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Enigma builds world-class data infrastructure, developer-friendly APIs, and intelligent tools to automate trusted decisions about every business. We're focused on making B2B risk frictionless so that our customers can focus on growing their businesses and radically improving their products and experiences. Founded in 2011, Enigma has raised $130M of capital from major venture capital firms such as NEA, Comcast Ventures, and Third Point, as well as global financial companies such as BB&T, Two Sigma, and Capital One.

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In this article, I will delve into whether artificial intelligence (AI), particularly the emergence of tools like generative AI (GenAI), will replace classical software outsourcing as we know it.

AI vs software outsourcing: An opportunity or a threat?

It seems like the OnePlus Open will ship with OxygenOS 13.2 based on Android 13. So, the company won’t rebrand the name of its UI for its first foldable, for better or worse. This version will ...

OnePlus Open software version & new app dock revealed

TRIPS is an important treaty under the WTO. The TRIPS Agreement represented a major expansion in the scope of copyright protection for computer software. TRIPS brought software under the purview of the Berne Convention by defining it as a literary work.

Preserving national integrity: Shunning software piracy

Black Friday and Cyber Monday software deals can get you big savings on top PC productivity and Internet safety programs. That’s especially true when getting top deals from a trusted seller, like Mr Key Shop. While traditionally the discount period is ...

Black Friday & Cyber Monday software deals: Office, Windows 11, Antivirus, VPNs

Our team of computer vision developers develops custom image and video analysis software for machine vision and computer vision systems. We build computer vision software that can perform multiple tasks, including face analysis, real-time gesture and ...

Computer Vision Software Development

Last week Google extended their software support policy to a bonkers 7 years with the Google Pixel 8 series. This became a big headline for not only Google but for Android in general. Now Samsung ...

Galaxy S24 series could get longer software support

MONTREAL — The Canadian National Railway computer outage that disrupted GO Transit and VIA Rail Canada trains on Tuesday was caused by a software upgrade, CN said on Wednesday. CN spokesman Jonathan Abecassis told CTV News that the railroad had ...

Software upgrade led to CN computer outage

Our B.A. in Computer Science: Software Project Management addresses a growing need in industry to manage the finances and personnel of complex software development projects. Computer Science majors who graduate and start out as programmers in larger ...

Software Project Management Major

Don’t you manage your affairs, both business and personal, via emails and messengers? Sure, you do. It’s convenient and saves tons of time. Colleagues need email to send reports, entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, journalists to send confidential articles for publication, and so on. But there is one issue we all face - a data breach. People aware of this problem and have already found a solution - encrypted email. There is my explanation of what it means and the selection of 9 services which I consider the best ones. Encrypted email: What does it mean? It is an email service that applies encryption in order to preserve the content of the email from surveillance. Once encrypted, emails are sent to the receiver and can be decrypted only by him/her. Even in the case of message interception, the content of the emails remains to be secured. We need it to protect confidential info shared privately, to keep your identity to yourself, to make business risk-free, and back-up safe. What is the best secure email? I’ve picked up 6 best secure email services and 3 ones which are close to it, it’s up to you to decide what you will choose. Proton Mail The project has been working since 2013. From 2013 to 2014 it was in the testing phase. The devs are the workers of the European Organization for Nuclear Research; that’s why the app is called that way. All its offices and servers are located in Geneva. This mail is loved by millions of users, thanks to the facility of encrypting an email before users address them. All the information is collected on its servers. If to believe the devs, they will not be able to decrypt a user's messages even upon the request of a court. There is a possibility to use 2 passwords, which improves mail security. This mail uses a combination of two encryption solutions: RSA and AES. 1st RSA - to identify a user. The 2nd one is for decrypting info held on the server. That provides a really high rate of safety. The first user password is held on servers (the person can change it at any time), while the second one is known only to the sender himself. Besides, it provides the possibility to set the expiration date for the storage of emails, after which all the messages will be self-destructing. There are both free, and several paid versions with a broad set of functionality, but all of them provide the same rate of protection. I would like to note that payment does not affect the level of security, but only  adds extra features. Utopia It's a relatively new project. Utopia email is the secure mailing service that is a part of the enclosed Utopia P2P ecosystem. All the emails are encrypted by default as well as all the files attached. Utopia applies combined encryption methods - 256-bit AES and Elliptic Curves to guarantee the most secured communication for its users. Together with the decentralized peer-to-peer architecture, Utopia becomes one of the coolest alternatives to traditional mailing tools, which excludes the possibility of surveillance, data theft, and other cyber tracking. The total anonymity is provided by the type of registration, not requiring any personal info - phone numbers, real names, and email addresses. On top of all, Utopia users can enjoy the vast feature and function set of the ecosystem: for secure communication and files exchange, which allows sending 	all types of encrypted messages and create public channels. instant messenger for anonymous surfing the resources within the network. All web-resources (sites, e-shops, forums, etc.) can be created inside the ecosystem thanks to the API, Utopia NS, and packet forwarding function. browser Idyll for anonymous transactions conducting. All the payments are made in Crypton - own cryptocurrency, which can be easily mined right there. wallet and other tools like games and managers Mailfence Mailfence, like many others, was launched after the shocking  Snowden-story back in 2013. It encrypts emails based on Open PGP. Thus, you can be unalarmed about your chats' safety. All users can enter a mailbox employing SMTP / IMAP as an email client. Besides, 2FA is applied here. Mailfence offers SPF (Thanks to it, you can check if the sender’s domain has been tampered with.), DKIM (The method allows the recipient to verify that the letter was indeed sent from the declared domain), anti-spam and  blacklists. Moreover, it offers an integrated Keystore. And there are no ads, which is a huge plus. Posteo It is another cool open-source mail service, which I like, it’s Germany based. It utilizes E2EE (PGP / GPG). Several packages are offered. 1€ for the basic package per month - covers some of the essential features of the app, such as support for POP3 and IMAP. Furthermore, you do not need to provide your private info while registering. It enhances the level of privacy and users’ security. Further features which should be taken into account: No adverts; You are provided with 2 GB memory, which is quite enough, but you can enlarge the number.; You can attach files up to 50 MB, so forget about long videos exchange. Tutanota It also came from Germany. Tutanota presents an open-source E2EE email, which is intended to guard user mails content. It encrypts all information that you transfer or receive from others. Encryption and decryption occur at the time of identification (authorization) of a particular user. For this, the user’s personal password is used, which is why if you suddenly forgot it, then everything is lost and cannot be restored. All your correspondence is encrypted locally first and then stored on the servers, which means that even the owners of Tutanota can't read it if they want. It is curious that not only the content of all messages is encrypted, but also the subject, as well as attachments. This is the main fundamental difference between Tutanota and other services. Besides, at the time of sending an email, the program automatically deletes the IP address, making you an anonymous user. It offers both free and paid packages (including for Android and iOS.) Counter mail It's another tool using which you won't feel uneasy about confidentiality issues. It is a well-known Swiss service that provides E2EE, making it can’t be done for bad guys to scan your emails. It has over 4 thousand types of encryption keys, which is great. Besides, it does not collect your data on some central servers or 3-rd party storages. This means that nobody will have a chance to view your emails, so there is no risk of data leakage. There is one more advantage. The service’s devs also promise protection from data surveillance from the authorities' side. Besides, you can talk with any other OpenPGP-compatible email user around the globe. Android and iOS versions are provided. Extra features of CounterMail: USB key option. Protection from a MITM attack. What else to consider? There are 3 services which are worth mentioning, but I didn’t include them in Top 6. For certain reasons. VauletMail desktop It's an underestimated tool, to mi mind. First, it encrypts user emails. Second, you can send self-destructing messages and do it from anonymous addresses. But the fact that it’s a desktop version, people may consider it not so safe as others. However, it’s quite good. Hushmail It is one of the most curious email providers. Your communication data is stored in encrypted form and can be decrypted only when you enter the password while logging in to your acc. A mail transmitted between Hushmail users is automatically encrypted and decrypted.  To make it even safer, you can add a secret question to which the receiver must give an answer in order to decrypt your mail. Your receiver will get an email and a link which he/she should follow. This link will lead them to the Hushmail site, where a user will have to answer a question to view encrypted email. Enigmail I bet you've heard about this one. It is an extension for Mozilla Thunderbird. It's not new but still good. To use Enigmail, you need to install both the Enigmail extension for Thunderbird and the GNU Privacy Guard software for your operating system. It's free. Following that, a new OpenPGP menu will appear in Thunderbird with a setup assistant. The assistant will guide you step by step through the setup process, which includes creating or importing public and private key pair. Emails are signed digitally by default. That’s what allows recipients to know that the message has been sent from you. You must select “Encrypt This Message” in the S / MIME drop-down list in the message creation window to make the chatting secure. You may think that the setup process is a bit complicated, but it’s normal. The advantage is that you can use Enigmail with an existing mail provider, such as Gmail. Though these three services have its drawbacks, they still guarantee all-round security of online conversations for you. While choosing a particular app, think of what qualities you are looking for in a mailing service. Maybe, interface for you is no less important. But remember, safety first!

The Best Secure Email Provider To Choose

Updated - 01/13/20 The universal access to the Internet and advancements in technology lead to the necessity of the reinterpretation of such notions as privacy and personal data. The government's attempts to regulate and take control of the "network" life in all its manifestations, even with good intentions, turn out to be ineffective, ill-conceived and somewhat inadequate, which causes extremely negative reactions from the public and even resistance. That's why we can find so many products that offer a solution for those who tend to preserve their rights for anonymity. This article aims to provide you with an analysis of 10 best Internet privacy tools existing thus far: private Web browsers, messengers with encrypted file storages, DNS, and Emails. What are the best Internet privacy tools? 1. Utopia p2p Utopia p2p is an ecosystem developed right for the sake of total security and anonymity on the Web. It includes browser Idyll, uMail, instant messenger, uMaps, a wallet and own digital currency Crypton and other builts-in. It is a decentralized peer-to-peer network. It means that there is no single data warehouse for users’ data storage. Now, each client is a peer. The ecosystem creates his personal server for data storage. Access to it opens a personal key that is generated during the anonymous registration. Each user participates in the transmission of data, but only the recipient has a key to decrypt and see the content of the message. Also, Utopia applies the most advanced and multilevel encryption method, including a high-speed Elliptic Curve25519 and 256-bit AES. Such a method allows protecting and saving all confidential data of the users. Utopia p2p is a multifunctional ecosystem where the registration, communication, files transfer are anonymous and highly protected. API allows automating financial transactions, invoicing, receiving payment, transfer, receiving, and sending order information to their customers. That's especially beneficial for businesses. I consider it to be anew level of privacy and convenience. Besides, the ecosystem is available for free, there are no functional errors and it is famous for its stability of using. 2. Tor Tor browser is a modified version of Mozilla Firefox. Using this web browser allows you to hide your location, IP address, and other identifying information from regular websites. Earlier, in order to connect to Tor, you needed special knowledge that the average computer user did not have. Now, the situation has changed. Tor Browser simplifies the process of protecting personal data, but at the cost of reduced performance. The browser works according to the principal of the Onion Router.The data is encrypted several times with the transmission from server to server (3 randomly chosen servers of Tor network) and then transferred through the virtual channel. The decryption is processed the same way. Traffic between the Tor network and the target resource is not encrypted. Therefore, if the user wants to transmit sensitive information over the Internet, you still need to take care of confidentiality through the use of https or another pass-through encryption protocol, as well as authentication mechanisms. In addition, when using the Tor network, the user still has the opportunity to visit blocked sites. 3. Wire The former Skype vice president left the company when Microsoft bought it and decided to develop another one. This is how Wire appeared. It is a messenger with end-to-end encryption for making calls, exchanging images, videos, documents, GIFs, and so on. Wire promises not to publish or send your information to anyone and doesn't contain ads. That's great. The registration is anonymous, you just need to provide your username. The messenger is available on three platforms and is equipped with a message synchronization system. Wire is great for private and secure group conversations with up to 128 people. 3. ProtonMail ProtonMail is an email with encryption and setting message lifetime. The service quickly encrypts mail between ProtonMail users. You can send encrypted messages to users of other mail systems. Moreover, you can specify the lifetime of the message (after which the letter will be automatically deleted). ProtonMail claims that the devs do not have access to your messages due to end-to-end encryption. When registering, you do not need to indicate your real first and last name. However, during the registration, a "check for bots" is performed: you will have to specify an email or phone number. Thus, the condition of anonymity is not fulfilled. At the same time, the service rejects some of the entered email addresses, which is also disappointing sometimes. 4. Tails Tails is a Debian-based distribution for Linux that ships with Tor anonymizer, encryption and security software. The Tails system can be downloaded to any computer from a regular flash drive or SD card, which makes it convenient to use for safe Internet surfing. All Internet connections are made via TOR, and messages are encrypted with modern cryptographic means. Tails does not save any traces of your Internet activity. Tails also has support for the anonymous I2P network, which provides anonymous use of applications. The network is based on IP-style messaging, but there is also a library for creating reliable TCP-style streaming connections. Tails supports the mode of saving user data between downloads; a separate encrypted partition is created to store data on a USB drive, TrueCrypt is used for encryption. Tails also provides protection against the analysis of amnesic in the computer's memory, in the process of shutting down and removing the media, all RAM is automatically cleared. 5. Brave browser Brave browser is Firefox's child. It is an open-source product based on Chromium. Its distinguishing feature is a high level of visualization of effects from the use of security mechanisms. Brave's home page displays visual statistics in the form of special counters for blocked trackers, ad modules, redirects from http to https, as well as time saved as a result (the creators of Brave promise to load web pages 2 to 8 times faster than Chrome and Safari). Regarding the collection of personal data, Brave implements Anonize technology, which allows transactions based on the principle of "anonymous accounting." To apply this technology, cryptographic methods of evidence with zero disclosure are used. Moreover, the browser is free. 6. Signal Signal Private Messenger is Edward Snowden's favorite messenger with not so bright reputation. It gives users the ability to exchange messages and files, make calls. All transmitted messages, files, and calls are protected by end-to-end encryption, and the messages can be stored only on the user's device if he/she decides to make a copy. As for metadata, this is the only thing that service owners can know - the date when a particular user was online. But as it turned out, there are situations when all efforts to encrypt Signal information are in vain. During the process of migrating from the Chrome extension to a full-fledged desktop client Signal exports user messages to unencrypted text files. 7. Threema Threema is also secure services because it performs E2EE of all the data exchanged by the users, whether it is messages, chats, media files, etc. Threema uses an open-source cryptographic NaCl library for encryption. The keys are created and stored in protected folders on users' devices. It excludes private data access or copying. In addition, you do not need a phone number or email address to use the app. This allows you to use Threema entirely anonymously. In terms of functionality, Threema is in no way inferior to the market leaders. The messenger can send text messages, photos, and short videos, share its location, record voice messages. In addition to individual communication, group chats with several contacts are allowed. The main disadvantage of it is it's a commercial product, and you have to pay for the usage - $3.07. 8. MailVelope Mailvelope is a free browser add-on which uses the OpenPGP standard and is designed for webmail. No additional programs are required to download or install. With Mailvelope, you can Create encryption key pairs, export your public key (then you can share it with others), import other people's public keys. You can create, encrypt and sign emails, decrypt and verify letters, encrypt and decrypt attachments. Your interlocutors do not need to install Mailvelope. Any OpenPGP-compliant program is enough. Unfortunately, Mailvelope lacks many of the features Thunderbird, Enigmail, and GnuPG have, but today this is probably the easiest way for a webmail user to start using E2EE. Conclusion Each of these services serves the noble aim - your security and anonymity on the Web. Whatever tool you would choose, use it right - not for the sake of suspicious and illegal activity. I hope this article helped you to clarify the situation on the market of Internet privacy tools. Stay safe!

