sex isn't binary in humans because...avocados

131 replies

Fenlandia · 25/08/2022 16:56

Popular Science has tweeted an old article of theirs
www.popsci.com/species-swap-sex-clownfish-avocado/

"What avocados and clownfish have in common, sexually speaking"

A mildly interesting collection of facts about unusual reproductive strategies of certain plants and animals, used to push the idea that sex isn't binary in humans.

So sad to see respectable scientific communicators stoop to the level of woowoo.

The Twitter ratio is whopping now: twitter.com/PopSci/status/1562759034347741184

OP posts:
turbonerd · 25/08/2022 20:25

Hahaha, just read your post more properly. 😂
well, my outrage WILL be justified!
one way or another…
ominous music, fade to black.

or alternatively Blondie.

FilePhoto · 25/08/2022 20:21

turbonerd · 25/08/2022 20:00

Oh god @FilePhoto
so I can’t even be an avocado then
thanks s lot!

It's not a good thing. Grin

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 20:18

OMG!

Theeyeballsinthesky · 25/08/2022 20:10

Wait! I thought it was asparagus that proved it?? 🤔

am I mixing up my salad stuff?

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/08/2022 20:06

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 20:04

Depends if you are a pear-bonded mammal.

Show quote history

👏👏 👏

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 25/08/2022 20:04

I don’t have a phd…

or a masters or a degree….

all i have is snark 😳

why god why??? 😩

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 20:04

FilePhoto · 25/08/2022 19:56

As for avocados, they don't have sex

How long does one not have to have sex for before one can claim to be an avocado? Asking for a friend obviously.

Depends if you are a pear-bonded mammal.

turbonerd · 25/08/2022 20:00

Oh god @FilePhoto
so I can’t even be an avocado then
thanks s lot!

turbonerd · 25/08/2022 19:59

I vote for the «humans are like cuttlefish» slogan.
the beta males are all sly, sometimes even lit up like a disco. What’s not to like?

But really, since I don’t have a phd in anything, not even a measly masters just yet, my opinion and vote is simply cast away - like pearls before swine or some such. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Can you pronounce on ANYTHING with just a bachelors these days?
not even obtained until in my late thirties.
what am I, who am I and where shall I go.
Maybe I am just a lowly avocado after all?

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 25/08/2022 19:57

ErrolTheDragon · 25/08/2022 19:37

And if you were just being a bit snarky, apparently that's not allowed on FWR today, it's apparently 'abusive'.

Really?

oh god 😱

FilePhoto · 25/08/2022 19:56

As for avocados, they don't have sex

How long does one not have to have sex for before one can claim to be an avocado? Asking for a friend obviously.

Weefreetiffany · 25/08/2022 19:50

@GreyCouncil you're criticising them for doing what you yourself just did and yet claim they are gaslighting you? Have I got that right?

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/08/2022 19:40

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

If you want to communicate with people, it helps to use language accurately. Nothing I have said is abusive. I asked a question, which you have not answered. I have no idea why you have mentioned gaslighting. This has a very specific meaning which is not relevant here.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/08/2022 19:37

And if you were just being a bit snarky, apparently that's not allowed on FWR today, it's apparently 'abusive'.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/08/2022 19:34

Nah, if that's how your post comes across, that's on you Greycouncil.

So what did that little quip about 'Mumsnet PhDs' mean? (Mine is in chemistry not biology ... but like I said, you don't need a PhD in biology to understand the difference between mammals and avocados)

GreyCouncil · 25/08/2022 19:30

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

JellySaurus · 25/08/2022 19:30

DdraigGoch · 25/08/2022 17:39

I liked this reply on Twitter:
Why not compare human beings to cuttlefish instead of clownfish? The Beta male adopts female colouring and behaviour to gain access to the female only area, then when the Alpha males are looking elsewhere, the Beta male has sex with a female. As for avocados, they don't have sex

Oh wow!

Sneaky little gaslighting males!

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3440998/

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/08/2022 19:28

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

@GreyCouncil, I hope I'm wrong, but the tone of your posts here suggests that you find it impossible to imagine that a person can be BOTH a regular poster on Mumsnet, especially the FWR boards, AND a science graduate/Ph.D. You're surely not stuck in the bad old days when few women were able to carry on with their jobs after having a baby because of sexist notions that they wouldn't cope? Or the even worse old days when girls weren't educated in science because it was considered too hard for them?

MrsOvertonsWindow · 25/08/2022 19:24

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Love it when a random poster rocks up to slay us all with their laser insight into avocados and science. Come on "random mumsnet posters" - back to the kitchen Grin Grin

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 19:22

And this is EXAXCTLY the same as breastfeeding when you think about it.

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 19:21

Right. Don't say I didn't warn you:

SudocremOnEverything · 25/08/2022 19:16

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 19:13

You know what is really weird is those toads that give birth out of pores on their back. That is REALLY FREAKY.

Quick. Someone tell the NHS. Why are we doing all these indications and sections when we could just get some sporners in to squeeze babies out women’s bellybuttons?

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 19:14

Sorry, I thought this was Sporner's Corner.

ArabellaScott · 25/08/2022 19:13

You know what is really weird is those toads that give birth out of pores on their back. That is REALLY FREAKY.

SudocremOnEverything · 25/08/2022 19:12

I mean, we’re in finding anything that happens in the world and generalising it to completely unrelated things mode.

in which case, mantis shrimp can heat up the water around their claws to ludicrous temperatures. So I’m just going to wave my hands a bit and I won’t need any other heating for my house this winter.