I just realized hot climate stifles innovation. Big, Influential cities are all colder climates.

Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,395
1,189
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Do you agree with this? I think it's a very reasonable line of thought and probably common.

If you live in a tropical area - nature gives you everything - shelter, food, easy weather, etc. Therefore there's no urgency to innovate or try things.

That's why if you look at major globally influential cities - they're in a colder climate - NYC, Boston, SF, Paris, London, etc.

Because when you're cold, you gotta figure crap out how to adapt. You gotta build shelter effectively, brave fatal winters, etc. You start to think to come up with indoor heating solution. You continue thinking, because you have no choice.

Your thoughts?
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
9,144
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Back in the day, it was widely accepted that those of European descent couldn't hack it down south, so they brought in slaves. Blacks were better suited.

Don't really agree with the whole shelter/innovation idea. Heat is enervating though.
 
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KB

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 1999
5,406
389
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Noticed that myself. If you live in a warm climate surrounded by oceans you spend more time outdoors lazily enjoying the weather. In colder climates you spend more time indoors working, reading, planning or thinking.
 

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
326
126
I wouldn't exactly agree with your hypothesis. Where I work, during the Summer months when the outside temperature is 102 degrees F, my company cranks the A/C down to 65 degrees in the office areas, and even lower to the low 50 degree level in the labs (I can see my breath as I exhale). We come up with VERY innovative ways to stay warm.
 

pete6032

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2010
8,413
3,806
136
Do you agree with this? I think it's a very reasonable line of thought and probably common.

If you live in a tropical area - nature gives you everything - shelter, food, easy weather, etc. Therefore there's no urgency to innovate or try things.

That's why if you look at major globally influential cities - they're in a colder climate - NYC, Boston, SF, Paris, London, etc.

Because when you're cold, you gotta figure crap out how to adapt. You gotta build shelter effectively, brave fatal winters, etc. You start to think to come up with indoor heating solution. You continue thinking, because you have no choice.

Your thoughts?
No.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,994
31,557
146
Let's see:
--"The cradle of civilization," Babylon, aka Baghdad: nope
--Athens: nope
--Rome: nope

Apparently Silicon Valley has no innovation. oh wait: nope
Singapore, a worldwide center for biotech and medical research: nope


....

OP's theory is garbage.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,655
35,479
136
OP has rediscovered 18th-20th century northern European explanations for why northern Europe was so awesome and everywhere else sucked.

The holy grail is to find a place that is temperate, not moldy, doesn't have mosquitoes, and has somewhat more beaches than eastern Colorado.
 

Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,395
1,189
126
Let's see:
--"The cradle of civilization," Babylon, aka Baghdad: nope
--Athens: nope
--Rome: nope

Apparently Silicon Valley has no innovation. oh wait: nope
Singapore, a worldwide center for biotech and medical research: nope
..
OP's theory is garbage.

Hmm good examples
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,375
1,885
126
I think historically big cities were in mild climate areas because air conditioning didnt exist.
When Air conditioning became more affordable to more people, it allowed cities to grow in hostile hot environments.
 

who?

Platinum Member
Sep 1, 2012
2,327
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In Santa Barbara it's very pleasant but the engineers at UCSB do some interesting things.
 
Feb 25, 2011
16,999
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Influential? Maybe. But as previously pointed out, there are still many influential cities located historically and currently in warm climates

Yup. As long as we have enough water to farm, humans can tolerate the heat pretty well.