Maths classed as a weapon?

chem · 13-10-2013 06:26PM #1

Hi I was watching the TV and Mark Thomas was saying that in the US a math/physics formula is classed as a weapon in law. he said a guy got it tattooed onto himself. So when he travels trough airports he is "by law" smuggling arms! Does anyone know what this formula is??

Michael Collins · 13-10-2013 09:04PM

Don't know any specifics but I'm aware coding/cryptography can be considered a weapon. Since these days information is often the key to preventing terrorism, and often the key in war in general, any code that could be devised to encrypt a message that couldn't easily be broken, would give you a significant advantage.

13-10-2013 09:14PM

http://www.geekytattoos.com/illegal-tattoos-rsa-tattoos/

Victor · 13-10-2013 09:31PM

It is any encryption formula greater than 40-bit. If I have it right, any one one character in the original message can become any of 1,099,511,627,776 characters in the coded message.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40-bit_encryption

Note, such encryption was class as a munition (war material), not ammunition.

Maths classed as a weapon?

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