- Note that we're duplicating posts in their category folder and _posts. When editing, try to do so with the category version, then overwrite the _posts version.
This space is a sketchpad for ideas
e.g. army hierarchy in peacetime vs wartime
We think of evolution as selection of one organism with the environment and other organisms held constant, and with a given objective function.
But think of a butterfly evolving a longer nectar snout. Do flowers then evolve to accomodate this, creating a reinforcing cross-species pattern?
Also, is natural selection the only mechanism, or does evolution occur at a more rapid timescale? This is likely if we consider that much of the informational content of DNA is not just in the hereditary sequence passed on, but also in-vivo protein, RNA, and other context.
Furthermore, is there really a single objective function, if at all, or is the process of evolution a different one.
Finally, this raises the general issue of static ceteris paribus analysis, versus dynamic (over time, and including interactions) analysis, and whether the formal is of any use when it comes to the overall question.
Think about what a decentralised Turing machine could accomplish.
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a way to distribute digital content more easily, with payment and less torrenting?
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accreditation and identity.
- e.g. your online profile that you can give people access to. Government ID. Contact info. Allow universities etc to accredit your profile with stuff.
- can also be a yellowpages for businesses
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see Maker DAO and Dai stable currency
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some form of modern news?
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Yelp: business reviews. Advantage could be review provably tied to a purchase or something, so no fake reviews. And maybe tracable to a public account.
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Advertising / ad network?
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Auctions
- winner indisputable
- reputation for sellers that dont deliver
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a DAO for dapp developpers to share in rewards of their dapps
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public accounting and auditing
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decentralised insurance
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reputation system
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some sort of wiki
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an ethcoin marketplace
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blogging and subscription
In 50 years it would be great if we have stratospheric supersonic vertical-takeoff electric jets. But there is a perfectly expectable scenario where no progress is made whatsoever. People, i.e. special indivuals, are the ones who drive actual change. Perhaps explore this with regards to a bunch of advances: what would you like there to be in 50 years?