[Noisebridge-discuss] Why do so many crackpots go for "crypto"?

[Jesse Zbikowski]

This is an interesting question. I believe there is a cognitive defect
which causes people to become obsessed with the idea that they have an
arcane power to understand mysterious sequences of symbols and
numbers. I have long suspected this would explain why otherwise
rational geeks such as Isaac Newton become entranced by numerology.
Probably the same neural structures which enable works of mathematical
genius can get derailed and create things like The Chronology of
Ancient Kingdoms. Moreover, the kind of mathematics involved in
elementary cryptography, i.e. relationships between small integers, is
fun and easy to conceptualize, so I expect you get more number theory
cranks than e.g. real analysis cranks.