Internet Privacy Tools for 2019

There are plenty of operating systems aimed at achieving online anonymity. But how many of them are really good? I think that not many. Below I want to suggest several Linux distributions that can help to solve numerous privacy\anonymity issues. Let’s go! Tails OS Tails is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed to provide privacy and anonymity. All outgoing connections are routed through the Tor network, and all non-anonymous connections are blocked. The system is designed to boot from Live CD or Live USB and leaves no traces on the machine on which it was used. The Tor project is the main sponsor of Tails. This operating system is recommended for use by the and was also used by Edward Snowden to expose . Freedom of the Press Foundation PRISM In order to evaluate all the pros and cons of Tails, it is necessary to have a strong understanding what purposes this OS was created for and how it should be used. This operating system can launch very quickly. After creating a flash drive, it will take 1–2 minutes to access the Internet (in case you have good hardware). However, you should not expect much functionality from Tails. It allows you to quickly connect to the Tor network, use messengers and connect via a secure channel, generate and save passwords, and clear metadata files. At the heart of Tails lies the task of ensuring the anonymity and safety of the user on the network, while at the same time preserving the convenience and ease of use. And it does it quite well. The whole system works in Live mode uploaded into RAM. Tails is not installed onto SSD or HDD. After the session is over, it is impossible to determine what the user was doing on the computer, even if somebody will get full access to the device. This OS is not recommended to be used as a permanent operating system. After shutting down or restarting the system, all downloaded files, browser history, etc. — are deleted. You can create a Persistent encrypted partition and store passwords and files of various types on it, but these files should be not very sensitive. To run Tails, you need a device with at least 1GB of RAM and an antediluvian processor. Optimal device specifications for Tails: 8GB RAM and a 2-core processor. Installation of third-party programs is not the strong side of this OS. Installing applications onto Tails is not the most pleasant thing. There are often unforeseen errors, even if everything is done correctly. It may happen that after several reboots your installed software may simply disappear. If you need to systematically work with third-party software, the best option is to create your own distribution that will fit your needs. The goal of Tails is to leave no traces, anything more than accessing the Tor network and storing files can be a problem. It is best to use Tails for getting quick access to the network, connecting to a remote web resource, working with documents, communicating over an encrypted channel, sending\receiving cryptocurrencies. Tails pros: • Quick access to the network (Tor, instant messengers, online crypto-wallets). • Built-in tool for cleaning metadata. • Built-in instant messengers. • Generation/storage of passwords. • Works with almost any hardware. Tails cons: • Difficult installation. • Problems with the installation of third-party software. • Not suitable as a permanent OS. • Not suitable for storing highly sensitive\private files. Tails is a good system. It has its drawbacks, but again, it is simply tailored to specific tasks that do not always work for all users. Tails is more concerned with the issue of anonymity, but not security. Of course, this is an anonymous and quite good secure system, but there are other distributions that are much more advanced. Tails is well-known thanks to Snowden and gets advertised by many communities due to its simplicity. Whonix Whonix is a Debian-based Linux distribution, formerly known as TorBOX. Designed to ensure anonymity by means of VirtualBox and Tor. Neither malware nor compromised superuser account can lead to IP and DNS leaks. All software bundled with this OS is pre-configured to work with maximum security settings. Whonix OS consists of two virtual machines: Whonix Gateway and Whonix Workstation, connected through an isolated network. Gateway works exclusively through Tor and acts as a gateway to the network, Workstation works in a completely isolated network. All network connections are possible only via Tor. The only network access for the workstation is the gateway. All traffic, all applications, and processes will go through Tor. Applications cannot access the Internet bypassing Tor. Applications can only see the local IP address. The time zone cannot be traced, the clock is set to UTC, and Timestamp HTTP headers get sent to randomly selected web servers. The possibility to implement different sequences of Tor + VPN is a great advantage of this OS. You can configure the system so that first all the traffic goes through the VPN, after that through Tor, and then again through the VPN. Whonix is ​​a system with wide possibilities of customization and configuration that sometimes cannot be done in Tails. There are many programs and settings that allow you to build your own anonymity/security system, remove traces of using files, use instant messengers, work with different file types, etc. Whonix is ​​definitely a good system for anonymous Internet access but using it on an ongoing basis will be quite problematic. Since Whonix is ​​built around virtualization, this may cause some problems. For example, you can face difficulties while working with external media. If you need to connect a USB flash drive, it will first go through the main OS, for example, Windows, then go through the VirtualBox and finally reach the Whonix system, and this is not the safest way. Whonix pros: • High degree of anonymity. • A large number of software tools to work with. • Wide fine-tuning possibilities. Whonix cons: • Not portable. • Requires powerful hardware. • Tied to VirtualBox, which brings big risks in case of hacking the OS on which VirtualBox is installed. • Not quick, requires more time to access the network than other operating systems (you need to start VirtualBox, Gateway, Workstation). Whonix is good as a secondary (additional) system because it is not portable. Portability is one of the most important criteria in this segment. It is also tied to VirtualBox, and since this is not a live system, it will be quite easy to detect the presence of Whonix if you do not use cryptography methods. Whonix should be used only in special cases. I put it on my list because it is very flexible in terms of settings. Kodachi Linux Kodachi is based on Debian too. The goal of Kodachi is to provide the most anonymous and secure access to the network and protect the system itself. All traffic is running through a VPN, then through the Tor network with DNS encryption. is already pre-configured. Free VPN Kodachi is positioned as an anti-forensic OS that makes forensic analysis of drives and RAM really difficult. was chosen as the desktop environment for Kodachi, the system design is very similar to MacOS. System and network parameters are shown in real time on the desktop, which allows you to monitor the system and also monitor the operation of the Tor and VPN networks. XFCE Kodachi supports DNScrypt, a protocol, and utility that encrypts requests to OpenDNS servers using elliptical cryptography. It eliminates a number of typical problems, such as DNS leaks and leaving traces of network activity on the provider’s servers. If you need to hide an IP address in P2P networks, you can use PeerGuardian. If you need to work with suspicious processes, they can be easily isolated using the built-in sandbox called Firejail. A nice option is the ability to quickly change the Tor exit nodes with the option to select a specific country using Multi Tor.  Kodachi has a decent amount of pre-installed software for solving any tasks, for example, to encrypt information (VeraCrypt, TrueCrypt), to send confidential messages (GnuPG, Seahorse, Enigmail, GNU Privacy Guard Assistant) for hiding traces (MAT, Nautilus-wipe, Nepomuk Cleaner, BleachBit). In addition, Kodachi has its own browser based on the Tor Browser, where its developers cut out some problematic Tor modules. Kodachi is a well-balanced system, it is a powerful tool for building anonymity and security systems in all understandings. This OS is best used in conjunction with encrypted media on which highly sensitive information can be stored. In my opinion, Kodachi is the best system at the moment, it allows you to solve plenty of tasks. Kodachi pros: • Quick start (i.e. fast network access like Tails). • Many pre-installed programs. • Not very demanding in terms of hardware. There are actually no cons but they may appear with some narrowly focused tasks\needs. There are some other quite good operating systems built for anonymity such as Subgraph and Qubes. Qubes Qubes OS uses an interesting principle to launch applications. Each app runs on a separate virtual machine. Apps are divided into classes depending on the level of importance. The browser runs on one virtual machine, the messenger runs on the other virtual machine. For the user, both programs seem to be running on the same workspace. Isolating applications means that if malware gets inside, personal files will not be compromised. Qubes OS works only after installation on the internal drive, it does not have a live mode. Subgraph The key idea behind ​​Subgraph OS is running custom applications on isolated sandboxes. To do this, the subsystem Oz is used. Oz consists of a daemon (system service) that receives requests to create sandboxes, an Xpra X-server, and a set of special utilities. Subgraph OS is a bit raw tool. Only the alpha version is available right now. Subgraph and Qubes are not bad, but they are not good enough to put them among leaders. Subgraph OS is too raw, Qubes is too confusing in terms of settings.

Best Operating Systems for Anonymity: Comparing Titans

Los mejores sistemas operativos para el anonimato: comparando titanes

If you’re worried about government spying on you, or if it is your hawk-eyed company is too interested in your mailbox, or if you’re fed up of targeted advertisements, or if you want to communicate privately with your love interest, or to manage sensitive documents like identity cards, bank statements, passwords— keeping conversations encrypted using PGP is worth doing. What is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy)? I’m not going to go into the nuances of PGP because of complex cryptography used under the hood. Essentially, PGP garbles up the email making it look like random letters and numbers. This encryption happens using sender’s public key. So if you wish to send anyone an email securely, all you need is their public key. It’s a trend these days to put up PGP public key as Twitter bio. https://darkwebnews.com/pgp-guide/ When this message is downloaded on the recipient’s side, it is decrypted using a receiver’s private key. So if anyone is spying on your mailbox, all they’d see is garbled text! Make sure you never ever share your private key with anyone. Step-by-step guide to set up PGP 1. Download and install Mozilla Thunderbird Thunderbird is a free email application that’s easy to set up and customize. Go to and download thunderbird for whichever OS you’re on. https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/ This is what my application console looks like — Set up your existing account on thunderbird. This may take up 5 to 10 minutes depending upon how many emails you have. 2. Download and install GNU Privacy guard GnuPG is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by (also known as ). GnuPG allows you to encrypt and sign your data and communications; it features a versatile key management system, along with access modules for all kinds of public key directories. RFC4880 PGP Go to to download it. https://gnupg.org/download/index.html 3. Download Enigmail Enigmail is a simple interface for OpenPGP email security. Go to to download it. https://www.enigmail.net/index.php/en/download To install Enigmail on Thunderbird, use to save the extension locally. Then navigate to the Thunderbird menu Tools > Addons right click “Save Link as …” Choose Enigmail and add it. 4. Get your keys Go to thunderbird and then go to Enigmail/p=p menu > Select Key Management This is your public key. This is what trendy cool people put in their twitter bio. Now let’s test it by sending an email. You encrypt your email using your private key and the receiver will decrypt the mail using your public key (fingerprint). TESTING TIME! I sent the email using thunderbird and opened the email using gmail and this is what I get. I actually wrote: Thunderbird will automatically decrypt the email given that your thunderbird account has sender’s public key (fingerprint). And that’s how it is done!

Secure Your Emails in 5 Minutes Using PGP 

Innovative technologies are implemented into our daily lives on a regular basis and their evolution processes are constantly accelerating. Just think about the speedy growth process that the mobile phone industry went through. A few years ago, they were merely being used to make phone calls or send a text, and look at us now; they have transformed to ‘smartphones’ that seem to be attached to our hands. Every spare moment is being utilized to catch up on taking snapshots, reading news items, interacting on social media, checking our email or playing a game. Similar to the mobile phone industry, look at the internet, the monetary system, artificial intelligence and the evolution they went through. Technology is making great advancements, for instance the implementation and developments in augmented reality (AR), robotics, FinTech and blockchain technology, that have been the topic of many media news stories. What does the future looks like? With all these developments what can we expect in the future? Well you might be surprised to know some of the things developers and companies are currently working on. Houses will be built with the help of a 3D-printer, just take a look at this first commercial housing project built with 3D-concrete printing technology, called . are working alongside real-life police officers in fighting crime around the world. The working environment in the future will drastically change as the majority of people work remote and on a freelance basis. and companion robots function as caretakers of elderly people and save societies a lot of money on health-care. The sharing economy has managed to become one of the worlds’ biggest industries and it has taken a real stance at reducing consumer consumption. has transformed our global transportation possibilities and will take us from city-to-city in seconds. Milestone Robocops Robotic telepresence A hyperloop system Decentralization A common denominator in these futuristic projects is the worldwide implementation of decentralized platforms, services and perhaps even entire nations. Blockchain is connected to decentralization because of the fact that transactions on the blockchain are verified and executed in a decentralized way, meaning no individual third party is involved in the transaction verification process. The blockchain technology will disrupt a lot of industries. Jobs will be available on a decentralized work platform through a smart contract, with payment in major digital currencies. In a few years the television will be overtaken by streaming service providers like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. YouTube will be outpaced by decentralized platforms like or . Dtube Steemit We won’t be driving cars anymore, because cars are driving us in an autonomous way. We enter our route in the system and the car takes us to our destination. Uber is out, the is in. decentralized Air Taxi Education will be offered through a decentralized entity. Two professors of renowned UK university Oxford, are creating the worlds’ first decentralized blockchain University, called . Woolf University is creating crypto-anchor chips, implemented with blockchain technology, to track the entire supply-chain process to verify its legitimacy and make sure no one tampered with the products. The chips are no bigger than a grain of salt and are cost efficient at 10 cents a piece. IBM Healthcare can also benefit greatly from blockchain applications and devices. Recently blockchain 4.0 project Seele has it will be revealing more details on its apparent groundbreaking solution to treat cerebrovascular diseases. announced It’s hard to envision a future without blockchain’s distributed ledger technology. Trust is one of the most time-consuming things for businesses to acquire, because previously it needed to be reached organically and thus it could take a long time for consumers to fully trust the businesses they are dealing with. By using blockchain technology, trust can be reached instantly through the open, transparent distributed ledger infrastructure. Comparing blockchain with the traditional financial system, there are more advantages to blockchain than there are on the traditional financial system, that’s why you see banks and other institutions slowly testing the blockchain infrastructure. The truth is that by using blockchain technology, institutions can save a lot of money as human interference is no longer necessary. Blockchain technology is less vulnerable to hacks and transactions can be executed really fast, especially when new technologies that solve the scalability issue, like the Lightning Network and Plasma will be fully functional. The time is come to adapt, or else you will stand a chance to be left behind. So, try to reserve some of your precious time to focus on reading up on new technologies or promising developments in innovations. is one of the projects that has caught my attention. How can Enigma help with enabling a decentralized society? Enigma Picture credits to @MackanSz How does Enigma fit into a fully functional, decentralized futuristic society? While starting the project back in 2015, has been building a decentralized supercomputer on the blockchain that enables for dApps to be deployed on the network, all while users are getting rewarded in native ENG tokens for interacting with the platform. Enigma aims to create real, usable and groundbreaking solutions that solve real-world problems. Enigma In 1996, even before Bitcoin was officially introduced by ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’, Nick Szabo wrote a research paper called: Smart Contracts: Building blocks for digital markets, in which he laid down the ground rules for an implementation of into the technological innovation of blockchain. Smart contracts as we know them today, are an important part of blockchain infrastructure platforms. Smart Contracts During his research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Guy Zyskind, founder and CEO of blockchain protocol project Enigma, discovered a way to improve upon existing smart contract technology by making them private. These ‘secret contracts’, as they are called, are powering the Enigma protocol. Without the ability to send sensitive data privately through a smart contract, the use of smart contracts will be compromised. Imagine sending sensitive personal information about someone’s health, personal data, finances or lending contracts, without a build in safety mechanism that prevents malicious actors to steal that data. Enigma is solving this privacy issue head-on by implementing privacy guaranteed smart contracts, called ‘secret contracts’. To make it easier on developers to build onto the Enigma platform, the team decided to keep it completely Ethereum compliant. The specific details of the ‘secret contracts’ will be announced in the release of DISCOVERY, that is projected to come out somewhere in the second half of 2018. After the DISCOVERY release other releases will follow that improve upon privacy, build and ultimately release its own native blockchain with the goal of being non-reliant on other solutions. After initially minting and releasing Ethereum based ERC-20 tokens, Enigma tokens will be swapped for ENG native tokens after their main net launch in 2020. My personal beliefs I truly believe we will succeed in creating a fully decentralized social society, somewhere in the future. Decentralization gives back the power to individuals, instead of making big companies even bigger, which allows them to have too much power and control over humanity. However, we do have some bumps in the road to decentralization that need to be addressed first in order for us to move forward. After solving the scalability and security issues, Enigma and the countless real-world solutions they can provide, will create a new ecosystem in which people take back control over their personal data, personal financial information and fundamental rights, without the interference of unreliable, untrusted, easy to be manipulated third party, centralized institutions. What do you think? Will we see a decentralized future? If you would like to know more about the Enigma project, you can check out their official channels: Website: https://enigma.co/ Telegram: https://t.me/EnigmaProject Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/EnigmaProject/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnigmaMPC Full disclosure : This article is not intended as investment advice. It is just my personal opinion about the future of decentralization and how the Enigma project can play a role in it. This article is written for the Enigma Community Writing Contest #WhyEnigma. The Enigma team might reward me for writing this article. I want to express that everything I write is based on my own opinion and interests and before investing you should always do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose. Subscribe to my channels , and if you like my articles and would like to be informed about Blockchain, cryptocurrency projects and news. You can also read my articles on .  If you have any questions about this article, please comment in the comment section below. Thank you!  LindaCrypto Steemit Medium Twitter LinkedIn

