Make your own Enigma Machine
December 17, 2016 11:19 AM   Subscribe

Build a fully functional electronic replica of the world famous German Enigma machine. Enjoy this documentary playlist related to the Enigma.
posted by Foci for Analysis (6 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
I am my own Enigma machine.
posted by howfar at 2:46 PM on December 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I grew up in a homophobic society. It was normal to insult someone by calling them a fag, or worse. Alan Turing broke the spell for me. He's my hero, he cracked the code which meant they knew where the u-boats were and so they could get all the stuff they needed across the atlantic to invade europe and defeat the nazis.

Alan built his own computer to do it. I wanted to learn more about this super genius that saved the world, and he killed himself. And when I learnt why, I thought that's not fair. He broke the code, there should be statues of him!

This was as an infant just learning about computer science. And sex too. Alan's legacy is breaking the enigma code, and decades after his untimely death, teaching me that homosexuals are normal and should be treated like anyone.
posted by adept256 at 4:15 PM on December 17, 2016 [9 favorites]


Alan Turing is a hero of mine, too. Just a couple weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about building and using the very nicely done Pringles can Enigma machine. The Pringles can (or "crisp tube" in the U.K.) Enigma is a direct descendent of the "comic strip" versions Turing used at Bletchley Park.

Thanks for this link - I'll try to build one of these electronic versions, too!
posted by dylanjames at 8:35 PM on December 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


As real ones go for $50-100k, this seems reasonable. Needs moar electromechanical, tho.
posted by scruss at 7:08 AM on December 18, 2016


I would love to build this...except that I'd have to build two, one for me and one for a friend, because coding messages that no one would read would be lonely.

I wonder if there are enigma buddies out there on the internet who you can chat with using your enigma machine?
posted by Sauce Trough at 5:16 PM on December 19, 2016


I wonder if there are enigma buddies out there on the internet who you can chat with using your enigma machine?

Yup.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:57 AM on December 20, 2016


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