The Alan Turing Cryptography Competition

2025 edition. From the people behind the MathsBombe Competition.
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Chapter 3

E: That was mildly diverting. Hope you're up for another challenge. It could get emoji-onal!

The image is of a grid of symbols.  The symbols are emojis of animals,
punctuation marks, and spaces.  The grid has 23 rows and 16
columns.  There are 16 symbols in each of the first 22 rows.  The 23rd
row has 7 symbols.

First row: a zebra, a space, a rabbit, a scorpion, a pig, a zebra, a
hamster, a frog, a giraffe, a scorpion, a space, a parrot, a zebra, a
cat, a cat, a dragon,

Next row: a pig, a space, a hamster, a rabbit, a
space, a parrot, a dragon, a zebra, a mouse, a hamster, a mouse, a
frog, a space, a zebra, a frog, a zebra,

Next row: a hamster, a mouse, a rabbit, a scorpion, a space, a zebra,
a space, a unicorn, a dragon, a pig, a scorpion, a hamster, a beetle,
a zebra, a parrot, a space,

Next row: a worm, a zebra, a parrot, a parrot, a full stop a scorpion,
a giraffe, a dragon, a space, a scorpion, a butterfly, an owl, a
space, a butterfly, an elephant, a space,

Next row: a scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon, a space, a parrot, a zebra,
a cat, a cat, a dragon, a pig, a space, a scorpion, a butterfly, a
T-Rex, a beetle, a giraffe,

Next row: a dragon, a rabbit, a space, a scorpion, a giraffe, a
dragon, a space, a worm, a zebra, a parrot, a parrot, a space, a
zebra, a scorpion, a space, a zebra,

Next row: a space, a giraffe, a dragon, a hamster, a frog, a giraffe,
a scorpion, a space, a butterfly, an elephant, a space, a scorpion, a
worm, a dragon, a parrot, a unicorn,

Next row: a dragon, a space, a lizard, a dragon, a scorpion, a pig, a
dragon, a rabbit, a space, a zebra, a mouse, a cat, a space, a
scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon,

Next row: a space, an ant, a butterfly, a scorpion, a scorpion, a
butterfly, a lizard, a space, a butterfly, an elephant, a space, a
scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon, a space, a parrot,

Next row: a zebra, a cat, a cat, a dragon, a pig, a space, a hamster,
a rabbit, a space, an elephant, a hamster, a unicorn, a dragon, a
space, a lizard, a dragon,

Next row: a scorpion, a pig, a dragon, a rabbit, a space, a zebra, a
worm, a zebra, a squid, a space, an elephant, a pig, a butterfly, a
lizard, a space, a scorpion,

Next row: a giraffe, a dragon, a space, an ant, a zebra, a rabbit, a
dragon, a space, a butterfly, an elephant, a space, a scorpion, a
giraffe, a dragon, a space, a worm,

Next row: a zebra, a parrot, a parrot, a space, a butterfly, a mouse,
a space, an elephant, a parrot, a zebra, a scorpion, a space, a frog,
a pig, a butterfly, a T-Rex,

Next row: a mouse, a cat, a full stop a scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon,
a space, an ant, a butterfly, a scorpion, a scorpion, a butterfly, a
lizard, a space, a butterfly, an elephant,

Next row: a space, a scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon, a space, a parrot,
a zebra, a cat, a cat, a dragon, a pig, a space, a hamster, a rabbit,
a space, a mouse,

Next row: a butterfly, a worm, a space, a lizard, a butterfly, a
unicorn, a dragon, a cat, a space, a rabbit, a butterfly, a space, a
scorpion, a giraffe, a zebra, a scorpion,

Next row: a space, a hamster, a scorpion, a space, a hamster, a
rabbit, a space, a rabbit, a dragon, a unicorn, a dragon, a mouse, a
space, a lizard, a dragon, a scorpion,

Next row: a pig, a dragon, a rabbit, a space, an elephant, a pig, a
butterfly, a lizard, a space, a scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon, a
space, a worm, a zebra, a parrot,

Next row: a parrot, a full stop a giraffe, a butterfly, a worm, a
space, a giraffe, a hamster, a frog, a giraffe, a space, a T-Rex, an
owl, a space, a scorpion, a giraffe,

Next row: a dragon, a space, a worm, a zebra, a parrot, a parrot, a
space, a scorpion, a butterfly, a space, a scorpion, a giraffe, a
dragon, a space, a mouse, a dragon,

Next row: a zebra, a pig, a dragon, a rabbit, a scorpion, a space, a
beetle, a dragon, a mouse, a scorpion, a hamster, a lizard, a dragon,
a scorpion, a pig, a dragon,

Next row: a space, a worm, a hamster, a parrot, a parrot, a space, a
scorpion, a giraffe, a dragon, a space, a parrot, a zebra, a cat, a
cat, a dragon, a pig,

Final row: a space, a pig, a dragon, a zebra, a beetle, a giraffe, a
question mark

The image above contains a hidden question. Please enter your answer to the question in the box below. If the answer is a number please enter it using numerals rather than words.

To deter guessing without thinking, we ask that you also solve the following simple arithmetic problem before checking your answer:

What is six plus five, plus seven?  

This problem was first solved on Mon 27th January at 4:21:03pm
Alan Turing Cryptography Competition 2025 is organised by the The Department of Mathematics at The University of Manchester.
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