# The Needs for Life *created Jun 18, 2019* This [comment](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20190204) from a Jun 15, 2019 Hacker News [thread](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20187572) about web rendering engine monoculture boiled down our real needs to only a few items. Do we really "need" web browser diversity? > Need is one of those surprisingly dangerous words. We need a steady supply of potatoes, some leafy greens and mild warm weather to get through life and not much more. I assume that water was implied, since mild weather would probably produce rain, which would be needed for the plants and for us to drink. Fire must be implied too, along with shelter and clothing and the raw materials required to produce those items. Trees, plants, and animals can help provide shelter and clothing. I wonder if a named diet exists that is based upon potatoes and leafy greens and is described in a 400-page book with dozens of recipes and gardening tips. [home](/home.md)