CONTENT RATING: PG-13 (themes: sex)

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Enigma was one of the most advanced mechanical ciphers of its time. In this first episode, we look back at the history of cryptology to see the ashes from which this cryptographic titan rose. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast.

Did you like this podcast miniseries? Would you have changed anything? Want something different? More of the same? This Festival of Social Science event was supported by the ESRC and they’d love to know your views on it, so if you have a moment, please fill in this quick survey to let them know your thoughts. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-13 (themes: torture, death)

See the Self-care page if you need support.

Enigma was one of the most advanced mechanical ciphers of its time. In this first episode, we look back at the history of cryptology to see the ashes from which this cryptographic titan rose. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast.

Did you like this podcast miniseries? Would you have changed anything? Want something different? More of the same? This Festival of Social Science event was supported by the ESRC and they’d love to know your views on it, so if you have a moment, please fill in this quick survey to let them know your thoughts. Continue reading →

As a warm-up to our ESRC Festival of Social Science mini-series on Enigma, I posed a small series of cryptological challenges – a Tiny Enigma. Within the challenge is a sprinkling of clues, and in this post, I present the solutions to each stage, as well as a little insight into what the various clues meant.

This post is a walk-through of the solution to the Tiny Enigma challenge posted on the en clair Twitter account from the 08^th of October 2019 onwards. If you’re coming to this some time in October 2019 and you’re still trying to solve the puzzle, this contains ALL THE SPOILERS. If you’re coming to this weeks or months after November 2019, the original content has probably been removed so many links won’t work any more. To keep the integrity, where possible I’ve copied, pasted, and included original images and whatnot. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-16

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Should you be prosecuted for barking? Or asking about a horse’s sexuality? What about using a racist slur? This episode looks at the turbulent history of §5 of the Public Order Act 1986, and its chaotic journey from the dreaming spires of Oxford to the inner-city streets of Newcastle. en clair is a podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries from past to present. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-18

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For half a decade, the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised northern England, attacking and murdering at least twenty women. In the final part of this five-episode miniseries, now that the killer is caught, there is a chance to see whether the linguists were right all along. Will there be regret, redemption, or both? En clair is a podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries from past to present. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-18

See the Self-care page if you need support.

For half a decade, the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised northern England, attacking and murdering at least twenty women. In the fourth of this five-part miniseries, increasingly disillusioned with the investigation, one of the linguists speaks out, leading to a dramatic fall from grace. But was he right? En clair is a podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries from past to present. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-18

See the Self-care page if you need support.

For half a decade, the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised northern England, attacking and murdering at least twenty women. In the third of this five-part miniseries, the police turn to linguists for help. Can Stanley Ellis and Jack Windsor Lewis help the police catch a serial killer? En clair is a podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries from past to present. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-18

See the Self-care page if you need support.

For half a decade, the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised northern England, attacking and murdering at least twenty women. In the second of this five-part miniseries, embattled police receive letters and a tape claiming to be from the murderer. Is this the breakthrough they have been looking for? En clair is a podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries from past to present. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-18

See the Self-care page if you need support.

For half a decade, the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised northern England, attacking and murdering at least twenty women. The first of this five-part miniseries documents the early attacks and police decisions. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →

CONTENT RATING: PG-16

See the Self-care page if you need support.

Between 1400-1750, at least 40,000 Europeans were executed for cursing, casting spells, and other forms of witchcraft. This episode looks in particular at the Pendle Witch Trials, and asks just how reliable the evidence and records used to convict the so-called witches really were. Below you will find data, audio credits, further reading, and a transcript of the podcast. Continue reading →