In my view there is reasonable evidence for a trade-off between health and reproduction between species, but not within species. Am I wrong on this?
On eunuch lifespan, you are basically relying on three studies, each of which are historical, ie the Mental Health studies in the mid 20th century and the historical Korean eunuch study. I think there are big problems in interpreting these studies. For example, it’s not like the eunuch lifespans in either sample is as long as men in wealthy countries, which makes things like infections and generally risky behavior a much stronger candidate for the mechanism, which wouldn’t generalize to lifespan today. What am I wrong about here?
Let me be clear that I want you to be right. It suggests a clear mechanism to increasing lifespan in men. I just don’t think that there’s very strong evidence for it.
In my view there is reasonable evidence for a trade-off between health and reproduction between species, but not within species. Am I wrong on this?
On eunuch lifespan, you are basically relying on three studies, each of which are historical, ie the Mental Health studies in the mid 20th century and the historical Korean eunuch study. I think there are big problems in interpreting these studies. For example, it’s not like the eunuch lifespans in either sample is as long as men in wealthy countries, which makes things like infections and generally risky behavior a much stronger candidate for the mechanism, which wouldn’t generalize to lifespan today. What am I wrong about here?
Again, why don’t we see the effect in dogs? http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3068/does-castration-longer-life
Let me be clear that I want you to be right. It suggests a clear mechanism to increasing lifespan in men. I just don’t think that there’s very strong evidence for it.