00:00 Introduction 03:36 What is Your Religion? 2021 Results 07:43 What accounts for the 10 year shift? An analysis 13:56 Analysing the question 22:56 British Social Attitudes: same question but better 31:34 The "Nones" are NOT non-denominational believers 38:38 British Humanist Society delves deep 46:26 Conclusion
00:00 Introduction 03:36 What is Your Religion? 2021 Results 07:43 What accounts for the 10 year shift? An analysis 13:56 Analysing the question 22:56 British Social Attitudes: same question but better 31:34 The "Nones" are NOT non-denominational believers 38:38 British Humanist Society delves deep 46:26 Conclusion
Other videos of mine related to these issues in the UK and elsewhere The Rise of the Non-Religious - No Way Back! youtube.com/watch?v=L83O2iuhRmo Europe is Losing its Religion - The Data youtube.com/watch?v=uIcK5ReP6Fg The Steady Decline of Religion in the USA (Pew Report Analysis) youtube.com/watch?v=BnGP4U-qJcw Religiosity DECLINING in the Arab World youtube.com/watch?v=S9rYRq7sLL0Cycling Body UCI Flakes Out On Trans PolicyNoel Plum2023-05-04 | A couple of days ago a trans woman, Austin Killips, won the UCI 2.2 category stage race The Tour of Gila in Mexico, the first time a trans woman has won a UCI sanctioned stage race. The UCI's response would be laughable were this not a world governing body of a major sport we are talking about. They immediately showed just how much belief they have in their own policy by announcing a "re-consultation", just based on this one result. There is spinelessness on display here. Unavoidably so. Either spinelessness in enacting an original policy they had no belief in or spinelessness in not standing by a policy they do believe in. Either way, it isn't a very professional look for a world governing body of a major sport.
bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/65486165Why We Strike: Nurses, Teachers, Firefighters etcNoel Plum2023-02-02 | Not a subject area I touch upon very often (and won't until I retire) but the issue of public sector industrial action is firmly in the news right now. I hope to give my perspective into what has been taking place and where I think some resolution could be found. The views given here are mine and in no way intended to reflect or represent the views of any other specific person or organisation, although undoubtedly many will agree with the sentiments expressed here.
If you appreciate these videos please consider supporting my work here on YouTube: patreon.com/noelplum99 Or Paypal (inc recurring payments) paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=urlPlum Ramble: Hogwarts Legacy, Cancel Culture and Ally AbuseNoel Plum2023-01-28 | This video is unpledged but the few videos I set as pledged each month on Patreon help afford me the time here on YouTube. If you would like to so support this channel then here is the link: patreon.com/noelplum99 Or Paypal (inc recurring payments) paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=urlHow Privilege Is Used To Misrepresent Racism/Sexism ETCNoel Plum2023-01-20 | The thesis of this video is not that privilege is a poor concept but that distilling it down to one flat, across the board, figure for each group within society; one figure which disregards the different social spheres in which we all operate, is an absurdity whose only remaining utility then appears to be to skew and gerrymander our discussions. This is doubly true when it is further used to redefine things like racism and sexism such that only the group with the lower average social privilege can be deemed as experiencing the racism/sexism/...ism and only the group with the higher average can perpetrate it.
If you appreciate these videos please consider supporting my work here on YouTube: patreon.com/noelplum99 Or Paypal (inc recurring payments) paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=urlIs Wokeism The New Religion?Noel Plum2023-01-12 | And is the decline in traditional religiosity simply going to result in large numbers of people joining radical sociopolitical surrogates? This video works it's way through these things before finally discussing the term "wokeism" itself (I am not especially keen on it) and how social media culture strips us of useful labels generally through weaponised misuse.
00:00 Introduction 01:48 Is Wokeism a Religion? 03:16 Do these social movements exhibit some of the same flaws as organised religion? 05:50 Would we accept religion making the "debate = harm" argument? 10:36 The "Free Market of Ideas" 14:25 Are people replacing traditional religion with wokeism? 16:25 People with a religious mindset 19:13 Why wokeism skewing irreligious =/= irreligiosity skewing woke! 26:32 Why I used the term "wokeism" here and how we trash all good terms 28:30 How "gaslighting" has been overused to meaninglessness
The original video the responses were left on: Christianity in Free Fall? UK Census 2021 Analysis youtube.com/watch?v=pxshgGJobJsWhy Prince William Should Cold-Shoulder Prince HarryNoel Plum2023-01-06 | I have tried to steer clear of this topic so as not to add to the docu-soap mess that it already is but Prince Harry has just gone a step too far for me when he whines about how he just wants a relationship with his brother - that is all he wants poor lad - whilst simultaneously pushing his brothers face repeatedly into the mud. It is just so odd.
