Fermilab Calls For Code Crackers 392
atrocious cowpat passes along a call for help from symmetry magazine, the joint publication of Fermilab and SLAC, noting: "Could be just plain gibberish, it could be something like those wonderfully weird letters to the Mount Wilson observatory, or it could be a message from aliens who just happened to have gotten their hands (tentacles/exoskeleton) on a fax machine." "A little over a year ago, the Fermilab Office of Public Affairs received a curious letter in code (4.4-MB image here). It has been sitting in our files all that time and we haven't had much of a chance to look into breaking the code, nor are we particularly expert at this!"
Clearly.. (Score:5, Funny)
Well obviously... (Score:5, Funny)
Makes perfect sense!
I'm not positive about my translation (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Clearly.. (Score:2, Funny)
Hmmm... (Score:5, Funny)
Interesting... (Score:5, Funny)
Could not connect to remote server
You tried to access the address http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/fnalcodeletter.jpg [symmetrymagazine.org], which is currently unavailable. Please make sure that the Web address (URL) is correctly spelled and punctuated, then try reloading the page.
Re:WTF slashdot? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Well, obvious stuff: (Score:4, Funny)
Mathamatically speaking.... (Score:5, Funny)
This limits the amount of information that the message is trying to pass.
For example, using base 26 - all the letters - means we could convey the same information in ??? digits.
Oh damn it. I'm too drunk and Google ain't working for me. Perhaps someone could give a value for ???
But I'm betting it won't be very many digits. I.e. this message is very short.
It's a trap! (Score:4, Funny)
Strange... (Score:5, Funny)
Cheers!
Strat
Okay, let's do this! (Score:5, Funny)
"All your base are belo"
Oh crap.
I've seen this before (Score:5, Funny)
My name is Kosh Naranek.
I am writing this brief letter to bring to your attention a business offer which we believe you might find attractive.
Mrs Maria Garibaldi; wife of one a wealthy Martian executive (Late Mr. Michael Garibaldi) seeks a business assistance from a reliable and reputable businessman to invest and manage funds to the tune of 15 Million Credits...
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm not positive about my translation (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Clearly.. (Score:1, Funny)
I've managed to decipher the final section... (Score:5, Funny)
Myst - Riven (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Mathamatically speaking.... (Score:5, Funny)
Mystery solved! [wvabca.com]
Damn, Google has us spoiled.
So (Score:3, Funny)
other than being a freak or having a pet spider to help you out?
I've seen this before.... (Score:5, Funny)
I think it says... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm not positive about my translation (Score:4, Funny)
I got an "ASCII" version of goatse
the strokes are music (?) (Score:4, Funny)
Parts of it clap out to sound like "apocalypse in 9/8, (co-starring the delicious talents of Gabble Ratchet)" by Genesis from Foxtrot [wikipedia.org]
But the whole thing is scattered enough that it comes out like more of a one handed improv or approximation of Steve Reich's "Clapping Music". [youtube.com]
The bottom section is less rhythmically active, but sounds more "even", kind of "rock and roll" ish.
The middle part is a dull cipher, similar to Nugsoth. [fontstock.net]
That's all I've got.
RS
Re:Clearly.. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I'm not positive about my translation (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Well, obvious stuff: (Score:5, Funny)
B E S... (Score:5, Funny)
--
"Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!"
Everyone's a critic.
Re:I'm not positive about my translation (Score:3, Funny)
Score two points for the sender (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Source? (Score:3, Funny)
Cheers.
Re:Not Cheere.. (Score:4, Funny)
I'm pretty sure it's for my broken office light (Score:4, Funny)
DNA sequence? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Clearly.. (Score:4, Funny)
Fortunately, the Slashdot Hive Mind has a safety shutdown when the story rolls off the front page.
Re:Well, obvious stuff: (Score:5, Funny)
Turn the page 90 degrees clockwise.
It says 'Hi'
Re:The raw numbers (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Clearly.. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:4th stanza (Score:3, Funny)
Sorry, had to do it.
Re:Well, obvious stuff: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:3, Funny)
The decoded message (Score:1, Funny)
It's a receipt (Score:3, Funny)
See those three symbols on their own? An S, followed by a triangle, followed by a three-pronged character? Well if you look in the table directly above those three characters, you'll see that the triangle translates to F and the three-pronged character translates to C, giving S.F.C. altogether.
Clearly the Roswell Greys were on their way home from picking up a Spacetucky-Fried Chicken takeaway when they crashed here.
All your base... (Score:3, Funny)
Even I can see that.
Obviously, these Fermilab folks don't get to go outside at all.
Re:Google recruiting? (Score:3, Funny)
J O H N T I T O R
as if... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well, obvious stuff: (Score:3, Funny)
Oh NO! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I'm not positive about my translation (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Context? (Score:4, Funny)