This new volume of the Mystery Making Trilogy is unique for various reasons: this is the third volume of the series but it is not the final one. The rapid progress of cryptography and its every day applications has been offering an increasing quantity of material.
While the previous volume of the trilogy (Classic Mysteries) embraced a period of 2000 years, this one can only deal with three centuries. Finally, the vivid story of cryptography in the 20th century will be introduced in a separate book.
Cryptology and cryptography are subject to certain laws, just as scientific and technical developments are subject to their own laws . One of the most painful and unjust laws is that each age has its own `prophets`, or misunderstood pioneers, whose ideas are not be accepted during their own lifetimes. Future generations may be more understanding and open-minded towards these ideas, but this open-mindedness is only made possible because the way has been prepared by the pioneers. Ideas seep gradually into the consciousness of scientific and every day life, and the „new conquerers’” work is reduced to transforming the existing revolutionary ideas into more digestable, obvious forms which are able to convince the sceptics.
This volume continues in the
tradition of the Mystery Making
Trilogy, and as a result pays tribute to the 17-19th century pioneers and new
discoverers in the fields of cryptography, cryptology, information technology,
media studies, computing and artificial intelligence. An added validity is
given to the book by the facts that the year 2005 is the 100th anniversary of
Jules Verne’s death and of Albert
Einstein’s special theory of relativity which has lead to the year 2005 being
declared the year of physics and science worldwide.
The author