"AI Deciphers Ancient Roman Scrolls Buried by Mount Vesuvius Eruption"
Researchers win $700,000 prize for using AI to read a 2,000-year-old scroll scorched in Mount Vesuvius eruption, part of the Herculaneum papyri. The scrolls, carbonized during the 79 CE volcanic eruption, have been extensively damaged, but high-resolution CT scans and AI helped distinguish ink from papyrus and decipher faint Greek lettering. The recovered texts could rewrite ancient history, with the scrolls possibly authored by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus. The next phase of the competition aims to unlock 85 percent of the scroll, potentially revolutionizing Herculaneum papyrology and Greek philosophy.