Comments on: The Daily Agenda for Wednesday, December 26 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sat, 18 May 2013 13:04:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: gsingjane http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181/comment-page-1#comment-212794 gsingjane Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:48:22 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=52181#comment-212794 One of the things I find so interesting and simultaneously horrifying is that all of this kind of junk (the many odd and ill-informed "science" and "research" that this blog resurrects) formed the background to my environment growing up, and thus for pretty much everybody else in my age group. We weren't dealing with issues of people being gay in my family, but obviously this was all sort of "in the air" during my entire childhood and young adulthood (I'm 55). The ONLY thing I ever recall my mother saying to me about gay people was that "history showed" that the vast majority of Nazis were homosexuals because those were the only people depraved enough to carry out the atrocities. I believe I accepted this on faith and without comment. And my mother was a liberal, well-educated woman! I think it's just amazing to imagine how much of this kind of stuff we all must have read and not even thought twice about, "back in the day." One of the things I find so interesting and simultaneously horrifying is that all of this kind of junk (the many odd and ill-informed “science” and “research” that this blog resurrects) formed the background to my environment growing up, and thus for pretty much everybody else in my age group. We weren’t dealing with issues of people being gay in my family, but obviously this was all sort of “in the air” during my entire childhood and young adulthood (I’m 55). The ONLY thing I ever recall my mother saying to me about gay people was that “history showed” that the vast majority of Nazis were homosexuals because those were the only people depraved enough to carry out the atrocities. I believe I accepted this on faith and without comment. And my mother was a liberal, well-educated woman! I think it’s just amazing to imagine how much of this kind of stuff we all must have read and not even thought twice about, “back in the day.”

]]> By: Hunter http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181/comment-page-1#comment-212737 Hunter Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:18:51 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=52181#comment-212737 The first thing that came to my mind on reading this was Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," in which he makes one telling observation: science undergoes a paradigm shift when the adherents of the old theory die off. I suspect that there's a connection here, someplace, particularly when you realize that the 19th century was the great age of classification: starting with von Linne in the late 18th century, scientists were busily classifying the wealth of new species being discovered -- on the basis of physical characteristics. (Which only got a huge boost when Darwin published "On the Origin of Species.") For flowers, it works. For human psycological traits, it's a little simplistic. So your reference to 19th century science is very apt. The first thing that came to my mind on reading this was Thomas Kuhn’s “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” in which he makes one telling observation: science undergoes a paradigm shift when the adherents of the old theory die off. I suspect that there’s a connection here, someplace, particularly when you realize that the 19th century was the great age of classification: starting with von Linne in the late 18th century, scientists were busily classifying the wealth of new species being discovered — on the basis of physical characteristics. (Which only got a huge boost when Darwin published “On the Origin of Species.”) For flowers, it works. For human psycological traits, it’s a little simplistic. So your reference to 19th century science is very apt.

]]> By: Soren456 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181/comment-page-1#comment-212727 Soren456 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:05:02 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=52181#comment-212727 Sheldon's somatotypes lived on. Sheldon "proved" what he expected to find and, as Chuck says above, Coppen likely did too. Both are laughing stocks now (but not then). Sheldon’s somatotypes lived on. Sheldon “proved” what he expected to find and, as Chuck says above, Coppen likely did too. Both are laughing stocks now (but not then).

]]> By: Ben In Oakland http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181/comment-page-1#comment-212632 Ben In Oakland Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:51:09 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=52181#comment-212632 You know what would be funny? conducting that exact same study today. Now he would find that homosexual men frequently have the bodies of greek gods, while heterosexual men frequently have the bodies of shapless schlubs that have ged too long on meatles Mcribs. He would also have a hard time finding subjects among mental patients. And he'd probably find that many of their sham marriages have been going on longer than all seven of the gingrich and Limbausgh real marriages combined. Scienftific research just ain't what it used to be. You know what would be funny? conducting that exact same study today.

Now he would find that homosexual men frequently have the bodies of greek gods, while heterosexual men frequently have the bodies of shapless schlubs that have ged too long on meatles Mcribs. He would also have a hard time finding subjects among mental patients. And he’d probably find that many of their sham marriages have been going on longer than all seven of the gingrich and Limbausgh real marriages combined.

Scienftific research just ain’t what it used to be.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/12/26/52181/comment-page-1#comment-212557 Chuck Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:57:23 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=52181#comment-212557 In 1959, the researchers in psychology were just beginning to learn how much their personal expectations influenced the results of their research. It's all too likely that Prof. Coppen "found" what he expected to find. Later research, of course, refuted his findings. In 1959, the researchers in psychology were just beginning to learn how much their personal expectations influenced the results of their research. It’s all too likely that Prof. Coppen “found” what he expected to find. Later research, of course, refuted his findings.

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