Dawkins describes trans ID as a meme

[nythbran2]

Very surprised he didn't say this year's earlier (or did I miss it?). Still an unpleasant man though. www.thetimes.com/article/3f4adf27-3fb8-463a-9c1c-3a90ba605b2f?shareToken=0f280c08e52b86d1cd6b0cd7a3a7b3ba

I have always been struck - particularly since it's now technically trivial - by the fact there is no left handed keyboard setup.
And a typical drumkit is handed. (Since drummers are).

I think with both of these, there's so much for both hands (and with drums, feet) to do that it wouldn't make much difference to have the whole thing the other way round. With drums, arguably the most important drum is the snare which is played with the left hand, though the right has to move around more.

a very good question!!

Course he does. He has talked about the CoE as being "benign", ie. largely harmless, whilst his views on Islam are the complete opposite. He has also decried the impact of Islam on stifling scientific progress in the arab world over the past 1000 years, a region that led the way in science (Mesopotamia for one).

Dawkins is an exceptional scientist, but not a good debater. He gets flustered/irritated easily (often by weak arguments) and as a previous poster said he can be blunt in his remarks.

Driving on the left; archaeologists have found evidence for Romans doing it. A stone quarry up north in Britain had a track in and a track out, distinguished by depth of ruts, and the out lane was on the right, its left going from the quarry. So its probable everyone did until Bonaparte and everyone who drives on the right is just obeying his whim.

Driving on the left does, in a two seater (two ox widths) vehicle put the dominant hand of most people on the outside. Would that be useful, in the days before motor vehicles? If there's no other person the driver sits in the middle though.

(Like the SLR the army uses ..)

as an aside: they don't use it any more do they? But i'm a latent leftie (i do lots of things left handed without thinking about it) and my weapon was an SMG which is hugely problematic if you try to fire it left handed (on account of getting all the spent shells in your face)

oh THAT explains a lot. I play cards left handed, always have and never noticed until i got married and my parents bought us a crib board and new cards. not Waddingtons but some weird ones they'd had made for us with photos of us. Not 4 pipped.

I was baffled...

Are oxen usually right handed? Maybe it is an advantage when driving animals because of their preferences?

Chickens, I understand, are handed. The left leg is said to be more tender because they tend to scratch with their right. Not that most supermarket chickens live long enough to give either of their legs a good workout.

There's something about naming oxen side by side which helps them pulll. Can't recall right now though

I read about the naming tradition the other day. Short name, longer name. Like Len and Leonard.

Every day is a school day on FWR 😍

Hmm. Around where I live oxen are traditionally named Lion and Bright.

Lions are all trained to work on the left, and Brights are trained to work on the right.

a school day indeed

Tweet from Richard Dawkins that might interest folk here:

https://x.com/RichardDawkins/status/1845142318887915845

'I will be on stage with Helen Joyce (@HJoyceGender) at The Lowry in Salford on 4th November. Helen is an author and journalist known for her outspoken work against gender dogma and her leadership in opposing gender ideology. After our discussion, there will be a Q&A session, where attendees can engage directly with us. Although tickets are no longer available, I’m looking forward to an evening of insightful dialogue with those attending.'

It was mentioned in a show where they tried to recreate medieval farming. They hired a farmer with oxen (as indeed you would have) and he mentioned the naming trick which helps drive the plough straight.

Our ancestors weren't stupid. Just knew different shit.

Speaking of handedness, how come I only just noticed that Prince William is left handed ?

What about the other two left/right dichotomies, not afaik related to handedness and without any cultural advantage or disdavantage.

When you interlock your hands with fingers threaded together which thumb is on top?

When you cross your arms which hand tucks in, which stays out?

I am: right handed, left thumb on top, right hand out

Me too!

Right handed. Deal cards left handed. Cartwheel onto my left hand.

@DeanElderberry Moi aussi! I'm very right handed, my left hand isn't good for much unless it can 'mirror' my right hand, or I'm doing something I don't have to think about too much.

I broke my right hand once, writing messages with my left-hand, slowly and illegibly. Still had to use my right hand to stop the paper moving around.

Handedness is apparently decided in utero - it will be the thumb the foetus puts in it's mouth.

No spectrum needed,

Right handed dominant, never sucked my thumb, sucked finger on my left hand.
Sucking is a comfort thing, I used my dominant hand and sucked the finger on my left hand. Such a multitasker.😁
When I clasp hands left thumb is uppermost, when I cross arms right hand tucks in.

Right handed dominant, never sucked my thumb, sucked finger on my left hand.

How did you find out what happened in the womb, out of interest ?

You're suggesting I sucked my right thumb in utero then changed hands ex utero? Possible.

Yes similar for me re dominant hand being in use and other for sucking from young age.

I suppose I could have started out sucking the other side though. Need to dig out the baby pics!

The thing I find interesting about the thumb on top, hand on top thing is that id does not seem to be linked to handedness.