Interested in organizing a school visit? See the end of this post for more details.
Pssst….want to know a secret? Better yet—want to decode a secret? The Bathurst Clark Resource Library is currently hosting the awesome Cipher Decipher exhibit that explores the past and present of encrypted communications. This large-scale exhibit includes hands-on puzzles and ciphers that demonstrate cryptology in practice, which children and adults alike will find entertaining (and maybe even challenging!).
So what exactly is cryptology? It’s a practice of hiding (and uncovering) secrets; for example, the translation of words into numbers and symbols that only certain people hold the key to. It’s something used by everyone from schoolchildren writing notes in code to higher-ups in the government and military.
These days, communication cryptology is all around us. We all know not to use public wi-fi for personal transactions (no banking at the library, please!), because public wi-fi is not nearly as secure as password-protected home internet. Have you ever opened up a WhatsApp chat and noticed the phrase “end-to-end encryption”? That’s WhatsApp telling you that your messages are private and secure between you and the person on the other end of the chat, even while out in public. But if our messaging apps are secure, then why are we still at risk of some ill-intentioned third party breaking in and stealing our data? Cipher Decipher has a neat demonstration on how bad actors can bypass these safeguards, with useful tips on how to protect yourself and your family.
Want to try your hand at decoding instead? We’ve got puzzles for that! If you’ve ever been to an escape room, you’ve likely already used a cipher wheel or some other method of decoding to solve the challenge. The Cipher Decipher exhibit has some escape room-esque activities, as well as digital challenges and logic games to test out your code-breaking abilities.
The pièce de résistance is the inclusion of an authentic Enigma cipher machine—you know, the little piece of technology that managed to crack the German code and win World War II for the Allies? Pop by the Cipher Decipher exhibit to get an up-close look at an Enigma machine and learn more about how British codebreakers used cryptology to save the day. And because we are a library, we always promote additional learning! For more on this exciting period of history, check out the VPL catalogue for more on the Enigma machine, Alan Turing, and the Bletchley Park ladies who helped solve the puzzle.
The Cipher Decipher exhibit is open to the public during library hours and will be available until the end of January 2025! It is a fully bilingual (English and French) exhibit. We also offer guided class visits, with additional code-related activities! If you’re interested in arranging a class visit, please contact us at (905) 653-7323, send an email to librarian.librarian@vaughan.ca, or fill out the School Visit Request Form.
Cipher Decipher is provided by the Canada Science and Technology Museum in partnership with the Communications Security Establishment.