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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   3429 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 25, 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.

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How do I build a stomach of steel?

There is alpha in being able to eat food of questionable expiry-date/hygiene and being able to brush it off. Namely cost savings, more choices for eating out, and more peace of mind.

I've already noticed that eating yogurt seems to iron out a somewhat lackluster diet. And it works extremely well within 1-2 days of daily consumption.

Anything else I should go for?

I'm not really sure, but intuitively this isn't necessarily easy or possible? Things that make you sick are various microorganisms, and you could probably build tolerance to some of them, but not really arbitrary microorganisms. Compare to diseases - "how do you build an invulnerable immune system" isn't really possible, because each organism has its own mechanisms, so we have the adaptive immune system that learns.

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The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

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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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