Stirring a creamy coffee acts similar to bitcoin. In a study published on April 23 at the Academy of Sciences, William Gilpin, Ph.D. student of applied physics at Stanford, described how swirling liquids, like coffee, follow the same principles as transactions with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
The physics involved in the agitation of a liquid operates in the same way as the mathematical functions that ensure digital information. This parallel could help develop even more secure ways to protect digital information.
“Having a real physical model and showing that it is a natural process could open up new ways of thinking about those functions”
Gilpin said.