Free Republic

By the end of WWII, 11 Colossus machines were in use Bletchley Park is best known for the work done on cracking the German codes and helping to bring World War II to a close far sooner than might have happened without those code breakers. But many believe Bletchley should be celebrated not just for what it ended but also for what it started - namely the computer age. The pioneering machines at Bletchley were created to help codebreakers cope with the enormous volume of enciphered material the Allies managed to intercept. The machine that arguably had the greatest influence...

CAN YOU CRACK A CODE? Try Your Hand at Cryptanalysis Last year, we challenged you to crack a code created by the “cryptanalysts” in our FBI Laboratory, who are experts in breaking ciphers of all kinds. Tens of thousands of you did so. Are you ready for round two? We hope so. But bear in mind, this year's code is slightly more difficult. Once again: if you want a primer on basic cipher systems and how to break them, see the article "Analysis of Criminal Codes and Ciphers." And if you’re a youngster, we suggest you start with the code...

<p>You see, Reid already has a perfect 4.0 grade point average at Anzar High School in San Juan Bautista, California. So to leave his mark, he decided to lower his grades to a 1.9 GPA -- a meager D+.</p> <p>"I couldn't do what most people would want to do when they hack into the school's computer," Reid said. "So I thought it would be funny to do the opposite."</p>