[ExI] Are Cities Dead? (was Re: moving bits, not butts)

[spike]

... On Behalf Of Kelly Anderson
Subject: [ExI] Are Cities Dead? (was Re: moving bits, not butts)

>...If telepresence becomes good enough, and convincing enough, does that
obviate the need for large cities? ...-Kelly


Kelly I will give you an answer that sounds like I am kidding, but not
really.

Our ability to obviate cities is entirely dependent on our working out the
technology of remote copulation.  I think someone here called it
teledildonics.  We can easily move enough information to do business over
phone lines today, but if we can work out the social aspects of people
crowding together (providing a red hot target for anyone waging economic
war) then we can spread out more evenly over the surface of the planet.
That voodoo sex thing isn't just a game, it's a need.  A lot of people want
or need (or think they do) a huge pool of potential mates.  The city
provides that, at a great cost.  I think we can provide that for people
living out in the boonies.  I am betting on it in a sense: acquired property
far from everything, in anticipation of fiber optics and satellites
eventually obviating airplanes and cars.

spike