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[–]HeimdeklediROAR 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (6 children)

Not really. An artificial diamond is still a diamond. Artificial just means produced by humans, it doesn’t mean it isn’t “real”.

[–]FlanJam 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Real literally means 'not artificial'. So if its artificial, its not real.

According to Merriam Webster:

: not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine

[–]HeimdeklediROAR 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (4 children)

A meaning that has become associated with the word, but artificial’s primary meaning is made by humans. Things made by humans can be real members of a category of things that occur in nature. Artificial insemination is for instance is not fake insemination.

[–]FlanJam 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I don't quite understand what you're saying, perhaps you could clarify or rephrase.

[–]HeimdeklediROAR 2 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

Is artificial insemination “real” insemination? Obviously it is. Ergo artificial primarily means “made by humans” even if it has a secondary association of being “not real” in some instances.

[–]FlanJam 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think you're using "real" differently from how the dictionary uses it.

[–]MarkTwainiac 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

But artificial insemination doesn't mean that it's not real insemination, LOL. It means insemination that is done in a way that is not the natural way insemination most commonly occurs. Artificial in this sense really means human-assisted insemination.

Also, AI is not done using a synthetic ersatz sperm or egg made by humans in an artificial way. The eggs & sperm in AI still have to be genuine gametes made by ovaries & testes.