Comments on: How Sci-Fi Makes Us More Open to Strange Forms of Sex and Sexuality http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:57:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: FLanker http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4756 FLanker Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:04:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4756 I found these that could help at least get an Idea of Cyborg sex.. Hah!! http://www.fleshlight.com/freaks/cyborg/ I found these that could help at least get an Idea of Cyborg sex.. Hah!!

http://www.fleshlight.com/freaks/cyborg/

]]> By: shaed http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4755 shaed Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:01:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4755 No, Kyle, there is an actual word for low/no sex drive - hyposexual. And while a person with no sex drive may be essentially asexual, your article equates the two, erasing the experience of most asexual people, confusing people who have just come across the word, and altogether making things harder for an already misunderstood minority. No, Kyle, there is an actual word for low/no sex drive – hyposexual.

And while a person with no sex drive may be essentially asexual, your article equates the two, erasing the experience of most asexual people, confusing people who have just come across the word, and altogether making things harder for an already misunderstood minority.

]]> By: Kyle Munkittrick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4754 Kyle Munkittrick Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:52:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4754 Persephone, the question about a spectrum of consent is an interesting point, but we should be careful. BDSM aficionados and those in the kink community are probably more aware of the importance of consent than most others. Consent should given before hand in a clear, logical way so that, in the heat of the moment, a denial can be given (e.g. "no" or "please stop") that doesn't break the role-play, while a safe word is set up to protect against any real violations. Consent is a yes or no situation, but when or how that consent is given varies from context to context. Persephone, the question about a spectrum of consent is an interesting point, but we should be careful. BDSM aficionados and those in the kink community are probably more aware of the importance of consent than most others. Consent should given before hand in a clear, logical way so that, in the heat of the moment, a denial can be given (e.g. “no” or “please stop”) that doesn’t break the role-play, while a safe word is set up to protect against any real violations. Consent is a yes or no situation, but when or how that consent is given varies from context to context.

]]> By: Kyle Munkittrick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4753 Kyle Munkittrick Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:48:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4753 Eden, thank you for the point of clarification. However, asexuality doesn't yet have a strong classification and both drive and attraction are considered. That is, a person could have a sex drive of zero, but be attracted to some people. Alternately, a person could have an average sex drive, but be attracted to no one. The net effect is the same - asexual. It's the sexual equivalent of multiplying by zero. Eden, thank you for the point of clarification. However, asexuality doesn’t yet have a strong classification and both drive and attraction are considered. That is, a person could have a sex drive of zero, but be attracted to some people. Alternately, a person could have an average sex drive, but be attracted to no one. The net effect is the same – asexual. It’s the sexual equivalent of multiplying by zero.

]]> By: Persephone http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4752 Persephone Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:03:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4752 I agree that Captain Jack From Dr. Who & Torchwood is a better example of a bisexual character in popular science fiction . The list of sexual spectrums, followed by the statement that as long as sex is consensual it should be considered ok, let me wondering if Consensual vs. Non-consensual is also a spectrum? In reality, how often does one partner give in to the other, either because of personal or social pressure? On the other hand, people who in engage in BDSM may consensually enact a a rape scene. So maybe consent is also a spectrum, rather than a black & white distinction? I agree that Captain Jack From Dr. Who & Torchwood is a better example of a bisexual character in popular science fiction .

The list of sexual spectrums, followed by the statement that as long as sex is consensual it should be considered ok, let me wondering if Consensual vs. Non-consensual is also a spectrum? In reality, how often does one partner give in to the other, either because of personal or social pressure? On the other hand, people who in engage in BDSM may consensually enact a a rape scene. So maybe consent is also a spectrum, rather than a black & white distinction?

