The Computer in the Sky - Blockchain Protocols and Digital Ownership

Explore a thought-provoking colloquium lecture where Professor Tim Roughgarden, a distinguished computer scientist from Columbia University and Founding Head of Research at a16z crypto, delves into the concept of Turing-complete blockchain protocols like Ethereum as a "computer in the sky." Learn how these protocols create an open-access, transparent computing environment that operates without centralized ownership or control. Discover the interdisciplinary challenges of building such systems, drawing from distributed computing, cryptography, algorithmic game theory, mechanism design, macroeconomics, finance, and political science. Understand how this technology enables unprecedented digital ownership rights and examine Professor Roughgarden's contributions to the field and their practical applications. The lecture, delivered by an acclaimed academic whose numerous accolades include the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award and the Gödel Prize, offers valuable insights into the intersection of computer science and economics.