Download or read book The Friar and the Cipher written by Lawrence Goldstone and published by Broadway Books. This book was released on 2005-02-15 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compulsively readable account of the most mysterious manuscript in the world, one that has stumped the world’s greatest scholars and codebreakers. The Voynich Manuscript, a mysterious tome discovered in 1912 by the English book dealer Wilfrid Michael Voynich, has puzzled scholars for a century. A small six inches by nine inches, but over two hundred pages long, with odd illustrations of plants, astrological diagrams, and naked women, it is written in so indecipherable a language and contains so complicated a code that mathematicians, book collectors, linguists, and historians alike have yet to solve the mysteries contained within. However, in The Friar and the Cipher, the acclaimed bibliophiles and historians Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone describe, in fascinating detail, the theory that Roger Bacon, the noted thirteenth-century, pre-Copernican astronomer, was its author and that the perplexing alphabet was written in his hand. Along the way, they explain the many proposed solutions that scholars have put forth and the myriad attempts at labeling the manuscript's content, from Latin or Greek shorthand to Arabic numerals to ancient Ukrainian to a recipe for the elixir of life to good old-fashioned gibberish. As we journey across centuries, languages, and countries, we meet a cast of impassioned characters and case-crackers, including, of course, Bacon, whose own personal scientific contributions, Voynich author or not, were literally and figuratively astronomical. The Friar and the Cipher is a wonderfully entertaining and historically wide-ranging book that is one part The Code Book, one part Possession, and one part The Da Vinci Code and will appeal to bibliophiles and laypeople alike.
Download or read book Unsolved written by Craig P. Bauer and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 636 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In 1953, a man was found dead from cyanide poisoning near the Philadelphia airport with a picture of a Nazi aircraft in his wallet. Taped to his abdomen was an enciphered message. In 1912, a book dealer named Wilfrid Voynich came into possession of an illuminated cipher manuscript once belonging to Emperor Rudolf II, who was obsessed with alchemy and the occult. Wartime codebreakers tried--and failed--to unlock the book's secrets, and it remains an enigma to this day. In this lively and entertaining book, Craig Bauer examines these and other vexing ciphers yet to be cracked. Some may reveal the identity of a spy or serial killer, provide the location of buried treasure, or expose a secret society--while others may be elaborate hoaxes. Unsolved! begins by explaining the basics of cryptology, and then explores the history behind an array of unsolved ciphers. It looks at ancient ciphers, ciphers created by artists and composers, ciphers left by killers and victims, Cold War ciphers, and many others. Some are infamous, like the ciphers in the Zodiac letters, while others were created purely as intellectual challenges by figures such as Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman. Bauer lays out the evidence surrounding each cipher, describes the efforts of geniuses and eccentrics--in some cases both--to decipher it, and invites readers to try their hand at puzzles that have stymied so many others. Unsolved! takes readers from the ancient world to the digital age, providing an amazing tour of many of history's greatest unsolved ciphers"--
Download or read book Code Cracking for Kids written by Jean Daigneau and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People throughout history have written messages in code and ciphers to guard and pass along closely held secret information. Today, countries around the world enlist cryptanalysts to intercept and crack messages to keep our world safe. Code Cracking for Kids explores many aspects of cryptology, including famous people who used and invented codes and ciphers, such as Julius Caesar and Thomas Jefferson; codes used during wars, including the Enigma machine, whose cracking helped the Allies gather critical information on German intelligence in World War II; and work currently being done by the government, such as in the National Security Agency. Readers also will learn about unsolved codes and ciphers throughout history, codes used throughout the world today, though not often recognized, and devices used over the years by governments and their spies to conceal information. Code Cracking for Kids includes hands-on activities that allow kids to replicate early code devices, learn several different codes and ciphers to encode and decode messages and hide a secret message inside a hollow egg.
