2023 Institute for Physical Science and Technology Cryptonomicon Seminar

Few historical accounts have captivated the world as the race to decipher the WWII German Enigma code has. There have been numerous books and movies popularizing how a collection of “professor types,” cloistered in an English manor, were ultimately able to read secret German communiques before the intended recipients could.  Even the bite in the Apple logo is strongly believed to be a tribute to Alan Turning, one of the principal masterminds behind breaking the Enigma codes. We’ve all heard about the Enigma! It has been said that the invention of radar won the war, the atomic bomb ended the war, and breaking the Enigma code shortened the war – by two years or more. Approximately 30,000 Enigma Machines were produced, but only about 400 survived. In our seminar, we take a deep dive into the inner workings of this machine, and understand its principle of operation in theory and hardware. We explore its strengths and weaknesses, and how its impenetrable security became quite vulnerable through simple human error.  We will demonstrate, with audience participation of course, the operation of an actual WWII German Enigma machine. After the presentation all audience members will have an opportunity to inspect and operate this historical artifact. Bring your camera!