2021-05-02

Re: Cryptocurrency is an abject disaster

Drew Devault writes:

Cryptocurrency is one of the worst inventions of the 21st century.

Full ACK.

My stake in all cryptocurrencies has always been zero. And I shall keep it that way.

I thought its an interesting (mostly mathematical) idea when I heard about it the first time. But I clearly remember the day when I read that Bitcoin is now convertible into other currencies. That day the red line was crossed --- red in my little world at least.

Also in my personal list of "not needed technology" is:

• So called artificial intelligence --- which also eats considerable amounts of energy (during training) for questionable effects.

• Manned space flight --- I spent a nontrivial amount of time in astronomy/astro physics. One thing I surely understand is this: the distances to whereever are absurd. We will not be able to move non-trivial amounts of equipment and people anywhere. We are going to stay here. It should come without any surprise that we must clean up after ourselves. It makes me sick to hear some apparently very important persons to fantasize about moving industrial and dirty production into orbit. How utterly and incomprehensibly stupid. For interesting read about the dirty bit I recommend John Brunner, "The sheep look up". From 1975 or so.

• Any attempt of terra forming. For example put out a large fleet of robot vessels, which will produce spray from seawater all day long, powered by sunlight. The spray, when applied over enough area (read many such vessels) will increase the earths albedo by just a bit --- climate problem solved, or may be not.

Oh well.

~ew