GC: Scientists say sex is a spectrum, even an illusory man-made social construct

submitted by Fastandthecurious from self.GCdebatesQT

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[–]kwallio 12 insightful - 2 fun12 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 2 fun -  (8 children)

You are drawing inferences where no inferences should be made. The fact that some bees have haploid males doesn't mean anything except there are some bee species that have haploid male bees. That you can manipulate two sperm in a lab to do something doesn't mean anything except that - not that there is no difference between a sperm and an egg because there are very real differences between sperm and egg. Focusing on one tiny fact while ignoring 20 facts that run counter to your argument is not a way to get anyone's respect especially when you are arguing about science when you clearly have zero background in it.

[–]Fastandthecurious[S] 2 insightful - 6 fun2 insightful - 5 fun3 insightful - 6 fun -  (7 children)

"Sperm" and "egg" are categories we give two cells because they are the only ones that can create a zygote. If it were the case that two "sperm" or two "eggs" can create a zygote too, then the "differences" between a "sperm" and "egg" would be arbitrary and could exist between two "sperm" or two "eggs", because two "sperm" or two "egg" could do the exact same thing a "sperm" and "egg" do.

And that would also mean there is no "male" or "female" if it was discovered two "sperm" or two "eggs" could create a zygote.

[–]MarkTwainiac 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

If it were the case that two "sperm" or two "eggs" can create a zygote too, then the "differences" between a "sperm" and "egg" would be arbitrary and could exist between two "sperm" or two "eggs", because two "sperm" or two "egg" could do the exact same thing a "sperm" and "egg" do.

Logic fail. There are often myriad ways to achieve the same end, but that doesn't mean the different methods in each case suddenly become the same. If I want to go to X place, I can drive myself in a car or truck, take a train, bus or plane, hire a car & driver, hitchhike, ride a motorcycle or horse, or take a horse-drawn carriage or cart. If I have the time, I also could ride a bike, unicycle, scooter, wheelchair, tractor or golf cart there; take a hot air balloon; or run, jog, walk, rollerblade, skip, hop &/or pogo-stick my way there. If the place I am going is on the seacoast or a river & my place of departure is adjacent to the same body of water, I could swim, sail take a motor boat, water taxi, jet ski or paddle board there. I could also parasail.

The fact that I'd land in the same destination at the end doesn't mean that the differences between all these varied modes of transport become "arbitrary" and are elided. It also would would NOT mean there is no travel by land, air or water by a range of diverse means - & that instead, it's all just simply travel.

Some organisms have evolved to use both asexual and sexual means of reproduction. For example aphids, slime molds, sea anemones, and some starfish are capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction. This doesn't mean that there is no difference between the sperm & eggs of those species. And none of what these other animal species do has anything to do with humans & other mammals.

[–]VioletRemihomosexual female (aka - lesbian) 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Post-modernism (and post-modernistic denial of reality) is the bane of western society.

[–]Fastandthecurious[S] 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

No, I'm not saying the different methods become the same. I'm saying sperm and egg are different because they are the only ones that can fuse and create a zygote. If it were the case that two sperm or two eggs could fuse and create a zygote too, then it would mean the differences between an egg and a sperm are arbitrary and could as easily occur between two sperm or two eggs.

Comparing sperm and egg, to man-made things like roads, and motorcycles isn't a good comparison. Whatever differences exist between motorcycles, cars, roads, etc are man-made and could as easily exist between two roads, two motorcycles, two cars, or whatever.

[–]kwallio 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

I don't know what else to say except look up what a sperm is and look up what an egg is and then say the differences are arbitrary.

[–]MarkTwainiac 11 insightful - 2 fun11 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I posted a link to a video showing human sperm approaching & trying to pierce a human egg, & OP ignored it.

[–]kwallio 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

And in a previous discussion I provided links to pdf textbook on human anatomy and physiology and they ignored that, too.

[–]Fastandthecurious[S] 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

Not saying there are no differences between sperm and egg ... all I'm saying is the differences exist because only sperm and egg can fuse and create a zygote. If it were the case that two sperm or two eggs could fuse and create a zygote too, then it would mean the differences between sperm and egg are arbitrary and could as easily occur between two eggs or two sperm.