Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2470-2474 (17-21 June, 2013) Weekly Comic Discussion Thread
Skewbrow:
--- Quote from: Indicible on 19 Jun 2013, 00:24 ---Problem is, we all have those biological preconceptions (why do we find incest disgusting? Because it produces genetic aberrations, short term).
--- End quote ---
Hmm. If genetics were the only factor, then incest taboo would exist for all species. Yet that is not the case. Ask a cattle breeder, the alpha male of a wolf pack, or the queen bee (I could be mistaken about the last one, but wanted to add a matrilineal example). Genetically the mechanism is (me thinks) that inbreeding reinforces all traits, good and bad ones alike. It works for those species, where reproduction is limited to "the fittest genes". Not without risks, granted, and only when the species is willing to dispose of failed offspring. This wikipedia article is probably closer to the mark. The taboo is common among primates, and thus the root causes are likely sociological, a consequence of the primate lifestyle? Marriage of close relatives cuts down the spreading of the social network to other clans.
Large age disparity may work the same way, but the case is not as strong.
Is it cold in here?:
Mice prefer mating with others whose MHC is as different as possible.
Jim, never mind the soul patch, why not try tucking in your shirt?
Will tacos be the next meme food?
Did Jim want to eat a balled taco?
Loki:
Incest taboo is also a cultural thing.* For example, sibling marriage was the norm for some time in the Egyptian royal family (but not among the commoners). Other cultures impose different limits on the definition of "family" for the purposes of the definition of incest. Surly the most prominent example in modern culture is the question whether cousins should be allowed to marry; but other cultures might consider two people "related" if they are related by marriage only, even if the marriage no longer exists.
*Incidentally, so is the notion that you should tuck your shirt in. This really puts the impact culture has on us into perspective.
mtmerrick:
I hate tucking my shirt in. I refuse to do it 99% of the time.
Carl-E:
I can't deal with one that's not tucked in. The waistband of my pants feels weird without something there under it. I tuck t-shirts and polos, too.
But that's just what I'm used to, I guess.
By the way, I'm back! Didja miss me?
And does anyone know what happened to the list of links on the comic homepage? They're still listed in the sourcecode (yeah, I checked) but I don't see them in any browser (no, I haven't checked them all... just firefox and IE)
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