psemme

On February 2, 2022, at 02:22:22PM ET – I existed.

In the above video, the GPS application on the iPad and the Apple Watch provide 3rd-party verification of my space-time – location (even altitude) + date/time. They are meant to validate that this proof is supported by objective, external data. I, Peter, am actually at this position, at this date/time, writing on the paper.

I was happy with this once I completed it. But I quickly realized that it’s really just a half measure. The viewer is asked to take a leap of faith. Is this external information valid, authentic, true? Is that actually my hand writing my name? The viewer is asked to believe it is so.

For something as simple as this, earning my viewer’s trust is not a tall order. Why would I lie – what would be the point? This proof is, in reality, mainly for me. It is a tagged proof-of-ownership. I, alone, occupied that space-time. I existed right then and there.

However, there is still a gap – both a challenge and an opportunity. How could this video proof be improved such that its authenticity could not be reasonably questioned? What external sources of verification exist that could be relied upon? I found myself considering the lowest tech option available – other humans. We call them notaries. They’ve been used for millennia.

This realization unlocked a cascade of new thoughts and considerations. I imagined that a new type of notary was required – one whose sole purpose was to verify your human existence at a specific space-time. This new role would be an evolution of the traditional notary. It would require new methods and procedures. In my next posts I will attempt to lay out my thinking.