In Code

Communicating is all about getting the message across as effectively as possible, isn't it? For centuries, ________ we have been coming up with ingenious ways of making communication difficult, to ____________ access to information. That's where codes come in. But ___________ did it all start?

Early codes

Centuries ago, the Greeks are known to have created a substitution code, using numbers for letters. Another early code is attributed to Julius Caesar. Having established himself as a dictator in Rome, he used ciphers to communicate with his armies, aware of potential rebellions against him. Each letter in a message was replaced by another letter in the alphabet which hampered his enemies- as long as his own men remembered how to decipher the code, of course!

Code word: Treason

Coming at this from the opposite direction, Mary, Queen of Scots, used a code to communicate with fellow conspirators in her attempts to end Elizabeth I 'S reign. However, the skills of cryptanalysis had developed by this point making it relatively easy for code-breakers to decipher the hapless Mary's messages. Alter Mary's code was deciphered and her plot uncovered she was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.

Code breakers

Over time, machines were devised to construct ever more elaborate codes, the German Enigma machine being perhaps the most famous. The Enigma machine transformed ordinary text into scrambled versions that the German military hoped would prove inscrutable to the Allies during the Second World War. However, because code-breakers at Bletchley Park in England had access to an Enigma machine they were able to decipher messages, making a key contribution to the war effort.

Contemporary codes

In today's online world, codes are often invisible heroes, churning away in the background to encrypt the words or numbers (think of addresses and bank details) that we don't want on public view. We communicate, trusting that codes and passwords are protecting us.