I don't think he actually did this, but if I wanted to achieve maximum notoriety for my uncrackable secret code I would make it in four increasingly difficult parts but have the last part just be...
I don't think he actually did this, but if I wanted to achieve maximum notoriety for my uncrackable secret code I would make it in four increasingly difficult parts but have the last part just be completely random letters. Then swear up and down that it was solvable for the rest of my life.
He could have also simply made another mistake, like he did in some of the other passages too. But unlike the other minor mistakes, the mistake in the last passage might have been made during the...
He could have also simply made another mistake, like he did in some of the other passages too. But unlike the other minor mistakes, the mistake in the last passage might have been made during the encryption process and so rendered that portion actually unsolvable now. The fact that he has already released several supposedly "solved" words in the final passage as hints, but even with those hints the rest of the passage still hasn't been solved by anyone yet kinda suggests that might be the case, IMO.
And maybe that's why he is waiting until after he dies to release the full "solution" to the final passage... to save himself from publicly admitting to having made a huge mistake. Or having to admit he was trolling everyone. Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Everything about the work makes me think that Jim Sanborn isn't particularly good at making puzzles. I think he is a good artist. I love the fact that the work spans multiple media, that the Morse...
Everything about the work makes me think that Jim Sanborn isn't particularly good at making puzzles. I think he is a good artist. I love the fact that the work spans multiple media, that the Morse code on the slabs actually goes into the material they're mounted in. Using a copper slab is a very cool approach that gives it all a level of permanence.
But just looking at the supposed "intended" solutions it's clear the puzzle wasn't as well thought out as we want it to be. He consulted a cryptographer, but instead he should have consulted a puzzle-maker. There are a few people that specialize in such things.
Yeah, even if the final passage is the result of a mistake, and can't ever be properly unencrypted because of that, I don't think it takes away from it as a piece of art. IMO it's still quite...
Yeah, even if the final passage is the result of a mistake, and can't ever be properly unencrypted because of that, I don't think it takes away from it as a piece of art. IMO it's still quite beautiful, and the story behind it is still intriguing... especially given its location.
If the final passage is unsolvable because of trolling, then that would be pretty epic though. :P
That's definitely my interpretation. I poked around with ciphers for my D&D game and can confirm that it is really easy to make a simple mistake that makes the resulting code uncrackable within...
That's definitely my interpretation. I poked around with ciphers for my D&D game and can confirm that it is really easy to make a simple mistake that makes the resulting code uncrackable within the expected rules.
I haven't watched this video, but I first read about Kryptos in an Uncle John's Bathroom Reader years ago as a kid. The idea of a statue at the CIA headquarters with encrypted messages is...
I haven't watched this video, but I first read about Kryptos in an Uncle John's Bathroom Reader years ago as a kid. The idea of a statue at the CIA headquarters with encrypted messages is fascinating to me, and I'm so glad that the CIA lets the public try their hand at cracking it too.
I don't think he actually did this, but if I wanted to achieve maximum notoriety for my uncrackable secret code I would make it in four increasingly difficult parts but have the last part just be completely random letters. Then swear up and down that it was solvable for the rest of my life.
He could have also simply made another mistake, like he did in some of the other passages too. But unlike the other minor mistakes, the mistake in the last passage might have been made during the encryption process and so rendered that portion actually unsolvable now. The fact that he has already released several supposedly "solved" words in the final passage as hints, but even with those hints the rest of the passage still hasn't been solved by anyone yet kinda suggests that might be the case, IMO.
And maybe that's why he is waiting until after he dies to release the full "solution" to the final passage... to save himself from publicly admitting to having made a huge mistake. Or having to admit he was trolling everyone. Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Everything about the work makes me think that Jim Sanborn isn't particularly good at making puzzles. I think he is a good artist. I love the fact that the work spans multiple media, that the Morse code on the slabs actually goes into the material they're mounted in. Using a copper slab is a very cool approach that gives it all a level of permanence.
But just looking at the supposed "intended" solutions it's clear the puzzle wasn't as well thought out as we want it to be. He consulted a cryptographer, but instead he should have consulted a puzzle-maker. There are a few people that specialize in such things.
Yeah, even if the final passage is the result of a mistake, and can't ever be properly unencrypted because of that, I don't think it takes away from it as a piece of art. IMO it's still quite beautiful, and the story behind it is still intriguing... especially given its location.
If the final passage is unsolvable because of trolling, then that would be pretty epic though. :P
That's definitely my interpretation. I poked around with ciphers for my D&D game and can confirm that it is really easy to make a simple mistake that makes the resulting code uncrackable within the expected rules.
I haven't watched this video, but I first read about Kryptos in an Uncle John's Bathroom Reader years ago as a kid. The idea of a statue at the CIA headquarters with encrypted messages is fascinating to me, and I'm so glad that the CIA lets the public try their hand at cracking it too.
I wonder if AI will be able to crack the code...