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1. 🔊 What industry do you work in and what is your role?
2. 🔊 What are your responses in your role / position?
3. 🔊 Can you describe to the function of your workplace / company?
4. 🔊 How many departments, how many offices. National or International?
5. 🔊 What is the Minimum requirements for employment ie Education or Experience?
6. 🔊 How many opportunities are there to ‘move up the ladder’?
7. 🔊 What is the process for changing job roles ie Interview? Test?

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🔊 General discussion about your workweek:

1. 🔊 Current projects? Deadlines? Opportunities?
2. 🔊 Anything of interest happening?

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Before we begin

1. 🔊 Encrypt = convert (information or data) into a code, especially to prevent unauthorized access.
2. 🔊 Cryptography = Cryptography or cryptology is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties called adversaries.
3. 🔊 A blockchain = is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. By design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of the data.
4. 🔊 crypto currencies = a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.

Listening Questions

1. 🔊 Name 4 industries that blockchain has potential use in
2. 🔊 What do people fear about online voting?
3. 🔊 How will blockchain technology affect airlines?

Script

1. 🔊 blockchain, the open source digital ledger is known as the backbone of crypto currencies, but the tech community has been busy finding other innovative ways to apply the technology so let’s take a look at just some of its potential uses
2. 🔊 the first is banking. the existing banking system is complex and often slow due to multiple layers of intermediation, blockchain provides a secure way of sending digital assets without these third parties. not only could this simplify the banking process but it could also open the doors to those with no previous access to financial services.
3. 🔊 next is real estate. without the need for middlemen, this sector could also see vast changes. blockchain can process title deeds, facilitate transactions and even grant access to properties through smart keys. the technology could streamline property sales saving buyers time and money
4. 🔊 in third is legal services. in a similar way to real estate blockchain could disrupt the practice of law through smart contracts, these are legally binding contracts that are written in code so they can be executed exactly as intended.
5. 🔊 next we have online voting. blockchain companies are exploring the potential to digitalize voting systems, the fear of hackers manipulating online votes could be put to rest by encrypted block chains creating a transparent and secure voting system.
6. 🔊 the fifth potential use of blockchain is financial trading. The Nasdaq Stock Exchange announced it would consider blockchain as a means of recording transactions and data, if this system is successful it might be replicated in exchanges across the world.
7. 🔊 next up is food production. blockchain technology can also be used to simplify the way we produce food, tracking goods from farm to fork.  efficiency in the supply chain would mean more profit for companies, improved food safety and fresher produce
8. 🔊 in seventh is air-lines who are exploring the capacity of blockchain to speed up passenger identification and processing it could cut down the amount of time spent in queues and passports could be stored on the ledger itself
9. 🔊 following this is personal identification. blockchain could merge all sources of ID into one open source and secure record this would reduce theft and loss of documentation while protecting the individual’s right to privacy
10. 🔊 the ninth use is music rights, blockchain can be used to improve the rights of producers and musicians in an era of digital streaming the ledger could facilitate instant transmissions of artistic royalties each time a song is played online. And finally the healthcare industry it’s exploring the potential of blockchain in the exchange of data to improve transparency and patient privacy.

Discussion

1. 🔊 Is your company involved in any of the above technologies?
2. 🔊 In what ways could this technology benefit your company / or yourself personally?
3. 🔊 Which industries do you think will be impacted by this technology the most?

Answers

1. 🔊 banking, real estate, legal services, online voting, financial trading, food production, airlines, personal identification, music rights
2. 🔊 Hacking
3. 🔊 speed up passenger identification and processing it could cut down the amount of time spent in queues and passports could be stored on the ledger itself

Keywords

1. 🔊 open source = software which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified.
2. 🔊 digital ledger = a book or other collection of financial accounts.
3. 🔊 backbone = the chief support of a system or organization. / cornerstone / foundation
4. 🔊 innovative = (of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original. (of a person) introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking.
5. 🔊 complex = not easy to analyze or understand; complicated or intricate
6. 🔊 intermediation = Intermediation involves the “matching” of lenders with savings to borrowers who need money by an agent or third party, such as a bank.
7. 🔊 Mediation = intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it.
8. 🔊 digital assets = an item of property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
9. 🔊 third parties = a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation, especially a dispute.
10. 🔊 “open the doors” = introducing a new idea or situation or making something new possible
11. 🔊 middlemen = a person who buys goods from producers and sells them to retailers or consumers. a person who arranges business or political deals between other people.
12. 🔊 sector / section / zone / branch / division / department
13. 🔊 vast/  wide / expansive
14. 🔊 title deeds = a legal deed or document constituting evidence of a right, especially to ownership of property.
15. 🔊 facilitate = make (an action or process) easy or easier.
16. 🔊 streamline = make (an organization or system) more efficient and effective / making simpler
17. 🔊 “in third” = race reference
18. 🔊 executed / finalised / finished / done
19. 🔊 digitalize = use of digital technologies / Digitize = changing from analog to digital
20. 🔊 transparent = (of an organization or its activities) open to public scrutiny. honest, direct, forthright/straightforward[/responsivevoice]
21. 🔊 “as a means of” = using as a method.
22. 🔊 capacity = maximum amount something can hold / ability
23. 🔊 royalties = a sum paid for the use of a patent or to an author or composer for each copy of a book sold or for each public performance of a work.