[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Speculative Mode for KeyIDs of all zeroes



Colin Plumb has an amusing quote in the bignum library, where another
algorithm is used that has a failure probability:

"The chances that another Dinosaur Killer asteroid will land today is
about 10^-11 or 2^-36, so it would be better to spend your time worrying
about *that*."

This is assuming that such asteroids hit Earth every billion years or so.
It also assumes that they aren't detectable in advance, which according to
a documentary I saw recently about the late Dr. Gene Shoemaker, is
correct.

Hal