I didn't think of the conspiracy theory ...ran across it in an article. But it HAD already struck me that it was odd how the FBI was howling about it publicly. What bothers me is that claiming encryption works while actually being able to crack it is EXACTLY what I would do.
Yep, Cleaver MFs
They're (US authorities and researchers in general) not far off having a working quantum computer, if they don't have one already. Those would pretty much make all existing classical encryption obsolete.
Seems like it'd get messy if there wasn't universal adoption of quantum computing. Maybe it's another MAD for now, Mutual Assured Decryption :)
My first reaction to Comey's speech was that they had their chance to use their power responsibly, but when they chose to vacuum up all the data they could regardless of suspicion of criminal intent, they broke the camel's back and there's not getting the camel back in the oasis (or whatever the right metaphor is).
Quantum computers are a thorny topic. There is the one company that has gotten a lot of press, funded by Google, DARPA and others. Many researchers in the field, however, believe that it is not really a quantum computer at all. Quantum computers may be to the computing world what nuclear fusion is to the energy world. But if someone cranks out a true functioning quantum computer, all current encryption gets broken overnight.
I don't believe that developing such a computer is close to something the government can do in secret though. In fact, i would say the only thing the government has ever done of that scale in secret is the Manhattan Project and that required very special circumstances (namely a media willing to keep anything they knew under wraps and a staff that could never have produced a Snowden because so few people actually wanted the fascists to win).
BTW... a computer is where we store our memories these days. It is, to a very real extent, an extension of our brains.
Have you ever heard the phrase referring to photos "Those are my memories"?
So once I implant a chip in my head to expand my memory, can the government get a warrant to read the data off the implant? Does that seem intrusive? If so, then what's the real difference between a phone that I keep in my pocket?
>memories
Within 10 years, probably less than 5, the tech will be there to scan/read your brain. Along with that, they'll be able to write to it. Currently working on mice.
When knowledge is downloadable, what will happen to humanity?
Robots will be doing the work.
Knowledge will be instant and available.
What will we do with our time? Become human processors for money?
What will we do with our time?
http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/fx-denis-leary-sex-drugs-rock-and-roll-series-1201254956/
Quote from: rcjordan on October 19, 2014, 01:08:58 AM
>memories
Within 10 years, probably less than 5, the tech will be there to scan/read your brain. Along with that, they'll be able to write to it. Currently working on mice.
Exactly. I was thinking along those lines. Just because the government can scan the brain of every person walking in and out of an airport, does that give them the right? People who aren't outraged aren't thinking through the long-term possibilities. Screw Comey.