Transactions have come a long way. In earlier times, transactions involved exchanging physical items present in nature (e.g. sea shells, tulips and the stone wheels of Yap). However, these initial forms of value were not always recognized across boundaries, and some proved to be inferior currencies based on ease of transport and fragility. Over time, standardized currencies, in the form of paper money and coins, began gaining popularity as items of value for transactions. Banks provided a means of safe storage, a step above hiding one's life savings under their mattress. A bank account serve as a unique identifier, linking an individual to their monetary assets where future transactions can be performed through use of a bank card or smartphone. However, this link has gone one step further. Your body, or more specifically your face, is now a unique identifier directly tied to your finances. Introduce Face Pay, a newly installed facial recognition payment system that allows Russian commuters to pay via making eye contact with a camera. Instead of swipe, the new method is stare. Improving payment time reduces time spent at the turnstile, but at what cost. Take your pick: privacy or convenience? Depending on where you live, it might not be that simple. In this episode we discuss Face Pay and what it means for future societies where our physical and digital lives are becoming more interconnected. Humans have evolved from paying with stones and shells, to chip cards, to phones, to one day making daily payments with their eyes and fingerprints. No need for a wallet or a phone. The body may become the ultimate, unique payment machine. 

Dust off your bookshelf and find that used copy of 1984. It's time to listen and learn.