Speaker
Prof.
William B SEALES
(University of Kentucky)
Description
Progress over the past decade in the digitization and analysis of text found in cultural objects (inscriptions, manuscripts, scrolls) has led to new methods for reading the “invisible library”. This talk explains the development of non-invasive methods, showing results from restoration projects on Homeric manuscripts, Herculaneum material, and Dead Sea scrolls. Premised on “virtual unwrapping” as an engine for discovery, the presentation culminates in a new approach - Reference-Amplified Computed Tomography (RACT) – where machine learning and cloud computing becomes a crucial part of the imaging pipeline. You will leave this talk considering that RACT may indeed be the pathway for rescuing still-readable text from some of the most stubbornly damaged materials, like the enigmatic Herculaneum scrolls.
