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Lumifer comments on Open thread, Jan. 25 - Jan. 31, 2016 - Less Wrong Discussion

3 Post author: username2 25 January 2016 09:07PM

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Comment author: polymathwannabe 27 January 2016 03:18:18PM 0 points [-]

Then how are new cities ever founded? How did Belmopan, Brasília, Abuja and Islamabad do it? Look at the dozens of new cities built just in Singapore during the past half century.

The OP's proposal to build a city in the middle of the desert strikes me as similar to the history of Las Vegas. What parts of it can be replicated?

Comment author: Lumifer 27 January 2016 03:48:55PM 1 point [-]

similar to the history of Las Vegas. What parts of it can be replicated?

By traditional mythology, the reason Las Vegas exists is because the mob (mafia) wanted to have a playground far far away from the Feds :-)

Comment author: tut 27 January 2016 05:48:37PM 0 points [-]

Or because it's the place closest to San Francisco where gambling was legal.

Comment author: Lumifer 27 January 2016 06:19:13PM *  0 points [-]

San Fran is not that special :-P

Besides, gambling was legalized in the entire state of Nevada and there are certainly places closer to SF in there (like Reno).