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Ultrasound As a Male Contraceptive
TeslaBoy writes "The BBC has an article about using ultrasound aimed at the testicles as a reversible male contraceptive. This can last for six months. With a grant of $100,000 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers at the University of North Carolina will push ahead with more clinical trials, fine tuning, and safety tests."
Don't let Microsoft point ultrasonic emitters at your nuts.
>> ultrasound aimed at the testicles
That just sounds nuts!
I hope it's more effective than your first post attempts or somebody will be calling you Daddy soon ;)
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
You are on /. , I don't think anyone of us has to worry about birth control. On the other hand, Microsoft having access to people's nuts... That could be worrying.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Just want to say, NOT HAPPENING. I'm happy using abstinence as a contraceptive. 100% effective. (:
I agree, keeping it in your pants sounds a lot easier than someone pointing something at your boys and saying "this might tingle a little..."
Jesus fucking Christ, why didn't I HEAR about this earlier?
You can't handle the truth.
This can last for six months.
There are a number of areas in my life where YMMV is fine, and I'll take the risk, but I don't think contraception will be one of them.
So was I the only one who crossed their legs while reading the story?
If this is cheap and effective, it sounds like a good decision. If you're in a monogamous relationship, say bye-bye to condoms! You also don't have to subject your female partner to a birth control regimen, which throws her hormones out of whack and can have all kinds of terrible side effects like migraines, random menstrual flow, etc.
Raters gon' rate.
just get married instead?
If I have seen further it is by stealing the Intellectual Property of giants.
Gives new meaning to the term "Hum Job."
Howard Roark, Architect
I believe in a Man's right to exist for his own sake.
How exactly is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation connected to Microsoft? The largest transparently-operated private foundation in the world doesn't have a lot in common with Microsoft Corp. In fact, there's only one thing I can think of that they do have in common.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
With that attitude I don't think you need to worry about having kids.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
" "this might tingle a little..."
"..but for an extra 100, it will tingle a lot."
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
That works great right up to the point where some girl with a thing for nerds decides to jump you.
Don't laugh, it could happen to you (it's not likely of course, but it is possible).
"Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!"
Bender: What should we point it at first?
Fry: I dunno. Try it on me!
[Zap]
Fry: Ow! My sperm!
Bender: Wow! Neat! Mind if I try that again?
[Zap]
Fry: Huh, didn't hurt that time.
I'm happy using abstinence as a contraceptive.
See, you -say- you're happy, but then you say you're abstaining... which is it?
Eliminating disease is about population control. Wherever there is high mortality rates there is high population growth. It's just human nature: death is all around, make more babies.
How we know is more important than what we know.
How are children a selfish act?
Continue the species, taxpayers for social programs, potential to do something great, etc
In fact, there's only one thing I can think of that they do have in common.
Virility-destroying products?
The enemies of Democracy are
However, the dark side to Limits To Growth (or I guess I should say "darker") is the prediction that this will fail and only a China style One Child Policy and mass sterilization programs will be effective for limiting population growth.
I don't see what the alternative could possibly be. As a species, we have two choices: 1) voluntarily limit our population, so that don't have so many problems with resources and environmental destruction (which leads to more resources shortages), or 2) ignore the problem, and suffer the consequences. Since the consequences of ignoring the problem would most probably be disastrous, as there's simply no way we can provide a 1st-world standard of living for 100 billion people (at least not without some major technological advances which aren't here yet and may take centuries to achieve), #2 sounds like suicide; it could result in severe environmental damage which would then lead to the world being unlivable for most humans, and a massive die-off would then happen along with the total collapse of civilization.
Ultrasound contraception sounds like a pretty good alternative. Even unwilling men could easily be subjected to it, perhaps even without their knowledge as they walk in a public area. Of course, the Catholic Church would be up in arms about this, but they've never had any realistic alternative for the problem, and deny the problem altogether.
You're mischaracterising nature. More organisms means more intra-specific competition (inter-specific is bothersome too, if you're environmentalist). Free minds and/or those chained by instinct are, by and large, not altruistic.
