Dutch Yaoi Fans

@ Link: Ahhh, you shouldn't talk less academic! It's so interesting to read. At least, I very much enjoy to read it, because I know close to nothing about this subject
So please, talk on

@ Link,

Ah, the well-heard argument that explaining things by chemistry/biology/physics (from now on, I'm just gonna call it "science" ) is non-emotional and dull, not the full scale. I think you're wrong. When I imagine the brain to be this giant chemical factory, I still find it beautiful and amazing. Why? Because in one single brain, there are as much neurons (=brain cells) as there are stars in the entire galaxy! Two hundred freaking BILLION neurons exist within your brain. The brain is a galaxy an sich. There's a whole galaxy of neurons in each human being. Even more so, each neuron is connected with about a hundred other neurons. That means that there are at least 20 trillion brain routes (and probably even more, I'm not that good at statistics). Isn't that an amazing number? And in each of these routes, in each cell amazing things are happening, and that all with just under one DVD of genetic information. And yet, we can experience emotions, write full essays, handle complex tasks, etcetera, and we're still using only 30% of our brain capacity. And all those cells, they do extraordinary things. At the moment, quadrillions of molecules are processed in your body. Cells are converting sugar into complex proteins, muscle tissue, hormones, and whatever more cells make, with incredible ease. Take one single stem cell, give it the right set of hormones, and a few months later, you'll have a fully fledged human being, complete with eyes, brain, limbs, a beating heart and all that. All that, from the ongoing cascade of the processes withing that single stem cell. I find it truly amazing what cells, what our body can do.

For comparison, we now can synthetically make proteins that are 50 amino-acids long. The largest known protein in existance, titin, is composed of almost 35,000 amino-acids. It is 17,000 times heavier than glucose. Yet, titin is overabundant in the human body. It's one of the most made proteins in the body, as it is a muscle filament. Cells make this protein is matter of seconds, while it would take months to synthetically make it. See the size of the thing for yourself; take this
picture as a model. It's model of Hexokinase, a protein about 30 times smaller than titin. In the right-hand corner (the white ring with the red balls attached to it), there's glucose for comparison.

I find it truly amazing and beautiful how cells can do all this with such incredible ease. Truly amazing how simple energy-levels in atoms can lead to such tremendous information-processing brains, how it can make us experience complex emotions far beyond the reach of the simple logical reasoning behind the reactions themselves.

Dude, man, stop it, you are brainwashing people with those statements >_> You know that the science you are talking about are results of induced reasoning.... I mean the reality is complex (impossible to deny that) and science is a way to understand it by cutting that complexity in tiny little pieces. What you are doing is exactly this. You are merely describing a small fraction what is going on. And on top of that, since it is induced reasoning, the social practice (for example homosexuality) is modeled in small in a cell. There are only 'correlations' or 'connections' between the reality and this model, actually it is only one sided: practice---> theory. A lot of academics make the mistake (maybe they are just a little bit too full of themselves) and declare that the theory explains the reality: theory--->practice. And i believe you are doing this too..... It is just how some scientists like to perceive the world. They think everything is and should be quantifiable and esspecially seen in patterns, by looking at humans as a mere machine. They just forget that a large side of human behaviour is still 'unpredictable' or they rather say: it's redundant and too complex... >_>

I believe what you are saying, fascinating really, but impossible to analyse homosexuality with it. It is after all an identity which is performed and contested socially with other people, between people. Biology says nothing about it. It is how the person 'feels' about whether he is gay or not. It can be a personal choice or forced for that matter, or even when it is born as a girl or a boy. I mean, I have read stories of a boy who got a very bad accident during circumcision, and their parents tried to rear the child as a girl from then on. Later on the boy discovers he was actually a boy and ended up in a big dilemma, whatever his biological origins are, how determined his 'faith' was by birth, he still ended up as a girl....

Btw, I did not mean hard science is dull.... I have studied it after all, it's fascinating, but I just changed my way of scientific reasoning by accepting REALITY as a truth and from there on try to understand it, instead of clinging to imaginary hard science theories, which are after all just models. I don't want to say it is false or invalid, since there is no better alternative. You know that science in the past has controversies of its own, like the world is flat and the sun revolves around earth and so on....

But this is a never ending philosophical debate.... and i love how you are so fascinated by it, just remember that if you look hard enough, you will always see something interesting, no matter where you look ^_^

Gah, I probably should have waited with reading this until after sleeping a full night again (has just pulled a 36 hours withoud sleep). I love the discussion though! I agree with Link, it's just the way I approach life and the world in general, but I do understand what you mean, 10th plague (or Sander, but since I never met you, I'm confused now... ^^" - hehe...) Science is fascinating, and I love biology (I am plowing through the 7th edition of Campbell at the moment) but anthropology is something that really holds my interest. Which is also a reason the love these discussions since I am just a beginner in my search for knowledge. ^^" (I support you there Kreatio! *ehehe*)

@Link: Don't worry about sounding to "Academic" ^^ - well, at least where I'm concerned (can't speak for others, although I try sometimes ^^") I still wanna be friends. Only because I act like a drunk rodent half the time doesn't mean the rest of the world should. *grins* That would be very bad (although maybe it explains the current financial crisis...)

O0O Wow, I think I will list the group chat as an scientific source if I ever have to do an asignment again. I bow down to all your posts Link and 10th plague! I think you both have a point though. I think there is chemistry part and other not scientific things which explain love and in particulary being attracted to men or women. Just like being alive. If there wouldn't be something like a soul we would be only machines. *Well, that is just an opinion* It's really interesting. Oh and Link don't worry about people not wanting to talk to you anymore because that isn't true. I love talking and discussing about all kinds of stuff. *Get's me in to trouble too. Trying to discuss stuff with somebody who knows more then me mostly turns into me just listening and not getting my point across. I'm a horrible person to discuss things with*

Well everyone, for those who do not regularly check their mail (but do check this forum on a regular basis) Yesterday I send everyone who registered for the Aarin Meeting 2009 an e-mail which allows them to vote on a date for the Meeting. For those of you who either haven't voted and/or didn't check there e-mail, you should have it by now and please cast your vote.

Status so far: 7 vote's have been cast.

And if I am not able to post a new message on this forum for the next 8 days or so (and for everyone who hasn't signed up for the meeting and thus have not received my e-mail):

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,

Mac.

Btw I created an holiday fic for everyone. I hope you will enjoy it


>>link<<

Ik wens iedereen voor morgen fijne kerstdagen en een super Nieuwjaar.
Ik hoop dat iedereen veel geluk heeft in het nieuwe jaar en dat iedereens wensen uitkomen.

(Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!)

Merry Christmas everyone!! *runs outside to look for the snow*

Just to say Hi! I'm not dead yet! but I'm not gonna reread all that I've missed until now (don't have time and wont have for a while, Sorry! everybody but I still love you!!!!)