July 20, 2016 - This presentation was featured during the July 20, 2016 live webcast on youtube. The focus of this presentation is on how the blockchain technology, the protocol that underlies and powers bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, will change the future directions of the humanities disciplines, particularly affecting teachers' pedagogy and students' learning habits. The video is available here: [Live Youtube Webcast] "The Blockchain Effect on the Future of the Humanities" (July 20, 2016) https://youtu.be/wdefJ5_t0zQ

1. “TheBlockchainEffecton
theFutureoftheHumanities”
Sherry Jones
The Metagame Book Club (Summer 2016)
http://bit.ly/blockchainhumanities

2. WatchtheLiveWebcastonJuly20,2016!

3. WhatisBlockchain
Technology?

4. ADefinition
Blockchain technology is a type of protocol that secures
data in a ledger like system, where every transaction is
documented, time-stamped, secured, and tracked.
Blockchain is also the underlying protocol that powers
bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are successful
blockchain prototypes.
Many more blockchain prototypes, other than bitcoin, are
currently in development. Interests in blockchain include
anonymity, autonomy, security, and accountability.

5. WhatDoesaBlockchainLookLike?
A Blockchain refers to a series of blocks
that secure information.
A blockchain begins with a genesis block,
the first block that begins the blockchain.
Each block contains a hash value that
represents a proof of work (POW), a type of
function that request work from a service
requester to prove that a work is done.
Each block is connected to a previous block
by referencing the hash value of that
previous block.
Image by Yevgeniy Brikman

6. E3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4
649b934ca495991b7852b855
A hash value is generated by a hash function. Secure Hash Algorithm
2 (SHA 2), created by the NSA, is an example of a set of
cryptographic hash functions used in certain U.S. govt. apps. The
above 64 digit code is a hash value generated by SHA 256 (“”) empty
string.

7. The“firstGenesisBlock” CreatedbySatoshiNakamotoonJan.3,2009.

8. WhatisinaSingleBlockofaBlockchain?(1of2)
“Prev_Hash: hash value of previous block. The purpose is to chain all blocks
together.”
“Tx_root: root hash value of a hash tree (w:merkle tree) over all
transactions.”
“Timestamp: creation time of block, as seen by block creator. The timestamp is
checked by other clients and must be within a certain window (tolerates small
clock skews).”
“Nonce: any number to make sure the resulting hash value of this block is
below the target hash value. The Nonce is a 32 bit number and the 2^32 number
space is exhausted during mining within less than a second.”
-- Matthäus Wander

9. WhatisinaSingleBlockofaBlockchain?(2of2)
Image by Matthäus Wander

10. Publicvs.PrivateKeys
Image from Stack Exchange Forum
Each blockchain address is encrypted and
secured by two keys, which act like
passwords for authenticating a blockchain.
In terms of bitcoins, keys are used to
validate a transaction, which is an
authorization to transfer value between
wallets:
1. Public Key = Used to encrypt a
transaction.
2. Private Key = Owner/Access key used to
decrypt a transaction.
Secure?: Private keys are never published to
the public blockchain.
Caveat: If lost, a key is unrecoverable.

11. BlockchainDistribution
A blockchain is distributed
via a network of servers.
Each server, or node,
carries the same copy of the
blockchain being
distributed.
Blockchain data is
repeatedly verified via
mining: If 20 nodes exist in
a network, then all 20 nodes
will carry the exact same
copy of the blockchain (with
miners verifying).
Ex. Bitnodes show reachable
global bitcoin nodes
(servers of miners).

12. This
Illustration by
Mark Montgomery
shows how
blockchain/
bitcoin creates
a “trust-based
system.”

13. This Illustration
by Razor Mind
shows why
changing a
information in a
blockchain will
be less common,
as changes are
quite expensive.

14. PanelViewpoints1:
Reflectionson
BlockchainDesign

15. PossibleFutureof
Blockchain
Technology

16. PossibleBlockchainUseinVariousSectors
Infographic by
IntelligentHQ.com
and Blockchainage.
com

17. BlockchainAstheNewLanguageoftheWeb
“Today, we’re saying blockchain does this or that, but tomorrow blockchains
will be rather invisible; we will talk more about what they enable. Just like
the Internet or the Web, and just like data-bases, the blockchain brings with
it a new language.
From the mid-1950s forward, as IT evolved, we became accustomed to a new
language: mainframes, databases, networks, servers, software, operating
systems, and programming languages. Since the early 1990s, the Internet
ushered in another lexicon: browsing, website, Java, blogging, TCP/IP, SMTP,
HTTP, URLs, and HTML. Today, the blockchain brings with it yet another new
repertoire: consensus algorithms, smart contracts, distributed ledgers,
oracles, digital wallets, and transaction blocks.”
-- William Mougayar (May 11, 2016)

