The Hermaphrodite Effect

According to research carried out by scientists from the Columbia Environmental Research Centre, sewage water containing hormones and pesticides caused by human consumption is leading fish all over America to change gender. Within this phenomenon, male fish are turning partly-female, and are starting to produce female eggs.

What it is exactly that is causing the gender-ambiguity in specific fish, and at what rate, is still to be proven. However, the scientists argue that part of the reason comes from hormones, such as birth control pills.

One might wonder how exactly this phenomenon can be understood in terms of being 'Next Nature', but it seems to reflect 'nature caused by human culture' in the sense that it perhaps lies exactly in between our ability to control 'old nature' and turn it into products (birth control pills) and the phenomenon of culture (the common use of extra hormones) getting so out of control that it leads to unexpected consequences.

Via: www.sueddeutsche.de