Comment 2T62 Re: Balderdash

Story

Offspring can resemble a mother’s previous mate

Preview

Balderdash (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-06 22:50 (#2T5D)

The lead author sounds like a terrible person, purposely conflating insect reproduction with a implied human connection that completely doesn't exist. AW.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-07 02:42 (#2T5K)

The lead author sounds like a terrible person, purposely conflating insect reproduction with a implied human connection
Was there a specific quote you're referring to? She did specifically say: "But we don't know yet whether this applies to other species."

Don't confuse the study authors for the journalist taking the story whichever direction they prefer. For an extreme example, the Guardian article on the same subject was one big estrogen-fueled rant about the journalist's previous boyfriends...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/02/baby-looks-like-ex-research
human connection that completely doesn't exist.
Just because a human connection hasn't yet been proven, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. This is just the first study establishing that the effect exists... Humans absolutely are known to be greatly affected by other epigenetic effects, as TFA and tanuki both mention. It may take decades to determine how significantly affected, if at all, humans are.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-07 13:33 (#2T5T)

Absolutely, going by the quote in the summary right here.

""We know that features that run in families are not just influenced by the genes that are passed down from parents to their children. Various non-genetic inheritance mechanisms make it possible for environmental factors to influence characteristics of a child. Our new findings take this to a whole new level - showing a male can also transmit some of his acquired features to offspring sired by other males,"

From parents to their CHILDREN. She is talking about humans and human families. It's irresponsible of her. Worse, it's stupid.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 2, Insightful)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-07 20:34 (#2T5X)

What? You don't think fruit fly adults can be called "parents" and offspring can't be called their "children"?

I think your paranoia is running amok. And for some reason you desperately want to believe humans are immune, despite that being undetermined.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-08 00:40 (#2T5Y)

No. You're wrong. In quick succession she used "FAMILIES", "parent", "children", and "child". She's talking to a reporter. You know exactly what she was trying to imply to get her name in the papers. The only situation in which this is even theoretically applicable to humans would be a remarkably well timed gang bang.

'Cause you can just picture the fly family sitting around the teeny tiny TV at night.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-08 05:06 (#2T60)

It's 100% plausible that this effect is fully applicable to humans. Plenty of environmental factors have epigenetic effects on us. Your denials, saying it can't possibly apply to us, is utterly baseless, wishful thinking.

Re: Balderdash (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-08 13:15 (#2T62)

And why does it matter so much to this person?

Junk Status

Marked as [Not Junk] by bryan@pipedot.org on 2015-01-02 05:35