illuminating science

So I’ve found a few things recently which don’t quite justify posting about on their own, but by their powers combined…! They’re all roughly science related - or at least appeal to my physics brain So:

• First up, the importance of using secure enryption. Sicilian Mafia “boss of bosses” Bernardo Provenzano was captured recently after notes he wrote in code were intercepted and decoded. While it was a good idea writing the notes in code, using a 2000 year old method known as the Caesar Cipher wasn’t. In this code, each letter is shifted a number of spaces to the right - e.g., A->C, B->D, etc. In that example, the key is a shift of 2, so that “CAT” -> “ECV”. In fact, Provenzano used a key of 3, but wrote the corresponding number rather than letter. So, CAT became 060423 (Actually, the Italian alphabet is slightly different, so that may not be strictly true, but you get the idea.) Either way, the notes lead to the capture of several key mafia associates, ultimately resulting in the arrest of the Big Boss. Next time, better try quantum cryptography!
• I saw a girl carrying a shopping bag that had a great slogan on the side: “Wearing high heels puts you closer to heaven!” Although it probably wasn’t their intent, I couldn’t help but think of all the health problems that stem from wearing high heels…
• Google has expanded their online applications with a Calendar that’s pretty darn awesome. It doesn’t have 2-way sync with Apple iCal yet, so it’s not quite ready for my personal prime-time usage, but you can import and export from it. There’s the option to share your calendar with other people, either with all details are just when you’re free or not. If everyone had one of these, life could be a lot easier for organising meetings! (Or stalking…depends on what you’re into, I guess. :)) Definitely worth a look.
• Finally, if you’re after some recreation - check out the 10 Levels of Unicycling, as defined by the International Unicycling Foundation with videos of every move! I’m currently (unofficially) Level 2, and I’m working on Level 3. Also, check out some amazing performances - pretty awesome!