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Detractors called it "Indian gibberish." But not for long. During World War II, more than 400 Navajos serving with the U.S. Marine Corps transmitted vital communications throughout the Pacific theater, using a code known only to them. Developed by the Navajos themselves, the code completely stymied the Japanese and was never broken. After the battle for Iwo Jima, Maj. Howard Connor, a signal officer from the 5th Marine Division, was widely quoted as saying: "Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima." "They were used at every level, from reconnaissance to the battlefield, to...

By the end of WWII, 11 Colossus machines were in use Bletchley Park is best known for the work done on cracking the German codes and helping to bring World War II to a close far sooner than might have happened without those code breakers. But many believe Bletchley should be celebrated not just for what it ended but also for what it started - namely the computer age. The pioneering machines at Bletchley were created to help codebreakers cope with the enormous volume of enciphered material the Allies managed to intercept. The machine that arguably had the greatest influence...

Note: The following text is a quote: Ali Al-Marri Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Al-Qaeda Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, 43, a dual national of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda. Al-Marri entered his guilty plea at a hearing this afternoon before Judge Michael M. Mihm in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. In so doing, al-Marri admitted that he agreed with others to provide material support or resources to al-Qaeda in the form of personnel, including himself, to work under al-Qaeda’s...

While getting a new clutch installed on our Ford pick-up in Petach Tiqvah, the garage accountant, wearing a kippa, noticed the B'nai No'ach bumper sticker and asked, "What is B'nai No'ach?" "You are a religious Jew and you have to ask me 'what is B'nai No'ach?'" "I know what is B'nai No'ach, but I want to know what B'nai No'ach is to you." In a few words I gave him an answer that satisfied him. Then, he asked, "Who do you think this Land of Israel belongs to, the Jews or the Arabs?" "This Land belongs neither to the Jews...

Information in Living Organisms Theorem 28: There is no known law of nature, no known process, and no known sequence of events which can cause information to originate by itself in matter... (for remainder, click link below)

CAN YOU CRACK A CODE? Try Your Hand at Cryptanalysis Last year, we challenged you to crack a code created by the “cryptanalysts” in our FBI Laboratory, who are experts in breaking ciphers of all kinds. Tens of thousands of you did so. Are you ready for round two? We hope so. But bear in mind, this year's code is slightly more difficult. Once again: if you want a primer on basic cipher systems and how to break them, see the article "Analysis of Criminal Codes and Ciphers." And if you’re a youngster, we suggest you start with the code...

It is a simple transfer of immense power. On Jan. 20, an unobtrusive military officer carrying a small leather-bound metal briefcase will follow President George W. Bush up to Capitol Hill. After the inauguration ceremony, he will accompany President Barack Obama back to the White House. Inside the attache, known as “the football,” are the codes to identify and authenticate a presidential order that could launch nuclear weapons and ignite a global holocaust. Routine to most Americans, perhaps astonishing to much of the world, this peaceful passing of “the football” will propel Obama into a maelstrom. What awaits the new...

I reckon this is safe to print. It was on the internet. I would have gone with Remus for Obama. It seems like a natural fit. Remus was a black man who was always spinning the obvious. The Secret Service code names for the First Family-elect are another odd assortment of seemingly random words, all starting with the letter R. John McCain may have been a self styled Maverick, but Barack Obama's Secret Service code name is Renegade. Michelle Obama, a woman of wide interests, is Renaissance (which sounds like the beginning of a perfume campaign). Malia Obama did not...

The software development kit that Apple Inc. distributed to programmers bound them to not discuss the process of creating programs for the iPhone. Companies typically waive such legal restrictions once the product in question launches, but Apple didn't. And it won't say why.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) published an update at its BarackBook.com website yesterday that accuses Barack Obama presidential campaign bundler Jodie Evans of supporting the insurgency in Iraq. http://www.barackbook.com/Profiles/JodieEvans.htm Evans is co-founder of the so-called antiwar group Code Pink. The RNC quoted a January 15, 2006 column by Robert Novak that said, "Code Pink, At A Mock War Crimes Tribunal In Istanbul June 27, Signed A Declaration That The Iraqi Insurgency 'Deserved The Support Of People Everywhere Who Care For Justice And Freedom.'" Evans represented Code Pink at the mock war crimes tribunal. In addition to expressing Code Pink's support...

