Prize Code

This is a code I invented for this page. Be warned: it's difficult, and I'm not giving you many clues except that you'll have to know a bit about numbers... and, even when you've solved the first step you'll find that it's not quite as simple as you thought...

Example:

"To be or not to be" is coded as:

3 7 25438 819 7 158

Now here's the challenge:

3 2261 86 133 19 365 6 23 365 1922 2 70499 259 3 19 6095

11 41 325 493 61 78 17 7 47 6 517 286 3053 505 37 1147 13

15 7285 11 3819 19 365 146 187 33 2 87 19 146 4805 118 7

53 4147 1111 37 1147

The "winners"

This code has been online for many years and quite few people have written in with solutions. The first South African Scout to solve the code (and claim a music voucher as a prize) was Ivan Kahl, a 14 year old Seconder at 1st Wychwood Scout Troop in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa, in May 2013. So the prize competition is finally over.

Congratulations to the following people who have solved the code:

    • Rishi Raj, from New York, NY (December 2013)

    • Ivan Kahl, a Scout from 1st Wychwood Scouts in South Africa (May 2013) - our prizewinner, as the first South African Scout to solve the code!

    • Stuart Black, a Scouter from 1st Walmer in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (October 2010)

    • Aishwary Gupta from New Delhi in India (September 2010)

    • Mishari Hamad from Kuwait (April 2010)

    • Nero (April 2010)

    • Greg Sherart, a Cub leader from BC, Canada (March 2010)

    • Jeff K from Wellington, Florida, USA (November 2009)

    • Harley Allkins, a Scouter from South Africa (August 2009)

    • Chris van der Merwe from Strand, South Africa (January 2008)

    • Seth and friends (October 2006)

    • NeilFred from California, USA (June 2005)

    • Preety from Pennsylvania, USA (May 2005)

    • Marc d'Hotman of Phoenix Rover Crew in South Africa (Feb 2004)

    • Darron G (April 2003)

    • Chris Rasko from Canada (2003)

    • There may have been others whose names I have unfortunately lost.

This code was also used as an activity for an engineering student challenge in Calgary, Canada.