Artificial Intelligence Helps Decipher Ancient Herculaneum Scrolls

Donald Trump Jr. faces accusations of violating Italian and European Union environmental laws after allegedly hunting a protected species of duck near Venice, according to two members of the Italian Green Party. Lawmakers Andrea Zanoni and Luana Zanella filed parliamentary questions seeking action against Trump Jr., claiming that he was seen in a now-deleted video standing near a dead ruddy shelduck, which is protected under both the EU Birds Directive and Italian wildlife laws. Zanoni stated that the video showed Trump Jr. holding the rare duck in a Natura 2000 conservation area, emphasizing that hunting this species is illegal and could lead to criminal charges. He highlighted that only residents of Italy can hunt legally, as they require a regional hunting card. The controversial video, initially published by Field Ethos, depicted Trump Jr. hunting in camouflage gear and expressing excitement over his catches. As of now, neither Trump Jr. nor Field Ethos have publicly responded to the allegations. The incident has drawn significant media attention amidst ongoing scrutiny of Trump family activities abroad.

Luca Casarini, founder of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, revealed that he has been targeted by military-grade spyware developed by Israel's Paragon Solutions. WhatsApp informed him he was among 90 individuals worldwide who may have had their phones hacked, as detailed in a statement from the messaging service. Casarini is a prominent figure criticizing Italy’s alleged complicity in human rights abuses against migrants in Libya. According to reports, the individuals attacked include journalists and activists who have publicly opposed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. The Italian government has denied any involvement in the spyware activities and has instructed its cybersecurity agency to investigate the claims, describing them as “particularly serious.” Paragon Solutions, which sells its spyware to government clients, asserts it operates only in democracies. The firm and Italy's government have not confirmed or denied any official relations, raising questions about accountability in digital surveillance practices. Casarini stated that the surveillance attempts represent a broader war against solidarity and activism focused on aiding migrants.

Researchers have successfully utilized artificial intelligence to digitally unroll and read an ancient scroll, known as PHerc. 172, which was severely damaged during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. This scroll is one of several discovered in a luxury villa in Herculaneum, Italy, believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar's father-in-law. Dr. Brent Seales, co-founder of the Vesuvius Challenge, praised the achievement, noting, “This scroll contains more recoverable text than we have ever seen in a scanned Herculaneum scroll.” For the first time, the scroll reveals multiple columns of text, including the Ancient Greek word διατροπή, meaning "disgust," repeated twice. The scrolls were initially unreadable due to extreme charring, but, thanks to advancements in 3D X-ray capabilities from Diamond, the UK’s national synchrotron facility, scholars at the University of Oxford can now explore these ancient writings. Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s librarian, emphasized the collaborative nature of this project, highlighting the intersection of classical scholarship with modern technology.