As some of you know, I’m something of a Jefferson freak, and my eye was caught by this wonderful software implementation of one of Jefferson’s coolest inventions: a “wheel cipher.” It was a remarkable little device for encrypting messages — far and away the most powerful encryption device available in its time (and for over 100 years thereafter, in fact). The software implementation requires java — but if you can run it, it’s worth playing around with; you can send an encrypted message via email, which gives you a nice sense of how the thing actually worked. Plus, it’s a neat way to waste some time at the office . . .
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