The Electronic Mode Code - Can You Crack It?

This is the question on GCHQ's state-of-the-art transmitters as the intelligence agency use social networking sites to recruit a new generation of super sleuths.

According to The Daily Telegraph (1/12/11), GCHQ has introduced an internet-based code-breaking game "tracking down" people with the skills for successful hacking in an attempt to combat the high levels of cyber crime present in the current computer age.

This unconventional method differs greatly from their previous attempt, in which they would invite particularly bright students, notably students from Oxford and Cambridge, for a "cup of tea and a chat".

McChesney (1998) defines Political Economy (PE) as "the nature of the relationship of media and communications systems to the broader structure of society" - shaping the way we see the world.

From a PE viewpoint, GCHQ is exercising a certain degree of power over society. Arguably, they are using this exercise to categorize people into levels of intelligence and ultimately, how spy-worthy they are.

This kind of power signifies the decline in the necessity of education by seeking people who are "self taught" in the art of computer hacking. It is made clear that this new media is "socially shaping" the way we view the world as it is made more accessible to the public. 

This is something we would associate with a Capitalist Economic System.

I have skills.

All information and quotes sourced from The Daily Telegraph (1/12/11). 
For more information, visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/.

Additional Sources:

- Lister, M 

 "New Media: An Introduction" (2009)

"The Da Vinci Code"

Leonardo Da Vinci. The controversial artist of the Renaissance. Obsessed with the state, religion and most importantly - he loved a good puzzle.

"Everyone loves a Conspiracy." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

In today's issue of The Daily Mail, Da Vinci still manages to captivate audiences with the controversy surrounding one of his stolen paintings named "The Madonna Of The Yarwinder".

The painting was said to be "tracked down" by private detectives after being stolen from an exhibition at Drumlanrig Castle in 2003, with the affair being branded a "conspiracy".

I have always been intrigued by his work due to the fact that I am an avid art lover and a typical overthinker. Of which I find his works to often emote the question; "Who knew a painting could say so much?"

To me, his paintings signify an era of strict religious values, emotional ambiguity and his significant rebellion towards the state and it's beliefs.

"What really matters is what you believe." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

Idealist Spinoza held the belief that the church was secondary to the state (therefore, religion was decided by the state). His criticisms of The Bible and Political Theory made freedom of opinion important, in which he believed in "absolute logical necessity". He was a Sceptic in the sense that "nothing is true, but everything is possible."

"Life is filled with secrets. You can't learn them all at once." - The Da Vinci Code (2003) 

A glance at religion through the eyes of Da Vinci is further explored in Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" (2003). 

For me, "The Da Vinci Code" was a very interesting summer read whereby his artwork is surrounded by various myths and narratives. There is a themed sense of urgency and I often found myself drifting in and out of the frequent historical teaching (courtesy of Langdon and Teabing), of which I found the myth surrounding his most famed painting "The Mona Lisa" the most intriguing.

"Langdon explains that the 'Mona Lisa' is an anagram of the Egyptian gods of fertility: Amon (male) and Isis (female) and is androgynous." - (http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/a/DaVinciCode.htm)

Even from beyond the grave, Da Vinci's interpretation of art still manages to captivate the demographic. And no matter how long we stand, stare and admire, we will never be able to view these pieces quite like we would through the eyes of the artist. 

Information and quotes sourced from The Daily Mail (24/11/11). 

For more information, visit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html