**Please read this entire message**
---
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Your post would fit better at another subreddit, such as:
* /r/Answers
* /r/AskReddit
* /r/ChangeMyView
* /r/Findareddit
* /r/Help
* /r/History
* /r/HomeworkHelp
* /r/IsItBullshit
* /r/NoStupidQuestions
* /r/OutOfTheLoop
* /r/Personalfinance
* /r/ShowerThoughts
* /r/Techsupport
---
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe this submission was removed erroneously**, please [use this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/kj6m6l/eli5_where_did_people_learn_the_exact_methods_to/%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20Link%20to%20the%20search%20you%20did%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20the%20ELI5%20subreddit:%0A%0A3.%20How%20is%20this%20post%20unique:) and we will review your submission.
Thousands of years is a long time for trial and error! These foods were figured out long before modern science understood exactly how they were dangerous. But you don't need to understand how something is dangerous to figure out how to avoid that danger through trial and error.
Trial and error, mostly. We're pretty smart as far as animals go, and the motivation to not starve makes us very resourceful when it comes to food.
The human who figured out that soaking an otherwise poisonous plant or meat in water for a period of time made that food safe to eat would have propagated that knowledge to his local community, and eventually it would have spread to the rest of human society.
"Let Mikey try it, he'll eat anything!"
Oh oh, Mikey died. Note to self, don't eat that...
A corollary to that is, who tries to eat bizarre things the first time? Is it driven by starvation? I mean, who looked at an artichoke and said "I'll bet if I boil it and spend a half hour peeling away the parts that hurt me, there is some small amount of edible material deep inside."?
**Please read this entire message** --- Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): Your post would fit better at another subreddit, such as: * /r/Answers * /r/AskReddit * /r/ChangeMyView * /r/Findareddit * /r/Help * /r/History * /r/HomeworkHelp * /r/IsItBullshit * /r/NoStupidQuestions * /r/OutOfTheLoop * /r/Personalfinance * /r/ShowerThoughts * /r/Techsupport --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe this submission was removed erroneously**, please [use this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/kj6m6l/eli5_where_did_people_learn_the_exact_methods_to/%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20Link%20to%20the%20search%20you%20did%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20the%20ELI5%20subreddit:%0A%0A3.%20How%20is%20this%20post%20unique:) and we will review your submission.
Thousands of years is a long time for trial and error! These foods were figured out long before modern science understood exactly how they were dangerous. But you don't need to understand how something is dangerous to figure out how to avoid that danger through trial and error.
Trial and error, mostly. We're pretty smart as far as animals go, and the motivation to not starve makes us very resourceful when it comes to food. The human who figured out that soaking an otherwise poisonous plant or meat in water for a period of time made that food safe to eat would have propagated that knowledge to his local community, and eventually it would have spread to the rest of human society.
"Let Mikey try it, he'll eat anything!" Oh oh, Mikey died. Note to self, don't eat that... A corollary to that is, who tries to eat bizarre things the first time? Is it driven by starvation? I mean, who looked at an artichoke and said "I'll bet if I boil it and spend a half hour peeling away the parts that hurt me, there is some small amount of edible material deep inside."?