Schneier on Security

JonKnowsNothing • May 4, 2024 1:55 PM

@Winter, @Echo of past arising, All

re: Where is the evidence trans women [human] have biological advantages over cis women athletes?

WADA has such data.

• WADA is responsible for the World Anti-Doping Code, adopted by more than 650 sports organisations, including international sports federations, national anti-doping organisations, the IOC, and the International Paralympic Committee.

However, in this shyte storm of a topic, it depends on the age and state of transition.

There are Blood Doping (1) levels of hormones or lack of hormones that are required depending on the competition and the rules of that sports federation. These rules vary by country and by sport but filter up into the international standards used.

There are anecdotal reports, which cause the biggest issues, of elite or near elite born males that transition to female and rising in the female ranks. (women’s swimming, women’s weightlifting).

• Caster Semenya is born female but naturally has high levels of male hormones (2)
• Renée Richards played professionally from 1977 to 1981 when she retired at age 47. She was ranked as high as 20th overall (in February 1979), and her highest ranking at the end of a year was 22nd (in 1977). Her first professional event as a female was the 1977 U.S. Open. (3)

Governments use the 3 Dopes to enhance their prestige. The outcomes of such doping schemes vary with the level of “clever use” to get the same outcome without crossing a specific testing threshold. (4).

It’s a shyte storm of a topic, so expect stuff to fly from the fan.

===

1) Accepted athletic checks: The 3 Dopes

• Blood Doping, Tech Doping, Money Doping

2)

htt ps://e n.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Caster_Semenya

• Mokgadi Caster Semenya OIB (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance runner and winner of two Olympic gold medals[4] and three World Championships in the women’s 800 metres. She first won gold at the World Championships in 2009 and went on to win at the 2016 Olympics and the 2017 World Championships, where she also won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres. After the doping disqualification of Mariya Savinova, she was also awarded gold medals for the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.

• Following Semenya’s victory at the 2009 World Championships, she was made to undergo sex testing, and cleared to return to competition the following year. The decision to perform sex testing sparked controversy in the sporting world and in Semenya’s home country of South Africa. Later reports disclosed that Semenya has the intersex condition 5α-Reductase 2 deficiency and natural testosterone levels in the typical male range.

3)

h ttps:/ /en .w ikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9e_Richards

• Renée Richards (born August 19, 1934) is an American ophthalmologist and former tennis player who competed on the professional circuit in the 1970s, and became widely known following male-to-female sex reassignment surgery, when she fought to compete as a woman in the 1976 US Open.

4)

h ttps:/ /en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_East_Germany

• The government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) conducted a decades-long program of coercive administration and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, initially testosterone, later mainly anabolic drugs, to its elite athletes.
• The East German doping system ended in the 1990s with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Multiple athletes and individuals came forward with information on the doping system, and a series of trials were held for the principle figures involved. Approximately 1,000 people were invited to testify in the trials, and 300 did so.

JonKnowsNothing • May 5, 2024 12:18 PM

@Winter, All

re: shyte storm of a topic: Where can I check this information?

You can start with WADA reports. Some are private to different sports federations but some are public available reports.

WADA is in charge of finding, noting Blood Doping in all types of sports, mostly human events.

• For Blood Doping in animal sports, horses, greyhounds and such, their sports federations have their own doping reports and labs.
• • Of course, in this particular topic you are interested in human Blood Doping but there is a carry over of techniques for animal doping. If a human does it to a human, someone is going to do it to a horse.

When you boil down the problem of category (see above), which is not fit for purpose given what we now know, it is a problem for Ultra Elite Athletes and not so much of a problem for day to day or regional sports events.

The 3 Dopes are involved primarily at the Ultra Elite level: Blood, Tech and Money.

• Sponsors do not pay for last place

• Governments and Sports Federations do not pay for last place

• The Events sets limited participation (scarcity) and drives desperation; last place will not get you a medal (prestige) or a place on the team (tech) and sponsorship (money)

So here is something to consider for this group based: Renée Richards

Before transition as M

• She played competitive tennis for a while and was ranked sixth out of the top 20 males over 35 . After an internship and residency, she joined the United States Navy to continue medical training and played tennis in the Navy. While serving in the Navy, she won both the singles and doubles at the All Navy Championship, with a very effective left-hand serve. During this time she was ranked as high as fourth in the region .

After transition as F

• She was ranked as high as 20th overall (in February 1979), and her highest ranking at the end of a year was 22nd (in 1977)

Why this is NOT a problem for trans-athletes, because RR was never an Ultra Elite Athlete. She was very good but not the same caliber as those higher ranked.

• She could beat all the players from rank 21 to the un-ranked (several hundred players).

