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cover of episode 124: Solving Cicada 3301: Decoding the Internet's Greatest Mystery

124: Solving Cicada 3301: Decoding the Internet's Greatest Mystery

2023/8/18
logo of podcast The Why Files: Operation Podcast

The Why Files: Operation Podcast

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The mysterious message from Cicada 3301 on January 4th, 2012, sparked speculation about its purpose, with theories ranging from recruitment by intelligence agencies to a simple challenge for highly intelligent individuals.

Shownotes Transcript

Early in the morning of January 4th 2012, a strange message appeared on the internet. Just a few lines of text on an image, posted anonymously.

Hello. We are looking for highly intelligent individuals. To find them, we have devised a test.

There is a message hidden in this image.

Find it, and it will lead you on the road to finding us. We look forward to meeting the few that will make it all the way through.

Good luck.

3301

Many speculated that it was a recruiting tool for the NSA, CIA, MI6, or even the Masons.

But who was really behind it, and what was its purpose? Did it even have a purpose?

Whether it did or not, it didn’t matter. Because when you post a puzzle on the internet looking for “highly intelligent people”, that’s a challenge that’s simply impossible to resist.

So, the hunt for Cicada 3301 was on.


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