Comment Chaocipher and chaos theory post... (Score 1) 121
I've just put up a follow-up Chaocipher post which discusses the parallels between Byrne's cryptography and chaos theory, if you're interested. :-)
Submission + - The secrets of the Chaocipher finally revealed! (ciphermysteries.com)
nickpelling2 writes: In 1918, John F. Byrne invented a truly amazing cipher system called "The Chaocipher", that fitted inside a small cigar box, could be operated by a ten-year-old, yet produced practically unbreakable ciphertext (arguably even stronger than the Nazi Enigma machine). But now, thanks to the efforts of Chaocipher fan Moshe Rubin and the generous gift of Byrne's cryptographic effects by his daughter-in-law Pat Byrne to the National Cryptologic Museum, the secrets of the Chaocipher are finally starting to be revealed — it's a great story.
To accompany Moshe Rubin's excellent textual description of the Chaocipher, I've posted a 30-second animation of the Chaocipher in action to YouTube, just in case anyone wants to see the most devious cipher of the 20th century in action (sort of). :-)
To accompany Moshe Rubin's excellent textual description of the Chaocipher, I've posted a 30-second animation of the Chaocipher in action to YouTube, just in case anyone wants to see the most devious cipher of the 20th century in action (sort of).
Comment Re:Debunked almost a year ago (Score 1) 320
That's my blog: I've been documenting Edith Sherwood's amazing (but wobbly) Voynich claims for the last few years, such as:-
(1) That a very young Leonardo da Vinci wrote it
Problem: LdV was left-handed, while the Voynich Ms was written by a right-hander. D'oh!
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2008/01/25/mona-lisa-overkill
(2) That she has managed to decode the Voynich plants
Problem: her botany and history both seem thin (if not actually transparent). Duh!
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2008/09/13/edith-sherwoods-voynich-plants
(3) That the VMs is anagrammed, as evidenced by the unreadable marginalia on the back page
Problem: this is just optimistic rubbish, based on her reading of the third letter. Drat! See the above link as well as:-
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2009/04/11/a-guide-to-leonardo-da-vincis-handwriting
Honestly, why does she keep posting up this stuff? And (perhaps more interestingly) why does she keep promoting it via Google Adwords? Given that she must have spent thousands of dollars by now, perhaps she's planning to write an amazing "The-Voynich-was-by-Leonardo" book? All nonsensical grist for the long-suffering Voynich mill, I'm afraid. :-(
(1) That a very young Leonardo da Vinci wrote it
Problem: LdV was left-handed, while the Voynich Ms was written by a right-hander. D'oh!
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2008/01/25/mona-lisa-overkill
(2) That she has managed to decode the Voynich plants
Problem: her botany and history both seem thin (if not actually transparent). Duh!
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2008/09/13/edith-sherwoods-voynich-plants
(3) That the VMs is anagrammed, as evidenced by the unreadable marginalia on the back page
Problem: this is just optimistic rubbish, based on her reading of the third letter. Drat! See the above link as well as:-
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2009/04/11/a-guide-to-leonardo-da-vincis-handwriting
Honestly, why does she keep posting up this stuff? And (perhaps more interestingly) why does she keep promoting it via Google Adwords? Given that she must have spent thousands of dollars by now, perhaps she's planning to write an amazing "The-Voynich-was-by-Leonardo" book? All nonsensical grist for the long-suffering Voynich mill, I'm afraid.
