CCUS: A CO2 economy

Moving CO₂ from the air to Lithos and converting it to useful products

One of the primary concerns of the current times is the increasing amount of carbon dioxide that is continuously accumulating in the atmosphere at an exponentially increasing rate. Every second, over a million kilograms of CO2 are released into the air through the burning of fossil fuels and from industrial processes. This isn't something completely new; we've been listening to this for several decades now. The so-called problem that researchers are trying to solve is to capture this carbon dioxide, store it somewhere, probably in a place that wouldn't increase the Earth's temperature, or utilize it in making something useful and less harmful.

The storage part is quite interesting. It came to me as a complete shock when I first heard of it. The way it's been done is like this: Industries in which huge carbon dioxide emissions occur are equipped with the CO2 storage system. The released CO2 is recaptured and transferred underground through an inlet. It is taken up to a distance, say 1-2 km. The CO2 gets stored in a region containing porous rocks filled with salty waters (Saline Aquifers) in the Earth's crust. This can be thought of as a mimic of a scenario in the underground environment in which natural gas and oil, the major fossil fuels, were trapped, formed, and stored for millions of years to manifest into the forms in which we use them. These, when burnt, produce a tremendous amount of both energy as well as emissions. The CO2 that is sent beneath through pipes gets trapped and stored in these rocks, awaiting its slow mineralization over the years. So, to cut a long story short, researchers are trying to put CO2 back to its original source. To some extent, it could be said that we are actually walking on a mass of slightly liquified CO2 that would be mineralized after several years from now. 

Carbon dioxide utilization is another area. This does not involve capturing and storing CO2 underground, but it does involve converting it into economically valuable products. In this, CO2 molecules undergo reduction to form methanol and further to methane. Methanol is a useful industrial raw material to produce chemicals like formaldehyde, acetic acid, plastics, fuels, paints, and feedstock. Similarly, methane is a crucial fuel. It's very similar to a circular economy, wherein you are able to get the same product again, like making use of waste plastic material to make a new one. This one could be thought of as a CO2 economy. CO2 is also used in several organic chemistry transformations to produce compounds such as cyclic carbamates. Controlled amounts of CO2 gases are purged into the reactant mixtures at specific pressure and temperature conditions to get the desired products.

All these technologies actually help in reducing the carbon footprint, as the CO2 is either being utilized and becoming a part of a product, it is being stored in a manner that reduces its atmospheric impact, or it is being converted into another, less troublesome form. These are among the most crucial technologies currently to control and check the emissions, as that's probably the only alternative we are left with. Of course, the best way to control is to reduce, and that's far from happening-as of now.

©Neha Kanase 

The Raman Effect

The beginning of the 20th century marked significant breakthroughs in physics across the world. A great deal of work was conducted to understand the properties and dual nature of light. The light-scattering phenomenon was studied earlier by an English physicist, Lord Rayleigh. When a light ray travels through a medium, it gets deviated due to the particles present in the medium. This phenomenon is known as the scattering of light. According to the Rayleigh scattering, the energy and the wavelength of the light ray before and after scattering remain the same. This is called elastic scattering. This phenomenon explains the blue color of the sky- shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered by the atmospheric particles more strongly than the longer wavelengths (orange and red). The reverse of this happens during the sunset when the skies appear orange-red due to the scattering of longer wavelengths. 

Around the same time, CV Raman and his student, KS Krishnan, independently studied the light scattering phenomenon and conducted a few experiments at the Indian Association of Cultivation of Sciences (IACS), Calcutta. However, what they observed was different from the Rayleigh scattering effect. The energy and wavelength of the scattered light differed from the incident radiation. This is inelastic scattering. CV Raman attributed this to an analogue of the Compton effect, which explains the interaction between high-energy photons in X-rays that deviate in wavelength after interacting with charged particles like electrons. But the novelty about Raman scattering lay in the fact that it was observed even in ordinary light rays, not just the high-energy X-rays. They published this finding in Nature through an article titled ‘A new type of secondary radiation’. Thus, in an ordinary light, along with the regular elastic Rayleigh scattering, there is also the presence of the Raman scattering phenomenon, which gives a wavelength-shifted scattered light ray along with the same-wavelength scattered light. This makes the energy associated with the incident and the scattered ray different. These findings were published on the 28th of February 1928, and Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel prize, the highest recognition for a scientist worldwide. 

