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> Anecdotes are not theorems, invalidated by one infidelity. Your objections are pedantic and irrelevant to the author's purpose in relating it. The author pos

by yorwba 6y ago

> Anecdotes are not theorems, invalidated by one infidelity. Your objections are pedantic and irrelevant to the author's purpose in relating it. The author posted it in a comment on an article about Neanderthals who might have had the ability, never before observed in humans, to slow their base metabolic rate to withstand extreme cold. And they suggested those North Koreans were likely doing the same. In my modified version, their body temperature stays within the normal range and they're conserving energy by limiting movement, but their base metabolism stays the same and they still have to eat regularly, i.e. they're not hibernating. Maybe that's just "nitpicking over the exact phrasing of the story", but it's also the only way in which the story is relevant to TFA.

mannykannot 6y ago
Whether the story, which you have as good as accepted as plausible [1], does closely parallel the proposed Neanderthal case, is a separate issue (in that regard, note that all OP says about that is "it is likely these people have the same bone deformities.") >And [OP] suggested those North Koreans were likely doing the same. [my emphasis of the weasel word] So it seems you will read the anecdote literally when doing so allows you to attack its credibility, and you will find an unstated assumption in it if doing so allows you to attack its relevance. As noted above, the OP merely seems to be suggesting something that other posters have also mentioned: the physical evidence mentioned in the article might have been the result of winter famine, and not definitive evidence of hibernation; furthermore, there may be people alive today, or recently deceased, in whom this physiological damage might be found. I can't say for sure, but OP may be suggesting that they might help with the further studies of this hypothesis. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25490193 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25490193

by yorwba 6y ago

mannykannot 6y ago

Whether the story, which you have as good as accepted as plausible [1], does closely parallel the proposed Neanderthal case, is a separate issue (in that regard, note that all OP says about that is "it is likely these people have the same bone deformities.") >And [OP] suggested those North Koreans were likely doing the same. [my emphasis of the weasel word] So it seems you will read the anecdote literally when doing so allows you to attack its credibility, and you will find an unstated assumption in it if doing so allows you to attack its relevance. As noted above, the OP merely seems to be suggesting something that other posters have also mentioned: the physical evidence mentioned in the article might have been the result of winter famine, and not definitive evidence of hibernation; furthermore, there may be people alive today, or recently deceased, in whom this physiological damage might be found. I can't say for sure, but OP may be suggesting that they might help with the further studies of this hypothesis. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25490193 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25490193