The Enigma Code

Listen up, sleuths: The M4 Project is trying to break three undecrypted World War II Nazi Enigma cyphertexts (check out the photo of the creepy Enigma, at left) using a distributed-computing setup similar to SETI@home. As of today, one message has been decrypted. If you’re running Unix/Linux or Windows and want to lend a helping hand (or if you’re just curious about the project and its results), check it out here.

In other cryptography news, crime solvers are trying to decode a mysterious note left at the scene of a murder. You can help with that, too. —Martha Harbison