Story of Capstone Project
This capstone project consists of a simulation video of a platform and accompanying website that serve as visual responses to my thesis, ‘Blockchain, Behavior, and Commonweal,’ an examination and exploration of how Blockchain technology's principles can positively influence human behavior and commonweal. The platform is a dApp, a “decentralized application.” The video introduces the platform and explains the research in order to help the viewer understand the principles of Blockchain. Furthermore, the video uses an animated simulation of the thesis to show how social problems relating to plastics waste are represented with the principles of Blockchain.
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The research shows the history and use of today's Blockchain technology and identifies three of the fundamental principles and characteristics of Blockchain technology: encryption, open-source and decentralization. This project reflects these three principles and suggests the way to actualize the ideas embedded within.
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I propose the creation of a web platform that contains the visual responses of the thesis research and speculative design project, which shows how to connect all of humanity to a real-time updated online platform that shares information relating to social problems in a given user’s location. Designed to be accessible to everyone (it will be open-source), operated through crowdsourcing (decentralized), these updates will not be allowed to be modified (they will be encrypted) so that anyone in the world can update their current location in real-time and all the posts will be permanent. Experts would update their research progression, and non-professionals would be able to post their own ideas to solve a given social problem. For example, when it comes to plastic pollution, individuals around the world could report issues such as recycling or waste sorting problems at their current location, so one would be able to see and interpret the flow of plastic usage. Experts and government would receive updates instantly, and they would presumably take note or action when the data shows that a social problem in a region needs to be addressed.
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The crowdsourced, encrypted, open-source web platform is not a new idea. There are various web platforms that have a similar concept, for example, citizen.com, trafficview.org, or Breezometer.com. Citizen.com is a real-time crime report website, so we can assess a given location for safety. Trafficview.org offers transit and transportation information. Breezometer.com offers a live map of air quality.
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This idea proposes an ideal system in which the whole of humanity can become a team and work towards our planet’s commonweal. This capstone project will examine both the feasibility and limitations of the proposal idea through a simulated model.
