Humans are pretty terrible. We've done awful things in the pursuit of power, developing systems and technologies that oppress and exploit in an attempt to make progress. We're certainly moving somewhere quickly, but that doesn't necessarily imply forward motion. We need to think carefully about the technologies we build as they have at least as much opportunity to perpetuate harm as they do to overcome it. Just because we can doesn't mean we should. We'll briefly discuss human systems and use that insight to inform our exploration of the technical details in blockchain ecosystems. That will enable us to collectively assess their value to human society, if they have any at all. By the end of our adventures you will be well prepared to make your own decisions on the technical merits of these decentralized protocols. Our opinions as developers can potentially impact the lives of thousands and we owe it to ourselves to make informed decisions. Seek first to understand.