There are lots of underprivileged/dying people you could help if you wanted to "continue the species", farm "taxpayers for social programs", or help fulfil "potential to do something great".
If you want kids, have kids, but don't deny that it's the supremely selfish act.
There's no more selfish act in the world than having your own children.
not when my children are better than you! my 16 month old is already doing calculus. it's in the form of spaghetti, so it takes some interpreting, but it's there.
---
Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
Didn't we just see a story about this? Or is Ball Lightning not the same thing?
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
Maybe a strong enough monitor could allow the BSOD to irradiate your nuts
A bunch of dumb people on slashdot making stupid, worn out jokes about them?
Now if I can just get a ringtone for that...
You mean their respecive founders right? Amirite? Do I get a prize?
A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.
If you want kids, have kids, but don't deny that it's the supremely selfish act.
Maybe for you. I can think of nothing more selfish than to deny the awesomeness of my genes to future generations ;)
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
He's very smart. Genius in fact. You see, much like the "great software" this contraceptive doesn't work either.
Imagine you're Bill Gates, you're the richest guy in the world, yet you still have to sit in traffic. So why not devote the rest of your life to population control?
yes, Bill gates made a donation, clearly that means MS will ahve access.
also, Bill Gate bought a slurpee and 7-11 so now MS is spying on you in all 7-11.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
I would imagine that people said the same thing about the birth control pill 50 years ago.
How's abstinence working out for your priests, after all? Apparently, not too well, because they're all secretly molesting young boys.
Abstinence has nothing to do with that. I've been pretty sexually frustrated at times in my life (cue /. living in Mom's basement jokes...) and I've never looked at little boys as an outlet for my energies. One can be horny without becoming a pedophile.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
yes, they should listen to some boob on the internet who has no idea what there talking about instead if investing money with experts who understand what they are doing.
Just because your on the internet with an opinion doesn't make you an expert.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Wives discovered a long time ago that screaming loudly enough in the vicinity of their husband's testicles somehow "magically" prevented pregnancy. It prevented a lot of other things too, but that's beside the point.
How is that "the" supremely selfish act compared to, say, dumping toxic waste on 3rd world water supplies in order to save a buck? Or buying up a business, raiding the pension fund, and selling off the parts for profit while thousands of people wonder where their job and retirement went? Or abusing your status as a police officer in order to get a sad power kick?
Having a kid basically means devoting very large chunks of your life to someone else. You're giving up 2 years of doing anything, 3 further years of any daytime activities, then 15 years of having control over your own life. And why? So you can create a life that will hopefully go off into the wild and make society a better place.
Some people want to help a million people a little bit. A lot of people want to help one or two people a whole lot. Is it "supremely selfish" because it is something they want to do? Does this now mean that the only selfless acts that matter are the acts of self-flagellation that nobody wants to do? In the kinds of developed countries that post on slashdot, the birthrate generally has fallen below 1 child per 1 person. Clearly the problem can't be overpopulation, at least not here.
Really, the only way raising children could be considered "the supremely selfish act" is if you start from the position that human beings are bad, and more human beings are more bad. We have enough food to feed everybody currently, we're just terrible at distributing it. We have enough water for now. And peak oil is happening one way or another. Arguably, we'll be off of the oil standard faster the more scientists we can raise. And again, if you don't count immigration the population of most developed countries is declining.
The ______ Agenda
How do you propose that society support people who have 12 kids, like the Octomom?
Stop supporting people who can't take care of themselves and the problem solves itself naturally in short order. Yes, that's cold and heartless, but I would take the loss of the welfare state over the loss of my right to control my own body. Telling me how many kids I'm allowed to have is not compatible with Western notions of freedom and self-determination.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
If we are to remain a society that values freedom and self-determination you have no right at all to tell me whether or not I can have kids or how many I can have.
Society has every right to remove freedoms when the society is threatened. People who commit crimes don't have any freedom; they're locked in ugly jail cells for years or decades at a time. People who drive in cars don't have the freedom to drive the wrong way, because that causes accidents and death. Society places all kinds of limits on your freedom. You don't have the freedom to earn money and keep it all for yourself: you have to pay part of it to the government as "taxes", or you go to jail. You don't have the freedom to smoke an easily-grown herb either, you can be sent to prison for that too.