What to expect in a Decentralized Futuristic World?

I want people to and see there is more than just ICOs and classic blockchains. in different kind of ways. Let’s explore the most innovative things out there. open their eyes A lot of cool projects are pushing the boundaries of distributed ledger technology 1. Cosmos — Multi-asset Distributed Ledger Cosmos is a novel answer to “sidechains,” which aims to enable users to traverse a galaxy of blockchains with ease. Cosmos wants to offer multiple parallel blockchains to interoperate while retaining their security properties. Cosmos is focussed on interoperability between blockchains and a low-energy consuming version of a blockchain with great scaling flexibility. Source: https://medium.com/@ashhan8904/tendermint-and-cosmos-hub-506ebd232d31 Cosmos makes use of a hub that connects different zones. A hosts a multi-asset distributed ledger, where tokens can be held by both users or zones. The cool thing here is that it’s possible to move tokens from one zone to one another. This is again accomplished through IBC communication of a coin packet. Basically, the Hub is as well a routing mechanism. A is an independent blockchain that is capable of exchanging these IBC (inter blockchain communication) messages with the corresponding Hub. Hub Zone 2. Komodo — Atomic Swap Atomic swaps, or atomic cross-chain trading, is the exchange of one cryptocurrency to another cryptocurrency, without the need to trust a third-party. A relatively new piece of technology, atomic cross-chain trading is looking to revolutionize the way in which users transact with each other. For example, if Alice owned 5 Bitcoins but instead wanted 100 Litecoins, she would have to go through an exchange, i.e. a third-party. However, with atomic swaps, if Bob owned 100 Litecoins but instead wanted 5 Bitcoins, then Bob and Alice could make a trade. — Source: cryptocompare.com Komodo has already accomplished some successful atomic swaps between several currencies. Atomic swap technology is for the moment only possible between blockchains that implement the same hashing algorithm, although, the real challenge is to perform an atomic swap between different algorithms. 3. Waves-NG — Clever Selection Algorithm For Fastest DEX Waves-NG is simply a clever selection algorithm. Think about submitting a transaction to the Bitcoin network. Generally, it takes up to 10 minutes before a miner is elected to mine the next block including new transactions. In case of a large backlog, not all pending transactions fit into the ready-to-mine block. That means you have to wait for another 10 minutes and hope your transaction gets included in the next block. Waves-NG optimizes this process by selecting a miner in advance so that transactions can be added to the next block more or less instantly. Using Waves-NG, the only, minimal, delay a transaction may experience is the time it takes for the transaction to be broadcast across the network. Higher volumes are now possible with the Waves-NG consensus mechanism for the Waves DEX. This new consensus mechanism is capable of reaching a throughput of around , rather than bitcoin’s 5–7 TPS. Source: 6,000 transactions per minute or 100 transactions per second cryptopotato.com 4. iOlite offers a platform to create smart contracts using any language, programming or natural. iOlite They are satisfying the public demand for an easy solution to bridge gaps between the blockchain and other programmable environments. iOlite is developing an engine which can quickly translate any language into a smart contract. is using a Fast Adaptation Engine (FAE), derived from the Stanford NLP engine, which is focussed on machine training by a community of experts. Solidity experts can natural language structures and attach them to Solidity code. It’s a fully community-driven approach combined with the power of natural language processing and machine training making the engine smarter so it can understand more complex language for generating contracts. iOlite Let’s go through an easy example to show the strength of the engine: We tell it we are writing in English, and we want a Solidity smart contract as the output. If you wanted to sell your house, all you have to do is write: “I want to transfer my house to a new owner when this person offers an amount of $330,000 or more. Sign the document with my signature or private key and request a signature from the buyer. When the buyer signs the agreement, transfer the property rights and register this transfer. Done!” Requesting a smart contract is free, however, the contributors are rewarded with iOlite tokens (iLT) for each time a piece of code they wrote is used. Source: iolite.io 5. NuCypher — The TLS/SSL of the decentralized internet In a decentralized world, traditional encryption and access control won’t be enough. Today, internet security is architected around a trusted central server and multiple clients connecting to it. The server encrypts everything it sends to the clients with session keys and enforces access controls. But in a decentralized world, there is no central server you can trust! Privacy, and the storing, sharing, and manipulating of private data in public consensus networks like Ethereum has proven a significant challenge. They’ve architected and designed the NuCypher Network to solve this problem. Using proxy re-encryption, NuCypher provides decentralized key management, secrets management, and cryptographic access control. More information: nucypher.com 6. Hashgraph — Gossip about Gossip & Virtual Voting Hashgraph is a blockchain-alternative that achieves high scalability without sacrificing security. It has been proven to handle in a single network and is expected to do millions of tx/s with sharding. Hashgraph makes use of “Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT)”. A very secure version of BFT. hundreds of thousands of tx/s Hashgraph uses two unique techniques and to achieve a fast, secure, and fair consensus. ‘Gossip about Gossip’ ‘Virtual Voting’ ‘Gossip’ is a commonly used term in computer science, which can be defined as calling any random node and telling that node everything you know, that it doesn’t already know. For example, node A gossips event A to node B. Next, node B gossips event A from node A but also an additional event created by himself. So, we are actually broadcasting the gossip history as well, which is referred to as ‘gossip about gossip’. Source: steemit.com - @tommytwohats Once this gossiping processing has finished, every node knows what information each node has because of this gossip history which enables them to perform ‘virtual voting’ where nothing is broadcasted. This low bandwidth usage allows Hashgraph to reach very high transaction throughput. Read more / source: cointelligence.com 7. Enigma — Secret Contracts Blockchain technology has the power to disrupt the future of technology, but not at its current state. A blockchain exposes all data to anyone. Privacy is much needed if we want blockchain to be widely adopted. Guy Zyskind, CEO of Enigma, saw this problem as an opportunity. He wrote a groundbreaking titled . The Enigma project solves blockchain’s scalability and privacy issues from the protocol level by creating a second-layer, off-chain network using “secret contracts,” allowing data to be processed by nodes while being kept private. — Source: MIT thesis ‘Efficient secure computation enabled by blockchain technology’ cointelligence.com Source: enigma.co 8. DAG (Tangle) — IOTA, Nano, and Byteball A directed acyclic graph (DAG) or Tangle doesn’t use the principle of linking bulky blocks to each other. Instead, a tangle builds a graph of transactions which reference older transactions and therefore can confirm transactions immediately as they are received by a node, instead of having to wait for the next block. In theory, this enables parallel verification of transactions. DAG is a very promising technology which is useful for Distributed Ledger Technology, but as well an old one that is used in many use cases you can find on . — Source: Wikipedia cointelligence.com Source: bitcoin.stackexchange.com 9. Tendermint To simply put is a software which can be used to achieve Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) in any distributed computing platforms. BFT is not a new technology, however, Tendermint is focussed on blockchain related features. Tendermint Tendermint consists of two main components: an Application Blockchain Interface (ABCI) and a blockchain consensus engine, called Tendermint Core. Tendermint Core ensures all transactions are recorded in the exact same way on every node in the network. The ABCI enables developers to process transactions using their desired programming language and acts as a gateway to Tendermint Core. A socket protocol is used to enable the Tendermint Core to manage . multiple application’s states In short, Tendermint is responsible for: Maintaining the world state of your blockchain. Validating of transaction signatures. Preventing malicious transactions by implementing 2/3rd voting consensus for each transaction. Allowing clients to query against the world state. Blockchains like Bitcoin are not designed to make querying possible. Providing a simple to use API for developers to access Tendermint. Note: Projects like BigchainDB and Cosmos have implemented Tendermint.Source: blockgeeks.com 10. Off-Chain Scaling — Lightning Network, … Off-chain scaling is invented to reduce the stress on blockchains. Lightning Network came with a proposal for Bitcoin to implement a second layer for off-chain scaling. It uses payment channels that facilitate lots of transactions off-chain, thereafter uploading them all at once at a chosen or specified time. In this way, the amount of transactions is drastically reduced. However, it provides only vertical scaling, where we actually need more horizontal scaling. Still, this is an amazing accomplishment where security is not compromised. Extra information on off-chain scaling using payment channels can be found . here Zap Wallet for Lightning Network — Sorurce: https://zap.jackmallers.com/ Extra: Too much to talk about Many other great technologies are being developed to improve our blockchain space. I think we can all agree we need more scalable solutions which provide security as well. Here is a list of other interesting and cool stuff you should be aware of: Delegate Proof of Stake (Lisk uses this) BigchainDB: Decentralized asset storage (Big data database with added blockchain characteristics for obtaining higher scalability). Interledger protocol (Packages info to be sent from one ledger to another) Zero Knowledge Proofs (on-chain scaling and confidential transactions) Bulletproofs Free to use stock image. gratisography

Builders of the Decentralized Web: 10 Of The Most Innovative Technologies

ICO is becoming a mainstream with the dawn of blockchain and cryptocurrency networks. More and more people are investing in ICOs which in the result is increasing the competition. In this competition planning and studying the platforms to invest in is very important. Here are some of the best ICO to invest in for 2018. 1. Assetereum is an ERC20 Token backed by real assets to give it an intrinsic value. There are 5 types of assets: Real Estate, Crypto-mining, Crypto-trading, Commercial Energy brokering, online shopping platform and Investing with social enterprise start up. Assetereum We are now sponsoring The World Seniors Snooker Championship and it will be the first time a cryptocurrency is being awarded as prize money in a major sporting event. As a result, 2 of the major players are now ambassadors for Assetereum. Buy Tokens: https://www.assetereum.com/ 2. Treon Treon (TXO) is an Ethereum blockchain-based utility token and e-wallet for paying utility bills using a robust technology in a completely decentralised and secure fashion. The utilities sector has had intermittent customer-centric innovations over the years. Disruptive blockchain technology utilised by the TXO e-wallet offers vast opportunities for utility providers to drive cost-efficiency and increase profitability while giving consumers greater control over their usage and wider financial inclusion and convenience. With Treon, we will make your utility bill payments a convenient one-click experience — anytime, anywhere. Treon (TXO) is focused on providing an exciting value-added service that will simplify the utility management and payment process like never before: consumers will effect their payments instantly using a simple consolidated dashboard. Buy Tokens: https://www.treon.io/ 3. Omega One Omega one is a new token that is going to be launched in the final phases of the year 2017 or start of 2018. Omega one is going to be the latest and cheapest way of trading cryptocurrency and tokens. It is a platform, which is going to solve the problem of illiquidity and hacking. It will provide users with a decentralized execution platform that will trade across every cryptocurrency exchange.Omega one will be the new evolution in the ICO world because it would provide increased liquidity and upgraded trade intelligence. The fees on Omega One would be reinvested in the project to make it more reliable for users. Buy Tokens: https://omega.one/ 4. Trade.io Trade.io is the latest trading and brokerage industry revolution, which allow users to profit in the process of providing services. The concept of trade.io is to provide a decentralized platform in which brokerage services can occur smoothly. It is providing its services in classic trading markets, crypto coins, and virtual products. Users will be getting 50% of all the brokerage-generated profits. Buy Tokens: https://trade.io/ 5. Kyber Network Kyber network a project led by smart security and distributed consensus algorithms specialist is a decentralized exchange that provides crypto-assets conversion. It was one of the best ICO networks in 2017 with a rising of $48 Millions USD. It took the number 10 spot in ICO statistics list. Currently, it is going through a testnet phase and plans are in progress to launch it in Q1 2018 and by early 2019.Once the cyber network is released in the market with all of its functions, it is going to take the market by storm because cyber network is going to evolve the blockchain network by providing better security and other decentralization benefits. It would allow users to make proxy payments and cross-chain payment platform. Buy Tokens: https://kyber.network/ 6. NAU NAU takes advantage of the use of mobile phones and geolocation data.NAU works on a system of connecting retailers with their customers with coupons. They are going to be the future of advertisements. They are low in cost compared to traditional advertisement. NAU has the potential of changing the advertisement world completely by giving local business access to social referral through a user affiliate program.”This is the perfect implementation of the social/local/mobile approach to connecting businesses with their customers,” explains founder and CEO Yaroslav Shakula. Buy Tokens: https://tokensale.nau.io/ 7. Giftz Giftz is a platform, which gives users access to an ability to provide a way for any business to tokenize their goods and services. This is going to be a revolution in the business world. It is a good idea when we think of how good it would be if we could use our ICO tokens and use them to buy products from different parts of the world. Giftz works on this idea, which will take the world by storm. It would eliminate the worry of taking cash to stores to buy products or thinking of having nickels to save forgetting something. If you are using ICO platform and have tokens in your wallet, you can simply use Giftz to get your desired products. Buy Tokens: https://www.giftz.io/ 8. Enigma ICO Eigma ICO was released on 11th September 2017. It is a platform, which gives everyone an ability to build his or her own crypto hedge fund. It provides users to engage in the fast-paced transaction through the system while maintaining full custody of their assets. It provides the latest research tools for quantitative traders to build, test and master investment strategies. This is a new ICO platform, which is going to provide users with new tools. It is going to sky rocket in 2018 due to its limited amount of tokens released an increase in demand due to awareness in people once it is fully functional. Buy Tokens: https://enigma.co/ 9. UnikoinGold UnikoinGold has a token designed for legal and licensed betting on esports matches and tournaments. The UnikoinGold crowdsale preregistration ended on 15th August 2017. The presale will be held from 8th to 18th September 2017 and the official crowdsale dates are yet to be announced. The crowdsale will see 20% of the 1 Billion tokens up for sale. Unikoin has previously raised $10 million from investors including Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, Shari Redstone, Elisabeth Murdoch, and others.UnikoiGold has big money attached to it which is going to help in developing it to the utmost ultimate ICO in 2018. Buy Tokens: https://unikoingold.com/ 10. Nagaico Nagaico is going to change how we invest in our economic system. It is an ICO which is revolutionizing the cryptocurrencies and digital products. This ICO is going to make investment affordable to around 2 billion people. It would allow people to invest as much as they like to which means people from 3rd world countries are going to be able to buy shares in a company like Google by buying one tenth or one-hundredth of one Google share through CFD contract. Naga will handle all the clearance of trades, which would allow small investors to get access to the world’s most influential and largest financial markets. Buy Tokens: https://www.thenagacoin.com/ For More Info: https://www.assetereum.com/ Source: https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@fatos/top-10-ico-s-for-investment-in-2018

