The famed British codebreakers of Bletchley Park placed a challenging crossword puzzle in the Daily Telegraph newspaper on January 13, 1942. Anyone (man or woman) who could solve it in under 12 minutes was asked to write in.
Those who claimed they succeeded were brought in and given a second one to solve in person.
The few who accomplished the task were recruited to serve King and Country.
This story and many more incredible tales of code making and breaking are told in Simon Singh’s The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography. It’s an exceptional read that I highly recommend.
Give the infamous crossword a try
Remember, you have only 12 minutes and you may not use the internet or any other cheats.
I couldn’t even come close to solving it. Godspeed.
(Via the Daily Telegraph)
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