Publius Enigma

Publius Enigma er ei gåte som blei lagt fram i samband med utgjevinga av Pink Floyd-albumet The Division Bell. Føremålet var å truleg å promotera albumet og turneen som følgde, og gåta blei lagt ut på internett i 1994 av ein person som gjekk under dekknamnet Publius Enigma. Han framsette at Pink Floyd hadde gjeve bodskapen, men spurte om publikum hadde lytta. For den som fann fram til svaret blei det lova ein unik pris. Gjennom ein kortare periode publiserte han ein del leietrådar, utan at nokon fann løysinga. Sjølv om det har blitt føreslått mange løysingar er ingen til nå blitt stadfesta korrekte, og gåta er av 2011 framleis uløyst.

Leietrådar

Den 11. juni 1994 publiserte ein anonym brukar følgjande innlegg i Usenet-nyhendegruppa alt.music.pink-floyd: 

>>>>>>>> T H E  M E S S A G E <<<<<<<<

My friends,

You have heard the message Pink Floyd has delivered,
but have you listened?

Perhaps I can be your guide, but I will not solve the enigma for you.

All of you must open your minds and communicate with each other,       
as this is the only way the answers can be revealed.

I may help you, but only if obstacles arise.

Listen.

Read.

Think.

Communicate.

If I don't promise you the answers would you go.

     Publius

Ein oppfølgjar klargjorde utfordringa: 

AS SOME OF YOU HAVE SUSPECTED, "The Division Bell" is not like its
predecessors. Although all great music is subject to multiple
interpretations, in this case there is a central purpose and a
designed solution. For the ingenious person (or group of persons)
who recognizes this - and where this information points to - a
unique prize has been secreted.

    How and Where?
    The Division Bell
    Listen again
    Look again
    As your thoughts will steer you
    Leading the blind while I stared out the steel
      in your eyes.
    Lyrics, artwork and music will take you there

For å visa at han faktisk var ein representant for bandet, kom dette innlegget: 

To validate the trust of those who believe, as well as
to reconcile the doubt of others, I have gone to great
lengths to plan the following display of communication:

Monday, July 18
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Approximately 10:30pm

Flashing white lights.

There is an enigma.

Trust.

På konserten 18. juli 1994 i East Rutherford viste lysa framfor scenen ENIGMA PUBLIUS, og stadfesta Publius Enigmas idenditet.

Eitt år etter turneen slutta blei nyhendegruppa nedlagt, og Publius Enigma kom aldri tilbake.

Offisielle utsegner

Nick Mason stadfesta i april 2005 at gåta framleis eksisterte:

That was a ploy done by EMI. They had a man working for them who adored puzzles. ... He was working for EMI and suggested that a puzzle be created that could be followed on the Web. The prize was never given out. To this day it remains unresolved.

Dette stadfesta utsegnene til Marc Brickman i eit tidlegare intervju:

...I think it really came and out of though - it came out of some guy of Washington DC, that used to be with the CIA or FBI or something that was in the encryption game. He decided he wanted to do some kind of album cover, and he started talking to Steve O'Rourke, and I think what happened was Steve O'Rourke had in his brilliant mind that he was going to try something on the internet because he had been listening to me. And he got this guy, cause if you notice a lot of this stuff can't be traced where it comes from. And I know that Dave for one thing didn't even know how to sign on.

Kjelde

Bakgrunnsstoff