Lunchtime Talks are a series of informal presentations at Watershed's Pervasive Media Studio. They normally take place at 13:00 on a Friday, are free and are open to everybody who is interested in what they do. Come along, bring a sandwich, and get to know more about the Studio community, current and up-coming projects, or residents' work.

Fascinated by the debate surrounding digital currency Bitcoin and other blockchain-based systems such as Ethereum, Studio resident Tim Kindberg decided to take a sceptical look. While there is technology at the heart of blockchain, it is deeply political and can only be understood in the additional light of economics and social theory. 

In this talk Tim will argue that blockchain does not meet its goals and examine the evidence that 'mining' blockchain is a significant accelerator of climate change. Nonetheless, it is a genuinely innovative experiment and raises the question of what can be salvaged from it. 

Tim has written extensively about Blockchain on his blog. 

The Pervasive Media Studio is located within the Watershed building. Let us know if you'd like a tour and we'll be happy to show you around. Send an email to studio@watershed.co.uk

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