Frequently asked questions
What is Lattice?
Lattice is a free scroll story that explains how the math behind post-quantum encryption works, using pictures you can drag and play with. You need no maths background. It is aimed at curious teenagers and developers who have never studied cryptography.
What is a lattice?
A lattice is a grid of dots made by repeating two (or more) arrows. Pick any starting point, walk whole steps along the arrows, and every place you can land is a lattice point. The hard puzzle is: given a point somewhere in between, which dot is closest?
Why does this matter for security?
Many of today's locks (the padlock in your browser) rest on maths that a large quantum computer could break. Lattice-based schemes such as ML-KEM (also called Kyber) rely on the closest-dot puzzle in hundreds of dimensions, which no known attack, quantum or not, can solve efficiently.
What are Kyber and ML-KEM?
ML-KEM is the standard (FIPS 203) that NIST published in 2024 for quantum-safe key exchange. It is based on the Kyber design. Browsers and big internet companies have started using it to protect connections.
Is the Kyber demo on the site real encryption?
No. It is a toy with tiny numbers (n=8, q=97) so every value fits on screen. It shows the same idea as real ML-KEM, but it is not secure. Never use it for real secrets.
Do I need to know maths to follow it?
No. Every screen is meant to be understood without prior maths. Pictures come first, and formulas only appear after the picture that explains them.
What do the Voice and Sound effects switches do?
Voice reads each story step aloud with pre-recorded narration. Sound effects are small sounds made in your browser. Both start off and are remembered on your device once you turn them on.
Why is the background 3D and slow on my device?
The background is drawn with Three.js. If your device is slow, the page lowers its sharpness first and drops the glow last. If Three.js cannot load, a flat shearing lattice is shown instead. Your system's reduce-motion setting is respected.
Does the site collect my data?
No accounts, no forms, and everything you do runs in your browser. See the Privacy Policy for the few outside services involved (hosting, a CDN for Three.js, and optional visit counting).
Can I share or reuse it?
You can link to it freely. The source code is on GitHub. See the Terms for details on content and licences.
I found a mistake or have an idea. What should I do?
Please open an issue on GitHub at github.com/Knsravan/lattice/issues.