Between the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of Islam, few advances were made in cryptography. That changed during the early 9th century in the Abbasid Caliphate (modern day Iraq) when an Arab philosopher and polymath made an advance in cryptography that would set off a cryptographic arms race that continues to the present day. Continue reading Medieval and Renaissance Cryptography
Throughout history there has always been a need to keep certain information secret. If these secrets are only whispered among a trustworthy few, then there is little danger of that secret being revealed. But if there’s a chance our message may be read by someone other than our intended recipient, how can we keep the secrecy of our message? Cryptography. Continue reading Ancient Cryptography
Our bodies are ideally suited for standing, walking, and running. Some scientists even argue that running is what set us apart from our ancestors and gave us the competitive advantage over other hominids. Even so, our bodies have such a profound response to water that it changes our bodies from our blood flow to our skin. Continue reading Mammalian Diving Reflex
On summer days, after a light rain, a distinctive odor fills the air that’s almost universally pleasing to all who smell it. What is it? Why is it? When is it? Let’s get learnt. Continue reading Petrichor Potpourri
Nearly every American child at one point during their primary education was made to sing at least the first verse of the song Yankee Doodle. And though we may have dutifully sung it, few of us knew at the time, or know now, what the song is about. Continue reading Dandy Macaroni
Most of the world takes the Internet for granted. We type a website into our browser or click a link and a website appears like magic. Today, I’m going to take the magic out of the process without drowning you in technical details. Continue reading IP Addresses and the Domain Name System
