mango.
I hope you are in top form, Brian.

Kelsey, I think that you have the right idea when separating 'physical' and 'sexual.' As for the functionality of sex and pseudo-sexual activities, I believe there are definitely non-reproductive uses for sexuality. There is not an element of any society on the plant that hasn't been stained by our collective sex (ha). Like I think I said earlier, if we were built for efficient sex, there are many many schemes in nature that produce more, stronger, and faster offspring than ours. Humans, like Bonobos, use sex as a form of social lubricant. As for the value of sexual intimacy, I think the answer is plain; intimacy. Pleasurable sex (and sexual interactions) helps enforce the socio-economical union necessary to raise hominid offspring in an animal that has an atrophied sense of smell (and thus is mostly unable to detect pheromones).

How many homosexual twins were in the study? I think that that sort of preference does have some genetic basis, but anyone can be forced to like anything under the right circumstances.

On the morality of meat and doin' it, I quote the Delphic oracle: "Never Too Much," and "Know Thyself." These are the two most useful phrases in hindsight (though relatively useless in extant situations).

What is a Third Culture Kid (I hope I don't feel stupid when I hear the answer to this one)?

Matt, what about complexity points to a creator? Generally, complexity points to simplicity, and vice versa... I don't see why it's necessary to add an big Unknown Entity into an equation that we haven't (and likely won't ever) completely uncovered? How could truth be contained in anything less than a man who thought he contained God?

David, there is no perfect circle, only very very round looking somewhat regular spheroids or disks. Even the singularity of a black hole, the body that would be the most rounded mass in known physics, can spin and vibrate and shuffle with itself, thus implying imperfection. A perfect sphere, or circle, or ring, is as imaginary as the un-ending line. We can think of it, and almost-observe it, but it never has and probably never will exist. The existence of polygons implies the possibility of a circle, not the existence of one.

John, I think the answer for most people will be unique. In the face of rather similar circumstances (internal or external) most people find ways of forming their own perspectives. For some this own-view of things involves blindly following another person’s views and then justifying this to one's self, while for others, it involves finding information and attempting to understand vast issues and concerns so that they can formulate their own opinions. Everyone is different, and everyone is the same. If you want a specific answer, diminish your sampling size from all of humanity to say, two or three people who you really have an understanding of.

posted by Adrian   [9:51 PM]

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