Wilfrid Voynich: Bookseller, revolutionary, cryptologist… suspected spy?
resobscura.substack.com
resobscura.substack.com
This aspect of her life also seems pretty colorful! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Voynich#Alleged_affair_w...
Edit: something else I just found digging around is that there's a book called "The Booles and the Hintons" (https://www.amazon.com/Booles-Hintons-Dynasties-Helped-Moder...) about the entanglement between the two families through marriage and work. One result of the "Boole-Hinton dynasty" turns out to be Geoffrey Hinton.
Not even close. However, it has (had?) been included in the list of compulsory reading in schools for a very long time, so although not every Russian teen has actually read it, most should have at least heard the name of the book and the author.
When studying I was attracted by things like Fermats Last Theorem , or a proof for NP Complete, or deciphering Voynich etc. They are mental challenges of the highest order.
Fortunately I don't have the discipline to completely immerse myself in any one rabbit hole, it's no more than a passing fancy.
I say "fortunately" because I can easily see an entire life, of a very bright person, being consumed and ultimately fail, which would be tragic.
I prefer the example in the article, interest in the subject leads to skills, which in turn lead to more fruitful endeavours. These mental challenges can be useful, as long as it doesn't turn into obsession.