Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Considering that most of the innovation in aerospace, avionics, computer technology and genetic engineering have come from California it goes without saying that the intelectuall capital of the US has to be somewhere in the state.
But if you are the type of person who thinks that for a city to be "intellectual" it has to be rainy and gloomy as well as having buildings that look like right out of the Harry Potter Saga then you may consider the northeast as your choice
Considering that most of the innovation in aerospace, avionics, computer technology and genetic engineering have come from California it goes without saying that the intelectuall capital of the US has to be somewhere in the state.
This is not even true. And even if it were, those aren't qualities that define intellectualism.
Literature, philosophy, politics, theology, poetry, law, high art and high culture are associated with intellectualism. Where these things are most dominant overall is the intellectual capital. The poll result gets it right.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 08-27-2011 at 02:04 PM..
This is not even true. And even if it were, those aren't qualities that define intellectualism.
Literature, philosophy, politics, theology, poetry, law, high art and high culture are associated with intellectualism. Where these things are most dominant overall is the intellectual capital. The poll result gets it right.
In either case all you are doing is defining your perception of what is intellectualism
sort of dividing the masses from what some people might consider the "elite" select group of intellectuals.
About California I forgot to add that many of not most of the most importante astronomical discoveries made since hubble at mount Palomar and since as well as SETI are further proof that California is the seat of the capital of intellectuallism in the US, even the California Institue of technology has been getting better reviews that the Massachusett's one.
In either case all you are doing is defining your perception of what is intellectualism
sort of dividing the masses from what some people might consider the "elite" select group of intellectuals.
About California I forgot to add that many of not most of the most importante astronomical discoveries made since hubble at mount Palomar and since as well as SETI are further proof that California is the seat of the capital of intellectuallism in the US, even the California Institue of technology has been getting better reviews that the Massachusett's one.
Okay, you at least make some good points, even though I disagree with your perception of what intellectualism is.
Class envy is a bit 2009, no? You may be content living a life of mediocrity/poverty but striving for more doesn't make one a sociopath.
And the Tea-baggin' Republican Party is counting on millions of delusionals like you to come out in force in the next election cycle! Keep on "striving," 'cause I'm sure you're minutes away from becoming the next Bill Gates (not).
BTW: Apropos of nothing you wrote in particular, but on target with the original post, I don't know how "intellectual" Cambridge is, but it certainly would top my list of most pretentious places (and that's a big reason why I seldom venture to the other side of the river - really too much for me to take).
And which amenities and resources can you get there that you can't get elsewhere (in this day and age) that makes it worth the pain of having to live in such close quarters?
Well, the argument can be made that living in a city isn't a "big pain" depending on what amenities you are looking for (which I'll get to in a moment). On the one hand, yes, thanks to the internet, vast amounts of information is available to any and all who would want to seek them out, and internet forums (like this) offer a level of discourse that was unheard of just a couple decades ago.
What do these cities have to offer over an anonymous American suburb?
- Libraries. Again, the internet is absolutely awesome, but I think that most people can argue that there is something grossly different about looking on Wikipedia at home or reading your Kindle on a bus. It's an environment that isolates you from outside distractions and is there specifically for the intake of writing.
There are libraries, of course, all across the US. But, for instance, when I was up for a week in the small Oregon high-desert town where my grandparents had lived while we were packing everything up, I went down to the library because I'd left my copy of "Discourse on the Method" by Descartes in LA and figured that they'd have it, since it's an extremely influential and standard book. No dice. The did have many of the classics... and they were lacking many others. Not surprising as the entire county had less than 20k people at the time.
- World-class medical centers that are destinations for the best medical practitioners on earth. Mass General, Beth Israel, John Hopkins, Virginia Mason/UW, UCLA, UCSF, Brigham & Women's, Mount Sinai, etc. are all in larger urban centers.
This is in absolutely no way my saying that the staff in rural medical centers are unintelligent, poor at their craft, or anything of the sort. What I am saying is that due to a lack of amenities in rural hospitals to handle major traumatic incidents or care for issues like cancer and lukemia, when I worked at Virginia Mason in Seattle, we received life flights from all over OR, ID, MT, AK, and the rest of WA daily because we had visiting doctors and residents from all over the US and world as well as doctors on staff who were top-shelf.
- Discourse. In all of the cities I've lived in, there are cafes, galleries, bars, and other venues that are known to attract other intellectuals - in cities like Boston and NYC, there are bars that attract people of specific specialties! Go to the Miracle of Science in Central if you want to get into a discussion on thermodynamics at the bar with someone from MIT... go to John Harvard's in Harvard Square if you want to discuss market fluctuations and projections. What are the odds of you being able to do this in a tavern on Main St. in Shallow Ditch, Alabama?
I'm also not saying that there are absolutely no people you can have a stimulating conversation with in small-town America by any stretch. I'm not saying that there are no intellectuals who choose to live in these areas - that's just stupid. Some of the greatest works written have been done in relative isolation, we all know this. But, we also know that there are reasons that people are drawn to major cities with multiple universities and an ingrained culture of academia.
Quote:
I'm not panning these 'great' cities...I'm just saying that many people wouldn't find those living conditions tolerable.
To an extent you are, by saying that to you, an "intelligent" person wouldn't opt to live in them, but as I'm sure you're aware, many people all up and down the intellectual spectrum find life in a suburban or rural setting to be intolerable, as well. Many of the people who eventually choose to live in cities like Boston, NYC, SF, Seattle, DC, etc. were originally drawn there for academic reasons and ultimately choose to stay there, or move within other major cities.
Quote:
Listen...I have a doctorate. I've been to the 'top schools.' I've lived overseas and traveled the world rather extensively. All these 'great' places are vastly overrated, in my experience. But that doesn't mean that people can't love to live there. They are just not in any way objectively better.
They may be your experience, and I won't discount it or say that your opinions are irrelevant. After having spent much of my early life in rural and suburban settings and then having moved to Cambridge/Boston at 13 when my dad pursued his doctorate, I disagree with you wholeheartedly, and I'm sure that in your travels among the world's "top schools" you can certainly see the other side of the argument.
I think that it's more appropriate to say that they are not in any way subjectively better because from an objective standpoint, they do offer much more tangibles for someone interested in academic or intellectual pursuits.
Quote:
Naw. Because the rest of us hicks have to go somewhere to get our 'intellectual stimulation' and 'cultural exposure.'
LOL.
No one accused you of being a "hick," and accusations of that sort have barely factored into this thread.
"Bye bye?" Are you kicking me off of here or what? Perhaps you're simply wishing me away?
He's done that in the past, calling out BA people and telling them they are on ignore and then runs away--heck I hadnt even noticed until he included my name in a post he made to jman650. I found it hilarious and childish. Maybe he's just a kid in the which case I understand.
Otherwise, my armchair psychology instincts say that he actually believes that the sense of self worth of Bay Area forumers is explicitely tied to his 'approval' and by publically letting us know that HE has put us on ignore he thinks he making some grand announcement that stings us or something which is odd because in reality, being ignored by him is totally meaningless and makes no difference to anyone-like I said, I hadnt even noticed because he isnt really a forumer that whose posts I follow anyway.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
