site banner

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 26, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

3
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

IQ is very helpful when a group of farmers needs to anually plan ahead to have enough food to survive the winter. They can weigh the grain and develop a plan for food shortages ahead of time (eg try to stock up on salt fish, dig up any edible plant roots, flee south). Invaders probably aren't going to come in and harvest all of your grain. Typically it's possible to hide the harvest for the winter if it's at risk.

There's usually a certain coldness in those societies -- if your neighbors keep starving due to their own mistakes it's tempting to just let them die instead of risking your family to save them.

Mongolia's history is much more pastoral. There's a lot of investment in each animal. Invaders stealing animals is common. So survival is more random. Saving your dumb cousin is worthwhile if he's willing to fight to the death to save your animals.

Generally in sub-saharn Africa planning is difficult because the threats are more random. Food is more available in the winter / dry season. The big risks are random events -- invasion, disease, megafauna eating your crops, predators eating your people. If you have a food shortage it's probably local so trading or invading your neighbors are options.

Obviously Africa is a big place and there are exceptions to the usual threats, eg Ukara Island. I'm not aware of any IQ surveys that refect that.

In extremely cold places different survival strategies emerge. The Inuit / Eskimos are pure hunters for the winter and their society focusses heavily on conformity since sharing kills is crucial.

There's also the cube square law. Larger heads get overheated more easily in hot climates.