18. BlockchainastheRecordandTransferrerofValue
“Blockchain technology (the secure distributed ledger
software that underlies cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin)
connotes the Internet II: the transfer of value, as a clear
successor position to the Internet I: the transfer of
information. This means that all human interaction regarding
the transfer of value, including money, property, assets,
obligations, and contracts could be instantiated in
blockchains for quicker, easier, less costly, less risky,
and more auditable execution.”
-- Melanie Swan | The Edge (2016)

19. BlockchainastheCallforAccountability
“At its most fundamental level, a blockchain is a string of
securely linked data blocks serving as a time-stamped
digital history of, well, pretty much anything. In an era
where the fluid nature of the internet can be used to alter
and rewrite even the most obscure of facts, blockchain
meticulously documents every transaction and distributes
that cryptographic data across decentralized nodes.”
-- Rob Marvin | PC Magazine (June 3, 2016)

20. BlockchainasObserverofCryptocitizenAuthorities
“Cryptocitizen sensibility and the blockchain news of the
new invite the possibility of our greater exercise of
freedom and autonomy, and rethinking authority. In a Crypto
Copernican turn, we can shift the assumed locus of authority
from being outside ourselves in external parties to instead
residing within our own self. This is the Enlightenment that
Kant was after, an advance not just in knowledge but also in
authority-taking.”
-- Melanie Swan | The Edge (2016)

21. PanelViewpoints2:
Ethical
Considerationsof
BlockchainDesign

22. PossibleBlockchain
Effectsonthe
Humanities:
1. CanonProblem

23. WhatistheCanonProblem?
● Since the 1960s, critical theorists, critical race
theorists, feminists, marxists, and other humanities
scholars have been engaging in a debate about the
academic canon problem.
● The “canon” refers to a selection of texts that scholarly
authorities deem important due to the texts’ historical
influence (whether in western or eastern canons).
● Non-canonical texts are often ignored/not assigned.
● Less known authors are often ignored/not assigned as
subjects of study.

24. Jan. 22, 2016
chart by Quartz
shows the top 10
texts assigned
by the top ten
U.S. colleges
(data from the
Open Syllabus
Project). All
authors listed
are male.

25. MoreExamplesoftheCanonProblem
● Ex. Majority of assigned philosophy texts are written by male
philosophers (ex. Slavoj Žižek’s political texts are assigned
more than Judith Butler’s). See “Why Do Women Leave Philosophy”
by Thompson, Adelberg, Sims, and Nahmias (Mar. 2016).
● Ex. Some scholars consider Chinese philosophy texts to be
religious texts, or lack western logic, and thus omit Chinese
philosophy from study. See “What’s Missing in College Philosophy
Classes, Chinese Philosophy” by Eric Schwitzgebel (Sep. 11,
2015).
● Ex. More experimental poetics study is devoted to E. E. Cumming’
s postmodern syntactical form than to Matsuo Basho’s haikai no
renga form.

26. PossibleBlockchainSolutionstotheCanonProblem
● Scholars can create blockchains documenting authors who are not
considered in the western or eastern canon, thereby recommending
new authors for study.
● Solving the Wikipedia Problem - Networks of scholars can create
blockchain ledgers of the lifetime works by or about less known
authors, whose works often are incompletely documented on
Wikipedia (contributors document authors based on popularity).
● Blockchains become “new authorities,” countering the authority
of the academic canon.
● Impact on Humanities: Educators can expand humanities studies
through hundreds of blockchain canons.

27. PossibleBlockchain
Effectsonthe
Humanities:
2.OERIPProblem

28. WhatisanOER?WhatisanOERIP?
● Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational texts
and materials published to be openly accessible by the
public, for the purpose of promoting free culture and
open exchange of knowledge.
● OERs can be published as Creative Commons or Public
Domain. Ex. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International = Work can be distributed internationally;
distribution requires citation; no derivative works can
be made; work cannot be used for commercial purposes.
● Due to concerns over IP, authorship, and citation, many
educators resist publishing OERs.

