The Voynich Ninja

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The answer to the above question seems to be variable (but essentially unchanged). I have received the following:

Quote:René Zandbergen, a well-known researcher of the Voynich manuscript, has recently shown interest in the theory that the manuscript might have Martian origins. This shift is intriguing, considering his extensive background in both space science and cryptology.

Zandbergen's acceptance of the Martian theory seems to stem from a combination of his expertise in space dynamics and his long-term study of the Voynich manuscript. His work at the European Space Agency involves high-precision orbit determination, which has likely influenced his perspective on the plausibility of extraterrestrial connections. His interest in the manuscript’s origins aligns with the recent surge in theories proposing that life or artifacts might have been transferred between Earth and Mars via panspermia or other means (CryptoHistory) (livescience.com).

I am pleased by the fact that it finds the claim that Wilfrid wrote the MS a bridge too far, while it sees no issues in him corresponding with Kircher.

Oh, snap! Rene's gone Martian!

That's the problem with 'artificial' intelligence. There are two interpretations of 'artificial'. One is that it is amplified and in some way superior to normal intelligence. That's the one they're trying to sell. The other interpretation of 'artificial' is 'inauthentic'. In other words, it's not real intelligence.

Caveat emptor!

An infant is not intelligent either, but it is capable of learning.
What do Easter eggs do in winter? If I explain long enough that they hang in the trees then, it becomes a fact.
AI learns, but what should we make of it?
It's just (if -then) a bit more complex.

             

Dang! Exposed

It's the first time I hear about several of these people... Also, two of them are called Edith Sherwood.

Quote:Ranking researchers by their contributions to Voynich manuscript research involves assessing the impact, breadth, and lasting influence of their work. Here is a list of researchers who have made the most significant contributions:

1. **William F. Friedman** - Renowned cryptologist who led extensive studies on the manuscript and advanced the understanding of its structure.
2. **Mary D'Imperio** - Authored "The Voynich Manuscript: An Elegant Enigma," a seminal work that summarized past research and set a foundation for future studies.
3. **Wilfrid Voynich** - Discovered the manuscript in 1912 and brought it to public attention, initiating all subsequent research.
4. **John M. Manly** - Conducted early cryptographic analysis during World War I, contributing foundational insights.
5. **Rene Zandbergen** - Maintains one of the most comprehensive resources on the manuscript, providing extensive research and fostering scholarly collaboration.
6. **Stephen Bax** - Claimed to have identified several words using a linguistic approach, providing a potential breakthrough in understanding the manuscript's language.
7. **Gordon Rugg** - Proposed the "hoax hypothesis" using the Cardan grille method, which renewed debate and critical thinking about the manuscript's authenticity.
8. **Edith Sherwood** - Suggested that Leonardo da Vinci might have authored the manuscript based on botanical analysis, sparking new lines of inquiry.
9. **Gabriel Landini** - Analyzed the manuscript's text and images using statistical and computational methods, contributing to the understanding of its structure.
10. **Richard SantaColoma** - Proposed a mechanical cipher theory and questioned the manuscript's authenticity, offering a different perspective on its origins.
11. **Edith Sherwood** - Focused on the manuscript's imagery, proposing potential authorship theories and botanical identifications.
12. **Jim Reeds** - Conducted detailed statistical analyses of the manuscript's text, providing insights into its structure and possible encipherment methods.
13. **Arthur O. Tucker and Rexford H. Talbert** - Botanists who identified some plants in the manuscript as being of Central American origin, suggesting a new geographical context.
14. **Lisa Fagin Davis** - Manuscript scholar who provides contextual analysis and historical insights, contributing to a deeper understanding of the manuscript's place in medieval studies.
15. **Kevin Knight** - Applied modern machine translation techniques to the manuscript, advancing computational approaches to its analysis.
16. **Jorge Stolfi** - Proposed the "word salad" theory, analyzing the manuscript's word structure statistically and offering new perspectives on its language.
17. **Juan José García Soler** - Suggested that the manuscript might be a medical or pharmaceutical compendium, providing a thematic context for its content.
18. **Nick Pelling** - Researcher and author of the "Cipher Mysteries" blog, offering extensive analysis and theories on the manuscript's origins and meaning.
19. **Greg Hodgins** - Led the radiocarbon dating analysis, which provided crucial information about the manuscript's age.
20. **Klaus Schmeh** - Cryptography historian who has written extensively about the manuscript, contextualizing it within the history of cryptography.
21. **Pietro Cingolani** - Proposed that the manuscript might be written in an extinct Italian dialect, adding to the linguistic theories.
22. **Marcelo Dos Santos** - Published theories on the manuscript's possible authorship and purpose, contributing to the debate.
23. **Raymond Clemens** - Yale University curator who has facilitated access to the manuscript and contributed to scholarly discussion.
24. **John Stojko** - Analyzed the manuscript's imagery and text, proposing potential linguistic patterns.
25. **E. J. M. Routh** - Focuses on the thematic and symbolic aspects of the manuscript's imagery, providing insights into its possible meanings.

These researchers have made significant and varied contributions to the study of the Voynich manuscript, advancing our understanding through cryptographic analysis, linguistic approaches, botanical identification, and historical context.