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//"The strategy of willful ignorance is not to fight theory with theory and statistic with statistic. It is instead to say, "I refuse to believe this," and then filibuster in the court of public opinion. It is not crackpot theories that are doing us in. It is the spread of the tactics of those who disrespect truth."// http://chronicle.com/article/The-Attack-on-Truth/230631/

How old were you when you chose to identify as male? They're actually choosing to share with the world who they are and how the doctor made a mistake at birth by using too simplistic categories. Amazingly, both things can be true at once in parallel. They’re seeking acceptance is the obvious priority here. The comparison which actually applies here is the doctor assigned you as Napoleon at birth and you’re simply explaining to the world, “hey guys… sorry to have waste your time clarifying, but I’m not actually napoleon no matter how forcibly you suggest otherwise.”

So was homosexuality. Look where that is now. Any diagnostic manual on mental health can actually just reflect contemporary attitudes of the day and may simply be socially unacceptable, rather than genuinely pathological to the individual or people around them..

But what you are unaware of, is that as people get older, they tend to get less gullible with experience. So your dream of new attitudes is just a dream. Many of the people buying idealistic rubbish today will see through it tomorrow. That, and the fact that reality doesn't change with attitudes. You can indulge wishful idealistic fantasies all you like, it doesn't change reality in the slightest. Personally, I'm not against changing attitudes, I'm against false facts. And the big false fact in this topic is that some cutting and stitching, and popping of pills, turns a male into a female. It can do a good job for a person who wants it, and help them with their life. That's absolutely fine. But it's a matter of presentation, not fact.

Exactly. And we share and exchange ideas with those who have an open mind and are open to scientific debate. Asking me to support my position when you've made up your mind beforehand is not arguing in good faith. I'll not waste my time. I'd rather attempt to shave my head with a cheese grater.

This by itself tells us gender identity is at least partially there at a very early age. I've never heard of a cisgender person who remembers making such a decision. It's always transgenders who have to correct the perceptions of others or conform unnaturally. Immutable? I have no idea, but I do think the evidence points to very early development, possibly misunderstood because the child still has to learn why society is wrong about them. I highly doubt any developmental aspect is going to be as specious as some trans opponents make them out to be. I get the feeling many think most transgenders are making a decision based on what advantages it gives them. The latest professional terminology isn't something you get to "believe in", any more than you can say you don't "believe in" the autism spectrum. These are the terms being used professionally right now, so if you want to stay stuck in the mud, please keep denying what others are feeling and telling us about. The word gender has grown up, taken on detailed meaning, as so many other scientific concepts do.

Cool. I can't say I've met many people who don't have a personal sense of their own gender.

OTOH, a scientist in SFn:

Which helps more with surface swimming. Shorter swimmers do better when they need to be underwater. And there are some very tall female swimmers: https://swimswam.com/the-tallest-female-olympic-swimming-medalists/ Edit to add: Lia Thomas got beaten last year by a shorter swimmer transitioning to male, Iszac Henig. Henig hasn't started taking testosterone treatments and so is allowed to compete on the women's team.

I can't see how to do this without at least implicit equations...

Just looking in. So folks are still conflating physical and psychological gender? Crikey, you will circle for eternity. Plus one. Can't be said too many times that the field of psychiatry is often ruled by social fads. Women and "tilted wombs."

Your inferiority complex is showing. I remember similar stuff from the USSR when I was a child. They were taught that Russians had invented just about every modern appliance. Their government felt the need to boost national pride by changing history. In your case, you seem preoccupied with some kind of competition that a nation "wins" or "loses". That may be how China, or Malaysia, say, is being taught to see itself, because of an uneasy awareness that it has spent the last 30 years "catching up". But don't try to change history. Nobody "laughs" at Russia because of the war with Japan. You are imagining that. Spain - in the form of Al Andalus - was mostly under Moorish rule from about 700 to 1250, 550 years, not 750. But why pick on that? All manner of parts of Europe and the Middle East were ruled from elsewhere for considerable periods. That's what happens in history. Nobody but you thinks in terms of "Europe" or "The West" versus everyone else. It's simplistic, childish and divisive.

Mismatched gender identification is a dysphoria that can have pathological effects on the individual and their life if not addressed.

Unless you can clearly define "real women" then using labels is no more than an approximation. People are what they are, no matter what slot others want to put them in. Who cares if they call themselves real women, if you call them real women, or someone calls them trans women. They are simply people and they want to be accepted as people, whatever their differences from the average. I believe the focus should be on figuring out if there is an equitable way to allow people to compete. Arguing over 'real' or 'delusional' is a distraction.

Well-established? Where and when did this happen? Why do I find things like this, if it is well-established? "Is there evidence that transgender women athletes have a physiological advantage? Not according to Eric Vilain, a geneticist at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in gender-based biology. Very little research has been published on transgender athletes, and what has been published didn’t provide enough results to create evidence-based policies, says Vilain, who does not identify as transgender. “It’s not black and white.”" https://www.science.org/content/article/world-athletics-banned-transgender-women-competing-does-science-support-rule (from April 2023) "The research findings in the biomedical area are inconclusive. Studies which make conclusions on pre- and post-hormone replacement therapy (HRT) advantage held by trans women athletes have used either cis men or sedentary trans women as proxies for elite trans women athletes" ... "Available evidence indicates trans women who have undergone testosterone suppression have no clear biological advantages over cis women in elite sport." https://www.cces.ca/sites/default/files/content/docs/pdf/transgenderwomenathletesandelitesport-ascientificreview-e-final.pdf (2021 or later)

