The Feynman Ciphers

Posted by nickpelling on Oct 18th, 2008

Three short ciphers (mentioned by Elonka Dunin, with copies of the ciphertexts found on John’s Javascript Secret-Code Systems page). One broken, two to go…

Feynman Challenge Cipher #1 (Solved!)

MEOTAIHSIBRTEWDGLGKNLANEAINOEEPEYST
NPEUOOEHRONLTIROSDHEOTNPHGAAETOHSZO
TTENTKEPADLYPHEODOWCFORRRNLCUEEEEOP
GMRLHNNDFTOENEALKEHHEATTHNMESCNSHIR
AETDAHLHEMTETRFSWEDOEOENEGFHETAEDGH
RLNNGOAAEOCMTURRSLTDIDOREHNHEHNAYVT
IERHEENECTRNVIOUOEHOTRNWSAYIFSNSHOE
MRTRREUAUUHOHOOHCDCHTEEISEVRLSKLIHI
IAPCHRHSIHPSNWTOIISISHHNWEMTIEYAFEL
NRENLEERYIPHBEROTEVPHNTYATIERTIHEEA
WTWVHTASETHHSDNGEIEAYNHHHNNHTW
(380 characters, modulo 384 transposition cipher) --> Chaucer, Canterbury Tales:-
WHANTHATAPRILLEWITHHISSHOURESSOOTET
HEDROGHTEOFMARCHHATHPERCEDTOTHEROOT
EANDBATHEDEVERYVEYNEINSWICHLICOUROF
WHICHVERTUENGENDREDISTHEFLOURWHANZE
PHIRUSEEKWITHHISSWEETEBREFTHINSPIRE
DHATHINEVERYHOLTANDHEETHTHETENDRECR
OPPESANDTHEYONGESONNEHATHINTHERAMHI
SHALVECOURSYRONNEANDSMALEFOWELESMAK
ENMELODYETHATSLEPENALTHENYGHTWITHOP
ENYESOPRIKETHHEMNATUREINHIRCORAGEST
HANNELONGENFOLKTOGOONONPILGRIM

Feynman Challenge Cipher #2

XUKEXWSLZJUAXUNKIGWFSOZRAWURORKXAOS
LHROBXBTKCMUWDVPTFBLMKEFVWMUXTVTWUI
DDJVZKBRMCWOIWYDXMLUFPVSHAGSVWUFWOR
CWUIDUJCNVTTBERTUNOJUZHVTWKORSVRZSV
VFSQXOCMUWPYTRLGBMCYPOJCLRIYTVFCCMU
WUFPOXCNMCIWMSKPXEDLYIQKDJWIWCJUMVR
CJUMVRKXWURKPSEEIWZVXULEIOETOOFWKBI
UXPXUGOWLFPWUSCH

Feynman Challenge Cipher #3

WURVFXGJYTHEIZXSQXOBGSVRUDOOJXATBKT
ARVIXPYTMYABMVUFXPXKUJVPLSDVTGNGOSI
GLWURPKFCVGELLRNNGLPYTFVTPXAJOSCWRO
DORWNWSICLFKEMOTGJYCRRAOJVNTODVMNSQ
IVICRBICRUDCSKXYPDMDROJUZICRVFWXIFP
XIVVIEPYTDOIAVRBOOXWRAKPSZXTZKVROSW
CRCFVEESOLWKTOBXAUXVB

Enjoy!