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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   1884 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for April 7, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Bridges:

  • The deck hangs below a big wire, using many little wires: Suspension

  • The deck sits atop a big arch, using many little supports*: Arch

  • The deck hangs below a big arch, using many little wires: Tied arch

  • The deck sits atop a big wire, using many little supports*: Underspanned suspension

*Or a bunch of fill material

Don't forget inclined suspension!

Or do forget it. It's really just a messed up suspension bridge, anyway. But I've got a soft spot for it.

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Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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