Skin colour...ooooh controversial!

[gaudinho's stolen car]

Homo sapains were actually brown by nature,the 'whites' are a natural mutation.The puzzling question that I cant understand is that the birth place of man was,they say, somewhere on the African continent/middle eastern area.A hot and sunny place by all acounts,why then is the natural skin colour dark when dark colours absorb heat therefore making the body work harder to cool down.White reflects heat which is the natural colour of northern europeans,one would have thought the need would be to absorb heat and sunlight in a cooler climate.Nature is a strange thing.....

I know, it's from Wiki, but it's quite interesting to hear the theory that black (or darker) skin prevents UV rays penetrating and causing cancer in very hot countries, and white (or lighter) skin is more successful in reproducing vitamin D in countries with less sunlight.

Skin cancer as a result of ultraviolet light radiation causing mutations in the skin is less common among people with dark skin than it is among those with light skin. Dark skin prevents an essential B vitamin, folate, from being destroyed. In the absence of modern medicine and diet, a person with dark skin in the tropics would live longer, be healthier and more likely to reproduce than a person with light skin. As evidence of this expectation of adverse effects of light skin in the tropics, White South Africans and white Australians have some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
Conversely, as dark skin prevents sunlight from penetrating the skin, it hinders the production of vitamin D3. When humans migrated to less sun-intensive regions in the north, low vitamin D3 levels became a problem, and humans with lighter skin were more successful in reproducing. White people of Europe, who have low levels of melanin, naturally have an almost colorless skin pigmentation, especially when untanned. This low level of pigmentation allows the blood vessels to become visible, which gives the characteristic pale pink color of white people.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Nobody in the world has black skin and nobody in the world has white skin. Everyone is brown; it's just however long your ancestors spent in caves because of the climate depends on how light that brown pigment became.

Alright smart-arse, how did the sun make brown(er) peoples hair go curly?

Many gingers with the palest of pale skin have afro hair.

wow

 

[MadchesterCity]

Homo sapains were actually brown by nature,the 'whites' are a natural mutation.The puzzling question that I cant understand is that the birth place of man was,they say, somewhere on the African continent/middle eastern area.A hot and sunny place by all acounts,why then is the natural skin colour dark when dark colours absorb heat therefore making the body work harder to cool down.White reflects heat which is the natural colour of northern europeans,one would have thought the need would be to absorb heat and sunlight in a cooler climate.Nature is a strange thing.....

In very simple terms black skin absorbes the heat which isn't a problem.white skin reflects it which is a problem - it's the sun's rays skimming off the surface of the skin that causes it to burn. Imagine it as a kind of friction between the skin and rays and the sun. If the skin just absorbes the rays there is no friction. If the rays skim off the surface of the skin there is friction and it's this friction that causes the skin to burn. Nature is strange....and very, very clever!

very interesting post
thanks

 

[didactic]

My 6-year-old nephew has grown up in London, attending the most multicultural school you could ever imagine. He makes no distinction between skin colours whatsoever. He simply doesn't notice it and will spend ages describing someone by their clothes/hair rather than by what - to us as adults - is the most obvious characteristic. The sad thing is that in all likelihood he will eventually lose this naivety of childhood, but it's refreshing to see while it lasts.

The 18 and unders dont seem to have as many issues with race as past generations. I think its because they grow up so mixed now. I grew up with a white guy who is like a brother to me and vice versa among asians, arabs and other groups. The saddest part is as we got older people did tend to split off into groups and save for about 10 of us everyone is now more doing their own thing. Maybe its because the asian guys stuck together more and the white guys too. The black guys some are with white girls/asian girls but still you see the little groups. Its strange as we couldnt be seperated 10 years ago.