Download or read book Discrete Encounters written by Craig Bauer and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-05-14 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eschewing the often standard dry and static writing style of traditional textbooks, Discrete Encounters provides a refreshing approach to discrete mathematics. The author blends traditional course topics and applications with historical context, pop culture references, and open problems. This book focuses on the historical development of the subject and provides fascinating details of the people behind the mathematics, along with their motivations, deepening readers’ appreciation of mathematics. This unique book covers many of the same topics found in traditional textbooks, but does so in an alternative, entertaining style that better captures readers’ attention. In addition to standard discrete mathematics material, the author shows the interplay between the discrete and the continuous and includes high-interest topics such as fractals, chaos theory, cellular automata, money-saving financial mathematics, and much more. Not only will readers gain a greater understanding of mathematics and its culture, they will also be encouraged to further explore the subject. Long lists of references at the end of each chapter make this easy. Highlights: Features fascinating historical context to motivate readers Text includes numerous pop culture references throughout to provide a more engaging reading experience Its unique topic structure presents a fresh approach The text’s narrative style is that of a popular book, not a dry textbook Includes the work of many living mathematicians Its multidisciplinary approach makes it ideal for liberal arts mathematics classes, leisure reading, or as a reference for professors looking to supplement traditional courses Contains many open problems Profusely illustrated
Download or read book History of Cryptography and Cryptanalysis written by John F. Dooley and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-23 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This accessible textbook presents a fascinating review of cryptography and cryptanalysis across history. The text relates the earliest use of the monoalphabetic cipher in the ancient world, the development of the “unbreakable” Vigenère cipher, and an account of how cryptology entered the arsenal of military intelligence during the American Revolutionary War. Moving on to the American Civil War, the book explains how the Union solved the Vigenère ciphers used by the Confederates, before investigating the development of cipher machines throughout World War I and II. This is then followed by an exploration of cryptology in the computer age, from public-key cryptography and web security, to criminal cyber-attacks and cyber-warfare. Looking to the future, the role of cryptography in the Internet of Things is also discussed, along with the potential impact of quantum computing. Topics and features: presents a history of cryptology from ancient Rome to the present day, with a focus on cryptology in the 20th and 21st centuries; reviews the different types of cryptographic algorithms used to create secret messages, and the various methods for breaking such secret messages; provides engaging examples throughout the book illustrating the use of cryptographic algorithms in different historical periods; describes the notable contributions to cryptology of Herbert Yardley, William and Elizebeth Smith Friedman, Lester Hill, Agnes Meyer Driscoll, and Claude Shannon; concludes with a review of tantalizing unsolved mysteries in cryptology, such as the Voynich Manuscript, the Beale Ciphers, and the Kryptos sculpture. This engaging work is ideal as both a primary text for courses on the history of cryptology, and as a supplementary text for advanced undergraduate courses on computer security. No prior background in mathematics is assumed, beyond what would be encountered in an introductory course on discrete mathematics.
Download or read book The Serpent Code written by AR Stevens and published by Lingoccino Inc.. This book was released on 2023-12-17 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a real-life artifact, found in the desolate expanse near Haskell, Texas, this adrenaline-fuelled adventure, in the tradition of Dan Brown and Steve Berry, promises a riveting ride from an exciting new voice in the genre. The Serpent Code is a heart-pounding international thriller. Dr. Briel Payce is thrust into a perilous quest to uncover the unsettling secrets that connect Mexico’s Feathered Serpent God, Quetzalcoatl, with Texas’s Spider Rock. When the Spider Rock vanished under mysterious circumstances in 1909, it left behind a legacy of intrigue and legend—and its weblike pattern and puzzling glyphs ensnare treasure hunters to this day. Five years after her best friend Percy Gilbert’s disappearance in Mexico, Briel Payce receives a cryptic video, igniting her conviction that Percy dug up something far more perilous than the Spider Rock. Teaming up with the intrepid Dean Leggatt, they trace a series of puzzles Percy left them through Mexico City, only to discover they’re not alone. As the stakes escalate, Briel races against time to unveil the truth concealed within the Spider Rock, knowing that her very survival hinges on her success. In a relentless chase, alliances blur, and adversaries masquerade as allies, leaving Briel in a treacherous maze, where trust is a fleeting illusion. Will she expose the elusive secret or be consumed by the shadows that guard it? The Serpent Code is a mind-bending odyssey where every step brings Briel closer to revelation, and nearer to the abyss.