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumRings of Power: Could JOE PESCI Play GALADRIEL??Noel Plum2023-01-02 | Just a little bit of fun here responding to the two most common objections to my last video: LOTR Rings of Power: Diverse Nonsense youtube.com/watch?v=UNVVvOp5Bzo
Namely, the claim that Galadriel was effectively just the equivalent of Legolas from LOTR films and that we would have no objection to a male elf having fought in the manner of mini Galadriel. But who? ........ Joe Pesci! That is who!!! The video explains why!
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumLOTR Rings of Power: Diverse NonsenseNoel Plum2023-01-01 | So this was a series i wanted to comment on a month or two ago but I was absent from YouTube at the time. Watching House of the Dragon more recently reaffirmed for me not just how poor I found The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power but it more precisely pinned down just why. In this video I skim over some of the obvious nonsense that was so easily avoidable before moving onto the more contentious issues of "(elf) girl-power" and "diversity whether it makes sense or not" and how those issues could ALSO have been so easily avoided whilst still appealing to the smug sanctimonious types who feel everything has to "reflect modern society" or else it is somehow bad.
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumPlum Ramble: Misinformation - Ban or Allow?Noel Plum2022-12-30 | Following on from an earlier video on content moderation (linked velow) someone reasonably brought up the related subject of misinformation and that seemed like a subject worthy if exploring a little bit in a video. youtu.be/SYy0Ug0gt74
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumThis Channel is DyingNoel Plum2022-12-27 | Subscribe for the debate... ..... stay around for the Heat Death!!!
I trust you have all had a great Christmas. As promised, a quick elaboration on the "dying channel" comment in the last video.
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumDoes God Really Hate Evidence THAT Much?Noel Plum2022-12-19 | A fairly lighthearted discussion of the somewhat fringe Christian belief (I think/hope!) that God holds back on the old evidential front on the grounds that to make His existence too apparent, seemingly to remove the guesswork and leaps of faith involved, would somehow be to remove our free will.
00:00 Introduction 05:18 Packaging nonsense up as common sense 10:24 I thought worship = salvation, not mere belief? 15:32 An argument of convenience ? 20:08 In conclusion
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumPlum Ramble: Gendered to the Point of Meaninglessness?Noel Plum2022-12-17 | Something of a rambled exposition of my thoughts on this fine line "gender" seems to be walking between creating helpful new social identities for people and a descent over the precipice into meaninglessness.
This video was prompted by a comment response to this video: Gender, Social Constructs, Boxes: A Response to Kizzume youtube.com/watch?v=yoBDWTBTVKw
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumBalanced Content Moderation: Why So Hard?Noel Plum2022-12-13 | A follow up to one of my twitter videos and prompted by a comment response. Balanced moderation sounds simple but simply "applying the same rules consistently" sounds" fair" but only until we consider how rulesets can constitute indirect discrimination and conversely how equal application can neglect unequal circumstance. TL:DR it is nowhere near as straightforward as people make it sound. Just a few thoughts, anyway!!
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplum(Hell Is) Debating Hell Forever!?! RE: Braxton HunterNoel Plum2022-12-09 | This is a response to Braxton Hunter, of the channel Trinity Radio, who recently gave a talk on the subject of the nature of hell. Just as Christians have done for 2000 years and no doubt will for as long as people hold Christian beliefs.
00:00 Introduction 01:17 2000 years on and they STILL need a conference to debate hell! 02:00 Society doesn't take Hell seriously 04:38 Why God is akin to a cynical politician 09:24 Hell conforms to the needs of those in charge; God conforms to social norms 11:15 Why is God so cryptic? 13:43 Interpreting the bible is like a 3-2-1 clue 17:07 The absurd passivity of God in the face of our confusion 19:42 The dead end future of theology?
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumWhat Exactly Are Crypto Hot and Cold Wallets?Noel Plum2022-12-07 | So-called Hot and Cold Crypto Wallets seem to cause a lot of confusion to a lot of people, perhaps because they are so badly named? In this video I try and analogise these devices for reporting blockchain balances and authorising blockchain transactions via a couple of simply analogies that I personally found useful in structuring my own understanding.