Top 10 ICO for Investment in 2018

The , although derived from axioms and ground-set rules, has a quite peculiar interplay that dances within itself. The quantum realm recently discovered has opened avenues not only for a new science branch but also for science itself. world of science As empires are built and crumble, we fail to see that not only the wideness of the wall secures them, but also the inside aspects such as economy and faith. And of course, there’s a lot more to take into account when going towards the central figures. But for the sake of science, we will assume that there is a specific pattern. A green line in which, if the central figures of a city are found, the city is growing. Just like the habitable zone that allows our planet to sustain life. Further, I would like to explain my view of faith as the 100% certainty that all odds are in favor. However, to transcend faith, we would require tangible proof which would let our reasoning take the steps from 100% possible to absolute truthfulness. A state in which, every time we stumble under the same starting conditions, we can fast-forward to the past result and instantly acknowledge it as true or false, or even in some cases, use the same reasoning or formulas for different starting conditions, but under the same conceptual background to skip some math. Maybe the world of quantum represents a world in which we are forced to either find the true statement or keep looking for it. Further, as I lack the studies of a university, I will use ChatGPT to help me formalize and bring those ideas to a whole new level of understanding. Therefore, please keep in mind that all that comes next (and what I write after all) is purely theoretical and no previous research or ground-based testing has been done. I strongly believe however that the new road of science is only in its infant state, despite the results we have so far achieved. And what I find so great about it, is that and rule. reason logic The most fundamental aspects of logic and reasoning which we have used with both algebra and geometry could be revived as insights into this domain. Now, however, they might be used only as starting arguments that allow for action/reaction/movement/dimensionality and many more to take shape in a new form. Remember that the magic of storytelling should not be in the words, but in the story itself and how we decide to visualize it. Part 1: Fuzzy Logic Try to envision mathematical concepts as a background set of rules. Arrangements in which this fuzzy logic makes sense. Quantum mechanics is the whole of this world. A world that has segments that are either ordered by those rules or not. When a rule is not followed, the truthfulness of information kind of transcends into the realm of possibilities where they fade until they will eventually reappear. Higher-dimensional aspects are those that show us insights into where the state of the probability is. More clouds suggest a higher chance of rain. The mathematical rule has not been achieved yet. It's at a point where it is in the process of being completed. The full background shows us that it is not raining yet, even if it’s close. Let us see how our little AI helper sums these up. (Of course, I will lend my understanding to each point with italicized text.) Mathematics provides a set of rules and structures that help us model and understand the world. These rules can range from simple arithmetic to complex algebraic equations and beyond. The consistency and universality of mathematical principles make them a powerful tool for describing various phenomena. Mathematical Concepts as Background Set Rules: Fuzzy logic deals with degrees of truth rather than absolute truth values. It's often employed in situations where information is imprecise or uncertain. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, is a branch of physics that deals with the behavior of particles at the quantum level. The probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics introduces an element of uncertainty, and the concept of superposition allows particles to exist in multiple states simultaneously. Fuzzy Logic and Quantum Mechanics: Here, we could say that those clouds are seen by 2 cities. In one city it’s raining, while in the other, it’s not. Even if the clouds are the central figure of the statement, the space marks the difference between where this is true and where it isn’t. Just like 2 particles can influence each other despite the distance, but when change is made, how can we know who made the change if it wasn’t us? In mathematics, higher-dimensional spaces extend beyond our familiar three-dimensional space. These spaces are often used to model complex systems or describe relationships involving more than three variables. The idea of higher dimensions is also explored in physics and string theory. Higher-Dimensional Spaces: Higher dimensions could simply be the newly opened avenues in which the probability fluctuates. Maybe dimensions are created and destroyed just like cells. Cells may depend on both internal and external variables when it comes to their destruction. Whereas dimensions are created and destroyed only by rules that result from a greater whole, the whole of summed parts. We could see them as being only externally dependent. Simply representing the “external” concept. Something beyond. Quantum mechanics introduces the concept of probability into the description of physical systems. The behavior of particles is often described by wave functions that provide probabilities for different outcomes. Observations collapse these probabilities into definite states. Probability and Quantum States: By observing, you see the “present” which was “present” 0.001, no, 2 seconds, no, 5 seconds ago. I believe there is no known way yet that allows us to see the real slope of growth as it is dependent on multiple factors. Focusing on just some of them will never allow us to see the full picture of the past, but we can use it to gather information for the potential full picture of the future. Just like a pirate using his spyglass to view a castle. He can never be sure that the castle is 100% the same as when he spies at the door since he cannot see the whole castle. The notion that certain mathematical concepts are not yet complete suggests ongoing exploration and discovery. In fields like pure mathematics, researchers are continuously working on extending existing theories, proving new theorems, and exploring the boundaries of mathematical knowledge. Incomplete Mathematical Concepts: In the end, we might get to a new science, a new understanding which we will call “true science” and for those that come next will be just… science. Part 2: A State of Chaos There is so much information. So many weights and counterweights to take into consideration. What has to remain and what has to be scratched off? Oh God… I feel like my head is going to explode—theoretically, of course. The point of no return, when the force of rejection will simply become stronger than the pull, is too far ahead. But then… we wouldn’t wish for a blackhole to appear either. How can we balance this play? What does it MEAN to be in balance yet, not be dead? We know (or theorize) that life could resemble the turning gears of change. Without change, everything is static. No good, no bad could happen further. But then, if life is always pulling up the rope of change, balance is surely broken. If we were to counterweight life, we would arrive at death. What else could happen here so that we will ever grow? Could life be its own domain? Could life be so inextricably different from death that it never touches it? Could life and death, and their impossibility to touch each other, be both enveloped into a both-enveloping sphere? So many questions, so few answers. “But how? And why?” - and this just makes it worse. Let’s turn our glare towards the prime numbers and something interesting ChatGPT explained to me. ”The distribution of prime numbers is a fascinating topic in number theory. Primes are often considered the "building blocks" of natural numbers, and their distribution on the number line has been a subject of extensive study. While primes themselves may seem somewhat irregular (as they have no divisors other than 1 and themselves), the overall pattern of their distribution exhibits some regularities. There are well-known results and conjectures related to the distribution of primes, such as the Prime Number Theorem, which describes the asymptotic distribution of primes among the natural numbers.” - ChatGPT. Part 3: When will this stop? “The overall pattern… exhibits some regularities.” Down below, I would like to place some patterns I randomly found a while ago when playing with primes. Now if you are to ask me what is going on in those pictures, I will ask you in return for better equipment. I will check the patterns and think that I see something. After days, weeks, or months, I would simply take a break from all the patterning and turn back to rational thinking in the hope that this time, the patterns that come into my mind support my claims. And this is how I deal with primes in a nutshell. No fuzzy logic. No fuzzy math (only to the point where logic and reason seem to hold tight to the primes). Only admiring and thinking about what could this great picture of art mean. Could we have discovered order itself? If yes, then how would we explain it? How can we understand its meaning? How can we communicate with/using it? Sadly, my job is not a full-time researcher. No matter how much I involve myself in the field there will always be someone ahead of me. Someone who will say: The Riemann zeta function is a mathematical function that plays a crucial role in number theory and complex analysis. It is named after the German mathematician Bernhard Riemann, who first defined and studied it. The Riemann zeta function is defined for complex numbers �(kind of S and C combined symbol)s with real part greater than 1 by the infinite series: �(�)=1�+2−�+3−�+4−�+…ζ(s)=1s+2−s+3−s+4−s+… This series converges when the real part of �s is greater than 1. The series can be analytically continued to other values of �s (except for �=1s=1, where it has a simple pole), providing a way to define the zeta function in a larger domain. One of the most famous properties of the Riemann zeta function is its connection to the distribution of prime numbers. In particular, the zeta function is closely related to the Prime Number Theorem, which describes the asymptotic distribution of prime numbers. - ChatGPT You are telling me that you found a function that correctly jumps at each prime number occurrence, yet, you have no idea why it does that. Now you try looking into those domains and dimensions that you had no idea even existed. Exploring a land of the unknown where all your beliefs shatter, only to force you to connect them once again if you want it to make sense. And that is… MARVELOUS. We, as humankind, are insignificant. Yet, here we are. Closer and closer to the power of understanding dimensionality. This pursuit of knowledge seems like it must be our happiest years. When in the meantime, some place their ideas into new smart ways for crypto. Others pray that today will be our happy day. Others are simply lost due to psychological or physical warfare. If knowledge is what we say defines us, it sure seems we never met our parents. I hope you all stay safe and healthy. It is a very foggy world out there. And our lanterns seem to shine only ourselves. Take care of your loved ones, of yourself, and of course, of your knowledge. “If she is cherished, one is exalted; if she is embraced, one is honored. But if you refuse to listen to her when she calls, when you pay no attention when she stretches out her hand, so too, will she ignore you when you most need her, in times of distress and trouble. How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” - Eternalised Lead image by Manuel on Unsplash

