India not friendly to Bitcoin:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/35are5/btcxindia_closing/Is it possible that a computer science professor that purports to have only an academic interest in a disruptive new technology would spend most of his time obsessing over market moves?
IIRC, during World War II someone proposed to use trained pigeons to steer bombs or rockets towards their targets. The pigeon would see the target through some optical device, and would be trained to poke at the steering controls so as to keep the target on the crosshairs. (I do not remember whether this was actually used, or just proposed.)
I have an academic interest in bitcoin, but the part of the protocol that runs on computers is boring. To me, the interesting part is the one that uses humans, like the trained pigeons above, to keep the computers running the right software -- motivated by the occasional (bit)corn.
Yesterday, for example I was discussing on reddit the ticketing policy of the Satoshi Bus Lines. They have no set ticket prices or reservations. You just buy a ticket with the amout of money that you feel should be enough, and go wait on the platform. When a bus pulls up, the driver looks at the values printed on the tickets and decides which passengers he will take. He is not required to fill all seats, and may even drive off with the bus empty, no matter how many passengers are waiting. If you are not selected, you can just wait for the next bus, or go back to the ticket machine and top up the value to an amount that you hope may be enough to make you attractive for the next driver. If the next driver would have let you ride for much less, "sorry for your loss".
I was told that this system is good because it is free market in action.