00:00 Introduction 02:16 What ISN'T a Hot Wallet? 04:11 So what IS a Hot Wallet then? 05:17 Extending the analogy to public and private keys 07:56 Why Cold Wallets are even LESS wallets than Hot Wallets! 08:28 A great way to simply visualise how Hot and Cold Wallets work 13:03 How a Hot Wallet signs a transaction using the joke/punchline analogy 14:15 How a Cold Wallet protects your "comedian" 16:30 Summing Up
My Patreon account for anyone enjoying my content and so motivated to support my videos here on YouTube: patreon.com/noelplum99
My Patreon account for anyone enjoying my content and so motivated to support my videos here on YouTube: patreon.com/noelplum99
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplumTwitter and Elon Musk: Good or Bad?Noel Plum2022-12-02 | I said in my last video I would outline my (very mixed) thoughts on both Twitter itself and Elon Musk's involvement in the company. Apologies if this comes out as a bit rambly but this video outlines my general thoughts. 00:00 Introduction 01:25 Positives about Twitter 03:26 My negative relationship with Twitter 06:50 Start talking about Elon Musk 08:16 Elon Musk and Twitter: the two separate issues 10:10 Elon Musk and his treatment of staff and the company 16:57 Musk's impact and handling of Twitter from the service point of view 21:15 Being offended is intrinsic to the Twitter experience 25:38 Summary
My twitter account, in case any of you wish to follow or engage with me there: twitter.com/noelplum
My Patreon account for anyone motivated to support my videos here on YouTube: patreon.com/noelplum99Apples Threats to Twitter and App Policing DiscussedNoel Plum2022-11-30 | My thoughts on Apple (and also Google I believe acts similarly) and how it demands app creators withhold information from us, presumably primarily to limit how we can use our device to satisfy the loudest demands of its other customers. Much of this is related to the recent spat between Apple and Elon Musk's Twitter but clearly extends to other apps on its store and to relationships between other corporations and between corporations and us.
Secondly, with regard to Patreon and pledges (for those for whom this is relevant), something I didn't mention in the video is that I am NOT going to set every off the cuff five-minute video as pledged as i don't think that is justifiable or ethical (so don't worry). What I will probably do, for those still pledged, is to set the occasional video as pledged, such that perhaps if I make eight off the cuff videos a couple may be set for pledges, something along those lines. That seem the most reasonable to me, if anyone has any alternative suggestions or any Patrons see that as objectionable then PLEASE get in touch.
patreon.com/noelplum99 twitter.com/noelplumAmazing! British Triathlons New Trans Policy 😍😍😍Noel Plum2022-07-06 | I didn't think we would ever get to see it but what seemed like a pipe dream three years ago of a major sporting body rationally reconfiguring and renaming their sex-relevant categories in line with what they are actually intended to categorise has finally happened!! Hats off especially to Sharron Davies and Jon Pike who very visibly have promoted this model on social media and in consultation with sporting bodies
00:00 Introduction 00:54 British Triathlon's policy announcement 02:37 My thoughts on the new categorisation 03:50 How we got to this point 06:15 Why this makes so much sense 10:25 A suggestion for British Triathlon - extra sub-categorisations 13:01 First Objection - "But my gender isn't being affirmed!" 18:22 Second Objection - "But these labels will devalue women's sport!"
My video from Mar 2019 referenced here: Redefining Womens Sport: Solving the Gender Conundrum youtube.com/watch?v=DLtm3o704RA
Lastly, anyone who would like to support my work (cannot guarantee the subject, it isn't always about sport!) I am on Patreon: patreon.com/noelplum99FAO Jon Pike - Regarding Meaningfulness in SportNoel Plum2022-06-12 | Hi Jon, hope you get the time to watch this.
For everyone else, this video is aimed at Jon Pike @runthinkwrite whom I occasionally engage with on twitter. I thought this may be of general interest so I am setting it public.Some Thoughts: Matt Walsh What is a Woman?Noel Plum2022-06-08 | been a long time, sorry for that. Bit of a hot take here on this film that I watched last night. If you haven't watched it then I will link it below. It is worth a watch. The film clearly betrays Matt's position/bias but nevertheless some of the people he interviews on it are astonishing, particularly as they are academics and medical professionals. NOTE: I say in this video I won't show any clips. Anyhow, as the video uploaded I had a change of heart and went back and edited in some clips. These clips may lead to the video being struck in which case I will set "public" the version without the clips
PS: I note that a number of people still support me on Patreon. Of course I have not received anything from them these last few months as I have not made any videos but I would still like to thank them all for hanging around anyway. This video will NOT be set for pledges on Patreon, it was just my off the cuff thoughts. Apologies to the handful of people who have chucked me a few dollars per month on Paypal btw for my lack of activity. To everyone I DO intend to make videos in the future, maybe this video here will get me back on track!Fairness, Meaningfulness and Testosterone in Sport (extra discussion)Noel Plum2021-10-05 | Some extra content to go alongside my recent video on the UK Sports Council's report into Transgender Inclusion in Sport.
