Giant code wheel for sale, proceeds to EFF

The Mythbusters gang built a gigantic code-wheel for a demo at the RSA conference and now they're auctioning it off, with proceeds to the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

What we have here is a genuine functioning coding cryptex built by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters. They used it for a demonstration at the RSA Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, April 24th, 2009. See a video of the demonstration at the following link: http://media.omediaweb.com/rsa2009/keynote_catalog.htm.

The client wanted a unique demonstration of something to do with encryption and secrecy, and Jamie Hyneman, and Adam Savage designed, built and used this machine to encode the phrase "Cryptologists do it in secret". Then they went on stage at RSA and used the machine to DECRYPT the secret message. The appearance was a smash success. The crowd was great. The machine worked great.

THE MACHINE: at 13' long, and just over 6' high, it's made to be highly visible, even from the back of the audience. It's composed of a long pole, holding 29 distinct wheels, built from MDF and Cintra, with applied vinyl letters. There are 4 different alphabet wheels randomly distributed among the 29, making this a moderately robust coding machine (save for the fact that pictures here compromise it's secrecy). All of this sits on a custom welded steel frame and heavy-duty castors. Although it weighs approximately 300 pounds, it rolls around quite easily.

Coding Cryptex built by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman

Video

(via Make)

[#1 posted by denstark, June 24, 2009 4:44 AM]

Is there a direct link to the video file by chance? Can't seem to get it to play in a browser.

[#2 posted by jhoug, June 24, 2009 5:35 AM]

The material is spelled Sintra, a PVC foamcore material used mostly for making durable displays. The material itself is waterproof and fairly rugged. I've found it too expensive to get new, but you can frequently find it as scrap when trade shows are taken down.
Unfortunately, PVC shouldn't be laser cut - the fumes are bad for you, and bad for the laser cutter (as in voids the Epilog warranty).

[#3 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 6:16 AM]

opening bid
$2USD

[#4 posted by mackenzi, June 24, 2009 6:26 AM]

Nice of you to come.

[#5 posted by FoetusNail, June 24, 2009 7:00 AM]

Noticed a great reason to bid on this fabulous item!

What IS true is that we're NOT keeping the money from the sale of this extremely rare artifact. All proceeds from this sale will go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Why? Well because they fight for excellent causes near and dear to our hearts. We will present them a check for the selling price mere days after the auction ends.

So not only does the WINNING BIDDER get a one-of-a-kind INCREDIBLE object from this auction, they also get to bask in the knowledge of a good deed well done- that of helping to support an awesome and amazing organization that fights every day for your liberties in the (increasingly complex) digital age.

[#6 posted by InsertFingerHere, June 24, 2009 10:00 AM]

Mythbusters should be required viewing in schools. I've got some of the mechanical reasoning skills, and good with electronics, but all the other stuff, the physics and math these guys use, those are things I passed on in high school. There didn't seem to be a real-world need to know that bunk.

Now, I regret passing on that stuff.

Never too late, I suppose.

[#7 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 10:13 AM]

someone should warn him that since he's not auctioning it through missionfish, ebay will probably remove his auction....

[#8 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 11:38 AM]

I would immediately remove my children from any school that showed "Mythbusters" as anything other than entertainment.

Speaking as a scientist, what that show does is just plain not science. Entertainment, yes, who doesn't like seeing stuff get blown up? But it's nearly the opposite of scientific investigation.

For a discussion of this issue see:

http://echochamber.me/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=19817&sid=359a3404cc8303cfca6bc8718ee75fbd

And incidentally, I can catch an arrow. I've done it three or four times now.

[#9 posted by sopekmir, June 24, 2009 1:18 PM]

Well, looks nice, though the cryptography it show is not very advanced :-)

I would be a challenge for someone to create a giant asymetric cryptography model. What could it be? Two giant buckets of wheet and barley and the mixing of them? that's a real challenge !!!

[#10 posted by trimeta, July 23, 2009 1:25 AM]

Anonymous #8: I'll make sure to point Zombie Feynman in your direction, then.