Knock knock. “Who is it. Come in”. Enters the young grad student. “Good morning Dr. Ben”. “Good morning Vincent”. “I have brought my paper Doctor. I am finished”. “But it has only been three months!” “Whoa!! That is awesome!” Some kids are playing outside. “I know Doctor. But I had been thinking about this for quite a while before. I was ready before I even started. It would be an honour if you took a quick look”. “Alright. Let me see. Now what do we have here”. Observations On The Cycling of Solar Energy and Current Advances in Green Rocketry Observations On The Cycling of Solar Energy and Current Advances in Green Rocketry “Dude, what type of phone is that?” “It is not a phone. It is a cold wallet”. “I like the abstract”. “What is a cold wallet?” “A bitcoin piggy bank”. Abstract Abstract Abstract Solar energy comes down from the earth to power everything from climate to life processes to human rocketry. However, it does not act immediately. It needs to be sucked up and stored in various sorts of energy traps – photosynthetic cells, clouds, ground heat, before being expended in exergonic processes from which emerge complex behaviour describing the world as we see it. Then the process repeats itself. Taking a special focus on rocketry … Solar energy comes down from the earth to power everything from climate to life processes to human rocketry. However, it does not act immediately. It needs to be sucked up and stored in various sorts of energy traps – photosynthetic cells, clouds, ground heat, before being expended in exergonic processes from which emerge complex behaviour describing the world as we see it. Then the process repeats itself. Taking a special focus on rocketry … “What can it do?” “It stores bitcoin. Though my Dad said it will also teach me discipline”. “How??” Silent acknowledgement. “Not bad for a physics paper. Love the fresh insight. So the classical mechanics of rocketry could be made green eh. Haha!”. With a beaming face – “Have no idea!” “Where does it store the BTC?” “OK. Where are the equations?” “I am still figuring that out”. Somebody interrupts the circle of kids outside. “If it isn’t Boss Girl”. “What’s that Dave?” He hands it to her. “I smell bitcoin”. “OK. The data analyses look great. When will you be done with the equation for this waiting time…?”. “Don’t steal it Joline”. “Real soon”. “Sheesh. My dad says to stay away from Bitcoin”. “Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion”. “OK. Come back in 3 months time. Good work. Stick to that”. “Yes Sir” As Vincent leaves. The kids also leave the playground. Joline and Dave are making faces at each other and Dave isn’t looking where he is going. BUMP! “Ooh. I’m so sorry Sir”. “It’s okay little guy”, Vincent calms the boy. Then he looks at what he is holding. “Well isn’t that a swell little gadget”. “It sure is”. “Let me see it”. Dave hands it over. Again. He is starting to appreciate why his Dad told him to keep it at home. People are so nosy. “What does it do?” “It stores Bitcoin”.“Oh!” “Yeah”. “How many you got here?”“A few”. “Why are you carrying it around. What if this gets destroyed?!” “Yeah. I know”. “Hmm”. He ponders the inscription at the bottom. ‘There can only be 21 million’. He wonders, anew, how good an energy trap Bitcoin might become one day. An energy trap so good it might be the key to unlocking the immense solar potential of the sun. Becoming humanity's ladder up the Kardashev scale. The thought always makes him happy. Makes him wander.
