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Manfred comments on Open thread, May 17-31 2013 - Less Wrong Discussion

2 [deleted] 17 May 2013 01:47PM

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Comment author: Manfred 17 May 2013 09:19:34PM 5 points [-]

We already know that a political dichotomy is game-theoretically mandated by the U.S. voting system. Which means we don't particularly need a separate and additional explanation for political dichotomies, and so I'd want independent evidence of other explanations.

and the two moods must serve some sort of evolutionary function, right?

Maybe depression is like the appendix, or a congenital skin rash, or food allergies, or male nipples, or the optic nerve being in backwards, or ingrown toenails, or the coccyx. In other words, sometimes evolution is just stupid.

Comment author: [deleted] 18 May 2013 09:10:16AM 4 points [-]

Maybe depression is like the appendix, or a congenital skin rash, or food allergies, or male nipples, or the optic nerve being in backwards, or ingrown toenails, or the coccyx.

The implication being that the coccyx is useless? How so?

Comment author: DanArmak 18 May 2013 02:16:09PM *  2 points [-]

Indeed, Wikipedia says the coccyx is far from useless in humans:

it is an important attachment for various muscles, tendons and ligaments—which makes it necessary for physicians and patients to pay special attention to these attachments when considering surgical removal of the coccyx.[2] Additionally, it is also a part of the weight-bearing tripod structure which acts as a support for a sitting person. When a person sits leaning forward, the ischial tuberosities and inferior rami of the ischium take most of the weight, but as the sitting person leans backward, more weight is transferred to the coccyx.[2]

Comment author: Emile 18 May 2013 08:07:13AM 2 points [-]

I don't think the US political system explains that much, countries with different systems also have political dichotomies, and how much they correspond to the US ones has more to do with culture and society than with political institutions.

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