The Scrolls of Herculaneum: The words of a philosopher emerge from ancient relics

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, volcanic debris buried Pompeii, creating a city frozen in time forever.

Researchers believe this ruined metropolis is one of the most painful ruins in the world.

Pompeii’s vast, well-preserved grounds are home to numerous finds that amaze archaeologists as they dig further into the lost city.

Intact items such as chariots, frescoes, and even graffiti reveal what ancient Roman life was like in the prosperous resort before the catastrophe and provide evidence of when the eruption occurred Did.

And now, researchers examining artifacts from the neighboring city of Herculaneum are using new techniques to uncover even more of history’s best-kept secrets: Vesuvius’ blanket of ash and mud. I’m looking underneath.

For the first time, artificial intelligence has revealed a nearly complete text deciphered from the charred and brittle Herculaneum scrolls.

Inside what experts believe was probably Julius Caesar’s stepfather’s home, hundreds of burnt papyrus scrolls that withstood the eruption of Mount Vesuvius appear ready to crumble.

But advances in technology have made it possible to virtually unravel the scrolls for the first time since 79 AD, allowing papyrologists to translate the words of the philosopher Philodemus.

“(In these passages) he encouraged his listeners to relax, find good friendships, live in the moment, and have fun,” said Roger McFarlane, a classics professor at Brigham Young University. “I’m trying to convince them to have fun.”

This is known as the most dangerous and frightening place in the ocean.

The Drake Passage is 600 miles (965 kilometers) wide and squeezed between South America and Antarctica.

Land masses help slow down storms that gather strength across the ocean. But nothing can stop the howling winds, towering waves, and world’s most powerful storms that swirl in the depths of Drake.

Underwater mountain ranges in oceanic regions are of interest to scientists, and are the river crossings that captains of ships carrying tourists must cross, and they do so with a healthy dose of trepidation.

A peaceful photo of a polar bear napping on an iceberg off Norway’s Svalbard Islands has won the People’s Choice Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge we face, but we hope this photo inspires hope. There’s still time to repair the mess we’ve caused.” said amateur photographer Nima Sarikani.

The winning photo will be on display at London’s Natural History Museum until June 30th, along with the finalists’ images of a lion raising a cub and a sweet moment of a moon jellyfish glowing under the aurora borealis.

Australian scientists have discovered an unlikely ally in their quest to track endangered species: spiders.

The eight-legged creature spins a fine web that not only captures flies and other prey, but its silk-like structure also captures the DNA of its environment.

Researchers collected spider webs from Perth Zoo and Karakamia Forest Reserve in Western Australia and were able to identify genetic material from 93 animals.

“Because only trace amounts of DNA are needed to identify animals, this cheap, non-invasive method could revolutionize the way we study and protect terrestrial biodiversity.” said Joshua Newton, a PhD student in Curtin University’s Department of Molecular Sciences. Life science.

Meanwhile, a new discovery may explain why insects swarm under bright artificial lights at night. This is not because insects are drawn to light like moths to a flame.

One of Saturn’s smallest moons, Mimas is known for its giant crater, which gives the moon an eerie resemblance to the Death Star from the Star Wars movies.

Astronomers now believe that the crater-like ice masses orbiting Saturn hold a deep secret: a hidden ocean.

An international team of researchers analyzed data collected from NASA’s Cassini mission and found that Mimas’ rotation and orbital motions have changed over time, possibly due to the presence of a global ocean beneath its icy crust. I noticed that.

The researchers were surprised to discover that the ocean is relatively young in astronomical terms, being only 5 to 15 million years old. Mimas could change the way scientists understand oceanic worlds across the solar system, where life beyond Earth may exist.

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— Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient burial site during an excavation in central London, including an unusual wooden bed used in Roman funerals.

— The PACE mission launched this week to study the “invisible universe” of Earth’s microscopic marine life and atmospheric particles from space.

— Evidence of a “super-Earth” and a second Earth-sized planet has been discovered orbiting the habitable zone of a star 137 light-years away.

— Researchers have discovered new clues to how tiny tardigrades, also known as tardigrades, are able to survive in some of the harshest environments on Earth.

— Want to know what a total solar eclipse will look like in your city in April? Check out the interactive map to see how much of the sun’s face is blocked based on your location.

Did you like what you read? Oh, but there’s more to it. Please register here Get the next issue of Wonder Theory from CNN’s space science writers in your inbox. ashley strickland and katie hunt. They find wonder in discovering planets and ancient worlds beyond our solar system.