Download or read book Mystery written by Jonah Lehrer and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-08-09 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Jonah Lehrer “unravels the mystery of mysteries” in this “absolute delight” (Malcolm Gladwell) of a book that blends psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology to shine a new light on everything from the formulas of our favorite detective shows to the tricks of successful advertising campaigns and the calculated risks of the stock market. Why is mystery so compelling? What draws us to the unknown? Jonah Lehrer sets out to answer these questions in a vividly entertaining and surprisingly profound journey through the science of suspense. He finds that nothing can capture a person’s attention as strongly as mystery, and that mystery is the key principle in how humans view and understand the world. Whenever patterns are broken, we are hard-wired to find out why. Without our curiosity driving us to pursue new discoveries and solve stubborn problems, we would never have achieved the breakthroughs that have revolutionized human medicine, technology—and culture. From Shakespeare’s plays to the earliest works of the detective genre, our entertainment and media have continually reinvented successful forms of mystery to hook audiences. Here, Lehrer interviews individuals in unconventional fields—from dedicated small-business owners to innovative schoolteachers—who use mystery to challenge themselves and to motivate others to reach to new heights. He also examines the indelible role of mystery in our culture, revealing how the magical world of Harry Potter triggers the magic of dopamine in our brains, why the baseball season is ten times longer than the football season, and when the suspect is introduced in each episode of Law & Order. Fascinating, illuminating, and fun, Mystery explores the many surprising ways in which embracing a sense of awe and curiosity can enrich our lives.
Download or read book Cybernetic Revelation written by J.D. Casten and published by Post Egoism Media. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 774 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cybernetic Revelation explores the dual philosophical histories of deconstruction and artificial intelligence, tracing the development of concepts like the "logos" and the notion of modeling the mind technologically from pre-history to contemporary thinkers like Slavoj Žižek, Steven Pinker, Bernard Stiegler and Daniel C. Dennett. The writing is clear and accessible throughout, yet the text probes deeply into major philosophers seen by JD Casten as "conceptual engineers." Philosophers covered include: Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Philo, Augustine, Shakespeare, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Jung, Joyce, Dewey, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Adorno, Benjamin, Derrida, Chomsky, Žižek, Pinker, Dennett, Hofstadter, Stiegler + more; with special chapters on: AI's history, Complexity, Deconstructing AI, Aesthetics, Consciousness + more...
Download or read book The American Review of Reviews written by and published by . This book was released on 1921 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book American Monthly Review of Reviews written by and published by . This book was released on 1921 with total page 796 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book American Monthly Review of Reviews written by Albert Shaw and published by . This book was released on 1921 with total page 680 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Text Technologies written by Elaine Treharne and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2019-11-26 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of text technologies is a capacious analytical framework that focuses on all textual records throughout human history, from the earliest periods of traceable communication—perhaps as early as 60,000 BCE—to the present day. At its core, it examines the material history of communication: what constitutes a text, the purposes for which it is intended, how it functions, and the social ends that it serves. This coursebook can be used to support any pedagogical or research activities in text technologies, the history of the book, the history of information, and textually based work in the digital humanities. Through careful explanations of the field, examinations of terminology and themes, and illustrated case studies of diverse texts—from the Cyrus cylinder to the Eagles' "Hotel California"—Elaine Treharne and Claude Willan offer a clear yet nuanced overview of how humans convey meaning. Text Technologies will enable students and teachers to generate multiple lines of inquiry into how communication—its production, form and materiality, and reception—is crucial to any interpretation of culture, history, and society.
