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Survivorship bias in swimsuits is not something I have thought of before, glad someone is doing something about it and I really mean that. I am sure that cyclin

Survivorship bias in swimsuits is not something I have thought of before, glad someone is doing something about it and I really mean that. I am sure that cycling kit also falls prey to the same lycra problems, this you can see if you look at the gear that a very well seasoned cycle tourist wears compared to a cyclist that has only recently started to get all the gear. On the more general topic of survivorship bias and historical artifacts, think of how much stuff was made of wicker for almost all of it to bio-degrade. If a society can weave wicker then that is all the home furnishings sorted, no fancy tools needed. Yet, nothing is left for the historical record. Previous civilisations could have had the comfiest chairs known to man yet the archaeologists could come along and, sitting in plastic chairs, assume the 'group of savages' never made it as far as the Stone Age.

bena 8y ago
There's another weird thing with creating with preservation in mind. I'm sure when Speedo made those suits, they weren't thinking about whether they'd keep for 40 or 50 years. The idea is that it would be like other clothes. You buy it, wear it until it becomes too threadbare or tears or some other normal thing, discard it, then buy another. That's why historical districts kind of fascinate me. The people who built that house, that pub, that shop, they weren't thinking "Geez, this will stand forever as a perfect representation of life right now", they were thinking "Well. I need a roof over my head". And they'd build extensions, re-purpose rooms, remodel, etc. All the normal things you do in a house. Then eventually, it becomes a historic landmark and it freezes in time. You can't tear it down, you can't alter it, you can't do much with it anymore. But these weren't concerns of the original builders. It's likely they did tear down something to put this up. It's all very weird to me. Especially since I do like checking out those kinds of places and I know that those preservation efforts are what allows us to have this view into the past. But it is odd.
- 1996 8y ago
  Anyone can make a house or a bridge too sturdy. Only an engineer can make it "just sturdy enough" for its designated use, saving money.

bena 8y ago

There's another weird thing with creating with preservation in mind. I'm sure when Speedo made those suits, they weren't thinking about whether they'd keep for 40 or 50 years. The idea is that it would be like other clothes. You buy it, wear it until it becomes too threadbare or tears or some other normal thing, discard it, then buy another. That's why historical districts kind of fascinate me. The people who built that house, that pub, that shop, they weren't thinking "Geez, this will stand forever as a perfect representation of life right now", they were thinking "Well. I need a roof over my head". And they'd build extensions, re-purpose rooms, remodel, etc. All the normal things you do in a house. Then eventually, it becomes a historic landmark and it freezes in time. You can't tear it down, you can't alter it, you can't do much with it anymore. But these weren't concerns of the original builders. It's likely they did tear down something to put this up. It's all very weird to me. Especially since I do like checking out those kinds of places and I know that those preservation efforts are what allows us to have this view into the past. But it is odd.

1996 8y ago
Anyone can make a house or a bridge too sturdy. Only an engineer can make it "just sturdy enough" for its designated use, saving money.