Since then, National Science Day has been celebrated annually in memory of the Raman effect. Although the Raman effect might appear as a fundamental discovery, it has a wide range of applications in modern science. Raman spectroscopy is an instrumentation technique widely used in the chemical analysis of compounds and materials. It works on the principle of the Raman effect. The key component of the Raman spectrometer is a laser that helps in inelastic scattering of the sample to be tested i.e. the energy of the scattered light is different from the incident one. The peaks in the resulting spectrum (caused because of the scattered light radiation) correspond to specific vibrational modes within the sample's molecules, allowing for identification and characterization of the sample. The spectrum obtained through Raman spectroscopy is unique for every molecule and thus can be used for its identification. A Raman spectrometer is now commonplace in research laboratories and chemical industries worldwide. Thus, a fundamental, natural observation could be quantified for real-world application and usage. 

©Neha Kanase 

 Quantifying Valour

A view from Fort Raigad

This post may seem a bit offbeat compared to the usual science-related content, although I've tried to focus on the scientific aspect as much as possible.  A rather unusual conversation and a bit of thoughtful musing thereof led me to write this. One of my colleagues, who hails from Chennai and has recently shifted to Pune, asked me a question. She visited the Raigad fort for a weekend trip and was curiously surprised by the behaviour of people there. For those of you who don't know, Fort Raigad was the ruling capital of the great warrior and king, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Situated amidst the Sahyadri mountain range in Maharashtra, this magnificent stronghold has stood unmoved at 4500 ft above sea level for more than a millennium now. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned at Raigad, and it is also the place where his physical remains stay intact in an erected shrine. After climbing 1700 steps and walking for more than a mile, one reaches the shrine located on the farther plateaus of the mountain. The 3 mountain peaks in the vicinity of Raigad are visible from here, surrounding the 3 sides of the shrine. This is quite a breathtaking scenery, as if the peaks are bowing down to the great king whose presence can still be felt there. The firmly blowing wind, a sudden chillness in the atmosphere, and the loosely hanging clouds make every climber silent. Several climbers bow down in immense gratitude and reverence at this point. My friend was surprised when she saw people prostrating in front of the shrine. "Why do people treat him like God? Why was Shivaji Maharaj so great"? she asked me.

I was taken aback by this question, but managed to come up with the usual logical reasoning stuff, letting emotions take a backseat, despite a very sensitive chord being struck.

1. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was one of the bravest kings who ever existed- a solid personality complete with deeply-rooted  values, integrity, and an in-built valour, inspiring several generations of rulers over the years

2. Born with the determination of attaining Swarajya (the concept of self-rule) by freeing the nation from invaders, at barely 14 years of age, he captured the Torna fort, which marked the beginning of a reigning empire that would soon expand to about 400 forts, vast lands, and ocean territories with thousands of people living freely in a well-planned, protective, inclusive and a fair society

3. He was the inventor of several warfare techniques used in our army and is also the father of the Indian Navy, strategically building a naval defence system during his time

4. He has faced some of the brutal invaders all by himself, fearlessly, conquering miles of territory. A rare combination of valour and sheer cleverness, he always knew when to fight and when to make the great escape, thus preventing a lot of irreversible damage

5. His family and lineage are the greatest example of the ultimate, unconditional sacrifice someone can make because of their compassion and purposefulness of giving back to people what they rightly deserve: freedom and security. 

