Category: Ethnochoreology

The Fallacy of Transgender Female Athletes Competing at the Same Biological Level as Cisgender Female Athletes

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It is a common misconception that transgender athletes who transition from male to female have the same sexual dimorphisms and therefore the same athletic capabilities and baseline statistics as cisgendered women when competing within athletic competition. Cisgender males on average have 40% more upper body muscle/strength than cisgendered women and 30% more lower body muscle/strength than cisgendered women, although these are mere approximations which span the entire world population which is why this is not always the case. Female hormones can reduce these advantages by 5% – 10% within the human body of elite athletes, but it is at the current time, as of 2023, impossible to completely reverse the advantage of biological male puberty for transgender male to female athletes. Surprisingly, hormone therapy rapidly reduces hemoglobin levels to that of cisgender women however all other baseline statistics remain relatively the same post transition when using hormone replacement therapy. Even after 36 months of treatment, virtually all other baseline levels are higher than the average cisgender female. These discoveries suggest that physical strength may be preserved in transgender women during the first 3 years of hormone replacement therapy. It should be noted, if the athlete does not go through male puberty, these male hormone induced advantages do not apply. This is because these traits are largely associated with testosterone but not entirely

The Minimum Salary Within the U.S. National Basketball Association

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As of 2023, the minimum salary of a U.S. National Basketball Association professional player is $953,000 per year, which equates to $220.00 – $330.00 per hour as players work 60 – 90 hour work weeks (e.g. basketball game of 2 – 3 hours, post game interview of 1 – 2 hours, training of 3 – 4 hours etc.)

The Mass Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Sighting in Nuremberg, Germany During the Renaissance

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In 1561, a mass unidentified aerial phenomena sighting was documented above Nuremberg, Germany. Witnesses report observing a large black triangular object and spherical crafts falling from the sky, producing clouds of smoke. Hundreds of spheres, cylinders, and other various shaped crafts jostled erratically for 1 hour before departing. The event was described as a “battle”

The Marriage of Human Beings and Artificial Intelligence Anime Characters

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Anime characters are enormously popular in Japan and as a direct result, organizations (e.g. Gatebox etc.) have developed artificial intelligence anime characters which act as romantic spouses (e.g. boyfriend, wife, long term partner etc.) with many users choosing these platforms over relationships with fellow human beings as the platforms provide what the user is looking for without the need to develop and maintain a human relationship. Gatebox has married approximately 4000 people with anime spouses as of 2020, providing certificates which officially declare this matrimony outside of a legal setting but within the company itself, as it is currently not legal in any country to marry a non-human entity. Some of these participants choose to wear a wedding ring permanently as a means of displaying their love for their anime spouse, toward the outside world. Critics of this narrative argue that as human beings spend more and more time in virtual worlds with artificial intelligence companionship, the artificial intelligence they are interacting with becomes better adept at manipulating emotions and keeping their target isolated from other human beings

The Reason Hindu Deities are Provided Offerings

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Within the Hindu religion it is believed that a sculpture or depiction of a god is not abstract, rather the sculpture or image is actually the deity depicted which has been manifested. This means that to view a depiction of a Hindu god as an artifact or a piece of artwork is to imprison that god in an enclosed structure like a prison. This is why Hindus feel the need to touch and provide offerings to depictions of gods, as they believe that the depiction is just as real and authentic as a human being of whom they are face to face with. It is highly common to see sculptures bedecked in finery and provided offerings like milk, yogurt, and sweets

The Ancient Roman Torture Method of the Roman Candle

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The term “Roman Candle”, most commonly used within the fireworks industry, is in reference to a horrible execution method used most commonly by the Roman Emperor Nero. Nero would instruct his soldiers to forcibly coat the bodies of enemies and victims within pitch, oil, wax, and other flammable materials before lighting the feet of these victims to be used as human candles during formal parties, purposeful in its design to create the most prolonged and agonizing torture possible

 

The Origin of the Wedding Garter Belt Tradition

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During the Medieval period, pieces of a brides ensemble were considered tokens of good luck and fertility. These items were so prized that wedding guests would routinely fight to rip the textiles right off of the bride’s body. This is why the tradition of throwing the garter into the crowd developed as part of European stylized wedding ceremonies

The Etymology of “Tetris” and the Block Shapes Available to Players

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The videogame Tetris was named as such due to its creator, Alexey Pajitnov, amalgamating the Ancient Greek prefix “tetra” which means “4”, a direct reference to the various block shapes of Tetris which always have 4 cubes, and the term “tennis” as this was Pajitnov’s favorite sport. The shapes are referred to as “tetrominoes” and consist of an S-shape, Z-shape, T-shape, L-shape, line-shape, 7-shape, and a square-shape

The Craft of Venetian Mask Manufacturing for the Italian Festival of Carnival

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Masks have been part of Venetian culture since at least the 12th century A.D. as it was in 1162 that the first Carnival festival occured, a city wide celebration which marks the period prior to Lent. Up until 500 years ago, classic Venetian masks were constructed of papier-mâché, a medium that some Venetian mask artists still utilize during the modern day. Strips of papier-mâché are laid into a mold made of resin and layer by layer they are covered in glue. All materials are designed to be non-toxic. When a mask is complete, artisans use scalpel blades to cut out the eyes and any rough pieces remaining (e.g. edges etc.). Once a mask dries, it is decorated with beautiful colors and artwork (e.g. floral arrangements etc.). This is often performed freehand with a pencil. Masks are then painted using beautifully ornate colors (e.g. blue, red, yellow etc.) and finished by adding accoutrements (e.g. 24 karat gold leaf etc.). The craft was almost lost when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice, Italy in 1797 and banned Carnival and Carnival masks as he believed the event could spark rebellion. Benito Mussolini banned the celebrations once again in the 1930’s. Until the late 1970’s, Carnival was a largely forgotten relic but it has since observed a resurgence within popular culture