Quantum Realms, Fuzzy Logic, and the Enigma of Prime Patterns

Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . A SECOND ENIGMA here CHAPTER XVII. A SECOND ENIGMA Upon re-embarking, the bewildered explorers began to discuss the question whether it would not now be desirable to make their way back to Gourbi Island, which was apparently the only spot in their new world from which they could hope to derive their future sustenance. Captain Servadac tried to console himself with the reflection that Gourbi Island was, after all, a fragment of a French colony, and as such almost like a bit of his dear France; and the plan of returning thither was on the point of being adopted, when Lieutenant Procope remarked that they ought to remember that they had not hitherto made an entire circuit of the new shores of the sea on which they were sailing. “We have,” he said, “neither investigated the northern shore from the site of Cape Antibes to the strait that brought us to Gibraltar, nor have we followed the southern shore that stretches from the strait to the Gulf of Cabes. It is the old coast, and not the new, that we have been tracing; as yet, we cannot say positively that there is no outlet to the south; as yet, we cannot assert that no oasis of the African desert has escaped the catastrophe. Perhaps, even here in the north, we may find that Italy and Sicily and the larger islands of the Mediterranean may still maintain their existence.” “I entirely concur with you,” said Count Timascheff. “I quite think we ought to make our survey of the confines of this new basin as complete as possible before we withdraw.” Servadac, although he acknowledged the justness of these observations, could not help pleading that the explorations might be deferred until after a visit had been paid to Gourbi Island. “Depend upon it, captain, you are mistaken,” replied the lieutenant; “the right thing to do is to use the while she is available.” Dobryna “Available! What do you mean?” asked the count, somewhat taken by surprise. “I mean,” said Procope, “that the farther this Gallia of ours recedes from the sun, the lower the temperature will fall. It is likely enough, I think, that before long the sea will be frozen over, and navigation will be impossible. Already you have learned something of the difficulties of traversing a field of ice, and I am sure, therefore, you will acquiesce in my wish to continue our explorations while the water is still open.” “No doubt you are right, lieutenant,” said the count. “We will continue our search while we can for some remaining fragment of Europe. Who shall tell whether we may not meet with some more survivors from the catastrophe, to whom it might be in our power to afford assistance, before we go into our winter quarters?” Generous and altogether unselfish as this sentiment really was, it was obviously to the general interest that they should become acquainted, and if possible establish friendly relations, with any human inhabitant who might be sharing their own strange destiny in being rolled away upon a new planet into the infinitude of space. All difference of race, all distinction of nationality, must be merged into the one thought that, few as they were, they were the sole surviving representatives of a world which it seemed exceedingly improbable that they would ever see again; and common sense dictated that they were bound to direct all their energies to insure that their asteroid should at least have a united and sympathizing population. It was on the 25th of February that the yacht left the little creek in which she had taken refuge, and setting off at full steam eastwards, she continued her way along the northern shore. A brisk breeze tended to increase the keenness of the temperature, the thermometer being, on an average, about two degrees below zero. Salt water freezes only at a lower temperature than fresh; the course of the was therefore unimpeded by ice, but it could not be concealed that there was the greatest necessity to maintain the utmost possible speed. Dobryna The nights continued lovely; the chilled condition of the atmosphere prevented the formation of clouds; the constellations gleamed forth with unsullied luster; and, much as Lieutenant Procope, from nautical considerations, might regret the absence of the moon, he could not do otherwise than own that the magnificent nights of Gallia were such as must awaken the enthusiasm of an astronomer. And, as if to compensate for the loss of the moonlight, the heavens were illuminated by a superb shower of falling stars, far exceeding, both in number and in brilliancy, the phenomena which are commonly distinguished as the August and November meteors; in fact, Gallia was passing through that meteoric ring which is known to lie exterior to the earth’s orbit, but almost concentric with it. The rocky coast, its metallic surface reflecting the glow of the dazzling luminaries, appeared literally stippled with light, whilst the sea, as though spattered with burning hailstones, shone with a phosphorescence that was perfectly splendid. So great, however, was the speed at which Gallia was receding from the sun, that this meteoric storm lasted scarcely more than four and twenty hours. Next day the direct progress of the was arrested by a long projection of land, which obliged her to turn southwards, until she reached what formerly would have been the southern extremity of Corsica. Of this, however, there was now no trace; the Strait of Bonifacio had been replaced by a vast expanse of water, which had at first all the appearance of being utterly desert; but on the following morning the explorers unexpectedly sighted a little island, which, unless it should prove, as was only too likely, to be of recent origin they concluded, from its situation, must be a portion of the northernmost territory of Sardinia. Dobryna The approached the land as nearly as was prudent, the boat was lowered, and in a few minutes the count and Servadac had landed upon the islet, which was a mere plot of meadow land, not much more than two acres in extent, dotted here and there with a few myrtle-bushes and lentisks, interspersed with some ancient olives. Having ascertained, as they imagined, that the spot was devoid of living creature, they were on the point of returning to their boat, when their attention was arrested by a faint bleating, and immediately afterwards a solitary she-goat came bounding towards the shore. The creature had dark, almost black hair, and small curved horns, and was a specimen of that domestic breed which, with considerable justice, has gained for itself the title of “the poor man’s cow.” So far from being alarmed at the presence of strangers, the goat ran nimbly towards them, and then, by its movements and plaintive cries, seemed to be enticing them to follow it. Dobryna “Come,” said Servadac; “let us see where it will lead us; it is more than probable it is not alone.” The count agreed; and the animal, as if comprehending what was said, trotted on gently for about a hundred paces, and stopped in front of a kind of cave or burrow that was half concealed by a grove of lentisks. Here a little girl, seven or eight years of age, with rich brown hair and lustrous dark eyes, beautiful as one of Murillo’s angels, was peeping shyly through the branches. Apparently discovering nothing in the aspect of the strangers to excite her apprehensions, the child suddenly gained confidence, darted forwards with outstretched hands, and in a voice, soft and melodious as the language which she spoke, said in Italian: “I like you; you will not hurt me, will you?” “Hurt you, my child?” answered Servadac. “No, indeed; we will be your friends; we will take care of you.” And after a few moments’ scrutiny of the pretty maiden, he added: “Tell us your name, little one.” “Nina!” was the child’s reply. “Well, then, Nina, can you tell us where we are?” “At Madalena, I think,” said the little girl; “at least, I know I was there when that dreadful shock came and altered everything.” The count knew that Madalena was close to Caprera, to the north of Sardinia, which had entirely disappeared in the disaster. By dint of a series of questions, he gained from the child a very intelligent account of her experiences. She told him that she had no parents, and had been employed in taking care of a flock of goats belonging to one of the landowners, when one day, all of a sudden, everything around her, except this little piece of land, had been swallowed up, and that she and Marzy, her pet goat, had been left quite alone. She went on to say that at first she had been very frightened; but when she found that the earth did not shake any more, she had thanked the great God, and had soon made herself very happy living with Marzy. She had enough food, she said, and had been waiting for a boat to fetch her, and now a boat had come and she was quite ready to go away; only they must let her goat go with her: they would both like so much to get back to the old farm. “Here, at least, is one nice little inhabitant of Gallia,” said Captain Servadac, as he caressed the child and conducted her to the boat. Half an hour later, both Nina and Marzy were safely quartered on board the yacht. It is needless to say that they received the heartiest of welcomes. The Russian sailors, ever superstitious, seemed almost to regard the coming of the child as the appearance of an angel; and, incredible as it may seem, more than one of them wondered whether she had wings, and amongst themselves they commonly referred to her as “the little Madonna.” Soon out of sight of Madalena, the for some hours held a southeasterly course along the shore, which here was fifty leagues in advance of the former coast-line of Italy, demonstrating that a new continent must have been formed, substituted as it were for the old peninsula, of which not a vestige could be identified. At a latitude corresponding with the latitude of Rome, the sea took the form of a deep gulf, extending back far beyond the site of the Eternal City; the coast making a wide sweep round to the former position of Calabria, and jutting far beyond the outline of “the boot,” which Italy resembles. But the beacon of Messina was not to be discerned; no trace, indeed, survived of any portion of Sicily; the very peak of Etna, 11,000 feet as it had reared itself above the level of the sea, had vanished utterly. Dobryna Another sixty leagues to the south, and the sighted the entrance of the strait which had afforded her so providential a refuge from the tempest, and had conducted her to the fragmentary relic of Gibraltar. Hence to the Gulf of Cabes had been already explored, and as it was universally allowed that it was unnecessary to renew the search in that direction, the lieutenant started off in a transverse course, towards a point hitherto uninvestigated. That point was reached on the 3rd of March, and thence the coast was continuously followed, as it led through what had been Tunis, across the province of Constantine, away to the oasis of Ziban; where, taking a sharp turn, it first reached a latitude of 32 degrees, and then returned again, thus forming a sort of irregular gulf, enclosed by the same unvarying border of mineral concrete. This colossal boundary then stretched away for nearly 150 leagues over the Sahara desert, and, extending to the south of Gourbi Island, occupied what, if Morocco had still existed, would have been its natural frontier. Dobryna Adapting her course to these deviations of the coastline, the was steering northwards, and had barely reached the limit of the bay, when the attention of all on board was arrested by the phenomenon of a volcano, at least 3,000 feet high, its crater crowned with smoke, which occasionally was streaked by tongues of flame. Dobryna “A burning mountain!” they exclaimed. “Gallia, then, has some internal heat,” said Servadac. “And why not, captain?” rejoined the lieutenant. “If our asteroid has carried with it a portion of the old earth’s atmosphere, why should it not likewise retain something of its central fire?” “Ah, well!” said the captain, shrugging his shoulders, “I dare say there is caloric enough in our little world to supply the wants of its population.” Count Timascheff interrupted the silence that followed this conversation by saying, “And now, gentlemen, as our course has brought us on our way once more towards Gibraltar, what do you say to our renewing our acquaintance with the Englishmen? They will be interested in the result of our voyage.” “For my part,” said Servadac, “I have no desire that way. They know where to find Gourbi Island; they can betake themselves thither just when they please. They have plenty of provisions. If the water freezes, 120 leagues is no very great distance. The reception they gave us was not so cordial that we need put ourselves out of the way to repeat our visit.” “What you say is too true,” replied the count. “I hope we shall show them better manners when they condescend to visit us.” “Ay,” said Servadac, “we must remember that we are all one people now; no longer Russian, French, or English. Nationality is extinct.” “I am sadly afraid, however,” continued the count, “that an Englishman will be an Englishman ever.” “Yes,” said the captain, “that is always their failing.” And thus all further thought of making their way again to the little garrison of Gibraltar was abandoned. But even if their spirit of courtesy had disposed them to renew their acquaintance with the British officers, there were two circumstances that just then would have rendered such a proposal very unadvisable. In the first place, Lieutenant Procope was convinced that it could not be much longer now before the sea would be entirely frozen; and, besides this, the consumption of their coal, through the speed they had maintained, had been so great that there was only too much reason to fear that fuel would fail them. Anyhow, the strictest economy was necessary, and it was accordingly resolved that the voyage should not be much prolonged. Beyond the volcanic peak, moreover, the waters seemed to expand into a boundless ocean, and it might be a thing full of risk to be frozen up while the yacht was so inadequately provisioned. Taking all these things into account, it was agreed that further investigations should be deferred to a more favorable season, and that, without delay, the should return to Gourbi Island. Dobryna This decision was especially welcome to Hector Servadac, who, throughout the whole of the last five weeks, had been agitated by much anxious thought on account of the faithful servant he had left behind. The transit from the volcano to the island was not long, and was marked by only one noticeable incident. This was the finding of a second mysterious document, in character precisely similar to what they had found before. The writer of it was evidently engaged upon a calculation, probably continued from day to day, as to the motions of the planet Gallia upon its orbit, and committing the results of his reckonings to the waves as the channel of communication. Instead of being enclosed in a telescope-case, it was this time secured in a preserved-meat tin, hermetically sealed, and stamped with the same initials on the wax that fastened it. The greatest care was used in opening it, and it was found to contain the following message: “Gallia Ab sole, au 1 mars, dist. 78,000,000 l.! Chemin parcouru de fev. a mars: 59,000,000 1.! Va bene! All right! Nil desperandum! “Enchante!” “Another enigma!” exclaimed Servadac; “and still no intelligible signature, and no address. No clearing up of the mystery!” “I have no doubt, in my own mind,” said the count, “that it is one of a series. It seems to me probable that they are being sent broadcast upon the sea.” “I wonder where the hare-brained that writes them can be living?” observed Servadac. savant “Very likely he may have met with the fate of AEsop’s abstracted astronomer, who found himself at the bottom of a well.” “Ay; but where that well?” demanded the captain. is This was a question which the count was incapable of settling; and they could only speculate afresh as to whether the author of the riddles was dwelling upon some solitary island, or, like themselves, was navigating the waters of the new Mediterranean. But they could detect nothing to guide them to a definite decision. After thoughtfully regarding the document for some time. Lieutenant Procope proceeded to observe that he believed the paper might be considered as genuine, and accordingly, taking its statements as reliable, he deduced two important conclusions: first, that whereas, in the month of January, the distance traveled by the planet (hypothetically called Gallia) had been recorded as 82,000,000 leagues, the distance traveled in February was only 59,000,000 leagues—a difference of 23,000,000 leagues in one month; secondly, that the distance of the planet from the sun, which on the 15th of February had been 59,000,000 leagues, was on the 1st of March 78,000,000 leagues—an increase of 19,000,000 leagues in a fortnight. Thus, in proportion as Gallia receded from the sun, so did the rate of speed diminish by which she traveled along her orbit; facts to be observed in perfect conformity with the known laws of celestial mechanism. “And your inference?” asked the count. “My inference,” replied the lieutenant, “is a confirmation of my surmise that we are following an orbit decidedly elliptical, although we have not yet the material to determine its eccentricity.” “As the writer adheres to the appellation of Gallia, do you not think,” asked the count, “that we might call these new waters the Gallian Sea?” “There can be no reason to the contrary, count,” replied the lieutenant; “and as such I will insert it upon my new chart.” “Our friend,” said Servadac, “seems to be more and more gratified with the condition of things; not only has he adopted our motto, ‘ ’ but see how enthusiastically he has wound up with his ‘ ’” Nil desperandum! Enchante! The conversation dropped. A few hours later the man on watch announced that Gourbi Island was in sight. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

