Eric Kolb

The exchange of information is a defining characteristic of civilization, and so follows the keeping of secrets is the focal point in all of humankind’s great acts. Despite the importance of cryptography, many today eschew its study as an inscrutable, arcane magic. “Crypto is hard,” conventional wisdom asserts; “Leave it to the experts.” While it’s entirely possible to succeed with only a utilitarian grasp of cryptography, learning about this mathematician’s munition can be deeply rewarding.

Join us for a beginner’s tour of the science and art of secret writing, ranging from the simplest substitution ciphers to the state of the art. We’ll focus on understanding cryptographic primitives through the ages, why they worked (or didn’t), and how that success impacted history.