I'm an old version male. I'm out of date but stable and used by people who generally know what they're doing and don't want something new that'll likely blow up in their face.
Imagine if phrenology caught on as the latest pop-culture dipshit trend.
"My bumpy skull means I'm preternaturally predisposed to be polygamous and misogynist, and I'm just looking for a girl who has a compatible set of head bumps."
"If you can't handle me at my alimentivenest, you don't deserve me at my inhabitivenest."
languages evolve, and the origin is nothing more than a curio today. People use the term "alpha" to mean a thing that exists in humans, even if it never did in wolves.
this thing is called by the rest of the population "being and asshole" and as such i find the self identification of those people very usefull and time saving.
To be more precise, Shenkel's work was discredited by the collective efforts of numerous scientists studying wolf behaviour. Probably the most notable of these was David Mech. His book "The Wolf" was based on Shenkel's work, and his own research on wolves in captivity, and was really the work that popularized the "alpha" nonsense in the public mind.
After numerous studies of wolves in the wild failed to bear out these conclusions, Mech later concluded that his work was wrong, and got The Wolf removed from publication.
Peter Gibson, the guy who discovered non-celiac gluten sensitivity, retracted his own study a few years later, but it had already become a fad diet, so it just stuck. That being said, there have been some studies that seem to confirm its existence, but the evidence is pretty thin. (To be clear, celiac disease and wheat allergies are 100% proven and can be reliably tested for).
However, the gluten-free fad diet was actually incredibly beneficial for sufferers of celiac desease because it made gluten-free products so mainstream and really expanded what pre-made foods and snacks they can buy in stores.
Sometimes, I have a friend with celiac who often sees "gluten free°" on menus to look down at the bottom of the menu and see "°not for people with gluten sensitivities"
He calls it "Becky gluten free" because Becky doesn't know what gluten is but she doesn't want it in her body.
My dad joined a local celiac group in the early 2000s not long after his sister developed celiac through pregnancy and his doctor suggested he start the diet out of an abundance of caution. At the time there were about 10 people in the group local to a city of ~250k. They'd swap menu hacks to get safe(ish) food while out and about and trade recipes. Then some specialty stores started carrying more safe stuff as the fad was starting to gain traction and it definitely went mainstream when mainstream groceries and restaurants started officially offering safe options. Needless to say, that gluten-free diet support group no longer exists.
Most interestingly, his other sister tested negative on the celiac blood test and neither I nor my dad have ever had that test done, so there's a good chance we're in the clear after all.
I can't remember now why I felt compelled to share this, or how it tied into your comment but I hope it's at least interesting!
Not really though, because it led to many places and cooks not taking it that seriously. Becky won't have any idea there's a little gluten on the knife and cutting board, but a person with celiac definitely would.
True, although I met a girl with celiac early in the gluten-free fad who claimed that she couldn't trust a lot of restaurants' gluten-free options because a lot of them weren't actually gluten-free. Restaurants were just chasing a trend that they didn't fully understand. Things are much better now, but I think early on a lot of restaurants were treating gluten-free like the Atkins or Paleo diet, not an allergy.
I think probably you're too German. It's kind of a goofy name from an English point of view. And, for clarity, we don't necessarily generally think German names are particularly goofy.
Either that or I'm missing what the guy is referencing.
Shekel also sounds funny to us. It might be related to how it sounds kinda similar to shekel, but I think he's just noting that the goofy-sounding name is real.
Every time I see this band mentioned I can’t help but think of the terrible album cover for virgin killers. That shit is like a stain on my brain that I wish I could clean.
Don’t google it. Please trust me on this one. Could get you put on a list.
Thats the funniest part about this belief. The pop version is not even accurate to the original research, just a gross misinterpretation. The original bogus hierarchy started with the alpha couple, who are supposed to be the only reproductive couple of the pack. The rest of the population was simply defined by feeding hierarchy, who ate first. This might sound plausible but it only makes sense when you live in a fenced enclosure and there's only like 8 of you, no den space for offspring and you can't leave to find non-family mates. But then people made up a bunch of zodiac style personalities for this shit, and they're just as scientific.
