Race. Whats the point?

[Ryadn]

there is no such thing as 'race' within our species. in biology, races are subspecies/semi-species and on average differ at least 12% genetically. humans, sharing 99.9% of our DNA, are far too genetically similar for races to exist.

so it doesn't make sense.

Uh... what?

[Rhodmhire]

also, is it racism to say that, on the whole, blacks are better at sprints, whites can swim fast and the chinese rock at table tennis?

That has literally nothing to do with the coloration of one's skin.

thats true actually. ok, so africans are good at sprinting, europeans can swim fast and chinese people always win the ping pong. because i suppose an albino african isn't automatically going to be really good at swimming.

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

[Tubbsalot]

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

Of course it's not a race, he wasn't talking about races. Silly.

[Niicha]

Race matters because Redgaurds (blacks) get weapon and athletics bonuses, Bretons (Northwestern Europeans) get magicka and intellectual bonuses, and Nords (Northeastern Europeans) get armor and strength bonuses.

Cookie for the reference.

I know the answer of Elder Scrolls has already been given, but this just reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend on what each human race's real life counterpart was. We determined that the Redguard was akin to the "moors" because of their strong ethical qualms against magic.

By the way, the best "race" is Bretons.
Just saying.

argonians are the best-est. water breathing? poison immunity? resist disease? ok, they dont get great skill bonuses, but that leaves more room for level-ups

But their magic is pitiful!

[Kejoh]

also, is it racism to say that, on the whole, blacks are better at sprints, whites can swim fast and the chinese rock at table tennis?

That has literally nothing to do with the coloration of one's skin.

thats true actually. ok, so africans are good at sprinting, europeans can swim fast and chinese people always win the ping pong. because i suppose an albino african isn't automatically going to be really good at swimming.

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

well, lets peek into the olympics. who won the sprints? usain bolt - african decent. who won the swimming? michael phelps - european decent. its just a small genetic difference in each population. there are probably evolutionary reasons for them, i dont know, although europe is a lot wetter than africa so swimming seems like a good thing to excel in.

[Kejoh]

Race matters because Redgaurds (blacks) get weapon and athletics bonuses, Bretons (Northwestern Europeans) get magicka and intellectual bonuses, and Nords (Northeastern Europeans) get armor and strength bonuses.

Cookie for the reference.

I know the answer of Elder Scrolls has already been given, but this just reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend on what each human race's real life counterpart was. We determined that the Redguard was akin to the "moors" because of their strong ethical qualms against magic.

By the way, the best "race" is Bretons.
Just saying.

argonians are the best-est. water breathing? poison immunity? resist disease? ok, they dont get great skill bonuses, but that leaves more room for level-ups

then work on it! some people are too afraid of a little hard graft. i mean, they'll be like, 10 levels down. it cant takethat long! besides, i hate magic...
But their magic is pitiful!

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

I know the answer of Elder Scrolls has already been given, but this just reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend on what each human race's real life counterpart was. We determined that the Redguard was akin to the "moors" because of their strong ethical qualms against magic.

By the way, the best "race" is Bretons.
Just saying.

I usually use the Bretons. In Morrowind, you can go with a Breton and with "The Apprentice" so that you can simultaneously get fortify maximum magicka at 2.0xINT without any weakness to magicka penalties.

The Imperials are obviously representative of the Roman empire, and the Nords are obviously representative of the actual Nordic enthicities. I said that the Redgaurds were blacks because their facial features, skin coloration, and voices are those of black people.

Also, the best "race" is the Daedra Princes, but you don't get to play as them. As for the mortal races, it seems that, within the context of the game, the elves are considered "above" humans.

[Rhodmhire]

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

Of course it's not a race, he wasn't talking about races. Silly.

I was just concerned about why he made reference to two continents and a single country--and I see people thinking "Chinese," "Japanese," "Vietnamese," "Korean," and so forth are individual races.

[Dolphin Girl]

also, is it racism to say that, on the whole, blacks are better at sprints, whites can swim fast and the chinese rock at table tennis?

That has literally nothing to do with the coloration of one's skin.

thats true actually. ok, so africans are good at sprinting, europeans can swim fast and chinese people always win the ping pong. because i suppose an albino african isn't automatically going to be really good at swimming.

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

well, lets peek into the olympics. who won the sprints? usain bolt - african decent. who won the swimming? michael phelps - european decent. its just a small genetic difference in each population. there are probably evolutionary reasons for them, i dont know, although europe is a lot wetter than africa so swimming seems like a good thing to excel in.

That and Africans don't have as much access to Olympic-sized swimming facilities or resources.

[Kejoh]

also, is it racism to say that, on the whole, blacks are better at sprints, whites can swim fast and the chinese rock at table tennis?

That has literally nothing to do with the coloration of one's skin.

thats true actually. ok, so africans are good at sprinting, europeans can swim fast and chinese people always win the ping pong. because i suppose an albino african isn't automatically going to be really good at swimming.

Africans have more exposure to situations that allow them to build traits necessary to perform well in areas of athletics I presume.

Europeans can swim fast? I haven't heard anything suggesting that before.

And the Chinese th--wait, Chinese is as much of a race as Christian and fat.

well, lets peek into the olympics. who won the sprints? usain bolt - african decent. who won the swimming? michael phelps - european decent. its just a small genetic difference in each population. there are probably evolutionary reasons for them, i dont know, although europe is a lot wetter than africa so swimming seems like a good thing to excel in.