A SECOND ENIGMA

Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . AN ENIGMA FROM THE SEA here CHAPTER XV. AN ENIGMA FROM THE SEA Lieutenant Procope had been left on board in charge of the , and on resuming the voyage it was a task of some difficulty to make him understand the fact that had just come to light. Some hours were spent in discussion and in attempting to penetrate the mysteries of the situation. Dobryna There were certain things of which they were perfectly certain. They could be under no misapprehension as to the distance they had positively sailed from Gourbi Island towards the east before their further progress was arrested by the unknown shore; as nearly as possible that was fifteen degrees; the length of the narrow strait by which they had made their way across that land to regain the open sea was about three miles and a half; thence onward to the island, which they had been assured, on evidence that they could not disbelieve, to be upon the site of Gibraltar, was four degrees; while from Gibraltar to Gourbi Island was seven degrees or but little more. What was it altogether? Was it not less than thirty degrees? In that latitude, the degree of longitude represents eight and forty miles. What, then, did it all amount to? Indubitably, to less than 1,400 miles. So brief a voyage would bring the once again to her starting-point, or, in other words, would enable her to complete the circumnavigation of the globe. How changed the condition of things! Previously, to sail from Malta to Gibraltar by an eastward course would have involved the passage of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the Atlantic; but what had happened now? Why, Gibraltar had been reached as if it had been just at Corfu, and some three hundred and thirty degrees of the earth’s circuit had vanished utterly. Dobryna After allowing for a certain margin of miscalculation, the main fact remained undeniable; and the necessary inference that Lieutenant Procope drew from the round of the earth being completed in 1,400 miles, was that the earth’s diameter had been reduced by about fifteen sixteenths of its length. “If that be so,” observed the count, “it accounts for some of the strange phenomena we witness. If our world has become so insignificant a spheroid, not only has its gravity diminished, but its rotary speed has been accelerated; and this affords an adequate explanation of our days and nights being thus curtailed. But how about the new orbit in which we are moving?” He paused and pondered, and then looked at Procope as though awaiting from him some further elucidation of the difficulty. The lieutenant hesitated. When, in a few moments, he began to speak, Servadac smiled intelligently, anticipating the answer he was about to hear. “My conjecture is,” said Procope, “that a fragment of considerable magnitude has been detached from the earth; that it has carried with it an envelope of the earth’s atmosphere, and that it is now traveling through the solar system in an orbit that does not correspond at all with the proper orbit of the earth.” The hypothesis was plausible; but what a multitude of bewildering speculations it entailed! If, in truth, a certain mass had been broken off from the terrestrial sphere, whither would it wend its way? What would be the measure of the eccentricity of its path? What would be its period round the sun? Might it not, like a comet, be carried away into the vast infinity of space? or, on the other hand, might it not be attracted to the great central source of light and heat, and be absorbed in it? Did its orbit correspond with the orbit of the ecliptic? and was there no chance of its ever uniting again with the globe, from which it had been torn off by so sudden and violent a disruption? A thoughtful silence fell upon them all, which Servadac was the first to break. “Lieutenant,” he said, “your explanation is ingenious, and accounts for many appearances; but it seems to me that in one point it fails.” “How so?” replied Procope. “To my mind the theory meets all objections.” “I think not,” Servadac answered. “In one point, at least, it appears to me to break down completely.” “What is that?” asked the lieutenant. “Stop a moment,” said the captain. “Let us see that we understand each other right. Unless I mistake you, your hypothesis is that a fragment of the earth, comprising the Mediterranean and its shores from Gibraltar to Malta, has been developed into a new asteroid, which is started on an independent orbit in the solar regions. Is not that your meaning?” “Precisely so,” the lieutenant acquiesced. “Well, then,” continued Servadac, “it seems to me to be at fault in this respect: it fails, and fails completely, to account for the geological character of the land that we have found now encompassing this sea. Why, if the new land is a fragment of the old—why does it not retain its old formation? What has become of the granite and the calcareous deposits? How is it that these should all be changed into a mineral concrete with which we have no acquaintance?” No doubt, it was a serious objection; for, however likely it might be that a mass of the earth on being detached would be eccentric in its movements, there was no probable reason to be alleged why the material of its substance should undergo so complete a change. There was nothing to account for the fertile shores, rich in vegetation, being transformed into rocks arid and barren beyond precedent. The lieutenant felt the difficulty, and owned himself unprepared to give at once an adequate solution; nevertheless, he declined to renounce his theory. He asserted that the arguments in favor of it carried conviction to his mind, and that he entertained no doubt but that, in the course of time, all apparently antagonistic circumstances would be explained so as to become consistent with the view he took. He was careful, however, to make it understood that with respect to the original cause of the disruption he had no theory to offer; and although he knew what expansion might be the result of subterranean forces, he did not venture to say that he considered it sufficient to produce so tremendous an effect. The origin of the catastrophe was a problem still to be solved. “Ah! well,” said Servadac, “I don’t know that it matters much where our new little planet comes from, or what it is made of, if only it carries France along with it.” “And Russia,” added the count. “And Russia, of course,” said Servadac, with a polite bow. There was, however, not much room for this sanguine expectation, for if a new asteroid had thus been brought into existence, it must be a sphere of extremely limited dimensions, and there could be little chance that it embraced more than the merest fraction of either France or Russia. As to England, the total cessation of all telegraphic communication between her shores and Gibraltar was a virtual proof that England was beyond its compass. And what was the true measurement of the new little world? At Gourbi Island the days and nights were of equal length, and this seemed to indicate that it was situated on the equator; hence the distance by which the two poles stood apart would be half what had been reckoned would be the distance completed by the in her circuit. That distance had been already estimated to be something under 1,400 miles, so that the Arctic Pole of their recently fashioned world must be about 350 miles to the north, and the Antarctic about 350 miles to the south of the island. Compare these calculations with the map, and it is at once apparent that the northernmost limit barely touched the coast of Provence, while the southernmost reached to about lat. 20 degrees N., and fell in the heart of the desert. The practical test of these conclusions would be made by future investigation, but meanwhile the fact appeared very much to strengthen the presumption that, if Lieutenant Procope had not arrived at the whole truth, he had made a considerable advance towards it. Dobryna The weather, ever since the storm that had driven the into the creek, had been magnificent. The wind continued favorable, and now under both steam and canvas, she made a rapid progress towards the north, a direction in which she was free to go in consequence of the total disappearance of the Spanish coast, from Gibraltar right away to Alicante. Malaga, Almeria, Cape Gata, Carthagena. Cape Palos—all were gone. The sea was rolling over the southern extent of the peninsula, so that the yacht advanced to the latitude of Seville before it sighted any land at all, and then, not shores such as the shores of Andalusia, but a bluff and precipitous cliff, in its geological features resembling exactly the stern and barren rock that she had coasted beyond the site of Malta. Here the sea made a decided indentation on the coast; it ran up in an acute-angled triangle till its apex coincided with the very spot upon which Madrid had stood. But as hitherto the sea had encroached upon the land, the land in its turn now encroached upon the sea; for a frowning headland stood out far into the basin of the Mediterranean, and formed a promontory stretching out beyond the proper places of the Balearic Isles. Curiosity was all alive. There was the intensest interest awakened to determine whether no vestige could be traced of Majorca, Minorca, or any of the group, and it was during a deviation from the direct course for the purpose of a more thorough scrutiny, that one of the sailors raised a thrill of general excitement by shouting, “A bottle in the sea!” Dobryna Here, then, at length was a communication from the outer world. Surely now they would find a document which would throw some light upon all the mysteries that had happened? Had not the day now dawned that should set their speculations all at rest? It was the morning of the 21st of February. The count, the captain, the lieutenant, everybody hurried to the forecastle; the schooner was dexterously put about, and all was eager impatience until the supposed bottle was hauled on deck. It was not, however, a bottle; it proved to be a round leather telescope-case, about a foot long, and the first thing to do before investigating its contents was to make a careful examination of its exterior. The lid was fastened on by wax, and so securely that it would take a long immersion before any water could penetrate; there was no maker’s name to be deciphered; but impressed very plainly with a seal on the wax were the two initials “P. R.” When the scrutiny of the outside was finished, the wax was removed and the cover opened, and the lieutenant drew out a slip of ruled paper, evidently torn from a common note-book. The paper had an inscription written in four lines, which were remarkable for the profusion of notes of admiration and interrogation with which they were interspersed: “Gallia???
     Ab sole, au 15 fev. 59,000,000 l.!
     Chemin parcouru de janv. a fev. 82,000,000 l.!!
     Va bene! All right!! Parfait!!!” There was a general sigh of disappointment. They turned the paper over and over, and handed it from one to another. “What does it all mean?” exclaimed the count. “Something mysterious here!” said Servadac. “But yet,” he continued, after a pause, “one thing is tolerably certain: on the 15th, six days ago, someone was alive to write it.” “Yes; I presume there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the date,” assented the count. To this strange conglomeration of French, English, Italian, and Latin, there was no signature attached; nor was there anything to give a clue as to the locality in which it had been committed to the waves. A telescope-case would probably be the property of some one on board a ship; and the figures obviously referred to the astronomical wonders that had been experienced. To these general observations Captain Servadac objected that he thought it unlikely that any one on board a ship would use a telescope-case for this purpose, but would be sure to use a bottle as being more secure; and, accordingly, he should rather be inclined to believe that the message had been set afloat by some left alone, perchance, upon some isolated coast. savant “But, however interesting it might be,” observed the count, “to know the author of the lines, to us it is of far greater moment to ascertain their meaning.” And taking up the paper again, he said, “Perhaps we might analyze it word by word, and from its detached parts gather some clue to its sense as a whole.” “What can be the meaning of all that cluster of interrogations after Gallia?” asked Servadac. Lieutenant Procope, who had hitherto not spoken, now broke his silence by saying, “I beg, gentlemen, to submit my opinion that this document goes very far to confirm my hypothesis that a fragment of the earth has been precipitated into space.” Captain Servadac hesitated, and then replied, “Even if it does, I do not see how it accounts in the least for the geological character of the new asteroid.” “But will you allow me for one minute to take my supposition for granted?” said Procope. “If a new little planet has been formed, as I imagine, by disintegration from the old, I should conjecture that Gallia is the name assigned to it by the writer of this paper. The very notes of interrogation are significant that he was in doubt what he should write.” “You would presume that he was a Frenchman?” asked the count. “I should think so,” replied the lieutenant. “Not much doubt about that,” said Servadac; “it is all in French, except a few scattered words of English, Latin, and Italian, inserted to attract attention. He could not tell into whose hands the message would fall first.” “Well, then,” said Count Timascheff, “we seem to have found a name for the new world we occupy.” “But what I was going especially to observe,” continued the lieutenant, “is that the distance, 59,000,000 leagues, represents precisely the distance we ourselves were from the sun on the 15th. It was on that day we crossed the orbit of Mars.” “Yes, true,” assented the others. “And the next line,” said the lieutenant, after reading it aloud, “apparently registers the distance traversed by Gallia, the new little planet, in her own orbit. Her speed, of course, we know by Kepler’s laws, would vary according to her distance from the sun, and if she were—as I conjecture from the temperature at that date—on the 15th of January at her perihelion, she would be traveling twice as fast as the earth, which moves at the rate of between 50,000 and 60,000 miles an hour.” “You think, then,” said Servadac, with a smile, “you have determined the perihelion of our orbit; but how about the aphelion? Can you form a judgment as to what distance we are likely to be carried?” “You are asking too much,” remonstrated the count. “I confess,” said the lieutenant, “that just at present I am not able to clear away the uncertainty of the future; but I feel confident that by careful observation at various points we shall arrive at conclusions which not only will determine our path, but perhaps may clear up the mystery about our geological structure.” “Allow me to ask,” said Count Timascheff, “whether such a new asteroid would not be subject to ordinary mechanical laws, and whether, once started, it would not have an orbit that must be immutable?” “Decidedly it would, so long as it was undisturbed by the attraction of some considerable body; but we must recollect that, compared to the great planets, Gallia must be almost infinitesimally small, and so might be attracted by a force that is irresistible.” “Altogether, then,” said Servadac, “we seem to have settled it to our entire satisfaction that we must be the population of a young little world called Gallia. Perhaps some day we may have the honor of being registered among the minor planets.” “No chance of that,” quickly rejoined Lieutenant Procope. “Those minor planets all are known to rotate in a narrow zone between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; in their perihelia they cannot approximate the sun as we have done; we shall not be classed with them.” “Our lack of instruments,” said the count, “is much to be deplored; it baffles our investigations in every way.” “Ah, never mind! Keep up your courage, count!” said Servadac, cheerily. And Lieutenant Procope renewed his assurances that he entertained good hopes that every perplexity would soon be solved. “I suppose,” remarked the count, “that we cannot attribute much importance to the last line: Parfait!!!’” ‘Va bene! All right!! The captain answered, “At least, it shows that whoever wrote it had no murmuring or complaint to make, but was quite content with the new order of things.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

AN ENIGMA FROM THE SEA

In the world of cryptocurrencies, one name stands out as an enigmatic figure who sparked a revolution that reshaped the financial landscape - Satoshi Nakamoto. The creator of Bitcoin, the world's first decentralized digital currency, remains shrouded in mystery, leaving the world to wonder who this elusive individual truly is. While some have tried to unveil the identity of Satoshi, the truth behind this captivating persona remains obscured. The Genesis of Bitcoin It was on October 31, 2008, when a titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" emerged under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. The paper outlined a groundbreaking concept for a decentralized digital currency that would allow peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries like banks. On January 3, 2009, the Bitcoin network was officially launched, marking the beginning of a new era in finance. white paper The Bitcoin white paper introduced several key principles that underpin the cryptocurrency. These include the use of a blockchain, a public ledger that records all transactions, ensuring transparency and security. Bitcoin's supply is capped at 21 million coins, preventing inflation and providing scarcity similar to precious metals like gold. The process of creating new bitcoins, known as mining, involves solving complex mathematical problems, adding further security and decentralization to the network. According to the white paper, Satoshi's primary motivation behind creating Bitcoin was to address the flaws in the traditional financial system. The 2008 global financial crisis exposed the vulnerability of centralized institutions and the need for an alternative, more secure financial infrastructure. Satoshi envisioned a system that could bypass intermediaries, allowing individuals to have full control over their funds and conduct transactions with anyone across the globe. Unraveling the Enigma Numerous theories and speculations about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto have circulated over the years. Some have theorized that Satoshi is an individual, while others believe it could be a group of people. Despite various claims and attempts to unmask the creator, no concrete evidence has ever emerged. Several attempts have been made to analyze the writing style and linguistic patterns of Satoshi Nakamoto to identify potential candidates. Among the most prominent contenders is , a well-known cryptographic activist, who received the first-ever Bitcoin transaction from Nakamoto in January 2009. Although Finney denied being Satoshi and passed away in 2014, some believe he might have been involved in the early development of Bitcoin. Hal Finney Another notable candidate is Nick Szabo, a cryptographer, and legal scholar, who had proposed a concept similar to Bitcoin called "Bit Gold" before the release of the Bitcoin white paper. Szabo's work and ideas bear striking similarities to those presented by Satoshi Nakamoto. However, Szabo has consistently denied being the elusive creator, adding to the intrigue surrounding the true identity of Satoshi. In the quest to unmask Satoshi Nakamoto, some researchers have gone beyond analyzing the writing style and linguistic patterns and delved into date stamps to potentially pinpoint his geographical location. By analyzing the timestamps of Satoshi's online posts and communications, experts have attempted to discern his time zone and establish possible regions where he might have been based. One intriguing finding points to the United Kingdom (UK) as a strong candidate for Satoshi's location. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that many of Satoshi's posts and communications were made during UK daylight hours, suggesting a possible UK connection. Another clue that has been explored to identify Satoshi's location is the information embedded in the genesis block of the Bitcoin blockchain, which is the first-ever block mined and acts as the foundation of the entire cryptocurrency. The text included in the genesis block is as follows: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks" This message, taken from a headline of a UK newspaper The Times on January 3, 2009, has been seen as a possible nod to the UK and indicates that Satoshi might have had a connection to the country. However, it's important to note that this text could also be a deliberate misdirection, as Satoshi's identity and intentions have been characterized by an aura of mystery and secrecy. Reliable Bitcoin On-Ramps and Blockforia's Role As the popularity of Bitcoin soared, the need for reliable on-ramps into the cryptocurrency ecosystem became crucial. One such reliable on-ramp is , operated by Blockforia EOOD in Sofia, Bulgaria. Established in 2022, Blockforia has earned a cryptocurrency exchange and wallet license, demonstrating its commitment to secure and compliant operations. Blockforia Blockforia's success is intrinsically linked to the future of Bitcoin, as it provides a gateway for individuals to enter the world of cryptocurrencies. With regulatory compliance and user-focused features, Blockforia aims to make the process of buying, selling, and storing Bitcoin seamless and accessible for users worldwide. The Quest Continues As the journey to reveal the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto persists, the allure of the Bitcoin creator remains a tantalizing mystery. Despite the numerous theories and the efforts of many, the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains elusive. Perhaps it is meant to be that way. The enigma behind Satoshi Nakamoto and the creation of Bitcoin will likely continue to captivate our imagination for years to come. And as the world embraces the decentralization and financial freedom that Bitcoin represents, the legacy of its creator lives on. This story was distributed as a release by T1 under HackerNoon’s Brand As An Author Program. Learn more about the program here: https://business.hackernoon.com/brand-as-author

