Understanding The Blockchain
Your Life Explained as a Blockchain
What is a Blockchain?
• Simply stated, a block in Bitcoin refers to a grouping of transactions contained within a block, that are in essence chained to another transaction containing block which has been previously validated beginning all the way back from block 0 (also known as the Genesis block). Each subsequently validated block from the Genesis Block is chained to the previously validated block, thus creating an entire string of blocks all interlocked and connected. Since all block containing transactions are intertwined and built upon one another (essentially creating a tower), to undo one particular transaction in a block presents a tremendous problem. How does one define this technology and subsequent dilemma? Is it even possible to “undo” a transaction?
Timestamp:
To better understand how blockchain technology operates, I will attempt to explain it the exact way it was given to me in a dream a few nights ago.
Yes, there I was sleeping peacefully at night, when I was awakened by a super cool dream about the blockchain. Say what?? Yep, I saw this technology represented by our own human life interactions and experiences. In my dream, each time an interaction with another human or machine took place it was timestamped in my “life blockchain”, if you stop to consider this---it begins to make perfect sense.
Please read on.
How is time defined? How exactly do our lives revolve around the concept of time?
The lives we lead are run by “Father Time”. Each and every day of our lives, the construct of time presents itself as a dictator to how we organize the day. We have a specific amount of time to use each day, and it is up to our choosing exactly how to spend that time. Some days are spent “wasting” or “killing” time, while others are spent utilizing each and every second, minute and hour to accomplish a set goal or task.
Nonetheless, each waking moment is accounted for and validated by someone (even ourselves) or something. In the case of our sole validation, it’s easy to see how if asked to explain what we were doing in that particular moment in time, one could easily be mistaken with their explanation, or flat out lie using the information that only we have to the betterment of ourselves and not others. This is why we need validation.
In bitcoin we need miners to perform this task. Miners are high powered computers that solve the mathematical problem presented to validate the transactions across the bitcoin network.
Amateur...
...or professional..
Let’s look at a few examples:
In America for instance, an alarm clock usually screams at us somewhere between 5:30 and 7 am reminding us to wake up and begin the day.
The “Timestamp” for a new day has begun, unless of course we decide to hit the snooze and refuse the clocks demands, in which case, the “timestamp” has essentially become invalid, and our day hasn’t actually begun. We’ve now chosen to refuse this timestamped transaction of waking up, and instead decided to do something else, in this case, SLEEP. When we do decide to face the day, we begin a series of transactions or interactions with the outside world, or in the case of Bitcoin, the network. This is how we will begin to define the mechanics of the Blockchain.
Our days are validated by what we interact with, everything from machines to people. For example, if you tweet, send an email, or make a call first thing in the morning, that interaction has now been time-stamped, and can never fully be erased. Not only did twitter “validate” your input (typing out a tweet) transaction, but your 20 or 2000 followers will now have the ability to validate the output of your transaction knowing EXACTLY when that tweet was posted by looking at the network provided timestamp.
This transaction has now been verified and validated. The verification and validation was implemented as soon as Twitter’s server recognized your particular account post your specific tweet. The network then posted your tweet to all of the people who follow you—thus also allowing those individuals to validate that you sent that specific tweet at that specific time. This tweet has now become part of the public ledger that is your life. Bitcoin works much the same way. When a transaction enters the network, it is time-stamped, and then sent across the network to validated by miners. What are miners? Miners are high powered computers that solve the mathematical problem presented to validate the transactions across the bitcoin network. Check out the link below to see the date/time I sent this tweet.
https://twitter.com/JohnGabriel903/status/952919068914446336
- JohnGabriel903
The same principle applies to an email, a phone call many other machine interactions.
An EXACT timestamp of the interaction occurs on every email, phone call, or text message you send.
Human beings can also validate transactions—and I don’t just mean by physically directing a cash register and providing change. I’m talking in terms of TIME here.
I’m talking in terms of our daily interactions. Each interaction made with another human being overlays and is built on top of one another, thus creating a full and complete ledger of the seconds, minutes, and hours that fill your day.
Our time each day is filled with one layer after another, from phone calls to a friend, work emails sent across your company’s network, conversations with the barista at Starbucks, a morning hello to a neighbor, a kiss goodbye to your significant other before heading to work, a text message sent to your son or daughter, ordering a breakfast burrito at your favorite fast food joint, etc…etc.. Each and every transaction in time is recorded or timestamped in some way. Now, since we humans aren’t the best in remembering exact times--we've come to rely on machines to do that work for us. Ask someone what time they left the house yesterday morning for work, and you will most likely get a vague answer of “around 7:30” or “I’m not sure exactly”, but ask your computer what time you sent that tweet or email and you will get a specific response.
So again, how does this apply to Bitcoin or blockchain technology?
Because if you are to view your life as blockchain, it all begins to make more sense. Remember, each interaction you have has in someway been time-stamped, and the only way those transactions or interactions of time can be validated is by others. Others being a machine or program we have chosen to interact with, or by actual human (peer-to-peer) interaction. These systems and people essentially validate our input and output of time, thus creating a block of transactions linked to one another and unable to be undone. For to undo a specific moment of time of your day last week would be completely impossible, since no known time machine exists.
Therefore, to undo a transaction in the bitcoin network would require a sort of time machine due to the enormous amount of computing power it would take to go back and begin digging through and revalidating again the continuously and ever increasing blockchain.
If one WAS able to undo a transaction, they would then have to fight their way back out from all the validated blocks that have now been laid upon them the whole time they were in the network, again validating the transactions over and over again. To do so then quickly becomes a mathematical improbability.
So, do you see how this crazy dream given to me a few nights ago explains how our lives and the blockchain technology are similar?
Whew, that was quite a bit to digest. I hope I was able to present this information clearly. My days are filled with continual study of all things bitcoin, and I'm hoping for more funky dreams in the days ahead. Thanks!!
John Gabriel