"They claim they've solved it and that the 'case is closed'," says Mr Rao, Hwang Endowed Professor at the University of Washington and author of peer-reviewed studies on the Indus script. Adding fuel to the race, MK Stalin, the chief minister of southern India's Tamil Nadu state, recently upped the stakes, announcing a $1m prize for anyone who can crack the code.
fredag 17. januar 2025
A million-dollar challenge to crack the script of early Indians
Every week, Rajesh PN Rao, a computer scientist, gets emails from people claiming they've cracked an ancient script that has stumped scholars for generations. These self-proclaimed codebreakers - ranging from engineers and IT workers to retirees and tax officers - are mostly from India or of Indian origin living abroad. All of them are convinced they've deciphered the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation, a blend of signs and symbols.
"They claim they've solved it and that the 'case is closed'," says Mr Rao, Hwang Endowed Professor at the University of Washington and author of peer-reviewed studies on the Indus script. Adding fuel to the race, MK Stalin, the chief minister of southern India's Tamil Nadu state, recently upped the stakes, announcing a $1m prize for anyone who can crack the code.
"They claim they've solved it and that the 'case is closed'," says Mr Rao, Hwang Endowed Professor at the University of Washington and author of peer-reviewed studies on the Indus script. Adding fuel to the race, MK Stalin, the chief minister of southern India's Tamil Nadu state, recently upped the stakes, announcing a $1m prize for anyone who can crack the code.
