logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
8m 12s

How Does Historical Cryptology Work?

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

To crack ciphers written centuries ago, historical cryptologists have to be half artist, half accountant, and use some of the most powerful computing tools known today. Learn how a team cracked Mary, Queen of Scots's code in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/math-concepts/historical-cryptologists.htm

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Feb 23
How Did the Penn Center Become a Civil Rights Sanctuary?
In South Carolina, the first school for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War shifted to become a center for social activism during the Civil Rights movement, and stands today as a landmark of African American culture and history. Learn more about the Penn Center in this ... Show More
9m 53s
Feb 21
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Cramming the Worst Way to Study?
Cramming for a test or other deadline may give you decent short-term results, but research shows it sacrifices long-term comprehension and memory. Learn why study methods like spacing and interleaving are better in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https: ... Show More
5m 55s
Feb 20
How Can We Separate Ninja Fact from Ninja Fiction?
Over a few hundred years, real stories about secretive agents developed into the legend of the ninja. Learn how this myth captured the world's imagination -- and about the work being done at the world's first International Ninja Research Center -- in this episode of BrainStuff, b ... Show More
7m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Comment décrypter un texte codé ? - Entretien avec George Lasry
<p>Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour ! </p><p>Il y a quelques mois au moment de la sortie de cet épisode, une actualité historique a fait grand bruit : un ensemble de lettres codées écrites par la reine d’Écosse Marie Stuart et conservées à la BNF ont été décryptées ! À cette ... Show More
4m 37s
Oct 2020
Episode 2: Breaking Lightweight Symmetric Cryptography!
Aside from working on a competition for standardizing post-quantum primitives, the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, has also organized a lightweight cryptography competition meant to attract designs for symmetric primitives, such as hash func ... Show More
34m 24s
Oct 2018
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Ponders an Enigma
What was the Enigma machine? What is a cipher? How did the Enigma machine work? Join Chris and Jonathan to learn more about cryptography. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
37m 43s
Sep 2012
Codes! Axis Cryptography in World War II
<p>In this special episode co-hosted by TechStuff's Jonathan Strickland, the focus is on the codes, cipher machines, and cryptologists of World War II. Tune in to learn more about the Enigma Machine, Alan Turing, Code Talkers and more.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices ... Show More
45m 47s
Aug 2022
Cryptocurrency
If you feel confused and left behind by cryptocurrency then this is for you. We're taking you on a journey through the strange history of cryptocurrency. Why and how does it exist? It turns out this history isn’t so much about clever codes as good old-fashioned politics. Our guid ... Show More
48m 35s
Nov 2019
Cryptographers, quantum computers and the war for information | Craig Costello
In this glimpse into our technological future, cryptographer Craig Costello discusses the world-altering potential of quantum computers, which could shatter the limits set by today’s machines -- and give code breakers a master key to the digital world. See how Costello and his fe ... Show More
16m 19s
Dec 2020
Episode 10: Exploiting Authenticated Encryption Key Commitment!
Authenticated encryption such as AES-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305 is used in a wide variety of applications, including potentially in settings for which it was not originally designed. A question given relatively little attention is whether an authenticated encryption scheme guarante ... Show More
46m 34s
Jun 2022
Can Computers Be Mathematicians?
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">How do you teach mathematics to an artificial intelligence? AI has already bested humans at various problem-solving tasks, including games like chess and Go. But before any task can be tackled by a machine, it must be reinterpreted as  directions ... Show More
32m 50s
Mar 2023
The quantum revolution: Q-Day
<p>In the cybersecurity world they call it Q-Day, the day when a quantum computer will be built that can break the encryption of the internet. </p><br><p>John Thornhill and Madhumita Murgia speak to cybersecurity expert and former professional hacker Mark Carney about password cr ... Show More
26m 4s