Letterkenny IT (LIT) will host an event with an original WWII Enigma machine later this month, with Dr James Grime there to present about the device’s colourful history.
For those unaware, Enigma was a machine used by the German military during WWII to randomise messages. It encrypted characters into the hundreds of millions.
The British, following on from significant pre-war work by Polish authorities, eventually cracked the German codes, which gave them a significant advantage in terms of orchestrating attacks and defences.
Think The Imitation Game, but with a larger female influence.
So in LIT on 19 November, Dr Grime will present the fascinating history and mathematics of codes and code breaking.
This will take in examples from Ancient Greece right up to the present day, including a demonstration with an original WWII Enigma machine.
St Eunan’s College is actually behind the project, with Pramerica supporting it too, but if you’re into code breaking and you’re in the area, it might be worth a gander.
For those unaware of who Dr Grime is, there’s a good interview with him on his love of numbers here:
Kerry Howard actually spoke about the people behind the Enigma project in Britain during the war in her keynote speech at Inspirefest earlier this year.
Enigma image, via Shutterstock