Note to patrons: This video is NOT pledged, just some additional content I didn't want to overload the main video with.
The Essence of Thought video referenced (content warning: it is an Essence of Thought video, if you haven't watched one before then ...... well..... watch at your own risk!) youtube.com/watch?v=8b_ksJomXvE
Joanna Harper and "meaningful competition" (towards the end of the excellent interview) webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20210715/do-trans-women-athletes-have-advantagesTrans Athletes: Inclusion VS Fairness? - UK Sports Councils Bold DocumentNoel Plum2021-10-05 | Recently the UK Sports Council concluded it's funded research into transgender sports policy with a series of documents , headlined by a guidance documents for UK sports governing bodies. It is fair to say that this work appears a step beyond what has taken place elsewhere (World Rugby perhaps excepted) In this video I review the guidelines, outlining what the Sports Council proposes as well as giving my thoughts (obviously). The video starts with a brief(ish) tl;dr style outline of their recommendations before going into each of the principles (alongside their recommended model) in some more depth. 00:00 Introduction 03:24 The toxic and chilling environment suppressing honest discussion 07:25 The Sports Council's conclusions in brief 09:26 Defining fairness, inclusion and safety 11:49 Principle #1 A commitment to the inclusion of trans people into sport 13:08 Principle #2 The sex binary is a functional division within sport that should be retained 18:42 Principle #3 Including trans people into the male category is both fair and (usually) safe 22:03 Principle #4 Fairness cannot be reconciled with self-identification into the female (ie protected) category 26:11 Principle #5 Evidence suggests testosterone suppression does NOT remove all male advantages 28:23 Principle #6 Case-by-case assessments are impractical and problematic 33:42 Principle #7 Categorisation by sex is lawful (in the UK) 35:38 Principle #9 Each governing bodies must choose what to prioritise at different sporting levels 37:40 The sports council's model: the three possible approaches to be considered 43:26 Finally the "female + open" model appears to be getting serious consideration :-) 48:27 Conclusion and typing up the video
Here is Dr Jon Pike in a paper published in the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport Dec 2020 "Safety, fairness, and inclusion: transgender athletes and the essence of Rugby" more rigorously arguing for the same model - doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2020.1863814
Or get with the cool kids, shrug of that "no coiner" mentality, and use crypto! erc20/bsc address 0x3259E8546533b61f0B3e930A83F89b74360eb61c BTC address bc1qnh83wjlcmx7mtt5el2ma5xmxe4nv78r0jv6f65 ADA addr1q8r54fe78e3k6zjyt4ezgwvu48mxfymsefs5njukq3wv54xan0ery4ucdqe695gv0ad8cg8nwr8ru7upmf3e0dm8mdtse2jlsx DOT 1626kzyqv7dvdRT5CcJJ1bzTghCHRd6A5rrzGuDBwXCdiM4hResponse to 10 Questions For Atheists in 2021 Pt 2Noel Plum2021-09-25 | This video is a response to Trinity Radio's "10 Questions for ATHEISTS in 2021" youtube.com/watch?v=uXhWIMT_9r8
In Part 1 I answered Braxton's first five questions. Here I tackle the rest:
00:00 Introduction 01:03 What is your favourite film or TV series? 08:35 What is your response to contingency arguments? 16:10 What does it take to become a Christian and experience everlasting life? 19:59 What do you think the bible teaches about hell? 25:49 What is the most dangerous issue Christians hold?
The Yale courses mentioned in the video:
Introduction to the New Testament history and literature https://oyc.yale.edu/NODE/246 Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) https://oyc.yale.edu/NODE/241
These videos are supported via Patreon and PayPal (inc recurring payments). Please, if you enjoy them and are willing and able to lend your support, here are your links: patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url In the seemingly unlikely event you care to support my work via cryptocurrency (maybe you find a stray Bitcoin that has fallen down the back of the sofa!) I can happily furnish you a receiving address for most coins! Just ask!Response to 10 Questions For Atheists in 2021 Pt 1Noel Plum2021-09-22 | This video is a response to Trinity Radio's "10 Questions for ATHEISTS in 2021" youtube.com/watch?v=uXhWIMT_9r8
In Part 1 I answer Braxton's first five questions. I tackle the rest in part 2. 00:00 Introduction 04:12 What worldview were you raised with? 07:49 Is there any evidence for God? 15:38 Dogs, cats, both or neither? 16:00 Did Jesus Exist? 19:52 What Christian is most likely to convince you and why?
