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Relativity Used to Devise New Form of Crypt

Posted by Hemos on from the fun-with-mega-encryption dept.

Cebert writes "CNN.com posted an article about using relativity to create a new form of encryption. The new encryption allows an individual to make a prediction with a guaranteed date stamp that only they can reveal. " Hmmm...quantum predictions. Yeah, I guess that's hard to crack.

2 of 25 comments (clear)

  1. Here are a few more details by VanL · · Score: 4

    The article is a little short on facts. Here are a few more details:

    ABSTRACT:
    Unconditionally Secure Bit Commitment

    Adrian Kent
    Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, United Kingdom

    (Received 13 July 1998)

    We describe a new classical bit commitment protocol based on cryptographic constraints imposed by special relativity. The protocol is unconditionally secure against classical or quantum attacks. It evades the no-go results of Mayers, Lo, and Chau by requiring from Alice a sequence of communications, including a postrevelation verification, each of which is guaranteed to be independent of its predecessor. ©1999 The American Physical Society
    Here are copies of his article in pdf and in gzipped PS.

    I

  2. Try this instead by bholzm1 · · Score: 4

    Here's the preprint in ps from LANL, instead; only institutional subscribers have access to the PRL online article.