Thormir
06-26-2006, 02:07 PM
Mankind sometimes goes to great lengths to craft puzzles, messages, messages within puzzles, complex frauds and the like. Following are a few examples for your enjoyment; feel free to add your own.
The Toynbee Tiles (http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=29) have shown up on streets in various cities in both the US and South America. Over 130 tiles have appeared, each featuring similar messages (e.g., "Toynbee Idea/Movie 2001/Resurrect Dead/Planet Jupiter") sometimes accompanied by small diatribes against the media, Jews and the mafia.
The May Day Mystery (http://www.maydaymystery.org/mayday/) revolves around a series of incredibly complex, linked puzzles that have appeared as full page advertisements in the Arizona Daily Wildcat (the University of Arizona's student newspaper) since May 1, 1981. The puzzles include references to historical figures, chemical processes, numerology, religious figures and smiley faces, among other things. Here's (http://www.maydaymystery.org/mayday/texts/05-april29.html) one especially complex example.
The Secret (http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000977007) is a treasure hunting book by author/publisher Byron Preiss. Published in 1982, the book provides clues to finding 12 gemstones secreted around the US. To date, only two have been found, and the book is out of print. Mr. Preiss died last year, and his estate has yet to divulge the location of the remaining gemstones.
Lastly, the Voynich Manuscript (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_Manuscript) is a book dating back several hundred years written in a thus far incomprehensible language and containing herbal, biological, zodiological and other illustrations, many of which are surrounded by further illustrations of nude women bathing. While quite possibly a hoax, the manuscript's sheer complexity is enough for some researchers to deem it a valid work (at least of some sort).
Fun stuff. I'm particularly interested in the May Day Mystery, especially given the interaction between the owner of that website (who first started looking into it some years ago) and the authors of the puzzles themselves (or himself), referred to as The Orphanage.
The Toynbee Tiles (http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=29) have shown up on streets in various cities in both the US and South America. Over 130 tiles have appeared, each featuring similar messages (e.g., "Toynbee Idea/Movie 2001/Resurrect Dead/Planet Jupiter") sometimes accompanied by small diatribes against the media, Jews and the mafia.
The May Day Mystery (http://www.maydaymystery.org/mayday/) revolves around a series of incredibly complex, linked puzzles that have appeared as full page advertisements in the Arizona Daily Wildcat (the University of Arizona's student newspaper) since May 1, 1981. The puzzles include references to historical figures, chemical processes, numerology, religious figures and smiley faces, among other things. Here's (http://www.maydaymystery.org/mayday/texts/05-april29.html) one especially complex example.
The Secret (http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000977007) is a treasure hunting book by author/publisher Byron Preiss. Published in 1982, the book provides clues to finding 12 gemstones secreted around the US. To date, only two have been found, and the book is out of print. Mr. Preiss died last year, and his estate has yet to divulge the location of the remaining gemstones.
Lastly, the Voynich Manuscript (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_Manuscript) is a book dating back several hundred years written in a thus far incomprehensible language and containing herbal, biological, zodiological and other illustrations, many of which are surrounded by further illustrations of nude women bathing. While quite possibly a hoax, the manuscript's sheer complexity is enough for some researchers to deem it a valid work (at least of some sort).
Fun stuff. I'm particularly interested in the May Day Mystery, especially given the interaction between the owner of that website (who first started looking into it some years ago) and the authors of the puzzles themselves (or himself), referred to as The Orphanage.