[11731] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: unforgeable optical tokens?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (R. A. Hettinga)
Sun Sep 22 20:50:40 2002
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 20:15:36 -0400
To: cryptography@wasabisystems.com
From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah@shipwright.com>
Cc: "David G.W. Birch" <dgw-lists@birches.org>
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Status: RO
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.0.2006
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 14:40:58 +0100
Subject: Re: unforgeable optical tokens?
From: "David G.W. Birch" <dgw-lists@birches.org>
To: Bob Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>,
Digital Bearer Settlement List <dbs@philodox.com>
On 20/9/02 6:09 pm, Perry e-said:
> A couple of places have reported on this:
>
> http://www.nature.com/nsu/020916/020916-15.html
>
> An idea from some folks at MIT apparently where a physical token
> consisting of a bunch of spheres embedded in epoxy is used as an
> access device by shining a laser through it.
I remember being shown a similar system from a Dutch company four or five
years ago. Same idea, except that they were using the alignment of fibres
trapped in the resin (rather than bubbles).
It's an interesting way of making an unforgeable token, but I think its
practical applications are more in brand protection (labels for designer
sunglasses and so on) rather than in cryptography.
Regards,
Dave Birch.
--
-- My own opinion (I think) given solely in my capacity
-- as an interested member of the general public.
--
-- mail dgw(at)birches.org, web http://www.birches.org/dgwb
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--
-----------------
R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
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