[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.