As I say in the video, a particular thanks to the Patrons on Patreon who have stuck around over the last few months of zero content. Whilst I know I only take pledges on a per video basis, hence no videos equals no pledges taken, I still feared I would lose more support during this "down time" and I appreciate you all for sticking around :-)
These videos are supported via Patreon and PayPal (inc recurring payments). Please, if you enjoy them and are willing and able to lend your support, here are your links: patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url In the seemingly unlikely event you care to support my work via cryptocurrency (maybe you find a stray Bitcoin that has fallen down the back of the sofa!) I can happily furnish you a receiving address for most coins! Just ask!Richard Dawkins STRIPPED of Humanist Award in Bizarre Doctor Who Style Plot!Noel Plum2021-04-22 | So in a bizarre recent event, Richard Dawkins was deemed no longer the best humanist in 1996 because of something he did 25 years LATER in 2021. No, I am not sure how that works either. Here i discuss the events, link it up to an earlier controversy in 2017 and then end by discussing this recent trend of weaponising awards previously bestowed to fuel highly disingenuous moral grandstanding in a way which demonstrates nothing beyond a lack of duty of care on the part of those who bestow the awards towards the recipients. The AHA's "smoke up own arse" statement: americanhumanist.org/news/american-humanist-association-board-statement-withdrawing-honor-from-richard-dawkins The 2017 related controversy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia_transracialism_controversy
These videos are supported via Patreon and PayPal (inc recurring payments). Please, if you enjoy them and are willing and able to lend your support, here are your links: patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url In the seemingly unlikely event you care to support my work via cryptocurrency (maybe you find a stray Bitcoin that has fallen down the back of the sofa!) I can happily furnish you a receiving address for most coins! Just ask! Many thanks!Study Gets Real About Diversity in the UKNoel Plum2021-04-17 | So, apparently we all know that white people in the UK are often "concerned" about immigration or marriage with other cultures because of how terribly racist and xenophobic they are but what about if it turned out that other groups in the UK actually express MORE concern over these things?
Hmm, that wouldn't really help the narrative, would it?
Well it turns out a very well researched report last November demonstrated just these things and drew the conclusions that now is the time to move beyond these tired and outdated ways we have framed such issues (largely for political and social point scoring).
These videos are supported via Patreon and PayPal (inc recurring payments). Please, if you enjoy them and are willing and able to lend your support, here are your links: patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url In the seemingly unlikely event you care to support my work via cryptocurrency (maybe you find a stray Bitcoin that has fallen down the back of the sofa!) I can happily furnish you a receiving address for most coins! Just ask! Many thanks!Responding to 10 Questions for AtheistsNoel Plum2020-12-05 | This is a response to this video by @BraxtonHunter 10 Questions for Atheists youtube.com/watch?v=E1SDYPaUNiY
0:00 Introduction 1:09 Q1 What facts about reality are better explained sans belief in the Christian God? 18:56 Q2 Is atheism just a lack of belief versus a definitive disbelief? 22:09 Q3 Do you accept that atheism just looks like a good excuse to do things Christians think are sinful? 28:51 Q4 Another question on "lack of belief". 31:52 Q5 Are you bothered that non-deistic explanations for the origin of the universe are hard for our brains to comprehend? 39:17 Q6 Is there an argument for God that resonates with you? 42:09 Q7 What evidence would convince you that God exists? 46:54 Q8 To what extent did social and moral values lead you to atheism? 49:26 Q9 What were the last three academic books you read on the subject? 56:05 Q10 If you found out that Christianity was true would you accept it?
Open Yale Courses Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145
Open Yale Courses Introduction to the New Testament History and Literature https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-152USA Gymnastics Trans Inclusion Policy Is Laughably AwfulNoel Plum2020-11-20 | USA Gymnastics has implemented it's transgender athlete policy applicable to all levels below international competition and it makes about as much sense as a PragerU video! It is somewhat depressing that sporting organisations will hide behind scientific rationale they must know is false, otherwise they wouldn't bother segregating male and female competitors apart in the first place. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video.
Before I give you the links, as I mention in the video, my intention was to release a video on a UK report into social attitudes to ethnicity, race and religion which has produced some somewhat interesting results. Unfortunately, that recent report has a number of key figures and tables of information omitted. Happily, I can tell you I have contacted the authors and they responded to acknowledge the issue and say they will fix the online documentation... so that video will be made in due course.