While I was saying all this, I felt I wasn't doing justice to the contribution of Shivaji Maharaj and his greatness. How does one quantify valour? How do you explain the throat-choking feeling of gratitude towards an immense sea of greatness that cannot be analyzed? We talk about how brave he was, his contributions, his impact, his strategies, everything he has done for his praja (people), but we cannot explain the silent penance he was going through all those years. It's difficult to explain why people jumped into action because of his single command and the simplicity of his behaviour, despite owning a huge kingdom. All we can do is to describe him through his qualities- one of the finest minds who skillfully tackled challenges, immense bravery that destroyed enemies, a fierce warrior, the sole protector of his people, and so on. 

Properties and impact are among the building blocks of our scientific reasoning process. The matter around us is divided into the 3 quantifiable states based on its properties. An electron is both a wave and a particle because it can be quantified as a wave through its wavefunction-wavelength and as a particle through the photoelectric effect. A material is hot because something else is colder. All the material properties like magnetism, conductivity, colour, strength, fluidity, elasticity, composition, etc, can be quantified using appropriate techniques. But then, how does one quantify a constant, fearless, indestructible force born out of an ocean of valour? The greatness of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj cannot be fully quantified through his qualities or by the impact of his work. This will only take us up to a limited threshold. It's like reaching very close to the truth and merely analyzing the surface without penetrating within. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was great by his very nature. That is the reason it has stayed all these years, travelling through many generations. Greatness can be quantified only when one truly acknowledges it in oneself and others. 

©Neha Kanase 

An inspiring journey of a solitary creature

Olive Redley Turtle and its Navigation System

I hear a lot about olive ridley turtles from my wildlife-enthusiast friends. The turtle conservation project is at full surge in regions alongside the Maharashtra coastline. It is an initiative led and executed by the Forest Department and several wildlife NGOs to prevent turtle poaching and save them from becoming extinct. The survival of sea turtles is crucial for the ocean ecosystem, as they are one of the keystone species: a vital constituent that has a direct impact on its surrounding environment, and the removal of which leads to ecological imbalance. The turtle conservation project has now grown to an extent that annual turtle festivals are held in places like Velas, creating awareness about the vitality of sea turtles.

The life cycle of these turtles is very interesting. The female comes out of the sea and lays eggs by digging a trench on the soft sand at the farther end of the beach. This usually happens at night. The nests are then collected and stored by the conservationists in enclosed, protected locations. The hatchlings, while coming out of the eggs, feed on the yolk, rich in nutrients. The hatchlings are then taken out of the nest and placed near the shore. The journey of life begins here! Slowly moving its flippers one by one, the little turtle begins its long walk to the sea. 

I was lucky enough to watch this live at the Guhagar beach in Kokan. When the hatchlings were placed on the beach, for a few seconds they remained still on the sand, as if trying to sense the new environment. Slowly, they started moving their flippers in the direction of the sea. Sensory cues like sound and illumination from the ocean currents help them navigate in that direction. As a turtle is capable of detecting Earth's magnetic field, the field lines associated with a particular geographical location get stored in its memory. So when the turtle grows up, and although it might have travelled miles of distance, crossing different seas, it still returns to the beach on which it was born and took its first steps into the water. The flipper tagging of turtles enables us to understand where they've come from and the distance covered by them. 

This slow journey is full of grit and determination. There were small pebbles on its path, which the little turtle dodged skillfully. The wet sand was also quite an obstacle as the hatchling's flippers would get stuck in it. Despite all this, the turtle would continue to move as if it were born with the realization that the sea is its only destination and survival. The first wave that splashed across the turtle literally put it off guard, while it continued to flap, getting accustomed to this new exercise of swimming through. Maybe the walk on the sand up to the first wave serves as a warm-up for the little turtle before it actually starts swimming. Another wave and the turtle was nowhere to be seen. Breathing during the first few minutes is difficult while the turtle keeps its pace with the large waves. It cannot breathe underwater due to the absence of gills and has to pop up on the surface every time to get a gulp of fresh air. It's quite an independent creature without anyone to guide it as to what to do next. My friend gifted me a Marathi book on the olive Ridley turtle, written by Rucha Namjoshi and conceptualized by Mohan Updhayay- a really good science communication effort.

