Is bitcoin the most important technological achievement of our lifetime?

[ErisDiscordia]

Cheap, clean energy is the most important technological breakthrough.

I'm not up to date on the developments there, but a breakthrough in energy extraction efficiency is just about the only thing I can imagine to be of bigger import that the breakthrough of decentralizing finance.

As others have pointed out, the current financial system is at the root of lots of problems, many of them of deadly consequence - like war, poverty and destruction of the biosphere.

[raid_n]

stop with all that medical advancement bullshit.

...
  
no need for big pharma, god gave us everything we need.

Where was (your) god when millions of people including countless children died needlessly because we had not yet discovered penicillin?

I don't trust big corporations to do the right thing no matter in what sector they operate.

But replacing science with belief is not the way to go.
You should not just believe in bitcoin but base your trust in it because you can look at the code and analyze the algorithms and form your own oppinion.

[Ibian]

stop with all that medical advancement bullshit.

...
  
no need for big pharma, god gave us everything we need.

Where was (your) god when millions of people including countless children died needlessly because we had not yet discovered penicillin?

I don't trust big corporations to do the right thing no matter in what sector they operate.

But replacing science with belief is not the way to go.
You should not just believe in bitcoin but base your trust in it because you can look at the code and analyze the algorithms and form your own oppinion.

Penicilin is a bad thing when used too much. Which many would argue we do. The more it's used the more resistant diseases become to it, and it spreads throughout the population so it's not just limited to the person in question. We use it to treat zits, for fucks sake. It could, in theory, become a leading cause of a future epidemic.

And that's not even touching on the detrimental effects of removing natural selection from us as a specie. But that's for another thread.

[Miz4r]

I'm gonna say no.

If within 10 years Bitcoin is the world's sole currency and has made thousands of new millionaires - my answer is still no.

That honor will probably go to something medical... I love the idea behind Bitcoin but come on - most of us are just greedy nerds. Medical science saves lives.

Do you have any idea how many lives can be saved if Bitcoin can save us from financial debt slavery and oppression? Especially 3rd world countries could benefit greatly. You have no idea how much of our lives are being controlled and demolished by the tyranny of the ones on top of the current financial pyramid.

Well said and I agree.

You know, there were people who attended the World's Fair to see the lightbulb unveiled who were also alive to watch the Moon Landing on TV.

There are people who watched the Moon Landing on TV who are alive today and aware of Bitcoin. And don't care.

Just putting that into perspective. Have fun with your tin foil hat.

You don't need a tin foil hat to see that our fiat system is one big Ponzi scheme. No conspiracy theories needed, people don't need to have secret meetings somewhere and decide how they're going to take over the world from there. The system itself carries all the right incentives for everyone to bring the right ingredients together for this entire scam to work, without anyone even being conscious of it, including the bankers/elite. We're like ants just doing our thing without being aware we're building massive ant hills that almost behave like separate conscious entities themselves.

[fluidjax]

Bitcoin is second most important after cold fusion. Ok, I can hear the laughing. 

MIT is running a cold fusion lecture for second year running.  National Instruments also have an annual conference on cold fusion. And ELFORSK, the Swedish energy peak research body have issued a statement that they have discovered unexplained large power outputs from ECats.

Cheap, clean energy is the most important technological breakthrough.

Fusion could be the answer to a large proportion of  the worlds problems.

[antimattercrusader]

I think it's one of the five biggest technological achievement of human history in its consequences (it's on the same level as stuff like agriculture, alphabet, internal combustion engine. Even computers and Internet are outclassed.)

Really? You think it outclasses computers and the internet? And the idea of free speech? Maybe space travel? Heart transplants? Machines that BREATHE for people?

Bitcoin is a good thing. However- if you think it's one of the very most important inventions by mankind, you would legitimately be the creep I don't talk to at a party.

Well, that makes you like most people. God, I wish people would talk to me at parties, but no one will!

