[matt04]

Full title: University of Massachusetts-Amherst professor Patricia Brennan defends her government-funded duck genitalia research in face of Fox news online poll, Internet debate

[Gen.Blather]

If it was worthwhile a private company would fund it. I wouldn’t fund anything done by a university because academics never have to produce a product. They expend the funds, often without producing results. I’ve seen dummied data and data that didn’t support the conclusions. But, the buyer is always told what they want to hear.

If some marvelous development was expected a company would fund it. If a company isn’t interested then why should the taxpayer pay to let this woman indulge her hobby?

[gleeaikin]

If this leads to more and cheaper Peking Duck meals, I’m all for it.

[muir_redwoods]

So, given that there is intense competition for research funds, one wonders whose research lost out to the duck genitalia work.

[C210N]

Show me the line on Article 1 Section 8 that authorizes duck genitalia research, and you can have the tax dollars it requires. Otherwise, take your ducks genitalia and stick it where your sun don’t shine.

[ozzymandus]

Rachel Maddow was defending this woman. Draw your own conclusions.

[illiac]

Wonder why she gives a duck?

[wildbill]

You really have to read some of her letter to get the full response and make up your ming as to whether this research is valuable. "This brings us back to the ducks. Male ducks force copulations on females, and males and females are engaged in a genital arms race with surprising consequences. Male ducks have elaborate corkscrew-shaped penises, the length of which correlates with the degree of forced copulation males impose on female ducks. Females are often unable to escape male coercion, but they have evolved vaginal morphology that makes it difficult for males to inseminate females close to the sites of fertilization and sperm storage. Males have counterclockwise spiraling penises, while females have clockwise spiraling vaginas and blind pockets that prevent full eversion of the male penis. [For those of us who had to look up e·ver·sion [i vúr’n, i vúrsh’n] (plural e·ver·sions) n medicine biology 1. turning inside out: the process or condition of being turned inside out eg eversion of the bladder ] Our latest study examined how the presence of other males influences genital morphology. My colleagues and I found that it does so to an amazing degree, demonstrating that male competition is a driving force behind these male traits that can be harmful to females. The fact that this grant was funded, after the careful scrutiny of many scientists and NSF administrators, reflects the fact that this research is grounded in solid theory and that the project was viewed as having the potential to move science forward (and it has), as well as fascinate and engage the public. The research has been reported on positively by hundreds of news sites in recent years, even Fox news. Most of the grant money was spent on salaries, putting money back into the economy. The commentary and headlines in some of the recent articles reflect outrage that the study was about duck genitals, as if there is something inherently wrong or perverse with this line of research. Imagine if medical research drew the line at the belt! Genitalia, dear readers, are where the rubber meets the road, evolutionarily. To fully understand why some individuals are more successful than others during reproduction, there may be no better place to look. The importance of evolutionary research on other species’ genitalia to the medical field has been recently highlighted in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Generating new knowledge of what factors affect genital morphology in ducks, one of the few vertebrate species other than humans that form pair bonds and exhibit violent sexual coercion, may have significant applied uses in the future, but we must conduct the basic research first. In the meantime, while we engage in productive and respectful discussion of how we envision the future of our nation, why not marvel at how evolution has resulted in such counterintuitive morphology and bizarre animal behavior." MY TAKE: SO BOTH SEXES OF DUCKS HAVE GENITALIA IN THE FORM OF COMPETING CORKSCREWS AND MALE DUCKS INDULGE IN RAPE WHILE FEMALE DUCKS APPARENTLY HAVE THE MUSCLE ABILITY TO CUT MALES OFF AT THE PASS. WHO KNEW THIS WAS IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING MALE/FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS IN HUMAN REPRODUCTION? I ONLY HOPE THE GAY COMMUNITY DOESN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THIS AFTER THE AWFUL WAY THEY'VE TREATED HARMLESS HAMSTERS.

[AzSteven]

What crap. This was a waste of funds if it was funded under Obama, Bush, Reagan or even Goerge Washington. Proxmire was a dolt about basic research, I agree, but THIS rubbish is not basic science; its an extremely minute study with no apparent collateral value. The scientist knows it, and is throwing out strawman arguments about Bush to defend it.

[tet68]

This brings us back to the ducks. Male ducks force copulations on females, and males and females are engaged in a genital arms race with surprising consequences.

Male ducks have elaborate corkscrew-shaped penises, the length of which correlates with the degree of forced copulation males impose on female ducks. Females are often unable to escape male coercion, but they have evolved vaginal morphology that makes it difficult for males to inseminate females close to the sites of fertilization and sperm storage.

Males have counterclockwise spiraling penises, while females have clockwise spiraling vaginas and blind pockets that prevent full eversion of the male penis.

Our latest study examined how the presence of other males influences genital morphology.

My colleagues and I found that it does so to an amazing degree, demonstrating that male competition is a driving force behind these male traits that can be harmful to females.

More information than I needed to know.
Can’t see spending my money on it but I’m sure someone
somewhere would find it worth while.

Of course if you’re spending other peoples money.....

[blueunicorn6]

Another professor who doesn’t understand the concept of “Opportunity Costs”.

[allmendream]

Any animal that can grow a huge penis seasonally and then have it fall off deserves careful study. If we could weaponize a “your pecker falls off” bomb we might never have to go to war again!

[Fightin Whitey]

Duck's ass.

[House Atreides]

“........As a scientist, my view is that supporting basic and applied research is essential to keep the United States ahead in the global economy. The government cannot afford not to make that investment........”
*********************************************************************
My God... if we don’t fund this duck genitalia research, the Chinese will expend their resources financing it. And we’ll quickly fall behind in the duck genitalia arms race with all that entails. Next thing we know, American students will have to go to study in China if they want to specialize in duck genitalia.

But I suspect that Patricia Brennan doesn’t need to worry—if she loses federal funding she can always seek to be financed by Ford Foundation grants. That tax exempt foundation is always searching for worthwhile projects such as this.

[TigersEye]

Now that you have explained your research, perfessor, it’s more ridiculous than I had imagined.

[DJ MacWoW]

A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicity. Thomas Jefferson

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[Sender]

I don’t know which is more disturbing; that ducks have opposite-spiraling genitals, or that someone’s daughter grew up wanting to study them.

[allmendream]

The FR Akin supporters should embrace this research, as female ducks DO have a way to “shut that whole thing down”.