3 ms·

Maybe the USA was historically "fertile" because the original inhabitants were exterminated, leaving behind a wealth of material resources available for the tak

Maybe the USA was historically "fertile" because the original inhabitants were exterminated, leaving behind a wealth of material resources available for the taking. One could contend that the notion of "frontier" was the land until the 20th century, it was "the rest of the world" in the 20th century, and now there is none because the system is in temporary equilibrium without any huge wars or natural disasters.

tlb 7y ago
The Internet has been the frontier for the last 25 years. That's where most new fortunes were made: providing services or access to it. Perhaps the Internet is now full, or perhaps there's lots more territory. Other frontiers include biotech and space. Both seem like we've only explored 1% of the potential.
- jdnenej 7y ago
  With the internet some uni student could build something and become rich. To just get started on space or medical stuff takes more money than most whole corporations have.
  - tlb 7y ago
    Here are 61 companies that got started on biomedical stuff, most with just $150k, in the last few years: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical and https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biotech https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biotech Not all will succeed, but some will. You can absolutely start with nothing but some knowledge and ambition.
ThrustVectoring 7y ago
The USA has the largest network of navigable rivers through arable land with the Mississippi. Water transport is still the cheapest form around, and that free capital (in the form of transportation infrastructure) would make any nation that commands it a dominant economic power. In the hypothetical world where the Columbian Exchange happened with technological parity and no colonization, the nation controlling the current US territory would still end up the richest in the world.

tlb 7y ago

The Internet has been the frontier for the last 25 years. That's where most new fortunes were made: providing services or access to it. Perhaps the Internet is now full, or perhaps there's lots more territory. Other frontiers include biotech and space. Both seem like we've only explored 1% of the potential.

jdnenej 7y ago
With the internet some uni student could build something and become rich. To just get started on space or medical stuff takes more money than most whole corporations have.
- tlb 7y ago
  Here are 61 companies that got started on biomedical stuff, most with just $150k, in the last few years: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical and https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biotech https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biotech Not all will succeed, but some will. You can absolutely start with nothing but some knowledge and ambition.

ThrustVectoring 7y ago

The USA has the largest network of navigable rivers through arable land with the Mississippi. Water transport is still the cheapest form around, and that free capital (in the form of transportation infrastructure) would make any nation that commands it a dominant economic power. In the hypothetical world where the Columbian Exchange happened with technological parity and no colonization, the nation controlling the current US territory would still end up the richest in the world.