Diet calories are an example of anti-reification: an abstraction made real via a non-abstraction. A measure of homeostasis shifts in a complex dissipative system that rhymes enough with a unit of literal energy to be approximated by it. Like using pulse rate to measure time.
Conversation
I follow a bunch of people who get REALLY mad about diet calories being used as though they were like literal calories. It’s hilarious because they’re so right they’re wrong. Anti-reification in a complex system is something like a fractal-hermetic heuristic. “As above so below.”
1
4
This is an unpopular opinion, but I think this conflation of real and homeostasis “calories” is a GOOD thing and one of the ways we can make sense of complex systems. The trick is to recalibrate the 2 calories when dynamic regimes change.
1
1
1
This is actually a common procedure in designing feedback controllers for complex systems. You have a family of tuned simple linear laws that overlap along the nonlinear range of system behavior. Kinda like automatic gears in a car give you a smooth acceleration response.
3
3
Replying to
People who believe that counting calories works for weight loss tend to be better at losing weight than those who don't.
4
1
4
Thought you might be subtweeting me 😂
You misunderstand. I love calories. They're great. I'm trying to protect the simple, noble calorie from the abuse of knaves and fools.
The calorie thrives in it's native habitat but withers to a stunted, cowering thing when caged in a zoo.
1
1
You’re one of like 5 people who I’ve noticed ranting about calories 🙂
1
Show replies
You know thermodynamics is just like your opinion, man.


