Re: Re: Re: VMs: Further investigatio of folio f1r

["Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Larry Roux" <lroux@xxxxxxx>
Sent: 07 April 2004 05:18


> I think we have all done character frequency counts on various languages
and compared them to the Voy.  That is one of the most frustrating things
about the manuscript - the frequency counts mirror actual languages very
well.  That is, they are not out of the ordinary.
>
> This tends to draw the newer Voy researchers into the inevitable
conclusion that it is a simple single-substitution cipher.  And, yet, that
is when the insanity begins.  You always feel that if you just got the right
substitution down you could easily solve it.  And, believe me, I have tried.
>
> So you then begin to look at more complicated encryption schemes.
Rotating keys, multiple table substitutions, etc.  But the thing is, the
more complicated the encryption scheme you get the more the character
frequency statistics that should be produced look less and less like a
natural language (and very un-Voy-like).
>
> Once that is realized the only solutions are: 1) a real genius did this
and they were able to come up with a complicated scheme that mirrors the
statistics and "feel" of a natural language, 2) the Voy is in a made up
language, 3) it is a fabulously manufactured document [ie hoax] or 4) we
just have not tried the right character replacement scheme yet.
>
> I, personally, vacillate between 1 and 2.
>
> Unfortunately, real-world work has slowed me down recently, but my next
move was going to be to look at the Voy from a "word" standpoint.  That is,
if it is a single substitution cipher or some kind of made up language,
certain words should be evident.  "The", "Of", "And", "Or", "It"...for
example.  Voy "ol" is a good candidate for one of those.  "daiin" another.
"al" and "or" others.  I figure that once those kinds of words were
identified it might lead to determining the best way to decrypt the rest of
the text.
>
> But then, I am fairly certain that is as blind of an alley as any
other....as far as I know, "ol" stands for "and" in one place and
"repository" in another.  In that case we may never figure this out.
>
>

Larry you are turning into a workaholic. By the time the pizza comes you
will be too weak to eat it!

Jeff


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