Not many survive till the end of the journey, but each one of them gives their best shot during the process. Although a just-born, the little turtle still gives everything that it's capable of to get into the sea. Whenever I require motivation or need a force to move ahead, I can refer to this picture etched in my memory: The tiny, solitary turtle marching towards the infinite sea across a pebbled path, swimming through the huge waves, one flap at a time.

©Neha Kanase 

 Back on Earth: Sunita Williams and her space voyage

The return of the crew-9 from space after a 286-day long stay at the International Space Station has created quite a buzz during the last few days. The landing of the Space X Dragon capsule looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie. I have been trying to write about this mission for some time but was waiting for the right source of information.  Ever since their return from space, I have wondered how fulfilling it would be to listen to these astronauts. That's when I happened to listen to the first live press conference of the crew-9 after their return from ISS.

The SpaceX crew dragon successfully returned to Earth on 18th March after a 9-month-long voyage in space. It is strange to know that the voyage was initially planned for a period of only 8 days. It got extended because of the technical glitches faced by the Boeing spaceliner spacecraft! They returned using SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The scene of the parachutes coming out of the dragon capsule as it began its descent towards the sea and the splashdown was eye-catching. 

This mission marked yet another achievement of Astronaut Sunita Williams. She began her career as a naval aviator in the US navy, where she completed a total of 3000 flight hours in 30 different aircraft. That's before she joined NASA as an astronaut. Following vigorous training, she has been a part of NASA's crucial missions- contributing to several expeditions to the space station as a flight engineer, deputy chief, and pilot. She also lived 9 days underground during NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operations. She has spent a total of 608 days in space and has created a record of 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalks- the time when astronauts venture out of their spacecraft. She was a part of the current space mission along with Butch Willmore. They boarded the Boeing space liner spacecraft to the International Space Station.

The International Space Station (ISS)

It is a space research laboratory used by several countries. The ISS is one of the largest man-made space objects. It is the home to astronauts who travel to space. It orbits the earth every 90 minutes and comprises all the essential facilities for surviving in space alongside conduction research. Since its opening in 1998, it has been continuously operated by a crew of scientists, astronauts, and cosmonauts who travel to the ISS and work in shifts. It is an engineering marvel, the parts of which were carried through spacecrafts and actually assembled in space by astronauts! Externally, it has robotic arms for movement and solar arrays on both its sides to generate electricity for the ISS. It has a docking port for boarding the incoming and outgoing spacecraft that carry astronauts. Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore travelled to ISS through the Boeing spaceliner.

Boeing spaceliner

This is a first-of-its-kind spacecraft. The Astronauts described it as an innovation with tremendous potential. It is reusable up to 10 times. They are very much willing to travel using the spaceliner yet again and resolve the technicalities. The reasons for the extended stay were these technicalities. During the 9-month mission, Sunita Williams was said to have contributed tremendously to the ongoing space research. She carried out scientific experiments in microgravity environments, testing experiments for the moon and mars, docking vehicles, for next steps of universe exploration using next generation technologies, navigation controls and so on. Nick Hague spoke about other experiments like the vascular age experiment, responses to the human body in space, immune responses, muscle stimulation, and post-mission monitoring: this is important as it shows the after effects of 9 months of floating in space due to the absence of gravity! While at ISS, they clicked some really cool pictures of the Earth. Sunita Williams described how beautiful and colorful India looked from space. With the Himalayan fold mountains and the ocean surrounding it. At night, the lights from the big cities going into the smaller cities were cleary visible, she said.  This description of India was reported in several Indian newspapers and news channels after the press conference. In 1984, when commander Rakesh Sharma travelled to space (the first and the only Indian citizen to go to space), he described India as 'Saare Jahan se accha'. Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore returned to Earth in the Space X's crew dragon.

