Ho hum, another group of scientists have "discovered" that humanity is polluting the environment with lots of "gender bending" chemicals (i.e. estrogens or others with similar effects), which are apparently "feminising boys". No big surprise there - this kind of story 'does the rounds' every now and again. The novelty this time appears to be that the research is apparently endorsed by the EU, and it's reported in The Guardian rather than the Daily Wail (whose columnists would no doubt have had a veritable orgy of doomsday prophesying...)
http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/11/14/2023219/Environme...
Denmark has unveiled official research showing that two-year-old children are at risk from a bewildering array of gender-bending chemicals in such everyday items as waterproof clothes, rubber boots, bed linen, food, sunscreen lotion, and moisturizing cream. A picture is emerging of ubiquitous chemical contamination driving down sperm counts and feminizing male children all over the developed world. Research at Rotterdam's Erasmus University found that boys whose mothers were exposed to PCBs and dioxins were more likely to play with dolls and tea sets and dress up in female clothes.
The comments below are quite interesting to read (predictably for /. both sensible and silly) - there's even one which examines the reverse effect, that of aromatase inhibitors (chemicals that decrease conversion of testosterone to estrogen - http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1444124&cid=3010... )
(Link courtesy of "KiTA" over at Crystal Hall)
(Minor edit 16/11/09 to replace [quote] with an approximate HTML equivalent. Helps to remember BCTS uses 'proper' HTML rather than a BBCode varient!)
Comments
Ramifications
At the rate these dangerous chemicals are feminizing male children I calculate that by the year 2025 there will be over 1000 stories a day posted here at BCTS! Hopefully new computer technology with direct neural interfacing will allow us to keep up...
~~~hugs, Laika
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Dr. Strangelove
Actually, was a Communist plot. They're polluted our vital bodily fluids during the Cold War.
Nancy Cole
"You may be what you resolve to be."
T.J. Jackson
Alert
I would say it was the Chinese that did this to us, starting with the Wallboard in are homes, to plastics in toys for small kids and other chemicals that contamnated all kinds of things, Food, And Candy for some, even products from Mexico! Richard
Richard
Silliness
There actually is some good data on man-made chemicals that have hormone-like action on humans and other creatures. Amphibians are particularly susceptible to their effect.
The silliness comes in when people who don't know any science--but do have a large dollop of prejudice that they hide behind articles such as this--start making wild claims about what is going on. It is entirely possible that there is an overall decrease in sperm counts for European and American men, but that is mostly as far as it goes in humans. There may be a slight increase in female secondary sexual traits appearing males, such as gynocomastia. What it hasn't done is cause boys to excessively play with Barbies, etc. When people start spouting such rubbish I smell transphobia rearing its ugly head. Any moment now, we can expect the idiots of the world to lobby for forced testosterone supplements for young boys to "ensure they grow up manly," and calls for any transgendered boys to be dealt with as if they were medical anomalies resulting from chemical exposure.
"Oh you poor dear. We aren't religious bigots, we're only concerned for your medical safety. Anyone who has such thoughts has been exposed to chemicals! Here, let us fix you!"
SuZie
SuZie
Hey it's no different
than any other thing that you hear of constantly. From trans fats to cell phones giving you cancer, caffeine and countless other things you hear every day. That doesn't even begin to take in the "climate change" hoax. If it weren't for the fact that some think the rest of us incapable of determining what is and is not good for us for ourselves and trying to control us it would be laughable.
Spoke too soon...
it's reported in The Guardian rather than the Daily Wail
It was only going to be a matter of time, wasn't it? http://tr.im/F5TF
And what, precisely, is wrong with that?! :)
And predictably they rolled out a "chemicals are bad" campaigner:
Unsurprisingly most commenters appear to agree that toning down the more aggressive aspects of masculinity is A Bad Thingâ„¢, although they also blame the contraceptive pill, the government, and society at large. I also spotted the plastic microwaveable container myth http://tr.im/F60q in one of the comments...
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the day when a Daily Wail researcher discovers http://www.dhmo.org/ and reports the contents as fact (well, I suppose they may be...) and adopts the same spin (i.e. DHMO is dangerous and should be banned immediately).
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Peace on Earth/ Purity of Essence
Loved the Anti-Dihydrogen Monoxide webpage (Again, it's: http://www.dhmo.org/ )
Especially this part:
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. In the midwest alone DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage.
~~~still laughing, Laika
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
That one is a classic
and--for anyone who has a bit of chemistry background--immediately recognizable for the put on it is.
SuZie
SuZie
Yep.
To think of it, this contaminant has already permeated nearly all of our bodily tissues. In fact, even during gestation, we are already exposed to its influence. A hypothesis may arise that we are mortal due to our exposure!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!