David Oranchak, the man who cracked the Zodiac Killer's 340 Cipher, decodes a UFO message and weighs in on alien symbols and hidden codes.

Send us Fan MailSummer Rerun Series.  This episode is from Season 3 Episode 27.  The Zodiac Killer's infamous 340 Cipher remained unsolved for more than 51 years. Governments, intelligence agencies, professional cryptologists, and amateur codebreakers all attempted to solve it. In December 2020, a three-person team finally succeeded.One of those team members was cryptologist and software developer David Oranchak.In this episode of UFO Talker, David joins host Michael Ryan to discuss the fascinating world of cryptology, the story behind the Zodiac 340 Cipher, and what it was like to help solve one of the most famous unsolved codes in modern history.The conversation then takes an unexpected turn into ufology.In 1976, a coded message arrived at the offices of Official UFO Magazine. The letter contained a series of strange symbols and was never deciphered. Nearly fifty years later, former editor Bernie O'Connor provided a copy of the mysterious cipher to UFO Talker.David Oranchak accepted the challenge.Using modern codebreaking techniques, David successfully decoded the message and explains exactly how he did it. He walks listeners through the methods used to solve substitution ciphers, the role of frequency analysis, and the surprising message hidden within the decades-old document.Michael and David also explore a larger question that has fascinated UFO researchers for decades: if a genuine extraterrestrial message were ever discovered, would humans actually be capable of decoding it?Topics discussed include:• The Zodiac Killer and the famous 340 Cipher• How cryptologists break difficult codes• The Bernie Official UFO Cipher• Frequency analysis and substitution ciphers• The Rendlesham Forest symbols• Whether UFO symbols could ever be translated• The challenges of deciphering an unknown language• The Rosetta Stone and lessons from historyThis episode offers a fascinating look at the intersection of cryptology, mystery, and the UFO phenomenon.Guest:David OranchakSupport the showTo buy UFO Talker merchandise follow this link here.Female announcer:  Joy RyanMale announcer: Andrew HelbigThe National UFO Records Center link hereChristine Scott's Centennial Books 1230 Broad Street. Regina, Sask.