Last week on the show we had the pleasure of sitting down with scientist, artist, and philosopher Dr. Koert van Mensvoort.  On top of breaking down the concept of Next Nature, Dr. Koert provided us with an insightful perspective on the history of money and the emergence of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin, as many of you may already know, is virtual currency.  Although, as our guest would argue, currency at some level is all virtual in that we all accept that it has value because someone says it has value.  There’s an agreement taking place and it’s one that has taken place for thousands of years.  Brian, Dre, and Dr. Koert were able to sit down and discuss the past, present, and potential future of currency in it’s many forms.

In this clip you see Dr. van Mensvoort explain whether or not Bitcoin is here to stay, the implications of a crypto-currency, and it’s inherent flaws.  He makes an excellent analogy between the two extremes of currency using the classical distinction mind and matter.  As he so eloquently puts it, "Gold currency is the ultimate matter currency.  Bitcoin is the ultimate mind currency.  And what we use now is somewhere in between.”  In the end, whether it’s Bitcoin or something that emerges from it, this form of money begins to take on a life of it’s own and as our co-host suggests, it’s a monetary system that starts to resemble nature more than technology.

In Math we Trust...