"There's a natural inclination to believe humans or structures are the problem, that if we just wrote software that made things run automatically and such malfeasance impossible, then we would end up in some gorgeous world. I think there's a lot to that concept, but you don't need to turn the keys over to the algorithms to make that happen."

'"Brian Behlendorf

Distributed Dialogues is a collaborative show between the Let's Talk Bitcoin Network and Distributed magazine. In each episode we introduce you to people who are using blockchain technology to change the way we interact with the world around us.

Blockchain technology has catapulted us into a fast-paced technological present of rapid software development and industry disruption. It seems like everyday a new project is proposing greater efficiency or protection for some aspect of our lives: healthcare, privacy, data storage, the list goes on. But at the same time, the role of the human, the developer, the citizen, is more significant than ever. Blockchain technology promises a more accountable future; however, if managed incorrectly, it could also make more room for digital tyranny. So, today's episode explores the various ways that people and organizations plan to use blockchain technology to do social good, without solely leaving control to algorithms.

In this episode we hear from a human rights activist, Alex Gladstein, and an early internet software pioneer, Brian Behlendorf, about how blockchain technology could check and balance power. In between, we talk with Flux, an open source blockchain-based project that is trying to revolutionize agriculture.

This episode is sponsored by Flux.

Music by Ocean Jams via Creative Commons.