[pat2man]

There are alt coins that try to address this. Prime coin is a good example, the algorithm used in mining is trying to find new prime numbers.

[billyhoffman]

This only holds true if you believe that finding new colossal prime numbers is a good use of time/power.

Given the application of new primes is far less than, say, sending humans to live on the mars, I imagine the vast majority of people would not.

[lutusp]

> Given the application of new primes is far less than, say, sending humans to live on the mars ...

Yes, but researching primes is way, way less expensive than sending humans to the Red Planet. It's all about cost versus benefit. As one example, some mathematicians think the Riemann Zeta function might reveal something basic about primes, and if so, it would be well worth our time spent studying it, and primes in general.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riemann_zeta_function

[billyhoffman]

I get what you are saying. And I think primes research may be a good thing. But to say, all the heat and power and physical hardware waste of Bitcoin/altcoin mining is offset even somewhat by the helping primes research is kind of silly.

I could say that my handling and use of physical dollar bills could help microbiologists understand how organisms can spread. Technically true, but of dubious value at best.

[pat2man]

Well it all depends on whether someone out there is trying to solve prime numbers on a computer already. If so we kill two birds with one stone.

[tinkerrr]

Primecoin has nothing to do with finding new prime numbers. It does NOT find new prime numbers, but only finds 'chains of prime numbers'. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primecoin