I know speculating on the purpose of biological sleep is a common cliche on internet forums and pop science, but what if this is why we sleep ? is there any evidence something in our body "resets" when we do?

State is a well known source of error after all.

> at least every 24 hours on a timer.

Shouldn't that be 'at most' or 'at least once'?

(My English skills are lacking so that was quite the mental stumble for me)

I understand how the way the original comment phrased things sounded, to your ears, like "at least 24 hours should pass between reboots," which is not what was intended. And your suggestion, "at least once every 24 hours," would be perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English.

However, "at least every 24 hours" is also perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English. It is very common in English to use this construction, "at least every X time period," to mean "X often or more often." If you say, "I make sure to call my distant relatives at least every year," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "I make sure to stand up and stretch at least every hour," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "these machines are required to reboot at least every 24 hours," you mean with that frequency or more.

In other words, "at least" does not qualify the number of hours (such that more hours would also be acceptable), but the frequency (such that greater frequency would also be acceptable).

Hopefully this response helps you to understand why English, fickle language that it is, works this way in this case.

It doesnt explain why that became an idiomatic way to say it. But at least it explains the what.

English is a highly irregular and challenging language unless you grew up with it. You have my sympathies.

'at least once every 24 hours' would be valid.

'at most every 24 hours' would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good; i.e. that the standard was focused on preventing unnecessary reboots, but didn't care if the reader didn't reboot regularly, which I think is contrary to the comment's meaning.

'at least every 24 hours' is correct.

> ... would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good;

I understood as that being exactly the point of the GP, rather than contrary. Because of the 'most' referring to the 24 hrs, not amount of reboots.

But I guess this is the point where my lack of English skill comes into play.

...I've just realised that I got the < and >= backwards while trying to explain that they were backwards. facepalm

> ... would imply reboots_per_day > 1 is bad and reboots_per_day <= 1 is good;

is what I meant to say!

But now I've taken a look at your phrasing ... I think I read your post as 'at most once every 24 hours', not 'at most every 24 hours' which is actually pretty ambiguous, and not as clear-cut as I was trying to say.

Yeah, my writing was quite ambiguous as well. I shouldve written out the full sentences.

You are correct