My video where I go through the dreaded and endlessly misused "systematic review" into sports participation (NOT performance!) youtu.be/EwFZBG_ts4k?t=1008
The works of Sarah Teetzel, seemingly the only other source of analysis on the subject the huge organisation USA Gymnastics could bring themselves to access: tandfonline.com/author/Teetzel%2C+SarahThoughts on Biological Sex: Spectrum or Binary?Noel Plum2020-09-27 | This video is really the result of viewing dozens and dozens of videos and discussions of biological sex which almost universally fail to appreciate that something can be both definitionally a binary and yet easily expressed "along a spectrum", or otherwise expressed in myriad ways. Online discussions do not appear to be getting any more sophisticated in appreciating this simple point but rather more entrenched in the idea that a specific categorisation cannot, within itself, involve a bewildering array of expressions. It can. Of course it can. So this video is effectively me laying out my observations on those discussions and at least trying to explain how the essential and accidental properties associated with biological sex correspond with these different aspects of the same thing: that people are creating and arguing over an incompatibility that doesn't even exist.
nhs.uk/conditions/klinefelters-syndrome ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/5-alpha-reductase-deficiency nhs.uk/conditions/turner-syndrome A long list of intersex conditions on Wikipedia. Note, these are not listed as if the conditions lay outside the male/female sexual binary but are explicitly categorised as conditions that affect males/females (excepting those conditions that can be present in both males AND females). This stands in stark contrast to the oft-repeated statement that 1-2% of the population are intersex and therefore neither male nor female. In fact, intersex conditions form part of the spectra of expressions within the binary, they are not set apart from it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disorders_of_sex_development#ConditionsSwiss Court DISMISSES Caster Semenyas Appeal: Analysis and DiscussionNoel Plum2020-09-16 | Hi everyone, apologies for my generally reduced output recently. However, here i am, still apparently alive. The Swiss Supreme Court recently rejected the case of Ms Caster Semenya in her appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In this video, I discuss the verdict, give a primer on the Caster Semenya case and why it is important, and lastly give a fairly robust criticism of both the media and (as I propose here) the cynical way Ms Semenya herself have created and co-opted a miasma of public misinformation and to create a groundswell of support for her position, based on fundamental longstanding misunderstandings. The press are STILL doing this. It is utterly disgraceful (imo).
Links: Swiss court press release: https://www.bger.ch/files/live/sites/bger/files/pdf/en/4A_248_2019_yyyy_mm_dd_T_e_18_18_10.pdf World Athletics/IAAF press briefing notes from 2019 (WELL worth a read for a quick primer on their position) worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg (other links related MANY more relevant links can be found under my earlier video on Ms Semanya from 7/6/2019 titled "Explaining the Caster Semenya Situation" youtube.com/watch?v=YsqfoEr4zQM BBC article (other horribly biased BBC articles on this subject are available): bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/54079837
These videos are supported via Patreon, Subscribe Star and PayPal (inc recurring payments). Please, if you enjoy them and are willing and able to lend your support, here are your links: patreon.com/noelplum99 subscribestar.com/noel-plum paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=urlWhy Rocks are Still NOT AtheistsNoel Plum2020-08-04 | Once again atheists around the world are gathering for the perennial discussion of whether rocks class as atheists. All the big name atheists are on their way, from Richard Dawkins and Ricky Gervais through to K2 and The Matterhorn (Everest gave her apologies but is snowed in and unable to attend). Here is my take latest take on this particular spectacularly odd thing to keep arguing over.8 BAD Arguments About Trans Women in Female SportNoel Plum2020-07-19 | 0:00 Introduction 3:34 1) The "woman is adult human female" argument 14:30 2) The "so height doesn't matter... even when it clearly does" argument 25:09 3) The "Michael Phelps is unfair" argument 32:33 4) The "trans women don't dominate ergo they have no advantage" argument 41:22 5) The "males outperform females: end of argument" argument 44:02 6) The "burden of proof" argument 51:45 7) The "women's sport is actually to protect men from elite women" argument 01:02:40 8) The "I haven't read the systematic review but I'll quote it anyway!" argument
This video follows from a debate that took place between the YouTubers Sargon of Akkad and Brenton Lengel, hosted initially on the Modern Day Debates channel (all links below). In this video I use that debate to line up some of the recurring arguments in the debate over how to square the circle of trans women competing in the protected category of female sport. I hope you find the responses to these arguments interesting and provoke you to consider their validity for yourself. What this video is NOT is an attempt at laying out a structured narrative of the problems that arise from attempting to incorporate all people into a sporting binary of two sex/gender based categories nor my POSITIVE arguments as to the way through this situation. All these were covered in a number of videos last year that form the following playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl8YBXeamXSLyIeD3qdGVrxvSHQ-lLM7O
Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5357259
Karolinska study: Muscle strength, size and composition following 12 months of gender-affirming treatment in transgender individuals: retained advantage for the transwomen biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/782557v1.fullPZ Myers: It Isnt Him, It Is Everyone Else!Noel Plum2020-07-16 | Long time since i talked about P Z Myers, the longtime atheist shock blogger over at Pharyngula. However, it turns out that atheist and skeptic conventions nowadays seem less inclined to have PZ speak at their events and PZ feels certain this is due to atheist events in the USA nearly all being run by right wingers. So in this video i discuss PZ's hypotheses: that somehow despite being significantly in the minority, somehow right wingers are the only ones able to put a conference or convention together ... or that perhaps something else may be at play here.
