Date: Tue, 18 May 2021 08:04:56 +0000
To: Michael Fuhrmann <fuhmic@web.de>,
 Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
From: ZmnSCPxj <ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com>
Reply-To: ZmnSCPxj <ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com>
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References: <d35dee03-2d19-e80a-c577-2151938f9203@web.de>
 <202105170258.13233.luke@dashjr.org>
 <1e048030-36c6-0ae8-7209-516bd797d29c@web.de>
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Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Proposal: Force to do nothing for first 9 minutes
	to save 90% of mining energy
Precedence: list

Good morning Michael,

> Am 17.05.2021 um 04:58 schrieb Luke Dashjr:
>
> > It increases security, and is unavoidable anyway.
> > You can't.
>
> There must be a way. dRNG + universal clock + cryptographical magic?!


Proof-of-work **is** the cryptographic magic that creates a universal clock=
.

In physics, the Arrow of Time is defined as the direction in which entropy =
increases.

Suppose you were shown a video of a particle in a low-gravity environment h=
itting a wall and bouncing away.
This video can be played forwards or backwards, and you would not be able t=
o determine whether it is played forwards or backwards.

In short, in many physical interactions, there is ***no*** notion of a dire=
ction in time, i.e. no past or future.
Nearly every physical interaction, at the small scale, is reversible, thus =
there is no (apparent) inherent direction of time.

However, suppose you were instead shown a video where a group of ceramic sh=
ards on a floor comes together to form a vase, which then rises off the flo=
or and then floats onto a table.
Obviously, this is a video played backwards.
A group of shards on the floor is a higher-entropy state than a vase on a t=
able, thus it is obvious what the Arrow of Time here *actually* is.

Or suppose you were shown this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DzeP=
A3uIbB5I
Obviously, this is a video played backwards (except for the introduction, o=
f course --- pay attention how there is a scene cut from the introduction t=
o the main part of the video).
A Rubik cube that is in a disordered state is a higher-entropy state than a=
 Rubik cube that is in an ordered state where each side has a specific sing=
le color, thus it is obvious that the Mythbusters did not actually do any w=
ork and just ran a time-reversed video of them disordering a newly-opened R=
ubik cube.


All of our clocks are ultimately derived from the *measurable* increase of =
entropy:

* The current definition of 1 second is measured in terms of the decay of [=
Caesium atoms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_caesium#Caesium-13=
3).
  This decay represents the reduction of energy of the atoms and thus an in=
crease in universal entropy.
* Wind-up clockwork watches are powered by the controlled release of the en=
ergy stored in a spring, a consumption of stored energy and thus an increas=
e in universal entropy.
* Wind-up clockwork watches are powered by the controlled release of the en=
ergy stored in a spring, a consumption of stored energy and thus an increas=
e in universal entropy.


Now, a low-entropy state is simply one where energy is available for consum=
ption.
And as we know, proof-of-work requires energy consumption.

Thus, the existence of a proof-of-work is a proof that time has passed.
If time did not pass, then it would not have been possible to create the pr=
oof-of-work, because it would not be possible to consume energy (i.e. incre=
ase universal entropy) and thus create an Arrow of Time.

From this proof-of-time-passing, we can then build a universal clock, one t=
hat is deeply tied to the physical world, due to the energy consumption.
It is by this method that Bitcoin is anchored to reality.


There is already a universal clock available using cryptographic magic.
It is called proof-of-work.


Regards,
ZmnSCPxj