Anyway, While all the things you said above are important innovations, and while I can't say that bitcoin itself beats the idea of free speech it's an important step, not to be underestimated. (Was free speech invented in our lifetime, btw? I think not, obviously) This is less about "bitcoin" and more about the idea of decenterlized store of value/medium of exchange free of government and on a global scale. It's the first "global" medium of exchange, and if this idea takes off, it can make a massive difference in the world, especially the less develeoped world where the people and their wealth (or lack thereof) are subject to the whims of a short term and corrupt government. If bitcoin were to take hold in these locations, we might see a dramtic change that could equal lives saved (from starvation, fewer wealth based wars, etc). We shall see what the future holds, but don't underestimate the important of this innovation on a conceptual level.

[antimattercrusader]

Bitcoin is second most important after cold fusion. Ok, I can hear the laughing. 

MIT is running a cold fusion lecture for second year running.  National Instruments also have an annual conference on cold fusion. And ELFORSK, the Swedish energy peak research body have issued a statement that they have discovered unexplained large power outputs from ECats.

Cheap, clean energy is the most important technological breakthrough.

While this would be an EPIC innovation as well, if the majority of the human population cannot afford and/or enjoy it because of financial oppression, then it would be secondary. However, I am not certain if we're seeing THAT level of financial oppression or not. Come to think of it, the concept of open source may proove to be important as well. Inventions may be supressed, but its hard to supress a viral open source technology of an idea that is suddenly released and then becomes demanded by the people.... If I ever stubled upon a clean energy tech, I'd be tempted to release it in this manner so I wouldn't find myself bought off or killed to prevent it from reaching market.

But I digress, I admit have a bit of a tin foil hat, but I don't know just how deep the rabbit hole goes. LOL 

[rocks]

Penicilin is a bad thing when used too much. Which many would argue we do. The more it's used the more resistant diseases become to it, and it spreads throughout the population so it's not just limited to the person in question. We use it to treat zits, for fucks sake. It could, in theory, become a leading cause of a future epidemic.

And that's not even touching on the detrimental effects of removing natural selection from us as a specie. But that's for another thread.

This is an interesting topic, too much of anything regardless of its short term benefits, is a bad thing that can lead a larger collapse.

The concept of central banking as it was originally proposed was not a bad idea. Central banking was never suppose to reach the massive level of control it wields today. It was suppose to help smooth contractions by providing a very limited bridge. The problem is it is centralized and the people in control use the printing press tool more and more and more, until everything and everyone is reliant on central banking constantly expanding the balance sheet. Now when the system inevitably crashes, the crash is worse than anything that could ever have happened on a gold or similar standard.

Penicilin similarly is a saver for humanity, provided it is used only when needed. But instead we decide to use it for everything, which both makes germs resistant and stronger and humans weaker. At some point a disease is introduced that causes a larger scale epidemic than could have ever happened if penicilin was never introduced.

What I like about bitcoin from a monetary perspective is, since there is no bailout entity banks and other firms who take risks and crash are wiped out as they should be (including their investors and customers), instead of constantly growing due to central banking interventions. In this manner no entity becomes large enough to have a disastrous system wide effect. There may be multiple smaller downturns, but no massive blow up.

[kireinaha]

I take it as a bullish indicator when a system of digital "tokens" used by nerds online to gamble and speculate is considered the greatest achievement of our lifetimes.

[Lloydie]

Bitcoin is second most important after cold fusion. Ok, I can hear the laughing. 

MIT is running a cold fusion lecture for second year running.  National Instruments also have an annual conference on cold fusion. And ELFORSK, the Swedish energy peak research body have issued a statement that they have discovered unexplained large power outputs from ECats.

Cheap, clean energy is the most important technological breakthrough.

While this would be an EPIC innovation as well, if the majority of the human population cannot afford and/or enjoy it because of financial oppression, then it would be secondary. However, I am not certain if we're seeing THAT level of financial oppression or not. Come to think of it, the concept of open source may proove to be important as well. Inventions may be supressed, but its hard to supress a viral open source technology of an idea that is suddenly released and then becomes demanded by the people.... If I ever stubled upon a clean energy tech, I'd be tempted to release it in this manner so I wouldn't find myself bought off or killed to prevent it from reaching market.

But I digress, I admit have a bit of a tin foil hat, but I don't know just how deep the rabbit hole goes. LOL 

It'd work out something like this: one country starts using it, say china. Then all the other countries cannot afford not to adopt the technology and compete.