Blockforia on Unmasking Satoshi: Deciphering the Enigma Behind Bitcoin

Blockforia sobre desenmascarar a Satoshi: descifrar el enigma detrás de Bitcoin

Blockforia sur Démasquer Satoshi : Déchiffrer l'énigme derrière Bitcoin

सातोशी को उजागर करने पर ब्लॉकफोरिया: बिटकॉइन के पीछे की पहेली को समझना

Blockforia がサトシの正体を暴く: ビットコインの背後にある謎を解読する

Blockforia sobre desmascarar Satoshi: decifrando o enigma por trás do Bitcoin

Blockforia vạch mặt Satoshi: Giải mã bí ẩn đằng sau Bitcoin

Blockforia 揭秘中本聪：破译比特币背后的谜团

This article presents a comprehensive exploration into the intersection of consciousness and artificial intelligence (AI), drawing from a multitude of disciplines including philosophy, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. The aim is to provide a nuanced understanding of the subject, based on rigorous academic standards akin to those of Ivy League institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and Cambridge. The discussion is grounded in extensive research, utilizing credible, published research documents and peer-reviewed sources. The complex nature of the topic necessitates a detailed examination, hence the article's length. The objective is to engage readers in a multi-faceted, unbiased discourse, making the subject accessible to both the scientific community and the interested layperson. The Intricacies of Consciousness What is Consciousness? Consciousness, in its simplest form, is our subjective experience of the world; it's the feeling of the sun on your skin, the taste of your morning coffee, and the sound of your favorite song. It's the internal narrative that makes us who we are. But as we delve deeper, consciousness proves to be a complex and multi-layered phenomenon that continues to baffle scientists and philosophers alike. According to a study by Marie Carlén titled , the prefrontal region of the brain, which grew significantly during evolution, plays a crucial role in our consciousness. "What constitutes the prefrontal cortex?" This region, which constitutes 30% of the total cortical area in the human brain, is believed to enable complex behavior. However, the exact structure and function of this brain area remain unresolved, adding to the mystery of consciousness. Consciousness and Creativity Creativity, often seen as a magical, elusive trait, is actually an aspect of normal human intelligence. In her paper , Margaret A. Boden identifies three forms of creativity: combinational, exploratory, and transformational. "Computer Models of Creativity" Interestingly, all three can be modeled by AI, leading to impressive results in various fields, including computer art. This raises the question: Could AI possess consciousness, or at least a form of it? The Intersection of Consciousness and AI AI and the Human Mind The advent of AI has sparked a fascinating debate: Can machines possess consciousness? Can they experience the world as we do? As AI continues to evolve, these questions become increasingly pertinent. In the documentary , the creators explore the possibility of conscious AI. "Consciousness Artificial Intelligence (Conscious Super AGI)" They delve into the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. The Philosophical Perspective The relationship between science and philosophy is a fascinating and intricate one. While some scientists may perceive philosophy as being at odds with science, others argue that philosophy can play a pivotal and constructive role in scientific research. In their paper titled "Why Science Needs Philosophy" (Laplane et al., 2019), the authors shed light on the ways in which philosophy can contribute to scientific inquiry. According to the authors, philosophy's impact on scientific research can be observed in several forms: : Clarification of Scientific Concepts Philosophy helps to refine and elucidate complex scientific concepts, ensuring a clearer understanding of the underlying principles and theories. : Critical Assessment of Scientific Assumptions and Methods Philosophical analysis enables a critical evaluation of the assumptions, methodologies, and limitations of scientific research, fostering a more robust scientific discourse. : Formulation of New Concepts and Theories Philosophy has the capacity to generate novel concepts and theories, opening up new avenues for scientific exploration and discovery. : Fostering Dialogue Between Different Sciences and Society Philosophy serves as a bridge between different scientific disciplines, facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations and promoting meaningful dialogue between scientists and society. To strengthen the integration of philosophy and science, the authors propose a series of practical recommendations: : Inclusion of Philosophy in Scientific Conferences Allocating dedicated sessions or panels to philosophical discussions within scientific conferences creates opportunities for researchers to engage with philosophical insights and perspectives. : Collaboration Between Philosophers and Scientists Encouraging collaborations between philosophers and scientists, such as hosting philosophers in scientific labs and departments, facilitates a fruitful exchange of ideas and enhances the integration of philosophical perspectives into scientific research. : Co-Supervision of PhD Students Co-supervision of PhD students by both researchers and philosophers nurtures interdisciplinary thinking, allowing for dissertations that combine experimental rigor with conceptual depth. : Balanced Curricula in Science and Philosophy Designing curricula that strike a balance between science and philosophy ensures that students in both disciplines gain a comprehensive understanding of their respective fields and fosters a genuine dialogue between them. : Promotion of Reading Science and Philosophy Encouraging scientists to engage with philosophical literature and philosophers to familiarize themselves with scientific advancements fosters a deeper appreciation for the synergistic relationship between the two disciplines. : Establishing dedicated sections in scientific journals for the exploration of philosophical and conceptual issues provides a platform for in-depth discussions and makes these reflections more accessible to the scientific community. Creation of Sections Devoted to Philosophical and Conceptual Issues in Science Journals By embracing these strategies, it is believed that a renaissance in the integration of science and philosophy can be achieved, enhancing the vitality of both disciplines and promoting a deeper understanding of the complex phenomena at the intersection of consciousness and artificial intelligence. The Neuroscience Perspective The Brain and Consciousness Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system and the brain, plays a crucial role in our understanding of consciousness. The human brain, a complex network of billions of neurons, is the seat of our consciousness. But how exactly does this mass of cells give rise to our subjective experiences? In the paper , the authors discuss the concept of the human connectome, a comprehensive map of neural connections in the brain. "The Human Connectome: A Structural Description of the Human Brain" This connectome, they argue, is key to understanding the neural basis of human cognition and consciousness. However, mapping the human connectome is a monumental task, and we are only beginning to scratch the surface. The Evolutionary Biology Perspective Evolution and Consciousness From an evolutionary perspective, consciousness might have emerged as a survival advantage. It could have helped our ancestors to navigate complex social interactions and make better decisions in a dynamic and unpredictable environment. In the paper , the authors propose that consciousness might not be unique to humans. They argue that certain animals, particularly those with complex social structures, might also possess a form of consciousness. "The Evolution of Consciousness in Animals" This opens up a whole new avenue of research and raises ethical questions about our treatment of these animals. A brief overview. Can AI possess consciousness? The question of whether AI can possess consciousness is a complex one. While AI has shown impressive capabilities in mimicking human intelligence, whether it can experience subjective consciousness like humans do is still a topic of ongoing debate. How does the brain give rise to consciousness? The exact mechanisms through which the brain gives rise to consciousness are still not fully understood. However, it is believed that the complex network of neurons in the brain and their connections, known as the connectome, play a crucial role. Is consciousness unique to humans? While consciousness is often considered a uniquely human trait, some researchers propose that certain animals, particularly those with complex social structures, might also possess a form of consciousness. Conclusion The enigma of consciousness in the realm of AI is a fascinating and complex topic that draws from a multitude of disciplines. From the philosophical debates on the nature of consciousness to the neuroscience of the human brain, and the evolutionary perspective on the emergence of consciousness, each discipline provides a unique lens through which to view this intriguing subject. As we continue to advance in our understanding and development of AI, the question of AI consciousness will become increasingly pertinent. While we may not have all the answers yet, the journey of exploration promises to be a thrilling one. Remember, this is a vast and complex field, and we've only scratched the surface. But hopefully, this article has given you a taste of the fascinating world of consciousness and AI. Keep questioning, keep exploring, and who knows? You might just unravel the next piece of the puzzle. In the spirit of fostering a dialogue between different sciences and society, we encourage you to delve deeper into the resources and references provided throughout this article. After all, the pursuit of knowledge is a journey, not a destination. And in the realm of consciousness and AI, it's a journey that promises to be as thrilling as it is enlightening. This hopefully also inspires to fostering curiosity, encouraging critical thinking, and promoting a lifelong love of learning. So, as you navigate through the complexities of consciousness and AI, don't forget to enjoy the journey. After all, the joy of discovery is what science—and learning—is all about. Join hands with Jin Park and step into the 'Jinius' world. Your support can spark a revolution. Visit @https://ko-fi.com/jiniusme and be a part of our journey. Let's create a better future together! ❤️

The Enigma of Consciousness in the Realm of Artificial Intelligence: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

TL;DR 👌Zero-knowledge proofs are transforming Web3 with enhanced privacy and security. 👮‍♂️Zero-knowledge proofs validate transactions, protect sensitive data, and ensure blockchain integrity. 💡Applications include zkEVMs, oracle protocols like Mirage, and privacy-enhanced decentralized finance (DeFi). ☀️Zero-knowledge proofs pave the way for a future of trust, privacy, and innovation in Web3. Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Empowering Web3 with Privacy and Security In the realm of Web3, an extraordinary technological breakthrough is getting traction: zero-knowledge proofs. These remarkable cryptographic tools have the potential to revolutionize the blockchain landscape, offering unparalleled privacy, enhanced security, and improved accessibility. In this article, we embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of zero-knowledge proofs and explore their wide-ranging applications. Get ready to witness the power of this transformative innovation! 🤯 Zero knowledge proofs allow one party to prove the validity of a statement to another party without revealing any additional information beyond the truth of the statement itself. The Locked door: A Cryptographic Riddle Chainlink Labs made a pretty nice analogy to zero-knowledge: “Imagine a cave with a single entrance but two pathways (paths A and B) that connect at a common door 🚪locked by a passphrase🔤. Alice 👩‍🦳 wants to prove to Bob 👨‍🦰 she knows the passcode to the door but without revealing the code to Bob. To do this, Bob stands outside of the cave and Alice walks inside the cave, taking one of the two paths (without Bob knowing which path was taken). Bob then asks Alice to take one of the two paths back to the entrance of the cave (chosen at random). If Alice originally chose to take path A to the door, but then Bob asks her to take path B back, the only way to complete the puzzle is for Alice to have knowledge of the passcode for the locked door. This process can be repeated multiple times to prove Alice has knowledge of the door’s passcode and did not happen to choose the right path to take initially with a high degree of probability. After this process is complete, Bob has a high degree of confidence that Alice knows the door’s passcode without her having revealed it to him.” Expanding the Boundaries: Zero-Knowledge Proofs in Web3 Applications The captivating tale transcends its cryptic confines, finding its way into the vast realm of Web3. Zero-knowledge proofs unlock a plethora of possibilities, revolutionizing decentralized technologies across various domains. In zkEVMs, these proofs validate transaction integrity while preserving privacy, boosting efficiency in blockchain operations. Cutting-edge oracle protocols, such as Mirage, leverage zero-knowledge proofs to securely verify real-world data without exposing sensitive information. Additionally, in the realm of decentralised finance (DeFi), zero-knowledge proofs empower users to protect their financial privacy while engaging in transparent and secure transactions. Embracing a New Era: The Future of Web3 with Zero-Knowledge Proofs As we navigate the frontiers of Web3, the significance of privacy, security, and inclusivity cannot be overstated. Zero-knowledge proofs emerge as the beacon of trust and empowerment, propelling us into a new era of decentralized technologies. By safeguarding sensitive information and enhancing the privacy of transactions, zero-knowledge proofs lay the foundation for a more secure and accessible Web3 ecosystem. With their potential to reshape industries, empower individuals, and foster innovation, these cryptographic marvels herald a future where privacy and security coexist harmoniously with the power of decentralised technologies. Conclusion The rise of Web3 introduces a paradigm shift, demanding technologies that safeguard privacy, enhance security, and promote inclusivity. Zero-knowledge proofs emerge as the transformative force that meets these demands head-on. Through their cryptographic wizardry, they empower individuals, organizations, and entire ecosystems to thrive in a decentralized world. As we embrace this new frontier, let us unlock the full potential of zero-knowledge proofs, harnessing their power to build a future where privacy is paramount, security is uncompromised, and Web3 thrives in all its glory. 🔥If you've been reading this far, you are an absolute legend 😎 and I sincerely appreciate it 🫰. Consider leaving a like or a comment for more content like this. Follow me on twitter 🐣: @stephabauva See ya 👋

Unveiling the Enigma: How Zero-Knowledge Proofs Revolutionize Web3

HackerNoon Reporter: Please tell us briefly about your  background. I have a degree in computer science and I have been working in various management positions within the finance industry. What's your startup called? And in a sentence or two, what does it do? Enigio is a Stockholm-based deep tech company aiming to become the global technology provider of a standardized solution for freely transferable digital original documents. What is the origin story? Our world manages enormous amounts of digital data that is in a constant process of creation and change. Digital information is easy to manipulate and it becomes increasingly harder to judge what is true and what really happened. Enigio was created to provide tools for the proper and immutable digitalization of any type of data. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? We are a senior team with diverse skill sets including cryptography, DLT, archival science, and in-depth competence in banking. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? I would like to be a philanthropist. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your core metrics? To become a global name within the digitalization of Trade Finance. Plus the usual ones such as revenue, MRR, CAC, LTV, etc. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? A global trade organization (ITFA) is promoting our solution for trade digitalization, the solution is also supported by ICC. We are also partners with global software providers such as Finastra and China Systems. What technologies are you currently most excited about, and most worried about? And why? Our own patented solution for digital original documents is based on well-known technologies such as PKI, cryptography, and DLT. What drew you to get published on HackerNoon? What do you like most about our platform? I was invited to publish on Hackernoon. What advice would you give to the 21-year-old version of yourself? Be bold and dare to do what you want to do. Vote for Enigio as the . startup of the year, Stockholm

'Digital Information is Easy to Manipulate': Göran Almgren, Co-founder Enigio

Episode 15 of the : An interview with from . Hacker Noon Podcast Tor Bair Enigma Listen to the interview on , or , or watch on . iTunes Google Podcast YouTube In this episode and discuss privacy, blockchain, the problems with the centralized tech industry, security, and data science. Trent Lapinski Tor Bair “I don’t want to get too much into why truth is broken right now in the tech space, that’s a whole other can of worms, but I think we can all appreciate that it is getting harder and harder to know what is trustable.” “The moment we start believing there is no other way, then it is just a race to the bottom. There will only be two companies in the World, and that’s if we’re lucky. There may only be one.” “We have to be building a movement at the same time we’re building the technology. I think we need to be funding these kinds of solutions like this is the apocalypse event for the Internet.” — Tor Bair _Episode 16 of the Hacker Noon Podcast: An interview with Tor Bair from Enigma. In this episode Trent Lapinski and Tor…_www.podbean.com Building A Movement through Emerging Tech with Enigma's Tor Bair P.S. If you dig the new Hacker Noon Podcast , consider giving us a 5 star review on iTunes. Also check out , and . December’s top stories the latest stories today’s homepage