Someone needs to tell all the authors involved in the wave of trash urban fantasy books that flooded the market a while back, using this to write werewolves. (True Blood, etc.)
The problem is that you can't use info about wolf hierarchies to draw conclusions about human hierarchies. You can't even use info about extant primates to draw conclusions about humans.
I've heard this debunk a lot over the years, and I don't disbelieve it, but is it not the case that one or two animals (wolves or otherwise) in a group will be the "bosses" or something close to being dominant over the others? Is all of that internal power struggling we see in groups/families of animals not really what it seems? Or is the "alpha" stuff different from that? Or does it only apply to wolves, and "alphas" do exist in other animal species?
Different social animals have different social structures. Wolves generally live in family units, led by the parents. Wasps and gorillas have complicated group politics, with alliances, betrayals and backroom deals. Some primitive ants have a 'might is right' system, with the strongest becoming the queen and fighting off challengers. Most ants have a highly democratic system, with decisions made using chemical 'votes' (cast by the workers; drones and queens don't have a say).
From what I've heard it's just bad research. He looked at family units and thought the father was designated as the leader due to size and strength but really he was just a dad.
108 replies
I'm an alpha male: barely able to keep myself running and likely to completely break down if I encounter something I'm not prepared to deal with.
I'm a Google Beta.
I am effectively immortal, but I will probably someday disappear without notice.
Don’t worry, your features “will be incorporated in future releases of our latest chat client and our Gmail.”
I was stable release several years ago. Now I have security issues but some folks still think I'm awesome.
Just try not to leave the few remaining people who depend on you, up shit creek. Get a will.
They'll leave a promise that other people will fill the roles they used to without any current plan to do so.
Damn, too early of a release eh?
And not suitable for public release, obviously
I also have a memory leak.
Limited release to the world.
It makes more sense when we assume it's software development terminology instead. Alpha means the software is immature and full of issues.
I am a release candidate male.
Hello ladies, I'm legacy code nobody wants to refactor and is being slowly converted into microservices.
I'm just a beta male... they doubt I'm ready for release... but I'm far more stable than any alpha male.
I too am a release candidate, but my marketing sucks.
I am a minimum viable product male
I’m barely a proof of concept then. Or minimum viable product. 🙃
I'm an old version male. I'm out of date but stable and used by people who generally know what they're doing and don't want something new that'll likely blow up in their face.
I'm Concord. Only out for a week and then swept under the rug like I never existed.
Well, I am a god damn mess as a person. So I'm like pre-alpha. I guess that makes me a proof of concept, or maybe even a thought exercise.
I think of myself as code-complete but not necessarily bug-free.
I think I might be a vertical slice...
Imagine if phrenology caught on as the latest pop-culture dipshit trend.
"My bumpy skull means I'm preternaturally predisposed to be polygamous and misogynist, and I'm just looking for a girl who has a compatible set of head bumps."
"If you can't handle me at my alimentivenest, you don't deserve me at my inhabitivenest."
Clearly you've stayed away from 4chan and I commend you for it.
Isn't that just sparkling racism?
so I was in the UK's largest chain bookstore (Waterstones) on Saturday and I found a phrenology cat
That's the cutest pseudoscience I've ever seen.
2dolychocephalic4me
Between RFK, Leon, and Trump the odds are pretty good of it coming back b
if our heads don't slot together like lego pieces the relationship isn't going to work out
I'd get some good hammers and make a (possibly literal) killing as a retrophrenologist...
Shut the fuck up, omega
No /s come at me mods
(Not really though)
Guys, can't we all just get along. You're upsetting the Gammas.
I'm Zeta Maxx
Hhyeah yes Daddy Alpha, I'll be quiet for you UwU~
Does it exist in humans, though? I'm fairly certain that it remains pseudoscientific in humans as well as wolves.Oh, wait, I read point two. I stand corrected.
To be more precise, Shenkel's work was discredited by the collective efforts of numerous scientists studying wolf behaviour. Probably the most notable of these was David Mech. His book "The Wolf" was based on Shenkel's work, and his own research on wolves in captivity, and was really the work that popularized the "alpha" nonsense in the public mind.
