I agree there are an awful lot of bullshit hype solutions, but it's a big mistake to write off everything that isn't pow based in some way becauseof that.
Here's a white paper you may be Interested in. As far as scholarly goes, this is the best iv seen by a long shot. That's likely cos it's written by scholars and industry leaders (it's not hard to tell these guys are in another League). It's not a proper white paper so it's termed a technical reference. if it were. Written like a proper white paper the vast majority wouldn't be able to grasp anything in it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7wAe2jt1MMzYVJhUUFnMHQxZ1U/view?usp=sharingIf you understand the math, or know anyone that would. I'd be very interested to here a review of it.
Also, I said it suggests that it's more secure. No different to saying it floods in India 10 times a year and hasn't flooded in Ireland in 5 years which suggests it rains more in India. Simply an observation and estimation of risk based on historic data. Based on that observation the odds are that it rains more in India than Ireland or that pos is more Secure. Doesn't mean it is, just that the odds are higher that that is the case
It does not appear to be about Proof of Stake.
It looks more as if, like Ripple, a whole different system of consensus was come up with, probably because they realised Proof of Stake was no good so tried to come up with something better.