One approach to achieving this goal is through the use of zero-knowledge protocols. These protocols allow parties to prove that they know something without actually revealing what that knowledge is. This can be incredibly powerful, particularly in situations where sensitive data is involved.

So, how do zero-knowledge protocols work? At their core, these protocols rely on a concept called "proof of knowledge." Proof of knowledge is a mathematical construct that allows a party to demonstrate that they know a certain piece of information, without actually revealing what that information is.

To understand this concept, let's consider a simple example. Imagine that you and I both know a secret number, but we don't want to reveal what that number is to each other. We could use a zero-knowledge protocol to prove to each other that we know the number, without actually revealing what it is.

Here's how it would work. First, we would agree on a formula for computing a value based on our secret number. For example, we could agree that the value is the square of the secret number. Next, I would select a random number and compute the corresponding value using the agreed-upon formula. I would then send this value to you.

Now, it's your turn to prove you know the secret number. You would select a random number as well and compute the corresponding value using the same formula. You would then send this value back to me.

At this point, I would compare the value you sent me to what I computed earlier. If the two values match, then I can be sure that you know the secret number, because the only way to compute the value is by knowing the secret number. However, because we both used random numbers, neither of us actually revealed what the secret number is.

This is a very basic example, but it illustrates the basic principle of zero-knowledge protocols. By using a carefully constructed proof of knowledge, we can prove that we know something without actually revealing what that something is.

Zero-knowledge protocols have a wide range of applications, from online authentication to cryptocurrency transactions. In fact, many cryptocurrencies, including Zcash and Monero, rely on zero-knowledge protocols to provide enhanced privacy and security.

While zero-knowledge protocols are potent, they are also quite complex. They rely on advanced mathematical concepts and can be difficult to implement correctly. However, as the importance of data privacy and security continues to grow, it is likely that we will see more and more use of zero-knowledge protocols in a wide range of applications.

While the planet does have an average surface temperature of nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit (500 degrees Celsius), there's an exoplanet just 40 light-years away from Earth that has a surface temperature a scorching three times hotter: 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius). Now, new data has led scientists to develop a theory of how this "hell planet" came to be. 

With a mass about eight times that of our planet, the rocky exoplanet 55 Cancri e (shortened to 55 Cnc e and formally called Janssen) is considered a super-Earth, but its surface conditions couldn't be more different from those we enjoy. Janssen orbits its star, called 55 Cancri or Copernicus, at a distance of just 1.4 million miles (2.4 million kilometers), making the planet's year just 18 hours long. By comparison, Mercury orbits about 36 million miles (58 million km) away from the sun. That proximity, of course, is what makes 55 Cancri e so hot — hot enough that the surface of the planet is an ocean of lava and its interior may be filled with diamonds.

Because of Janssen's tight orbit, astronomers have had difficulty studying the planet. But using data from the new Extreme Precision Spectrometer (EXPRES) at the Lowell Observatory's Lowell Discovery Telescope in Arizona, astronomers have for the first time been able to determine the planet's orbital plane, influencing their theory for how the planet formed.

Unlike the other planets in the system, Janssen orbits around Copernicus' equator. Researchers now believe the planet initially formed in a more distant — and thus cooler — location, then was later pulled into its current orbit by Copernicus' gravity.

"We've learned about how this multi-planet system — one of the systems with the most planets that we've found — got into its current state," Lily Zhao, an astrophysicist at the Flatiron Institute in New York and lead author of a new study on the observations, said in a statement.

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The research into Janssen could unveil new discoveries about the formation and movement of planetary systems, which in turn could help scientists determine whether or not life might exist elsewhere in the universe. And that's exactly what the team plans to study next.

"We're hoping to find planetary systems similar to ours and to better understand the systems that we do know about," said Zhao.