6 March 2013

Questacon throws out a cryptic challenge [now with pretty pics]

5 March 2013 | Barcham

NKRYPT is the name of Questacon’s latest outdoor exhibition. A series of eight steel poles each containing a different code or cipher. The first to correctly crack the code will win a balloon ride and a family pass to Questacon. Johnboy has also offered up a pint to any Rioter if they get there first.

NKRYPT is Questacon’s contribution to the area of cryptography. It joins other outdoor sculptural exhibits in the area around Questacon, providing engagement and stimulation for visitors and passersby. NKRYPT is a puzzle to be solved. It contains many separate codes and ciphers, laser cut into eight stainless steel poles. The challenges are all discrete but interlinked, and solving one may provide a clue to solving others. Some are intended to be quickly broken, others are more challenging. Decoding a message may reveal a further puzzle to be solved. The final code will open with a key that will emerge from the solution of all the other codes.

So get to it gang.

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Geeko10:43 pm 05 Mar 13

Ok folks, There’s a workable outline of one of the codes now up the Nkrypt facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nkrypt/431342376952098.
Each of the poles has a ring of code in this sort of position.
The other code elements are of very different types and designs.

Geeko9:54 pm 05 Mar 13

This code challenge is said to have been inspired by a sculpture in the CIA headquarters, Kryptos. It was mostly a flat panel, and easier to photograph. On that challenge they suggested that they might have used a “kerning” code – where the letters are sometimes slightly miss-placed and these give the key to the code. so you do need a good reference image. I did get one “rubbed” the other evening, which I’ll clean up and post.

Geeko9:25 pm 05 Mar 13

For those that need some help, or want to link up with others to share ideas on cracking the codes, you can have a look at the NKRYPT facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nkrypt/431342376952098

that has been set up to share images and ideas.

gooterz9:24 pm 05 Mar 13

Need better photos of the puzzles.
Anyone care to digitize them?

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