• She could not beat the players above her from Rank 1 to Rank 19.

The Ultra Elite Women could win against her. Ultra Elite Women can also win against many male players.

The 3 Dope problem concerns: Ultra Elite Women v Ultra Elite Women

Another place to investigate is Biomechanics

• Biomechanics: study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems.

This is used in many areas from animals to humans and the desired qualities selected depend on the function you want to achieve. For animals we have a human defined “ideal” for what that animal is to look like, behave and perform. Sometimes we call this “conformation”.

• Race horses look like they do because we have selected their bone structure so they can run fast. While humans many select the structure, horses do not always perform in accordance with our selected design. Some horses without the desired structure run very fast anyway.

• Plow horses look like they do because they can pull heavy loads. They do not look like race horses.

Human sports and other venues use the same technique to decide Form and Function. Tall, thin, thick, muscular, slim, tiny, and a myriad of other markers are used for each sport.

There are lots of counter-examples of criteria that did not predict superior performance and this is exactly what the problem is for ALL people wanting to be in the Ultra Elite group.

• If their body mechanics interfere with the “selected criteria or ideal” they will not be included.

Within the limited number of participation slots, the fight is Ultra Elite vs Ultra Elite.

• CIS women compared to CIS women have only “selected F criteria” to meet.

• TRANS M or TRANS F have to meet “selected M or F criteria” and also meet “selected PRE_TRANS M or PRE_TRANS F criteria”

Sometimes this ends up in favor of the TRANS person and sometimes it doesn’t. It depends on the sports federation and what criteria they select for that sport. Gender is only one aspect, Age is another. This latter leads to all sorts of new complications.

The ultimate fight is over the 3 Dopes: Blood, Tech, Money. These are big long term issues and gender is a small part of it.

===

h ttp s://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/1981_US_Open_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_singles

• 1981 US Open – Women’s singles

see Section 8 list

h ttps: //e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomechanics

• Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems

JonKnowsNothing • May 6, 2024 12:06 PM

@Winter, All

re biomechanics. That sounds very “physical”, but the links between any biomechanics and performance in sports are non-obvious and complex. If they were not, you would not need to compete as you simply could measure the respective biomechanical parameters to know who would win.

A small correction to your opinion piece.

Sports Biomechanics are quite well defined for many sports. The types of desired body shape, size and muscle density (fast slow twitch) vary by sport. Well endowed Sports Federations maintain Training Facilities with the latest in training techniques, dietary support and medical evaluation to boost certain body aspects for each sports type.

These ideals change over time.

The body shape of swimmers and muscle development has changed over the decades. Swimmers today, look much different than those from decades ago. Divers have the same changes. Training regimes aimed at enhancing particular muscle sets differ by sport. Not all changes are about making muscles bigger, sometimes it’s about not having muscle mass, or developing breathing techniques that steady aim. Getting a physique that is closer to the ideal for that sport, works with the competitor’s body.

As in many aspects of life, not all body types are suited for a particular sport. This does not mean they should not participate or enjoy their sport. It only means their Elo Ranking will match what they can do.

Talent, ability, desire are not part of Body Mechanics. However, they can affect how much the person applies the regime.

• 2,000 sit ups every day, 365 days, 10 years

As far as predictions go, when the difference between competitors is 1/millionth of a second, that’s pretty close to knowing who will win.

However, on Olympic Day anything is possible. (1)

===

1) Which is the day Tech Dope shows up in full panoply.

JonKnowsNothing • May 9, 2024 12:10 AM

@ Max, @ Echo of past arising, ALL

re: improving shelf life

There are lots of versions of “applying pathogen mitigations” to food. Many countries have mixed rules. It often is determined by specific product (strawberries/bananas/meat).

The double goal is to increase shelf life or time in transit by reducing conditions that are known to cause the food to rot. Sometimes its a required fumigation of a cargo container to prevent invasive pests from getting a free airplane trip. Lots of times this doesn’t work; bugs are good at hiding.

It depends on how much you want strawberries for breakfast.

re: Prion protein bonds

Prion protein bonds, the connections between the different parts of the protein, are nearly indestructible. Once the protein mis-folds, there is no method to get it to unfold or return to normal.

Prions remain stable in nearly every environment and temperature. They do not degrade.

Once the mis-fold happens the connected protein chain is mis-folded too; like a tumble of dominoes.

iirc(badly) long ago a prion scientist was said to have remarked

• Prions are the first Non DNA Self Replicating Unit

Which of course has serious implications for the rest of us that are DNA based.