Beauty was everything that I saw in Laos. Amazingly beautiful country with some simple yet pristine landscape. An example is the brilliant Kuang Si Waterfall known for its stunning, cascading turquoise blue waters. The vivid blue color of these waterfalls is due to a combination of factors. Mineral Content: The water in these falls comes from limestone hills and mountains. Limestone contains large amounts of calcium carbonate, a mineral which, when mixed with water, can produce bright, turquoise blue colors. This mineral is also responsible for the creation of the tiered pools found at Kuang Si Waterfall. Deposition of Sinter: As the water flows over the limestone, it erodes the rocks, carrying small particles with it. These particles, known as sinter, are then deposited, creating natural terraces and pools. The particles can refract light in such a way as to give the water a striking blue or turquoise appearance. Water Depth and Clarity: The depth and clarity of the water also contribute to its color. Clear water tends to absorb colors in the red part of the light spectrum and reflect colors in the blue part of the spectrum. The deeper and clearer the water, the more blue it appears. Surrounding Vegetation: The green vegetation surrounding the water can also play a role in the color we perceive. The contrast between the blue water and green surroundings can make the water appear more blue to the human eye.

Of course it is feasible, but not in a capitalist world where everything revolves around money.. In a capitalist country, only what will bring a return on investment is done. A significant number of people waste their lives doing a job they hate, just to make money. A significant number of people waste their lives not being able to graduate from a good school because they and their family are not rich enough to send their children to places like Harvard, Oxford, MIT, etc. Teachers, scientists, engineers plan their careers based on how much they will earn. And they are even forced to do so because they have taken out student loans. Instead of working on their projects, scientists and engineers waste time begging management and investors for money for their projects. The amount of return on a project is the key to its acceptance or rejection. How much can you earn from a flight to the Moon? How much can you earn from a flight to the Mars? I would say nothing that can be earned in the current human lifetime. Billionaires will be even more reluctant to fly into orbit and similar risky tourism activities, after the Titan disaster. The first dead billionaire in a space accident is yet to come. It's not a question of "if", but "when".. There are places that will never be self-sufficient. The Arctic and Antarctic are not self-sufficient for the people who live there. UK and Japan are examples too. They have to import 50%-60% of the food people consume. "Japan imports about 60% of its food. Though the country usually is self-sufficient in rice, eggs, mandarin oranges and whale meat, it imports many basic goods, such as soybeans and cooking oil. Among developed nations, Japan is one of the countries with the lowest rate of food self-sufficiency. " https://www.culturalworld.org/how-much-food-does-japan-import.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_self-sufficiency_rate

That was given in evidence to a house committee recently, by women who trained alongside him. The swimmer was Lia Thomas, who is 6ft 4". I would have linked the report but I can't find it. I think the evidence was given in the last week. This is about the same topic, but it's not the original that I read. : Lia Thomas exposed 'male genitalia' in women's locker room after meet, Riley Gaines says: Dropped 'his pants' | Fox News No work needed. Men compete with men. Women with women. That's equitable.

A microscopic roundworm that spent the last 46,000 years in suspended animation deep in the Siberian permafrost was revived then started having babies in a laboratory dish https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/07/27/nematode-revived-siberian-permafrost/

Who said I didn't believe them. I was under the impression there are physical differences between men and women. If their aren't, can you explain why we have male and female sports instead of just sport?

No. That's just poor phrasing by me. Apologies for confusion, my fault. Just a genuine interest in the future of sport regarding transgender people. How do we make it fair for everyone. I'm using Mike Tyson because everybody knows who he is, and I'll admit it's an extreme example. 'is someone in danger' not now, but the point is they could be. hence the question "is it possible to have another way to decide who plays in what sport" Just to reiterate, I'm interested in the future of sport and how it will or will not change regarding transgender people. Not whether they should be allowed to play.

Here's a real example from MMA. I don't know enough about the issue to comment, but i can see why people would be concerned.

Blast! I was just about to link my "String's Pulled-Out-Of-My-Arse-and Evidence-Free Lectures On Things you Didn't Want to Know But I Think You Should" channel.

OK, but which part?

How they choose to identify is irrelevant to how they were born. Ironically generally any form of dysmorphia or phobia is considered a mental issue. However, gender dysmorphia seems to be the exception to the rule. Inconsistencies as per. The binary system is considered archaic, yet trans women are desperately seeking acceptance as women rather than men. So if there is no distinction between male & female then why are they identifying as women? If there is no male or female just a spectrum then why have any label at all why seek confirmation? Why are you getting irate? All I asked was what the definition of what a male & female are. I want to know if there is a distinction (which I believe there is since the vast majority of the population are male or female)? I also then want a sensible, workable system to include transgender in sports in a fair manner. A system that is both fair for all competitors and also enjoyable for audiences of such events. All I've heard so far is basically - sod the females, they should stop complaining and just let the blokes who are now considered women to play to.

How big are you???

You get nothing more than an average Russian, a house and a car, you only get a big mouth. You can have a look at those homeless people in America, those American make $12,000 per year, their living standard is lower than those South Americans who make $1/day. Your GDP is a fake number. I think you are the big mouth, not others. 1) The West laughs Russia lost a war to Japan, you must forget the battle of Singapore, and the battle of Hong Kong, Two biggest jokes in history. 2) Muscovy was not ruled by Mongols. Please google the map of the Mongol Empire. But Spain was ruled by Moors for 750 years. And Europe was invaded by Mongol long ago, Huns came form Mongolia. Later when Mongols arrived the Danube, the European Army ran away.