What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#1

Post by AlexTheFounder » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 12:24 PM UTC

Imagine that you were approached by a kind person who offered you 100 million dollars to build something of your choice.

This person is very powerful and you cannot possibly cheat, but you don't have to make a profit off your product either.

So, you can take 100 millions and spend your time building something you want. What it would be?

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#2

Post by cperciva » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 12:33 PM UTC

I'd build a research institute for mathematics and computer science.

If I had to build something technical, I'd build a secure realtime BSD kernel.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#3

Post by jeremyw » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 12:58 PM UTC

A news organization for long-term thinking, reporting and analysis. Essentially a News of the Long Now.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#4

Post by walesmd » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:03 PM UTC

A University strictly dedicated to IT/CS related studies that was actually in it to teach, innovate, and research rather than turn a profit.

And the distance learning department would not use Blackboard, we'd open source our own platform.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#5

Post by dsplittgerber » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:04 PM UTC

I would establish a huge prize for finding the most efficient way to teach the principles of rational thinking and economics to society. And then I'd spend the rest of the money on establishing that teaching method so that everyone can benefit, regardless of prior education or status. This will lead to a better society.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#6

Post by ivenkys » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:05 PM UTC

OLPC - only better and completely free.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#7

Post by mikkom » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:08 PM UTC

really nice house.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#8

Post by arethuza » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:12 PM UTC

I read Jared Diamond's book "Collapse" a few years ago and it certainly is a sobering book. I would agree with its thesis that we face a distinct possibility of our high tech "Western" society crashing - and due to the Threads linking us together this crash could be pretty hard.

I would use the 100 million to investigate possible ways of mitigating the effects of such a crash. As the actual causes would be essentially unpredictable I'd pass on that effort and concentrate on what we could do to establish a degree of continuity of core areas of knowledge: maths, medicine, geography etc.

One option would be to build bunkers full of useful books in remote locations (like the gene bank in the Svalbard). However, a better way might be to build a long lasting organisation set apart from our culture - very much like secular versions of medieval monasteries or the mathic concents in Neal Stephenson’s excellent Anathem.

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#9

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:15 PM UTC

cperciva wrote: post #2

I'd build a research institute for mathematics and computer science. If I had to build something technical, I'd build a secure realtime BSD kernel.

[deleted]

Re: What you'd build if you had 100 millions?

#10

Post by codef0rmer » Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 1:15 PM UTC

I would build a giant Ark to save us all from 2012 apocalypse, unlike Roland Emmerich who had saved, few of us in his f*ing movie ;)