I’m sure that I am, at least in comparison to how biologists speak. Obviously my usage of the word “mutation” also appears to have been different.
And I don’t even disagree with any point that you’re making, at least, not once I understand your more technical definitions of vocabulary which can easily be used more loosely in casual conversation. As, for example, by me in this thread. When I repeatedly say, “it’s complicated”, I’m partly referring to the fact that I’m not an expert in this, and partly referring to the fact that even experts can be misunderstood when they insist so stringently on strict definitions that are often confusing and counterintuitive for non-experts.
I don’t mean to sound like I’m blaming you for using these words correctly. I just want to get across how completely normal it can sound to use “mutation” for each individual instance of a failure to create an exact copy of genes, which would mean that two cases of Down’s syndrome are, in fact, two mutations. Not how it’s actually said? Great, and I’m glad to learn that.
Anyway, each of these cases of the mutation will be… I almost said “bred out” again, which seems like such an obvious choice. Again, that’s the sort of precision that’s helpful in the field, but confusing outside the field. Anyway, each case reduces the fertility of the individuals who have it, and these particular cases won’t be passed on for very long. Your example of homosexuals breeding are cases of mutation (if mutation it is) where there is no interference with reproduction, which means it has nothing to do with what I originally said.
That’s no “lamb’s blood” from me, just ignorance of the jargon. And I really do appreciate your corrections. But if your thoughts didn’t spring so quickly to conceptual problems while skipping past language problems, people like me might be able to understand you more quickly.
Or the possibility remains that I’m just stupid. But I’d really like to believe I’m clever enough to have a handle on these concepts, even if I can’t express myself about them very well.