…so are the days of my life spent on this.
In all seriousness, I read a Sanborn quote about K4 being like sands going through an hourglass and while I’m trying to figure out some kind of time-related solution to K4, I decided to arrange its letters in the shape of an hourglass.
Entertaining?
Yes.
Thought-provoking?
Yes.
Useful for solving K4?
No.
Looks cool though…
Kryptos - Beyond K4 
I’m going to share something with you that I may later regret, but here goes.
K4 doesn’t contain the message. In fact, k4 doesn’t exist where most people are looking.
K4 is a grid for removing passage debris. I think — removing all of k4 in conjunction with a couple other things is how we will suddenly “see something.”
Ok? Take a look at KR and YP down there at the extreme right in what people are calling k4.
It’s your first clue. Overlay the tableau onto this. You will notice that KR and YP (and Q,L,U and S,D) also coincide.
Off to a good start. Hopefully before you do this, you get your matrix set up correctly, because we’ll be looking at how this table fits in with the misspellings and other things. (now do you see why I proposed the word is DISPARATELY?) *wink*
Before I continue, count off how far apart each of these “coinciding characters” are. I wonder what the odds are that this 10-10-10-10… pattern is a coincidence. Talk about a play on words there! I think you know what I’m suggesting.
The line between the KR and YP shows an SO.
Looks like the tail end of KRYPTOS in reverse. Remember, the tableau is backwards. It’s a pretty big clue.
Overlay the table again to coincide the SO, but make sure your table is backward (the orientation should be SOTPYRK) There are other orientations you should try (not just forward and backward, but rotating that tableau too). You’ll find some interesting things.
Look at all the letters that coincide. On this backward version. Exciting? Maybe. Maybe not.
I’m hoping that you’re using this as a guide to also remove characters throughout the matrix — not just at “k4.”
I wrote some programs a couple years ago to speed up my palimpsest theory. At first I saw the outline of a sideways question mark at this step… and I’ve seen other anomalies, but I also think I could be just seeing things.
Here’s to telling more than I wanted to.
Well, we have to consider the likelihood that someone will see your idea and attempt to steal it. I think I have the concept and will try my best to be helpful but I’m kind of a working with paper vs. computer programs kind of guy. Send me an email or leave another comment if you want me to take your comment down, otherwise we can hopefully assume anyone who sees it is friendly and willing to chip in. I’m sort of hopping back and forth between home and work so I unfortunately will have to wait until tomorrow before I can attempt your suggestions…
It would be unfortunate for these ideas to inspire a solution to an incompetent person. However, for me, it would not be the end of the world. It is human nature to steal ideas and present them as original, minimizing the efforts of others. Although I would love to be recognized as having played a part in its solution, my mission is weighted heavily on presenting this puzzle in its unsolved form. I know what I bring to the table. If the journey weren’t as fun as the destination, we’d really have to question the arrogant assessment we’ve made about ourselves. Then again, someone has to be “the smartest.” I wouldn’t mind being that either. Fortunately, I’ve timestamped my ideas. This will prove completely useless when none of them are used to crack Kryptos!
…so are the days of our lives
So do you know what’s gonna happen?
No. It was a feeling. But I can guess. With so much chaos, someone will do something stupid. And when they do, things will turn nasty.
The K frontwards and the K backwards forms an hourglass. If the mirror is broken it forms isolation. The opposite of evolution.
Unless you count Punctuated Equilibrium as a viable modification or addition to Darwinian theory.
The fact that you need a specific number of characters (2n^2-1) to form this stunning diagram makes “luck” unlikely.
Also the OXO and the UAU centered in the top and bottom of your hourglass seems no coincidence adding to the mystery.
Seems like something an artist would actually use as a basis for a cipher so it is certainly interesting.
However I am yet to find some relationship to the plaintext 🙂