SpaceX crew Dragon

A private spacecraft to carry astronauts and cargo from the Earth's orbit to space and vice-versa. It comprises 16 small liquid rocket engines that are capable of generating the required force and orienting the capsule's motion. One of the striking features of the Dragon is the parachute system to decelerate its speed during the landing. Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore returned to Earth using the Space X Drgaon. Astronauts Nick Hague and  Alexandr Gorbunov boarded it to the ISS and accompanied the two of them back to Earth. The landing of the Dragon was a spectacle to watch. During the press conference, the crew was asked to describe their coming back experience, to which Billmore replied, "Its hard to describe what one feels in the sky at 3500 degrees Fahrenheit while the entire capsule is vigorously shaking and twisting". The high temperature due to the atmospheric friction produced as a result of high entering velocity, about 17000 miles per hour. 

Many research areas are involved in such this: tremendous amounts of mathematics, Physics, engineering, chemical propellants and polymer composites synthesis, electronics, navigation, continuous monitoring, statistics, physical and mental training, and so on.  Staying in space would indeed be a truly out-of-this-world experience- both in the literal and actual sense! The thought that every minute, there are humans out there performing experiments in space, itself is mind-blowing. 

©Neha Kanase 

Interviewing a legend of the Indian Science and Technology

With Dr. Anil Kakodkar

It was the summer of 2023- mid-May. I was working on a project to make a documentary on Dr. Bibha Chowdhury, a pioneering and remarkable Physicist. This was under an initiative to produce documentaries on Indian Scientists by the Science Media Centre at IISER Pune. During the research work, I would talk to several scientists who had worked in a similar domain to that of Dr. Chowdhury. One of them was Prof. Sunil Gupta, a renowned cosmic ray physicist who was instrumental in setting up the largest, indigenously built cosmic ray GRAPES -3 experiment in Ooty. While describing his research, he mentioned Dr. Anil Kakodkar, as his inspiration for leading self-reliant technological advancement in the country. It was a casual mention, not at all connected with the story I was working on, yet somehow, that sentence stayed in my head. I had heard about the highly secretive Pokhran nuclear tests and Dr. Kakodkar since my school days. He was like a scientist superhero to me and I had an earnest desire to meet him since then. 

Within the next few days, the Director sent an email about the 10th convocation ceremony of IISER Pune to all the IISERites. And guess who the chief guest was- none other than, Dr. Anil Kakodkar. I was thrilled and wanted to give it a shot. I spent the next few hours watching his online interviews and trying to somehow connect him with my current story. Soon, I had drafted a convincing email requesting his time for an interview during his stay on campus. I read the email over and over again. Although it did sound genuinely convincing, I did not expect a reply. Having worked on a critical project of national significance, he was a man of immense repute, the mastermind for our country to be a nuclear weapon state and a firm force that gave even George Bush a sleepless night during the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement. Nevertheless, I sent it out.

Within the next two days, I had an answer- he agreed to record the interview after the convocation ceremony. I still have that email archived. Our team hurried through the interview preparations. We only had 3 days remaining with 2 other events lined up at the same time- a science journalist’s roundtable that we were hosting and the convocation ceremony.

Just 2 days before, I issued his autobiography-‘Fire and Fury: Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’ from the library. On Saturday, we worked late in the evening for the roundtable, so I only had Sunday with me. I didn't sleep that day, read the entire book, and tried to frame some questions. Reading the book made me respect him even more. The next day, my colleagues reviewed those questions and I did rehearsals with them while the interview set-up was being done. Cameras, lights, reflectors, and mics all were in place for the interview.

