Should scientists be turning gay sheep straight?

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I really don't know where I stand on this issue:

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/

New Mark H (New MarkH), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago)

I think this is fascinating. I also think this should probably not be done, mostly because humanity can't seem to come up with interesting genetics experiments without formulating an attendant eugenics program.

The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago)

good god yes!

not-goodwin (not-goodwin), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

x-post -- But we have to correct those mistakes made by God in order to fulfill God's plan. Um...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:48 (eighteen years ago)

Hahaha I can't tell if not-goodwin is agreeing or disagreeing with me!

The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:49 (eighteen years ago)

Well, if homosexuality can be negated by means of a drug then it is emphatically not a sinful lifestyle choice and must be another part of God's wonderful plan. In which case all the gay-hating-fundies have been wrong all along and are going to hell!

Stone Monkey (Stone Monkey), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:53 (eighteen years ago)

We must trumpet this stunning revelation to the media! Minds will be blown!

g00blar (gooblar), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

Knowing exactly why someone is straight or gay doesn't make them any less straight or gay. I can't see the problem with knowing this stuff. (ps I generally ignore gay-hating-fundies, they don't know very much)

Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

great uses of science pt 94

http://static.flickr.com/53/113366903_3bf90e3ce9_o.jpg

the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

Disagreeing Dan, sorry. I’m not a bigot, but in my eyes, there’s nothing worse than a gay sheep. Imagine some poor child has a casserole with gay meat, I dread to think of the consequences.

not-goodwin (not-goodwin), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:57 (eighteen years ago)

I... I hadn't thought of that.

The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

And what kind of parent would you be if you let your child put gay meat in their mouth?

Stone Monkey (Stone Monkey), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

YEAH YOU

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

Not a very good one, i can tell you that!

not-goodwin (not-goodwin), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:02 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not even gonna try to GIS "gay meat" at the library.

g00blar (gooblar), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago)

i can't seem to read that blog :|

ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:09 (eighteen years ago)

It takes it's time ken, but it does come up eventually.

Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

badumsha

Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago)

Well, if homosexuality can be negated by means of a drug then it is emphatically not a sinful lifestyle choice and must be another part of God's wonderful plan. In which case all the gay-hating-fundies have been wrong all along and are going to hell!

OK you realize that this doesn't necessarily make a lick of sense, and certainly not a single fundie will think of this like this in any fashion whatsoever?

Allyzay Eisenschefter Pop You To The Extreme (allyzay), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

They'd be funding this "cure for hom" and praise the lord doing it.

mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)

gay meat. haha!

Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

Would the processing allow for big slabs of gay-safe gyro filling?

kingfish prætor (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:50 (eighteen years ago)

I bet gay sheep taste fabulous!

M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:55 (eighteen years ago)

What if you had a straight ear grafted on the back of a gay mouse? Since the mouse produces the hormones, would it queer the ear?

Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:57 (eighteen years ago)

If they want to prove that their theory is correct they should also turn straight sheep gay.

StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:57 (eighteen years ago)

I'm sure that's next on the to-do list. If I was a scientist, making gay sheep would be very high on my list of priorities.

Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 16:58 (eighteen years ago)

If only for access to the gay meat market...

Stone Monkey (Stone Monkey), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

I bet lots of knitters would love to get rid of artificially colored pink wool if they had the choice, so why not?

StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 17:08 (eighteen years ago)

I thought the shepherds were the culprits.

aimurchie (aimurchie), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 17:16 (eighteen years ago)

Some people worry that the sheep research will eventually give rise to pre-natal tests that enable couples to determine the likely sexual orientation of their offspring.

So is it okay to have an abortion if your baby might be gay????

Seriously, I highly doubt the scientists are looking for a cure for homosexuality, and I guarantee if this wasn't publicized in mainstream media, science-hating fundies would never hear about it.

Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 17:33 (eighteen years ago)

I just came across http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_eugenics and it seems what is being done at this level is a good step to raise the material and cultural standard of living for the great masses , towards living longer, healthier happier lives etc I think eugenic choices must be made democratically accessible to everybody to represent a multitude of human excellence.

If gay pill/straight pill were available what would be likely popular consumption trends throughout the lifetime?

SÆbästìên (immortalist), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 17:39 (eighteen years ago)

college females consume gay pills by the thousands! but only after minimum two beers.

Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 18:04 (eighteen years ago)

example of unpopular consumption trend: old mens str8 all their lives pop a couple of gay pills on their death bed to have a fab exit tataaa!

SÆbästìên (immortalist), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 18:20 (eighteen years ago)

Making gay rams straight in order to avoid losing breeding potential isn't exactly a worse violation of sheep's rights to be themselves than any of the million grosser things we do to farm animals to make them more productive.

