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Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by disconnected on Monday January 08, 2018 @05:46PM (#16101541)
> It might even explain why so many cultures had rites to male adulthood involving extreme pain.

Right. And a notable trend among those cultures is that they are all nearly extinct. So much for their fertility.

Of course this observation could biased due to my own ignorance. I only remember, like, 3 such cultures, and they were your typical African/Amazonian/Aboriginal tribes that still live in near-neolithic conditions.

Is there any industrialized culture that still follows such rituals?

Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by kinkrtyavimoodh on Monday January 08, 2018 @06:47PM (#16102083)
Your comment is needlessly dismissive, and to be honest, just incorrect.

The cultures that are dominant today aren't dominant due to mere reproductive success. Ironically, fertility is low in almost all developed nations.

Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by cortesoft on Monday January 08, 2018 @05:48PM (#16101566)
Fertility is only one aspect of evolutionary fitness.
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by badosu on Monday January 08, 2018 @06:47PM (#16102079)
Not sure why the downvotes, this is true.
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by cortesoft on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @11:58AM (#16107586)
Looks like it worked itself out :D
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by jgust on Monday January 08, 2018 @05:48PM (#16101564)
See: The NFL
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by disconnected on Monday January 08, 2018 @05:57PM (#16101660)
When I think "painful initiation ritual", I think "glove made out of bullet ants" [1] not "organized sporting event in which everyone is wearing armor and hurting someone badly is grounds for stopping the game and rushing him/her to the hospital".

Even if you pick something like Boxing or similar contact sports where the goal is to intentionally hurt your opponent, it is still a far-cry from sticking your hand into a whiting mass of animals that have the most painful bite ever recorded.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera_clavata#Initiation_...

Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by badosu on Monday January 08, 2018 @06:32PM (#16101978)
Ironically maybe having a glove full of ants once in a while is safer than shocking your head repeatedly every week for years...
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by pas on Monday January 08, 2018 @08:13PM (#16102599)
Isn't that inferal tree in Australia more painful?
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by guitarbill on Monday January 08, 2018 @08:30PM (#16102707)
Pedantic: it's a tree so it doesn't bite? But yeah, the gympie gympie [0] sounds horrible - potentially too horrible/long-lasting effects for a rite of passage? Luckily, it's in Australia!

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides

Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by 52-6F-62 on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @10:56AM (#16107058)
Clearly your father wasn't Scots
Re:Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology by tomcooks on Monday January 08, 2018 @05:53PM (#16101618)
The whole body mod movement