He was to arrive on the evening, a day before the convocation. The guest house manager informed me that he had left from the airport and was expected any moment. When I told him about our interview scheduled the next day, he said that if I wanted to talk to him today, I could do it during the 5 minutes when the tea would be served in his room. It sounded like a good idea and I waited in the guest house foyer. His car arrived, the registrar was accompanying him. He stepped out of the car and walked in a simple, calm yet firm manner. He looked a little old, his face had a bright glow and his disposition conveyed that he was in control of everything, yet disconnected with the events happening around him. The registrar left after escorting him to his room and the director was expected any moment. I waited nervously while the tea was being prepared. I rehearsed the sentences I was to say to him again and again in my mind. As I walked to his room, behind the housekeeper who took the tea, I was suddenly totally aware. I noticed things that I usually didn't- the upward thrust of the elevator, the movement of my legs, and the silence across the hallway to his room. While something important is about to happen, awareness dawns naturally. Unlike the other usual times where we have to struggle to be in the present. When we knocked at his door, I thought I wanted to run away, adrenaline does strange things. He opened the door in the same calm and composed manner with which he’d walked across the foyer. The keeper went inside with the tea while I stood still at the door. Dr. Kakodkar looked at me quizzically. I greeted him and introduced myself, giving a reference to the email which I’d sent. He immediately recognized and smiled, which made me relax a bit. I showed him the interview questions- 2 sets were prepared, a shorter one and a slightly elaborate version, depending on the amount of time he had. I told him that I’d used the autobiography as a guide. He said that the video should not be too long, for the audience to watch it and that he would be available the day after from 4 to 5 pm. I thanked him. Once he’d closed the door, I ran to the office. It was done. This meeting made me feel more confident about facing him the next day in front of the camera.

The convocation ceremony went on till late in the afternoon. Our team was working there and we only had a little time for lunch before the interview. Moreover, our boss wasn’t happy with the set-up and decided to change it at the last minute. At quarter to four, I went to call Dr. Kakodkar. After the convocation lunch he had gone to visit some of the labs and other science centres in the institute. But when I called him, he was ready to come along. This wasn't a surprise, after you read about the kind of work he has accomplished, you know he never rests. While walking to the studio, he asked me about my educational background and whether I was a student of IISER. When we arrived, I introduced him to the other team members. While the audio was being tested, he looked at the book I had used. There were too many marker notes in between the pages, looking at them he exclaimed, ‘I hope these are not the number of questions!’   

We started recording the interview. I began with a slightly louder and high-pitched tone. But when he started talking, his voice was much softer than mine. Hence, I thought of bringing down mine too- that’s the sudden difference audible in the video. This was the first interview I conducted. My colleague, who had some experience in this, advised me not to think much about the planned structure and let the interview take its flow. Once, I asked him the first question, I didn’t have to worry about the next one. The way he ended the previous answer, usually gave a cue for the next question. Also, his slow-paced and lucid manner of narration kept me totally in the moment. The questions took longer than we had anticipated, and a few of them had to be skipped. There was too much information and insight into the topics he described. Each nuclear reactor and every project he had led could be an interview in itself. We were running overtime, so the rapid-fire questions had to be quickly covered, I didn't want to let go of them.  

Once the interview was over, we invited him for tea at the office. Although he had very little time, before leaving for the airport, still, he agreed to come. He inquired about what kind of projects we undertake and expressed his opinions on the significance of science communication. He spoke in such a light-hearted manner. At that moment, I could not relate to him as the man who stood fearlessly firm during the Indo-US civil agreement to protect our country’s nuclear capability and safety. Yet, he’s been both of them.

We took a group picture with him. He shook hands with each one of us before leaving. I escorted him to the guest house foyer where the registrar waited for him. As he sat in the car, I waved him goodbye. I held back my tears so that no one else could see them. It's not every day that I come across a man who is fully alive.

The post-production of the interview took a lot of time. It underwent multiple rounds of edits- mixing the two camera angles, adding visual effects, and working on the audio. This one was my favorite among all the videos I’d edited until that point. We also tried to develop illustrations and animations for some of the concepts he had explained. I had the initial visuals run by him through email, for which he gave appropriate feedback and suggested changes. The final YouTube video link was shared with him which he also shared in some of his groups.

