The Science of Secrecy

In episode four, a deep and brilliant history of codes is examined. More importantly, we explore the cracking of an encoded telegram from the German foreign minister to the president of Mexico during World War I.

Episode one examines the case of Mary Queen of the Scots. A curious cipher in her correspondences resulted in a charge of treason in 1586 for plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I.

Episode two profiles mid-19th century inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage, who was challenged to crack a particularly resilient code. This code is none other than the famous Vigenère cipher, which had been left unbreakable for 300 years.