The Why Files: Operation Podcast
124: Solving Cicada 3301: Decoding the Internet's Greatest Mystery
18 Aug 2023
Early in the morning of January 4th 2012, a strange message appeared on the internet. Just a few lines of text on an image, posted anonymously. Hello. We are looking for highly intelligent individuals. To find them, we have devised a test. There is a message hidden in this image. Find it, and it will lead you on the road to finding us. We look forward to meeting the few that will make it all the way through. Good luck. 3301 Many speculated that it was a recruiting tool for the NSA, CIA, MI6, or even the Masons. But who was really behind it, and what was its purpose? Did it even have a purpose? Whether it did or not, it didn’t matter. Because when you post a puzzle on the internet looking for “highly intelligent people”, that’s a challenge that’s simply *impossible* to resist. So, the hunt for Cicada 3301 was on. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from The Why Files: Operation Podcast
Transcribed and ready to explore now
596: The Awakening of Human Consciousness | Forbidden Fungus (STRIPPED)
31 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
595: Dark Oxygen | CIA Deep Sea Secret Could Trigger the Next Extinction Event (STRIPPED)
23 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
594: The Midnight Game | When Ancient Shadows Come To Play (STRIPPED)
21 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
593: Earth's Mantis Overlords | They've Been Here all Along (STRIPPED)
14 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
592: Proving Atlantis | The Megalithic Yard Mystery (STRIPPED)
05 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
591: Mysteries of the Sea Vol 2: Ghost Ships & Desert Galleons | Unexplained Maritime Disappearances
01 May 2025
The Why Files: Operation Podcast