I admire all the teamwork that went into this. And I can’t but wonder at the chain of events that led to fulfilling a tiny childhood wish of meeting Dr. Anil Kakodkar.

©Neha Kanase 

Interview link: https://youtu.be/c30O3qILck8?si=Cvo4NEXutROoYqfr

 

https://www.anilkakodkar.in/blog/fire-and-fury-transforming-indias-strategic-identity/

 

 The Unbreakable Code

Imagine solving a complex equation without knowing the format of the final answer: you will never know when you have arrived at a solution! I read this cool tech-fiction by Dan Brown called 'The Digital Fortress'. It's among his very old works that I came across in one of the local libraries. It is based on the story of a code-breaking machine called TRANSLTR hosted by the National Security Agency of the United States for decrypting messages to safeguard national integrity. This machine makes it possible to break every complex code and makes critical information accessible. But the catch over here is that to decode information that might be a potential threat to the US, TRANSLTR has access to several other transactions as well. This means that regular communications like emails and messages between ordinary citizens are also decoded. US citizens are unaware of TRANSLTR's existence. Although for the NSA this is a routine, many cryptographers, including a few of the NSA's employees, consider this as a breach of privacy. Ensei Takando, a former NSA employee resolves to reveal TRANSLTR to the world by threatening NSA. He pursues the NSA into believing the existence of a rotating cleartext code he developed. According to the fiction, rotating cleartext is an algorithm that in addition to encrypting, shifts the decrypted cleartext over a time-variant. This is a fictional concept according to which the computer will never locate a recognizable pattern to break the code even though it might arrive at the right key in between the shifting letters.

The NSA's deputy director is persuaded to let the code into TRANSLTR and bypass the virus filters. He works on a master plan of creating a back door to the so-called digital fortress code after getting hold of the pass key (that only Ensei Takando and his partner N Dakota possess). After doing so he would reveal TRANSLTR to the world and falsely declare to the public that digital fortress is an unbreakable code. This code when connected to a computer installed on a chip would make TRANSLTR difficult to intrude on peoples' communications. But actually, the NSA would have access to all the communications through the code's back door.

However, soon it is reveled that N Dakota never existed. It is just an anagram of Ensie Takando. He used another email ID to mislead the NSA into the conversations between himself and the virtual N Dakota. The original pass key for Digital Fortress is only with Ensie and is engraved on his ring. Ensie is soon killed and NSA get hold of the ring. 

The end is slightly disappointing where its is revealed that the code isn't a rotating cleartext but a computer worm that destroys TRANSLTR. However, in order to save the databank that contains critical security information, the pass key has to be entered. It is engraved on the ring in the following format.

 PFEESESNRETMPFHAIRWEOOIGMEENNRMAENETSHASDCNSIIAAIEER BRNKFBLELODI

These alphabets when arranged in the groups of four, give the following pattern

FEE SESN RETM MFHA IRWE OOIG MEEN NRMA ENET SHAS DCNS IIAA IEER BRNK FBLE LODI

This is a perfect square 64, when arranged in 8 rows of 8 gives a Caeser box. Julius Caeser would send messages by arranging random letters which had to be decrypted by arranging them in a square and reading the alphabets from top to bottom.

After reading from top to bottom we get the following sentence

PRIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELEMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

This turns out to be the difference in the atomic numbers of the two elements used in the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Uranium-235 and Uranium-238: 238-235 = 3. The pass key is 3. It is entered just in time to save the database. 

The book contains a lot of drama based on the emotional dynamics of complex relationships between people, which is slightly out of place in a book based on a logical sequence. While studying prime numbers at school, I never knew they had such wide-ranging applications. They are everywhere: in encrypting messages, online transactions, and quantum computing technologies. 

©Neha Kanase