Code language is probably as old as language itself. Now, two Northwest university professors have launched a competition to test students’ code breaking skills.
It’s called Kryptos and it is geared to undergraduate students all around the Northwest. But the region’s high school students are also encouraged to try and break the codes.
Stuart Boersma, a mathematics professor at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, says most of the codes can be solved with paper and pencil, or with the help of computers.
“You don’t have to be great at math to do well in this competition.," he says. "Anyone who likes puzzles, word games, scrabble, crossword puzzles might end up doing pretty well.”
Boersma is organizing the competition with professor Cheryl Beaver at Western Oregon University. Boersma says many of the challenges are based on historical ciphers that pre-date World War II.
Prizes include: code-breaking books, movies and the pure glory of being a Northwest code-breaking-champion.
The brain-game runs from Thursday, April 10 through April 14.
For more information, visit www.cwu.edu/math/kryptos, or email Stuart Boersma.
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