After numerous studies of wolves in the wild failed to bear out these conclusions, Mech later concluded that his work was wrong, and got The Wolf removed from publication.
Either you or OP wrote Schenkel wrong.
OP is correct
Just remember:
An alpha release is unfit for public use, contains bugs, is untested, unrefined, and is likely to crash and may cause system wide issues.
An alpha is the first step, the very basic of basics, an infant in terms of development.
If anything, be an Omega man.
Ultimate power move: be both.
The Omega you want to be
The Omega you actually are
The omegaman you want to be
The omegaman you are
This is fun. Let's play more.
(You're on!)
The Omega you want to be:
The Omega you are:
The omega you want to be
The omega you are
(nice pivot, but I gotta go with what I know!)
The omega you want to be:
The omega you are:
So it’s Walter Masterson.
Got it.
Peter Gibson, the guy who discovered non-celiac gluten sensitivity, retracted his own study a few years later, but it had already become a fad diet, so it just stuck. That being said, there have been some studies that seem to confirm its existence, but the evidence is pretty thin. (To be clear, celiac disease and wheat allergies are 100% proven and can be reliably tested for).
However, the gluten-free fad diet was actually incredibly beneficial for sufferers of celiac desease because it made gluten-free products so mainstream and really expanded what pre-made foods and snacks they can buy in stores.
Sometimes, I have a friend with celiac who often sees "gluten free°" on menus to look down at the bottom of the menu and see "°not for people with gluten sensitivities"
He calls it "Becky gluten free" because Becky doesn't know what gluten is but she doesn't want it in her body.
My dad joined a local celiac group in the early 2000s not long after his sister developed celiac through pregnancy and his doctor suggested he start the diet out of an abundance of caution. At the time there were about 10 people in the group local to a city of ~250k. They'd swap menu hacks to get safe(ish) food while out and about and trade recipes. Then some specialty stores started carrying more safe stuff as the fad was starting to gain traction and it definitely went mainstream when mainstream groceries and restaurants started officially offering safe options. Needless to say, that gluten-free diet support group no longer exists.
Most interestingly, his other sister tested negative on the celiac blood test and neither I nor my dad have ever had that test done, so there's a good chance we're in the clear after all.
I can't remember now why I felt compelled to share this, or how it tied into your comment but I hope it's at least interesting!
Not really though, because it led to many places and cooks not taking it that seriously. Becky won't have any idea there's a little gluten on the knife and cutting board, but a person with celiac definitely would.
True, although I met a girl with celiac early in the gluten-free fad who claimed that she couldn't trust a lot of restaurants' gluten-free options because a lot of them weren't actually gluten-free. Restaurants were just chasing a trend that they didn't fully understand. Things are much better now, but I think early on a lot of restaurants were treating gluten-free like the Atkins or Paleo diet, not an allergy.
A lot of people's gluten sensitivity is actually a sensitivity to glysophates.
As a lambda male, this doesn't faze me at all.
Oh, hi Gordon.
I am the hope of the omniverse
I am the lightbulb in the darkness
I am the bacon in the fridge for all living things that cry out in hunger
I am the alpha and the amiga
I am the terror that flaps in the night
I am Son Goku and I am a Super Saiyan!
Get in there and eat that horse!
I, too, love Haskell
Screw alpha males, I'm an alpha woman with a thing for omega soft guys. 🥰
I'm a male Bonobo, please keep me in line.
I can definitely manage that.
The next step on the Charmin scale those asswiping scientist bears are striving for.
Isn’t that just called a domme?
Don't "alpha males", as they describe themselves, typically prefer submissive women?
What? What is weird about that name? Maybe I'm too German native speaker to get this.
I think probably you're too German. It's kind of a goofy name from an English point of view. And, for clarity, we don't necessarily generally think German names are particularly goofy.
Either that or I'm missing what the guy is referencing.
Thanks for your perspective.
For a moment I was wondering if it's the similarity to the Israeli currency Shekel, but that doesn't make sense to me either.
Shekel also sounds funny to us. It might be related to how it sounds kinda similar to shekel, but I think he's just noting that the goofy-sounding name is real.