[JimboToronto]

I take it as a bullish indicator when a system of digital "tokens" used by nerds online to gamble and speculate is considered the greatest achievement of our lifetimes.

I guess you thought the big deal with Napster was all about free music.

[kireinaha]

I take it as a bullish indicator when a system of digital "tokens" used by nerds online to gamble and speculate is considered the greatest achievement of our lifetimes.

I guess you thought the big deal with Napster was all about free music.

and look how well that turned out.

[JimboToronto]

I take it as a bullish indicator when a system of digital "tokens" used by nerds online to gamble and speculate is considered the greatest achievement of our lifetimes.

I guess you thought the big deal with Napster was all about free music.

and look how well that turned out.

You're missing my point.

Napster didn't matter. It was all about peer-to-peer networking.

Napster may have died (after making Shawn Fanning rich) but P2P survived, became decentralized, and has since become secured with cryptography and kept honest through proof-of-work.

Bitcoin is just the thin edge of the wedge.

[aminorex]

A tree is known by its fruit.  If bitcoin fulfills its potential to end the slavery of billions of people, it will be the greatest technological invention of the human mind in all of history.  The probability of that is nearly zero, but it is real enough so that it is worth fighting for, because it is the only non-zero possibility extant.  Any chance is better than no chance.

[chessnut]

may be the most impressive bubble of our lifetimes, but technology... no. if it was so incredible, we'd already be doing more with it than just speculating and buying bed sheets online.

Rome wasn't built in a day..... the market cap needs to grow much larger before it can make an impact. is it not growing fast enough for you?

[BitcoinAccepted]

Knowledge > Power

Happiness > Wealth

Hadron Collider > Bitcoin

[DanielVG]

I agree with the OP, since the start of the digital revolution our society has changed completely.
Telecommunications is much easier, the world is more accessible.
Digitalizing our monetary system will be an important step in the entire digital revolution.
There is space for crypto-currencies in society.
But just like it needed some time to evolve from the first email clients to Skype video conversations we need more infrastructure and research, ups&downs that push the technology to it's rightful place within society.

I have the feeling a lot of people think in a very short term and believe the bitcoin community will always stay the same.
We should stop seeing it as an investment and start using it as everyday money. 

example:
Bought something online in China, payed person-to-person within seconds, seconds after i bought my burger at Mcdo's.

and not

Bough/mined a bunch and sitting on them like a chicken till they hatch profit.
or
Bought/mined a bunch and parked them on a website till they hatch prof....shit went offline,...fuck bitcoin
or
Bought/mined a big bunch and only using them to buy/sell USD.

We can talk and speculate all we want, the strength of a currency is it's amount of liquidity and spread.

[podyx]

I'm gonna say no.

If within 10 years Bitcoin is the world's sole currency and has made thousands of new millionaires - my answer is still no.

That honor will probably go to something medical... I love the idea behind Bitcoin but come on - most of us are just greedy nerds. Medical science saves lives.

I agree but there would be no doctors or medics without money

obviously the fiat money we have now are gonna collapse sooner or later and the us dollar 2.0 won't be the solution

[Paashaas]

No, it will be in the top 5 tho, but Bitcoin is decentralised just like the 3d printer. Yes the 3d printer, i believe that machine will be in oure homes within 10 years. Think about it; you are able to download just almost everything and print it, even food and organs, printing entire homes is in testing stage, it will all be possible.( good for long space flights to settle on Mars) A high quality 3-d printer will change the world big time.

Bitcoin,robots, 3-d printers will all be part of the next industrial revolution; enjoy the ride!  Ohh wait, they are all decentralised 

[podyx]

No, it will be in the top 5 tho, but Bitcoin is decentralised just like the 3d printer. Yes the 3d printer, i believe that machine will be in oure homes within 10 years. Think about it; you are able to download just almost everything and print it, even food and organs, printing entire homes is in testing stage, it will all be possible.( good for long space flights to settle on Mars) A high quality 3-d printer will change the world big time.

Bitcoin,robots, 3-d printers will all be part of the next industrial revolution; enjoy the ride!

but you will need materials right? what kind of materials would you need for, lets say a potato?