29. ResistancetoPublishingOERs
Some educators resist publishing works as OERs, for fear that OERs:
● Would be more likely plagiarized.
● That carry CC license would not be properly observed/cited once
published as OA. Ex. Making a derivative based on a scholar’s
work when CC 4.0 non-derivative license is clearly stated on the
work.
● Would not be published as Open Access (OA) OERs by certain
publication platforms. Ex. College LOR systems block OERs.
● Would not be permanently saved on a publication platform, which
carries the risk of being shut down or hacked.
● Would cost too much money to be published as OERs. See Gold Open
Access (OA)as explained by Peter Suber.

30. Some scholars
are concerned
about not
earning OER
citation counts
on Google
Scholar, which
does not track
OERs.

31. TheDissertations+ResearchIPProblem
● Intellectual property rights of dissertations and research projects are
usually co-owned by the research institution and the author, for a
specific period of time (or indefinitely).
● Institutions hold research IP to ensure that research will be shared with
the academic community (and not be removed by the author).
● Authors who wish to publish their dissertations or research projects as OA
will have to wait until institution’s contract of ownership over research
IP expires.
● Ex. “Dartmouth College Data Retention Policy” (3 Years)
● Ex. University of Minnesota - “Research Data Management: Archiving,
Ownership, Retention, Security, Storage, and Transfer” (University Has
Ownership Outright)
● Ex. “Harvard University Data Retention Policy” (7 Years; University
Retains IP)

32. PossibleBlockchainSolutionstoOERIPProblem(1of2)
Scholars, educators, and students can create blockchains to:
● Document OERs to maintain permanence and traceability of works.
● Recognize the OERs as intellectual property (IP) of specific
authors and/or entities.
○ Ex. Each OER is published with a hash value, and is stored
on a block of a blockchain. The “header” of each block
carries the owner’s public and private keys. Whenever
someone attempts to “copy” an OER saved on a blockchain,
their “copy” will also carry the hash value of the original
OER. The origin of the block will be verified and shown in
all “copies” of the same block. Ownership is thus enforced.

33. PossibleBlockchainSolutionstoOERIPProblem(2of2)
Scholars, educators, and students can create blockchains to:
● Document dissertations and research projects as co-owned by
research institutions and authors, so that the authors can
publish works as OA while giving credit to research institution.
● Claim and maintain authorship and/or ownership over a piece of
work no matter how many copies of that work exist; acts of
plagiarism would be automatically discovered/eliminated when all
works carry a unique, hash value.
● Support self-publication of works, with no fear of IP loss.

34. PanelViewpoints3:
Ethical
Considerationsof
Blockchaininthe
Humanities

35. PossibleBlockchain
Effectsonthe
Humanities:
3.CitationStyles

36. PossibleBlockchainEffectsonDocumentationStyles
With the introduction of blockchain technology, it is very
likely that various research documentation styles, such as
MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, CMS, etc., will require students
to add hash values to their papers, so that the papers can
be later certified and tracked on the institution’s private
blockchain.
A virtual “notary public” blockchain prototype for tracking
documents already exists! Let’s take a look at the site,
“Proof of Existence.”

37. Proof of
Existence
(Add Hash
Value to
Writing)

38. PossibleBlockchain
Effectsonthe
Humanities:
4.Portfolios

39. TheHumanitiesPortfolioProblem
● Many college students, particularly those in the humanities, are
required to publish their essays and projects on an online
portfolio.
● Some fear that their works will be plagiarized or publicly
critiqued.
● Others cannot share their portfolio with potential employers if
the portfolio is owned and secured by the institution.
● Documenting art objects in a portfolio, such as a physical
creative art installation, a slam poetry session, or a virtual
interactive fiction piece, is limited to URL linking or photos.
● There is no guarantee that the IP rights of published works will
be observed.

40. PossibleBlockchainSolutionstoHumanitiesPortfolios
● The IoT/IoE developers, such as IBM, is currently considering
how to employ blockchain to document all IoT objects.
● Humanities students could turn physical art installations into
IoTs, and assign a hash value to the IoTs.
● They can store both IoT and virtual object hash values on a
single, private blockchain.
● Certain virtual objects are far too big in size to be stored on
a blockchain (as a single block usually carries about 20 bytes
of data without embed); it is possible to store virtual objects
on a Distributed Hash Table (DHT), a type of peer-to-peer
network, and use hash values to reference to the blockchain as
proof of ownership.

42. PanelViewpoints4:
ClosingThoughtson
Blockchaininthe
Humanities

43. Presentationby:
Sherry Jones
Philosopher | Educator | Game Designer
http://about.me/sherryjones
Access Slides
http://bit.ly/blockchainhumanities