Bitcoin Tech Talk #348

Jun 12, 2023

∙ Paid

Want to live forever? - It’s really a book review of the actual book that attempts to answer the question, but it delves into so much of what makes us human that it becomes a really interesting read. The article goes through all the different conceptions of immortality and how you solve such things. I would quibble that the perspective of the article is in fact extremely materialist and doesn’t really take metaphysical existence very seriously. That said, it’s a fun read and the conclusion that you probably won’t want to is something to ponder.
The Case for Work - The article is about educating kids and how school has failed them. It argues that what kids need is to build skills and agency. The article is a great summation of how entrepreneurs are made. Or more precisely, how they’re prevented from being made through the artificial system that we call school. If you’re a parent of a kid of any age, this is a worthwhile read.
More Legal Systems - The one I found most fascinating here was that of the Amish, who allow people to choose their own leaders, literally. You can move from one community with one leader to another with another leader and they may have different rules. The goal of these Amish communities is to have a real community and interestingly, use the power of ostracization to enforce pre-agreed-to-behavior. I dream of one day having a Bitcoin Citadel that has some system of community that works like this.

What I'm up to

How Inflation Affects Goods - I’ve been writing a lot of short pieces for Nostr as a way to dump some of the thoughts I have. This one is about how inflation causes all sorts of disruptions, essentially by disrupting long-term contracts. Inevitably, when you don’t have a good store of value, one side ends up getting screwed in these contracts as the payment they receive isn’t enough for the goods and services they provide. As a result, we get destructive behavior and it’s one of the many ways in which fiat money ruins society.
Back in Austin - Good to be back to my home town and hanging out with people, especially in Bitcoin Commons. I’ll note that prices for everything has soared and the labor shortage hasn’t let up at all. Tips are out of control because employers are probably not paying their staff enough. Still, it’s good to be back and good to enjoy a place that respects freedom. I will be in El Salvador for CUBO+ and I will be teaching my class again mid-July. I haven’t opened up signups, but if you’re interested, please let me know and watch this space.
Bit Block Boom - My next conference will be right here in Austin at Bit Block Boom! It should coincide with the release of my new book, Fiat Ruins Everything, which I’m still working on. If you haven’t been to a Bitcoin conference before, this is an excellent one to get started on because it’s reasonably sized. You can hang out with lots of people and I may host some sort of event.

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