by trevin on 2/22/24, 2:30 PM with 72 comments
by UniverseHacker on 2/22/24, 7:11 PM
The author is incorrect about the other areas in SF Bay that could be "alternatives for bay area capitals." The rest of the areas marked are naturally very shallow tidal mud flats and peat bogs, and are only nowadays navigable by boats due to a combination of dredging, and building raised structures out into the bay with landfill.
SF is the only viable location for a protected natural deepwater port, which is likely why the Spanish settled there first. There may be a few small rocky points on the Marin peninsula that would have worked for docking a ship (e.g. near Sausulito), but these had very little build-able flat land, and lack reliable drinking water- a big problem Marin faces to this day. Those areas also face massive tidal currents right up to the shore, which would be dangerous for an unpowered sailing vessel.
As an SF Bay sailor, this is what I know about deeply... the author getting it so wrong makes me question the reasoning in the rest of the article, which I know nothing about.
by s1artibartfast on 2/22/24, 5:03 PM
For example, some of the bullet list are sentence fragments cut across multiple bullets. Other times they contradict. For example, the Central Valley is especially flat, but it also contains many mountains.
Based on their bio, the author claims to be an AI educator, amongst basically everything else.
>Understand the biggest problems and how to solve them: AI; automation; GeoHistory; the future of education, healthcare, violence, nation-states, communities, energy, transportation, and more
If I were to guess, this looks like a lightly curated AI subscription blog of listicles. I wonder what their search engine optimization game looks like to drive traffic. I wonder how they pick topics?
by JKCalhoun on 2/22/24, 3:57 PM
Highways now seem to be a driving force for the populations in the outlands. Perhaps small towns along the highways get a few restaurants and gas stations for business while small towns not on the highway disappear.
I noticed this looking at a satellite photo of Nebraska recently — the towns lit up following a major East/West interstate across the state.
by Solvency on 2/22/24, 3:41 PM
Since history is an easy example, imagine if each week of class for a given subject started with a fun, grokkable, bite-sized overview like this, with key milestones+landmarks+maps+visual devices laid clear. You get a full story quickly, and then the teacher can spend the next few classes rewinding to go a little deeper on each major topic.
Then, students can pick from <1 of N> ancillary/related topics in that "big idea" to explore on their own and come up with a little presentation of their own in class.
Tangent, but I just wish modern education could see the value in modern content and reverse engineer more interesting lesson plans from it.
by keiferski on 2/22/24, 4:55 PM
Here’s a cool documentary on the city during his time: https://youtu.be/-MYY4CxG_GQ?si=P1g1k0h-6W0CZtaX
by asimpletune on 2/22/24, 4:47 PM
by CaliforniaKarl on 2/22/24, 4:33 PM
_Why California Has So Many Problems [video] (2023)_
by jeffbee on 2/22/24, 4:00 PM
by 1letterunixname on 2/23/24, 2:32 AM
It was one the last major settled/invaded geographically ideal area at the end of the expanding Western frontier that filtered pioneers more than anywhere else from all over the rest of the world (pre-airplane). Now, it's a super-organism with extreme concentrations of wealth, talent, academia, and industry where each legs supports the other with people vying to stay part of it without being pushed out by big money from around the world. Maybe I'll be able to afford a house where my grandparents or parents lived but they're in the $2-4M USD range now.
Most people who move to SF tend to be their own special form of crazy who cannot afford to live there but insist on an irrational, unsustainable lifestyle anyhow.
by marssaxman on 2/22/24, 7:48 PM
by subsubzero on 2/22/24, 4:33 PM
San Francisco - One thing that the author missed is the post railroad growth. This was mainly due to a heavy military presence there(presidio, and a navy base at hunters point), my Grandfather who was in WWII was hanging out in SF alot waiting for deployments in the pacific theatre during the 1940's. The Navy and it being a shipping hub sustained the city until we can get into the 1960's which led to the hippie movement(Jack Kerouac and the beat movement before that) and people started flocking there and gave it its current liberal counterculture vibe. In addition the climate is very mild and I personally think its the best in the state(southern california is a bit too hot).
Los Angeles - I don't know what the author has to say about it, but you have the hollywood production houses starting in the 1920's, and also aerospace being a huge presence down there starting a bit before WWII, lockheed(skunkworks), Boeing and many more contractors flourished before and during the cold war, in addition Edwards airforce base was a huge draw for jobs as well and created alot of towns in the inland empire. Lastly the LA area is also a huge transportation hub as my Great Great grandfather(Santa Fe raiload vice president, moved to LA to run things in that area). Universities here include UCLA, USC and Clairemont colleges which led to a slew of talented people moving to the area. Why there are so many people in this area now is quite obvious, the weather is close to best in the world, but water is quite scarce and southern California has always had to supplement its water supply from the northern part of the state.
Central Valley - The 20th century was abnormally wet and rainy compared to California's natural climate which had hundred+ year droughts. But given the ample sunshine and enough rain it is basically one giant farm from Redding all the way to Bakersfield. The weather in the summer is really unbearable with triple digits being very common and humidity in the southern part of the valley. Read the grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck as it portrays the culture when it was starting out quite accurately - meaning huge farms exploiting farmworkers etc. There are not really any of the things in the 2 other areas, aerospace, military or world class universities so its population has been alot less, but that is changing as the coastal areas are becoming too expensive and the fastest growing areas are now in the central valley.
by lenerdenator on 2/22/24, 3:51 PM