[HN Gopher] The Maya, and the maize that sustained them, had sur...
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       The Maya, and the maize that sustained them, had surprising
       southern roots
        
       Author : diodorus
       Score  : 14 points
       Date   : 2022-03-27 19:36 UTC (2 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.science.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.science.org)
        
       | reactspa wrote:
       | An unexpected thing I learned in a recent dive into learning how
       | to make Tamales:
       | 
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization
       | 
       | This complicated process of preparing maize makes more nutrients
       | bioavailable.
       | 
       | The Aztecs figured it out somehow.
       | 
       | I learned about this when trying to buy maize flour and
       | discovering that there are 2 types: nixtamalized and non.
       | 
       | Reminds me of how certain South American indigenous tribes have
       | this very complicated ritual to prepare Cassava. They didn't know
       | it, but it removes cyanide and makes Cassava way safer to
       | consume.
        
         | throwawaygh wrote:
         | _> Reminds me of how certain South American indigenous tribes
         | have this very complicated ritual to prepare Cassava. They didn
         | 't know it, but it removes cyanide and makes Cassava way safer
         | to consume._
         | 
         | This is basically how a lot of modern experimental science
         | still works. Sort of black/grey box scientific reasoning.
         | 
         | We have better theories, and better instruments for verifying
         | those theories, but in the end? A bunch of people have high
         | failure rates, but one guy's thing always works. You go over
         | and ask that guy why his always works. He shows you his process
         | and you are hopefully able to ape him. This knowledge is
         | crystallized and handed down. Perhaps even formalized and
         | written up if it's important enough, but often not.
         | 
         | There's a word in tech for people who are good at this sort of
         | "grey/black box observe the world and make it work without
         | really knowing why" skillset. That word is hacking.
        
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