site banner
PaperclipPerfector  4mo ago (text post)   3685 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 7, 2024

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.

4
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Is there anything very good for human health that does not trace its benefit to the “ancestral” human environment? Eg, heat and cold stress clearly relate back to original human environmental conditions; fasting; walking

There's your avatar for one, coffee isn't a widespread given in the way that temperature, sustenance, and movement is/was. Arguably any drug (in this case medicine) would fall into this category, as well as anything that wasn't universal to our ancestors. But if "time-efficient" is considered, which would trace back, then there really isn't anything aside from more opportunity for a happier life. But even so, this would arguably fall into "better for human health" which also connects back and doesn't count.

I must be misunderstanding the question because there are obviously a lot. Vaccines, antibiotics, various surgeries, etc. Do you mean natural remedies? Cleaning a wound with alcohol? Bandages? Splints? Are those too artificial?

If you're not asking about treatments, I could say variolation. Shoes? Clothing? Unless you mean natural preventative treatments. Staying in the shade?

I have some examples in mind, but it would help if you were a bit more specific.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

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!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


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.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats