Mar 29A rose-shaped key for the Dorabella Cipher and EnigmaAuthor’s note: This solution has been rejected by the journal Cryptologia, and I am increasingly convinced of its validity. Here it is; you’ve been warned. Abstract: A geometric assembly of the symbols of Edward Elgar’s Dorabella Cipher is proposed, producing a rose-shaped key which is used in a systematic decipherment…Enigma14 min readEnigma14 min read
Nov 13, 2022The Dorabella Cipher: a list of plants in the Malvern HillsA one-page proposed solution to Edward Elgar’s enduring cipher. For an in-depth analysis, see this post.Cryptography1 min readCryptography1 min read
May 3, 2020Brutalism Exposed the Essence of Acoustic ArchitectureEvery time sound strikes a surface its energy splits in three: reflected, absorbed, and transmitted. The material, shape, and composition of the surface determine the proportions of the split. …Architecture3 min readArchitecture3 min read
Nov 5, 2015The Rise of Intrinsic Acoustic DesignThis essay has been eclipsed by Acoustic Ornament. It has been archived and is no longer available.Design1 min readDesign1 min read
Nov 26, 2014The Sound of EMPACAn acoustic architecture essay — There is no better way to understand the acoustic soul of a building than to spend thousands of hours within its walls, observing and thinking alongside those who work and create there. The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) opened in 2008 on the campus of…Architecture10 min readArchitecture10 min read
Aug 14, 2014Reconnecting Time and PlaceContinuous Time and the Obsolescence of Time Zones — These ideas were spurred to introduction by pieces from Lloyd Alter and, more recently, Matthew Yglesias. Each make the case that time zones are no longer necessary. Time zones are a compromise from the Industrial Age. When railroads and telegraphs gave us the capacity to travel and communicate over large…Time7 min readTime7 min read
