undercover science... for your eyes only... the best-kept secret links in the world
So you've watched James Bond, finished your cryptic crossword, won your family’s scrabble championship, and you think you’ve got what it takes to be a defender of National Security or a crack cryptologist…
Or maybe the amazing story of the men and women who intercepted and busted the Germans’ codes at Bletchley Park has got you interested in the history and stories of World War Two? Either way, check out our selection of great websites to find out more:
MI5 - the security service
www.mi5.gov.uk
This site gives you an insight into MI5 and its inner workings. It includes a brief history of MI5 from 1909 to date, a debrief on common 'myths and misunderstandings', a rundown on the major threats the department considers itself to face, and information on employment options. It’s a must for anyone looking to break into the world of espionage, though they’re tight-lipped on some of the more ‘interesting’ espionage questions, like "what colour is the carpet is in the MI5 building?"
bletchley park
www.bletchleypark.org.uk
This is the online home of the place where the Enigma code-breakers did their amazing work during World War II. Featuring some of the most comprehensive code and code-breaking information on the net, it’s both historical and educational. It also has a great kids’ area, sure to grab the attention of anyone - of any age – who’s interested in codes and ciphers. And once you've gathered the info from this site you might like to have a crack at our Bletchley Park Quiz
simon singh
www.simonsingh.com
As an award-winning producer, director, and writer, Simon Singh has made codes and ciphers cool again. This site not only gives a thorough description of Simon's work to date, but also introduces visitors to a number of historically important codes and ciphers, including working models (two of which are already featured on our own site – thanks Simon!)
imperial war museum online enigma exhibition
www.iwm.org.uk/online/enigma/eni-intro.htm
This area of the Museum’s site gives another introduction to codes and ciphers. Naturally, their slant is on codes in wartime, but the site fills in the historical development of codes and secret writing over the centuries, so as to put the Enigma machine into context. Drawing on its extensive archive of photos, the story of codebreaking during WWII is explained and illustrated – you get a real sense of the horror of the war, and of the relentless drive to decipher enemy signals…
children of WW2
www.iwm.org.uk/education/ww2children
This is a brilliant interactive site that’s been put together as part of the Imperial War Museum's online activities. The idea is to let visitors try out day-to-day tasks as if they were living in London during WW2. Features include a war-time house, in which you can look through each room and see what made it different to the housing of today, and a war-time shop, in which you can attempt to buy the ingredients for a wartime meal with your ration book (hope you like raspberries and Marmite!) There’s also a selection of actual evacuees’ letters, which give an interesting insight into the lives of those children evacuated from their homes during the war.
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