The problem with debating homosexuality in terms of its science -- genetics, nature/nurture, brain chemistry -- is that if you have some sort of problem with the state of homosexuality, you still need to present some sort of reason why it's a harm. Sheep ranchers' reason = "we want to breed as many sheep as possible." Christian fundamentalists' reason, no matter what other claptrap they come up with to pretend it's a social concern = "our religious practice tells us so." Even if homosexuality turned out to be easily "curable" -- even if it turned out to be a "choice" -- they still wouldn't have any non-religious argument for why anyone should bother stopping it.

nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 22:05 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/r/ro/robertt/485818_ram.jpg

^ really gay

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:10 (eighteen years ago)

Exactly, nabisco. That was so well put.

aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 05:03 (eighteen years ago)

all sheep are bottoms: my golden yorkshire years by james herriot, country vet.

remybean (bean), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 06:32 (eighteen years ago)

I'm still pondering "straight ear for the gay mouse"

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:34 (eighteen years ago)

Well, that was disappointing: http://ramsbottom.net

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:51 (eighteen years ago)

I just feel like posting this; one of my favourite pages on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_displaying_homosexual_behavior


List of animals displaying homosexual behavior
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This list includes animals for which there is documented evidence of homosexual or transgender behavior of one or more of the following kinds: sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, or parenting.

Contents [hide]
1 Mammals
2 Birds
3 Fish
4 Other vertebrates
5 Insects and other invertebrates
6 Sources


[edit] Mammals
African Buffalo
African Elephant
Agile Wallaby
Amazon River Dolphin (Boto)
American Bison
Aperea
Asian Elephant
Asiatic Mouflon
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Australian Sea Lion
Barasingha
Barbary Sheep
Beluga
Bharal
Bighorn Sheep
Black Bear
Blackbuck
Black-footed Rock Wallaby
Black-tailed Deer
Bonnet Macaque
Bonobo
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bowhead Whale
Bridled Dolphin
Brown Bear
Brown Capuchin
Brown Long-eared Bat
Brown Rat
Caribou
Cat (domestic)
Cattle (domestic)
Cheetah
Collared Peccary
Commerson's Dolphin
Common Brushtail Possum
Common Chimpanzee
Common Dolphin
Common Marmoset
Common Pipistrelle
Common Raccoon
Common Tree Shrew
Cotton-top Tamarin
Crab-eating Macaque
Crested Black Macaque
Cui
Dall's Sheep
Daubenton's Bat
Dog (domestic)
Doria's Tree Kangaroo
Dugong
Dwarf Cavy
Dwarf Mongoose
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Eastern Gray Kangaroo
Elk
Euro (a subspecies of wallaroo)
European Bison
Fallow Deer
False Killer Whale
Fat-tailed Dunnart
Fin Whale
Fox
Gelada Baboon
Giraffe
Goat (Domestic)
Golden Monkey
Gorilla
Grant's Gazelle
Gray-headed Flying Fox
Gray Seal
Gray Squirrel
Gray Whale
Gray Wolf
Grizzly Bear
Guinea Pig (Domestic)
Hamadryas Baboon
Hamster (Domestic)
Hanuman Langur
Harbor Porpoise
Harbor Seal
Himalayan Tahr
Hoary Marmot
Horse (domestic)
Human
Indian Fruit Bat
Indian Muntjac
Indian Rhinoceros
Japanese Macaque
Javelina
Kangaroo Rat
Killer Whale
Koala
Kob
Larga Seal
Least Chipmunk
Lechwe
Lesser Bushbaby
Lion
Lion-tailed Macaque
Lion Tamarin
Little Brown Bat
Livingstone's Fruit Bat
Long-eared Hedgehog
Long-footed Tree Shrew
Markhor
Marten
Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
Mohol Galago
Moor Macaque
Moose
Mountain Goat
Mountain Tree Shrew
Mountain Zebra
Mouse (domestic)
Moustached Tamarin
Mule Deer
Musk-ox
Natterer's Bat
New Zealand Sea Lion
Nilgiri Langur
Noctule
North American Porcupine
Northern Elephant Seal
Northern Fur Seal
Northern Quoll
Olympic Marmot
Orangutan
Orca
Pacific Striped Dolphin
Patas Monkey
Pere David's Deer
Pig (Domestic)
Pig-tailed Macaque
Plains Zebra
Polar Bear
Pretty-faced Wallaby
Proboscis Monkey
Pronghorn
Przewalski's Horse
Puku
Quokka
Rabbit
Raccoon Dog
Red Deer
Red Fox
Red Kangaroo
Red-necked Wallaby
Red Squirrel
Reeves's Muntjac
Reindeer
Rhesus Macaque
Right Whale
Rock Cavy
Rodrigues Fruit Bat
Roe Deer
Rufous Bettong
Rufous-naped Tamarin
Rufous Rat Kangaroo
Saddle-back Tamarin
Savanna Baboon
Sea Otter
Serotine Bat
Sheep (Domestic)
Siamang
Sika Deer
Slender Tree Shrew
Sooty Mangabey
Sperm Whale
Spinifex Hopping Mouse
Spinner Dolphin
Spotted Hyena
Spotted Seal
Squirrel Monkey
Striped Dolphin
Stuart's Marsupial Mouse
Stumptail Macaque
Swamp Deer
Swamp Wallaby
Takhi
Talapoin
Tammar Wallaby
Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Rat Kangaroo
Thinhorn Sheep
Thomson's Gazelle
Tiger
Tonkean Macaque
Tucuxi
Urial
Vampire Bat
Verreaux's Sifaka
Vervet
Vicuna
Walrus
Wapiti
Warthog
Waterbuck
Water Buffalo
Weeper Capuchin
Western Gray Kangaroo
West Indian Manatee
Whiptail Wallaby
White-faced Capuchin
White-fronted Capuchin
White-handed Gibbon
White-lipped Peccary
White-tailed Deer
Wild Cavy
Wild Goat
Wisent
Yello-footed Rock Wallaby
Yellow-toothed Cavy

