From Julius Caesar to the World Wars, from space travel to the Internet, from online gaming to cryptocurrency — cryptography (the art and science of making and breaking codes with math) is at the heart of technological advances and societal evolution. Have you ever wondered how it works? Design cryptographic algorithms in an immersive, interactive web-based gaming adventure that tests your wits and skill against the clock in the style of famed cryptography training programs at the National Security Agency (NSA) and other Cold War-era intelligence agencies.
In the spirit of Duke, cryptographic design becomes even more accessible and engaging by exploring it through the lens of basketball, where algorithms become sequences of plays, and data moving through an algorithm become players moving across the court. Equipped with friendly programming languages like the versatile Python and natural language Inform 7 for building games, this experience provides everything from designing and implementing cryptographic algorithms to wielding them in narrative-driven gamified worlds.
Even if becoming a professional codebreaker isn’t on your radar, the skillset of quick decision-making and problem-solving under pressure will be indispensable additions to your toolkit.
Duke Pre-College uses a 2-step enrollment process:
Learn more on our How to Apply page.
