# Build it and they will STF out!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 12, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952 "2011-12-12T20:43:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/1 "2011-12-12T20:43:49Z")

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Interesting idea. Build a whole town that nobody lives in so you can do all sorts of experiments that you otherwise couldnt do. Maybe Mytbusters can have a cannonball branch out there 🙂

Looks to be one those “sounds stupid at first glance but maybe not” ideas.

[http://realestate.msn.com/why-does-a-tech-company-want-to-build-ghost-town-in-new-mexico](http://realestate.msn.com/why-does-a-tech-company-want-to-build-ghost-town-in-new-mexico)

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**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/2 "2011-12-12T21:16:03Z")

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Magnificent. The bad sci-fi and horror stories practically write themselves. Do you suppose they’ll rent it out to Evil Masterminds during the off-season?

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**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/3 "2011-12-12T21:30:11Z")

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I don’t understand the example of the thermostat. In the end, you want your thermostat to save energy in the real world, so why is it better to test it in a fake world?

Why can’t they do this with a computer model? Seems like a huge waste of resources just for scientists to have a playground.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/4 "2011-12-12T21:33:58Z")

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Seems like a dumb idea. A city without people won’t be an accurate model.

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/5 "2011-12-12T21:34:26Z")

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They should’ve named it Rock Ridge.

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**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/build-it-and-they-will-stf-out/605952/6 "2011-12-12T22:31:58Z")

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> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> They should’ve named it Rock Ridge.

As long as they budget for a shitload of dimes.