That and Africans don't have as much access to Olympic-sized swimming facilities or resources.

that's true. altho within britain or america there are enough africans that you would imagine at least one would be good at swimming (that wasnt me saying there are too many by the way, just saying there are quite a few) but still the europeans do the swimming. so i dont know what's going on exactly, but it seems to be genetic. and i know i mention two continents and a country, but china is bigger than europe

[Ryadn]

well, lets peek into the olympics. who won the sprints? usain bolt - african decent. who won the swimming? michael phelps - european decent. its just a small genetic difference in each population. there are probably evolutionary reasons for them, i dont know, although europe is a lot wetter than africa so swimming seems like a good thing to excel in.

The same reason hockey is dominated by white people---it takes money to have rink/pool access and a trainer. To run, all you need is a sufficiently long stretch of open space.

There may be a physical component as well. U.S. blacks TEND to (please note the emphasis) have greater muscle density, which does not allow them to float as well. That is not to say that it is true of all blacks, or that it is untrue of all whites (for instance, I can't float worth a damn).

[Allbeama]

Race is like the cake: It is a lie.

[Kejoh]

well, lets peek into the olympics. who won the sprints? usain bolt - african decent. who won the swimming? michael phelps - european decent. its just a small genetic difference in each population. there are probably evolutionary reasons for them, i dont know, although europe is a lot wetter than africa so swimming seems like a good thing to excel in.

The same reason hockey is dominated by white people---it takes money to have rink/pool access and a trainer. To run, all you need is a sufficiently long stretch of open space.

There may be a physical component as well. U.S. blacks TEND to (please note the emphasis) have greater muscle density, which does not allow them to float as well. That is not to say that it is true of all blacks, or that it is untrue of all whites (for instance, I can't float worth a damn).

i personally sink like a stone, but in the end my question was:
is it racist to say that blacks often win the sprints and whites often win swimming events?

[Kejoh]

Race is like the cake: It is a lie.

races exist. get used to it.

[Tunizcha]

Certain "races" being better at some sports than others is a simple matter of natural selection. For example, the indigenous African villagers are tall, lanky, and have long limbs to better disperse heat more efficiently. On the other hand, Southeast Asian folk are short and absorb more fat to better conserve heat, and have an extra layer of skin on their upper eyelid to protect from dust.

[Kejoh]

Certain "races" being better at some sports than others is a simple matter of natural selection. For example, the indigenous African villagers are tall, lanky, and have long limbs to better disperse heat more efficiently. On the other hand, Southeast Asian folk are short and absorb more fat to better conserve heat, and have an extra layer of skin on their upper eyelid to protect from dust.

and, little known fact, inuits rarely have heart attacks. their tendency to put on an extra layer of fat means they have 'evolved' a heart that can cope with the strain.

[Rhodmhire]

Race is like the cake: It is a lie.

You lie!

[New Xania]

I know the answer of Elder Scrolls has already been given, but this just reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend on what each human race's real life counterpart was. We determined that the Redguard was akin to the "moors" because of their strong ethical qualms against magic.

By the way, the best "race" is Bretons.
Just saying.

I usually use the Bretons. In Morrowind, you can go with a Breton and with "The Apprentice" so that you can simultaneously get fortify maximum magicka at 2.0xINT without any weakness to magicka penalties.

The Imperials are obviously representative of the Roman empire, and the Nords are obviously representative of the actual Nordic enthicities. I said that the Redgaurds were blacks because their facial features, skin coloration, and voices are those of black people.

Also, the best "race" is the Daedra Princes, but you don't get to play as them. As for the mortal races, it seems that, within the context of the game, the elves are considered "above" humans.

I'm always a nord due to the fact that they most resemble me. They're tall, white, and have a resistance to the cold. If I could just wear glasses in the game it'd be perfect. Also I never rely on magic, especially in Morrowind where mana recovered so slowly. You run out of mana you're screwed. Even at 0 fatigue you can still hit something (just doing the damage of an iron dagger with a daedric battleaxe).

[The Grand World Order]

95% of race is simply a feeling. -Benito Mussolini

[GetBert]

Race is like the cake: It is a lie.

races exist. get used to it.

No it doesn't, go read some science books.

[Virtud Tierra]

There are actually plenty of distinct medical and phyisological differences between races then just skin tone.

Asians for example, have completely different skull sutures then other races. Some even have extra plates between the major plates that form their skulls, effectively giving them more bones then other human beings.

[The Alma Mater]

There are actually plenty of distinct medical and phyisological differences between races then just skin tone.

Asians for example, have completely different skull sutures then other races. Some even have extra plates between the major plates that form their skulls, effectively giving them more bones then other human beings.

Really ? That sounds fascinating
Can you offer me a decent link to read more - because the first google only led to sites like stormfront - not exactly the most reliable source of information.

Sidequestion: what do the people that believe in races think happens if two races interbreed ? Is a new race created ?

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Asians are from a different country.
South park said so.
*Nods*.

[Virtud Tierra]

There are actually plenty of distinct medical and phyisological differences between races then just skin tone.

Asians for example, have completely different skull sutures then other races. Some even have extra plates between the major plates that form their skulls, effectively giving them more bones then other human beings.

Really ? That sounds fascinating
Can you offer me a decent link to read more - because the first google only led to sites like stormfront - not exactly the most reliable source of information.

Sidequestion: what do the people that believe in races think happens if two races interbreed ? Is a new race created ?

http://inventerare.wordpress.com/2008/0 ... to-be-one/

Don't let the vaugely racist-sounding name of the website "Testimony of the Spade" throw you off. Its an archaeology blog.

Scroll down to where it has photos and discusses the "Inca bones" referring to the extra bones in the skulls of some ethnic groups.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1468202

Medical journal referring to Inca bones.

[Vault 10]

I don't get the concept of race.

If not for the races, you'd be still riding horses at 10 mph.