Translation algorithms used to crack centuries-old secret code

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Ars Technica and Wired.co.uk

By Mark Brown, wired.co.uk | Published October 25, 2011 1:00 PM

Computer scientists from Sweden and the United States have applied modern-day, statistical translation techniques—the sort that are used in Google Translate—to decode a 250-year old secret message.

The original document, nicknamed the Copiale Cipher, was written in the late 18th century and found in the East Berlin Academy after the Cold War. It's since been kept in a private collection, and the 105-page, slightly yellowed tome has withheld its secrets ever since.
....

The team realized that the known characters were just there to mislead. So they booted them out and looked at the symbols. They theorized that abstract symbols with similar shapes might represent the same letter, or groups of letters. They tested this with different languages, and when German was used, some meaningful words emerged—"Ceremonies of Initiation," followed by "Secret Section."

A little computation later and a good chunk of the book had been decoded and transcribed. The document revealed the rituals and political leanings of a German secret society, and one that had a strange obsession with eyeballs, plucking eyebrows, eye surgery and ophthalmology. You can read the entire, weird, manifesto in English here.

Read more: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/10/translation-algorithms-used-to-crack-centuries-old-secret-code.ars

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Oh, darn. I was hoping it was going to be the directions to the treasure buried near the Peaks of Otter in Virginia.

Beale ciphers

List of ciphertexts

More links for today's story

[MADem]

1. What a scream--bet the value of that venerable tome plummeted once

it was understood it was the scribblings of a space case.

[MineralMan]

2. And all of that to hide the initiation ritual from some stupid club

that nobody even remembers. How funny.

[greiner3]

3. How long until a Hollywood blockbuster is based on this find?

[formercia]

8. Jeraldo, is that you?

[ChandlerJr]

4. So Lady GaGa's secrets have been revealed.

[Blue_Tires]

5. TL;DR

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. I already looked there.

.

[formercia]

7. A fraternity initiation.

:rofl:

No one alive to buy another Keg.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. drawn epees, perhaps even big grenadier caps decorated with bear fur.

stand the two supervisors or surveillant brothers, their small Odins, namely the older the lead balance and the younger one the ruler or even a cord around his neck and carries the sledgehammer or hammer above in the apron.

third in the lower part towards the north, so that these form a rectangular triangle.




I'm sure it makes more sense in context. :(