Secret compartments

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/CIA_illusion/

by timf • 17 years ago

83 17 17 years ago

For those genuinely engaged in something covert, texts like this (or like this: http://www.loompanics.com/Underground_Economy/underground_bo...) are for learning what not to do. Your enemy (whoever it may be) also knows how to read.

tlb• 17 years ago

So once all subterfuges have been published, no subterfuges will work any more?

In a world with a finite number of spies, most spies are not being watched by other spies at most times. And spies assigned to watch a particular target spy are generally less highly trained than the target. Simple tricks to avoid attracting attention from casual observers are still useful.

asciilifeform2• 17 years ago

> Simple tricks to avoid attracting attention from casual observers are still useful.

Correct.

And methods such as molding cocaine into faux PVC pipes are not, precisely because they are interesting/memorable and end up documented in customs agents' handbooks.

brown9-2• 17 years ago

I'd be curious to hear any real-life stories behind slide #3 ("Patterns in shoelaces can carry messages").

Do they mean can as in theoretically? Because I could also theoretically carry a message based on myriad other things as well.

Seems like you'd have to get really, really close to a person to be able to read their shoelaces for the patterns in the second and third images.

chrischen5• 17 years ago

They might just be patterns for predetermined messages. So they are probably very distinct patterns.

chronomex• 17 years ago

My shoelaces cross over each other four times in each shoe. Using the different directions of crossing, that's eight undetectable bits. You can do a lot with eight bits.

wouterinho• 17 years ago

Content aside, surely I'm not the only one annoyed by having to click 7 times to see the whole "article"?

peoplerock• 17 years ago

You mean the 'business model' of "annoy the piss out of site visitors for sake of more ad views"?

Well, it's one approach to trying to rescue the Boston Globe from death.

...one destined to lead to online (as well as on-paper) death - in my humble hope.

yosho• 17 years ago

Anyone have any other cool James Bond tricks?

wallflower• 17 years ago

Spy on BBC was addicting to watch. Among other things you learn is that if someone is tailing you, there are two others tailing you (for redundancy).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_(TV_series)

chrischen5• 17 years ago

Folding paper to make it smaller: is this really a magic trick? I mean I know it gets harder with every fold, but it's not really that cool.

bodhi2• 17 years ago

I think the trick was folding it with one hand

chrischen5• 17 years ago

Yea I noticed that, but still kind of trivial.

Secret compartments

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