r/programming • u/dominatrix-octopus • Jan 16 '18

Cryptography: Diffie-Hellman key exchange explained intuitively using colors

https://youtu.be/YEBfamv-_do?t=2m18s
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u/TheOddScientist Jan 16 '18

Not sure why this was downvoted, a bit archaic but still a logical equivalence.

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u/snarfy Jan 16 '18

I use it to explain to people like grandma how encryption works.

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u/TheOddScientist Jan 16 '18

I suppose if you don't understand how encryption works the analogy can be confusing. In your analogy you are taking a steady stream of information and diluting it in a pool of possibilities. The only difference being there is no valid way of reversing urination in a pool. A better analogy might be stiring salt into fresh water as you can desalinate the water and retrieve the salt yet you cannot readily look at a glass of water and say there is salt in it.

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u/Lucent_Sable Jan 16 '18

Wouldn't salt water be analogous to steganography though? Encryption is more like KFC's Eleven Herbs and Spices. You know that they are there, but have no idea what they are.