Earth's Unsolved X-files (continuted)

Firstly, let me say that I'm only continuing this thread and borrowing the title thereof out of the greatest respect and appreciation for Sublimecraft's excellent and popular three part thread. I know that I, like most on here, really enjoyed that fascinating compilation of the strange and sublime.

So, in that spirit, I thought of a cifer that is truly remarkeable that I have actually studied up close and personal (well, that is to say, I've seen it in person, perhaps 'study' would be a bit of a stretch). Anyway, it's a statue at the CIA headquarters in Langley, VA. I will quote and link the relevant data, but suffice to say that the fellow that made it encifered a code in it, and of it's 4 parts, the fourth has never been broken. That's pretty auspicious considering it sits in front of CIA headquarter. I hope you all enjoy the addition to the thread. Also, let's keep it going, just using the same title. If there's something mysterious in this world and you want to share it with the community, create a thread! Don't be shy. That's why ATS is. Peace all...

Kryptos!

The ciphertext on one half of the main sculpture contains 869 characters in total—865 letters and 4 question marks. In April 2006, however, Sanborn released information stating that a letter was omitted on the main half of Kryptos "for aesthetic reasons, to keep the sculpture visually balanced."[3] There are also a few incorrect letters in the ciphertext which Sanborn has said were intentional, and a few letters near the beginning of the bottom half have have been displaced from their normal positions, apparently intentionally. The other half of the sculpture comprises a keyed Vigenère encryption tableau, consisting of 867 letters. One of the lines of the tableau is one character too long, which Sanborn has indicated was accidental.

EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD AKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCE BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT GGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLG CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO TIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNA DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS QZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRR ETOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA YIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTI FOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB HHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZERE GSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABC EVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDX HABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD FLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKF IBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDE FHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQ JCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEF ELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGRE KDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFG DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP LEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG MFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHI ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA NGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL CHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNE OHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL TPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAE PIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLM WMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOE QJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMN TFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCR RLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQ EIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLB SMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQU TEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTI TNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUV BSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEB UQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVW AECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORIT VUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWX RKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHE WVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?OBKR XWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZK UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO YXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKR TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP ZZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD

Sanborn worked with a retiring CIA employee named Ed Scheidt, Chairman of the CIA Cryptographic Center, to come up with the cryptographic systems used on the sculpture. Sanborn has revealed that the sculpture contains a riddle within a riddle, which will be solvable only after the four encrypted passages have been decrypted. He has given conflicting information about the sculpture's answer, saying at one time that he gave the complete solution to then-CIA director William H. Webster during the dedication ceremony; but later, he also said that he had not given Webster the entire solution. He did, however, confirm that where in part two it says "Who knows the exact location? Only WW," "WW" was intended to refer to William Webster. Sanborn also confirmed that should he die before the entire sculpture becomes deciphered, there will be someone able to confirm the solution.[4]

reply to post by BBobb


I'm actually very, very glad you decided to continue Sublime's thread, if only so you could bring this mystery to ATS. I've heard of this sculpture before, and it's quite promising.

I hope there are ATSers with significant background/experience to make some headway on this code. Imagine if we solve it!

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by BBobb

 

I'm actually very, very glad you decided to continue Sublime's thread, if only so you could bring this mystery to ATS. I've heard of this sculpture before, and it's quite promising.

I hope there are ATSers with significant background/experience to make some headway on this code. Imagine if we solve it!

You know what, that actually a bad ass idea. ATS should solve the fourth crypto.

This isn't exactly an "x-file". Sure its hasn't been solved yet, but it's not an extreme mystery that can't be solved. The creator is still alive & people know of its true meaning.

Originally posted by CrimsonKnight13
This isn't exactly an "x-file". Sure its hasn't been solved yet, but it's not an extreme mystery that can't be solved. The creator is still alive & people know of its true meaning.

Do you? Tell me.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Very unlikely. Each of those appears to be a fixed length one way hash function.

Each line is composed of 2 blocks of 31 chars. The fixed length is a giveaway.
Fixed length means you take a message of any length, and convert it to a standardized length with a hashing function.
The encryption algorithm is a "one way function" meaning it is very easy to calculate the output, but extremely difficult to take output and calculate its origin. You would need lots of computational power to decode it.

The only reason this exists is so that they know when they need to upgrade their equipment.

Originally posted by BBobb

Originally posted by CrimsonKnight13
This isn't exactly an "x-file". Sure its hasn't been solved yet, but it's not an extreme mystery that can't be solved. The creator is still alive & people know of its true meaning.

Do you? Tell me.

No, though the article you quoted mentioned that there is at least one person beyond the sculpture creator that knows that answer.

Why have you listed this as a continuation of the Earth X-Files them?

Originally posted by CrimsonKnight13

Originally posted by BBobb

Originally posted by CrimsonKnight13
This isn't exactly an "x-file". Sure its hasn't been solved yet, but it's not an extreme mystery that can't be solved. The creator is still alive & people know of its true meaning.

Do you? Tell me.

No, though the article you quoted mentioned that there is at least one person beyond the sculpture creator that knows that answer.

Why have you listed this as a continuation of the Earth X-Files them?

Because it's on Planet Earth and it's an enduring mystery. Thanks for taking something meant to be fun and intriguing and semantically trying to destroy it because...why...you're a jerk.

reply to post by BBobb


Just trying to see why you did, since it doesn't follow along the same pattern as the other 3 threads based on "Earths Unsolved X-Files".

I appreciate the name calling. Truly shows your maturity. With that, I take my leave of this & any future thread may create.

reply to post by BBobb


Very intriguing.
This is heavily encrypted. All lines are the same length... A nightmare for amateurs like me, as it means no basic subsitution, abash, etc. has been used. Any info about the guy who sculpted it? what was his background in mathematics?

reply to post by CrimsonKnight13


Oh, come on. I am sure I'll take more than just one small name calling to destroy you. The OP just had a specific idea about his thread. He's just a little picky.


reply to post by BBobb


Please apologize to the man. He had the right to ask you a small question, after all.

We are here for peacefull works on decoding CIA's sculpture's code. We need to be productive. Someone might know what the other doesn't.

Originally posted by swan001
reply to post by CrimsonKnight13

 

Oh, come on. I am sure I'll take more than just one small name calling to destroy you. The OP just had a specific idea about his thread. He's just a little picky.


reply to post by BBobb

 

Please apologize to the man. He had the right to ask you a small question, after all.

We are here for peacefull works on decoding CIA's sculpture's code. We need to be productive. Someone might know what the other doesn't.

edit on 17-9-2012 by swan001 because: (no reason given)

Too late. I've added him as a rival. We are now immortal enemies...hahahaha (insert evil laugh here).

reply to post by BBobb


Okay.

So, the sculpture is said to miss a letter "for aesthetic reasons", and to have 1 letter too much at one of its lines. Any idea what's missing and which line is too big?