POPQuiz #3 Results: Decrypted. Or…Knowledge is Power.

Let’s shed some light on our patent research enigma, shall we?

CHALLENGE RECAP

It’s been a while since we posted POPQuiz #3, so here’s a reminder of the challenge for this POPQuiz.

You may recall that the challenge required you to first solve the following riddle.

On a shore that gave birth to a field The love of a William revealed A crack team of two A cloak red + blue And ideas: more breaking than making.

Once you had solved the riddle, you would then have the information you would need to answer the search questions.

1. Who are the two? 2. One of the two has patents: old, and new. What is the number of the most recently granted patent? 3. The other of the two does not seem to appear in the patent literature, despite an impressive record of successful innovation. What could make this person’s patents easier to find, if those documents existed? 4. What was the original career of the person in question 2? 5. Where are the two now?

The answers revealed

1. Who were the two?

The two we were looking for were

• William Frederick Friedman (1891–1969)
• Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892–1980)

Both were pioneering cryptologists who lived in the United States. They were married. Both were brilliant codebreakers who used their skills to help the US government during both World Wars and solve a long-standing issue in the history of English literature – the authorship of the works of William Shakespeare.

They met at Riverbank Laboratories, a private research facility. Because of their work, Riverbank Laboratories would later be called the birthplace of American cryptology by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

2. One of the two has patents: old, and new. What is the number of the most recently granted patent?

William F. Friedman has several patents, the most recently granted being US 6130946, entitled “Cryptographs” (granted Oct. 10, 2000; filed Oct. 23, 1936).

3. The other of the two does not seem to appear in the patent literature. What could make this person’s patents easier to find, if those documents existed?
The spelling of Elizebeth Friedman’s first name is unusual. The most common spelling is “Elizabeth”. The unconventional spelling is attributed to Elizebeth’s mother.

4. What was the original career of the person in question 2?

William F. Friedman started his career as a geneticist.

5. Where are the two now?

The two are buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, West Virginia, USA. Both names are on the gravestone.