Also, look out for my NEXT video, entitled "8 BAD Arguments About Trans Women in Female Sport" where I take a look at a recent debate between Sargon of Akkad and Brenton Lengel and discuss the well worn but ill founded arguments that they make between them. This is a LONG and thorough video that has taken me a lot of hours to compile. Should be public in a few days.
The Atheist ireland piece https://atheist.ie/2015/04/atheist-ireland-dissociates-from-pz-myers/
the debate video used in my next project (mentioned at the end of this video): youtube.com/watch?v=04i3xZ89cesUK Comedies BANNED For BlackfaceNoel Plum2020-06-18 | So a number of UK comedies have been thrown off various hosting services after being regarded as containing racist content, specifically "blackface". In this video I discuss these comedies, the apologies made by some of the creators and whether the "blackface" purported in these productions is really in the spirit of what is really meant by the term.
A few links (though this is easy to find in the media at the moment): independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/keith-lemon-leigh-francis-bo-selecta-apology-craig-david-a9550091.html bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53038466 theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/03/matt-lucas-little-britain-remake-would-not-play-black-characterThe George Floyd Situation and Community Policing (etc)Noel Plum2020-06-09 | An off the cuff (albeit on issues i have been mulling over for days now) video on the whole US policing situation. As i say in the video, this ins NOT a video for my Patreon (if you are a patron this will not trigger a pledge) BUT I felt it important to say all of this prior to recording a video which will. That video will concern a recent event in the UK whereupon a well known comedian expressed regret for representing black and Asian characters in his comedy show, as well as white characters. I find this concerning and his whole apology based upon a misunderstanding of "black face" that now gets levelled at things which are almost diametrically the opposite of that which is regarded as the issues involving "black face". This is the result of social media, in many ways, and consequentially the lowest common denominator of societal idiot now punching way above their weight purely by means that they can spread their vitriolic pig-ignorance in a way which which smears across the nuance and complexity which underpins just such things as the idea of "black face" and reduces them to ANY scenario whereupon a black person is represented by anyone else, even if it actually represents an example of increased inclusion and opportunity and a reduction in racist thinking and portrayal.
But that is the next video.
This video is about the George Floyd situation. Why police officers placing their knee on someones neck is an atrocity and how reform is not something best left to an ignorant mob to outline. Responses welcome, as always.
This may be of interest to many of you and certainly in line with the "bread and butter" of this channel.
Pew research has altered the way it asks Americans about evolution in a way which makes it APPEAR as if evolutionary theory is more widely embraced than previously. Pew appears convinced that this gives a more realistic picture (though they never really nail down why and it almost appears as if it gives an answer they prefer ergo it is to be read as more accurate) BUT I am not so convinced and I explain why in this video.
Ok, that is it barring the links. Thank you for watching, thanks to my patrons even more for supporting my work (when I actually get to make any!) and be sure to leave a comment telling me how much better I'd look if I cut my hair off (which I just have, so the somewhat tortuously anachronistic affirmation would be nice!)
