D&D and the rising pandemic

[Umbran]

They bred foxes based on low fear response to humans and in just a few generations physiological changes occurred they started getting doglike physical features... floppy ears and the like.

If you are talking about what I expect you are, that's not quite what happened. It was a fairly famous Russian experiment to breed domesticated foxes - not specifically low fear response (that's too specific a trait to breed for), but tameness, which isn't exactly the same thing.

What they got wasn't actually doglike physical features. What they got was a fox that retained many traits of puppyhood later into life. One upshot of this was that their coats changed, mostly ruining the breed for farming purposes.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If you are talking about what I expect you are, that's not quite what happened. It was a fairly famous Russian experiment to breed domesticated foxes - not specifically low fear response (that's too specific a trait to breed for), but tameness, which isn't exactly the same thing.

What they got wasn't actually doglike physical features. What they got was a fox that retained many traits of puppyhood later into life. One upshot of this was that their coats changed, mostly ruining the breed for farming purposes.

However, they- or their successors in interest- are currently running an exotic pet business selling those domesticated foxes.

 

[Maxperson]

Soooo…you were PLANE thieves? Got it!

Them's called hijackers.

 

[niklinna]

If you are talking about what I expect you are, that's not quite what happened. It was a fairly famous Russian experiment to breed domesticated foxes - not specifically low fear response (that's too specific a trait to breed for), but tameness, which isn't exactly the same thing.

What they got wasn't actually doglike physical features. What they got was a fox that retained many traits of puppyhood later into life. One upshot of this was that their coats changed, mostly ruining the breed for farming purposes.

Here we go: Domesticated silver fox – Wikipedia

 

[Maxperson]

New Zealand finally throws in the towel.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-10-04/new-zealand-admits-it-can-no-longer-get-rid-of-coronavirus

 

[Hussar]

Canadian, of Scottish roots, and every time I read one of the stories out of "The Book of the Clans" I feel like I should call someone and apologize too

Considering recent information become more public in Canada in the past six months or so, I feel like we probably should all be calling someone and apologizing.

 

[Hussar]

In this discussion about why people think this way or that, there's all sorts of factors as well.

My whole life I've been told that global warming was real, it's coming and it's going to be bad. And, everything I was told is coming true. But, you still have all sorts of folks resisting the narrative. Trying to get a carbon tax passed in Canada has been an incredibly divisive thing. If you believe that climate change isn't real, you don't have to change any of your behavior. But, if you accept that it's real, then you have to accept that you can't do certain things and you have to pay for certain things.

Heck, I'll take something personal - dieting. I know I should eat better. My whole life I've been fat. It's not like I don't know that it's bad for me or I'm ignorant of the facts. I just didn't care. Until, unfortunately, it caught up with me and now bread, pasta and rice are things I can only look at and admire from afar. But, there's lots of people who don't stop. I mean, if Type 2 Diabetes isn't going to stop someone, that's some serious cognitive dissonance going on.

You can rationalize just about anything if you really want to.

((On the plus side, I have dropped 25 kg since last May, so, I have actually managed to do a bit about my problems. I'm trying at least.))

 

[Garthanos]

If you are talking about what I expect you are, that's not quite what happened. It was a fairly famous Russian experiment to breed domesticated foxes - not specifically low fear response (that's too specific a trait to breed for), but tameness, which isn't exactly the same thing.

it was low fear of humans which is definitely how they selected at first (and later lower aggression towards the humans providing for them ie hierarchic obedience? perhaps)... and yes that all was their running definition for domestication ie taming.

What they got wasn't actually doglike physical features.

May have been neotenous but the show I saw didnt mention that element but they very much would be identified as dog like traits and included floppy ears and changing tails and sometimes spotted fur and similar

 

[Garthanos]

Here we go: Domesticated silver fox – Wikipedia

the article definitely mentions dog-like morphology.
Just as lower fear response to humans were mentioned in the program I saw with regards to their selective breeding.

 

[Zardnaar]

13.8% unvaccinated locally. 25.8% single dose.

Jab rates among best, but hurdles remain

Vaccination rates in the South are among the best in New Zealand for meeting the threat of Covid-19, but a challenge looms in reaching rural areas....

www.odt.co.nz

Cities big enough to have the amenities I like, small enough for that big town feel that avoids the problems of various places.