The Center for the Economics of Ideas believes in the importance of digital authenticity. To trust in ideas, we need to know where they come from. The center is developing three tools that allow for accessible and efficient use of digital signatures.

A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism that verifies the author of a document and confirms it has not been altered since the time of the signature. Digital signatures rely on public-key cryptography, where each party has a pair of mathematically related keys: a public key that is shared openly and a secret key that only the party knows. A signature is created with the author’s secret key and verified with their public key. Digital signatures are routinely used to certify authenticity during web connections, email, and banking transactions. Through tools that make the implementation of digital signatures easier, people can share and read documents with confidence.

For those who simply want to verify a document, the center is creating Cleat. While Anchor provides full functionality for creating and storing keys and signing documents, Cleat focuses solely on verification. Gennaker will have the ability to verify an author’s signature, but Cleat will be offered separately for those who do not want to be restricted to the Gennaker ecosystem. 

The center is also developing a public key registry, a website where users can easily find an individual’s verified public keys. A center developer is constructing the site with the utmost security to ensure that the user’s identity is verified through multi-factor means of authentication before they can upload their public key to the registry for others to look up. Anchor and Cleat will automatically connect to the public key registry to find the author’s public key and use it to verify a document for the user.

The public key registry site has been built and tested internally by the center’s developers. The next step is to create and configure the servers to host the registry. Romer has been working with center developers to construct a secure and efficient server configuration that will safely hold users’ sensitive data and protect it in the case of a breach.

At a time when misinformation and disinformation are rampant, as well as malware and other cybersecurity threats, the center is motivated to create tools that will help people find and share trustworthy information.

Gennaker works with JupyterLab, a web-based environment that hosts Jupyter Notebooks, various other file types, and a computer terminal. Jupyter Notebooks are documents that incorporate exposition and interactive code, and they are ideal for sharing ideas both in and out of the classroom.

Gennaker aims to ease the setup and transition from text-based to code-based communication. As a standalone app, it runs the JupyterLab interface with no additional setup, thus easing the process for beginning programmers. Users can create, download, and share projects, which are self-contained collections of files with their own environments, libraries, customizations, and restrictions. A daunting task for beginner programmers or those without technical backgrounds is the setup required for a complex environment. Gennaker handles that for users.

Romer has developed the app’s complex organization, and a center programmer is responsible for the clean and intuitive graphical user interface. Using Python and the Qt application development framework, Romer and center members have built a robust and secure app. The interface is simple, yet it encourages users to take advantage of all that Gennaker has to offer.

To establish trust between the author and reader, Gennaker utilizes the interactive code functionality of JupyterLab. A reader can run the exact code that the author provides, thus allowing the user to fully understand and verify the author’s claims. Additionally, the reader can alter the code, experiment with it, and expand upon the author’s work. The interactive code not only supports verification, but also encourages deeper learning and exploration by the reader.

A center software engineer is responsible for the mechanisms that allow users to customize their JupyterLab environments with extensions. Extensions add features to the JupyterLab interface. Examples include spellchecking with custom dictionaries, code snippets, and syncing settings files. Extensions allow each project’s environment to be unique and customized to the user’s needs.

Gennaker is currently in the final stages of development and soon will be deployed in Romer’s class, Digital Self Defense With Python. Romer plans to use Gennaker to distribute course material to his class, including both written exposition and interactive code. Students will be able to explore the code and provide feedback on the Gennaker environment. Next semester, Romer plans to extend Gennaker’s use with both in-person classes and the self-paced course, “Managing Your Files.”

Romer and David J. Mastrocola Dean’s Faculty Fellow Sam Ransbotham have developed TrySail, a new app designed to make learning coding fast, intuitive, and accessible. As people navigate a world shaped by AI and automation, understanding how technologies and algorithms work is becoming essential across roles. The Center for the Economics of Ideas is committed to lowering barriers to this knowledge by creating tools that simplify the learning process and help individuals build foundational technical literacy.

Reducing Barriers to Entry: For many beginners, the hardest part of learning to code isn’t the logic; it’s the setup. Installing Python, configuring an environment, installing a code editor, and managing libraries often confuse and frustrate early learners, derailing progress before they ever write a line of code. TrySail removes this friction by packaging Python, common libraries, and a full-featured editor into one seamless app. As a result, a new learner can write their first “Hello world!” program in under five minutes.

Supporting Learning: Beyond simplifying setup, TrySail offers real‑time support as users write and execute code. The app displays variable values, explains what is happening line by line, and highlights key programming concepts as they occur. These features help learners move beyond syntax toward developing a conceptual understanding of how programs work. TrySail helps learners solve functional, emotional, and social problems by helping them learn to code faster, increasing their confidence with algorithms, and encouraging them to participate in an increasingly technology-based world.

Jernigan shared that her 30 students responded positively to using TrySail in the classroom and that she found it simple and effective to teach with. “It just worked,” she noted. “It deals with the packages and setup that we normally have to worry about.” She particularly appreciates how TrySail runs one line of code at a time and provides users with an explanation of what each line is doing: “It helps them understand how each line contributes to the whole program.” Jernigan is excited to continue using TrySail in her courses in the fall.

Jernigan’s teaching assistant also shared her positive experience with TrySail. She explained that TrySail allows students to focus on the code they are learning, rather than the setup for their device. “Less time is spent dealing with issues about software, so there is more time for questions and discussions about the code.” Students are able to devote their time and attention to the coding language and processes, rather than setting up a confusing program.

Reaching Learners Beyond Campus: While TrySail is already enhancing the learning experience for Boston College students, its impact can extend far beyond campus. Millions of workers, career‑changers, and lifelong learners around the world now need a practical understanding of algorithms and coding to remain competitive and engage thoughtfully with AI‑driven tools. By removing technical barriers and providing built-in guidance, TrySail enables anyone to build the skills needed in an economy where digital fluency is increasingly a prerequisite for opportunity.