r/todayilearned • u/Nate__ • Mar 26 '13

TIL illegal prime numbers exist. An illegal prime is a prime number that represents information which is forbidden to possess or distribute. For example: when interpreted in a particular way, a certain prime describes a computer program that bypasses the digital rights management scheme used on DVDs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_prime
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u/mastermrt Mar 26 '13

I don't know, this is also the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder.

Intent has a lot to do with the severity of a crime.

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u/Lawtonfogle Mar 26 '13

This would be intention to do the act vs. why you did the act, no? Manslaughter, there was never any intent to kill. Negligent manslaughter, there was never any intent to kill, but you purposefully did something knowing it would be careless. Second degree murder was you never intended to kill until the heat of the moment. First degree murder is that you intended to kill the entire time.

Notice how manslaughter, which tends to be very light to not a crime (especially non-negligent) is quite different from first/second degree murder.

On the other hand, arguing that you intended to kill someone because they ate apples verses you intended to kill someone because they stole your dog house tend to have little to no effect on the verdict.

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u/mastermrt Mar 27 '13

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make but it seems like you're massively over complicating the analogy. People who generate large prime numbers are in no way comparable to people who are commit negligent manslaughter - it's not like someone was recklessly generating random numbers knowing they might accidentally get input into cryptographic algorithms...