[edit] Birds
Acorn Woodpecker
Adelie Penguin
Anna's Hummingbird
Australian Shelduck
Aztec Parakeet
Bangalese Finch (Domestic)
Bank Swallow
Barn Owl
Bicolored Antbird
Black-billed Magpie
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-headed Gull
Black-rumped Flameback
Black Stilt
Black Swan
Black-winged Stilt
Blue-backed Manakin
Blue-bellied Roller
Blue Tit
Blue-winged Teal
Brown-headed Cowbird
Budgerigar (Domestic)
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Calfbird
California Gull
Canada Goose
Canary-winged Parakeet
Caspian Tern
Cattle Egret
Chaffinch
Chicken (Domestic)
Chiloe Wigeon
Cliff Swallow
Common Gull
Common Murre
Common Shelduck
Crane spp.
Dusky Moorhen
Eastern Bluebird
Egyptian Goose
Elegant Parrot
Emu
European Jay
European Shag
Flamingo
Galah
Gentoo Penguin
Golden Bishop Bird
Golden Plover
Gray-breasted Jay
Gray-capped Social Weaver
Gray Heron
Grayling
Great Cormorant
Greater Bird of Paradise
Greater Rhea
Green Sandpiper
Greenshank
Greylag Goose
Griffon Vulture
Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock
Guillemot
Herring Gull
Hoary-headed Grebe
Hooded Warbler
House Sparrow
Humboldt Penguin
Ivory Gull
Jackdaw
Kestrel
King Penguin
Kittiwake
Laughing Gull
Laysan Albatross
Least Darter
Lesser Flamingo
Lesser Scaup Duck
Little Blue Heron
Little Egret
Long-tailed Hermit Hummingbird
Mallard
Masked Lovebird
Mealy Amazon Parrot
Mew Gull
Mexican Jay
Musk Duck
Mute Swan
Ocellated Antbird
Ocher-bellied Flycatcher
Orange Bishop Bird
Orange-footed Parakeet
Ornate Lorikeet
Ostrich
Oystercatcher
Peach-faced Lovebird
Pied Flycatcher
Pied Kingfisher
Pigeon (Domestic)
Powerful Owl
Purple Swamphen
Raggiana's Bird of Paradise
Raven
Razorbill
Red-backed Shrike
Red Bishop Bird
Red-faced Lovebird
Redshank
Red-shouldered Widowbird
Regent Bowerbird
Ring-billed Gull
Ring Dove
Rock Dove
Roseate Cockatoo
Roseate Tern
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Ruff
Ruffed Grouse
Sage Grouse
San Blas Jay
Sand Martin
Satin Bowerbird
Scarlet Ibis
Scottish Crossbill
Senegal Parrot
Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Silver Gull
Silvery Grebe
Snow Goose
Steller's Sea Eagle
Superb Lyrebird
Swallow-tailed Manakin
Tasmanian Native Hen
Tree Swallow
Trumpeter Swan
Turkey (Domestic)
Victoria's Riflebird
Wattled Starling
Western Gull
White-fronted Amazon Parrot
White Stork
Wood Duck
Yellow-backed (Chattering) Lorikeet
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Zebra Finch (Domestic)

[edit] Fish
Amazon molly
Blackstripe Topminnow
Bluegill Sunfish
Char
European Bitterling
Green swordtail
Guiana leaffish
Hammerhead
Houting Whitefish
Jewel Fish
Mouthbreeding Fish sp.
Salmon spp.
Southern platyfish
Ten-spined stickleback
Three-spined stickleback

