> Where is this mythical coffee house where ideas are exchanged and challenged?
Online? College campuses?
But seriously, our culture and society are different now in lots of ways, for better and worse. And larger, and more diverse.
The economy is different. Society is different.
I've been to Vienna a few times, and while I agree that the coffee houses are nice (though a bit posh for my taste), I did not see anybody talk to strangers or discuss philosophy or something. It was mostly just friends or relatives going out for a drink, like anywhere else.
Did I go to the wrong places? Where is this mythical coffee house where ideas are exchanged and challenged?