]]> By: Eden http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4751 Eden Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:54:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4751 This article is okay but it's upsetting me that you're providing false information about asexuality. It's not a lack of a sex drive, it's a lack of sexual attraction which makes it an orientation much like heterosexual and homosexual. There are plenty of "functioning" asexuals out there with a sex drive but no sexual attraction to anyone. Please do a little research before placing false information in your articles... I also dislike the severe lack of Jack Harkness from Doctor Who/Torchwood. He's a far better example than some of the characters mentioned in this article. This article is okay but it’s upsetting me that you’re providing false information about asexuality. It’s not a lack of a sex drive, it’s a lack of sexual attraction which makes it an orientation much like heterosexual and homosexual. There are plenty of “functioning” asexuals out there with a sex drive but no sexual attraction to anyone. Please do a little research before placing false information in your articles…

I also dislike the severe lack of Jack Harkness from Doctor Who/Torchwood. He’s a far better example than some of the characters mentioned in this article.

]]> By: Matthew Saunders http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4750 Matthew Saunders Sat, 07 May 2011 03:21:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4750 # 14: That is an excellent article, m'man :) I'm glad there are more and more straight men able to think beyond the 'put into slot A' and are able to think of sex as it REALLY, the whole body, indeed, the environment, is an erogenous zone. It involves giving up some really pernicious game rules and learning a bit from what women already know... # 14: That is an excellent article, m’man :)

I’m glad there are more and more straight men able to think beyond the ‘put into slot A’ and are able to think of sex as it REALLY, the whole body, indeed, the environment, is an erogenous zone.

It involves giving up some really pernicious game rules and learning a bit from what women already know…

]]> By: Mark Plus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4749 Mark Plus Fri, 06 May 2011 15:55:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4749 Meanwhile, back in the real world, straight men have a problem: Women find the overwhelming majority of us sexually unappealing. In fact male sexual behavior follows a Pareto distribution, where 20 percent of the men get 80 percent of the sex, while 80 percent of the men have to fight for the scraps and leavings in the remaining 20 percent of the sex. We even find this reality written in our genomes; apparently we have twice as many female ancestors as male ancestors. Evolutionary psychologist Roy Baumeister argues from the data that of all the humans who reached sexual maturity, about 80 percent of the women reproduced, but only 40 percent of the men. And people wonder where the middle aged male virgins come from. Reference: Is There Anything Good About Men? http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/goodaboutmen.htm Meanwhile, back in the real world, straight men have a problem: Women find the overwhelming majority of us sexually unappealing. In fact male sexual behavior follows a Pareto distribution, where 20 percent of the men get 80 percent of the sex, while 80 percent of the men have to fight for the scraps and leavings in the remaining 20 percent of the sex. We even find this reality written in our genomes; apparently we have twice as many female ancestors as male ancestors. Evolutionary psychologist Roy Baumeister argues from the data that of all the humans who reached sexual maturity, about 80 percent of the women reproduced, but only 40 percent of the men.

And people wonder where the middle aged male virgins come from.

Reference:

Is There Anything Good About Men?
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/goodaboutmen.htm

]]> By: Mark Plus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4748 Mark Plus Fri, 06 May 2011 15:46:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4748 @Matthew Saunders: >just like Robert Anton Wilson said, the difference between liberal and conservative is 20 years, everything is always changing… Back in 1978, RAW also said that we could throw away the actuarial tables by now: Next Stop: Immortality http://www.futurehi.net/docs/RAW_Immortality.html How has that "immortality" worked out for RAW lately? @Matthew Saunders:

>just like Robert Anton Wilson said, the difference between liberal and conservative is 20 years, everything is always changing…

Back in 1978, RAW also said that we could throw away the actuarial tables by now:

Next Stop: Immortality

http://www.futurehi.net/docs/RAW_Immortality.html

How has that “immortality” worked out for RAW lately?

]]> By: Kate Maloy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/30/how-sci-fi-makes-us-more-open-strange-forms-of-sex-and-sexuality/#comment-4747 Kate Maloy Thu, 05 May 2011 20:35:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=4264#comment-4747 This is all very intriguing, but where, oh where, is Ursual Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness"? Have a look: http://www.amazon.com/Left-Hand-Darkness-Ursula-Guin/dp/0441007317/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304627613&sr=1-1 This is all very intriguing, but where, oh where, is Ursual Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness”? Have a look: http://www.amazon.com/Left-Hand-Darkness-Ursula-Guin/dp/0441007317/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304627613&sr=1-1

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