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Legendary scientist and cryptography pioneer Ralph Merkle joined us to discuss his recent paper on DAOs. Merkle examined how the voting mechanisms in today's democracies are flawed and how a decentralized, transparent DAO making decisions using prediction markets could create more efficient democratic systems.

Topics covered included:

- Merkle proofs, Merkle Roots and his early forays into cryptography

- Blockchains as living organisms

- Why DAOs will be subject to a Darwinian evolutionary process

- Why voting is flawed and we need new governance methods to save democracy

- The concept of a DAO democracy

- How prediction markets and futarchy would help govern a DAO democracy

Links mentioned in this episode:

- Ralph Merkle DAO Democracy Paper [PDF] http://bit.ly/29XR7RG

- Ralph Merkle's Homepage http://bit.ly/2anLaPA

- Ralph Merkle's Wikipedia page http://bit.ly/2am6xE6

- EB98 - Robin Hanson: Futarchy, Prediction Markets http://bit.ly/2aE3djy

- Tim Urban: Why Cryonics Makes Sense http://bit.ly/2akC6MV

- Alcor - Life Extension Foundation http://bit.ly/2a9P7IM

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Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/141

YouTube: http://youtu.be/dvzpvXLbpv4

Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

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