Download or read book A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes History in 50 written by Gale Eaton and published by Tilbury House Publishers and Cadent Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do the Trojan Horse, Piltdown Man, Keely Motor Company, and Ponzi Scheme have in common? They were all famous hoaxes, carefully designed and bolstered with false evidence. The con artists in this book pursued a variety of ambitions—making money, winning wars, mocking authority, finding fame, trading an ordinary life for a glamorous one—but they all chose the lowest, fastest road to get there. Every hoax is a curtain, and behind it is a deceiver operating levers and smoke machines to make us see what is not there and miss what is. As P.T. Barnum knew, you can short-circuit critical thinking in any century by telling people what they want to hear. Most scams operate on a personal scale, but some have shaped the balance of world power, inspired explorers to sail uncharted seas, derailed scientific progress, or caused terrible massacres. A HISTORY OF AMBITION IN 50 HOAXES guides us through a rogue’s gallery of hustlers, liars, swindlers, imposters, scammers, pretenders, and cheats. In Gale Eaton’s wide-ranging synthesis, the history of deception is a colorful tour, with surprising insights behind every curtain. Fountas & Pinnell Level Z+
Download or read book Aliens and Man written by Jerome A. Kroth and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When it comes to extraterrestrials, UFOs, crop circles, and ancient-astronaut literature, most intelligent readers are repulsed by New Age hype, turned off by Erik Van Daniken, flustered by blatant pseudo-science, and deeply chagrined at how even the History Channel got dragged into the tabloid and sensational. Yet many intelligent, open-minded readers harbor secret interests: in the Great Pyramid and how it was built, in mythic tales of sky gods coming and going, from Ezekiel to the Rig-Veda. They are awed by the intricate fractals in crop circles, and they more than take notice when a NASA astronaut says he was trailed in space by UFOs. That questioning readership, however, swims in a vast sea of agnosticism—curious but not convinced. And there just aren't any books for them. None they can trust. None that reaches them. None that transcends tabloid fantasies to authentically treat issues with enough dispassion and scholarly erudition not to insult their intelligence. Here, Dr. Kroth gives the run-down on a wide range of evidence, and ponders how reliable any of it may be. Readers are left with all the elements to form their own equation.
Download or read book The Secret Teachings of All Ages written by Manly P. Hall and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 756 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall: Explore the realms of esoteric wisdom and symbolism with "The Secret Teachings of All Ages" by Manly P. Hall. Through this work, readers embark on a journey through mystical traditions, ancient knowledge, and the hidden meanings behind symbols and myths. Key Aspects of the Book "The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall": Esoteric Knowledge: Hall's narrative delves into esoteric teachings, exploring a wide range of subjects such as symbolism, mythology, ancient mysteries, and philosophical traditions. Symbology and Mysticism: The book offers insights into the meanings behind symbols, rituals, and spiritual practices, inviting readers to delve into the depths of hidden knowledge. Exploration of Human Understanding: "The Secret Teachings of All Ages" invites readers to expand their understanding of the world and their place within it through the lens of esoteric wisdom. Manly P. Hall was a Canadian-born author and mystic known for his contributions to metaphysical and philosophical literature. Through The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Hall provides readers with a comprehensive exploration of ancient wisdom and hidden truths.
Download or read book Unraveling the Voynich Codex written by Jules Janick and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-16 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unraveling the Voynich Codex reviews the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex, one of the most enigmatic historic texts of all time. The bizarre Voynich Codex has often been referred to as the most mysterious book in the world. Discovered in an Italian Catholic college in 1912 by a Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, it was eventually bequeathed to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University. It contains symbolic language that has defied translation by eminent cryptologists. The codex is encyclopedic in scope and contains sections known as herbal, pharmaceutical, balenological (nude nymphs bathing in pools), astrological, cosmological and a final section of text that may be prescriptions but could be poetry or incantations. Because the vellum has been carbon dated to the early 15th century and the manuscript was known to be in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire sometime between 1607 and 1622, current dogma had assumed it a European manuscript of the 15th century. However, based on identification of New World plants, animals, a mineral, as well as cities and volcanos of Central Mexico, the authors of this book reveal that the codex is clearly a document of colonial New Spain. Furthermore, the illustrator and author are identified as native to Mesoamerica based on a name and ligated initials in the first botanical illustration. This breakthrough in Voynich studies indicates that the failure to decipher the manuscript has been the result of a basic misinterpretation of its origin in time and place. Tentative assignment of the Voynichese symbols also provides a key to decipherment based on Mesoamerican languages. A document from this time, free from filter or censor from either Spanish or Inquisitorial authorities has major importance in our understanding of life in 16th century Mexico. Publisher's Note: For the eBook editions, Voynichese symbols are only rendered properly in the PDF format.
Download or read book Review written by Arthur Preuss and published by . This book was released on 1927 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
