The cog cryptogram on the NKRYPT sculpture
On the NKRYPT sculpture in Canberra, among numerous other crypto puzzles, is a cryptogram composed of gear segments. It is unsolved so far.
In the last weeks I have learned a lot of new things about the NKRYPT sculpture in Canberra. Together with Elonka Dunin I first had a video conference with Stuart Kohlhagen, the creator of this artwork. A few days later, we were able to talk the same way with Bob Dovenberg, who has solved several NKRYPT challenges and is thus considered one of the leading experts.
NKRYPT
Already two years ago we talked to Glenn McIntosh, who runs one of two NKRYPT fan sites. And in the meantime, we’ve also been in touch with Greg Lloyd. Greg is the operator of the other NKRYPT fan site. In the US edition of our book “Codebreaking – A Practical Guide”, which is scheduled for release in early 2023, Elonka and I will mention NKRYPT in detail.
Quelle/Source: McIntosh
For those who do not know yet: NKRYPT is a modern work of art consisting of eight steel columns. It is located in front of the Questacon Science and Technology Centre in Canberra (Australia) and was inaugurated in March 2013. On each NKRYPT column are two immediately visible encrypted texts. There are additional cryptograms on the base and at the top of the columns, as well as around the sculpture. About half of the known crypto-puzzles have been solved, the others are still waiting to be deciphered. The methods used range from a rotor cipher to a Caesar cipher to a scytale.
The gear cryptogram
During the various conversations Elonka and I had, we also discussed some NKRYPT cryptograms about which practically nothing is known so far. One of them I would like to present today. Like all NKRYPT cryptograms, this one has no official name. Both Glenn and Greg refer to it as “Cog Challenge”. In German, it could be called a “cog cryptogram.” It is the lower cryptogram on column D.
Quelle/Source: McIntosh
As the name implies, the gear cryptogram consists of symbols that resemble gear segments. The following diagram is from Glenn McIntosh:
Quelle/Source: McIntosh
Greg Lloyd has created a similar diagram with additional points inside the wheels.
Possible solutions
An interesting question now is how to transcribe this cryptogram. According to Greg, you have to consider at least the following quantities: the number of inner points, the number of teeth (or the number of toothed quadrants) and the angles.
Otherwise, both fan sites unfortunately don’t provide any information about the gear cryptogram. Stuart Kohlhagen and Bob Dovenberg were also unwilling or unable to provide any clues.
Of course, it would be possible that each gear segment stands for a letter. Then there would be (read from top to bottom) seven words. However, each word would have at least seven letters, which almost never occurs in a sentence. It is conceivable, however, that it is not a sentence, but a list of names or geographical terms.
Or is there something else behind it? Does the position of the wheels perhaps also play a role? Stuart Kohlhagen has certainly come up with something interesting but probably solvable.
Will my readers be able to figure out the riddles of the gear cryptogram?
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Further reading: Die Sockelkryptogramme der NKRYPT-Skulpturen
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