Schenkel translates to “deer fucker” in german, I dunno I’m just making this up
"Thigh", actually :-)
I don’t get it either. It’s not like he’s called Wanker or anything.
I was thinking maybe because of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, being kind of the alpha of the reindeer herd? No idea, really
Isn't Schenkel thigh in German?
The dude from the Scorpions also studies wolves?? When he's not rocking you like a hurricane?
No wait, that's Rudolf Schenker.
Every time I see this band mentioned I can’t help but think of the terrible album cover for virgin killers. That shit is like a stain on my brain that I wish I could clean.
Don’t google it. Please trust me on this one. Could get you put on a list.
What the actual fuck? Now I feel like I had this identical experience like a decade ago, and totally blocked it out. Gross.
Clapton did one of those too. Dude is a POS.
If you were a (regressive, anti-science) female that believed this, wouldn't you have to be a "beta" wolf in this fictional world?
Thats the funniest part about this belief. The pop version is not even accurate to the original research, just a gross misinterpretation. The original bogus hierarchy started with the alpha couple, who are supposed to be the only reproductive couple of the pack. The rest of the population was simply defined by feeding hierarchy, who ate first. This might sound plausible but it only makes sense when you live in a fenced enclosure and there's only like 8 of you, no den space for offspring and you can't leave to find non-family mates. But then people made up a bunch of zodiac style personalities for this shit, and they're just as scientific.
the study is so stupid for anyone who takes it seriously. I however enjoy the tag it birthed on Ao3
I just kinda associate it with smutty werewolf novels at this point
Alpha, beta, sigma, all just types of prison bitch. Scientifically speaking.
Carrots improve eyesight...nah, just military misinformation that is now a staple for parents to get their kids to eat their carrots
Vitamin A is crucial to eyesight and night vision though
Entirely offtopic but you're not by chance the same ryannathans that's involved in the 2009scape project are you?
The one and the same
Hey small world (wide web)!
Hey!
But not everyone can make vitamin A out of beta carotene. That's why some vegans have eye problems
And not everyone can digest lactose, maybe that's why some people become vegan
You also get vitamin A (and the other fat soluble vitamins) from animal fats
Someone needs to tell all the authors involved in the wave of trash urban fantasy books that flooded the market a while back, using this to write werewolves. (True Blood, etc.)
Oh A/B/O is just a genre now. Blame fanfic, mpreg, and primal fetisists
There are species that do have leader types in the social hierarchies though. Gorillas for example, or orcas.
The problem is that you can't use info about wolf hierarchies to draw conclusions about human hierarchies. You can't even use info about extant primates to draw conclusions about humans.
But, but... Apes together strong?
Everyone has a share!
Thanks Milo!
I've heard this debunk a lot over the years, and I don't disbelieve it, but is it not the case that one or two animals (wolves or otherwise) in a group will be the "bosses" or something close to being dominant over the others? Is all of that internal power struggling we see in groups/families of animals not really what it seems? Or is the "alpha" stuff different from that? Or does it only apply to wolves, and "alphas" do exist in other animal species?
Yours, confused and uneducated,
u/58008
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/
You can sorta see the alpha thingamajig in hyenas. The chick with the biggest clit gets a possy of white knights trying to please her.
But it's not obligatory. Dudes just chilling together and biting asses can still happen without a chick to lead them on.
Different social animals have different social structures. Wolves generally live in family units, led by the parents. Wasps and gorillas have complicated group politics, with alliances, betrayals and backroom deals. Some primitive ants have a 'might is right' system, with the strongest becoming the queen and fighting off challengers. Most ants have a highly democratic system, with decisions made using chemical 'votes' (cast by the workers; drones and queens don't have a say).
TIL!
Did Schenkel deliberately make up that alpha shit (which would justify calling his paper "bogus") or was he just bad at research?
From what I've heard it's just bad research. He looked at family units and thought the father was designated as the leader due to size and strength but really he was just a dad.
I was also under the impression that the captive wolves were in mixed- that is forced- packs.
All the fighting that was observed came from that rather than any sort of natural behavior.