Building A Movement through Emerging Tech with Enigma’s Tor Bair

, I discussed as one of the technologies focused on enabling privacy-first blockchain technologies. Based on some of the feedback, I realize that many people have the wrong assumptions about the challenges and opportunities of privacy protocols in the blockchain ecosystem. In that context, today I would like to quickly explore some of the most recent technologies and ideas that are trying to enable privacy preserving computations as a first-class citizen of blockchain technologies. In a recent article this week Oasis Labs’ Ekiden protocol Security vs. Privacy? The first mistake to avoid when thinking about privacy in the context of blockchain technologies is to not generalize it to more generic security areas. Conceptually, privacy can be defined as “ ” Following that definition, we can clearly see the friction with the current generation of blockchain technologies. Blockchains are relatively secure runtimes but can’t be classified as intrinsically private. Quite the opposite, capabilities such as immutability and pseudonymous identity make blockchains vulnerable to all sorts of privacy issues. the individual’s right to keep their data to themselves and not to have their actions recorded or monitored. The Privacy Triangle Another important point to realize about privacy-preserving protocols in the context of blockchain technologies is that there is a huge gap between the theoretical advancements of cryptography technologies and what is possible to implement in real world applications. Cryptographic methods such as fully homographic encryption or adversarial neural cryptography guarantee extremely high levels of privacy but they are almost impossible to implement at scale. As a matter of fact, if one of those blockchain platform vendors that claim to leverage homomorphic encryption comes to present their technology to you, I would suggest you run as far away as you can 😉 The challenge with enabling privacy protocols in blockchains has little to do with security itself. Today, we have plenty of cryptographic technologies such as multi-party signatures, some flavors of homomorphic encryption or trusted execution environments that have proven to be able to deliver high levels of privacy and confidentiality in datasets. The main challenge, however, comes from the fact that privacy is often at odds with two other important capabilities of blockchain applications: scalability and usability. Borrowing some of the ideas from the famous that was so relevant to unleash the big data space, we can visualize privacy-scalability and usability as the axis of a triangle of conflicting forces. Differently from the CAP Theorem, recent technologies such as Enigma or Oasis Labs seem to have proven that you can enable the three capabilities to a certain degree. However, in most blockchain technologies, any two of those capabilities conflict with the third one. For instance, you can build privacy and usable protocols that are hardly scalable or, as with most cryptocurrencies, scalable and usable protocols that are not private. CAP Theorem Privacy Protocols in the Blockchain Privacy is rapidly becoming one of the top foundational blocks to enable the next wave of blockchain technologies. From isolated protocols to complete platforms, the blockchain space has been producing a lot of research and innovative ideas to enable privacy-preserving computation in blockchain runtimes. Here are some of the privacy protocols and technologies I think are worth following in the space: · One of the grandfathers of blockchain privacy, (CryptoNight) is the protocol behind Monero. Conceptually, CryptoNote leverages a cryptographic technique known as traceable ring signatures to obfuscate messages among a group of nodes in a decentralized network. Improvements in the CryptoNote protocol have proven able to produce high degrees of anonymity while operating at scalable levels. CryptoNote & Ring Signatures: CryptoNote · The protocol behind ZCash, is a novel form of zero-knowledge cryptography that allows one party (the prover) to prove to another (the verifier) that a statement is true, without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself. Since the launch of ZCash, zk-Snarks have been adapted on different blockchain technologies such as J.P Morgan Quorum zk-SNARKS: zk-Snarks · Following our triangle thesis, one of the challenges of zk-Snarks is that is hard to be applied at scale as the complexity of the proofs scale linearly with the size of the database. Earlier this year, professor Eli-Ben Sasson from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology that describes a faster alternative to zk-Snarks which (to keep things confusing) he decided to call zk-Starks. From the paper professor Ben Sasson explains that “zk-SNARKs use public key (asymmetric) cryptography to establish security. zk-STARKs instead requires a leaner symmetric cryptography, namely, collision resistant hash functions, and thus removes the need for a trusted setup. These same techniques also eliminate the number-theoretic assumptions of zk-SNARKs (and BulletProofs) that are computationally expensive and prone to attack by quantum computers. This makes zk-STARKs both faster to generate and post-quantum secure.” zk-STARKS: published a highly-anticipated paper · have emerged as a popular way to offload confidential computations in blockchain technologies. TEE technologies such as isolated code execution, remote attestation, secure provisioning, secure storage of data and trusted paths for execution of code. Applications that run in TEEs are securely protected and almost impossible to be accessed by third parties. TEE: Trusted Execution Environments(TEE) Intel’s Software Guard Extensions (SGX) · Developed by cryptographers at MIT, is a . The protocol essentially allows nodes to compute using encrypted fragments of the smart contracts without having to decrypt them, which other blockchains cannot do. Instead of relying proof of possession protocols such as zkSNARS/zk-STARKS, Enigma uses TEEs to isolate cryptographic computations from the rest of the blockchain. Enigma: Enigma blockchain protocol that enables the implementation of “secret contracts” I discussed Enigma in a recent essay · A recent addition to blockchain privacy race, focuses on enabling high performant, confidential computations in blockchain smart contracts. Ekiden also relies on TEE environments to isolated private computations but leverage blockchain networks for scalability. . Oasis Labs: Oasis Labs’ Ekiden protocol I reviewed Oasis Labs in a recent article As you can see, there are plenty of new and creative ideas to enable privacy in blockchain technologies. In the near future, we should expect privacy-first blockchain such as Oasis Labs and Enigma to become more popular while mainstream platforms like Ethereum adopt some form of privacy protocols. It should be interesting….

From Ethereum to Enigma: Understanding Privacy Protocols in the Blockchain

Blockchains might be the most ground-breaking technologies in several generations but its mainstream adoption remains relatively limited compared to other technology trends. The blockchain community is very aware that there are several challenges that need to be solved in order to streamline the adoption of blockchain technologies. Among those challenges, none two are more important than privacy and scalability. There are several efforts within the blockchain community that are trying to address these issues but most of them rely on creating brand new blockchain infrastructures. A few years ago, security researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) Media Lab that outlined a different computation model that can solve those two problems for any blockchain. They called the technology Enigma presumably in honor of the German cryptographic machine used to cipher messages during World War II that play an important role in the beginning of computer industry. A few months after, the MIT team decided to venture beyond the academy a launched Enigma in order to bring privacy and scalability to any blockchain. published a paper How Does Enigma Solves Privacy? From the conceptual standpoint, Enigma is designed to connect to any blockchain and off-load private and intensive computations to an off-chain network. All transactions are facilitated by the blockchain, which enforces access-control based on digital signatures and programmable permissions. The key idea that Enigma brings to the table is the ability to run computations on data without having access to the data itself. More specifically, the type of computations Enigma focuses on are smart contracts which, in the context of Enigma, are known as Secret Contracts given the additional level of privacy achieved with the stack. When using Enigma, Secret Contracts execute their public version on the blockchain while relying on Enigma for the private or computationally intensive parts. The magic behind secret contracts is achieved by leveraging a novel technique known as secure multi-party computation (sMPC or MPC). In this computation model, data queries are computed in a distributed way, without a trusted third party. Data is split between different nodes, and they compute functions together without leaking information to other nodes. Specifically, no single party ever has access to data in its entirety; instead, every party has a random piece of it. MPC can be seen as a solution to the famous in computer science that describes two millionaires interested in knowing which one of them is richer, without revealing their actual net worth. millionaires problem How Does Enigma Solves Scalability? The key building block in the Enigma architecture that ensures scalability is the off-chain storage model. Enigma includes a decentralized off-chain distributed hash-table (or DHT) that is accessible through the adjacent blockchain. In that model, the blockchain stores references to the data but not the data themselves. Private data should be encrypted on the client-side before storage and access-control protocols are programmed into the blockchain. From the storage standpoint, Enigma can be thought of as a collection of distributed nodes. Each node has a distinct view of shares and encrypted data so that the computation process is guaranteed to be privacy-preserving and fault tolerant. Architecturally, there are three different decentralized databases living in the Enigma system: The Enigma Token Similar to Ethereum, Enigma includes its own token that is used to compensate for different costs in the platform. Specifically, ENG tokens are used in three main areas: · ENG tokens are used to pay for any request in the Enigma network. Computation Fees: · ENG tokens are used to maintain data in the network for certain amount of time. Storage Fees: · Nodes in the network can use ENG tokens as a security deposit to ensure their participation in transactions. Security Deposits: Two Applications Using Enigma Even when the core Enigma technology is not available yet, the team has released two applications that validate the capabilities of Enigma at a large scale. is an algorithmic trading library for crypto-assets written in Python. It allows trading strategies to be easily expressed and back-tested against historical data, providing analytics and insights regarding a particular strategy’s performance. Enygma Catalyst The Catalyst solution is powered by the , another interesting solution that validates the capabilities of the Enigma platform. The Data Marketplace acts as a gateway to different databases and shares references to the data in a decentralized way while ensuing its privacy. Enigma Data Marketplace

Technology Fridays: Enigma Solves The Two Biggest Issues for the Mainstream Adoption of Blockchains

In my opinion, the most complex rules in the C++ have to do with the ordering of templates and class template specializations. They are dense, difficult to follow, underspecified, involve jumping from section to section in the standard, and, on top of all of that, the major compilers don’t even agree with the standard anyway. Let’s explore what I mean. language function When doing overload resolution, there’s a lot of steps we go through to determine which function to actually call. We rank different kinds of conversions, we prefer some kinds of references to others, we prefer non-templates to templates, all in careful order. The very last tie-breaker, before we give up and consider the call ambiguous, is to determine if one function template is than another. A simple example: more specialized Obviously, #2 is more specialized, since pointer types are a strict subset of all types. That’s all well and good that we can figure this out — but what do the rules say about how the compiler is supposed to reason about this? The process is, roughly, the compiler synthesizes new types for each template parameter of one function template and attempts to perform template deduction against the other function template. It then does this in the reverse order. If deduction succeeds in both directions, or neither direction, neither function template is more specialized than the other. If deduction only succeeds in one direction, then that is the reverse direction of specialization. In this simple example, we first attempt to deduce #1 from #2. We synthesize some new type, call it , and attempt to perform deduction: UniqueA Function: template <class T> void foo(T ); // #1Arguments: UniqueA* This deduction succeeds, with . Now, we do the reverse. We synthesize another new type, call it , and attempt to perform deduction: T=UniqueA* UniqueB Function: template <class T> void foo(T* ); // #2Arguments: UniqueB This deduction fails. is not a pointer type. Since deduction only succeeded in one direction, #2 → #1, that makes #2 the more specialized function template. This whole process answers our original question: which function do we call? #2. UniqueB It’s worth going through the entire process for a simple case, because we’re about to add a wrinkle that will tear our world apart: non-deduced contexts. We understand non-deduced contexts in the normal case of template deduction: template parameters in non-deduced contexts are not deduced (as the name may suggest!). Such parameters must either be provided explicitly or deduced from other arguments. If neither happens, deduction fails. In this example: Determining what happens is straightforward. #1 is a viable candidate, deduction succeeds with . In #2, appears only in a non-deduced context and is not provided. Hence, deduction fails. We only have one viable candidate, so we’re done. This calls #1. But what happens if we add a wrinkle: T=int T Now, candidates are viable, and both are exact matches. As before, we’re down to the final tiebreaker: partial ordering. Which function template is more specialized? Unlike the earlier case of vs , we don’t have any clear intuition here as to which should be more specialized. At least, I don’t. So let’s just follow the rules and find out. We start by synthesizing new types and perform deduction in both directions. Let’s start by deducing #1 from #2: both T T* Function: template <class T> void foo(T );Arguments: identity_t<UniqueA> Now, isn’t . It’s just some type. We don’t perform any instantiation in this context. We can think of this as some other unique type, call it . In this direction, deduction succeeds, with . What about the other direction: identity_t<UniqueA> UniqueA UniqueA' T=UniqueA' Function: template <class T> void foo(identity_t<T> );Arguments: UniqueB We have a non-deduced context, so deduction fails. Since deduction only succeeds in one direction, #2 → #1, #2 is considered the more specialized function template, so that’s the one that gets invoked. (In case there’s any doubt, every compiler agrees with this interpretation. ) Does this jibe with intuition? I’m not sure. Is a subset of types of ? But hold on Dorothy, this ride’s about to get more fun. Let’ s add another parameter. identity_t<T> T What if we add one more argument (I originally asked about this example on ): StackOverflow Here, even though is a non-deduced context in the second parameter of #2, it’s deduced from the first parameter as , so deduction succeeds without having to explicitly provide anything. How’s our intuition going to work for here? If is more specialized than , then surely specialization should work under composition and should be more specialized than ? Well, intuition is overrated, let’s do the work. T int identity_t<T> T (T, identity_t<T>) (T,T) Let’s deduce #1 from #2: Function: template <class T> void foo(T, T);Arguments: UniqueA, identity_t<UniqueA> (or UniqueA, UniqueA') This deduction fails, we deduce two different types for : and . What about the other direction? T UniqueA UniqueA' Function: template <class T> void foo(T, identity_t<T> );Arguments: UniqueB, UniqueB Deduction succeeds in the first argument, but what do we actually do in the second? What do we do in partial ordering when the parameter is a non-deduced context? The only guidance the standard gives us is in [temp.deduct.partial]: In most cases, all template parameters must have values in order for deduction to succeed, but for partial ordering purposes a template parameter may remain without a value provided it is not used in the types being used for partial ordering. A template parameter used in a non-deduced context is considered used. [ Note: — end note ] [ Example: template <class T>          T f(int); // #1template <class T, class U> T f(U);   // #2 void g() {f<int>(1); // calls #1} — end example ] What does that mean? is a non-deduced context in #2, so in partial ordering, we could deduce but we can’t deduce . This point indicates that even though we can’t deduce , we just consider that we could. Template parameters appearing only in non-deduced contexts count as if they were deduced. I think. Maybe. T U=int T T This means, in our original example, that deduction succeeds #1 → #2 (we ignore the non-deduced context) but not #2 → #1 (we deduce different types for ), so we call #1: the function, which is the opposite of what my intuition would have suggested. But here we also have our first divergence: while gcc, clang, and icc all agree that #1 is more specialized, MSVC considers the call ambiguous. Does that make MSVC wrong? I don’t actually know. Interestingly, MSVC does consider the quoted standard example to be ambiguous. Why the difference in reasoning? T (T,T) not Let’s add another wrinkle on top of this old man skin. Class template partial specialization. How do we pick which class template partial specialization to use? We use the partial ordering rules. From [temp.class.order]: For two class template partial specializations, the first is more specialized than the second if, given the following rewrite to two function templates, the first function template is more specialized than the second according to the ordering rules for function templates (14.5.6.2): (1.1) — Each of the two function templates has the same template parameters as the corresponding partial specialization. (1.2) — Each function template has a single function parameter whose type is a class template specialization where the template arguments are the corresponding template parameters from the function template for each template argument in the template-argument-list of the simple-template-id of the partial specialization. Consider this example (which I also originally asked about on ): StackOverflow is a popular way to write type traits, so seems appropriate to feature it in this post somehow. To answer the question of what this program prints, we have to know which specialization of is chosen. And, as specified, that question is answered by determining which of these function is most specialized by the partial ordering rules: void_t A Comparing #1 to #2 and #3, it’s clear that we can deduce #2 → #1 and #3 → #1 but not the reverse, so it’s between #2 and #3. Let’s try #3 → #2: Function: template <class T> void foo(A<T, void_t<T>> ); // #2Arguments: A<UniqueA*, void> This succeeds. We can match from the first parameter and then, as before, we ignore the non-deduced context. And #2 → #3: T=UniqueA* Function: template <class T> void foo(A<T*, void> ); // #3Arguments: A<UniqueB, void_t<UniqueB>> This fails. is not (despite what the name and Walter Brown may tell you!) Since deduction only succeeds in one direction, great! #3 is the most specialized. We also have compiler unity on this: gcc, clang, icc, and MSVC all agree: #3 is the most specialized function here. void_t<UniqueB> void So back to the original question. What does yield? It obviously yields 2 right, we just went through the process of determining this, all the compiler agreed with us! A<int*, void>::value Wrong. Every compiler consider this an ambiguous specialization between #2 and #3. This, to me, is quite baffling. The rule expressed in the standard is clear: the most specialized class template specialization is the one that gives the most specialized synthesized function template. All the compilers agree that #3 meets the bill for the latter, and yet they don’t agree that #3 is the most specialized class template specialization. This is a fascinating bit of compiler unity. I’m always hesitant to file a compiler bug even when I find one. But usually there’s there’s one compiler that’s right and one that’s wrong, I don’t even know what to do in this case. File bugs for everybody? How did this situation even arise? Ultimately, this seems like a problem of underspecification. It would be nice if the standard gave more clarity on this subject. What do we actually do with non-deduced contexts in partial ordering? Especially as and similar tools are used more commonly in code, it’s important to have clear guidance on what the code is actually supposed to do. SFINAE isn’t even well defined in class specializations and yet it’s prolific in it’s use there. void_t Regardless, there’s one thing that’s abundantly clear: C++ is really complicated.

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