The tsunami of December 26th 2004 has focused the world's attention on this terrifying consequence of an underwater earthquake. Michael McIntyre explores the underlying wave mathematics.

• Wisdom from above - An intriguing debate in the House of Lords on standards in maths education
• Readers' corner - How many computers does the world need?

In the first of two articles, Artur Ekert takes a tour through the history of codes and the prospects for truly unbreakable quantum cryptography.