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A harder word puzzle to crack

(25 Posts)
Elegran Sat 19-Nov-16 12:16:45

GCHQ CODE-BREAKER CHALLENGE
To coincide with Radio 4’s GCHQ: Minority Report documentary, GCHQ set a code-cracking challenge. Here’s what the Puzzle Masters came up with:
If Samuel transcribed what Louis wrote…
…and Louis wrote what Ludwik translated…
…and Ludwik translated what Tim said…
…then what did Tim say?
Here is Samuel’s transcription:
IN AAAAIAN INAAANAIA IA IAINA AI AA IAIIA IAA AAIAAINN AA IAAANN IAINANI
NA ANNNNMA NAANIANMN NN ANNAN NN AM MNNNN ANI MAAINNIA AM NNAMIA NNAANIN
AM MMIAAMA MMIMAAMMA MM AMAAA MA AM AAAMA AAA MAMAAAAM AM AAIMMM MMMMAMA
CLUE: The key to unlocking the puzzle is identifying Samuel, Louis and Ludwik. There are links between them!
The answer will be revealed on Tuesday 22 November on this BBC page

hildajenniJ Sat 19-Nov-16 16:31:17

Do you think it's Biblical? Samuel, Louis and Ludwik all translated the Bible or certain parts of it. I can't work Tim out though.

hildajenniJ Sat 19-Nov-16 16:52:32

Oh phooey. I looked. I got the wrong answer completely. ??

Elegran Sat 19-Nov-16 17:43:26

DD2 and her husband were in this afternoon. I presented them with this puzzle and with a 3-part effort we did solve it. It is not at all easy, first you need to get the connection, then there are several steps to actually breaking the code(s)

The words "transcribed" "wrote" "translated" and "said" were all carefully selected. They are relevant.

Cherrytree59 Sat 19-Nov-16 19:39:39

Not sure if I'm allowed to ask elegran
Is it to with a musical?

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 09:48:36

I wondered to begin with, Cherrytree (I was thinking Tim Rice, Ludvig von Beethoven, musical notation) but I was on the wrong track. This is from GCHQ, remember, and codes are their expertise, though you do have to forget spying for the moment. Internet searching was very useful.
PS - You really do need to identify the people mentioned before you can get much further. Ludwik is not spelt ther same as Ludvig.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 12:08:35

After thinking along the lines of Ludwig Fleck, Louis Pasteur etc and getting absolutely nowhere..... lightbulb moment! This is all about communication and code.

Ludwick Zamenhof - Esperanto
Louis Braille - Braille
Samuel Morse - Morse

Sorry, but that's as far as I've got so far!

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 12:10:05

Ludwik! iPad will insist on changing the spelling!

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 12:40:48

A flicker of light there, then, Linsco. I was bamboozled at that point for a while, because I thought there was an extra layer of cryptic clue leading to Inspector Morse. He was into music and solving crosswords with cryptic clues, and both those were incorporated into the music of the series.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 12:51:21

Assumption is... Tim is communicating in English (you can't get more English than someone named Tim!)

1. Samuel transcribed what Louis wrote...Braille to Morse code.

2. Louis wrote what Ludwik translated...English to Esperanto then Esperanto to Morse.

3. The communication is written in Morse code?

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 13:02:06

So what did Tim say? That was the question.

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 13:04:17

PS - the internet is useful for finding weird alphabets and translating from one language into another for you.

Anya Sun 20-Nov-16 14:10:38

Beware this is infiltration of the BBC by GCGQ and anyone solving this without recourse to the Internet will be instantly recruited.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 14:14:58

I'm reasonably confident of 4 translations which have to be done and in which order but it's going to take some time and ATM I'm trying to solve the puzzle of the missing sock which my washing machine has eaten! and prepare dinner. Will have a go this evening.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 14:18:20

Anya grin There's absolutely zero chance of my translating without the help of the internet! wink

hildajenniJ Sun 20-Nov-16 14:22:52

I had all the wrong people. Ludwik Zamenhof was the only one I had right. I thought of Samuel Tregelles, and Louis Segond would fit as they both translated the Bible. I was on the wrong tack entirely.

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 14:33:06

A pity that pompa is offline until this evening. This would larn him to use cryptic clues to confuse us! I hope he doesn't reach the thread only to find that the solution has been found. Maybe I should PM him to warn him not to read to the end of the thread until he is going round the bend with frustration.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 16:13:48

Buggeration! SPOILER ALERT

The answer is out there on the net, directly below one of the translation sites and has totally ruined it for me!

I now know what the answer is before completing all the conversions angry

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 17:36:08

I wish they wouldn't do that!!!!!

Wobblybits Sun 20-Nov-16 18:34:24

OK, I'm sorry for all the cryptic clues, this one has me baffled. My excuse is that i have been driving for most of the day and I'm brain dead.

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 19:38:52

You are excused, WB Driving numbs the brain.

Have you read all the thread yet? There might be clues that get you started (and if all else fails the answer is out there somewhere)

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 20:43:44

The reference to Tim will become apparent after the final translation.

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 20:54:06

And all the connections between the answer and the medium most of us used to solve it.

Sorry, it is bit mean to do the "It is so obvious once you've got it" thing.

Linsco56 Sun 20-Nov-16 21:59:32

Oh no! That's not what I meant. Just that you don't need to factor Tim into the equation to solve puzzle.

Elegran Sun 20-Nov-16 22:01:17

Right. Tim could be anybody (but when you get the quotation worked out you can look it up and find out who he was - a bonus.)