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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: Food slug: food type: system status: running version: 3.8B.4 released: "~3,800,000,000 BCE" maintainer: evolution (delegated to culture, delegated to [your mother](/your-mother)) dependencies: - sunlight - water - soil - something willing to die license: Thermodynamic Commons v1.0 tags: - sustenance - pleasure - ritual - argument - survival ---
Structured matter that a body agrees to convert into itself.
Something captures energy from the sun. Something else eats that something. A third something eats the second something. Eventually a human puts it in a bowl, photographs it, and posts it before it gets cold.
The mechanism is ancient. The ceremony around it is newer and considerably more complicated.
INTAKE → DIGESTION → ABSORPTION → ENERGY + WASTE
↓
more intake required
(loop has no exit condition)
The loop runs approximately three times per day in stable builds. Frequency varies under stress, grief, or a very good cheese board.
| Condition | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Eating while sad | Food provides comfort but does not resolve source issue |
| Eating while distracted | Caloric intake registers; experience does not |
| Food made by someone who loves you | Nutritionally identical, functionally different |
| Airport food | Edge case so extreme it requires its own spec |
| Eating alone vs. eating together | Same inputs, measurably different outputs |
defaults:
temperature: warm (most builds)
timing: before it gets cold
company: optional but recommended
occasion: any, or none
overrides:
- cereal_at_2am: permitted
- cake_for_breakfast: context-dependent
- eating_standing_over_the_sink: valid, no judgment logged
Does it matter what you eat? Yes and also people have been wrong about which parts matter approximately every fifteen years.
Why does food taste better when someone else makes it? Effort is an ingredient. See: the Maillard reaction (thermal), care (non-thermal).
Why do humans fight about food? Food carries the full weight of culture, memory, and belonging. Telling someone their cuisine is wrong is telling them their grandmother was wrong. Proceed accordingly.
Is there a perfect meal? Yes. It is different for everyone and usually involves a specific time of day, a specific person nearby, and a very ordinary dish that somehow landed exactly right.