If society reaches the point where there's too many people, and not enough resources, then your "right" to have 20 kids will be seen as a threat to society's health, and your rights will be curtailed. China has already reached this point and enacted restrictions on breeding. Not coincidentally, they are advancing very rapidly as a society, from a backwards agrarian society to the #1 exporter of goods. You may not like their limits on freedom (I don't either), but their policies are definitely working.
As for the "F" word, I'm not sure you know what it means.
"If you want kids, have kids, but don't deny that it's the supremely selfish act."
Maybe selfish in the sense that breathing air or drinking water is supremely selfish, but not in the sense that it is morally incorrect.
I say that, because not having children because of your own ideology is just as selfish from the unborn potential child's perspective.
while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
Ha HA! Wow! Cuompulsory state sponsored sterilization! What a whackjob, he actually WAS serious! So tell us, did you work at Sachsenhausen or Buchenwald in the '40s?
- "Hear that?! The percolations are imminent! Cease your ingress!"
WOOSH!
I think the posters point was that there are tons of kids available to be adopted. There is no need to breed your own. All of what you said can be done with an adopted child. You know, the ones that are here already and need help now.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
So, Mr. Fascist, which other parts of the UNDHR would you like to repeal? The right to peaceful assembly? The right to rest and leisure? Equal treatment before the law without regard to race or class? Perhaps you'd like to get rid of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion? It's a monstrous path you tread, and the fact that you're +5 insightful instead of -1 Fascist Thug is chilling.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
Dr. Who fans will love it. Just tell them it's a sonic screwdriver and they'll line up around the block.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
...I might consider it. There's no more selfish act in the world than having your own children.
If only your parents had the same views.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
All of the good that you devote to another human being when you have a child can be done by adopting. There are *so* many children out there, in every country, that need parents. Requiring that your child be a genetic descendant is pure egotism. "Forget that other kid that I could be raising, I want a shiny new one, that looks like me and has my genes".
No, this doesn't come from the position that humans are bad and more are worse. It comes from the position that an adopted child you raise will take after you in the most important ways, you still get all the benefits of parenthood and, as a plus, you're doing good for someone else who otherwise might have had a shitty life. The insistence of people on having their own is pure selfishness.
Free the Quark 3 from asymptotic confinement! Bring your charm! Don't get down! All colours and flavours welcome!
Wow my first troll mod! It actually feels pretty good!
I'd like to start by thanking all the little people in my life, you all helped to make this day happen. My principal in high school for showing me how to use the soap in the gym showers, the doctor for my first rectal exam, GNAA for all their great posts and informative commentary. I couldn't have done it with out all your support!
A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.
Anyone remember Therac-25?
The Therac-25 was a radiation therapy machine produced by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) after the Therac-6 and Therac-20 units (the earlier units had been produced in partnership with CGR of France). It was involved with at least six accidents between 1985 and 1987, in which patients were given massive overdoses of radiation, approximately 100 times the intended dose.[2] Three of the six patients died as a direct consequence. These accidents highlighted the dangers of software control of safety-critical systems, and they have become a standard case study in health informatics and software engineering.
(more after the link)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25
Also a sidenote, I see how some people program (which is scary), to have them develop a machine aiming stuff at my balls, I would need to be on ALOT of drugs to agree to that.
We should start a new Slashdot and return control to the geeks. It actually wouldn't be that hard to get some users to
Having a kid basically means devoting very large chunks of your life to your own sperm. You're giving up 2 years of doing anything, 3 further years of any daytime activities, then 15 years of having control over your own life. And why? So you can send your own genes off into the wild and ensure the continuation and possible dominance of your DNA on the human species.
I suspect a lot of men would rather take a pill or get a shot. After all, the ultrasonic device is causing actual damage while the pill just convinces something to not be so active. In practice it is probably not a big deal, but the point I was making is that the description is cringe worthy. I sure hope the pamphlets are worded better.
