From: "Frederick G.M. Roeber" <roeber@netscape.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 07:40:26 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: NSA leak (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SOL.3.95.970719232017.28206B-100000@orion.means.net>
Message-ID: <33DBD82F.392EBAC0@netscape.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> (Actually, for all I know, terawatt power sources may exist; that's 
> out of my field.  Please let me know if this is the case.[)]

I don't know about continuous sources, but the "Star Wars" SDI research
came up with a storage system that could discharge terawatts for
something in the seconds/minutes(/hours?) range.  Basically a large
superconducting coil buried in the ground, it would feed the
ground-based lasers.  Not that this really impacts your analysis..

I suspect the 33 minutes is probably in reference to a dictionary attack
of some sort, rather than an exhaustive keysearch.

However, don't rule out quantum computers.  I think they're doable.. a
few months in an optics lab, maybe I can come up with a cell.

> Unless the Administration has granted a secret Executive Order
> repealing the Laws of Physics for the NSA,

I was at CERN when Clinton was elected and brought in his new
administration.  His DOE head (Hazel O'Leary?) made a speech to a group
of physicists in which she indicated her belief that physical laws
weren't much different than "real" laws.. and that if we found them
troublesome, well, she had access to the folks in DC who could get an
amendment passed.  Stunned silence.

-- 
Frederick G.M. Roeber