I won't ask anyone to support my work atm, due to my lowered output and most people's personal circumatances, but a quick MASSIVE thank you to the very many people who are still standing by my work and supporting this channel :-)The Science Paper That Has Changed US and UK Covid-19 PolicyNoel Plum2020-03-18 | NOTE: 5:52 MISSPOKE. Should have said "There is another strategy, the mitigation strategy" NOTE 2 Prediction of education strategy was wrong. Exams postponed, schools provision will be for children of "key workers". You may or may not know that a few days ago Imperial College London made public the recent scientific advice that has informed the change of strategy towards COVID-19 that we have seen by the US and UK governments. Here is a link to the document: imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf
In this video (starting at 5 mins in) I just outline the predictive models that they have set out so you can see what lies ahead now that we are adopting a "suppress" rather than a "mitigate" strategy. I think for many viewers the timescales will come as something of a shock.
Enjoy, and if you enjoy my work please consider supporting this channel via the links below: patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url subscribestar.com/noel-plumCoronavirus - The Cloud and the Silver LiningNoel Plum2020-03-12 | I think most of us have been slowly watching this progress with a mixture of cynicism (here go again, probably something that amounts to nothing), concern as to where it may lead, and just the kind of general morbid curiosity we have with these things. These are some of my thoughts on the situation and where it may leave us.
Here is a link the the Lancet paper where the graph came from: How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30567-5/fulltext10 things Atheists Should STOP DoingNoel Plum2020-02-22 | Aha! A chance to get a few things off my chest in a video inspired by GM Skeptic who recently gave a list of (another) four things he believes atheists should stop saying.
Lost a fair amount of support the last couple of months (no idea why, Christmas, lower output, who knows?), if you enjoy my work and would like to help support my time on this channel you can do so via Patreon (where i take pledges per video) or via SubscribeStar and PayPal recurring payments (which are fixed monthly amounts). If you are able and willing, then thanks so much in advance :-) patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url subscribestar.com/noel-plumReligion is DYING in the USANoel Plum2020-01-28 | Latest data from Pew Research confirms the trends of recent years: religious affiliation is dropping in the USA and at a rate far faster than ever before. pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace In this video I show you that latest data and compare the USA of today with the UK of both today and the early 80's to give some idea of the trajectory the country is on.
Lost a fair amount of support the last couple of months (no idea why, Christmas, lower output, who knows?), if you enjoy my work and would like to help support my time on this channel you can do so via Patreon (where i take pledges per video) or via SubscribeStar and PayPal recurring payments (which are fixed monthly amounts). If you are able and willing, then thanks so much in advance :-) patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url subscribestar.com/noel-plumJoe Rogan and Bernie Sanders VS The Intellectual XenophobesNoel Plum2020-01-25 | This video is unpledged on Patreon. Opinion piece. My thoughts on the recent endorsement of Bernie Sanders by Joe Rogan, which Bernie Sanders then acknowledged and the fallout that ensued by the intellectual and political xenophobes for whom maintaining personal piety appears always to be the number one priority in any election process. I also discuss the term "wokescold", a term which is largely applied to the same group of people and the way in which this criticism is dismissed out of hand by those it is aimed at effectively on the grounds that it is the same criticism the rest of the world is making about them as well (which you would think would be grounds for a pause for thought but apparently not)!!
Lost a fair amount of support the last couple of months (no idea why, Christmas, lower output, who knows?), if you enjoy my work and would like to help support my time on this channel you can do so via Patreon (where i take pledges per video) or via SubscribeStar and PayPal recurring payments (which are fixed monthly amounts). If you are able and willing, then thanks so much in advance :-) patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url subscribestar.com/noel-plumDispensing Beer at HomeNoel Plum2020-01-12 | The final of three videos on beer and brewing. In this third section i show my home dispense setup that provides me with beer on tap, running from a converted chest freezer in my garage through to a couple of faucets in my utility room. Also a quick plea for craft hobbies generally. It doesn't have to be brewing: just find something that is a passion for you and learn a skill! Create something :-)
Please do not forget that my videos here (and those on my second channel "Noel Hand Grenade") are supported by some wonderful people via Patreon, SubscribeStar and PayPal (one off and recurring payments). If you enjoy my work and would be prepared to add your support, to whatever degree, here are the links:
patreon.com/noelplum99 paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28BRVRN2DUQL6&source=url subscribestar.com/noel-plumMeet HJ Hornbeck: Essence of Thoughts Deceitful HenchmanNoel Plum2019-12-19 | So HJ Hornbeck, who appears to have devoted the past few months of his life to defending Essence of Thought claimed to have created a wonderful "resource", detailing the various exchanges involved in the EoT/ Rachel Oates affair in such detail that would even be of use to those who support Rachel. Unfortunately, it turns out, Hornbeck is a lying manipulative snake using this purported honest laying out of the evidence as a shroud to better hide his bias and shady tactics.