The more serious problem will be, as I said, that it can easily go un-noticed when the man becomes fertile again until it is too late.
No stronger aphrodisiac than a pile or rotting corpses, eh?
Don't let Microsoft point ultrasonic emitters at your nuts.
Blue Ball of Death?
Just like my raincoat. - President Skroob
The connection is easy. Computer users in third world countries usually don't buy Windows. It's a clever plot on Bill's part with Melinda's blessing to cut down on the number of non-Windows users.
(and I bet you thought that no one on /. could turn an article on contraception into something anti-Microsoft. Ta-Da!!!)
Cheers,
Dave
P.S. For the humor impaired, just kidding.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.
Ben
It always strikes me as amusing that religious people who ostensibly don't agree with Darwin end up with lots of kids, while the stereotypical secular humanist strongly believes in evolution but refuses to propagate his or her genes. It's an interesting disconnect between ideology and reality, on both sides.
In my day we were lucky to have a hammer!
We used two halves of a brick if we were lucky!
...
Ow My Balls!
I would tend to imagine that the number of people who have never wasted some sperm in their lives is close to absolute 0.
So between that and no contraception, what's the difference?
If God gave us wet dreams, he gave us the right to waste sperm in little rubber containers. Or spray it all over the wall, for all he cares. I mean, it's a little hard to believe that God expects us to be chief financial officer for little dudes we create in the billions.
I would expect it is simply much more logical to assume those religious beliefs were codified in times where we really didn't have a clue how all the plumbing worked.
Between more effective methods of avoiding creating real world problems and assuming that those beliefs reflect the true will of God, I know which side I fall on. Pluck a person who's never been exposed to the teachings of the church, and they would have never ever even considered such a theological limitation. People get it from their churches, who got it from older folks, who got it from older folks ... there are some notions that, even if I accept the possibility of a theology, are far more likely simply to be a spiritual case of broken telephone.
"Old man yells at systemd"
A 90-year-old man said to his doctor, "I've never felt better. I have an 18-year-old bride who is pregnant with my child. What do you think about that?"
The doctor considered his question for a minute and then said, "I have an elderly friend who is a hunter and never misses a season. One day when he was going out in a bit of a hurry, he accidentally picked up his umbrella instead of his gun.
When he got to the Creek, he saw a beaver sitting beside the stream. He raised his umbrella and went, 'bang, bang' and the beaver fell dead. What do you think of that?" The 90-year-old said, "I'd say somebody else shot that beaver."
The doctor replied, "My point exactly."
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
"This Is" disappeared from my post, weird.
um, you do know that primary aphasia is one of the risk factors for vasectomy, right?
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Yes she was very lazy. It was one of the many things I disliked about her. She was also very unintelligent and had no education beyond highschool. She did a good job at hiding these flaws at first which is how we got together.
Am I rich? You probably wouldn't consider me rich, but this happened during the dot com boom. She probably expected me to become a multi-billionare.
The other person replying to you wasn't me. She wasn't successful. Sex during ovulation is more likely to not lead to pregnancy. It takes about 10 tries even if timed right. Through a little luck and a lot of arrogance and ignorance of science on her part, nothing happened. She didn't get pregnant, and her repeated attempts failed since she already told me her plan after the first try when she thought it was a done deal.
She feels like the most pathetic person I have ever met, but I suspect that people like her are quite common. You might not believe that guy whose ex stole his tissues from the trash but I don't doubt it for a second. She is no more idiotic or petty than the girlfriend I had. She had a stupid plan to get pregnant and believed it had worked before she had any proof. People like that are incapable of being successful in the real world and attempt to force an attachment to someone much smarter and successful like a parasite. Don't let this happen to you. We were lucky. Now we know how important male contraception is. Push for it. Once it is available use it. Think computer security. Don't trust a girl if you don't have to. If she is on birth control, you should use your own. Decrease the chances of pregnancy even more. At the same time you are preventing her from tricking you into an attachment you might not want right now.