Solving the Unsolvable Problems with Michael Dunworth

“Bitcoin’s going to be the key ingredient to humanity going the next level, to something like the unified field theory, which is basically where we know how to control every particle in the universe; and, that’s not all that far away.”— Michael DunworthMichael Dunworth is the co-founder of Wyre Payments. In this interview, we discuss Bitcoin, private keys and the role of technology in advancing human understanding. We also talk about the significance of security, identity, and the evolving nature of society in the digital age, when the challenges of distinguishing real from fake is becoming increasingly difficult. - - - - The internet has been transformative. But, could its benefits soon be outweighed by its disbenefits? Whilst it has enabled people to connect across the world in real-time, ironically, digital technology has had a significant negative impact on human connection and community. People are increasingly finding meaningful connections with disparate online communities at the expense of developing connections with people in their immediate surroundings.Then there are the technical challenges. Technology has made it easier for impersonation and deepfake scams such that distinguishing real content from fake content has become increasingly difficult. There are plenty of examples of fake conversations involving well-known figures like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, which can deceive people into believing false information. The nature of identity in the digital age is therefore evolving quickly. There is a need for identity verification. Potential solutions are being developed. A worrying number of these involve centralised control of the verification process. There are obviously huge second-order risks of this approach. Could public key cryptography be part of the solution to verify the authenticity of digital content without harming privacy? Could Bitcoin secure more than just monetary value?But, how do we combat the atomisation of society caused by the internet? Will people regain a valuation in the importance of local communities, human connection and hard work, or, will technology continue to inflict damage on individuals, communities and the nation-state? Technology advances human understanding. But, it’s also swallowing humanity.- - - - This episode’s sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultUnchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidence-----WBD708 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.