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SUMMARY:Cracking the Cipher Challenge - Dr Simon Singh
DTSTART:20061031T200000Z
DTEND:20061031T210000Z
UID:TALK5695@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Cong Cong Bo
DESCRIPTION:In "The Code Book"\, a history of cryptography\, the author Si
 mon Singh included ten encrypted messages with a prize of £10\,000 for th
 e first person or team to decipher all of them. Thousands of amateur and p
 rofessional codebreakers took up the Cipher Challenge\, but it took over a
  year before the messages were cracked. Simon Singh will be talking about 
 how he constructed the Cipher Challenge and how the winners eventually cra
 cked it. He will also be using the Cipher Challenge to give an introductio
 n to the history of  cryptography and to demonstrate why encryption is mor
 e important today than ever before. In particular\, he will discuss what t
 he Cipher Challenge can teach us about Internet security and he will be de
 monstrating a genuine Second World War Enigma cipher machine.\n\nSince stu
 dying physics at Cambridge\, Simon Singh has been a TV director\, author a
 nd broadcaster. He directed on both Tomorrow's World and Horizon\, and his
  books include Fermat's Last Theorem\, The Code and Big Bang. Next year he
  will be presenting a series on particle physics for BBC Radio Four.
LOCATION:Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre\, Department of Chemistry\, 
 Lensfield Road
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