Just spent some time with my eyes closed, ~ two hours. I had to talk to the people around me, reporting sensations and answering questions. Most of the people were remote but a couple of techs were hovering.
The above is only relevant for the rest of this. When my eyes were closed and I was having a chat I couldn't see the person speaking, and "penciled them in" based on how they sounded to me. Having visited over 70 countries on active duty I feel I have a fair sample of voice/language to choose from.
But today I didn't put any faces on anybody. I just listened to lungs, larynx, epiglottis, hard and soft palate, teeth and lips. That struck me in a way I hadn't put too much attention to before. "Under the Skin", a lamentable movie starring Scarlett Johansen as an alien who comes to Earth to, you guessed it, harvest humans for food, wears a human suit for most of the movie. Yay naked Scarlett!
Anyway, the thought came to me that she might not have any or all of the sound making items we have, or most of us have barring natural and accidental modifications of the original pattern.
"Race" is an external thing and can vary. The parts we're born with are very much common to humans. One layer of epidermis it truly irrelevant at that level. So making a big deal out of a millimeter or so of tissue just doesn't make sense.
Tired ramble may continue. After this incoming needle of junk. 'night.
The above is only relevant for the rest of this. When my eyes were closed and I was having a chat I couldn't see the person speaking, and "penciled them in" based on how they sounded to me. Having visited over 70 countries on active duty I feel I have a fair sample of voice/language to choose from.
But today I didn't put any faces on anybody. I just listened to lungs, larynx, epiglottis, hard and soft palate, teeth and lips. That struck me in a way I hadn't put too much attention to before. "Under the Skin", a lamentable movie starring Scarlett Johansen as an alien who comes to Earth to, you guessed it, harvest humans for food, wears a human suit for most of the movie. Yay naked Scarlett!
Anyway, the thought came to me that she might not have any or all of the sound making items we have, or most of us have barring natural and accidental modifications of the original pattern.
"Race" is an external thing and can vary. The parts we're born with are very much common to humans. One layer of epidermis it truly irrelevant at that level. So making a big deal out of a millimeter or so of tissue just doesn't make sense.
Tired ramble may continue. After this incoming needle of junk. 'night.
