| World Expos have been diminishing—in
terms of size, returns and sheer exhibitionism—
over the years, even though they
have long been considered showcases for
great ideas. But not the Shanghai Expo
2010, which is, apart from wars, the most
expensive (and eye-popping) event in history:
it cost 600 billion dollars; it is 20 times
larger than the previous World Expo in
Spain, covering twice the area of Monaco,
and seeing the expo end to end might take
three months. So why isn’t it up in the global
media’s neon lights? Probably because it
isn’t selling anything new. Previous expos
have exposed the world to the aeroplane,
the telephone and the fax, electric lighting,
the diesel engine, the Ferris wheel, zippers,
ice-cream cones, hot dogs, iced tea, peanut
butter and hamburgers. Though the Shanghai
Expo has “Better City, Better Life” as
its theme—it’s not exactly a good plug for
the future.
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