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Delivering an Earth-Shattering Discovery?

Posted by Cliff on from the don't-panic dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "Just for fun... suppose you've made an Earth-shattering discovery that, when revealed, will cause massive social upheaval. Maybe you've discovered a new energy source or weapon, or figured out how to factor large primes in seconds, or learned how to time travel back in time and affect the present. Being a nice guy, you decide to warn the world now and give everybody a few years to prepare before revealing the discovery. How can you absolutely encrypt or otherwise protect your discovery, but guarantee its revealing at a certain future date even if you and everybody you know is long gone? For example, could you bounce an electromagnetic signal describing the discovery off a celestial body several light-years away?"

7 of 583 comments (clear)

  1. factor large primes? by Francis · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hell, I can already do that.

    int factorLargePrime( int largePrime ) {
    return largePrime;
    }

    --

    --
    #include <malloc.h>
    free(your.mind);
    1. Re:factor large primes? by Virtex · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, you got it all wrong. The story said "factor large primes *in seconds*". Yours works in microseconds. Better to do it like this:

      int factorLargePrime( int largePrime ) {
      sleep( 2 );
      return largePrime;
      }

      --
      For every post, there is an equal and opposite re-post.
    2. Re:factor large primes? by jcoy42 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dude! She's hot- come on, type in the rest!

      --
      Never trust an atom. They make up everything.
  2. Um... by awx · · Score: 5, Funny

    why? What have you done now? Why are you asking such an interesting question whilst chosing to remain anonymous?

    --
    Feel that power? That's mah MOUSING FINGER
  3. Obligatory Simpsons Quote by I+Love+this+Company! · · Score: 5, Funny

    Milhouse: We gotta spread this stuff around. Let's put it on the internet!
    Bart: No! We have to reach people whose opinions actually matter! And I think I know how.

    --

    "All art is quite useless." -- Oscar Wilde
  4. to serve man.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    For example, could you bounce an electromagnetic signal describing the discovery off a celestial body several light-years away?"

    that is a really stupid idea. do not, i repeat, do not give the information to an alien race first.

  5. I'll get me towel by Subcarrier · · Score: 5, Funny

    an Earth-Shattering Discovery

    Look, it's the Vogons, isn't it?

    --
    "I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them." -- George H. W. Bush