John Newman jnn at synfin.org Fri Dec 22 15:48:27 PST 2017

proof of work calculation do something useful It is useful, it is the transaction that pays you the reward. It is hashed by the previous cracker, added to the other transactions, and you have to crack it. Once you do, you hash a new one for the next block of transactions.

It could be decrypting messages tho.

folding proteins Games do good things. Foldit: wikipedia.org/wiki/Foldit But the credit should go to Dr. Erik Demaine at MIT and his father, Martin Demaine, for their work on the math behind the folding and inspiring the game concept.

Burning carbon Makes the earth greener. Which increases the Oxygen saturation of the mixture of gases you call air.

an awful waste Etherium, and some others, use Proof of Stake, which might be interesting to you. I think any computational process works, like gaming and watching movies, iirc.

We are baking the earth quickly enough, aren't we? We aren't. The earth was many degrees warmer in the middle ages. There is an increase in oscillation with a decrease in temperature. We are headed into another ice age.

Also, China, India, and Africa cause the most pollution. Especially the actual shit into the ocean. Something like the 10 most polluting rivers that flow into the ocean are in those countries. express.co.uk/news/world/891361/Plastic-waste-pollution-90-per-cent-rivers-India-China-Africa And pic related.

feeling foolish now Don't. You used it like a currency, which is it's intention, specifically "cash-like". You should be proud. Buy in at the dip. Put half in flux and sit on the rest. Get at least a coin or two, ten is better, so you don't have to do the sharé̩blue gig forever.

Joyful Yuletide to you and your family, John.