For Fun:

• Imagine a Prion connected to a HAIL system:
• • an indestructible form matched to an unstable intellect

JonKnowsNothing • May 9, 2024 7:39 AM

All

re: How Google Maps can disappear a community

A local CA community of ~3,000 people are involved in a dispute with the US Federal Government and California State Government over their historical place name.

They have used this name for 150+years and for some, much longer. It’s hardly more than a wide spot on the road on the way to some of the National Parks. However, for the people that live there, this name is part of their cultural identity. They believe this name to be a beautiful name and has direct ancestral meaning to them. The Feds and the State have defined this name to be derogatory and have mandated a name change. The new name selected by the Federal Government has been completed; the California State Government new name selected by committee will be done by Jan 2025.

All is not well and all is not what it seems and all is not what people are going to get on either side of the discussion. It’s seriously funny in some ways but also seriously problematic in other ways.

• Google maps has disappeared the entire area of 3,000 people

How can that happen?

Because the maps are based on Federal Government Maps. The Federal Government renamed this geographic area and Google Maps now incorporates this name change. Except the people in the area still use the old name legally and that’s a problem.

The maps do not make allowance for multiple designations for the same area. Lots of people have nicknames for places they go to and do not always refer to a destination by it’s official name.

• Let’s go to the beach

In your area, this will mean a different beach than in my area, but folks here know which beach we are going to without using the full proper name.

In this case, because Google Maps are used by GPS systems, these systems can no longer find the area at all. It just does not exist.

On line vendors, like Amz cannot deliver to this place because their mapping system says it does not exist. And in many cases, unsuccessful deliveries get disappeared and the buyer has no recourse. They can order items on line but it will not make it to their front door.

Businesses, Restaurants and Motels are listed as Closed or No Longer In Business and clients who come regularly, staying at the local resorts have their GPS systems indicate there is Nothing There.

A summary of some of what’s in and out on the name change:

• Federal Government picked a name and that’s what’s on the maps
• Until Jan 2025 the legal name of the area is the Old Name. This is the name on deeds, rental agreements, PGE bills, property taxes, federal tax returns.
• Until Jan 2025 the local Post Office is the Old Name. The US Post Service is separate from the the Federal Government. Their cost-cutting regime is notorious and it is expected that the Post Office will not be willing to pay for changing the name on the local annex and close it instead. This will send the 3,000 residents on a 30min each way trip down the mountain to the closest Post Office for post services. They could be sent to a farther Post Office ~45m drive each way.
• On Jan 2025 after a new name has been selected by State Committee, the local County which is in charge of road signs and street signs must change all the signs with the offending names. They will be forbidden from using the Old Name in anyway after Jan 2025. Official County Letters and Notices posted in public boards must be changed. Historical records will be removed from public access. It is not clear if just hiding them in a drawer is sufficient or will they have to be reprinted with the new name. If they have to be reprinted, that’s Official County Records for ~200yrs or so that need to be altered.
• The State of California has also indicated they will attempt to force a name change on a privately endowed cemetery. Land donated to the community long ago and run by it’s own board of directors. It is not the property or jurisdiction of the State of California.

So now what doesn’t change

• The name of the community. The very thing that offended the Federal and State Governments so much that they created a huge magilla over the name. The reason the State and Feds have no call on this, is because it is an “unincorporated” area of the county. It is not a city or town. It’s just a bunch of people living in an area. The people living in the area have no intentions of altering their selected local nickname.

• Business signage. Businesses can name their business whatever they want. Some of these have been known for many decades under the old name. It’s their brand identification. It’s the name all their clients know them by. They will have to change all their paperwork and official documents to the new name but the business will carry on with the old name.

Economic fallout

• It will cost the County a large sum of money to change the signs on roads in the area. Freeway signs also need to be changed. Destination mileage signs need to be changed. Official notice boards have to have their name changed. Official County reports and documents and letter head, will change to omit the old name.

• It will cost the local businesses and people a lot of money to update their documentation and to update their land deeds (sale) to match. Historical information and family history documents like cemetery plot deeds will need recasting. Invoice, envelopes, advertising will have to be redone.

• Amz and online sales are losing customers because their systems cannot find the community. It maybe some systems will recognize the old name at order time, but by the time it gets to the delivery service, their GPS routing software fails to map it correctly. GPS system and routing programs will continue in disarray for a long time. Updates being what they are.

Summary

• There is a new geographic name for the area.
• There will be a new name selected for the roads.
• California will refer to the area by the name they select.
• The community will keep the name it wants.
• Signs on private property cannot be touched by Fed or State.
• Amz and Google will hopefully fix their GPS problems quickly.
• In practical terms the New Name and Old Name will both be in effect.
• Everyone is just PISSEDOFF.