[alwaysinshade]

> City life very well might increase innovation in certain fields. I'd posit that country life increases innovation just as much, but in different areas.

Innovative people are everywhere - the benefit that cities offer is that for every unit of space you have a greater number of people, thus you're likely to find a few intelligent, like-minded people condensed into a smaller area. They become easier to find an collaborate with. To use a metaphor: you have a better chance of picking up in a bar if there are 50 members of the opposite sex than 5.

[shpxnvz]

But not if the number of same-sex competitors increases by the same amount.