LONDON: European researchers are working on mathematical foundations of programming to create fault free software in the future. People are remarkably tolerant of software that goes wrong, but when it comes to faulty cars or TV sets, they would insist that they be set right without much ado, the researchers said. "The software industry is still very immature compared to other branches of engineering," says Bengt Nordström, computer scientist at Chalmers University, Göteborg. "We want to see programming as an engineering discipline but it's not there yet. It's not based on good theory and we don't have good design methods...

PROVIDENCE — A new initiative borne of a recent incident between a Providence storeowner and two Spanish-speaking customers is asking all Rhode Islanders to help stop hate speech and violence directed at “immigrants and communities of color.” The “We Can Stop the Hate” campaign was announced at the University of Rhode Island’s downtown campus, a week after published reports about a March 1 encounter between two Dominican natives who are also U.S. citizens, and David C. Richardson, owner of Rhode Island Refrigeration. The incident provoked accusations against Richardson of racial profiling and committing a hate crime. The “stop the hate”...

JERUSALEM - A mathematical puzzle that baffled the top minds in the esoteric field of symbolic dynamics for nearly four decades has been cracked — by a 63-year-old immigrant who once had to work as a security guard. Avraham Trahtman, a mathematician who also toiled as a laborer after moving to Israel from Russia, succeeded where dozens failed, solving the elusive "Road Coloring Problem." The conjecture essentially assumed it's possible to create a "universal map" that can direct people to arrive at a certain destination, at the same time, regardless of starting point. Experts say the proposition could have real-life...

Hey-hey, ho-ho, the Marines in Berkeley have got to go. That's the message from the Berkeley City Council, which voted 6-3 Tuesday night to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting station "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders." In addition, the council voted to explore enforcing its law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against the Marines because of the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. And it officially encouraged the women's peace group Code Pink to impede the work of the...

February 3, 2005 -- Brooklyn jurors on the terror-financing case of a Yemeni sheik yesterday viewed secret tapes of him huddling with an assistant — allegedly to create code words for weapons and ammunition. Not knowing his German hotel room was wired, Sheik Mohammed Ali Hasan al-Moayad allegedly suggested to his assistant that instead of referring to a shortage of ammunition, they could say, "The corn is running low." "A person must be clever," al-Moayad, 56, tells Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed, 31, on the tape. "For example, if you wish to buy ammunition . . . 'By God, Sheik Mohammed,...

Is idealism dead? Should the promotion of American values of liberalism, democracy, human rights, and rule of law be a core element of U.S. foreign policy? Where to strike the balance between principles and interests is one of the most enduring debates about America ’s role in the world. But since September 11, this question has become intensely contested and deeply controversial. It has emerged as one of the central divides between the political right and left — in large part because of the history of the past seven years, the Bush administration ’s rhetoric, its strong association with the...

The DNA code is protected by another code, and is read with a machine that reads a third code. This is an emerging picture from ongoing research into DNA translation, as reported in Science...

ONDON - Richard Leigh, a writer of alternative history who unsuccessfully sued for plagiarism over themes in Dan Brown's blockbuster novel "The Da Vinci Code," has died, his agent said Friday. He was 64. U.S.-born Leigh, who had lived in Britain for three decades, died in London on Nov. 21 of causes related to a heart condition, the Jonathan Clowes Agency said. Leigh was co-author of "The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail," a work of speculative nonfiction that claimed Jesus Christ fathered a child with Mary Magdalene and that the bloodline continues to this day. A best-seller on its...

A monumental achievment in reconstructing Colossus the first code cracker computer used by Allied forces in World War II. In a timed contest between Colossus and the modern PC Colossus was defeated by a modern program and a 1.4 GHz PC. A fourteen year project to reconstruct the World War II Allied forces Colossus the first code cracking computer ended in a match defeat against a modern 1.4 Ghz PC. The cipher event was instigated by The British National Museum of Computing and Cryptography at Betchley Park home of the newly reconstructed Colossus Mark II. The event challenged all interested...

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