I suppose this is a topic in which we all have at least a little bit of interest. The idea has even been immortalized by fictitious books and movies such as Davinci Code, Angels and Demons, and Inferno along with a plethora of others works of fiction. But perhaps not all of what read and watch is purely fantasy. Perhaps there is a grain of truth to this idea and life is filled with mysterious messages waiting to be solved by the right person. With that being said, let us begin.
There are a wide variety of conspiracies out there, but I will only name one here for you to ponder on, a mystery that has gone unsolved since it first appeared on the internet on January 4, 2012, it is known as Cicada 3301. On January 4, 2012 an online anonymous person or persons posted a message and code explaining that they were an organization looking to recruit highly intelligent individuals. The post offered enlightenment to anyone who could solve a series of puzzles and clues in a certain set time frame. On January 4, 2013 yet another puzzle was posted, then again on January 4, 2014. January 4, 2015 provided no clue or puzzle from Cicada 3301 and the next puzzle came through Twitter on January 5, 2016. The puzzles focus primarily on security data, cryptography, and steganography. Clues were given through a series of methods that referenced artwork, music, bootable Linux CDs, and even physical locations around the world to name a few. To date, only one person has ever come close to solving the mystery behind Cicada 3301 but due to the sharing of information and missing a previous puzzle, he was deemed ineligible to uncovering the truth behind it all. Many theories have arisen as to just who is behind Cicada 3301 as well as their true purpose. Some have claimed that it is NSA, CIA, M16, an online mercenary group, and even a bank working on crypto-curruncey. Others have claimed that it is hackers playing a practical joke to terrorists trying to recruit new members and even an occult engaged in highly sinister activities. Some say it is merely an alternate reality game but due to the high complexity of the puzzles and clues, combined with the fact that no one has ever come forward claiming responsibility for Cicada 3301's activities, the idea of it being merely a joke or game is unlikely. Even with Cicada 3301 being featured in The Washington Post as one of the top five eeriest internet mysteries to date, not a single individual has ever come forward and the mystery remains unsolved.
Perhaps you have a mystery of your own that you would like to discuss, I would love to hear your thoughts.
