The sample size isn’t big enough: nearby countries are too strongly coupled with each-other. Regions are closer to independent. But the only major regions were Europe, Middle East, East Asia, India, West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and several in the new world. It’s hard to form statistics around such a small number.
Of these, four enjoyed “top of the world” civilization status at some point in time: the Middle East + North Africa, Europe, China, and India. Mesoamerica lived independently until it got destroyed by Europe, so it is hard to place in a global hierarchy. This list is pretty random; there is no evidence for or against an “avoidance of the equator”.
And it keeps moving. After the industrial revolution, the “top of the world” in terms of innovation moved from England to New York (Edison days) and most recently into the Silicon Valley.
But why does the king of the hill keep changing? So what breaks the technology/resource extraction/warfare feedback? It’s basically crumbling infrastructure combined with regulatory capture at all levels of institutions. The trouble is the timescales are now so fast that the silicon valley is already elderly. There are 5 gas-tank apps. Many startups use the same recycled formula with social media, block-chains, “Uber for X”, etc rather than addressing new problems. We already have to go to wherever is “next” (which may or may not be in the same physical area) if we want to use our skills in a young blossoming community.
The sample size isn’t big enough: nearby countries are too strongly coupled with each-other. Regions are closer to independent. But the only major regions were Europe, Middle East, East Asia, India, West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and several in the new world. It’s hard to form statistics around such a small number.
Of these, four enjoyed “top of the world” civilization status at some point in time: the Middle East + North Africa, Europe, China, and India. Mesoamerica lived independently until it got destroyed by Europe, so it is hard to place in a global hierarchy. This list is pretty random; there is no evidence for or against an “avoidance of the equator”.
And it keeps moving. After the industrial revolution, the “top of the world” in terms of innovation moved from England to New York (Edison days) and most recently into the Silicon Valley.
But why does the king of the hill keep changing? So what breaks the technology/resource extraction/warfare feedback? It’s basically crumbling infrastructure combined with regulatory capture at all levels of institutions. The trouble is the timescales are now so fast that the silicon valley is already elderly. There are 5 gas-tank apps. Many startups use the same recycled formula with social media, block-chains, “Uber for X”, etc rather than addressing new problems. We already have to go to wherever is “next” (which may or may not be in the same physical area) if we want to use our skills in a young blossoming community.