My best friend is still there though and we are still family but his sister who was good friends with my sister married some clown. I remember going to drop something off at hers and her son said something very racist her response was "Dont say that in front of your uncle that is rude." She did not say it was wrong to say it. So again strange as she grew up and interacted with us all her life but is now living a seperate life she allows her children to be exposed to views which she never was.<br /><br />-- Sun Mar 11, 2012 2:06 pm --<br /><br />

Homo sapains were actually brown by nature,the 'whites' are a natural mutation.The puzzling question that I cant understand is that the birth place of man was,they say, somewhere on the African continent/middle eastern area.A hot and sunny place by all acounts,why then is the natural skin colour dark when dark colours absorb heat therefore making the body work harder to cool down.White reflects heat which is the natural colour of northern europeans,one would have thought the need would be to absorb heat and sunlight in a cooler climate.Nature is a strange thing.....

In very simple terms black skin absorbes the heat which isn't a problem.white skin reflects it which is a problem - it's the sun's rays skimming off the surface of the skin that causes it to burn. Imagine it as a kind of friction between the skin and rays and the sun. If the skin just absorbes the rays there is no friction. If the rays skim off the surface of the skin there is friction and it's this friction that causes the skin to burn. Nature is strange....and very, very clever!

We still can get skin cancer, black skin or no black skin.

 

[MCFC1993]

Can anyone explain to me why we don't use brown? I've always grown up knowing we cant say it (I'm 18 now) but where did that come from, I know its a derogatory saying but its clear that that woman isn't actually black although most would say shes black and the other woman is white. I would never use brown but when did it become a derogatory saying and why? I'm not being dumb either, I would normally say mixed raced.

Well do me sideways, the 18year old gets it!!!!! Well in lad. You (and quite clearly, just about only you) get what this post is about. The colour of the skin of the lady in that picture is brown. Why is she labeled as black? She may even say she is a 'proud black lady', and the older lady below her may also say she is a 'proud white lady'.

Fact is. The one up top is brown and the one below is not white. Colours. That is fucking it. Nice one pal.

Haha cheers mate, I just think going off looks its clear to say what the persons skin colour is. Why there is a big 'WhoHa' over using the word brown i'll never know but I guarantee if children were brought up not knowing that the word 'brown' when describing someone is derogatory then i'm sure they'd say brown.

 

[whothefisAlice]

Can anyone explain to me why we don't use brown? I've always grown up knowing we cant say it (I'm 18 now) but where did that come from, I know its a derogatory saying but its clear that that woman isn't actually black although most would say shes black and the other woman is white. I would never use brown but when did it become a derogatory saying and why? I'm not being dumb either, I would normally say mixed raced.

Well do me sideways, the 18year old gets it!!!!! Well in lad. You (and quite clearly, just about only you) get what this post is about. The colour of the skin of the lady in that picture is brown. Why is she labeled as black? She may even say she is a 'proud black lady', and the older lady below her may also say she is a 'proud white lady'.

Fact is. The one up top is brown and the one below is not white. Colours. That is fucking it. Nice one pal.

Haha cheers mate, I just think going off looks its clear to say what the persons skin colour is. Why there is a big 'WhoHa' over using the word brown i'll never know but I guarantee if children were brought up not knowing that the word 'brown' when describing someone is derogatory then i'm sure they'd say brown.

Yes!

 

[didactic]

Can someone explain why people make fun of ginger people?. I never understood it what is the reasoning behind it?.

Also an interesting picture this woman gave birth to 2 black children and 3 albino children but look closely at them.

Her husband is black by the way. This is why I dont get race issues we are all the same just separated by geography and history.

 

[whothefisAlice]

Can someone explain why people make fun of ginger people?. I never understood it whats the is reasoning behind it?.

Also an interesting picture this woman gave birth to 2 black children and 3 albino children but look closely at them.

Her husband is black by the way. This is why I dont get race issues we are all the same just separated by geography and history.

They are the nearest things to white the human race possesses...in fact they are white!!! What exactly about the picture are we supposed to be 'looking closely at'?

Her husband is probably brown though...ya know?