"The Lost Symbol" - Magic Squares and the Masonic Cipher
CUNYQueensborough・19 minutes read
A lost symbol on pizza leads to a search for its origins and the creation of magic squares by Albrecht Durer and Benjamin Franklin, a key element in codebreaking and Dan Brown's novels. Symbols in a 4x4 grid provide clues to decipher coded messages, tying back to historical figures and complex mathematical arrangements.
Insights
- Albrecht Durer, a talented figure from the 1500s, created the Melancholia wood carving featuring a magic square, a numerical arrangement where rows, columns, and diagonals add up to the same sum, showcasing his multidisciplinary skills.
- The utilization of Durer's magic square in a novel by Dan Brown, along with a cipher and Latin text, added layers of complexity and intrigue, highlighting the fusion of historical elements with modern storytelling techniques to engage readers in a cryptic narrative.
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Summary
00:00
"The Lost Symbol: Pizza, Dan Brown, Magic"
- The lost symbol was on a slice of pizza and eaten, leading to a search for its origins.
- Attempts to invite Dan Brown and Albrecht Durer failed due to various reasons.
- Albrecht Durer, a multi-talented individual from the 1500s, created a wood carving called Melancholia, featuring a magic square.
- A magic square is an arrangement of numbers where each row, column, and diagonal add up to the same sum.
- Magic squares come in three types: even (doubly and singly) and odd, with specific divisibility characteristics.
- The Lo Shu magic square, a famous example, has each row, column, and diagonal summing up to 15.
- The Brumgnach Strachey Method, developed in 1918, allows for the creation of singly even magic squares.
- A computer program can generate magic squares of various sizes, with each row, column, and diagonal summing up to the same number.
- Benjamin Franklin's eight by eight magic square, while impressive, did not meet the criteria of a true magic square.
- Ciphering, like the Pig Pen Cipher used by the Masons, involves using symbols to represent letters or concepts, with the addition of a key for added security.
24:09
Deciphering Durer's Magic Square and Codes
- Dan Brown was dissatisfied with deciphering codes and decided to use Durer's magic square from Melancholia.
- Durer's magic square consists of a 4x4 grid with specific numbers arranged in a particular way.
- To create a 4x4 magic square, start at a corner and only write numbers that fall on the main diagonals.
- Durer cleverly embedded the date of his carving within the magic square's numbers.
- The magic square was used in a novel by Dan Brown, along with a cipher and Latin text, adding complexity.
- Benjamin Franklin's 8x8 square was also utilized, although it didn't meet the criteria for a magic square.
- Franklin's square had unique properties where specific combinations of numbers equaled 260.
- Codebreakers often analyze language patterns to crack codes, with the arrangement of symbols in a 4x4 grid providing a clue.
- The key to deciphering a coded message was revealed to be the word "key," leading to a hidden message referencing Dan Brown's novel.