[edit] Other vertebrates
Anole sp.
Appalachian Woodland Salamander
Black-spotted Frog
Broad-headed Skink
Checkered Whiptail Lizard
Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Common Ameiva
Common Garter Snake
Cuban Green Anole
Desert Grassland Whiptail Lizard
Desert Tortoise
Fence Lizard
Five-lined Skink
Gopher (Pine) Snake
Green Anole
Inagua Curlytail Lizard
Jamaican Giant Anole
Laredo Striped Whiptail Lizard
Largehead Anole
Mountain Dusky Salamander
Mourning Gecko
Plateau Striped Whiptail Lizard
Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Red-tailed Skink
Side-blotched Lizard
Speckled Rattlesnake
Tengger Desert Toad
Water Moccasin
Western Rattlesnake
Western Banded Gecko
Whiptail Lizard spp.
Wood Turtle

[edit] Insects and other invertebrates
Acanthocephalan Worms
Alfalfa Weevil
Australian Parasitic Wasp sp.
Bean Weevil sp.
Bedbug and other Bug spp.
Blister Beetle spp.
Blowfly
Box Crab
Broadwinged Damselfly sp.
Cabbage (Small) White
Checkerspot Butterfly
Clubtail Dragonfly spp.
Cockroach spp.
Common Skimmer Dragonfly spp.
Creeping Water Bug sp.
Digger Bee
Dragonfly spp.
Eastern Giant Ichneumon
Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer
Field Cricket sp.
Fruit Fly spp.
Glasswing Butterfly
Grape Berry Moth
Grape Borer
Green Lacewing
Harvest Spider sp.
Hawaiian Orb-Weaver
Hen Flea
House Fly
Ichneumon Wasp sp.
Incirrate Octopus spp.
Japanese Scarab Beetle
Jumping Spider sp.
Larch Bud Moth
Large Milkweed Bug
Large White
Long-legged Fly spp.
Mazarine Blue
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Mexican White
Midge sp.
Migratory Locust
Mite sp.
Monarch Butterfly
Narrow-winged Damselfly spp.
Parsnip Leaf Miner
Pomace Fly
Prea
Queen Butterfly
Red Ant sp.
Red Flour Beetle
Reindeer Warble Fly
Rosechafer
Rove Beetle spp.
Scarab Beetle, Melolonthine
Screwworm Fly
Silkworm Moth
Sociable Weaver
Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Southern Green Stink Bug
Southern Masked Chafer
Southern One-Year Canegrub
Spreadwinged Damselfly spp.
Spruce Budworm Moth
Stable Fly sp.
Stag Beetle spp.
Tsetse Fly
Water Boatman Bug
Water Strider spp.

Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago)

Fruit Fly

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:59 (eighteen years ago)

Stag Beetle

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:13 (eighteen years ago)

But are the rams being mounted always giving their consent? Do two bleats really mean one bleat?

reverto levidensis (blueski), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:30 (eighteen years ago)

Moustached Tamarin

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:31 (eighteen years ago)

List of animals displaying homosexual behavior

What's the term for animals who want to have sex with humans then?

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:34 (eighteen years ago)

Screwworm Fly

Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:42 (eighteen years ago)

Pretty-faced Wallaby

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:45 (eighteen years ago)

What's the term for animals who want to have sex with humans then?

StanM's fantasy.

New Mark H (New MarkH), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:50 (eighteen years ago)

Cockroach

xp: haha!

StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

Laredo Striped Whiptail Lizard
yee-haw...

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)


Acorn Woodpecker
Queen Butterfly
Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer
Superb Lyrebird
Cliff Swallow

Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:58 (eighteen years ago)

Largehead Anole

ampersand, spades, semicolon (cis), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

n homosexual behavior is only a human thing, determined by cultural precepts, male to male or female to female sex is present in the animal kingdom, but the universal is a lack of unversials (so those sheep most likely fucked same and opposite sex other sheep)

pinkmoose (jacklove), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

Blowfly

latebloomer da nutty tarkovsky (latebloomer), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

European Shag

lolz

The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:34 (eighteen years ago)

Southern Masked Chafer

latebloomer da nutty tarkovsky (latebloomer), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

bison

mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:38 (eighteen years ago)

Lesser Spotted Blogger

reverto levidensis (blueski), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

All this frivolousness notwithstanding... the original blog piece has been updated with info that the research was a) five years old and ii) stunningly inaccurately reported. No straightening of bent sheep was achieved or even attempted.

ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:50 (eighteen years ago)

Black-rumped Flameback

latebloomer da nutty tarkovsky (latebloomer), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 15:56 (eighteen years ago)

Ewe

mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

rofl

latebloomer da nutty tarkovsky (latebloomer), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)


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