Bi Any Means Podcast: Atheism and Asexuality with Emily Karp – I was excited to listen to this episode!  I was interviewed on Bi Any Means a few years ago on the same topic, but this interview should be more up to date.  As they discuss in the episode, atheist communities have become more cognizant and accepting of asexuality, but unsurprisingly, it very much depends on which communities you interact with.

Sapiosexuals: The Science of People Who Are Turned on by Brains – Rebecca Watson criticizes sapiosexuality and a recent study about it.  I also have a very negative reaction to sapiosexuality, and my main association is with men in skepticism who are low-key complaining that there aren’t enough intelligent women around.  On the other hand, sapiosexuality also has some connections with ace communities, and I realized that there are other angles to it–which is not to say that this eliminates my criticism of it.

I agree with Watson that the study she describes is garbage.  Asking people if they’re attracted to intelligence is not useful methodology.  Unfortunately, Watson’s suggested methodology of using electrodes and fMRIs is also problematic.  See there’s this infamous study of bisexuality, and long story short, objective measures of attraction have issues.  I propose instead that we give people a bunch of fake dating profiles and ask them who they would be interested in.

Getting Over It (video) – This is a video talking about a very difficult game that has become popular lately among streamers.  Even if you’ve never heard of the game, you might find it interesting because it is really about difficulty, and the philosophies behind difficulty.  He also pointed out an amusing article written by the game’s designer, Eleven Flavors of Frustration.

Hammers, Nails, and Memory of Trauma – [cn: rape, non-explicit] Zvan talks about why we know Sandusky is guilty, and has a really good explanation of how false memories work, and how memories of traumatic events work.  Note, I was involved in the skeptical movement for many years, and I feel like I have been miseducated about false memories.

Next up, I have a couple links about Aziz Ansari.  I know it was a while ago, but my link roundup is still only monthly.  So, content warning for rape and rape apologetics.

Stop Waiting For The Real Aziz Ansari – A response to the conversation about Aziz Ansari.  I’ve heard lots of people brush aside the whole story, saying that Grace should have more emphatically rejected Aziz.  But this requires that Grace immediately recognize the situation as abusive–which is exactly what Aziz’s defenders are failing to do, despite being given a lot more time to soberly reflect on it.

The Unwanted Strength of Women – Stephanie Zvan shares an anecdote where she had to forcefully reject someone.  This is what everyone says they want victims to do.  But when people actually do it, nobody praises them, and they are made to feel like they are overreacting.