Infinite Population Density

Every once in a while, I have these crazy ideas. The last time I was in Bombay was a case-in-point. I was amazed (as I always am) by the sheer density of the population. It seemed as though there were people all over, with hardly any space to breathe (in space, and time).

But what truly amazed me was the competitiveness I saw around. Everyone seemed to want to excel. It was a bad case of the "survival of the fittest". I wondered, then, that if this population density were spurring the competitive spirit, what would happen as the density tended to infinity? A super-competitive, self-adjusting economy? Or chaos? What would it look like?

The answer, I think, is the Web. Pick one site (from India), and then another (from California), and yet another (from China). It takes you just as much (or as little) time to jump from the Indian site to the Chinese, as to the American. Physical separation has vanished, and it is just as good as having all sites hosted in a single building. Now, repeat this process for the whole Web, and you have an infinite population density!

Now, why is this interesting? Because, now it doesn't matter where you are in physical space! Imagine, we could build a Google in our backyard. Or an ICQ. Or a Hotmail.

This thought excites me beyond any other.
Maybe this isn't new, but then, a small reminder never hurts, does it?