[ExI] This means something...

[Jason Resch]

On Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 2:06 PM spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

>
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> *From:* spike at rainier66.com <spike at rainier66.com>
> *…*
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>
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> >…Hal took the idea and ran with it (a very Halish thing to do.)  He was
> the guy smart enough to figure out how to create a blockchain system for
> it, enabling a person to own a number…
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> We discussed a blockchain system where anyone could own any number (on
> that particular blockchain.)  Imagine the value of owning 0 and 1.  Of
> course it would carry no special privilege other than owning one or owning
> nothing on a particular blockchain.  My notion is that the value of a
> number is the product of the scarcity of the number and the prominence of
> the blockchain which establishes the ownership of that number.
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> In the case of BitCoin, the prominence of that blockchain is enormous, in
> contrast to competing cryptocurrencies such as DogeCoin.
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> Hal was not only god, he was the real humility champion of the world.
> Anyone who knew the man would agree methinks.  He flattered the hell outta
> me, by treating me as his equal, both online and in person (at Extro3.)
> This of course caused me to get an overinflated view of myself, causing me
> to lose in the Humility Olympics, so it mighta just been part of his sneaky
> game strategy.  Oh I miss the hell outta that guy.
>
>
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> >…I don’t know if he invented it himself, but somebody (I think it was
> Hal) figured out how to make a hash function with a limited number of
> solutions, each one of which requires more compute cycles to find…
>
>
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> Oh how I wish someone who knows the real answer would explain what
> happened down there in the LA basin in 2008.  Does anyone here have any
> insight on that?
>

The idea of using a hash function in a proof of work system goes back to
1997:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashcash

As for what happened in 2008, however, I have no special insight. Though I
would say the creation of Bitcoin involved the combination of so many
disparate ideas that the suggestion of a small group, a meeting, or a
discussion list, being necessary to put all the pieces together is
compelling.


>
> Regarding Gemini’s crediting me with orbit mechanics stuff, the only
> notion I will claim of any importance is the insight that a Bradburyan
> M-Brain would overheat, and that it would help (some) if the energy was
> directed, making the star into a (very slow) photon rocket.  Robert himself
> never accepted either idea, no matter how many equations I showed him.  I
> miss that guy too.
>
Wouldn't any directed beam still leave energy on the table available to
exploit?

Jason
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