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Solve the Voynich to save the world
- Solve the Voynich to save the world
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Solve the Voynich to save the world
Koen G > 02-08-2020, 10:17 AM
A hypothetical scenario:
The president (you know, the president) had a dream that the Voynich manuscript must be solved within a year, or the world will be destroyed. He learns that you are, like, the world's greatest expert on this subject, so he gives you a call: you get unlimited resources and complete authority. Everybody has to do what you say, as long as it is with the purpose of discovering the truth about the manuscript. The only limitation is that you cannot perform destructive tests on the MS itself.
What do you do?
Who do you contact? What kind of people do you look for and which assignments do you give them? -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
Helmut Winkler > 02-08-2020, 10:40 AM
I know what I would do, but since neither the president will call nor the world will be destroyed (well,
I hope so), I will take time and do it myself -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
Mark Knowles > 02-08-2020, 10:59 AM
Well, one thing would be to create a task force to search archives for any documents needed and digitise them. That is something that is severely lacking with our current resources.
See what other non-destructive tests or analyses can be performed on the manuscript such as various kinds of imaging to look at the layering of text and colours. Investigate what other technologies are available or could be developed to provide us with information. Could we extract the DNA of the animal from the vellum? Can we extract the DNA of the author from under the ink? These days a lot of different information can be extracted from the DNA such as ethnic origin.
I would create a $1 billion prize for the person or persons who decipher it, but the competition will require a $100 entry fee. This will require a large staff to assess presented solutions and a good procedure for quickly eliminating incorrect solutions. This prize will be available to anyone regardless of their qualifications and could be split amongst people. -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
-JKP- > 02-08-2020, 01:45 PM
I dunno. Whenever I delegate tasks I end up re-doing the work or having to double-check it. Often it's easier to do it yourself rather than asking someone to help.
There are some very good VMS researchers, good enough that you wouldn't have to tell them what to do. They are self-starters, well organized, and dedicated. Just let them do what they do best. There's not much I would change, although I do wish it were possible to travel to some of the repositories.
It would be helpful to have the resources to check the DNA of the skin to find out the species of animal that was used. It might help localize the creation site. -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
bi3mw > 02-08-2020, 03:39 PM
Serious voynicheros are usually individualists or at best work in very small groups on specific questions in a project-related manner. A team that works concentrated on a previously developed roadmap is probably difficult to put together. -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
RobGea > 02-08-2020, 04:09 PM
Who to contact? :: Personell-wise, i have no idea. my address book is somewhat thin on top class academics
What kind of people do you look for ? :: The best.
What do you do? :: Create a big control centre with lots of
big screens and flashing lights
Assemble the below teams.
which assignments do you give them? :: See below.
1) Computer team
OCR to create: Fonts, Transcriptions.
Supervised, unsupervised, Human assisted text analysis.
2) Linguists
Perform study and analysis of the text they work closely with Team 1.
3) Some way of aiding good communication between teams.
4) Big international team of Art historians
and/ or people who are familiar with searching around libraries around the world
to find image similarites,similar mss's.
4a) Photographers to accompany MSS search team to upload anything found back to base.
5) Image specialists
To perform every possible photography method of all VMS pages, Raman, UV ,multispectral etc.
6) Physical book team (whatever that science is called) to study all the bindings, vellum, all that stuff.
This team can also have a look around in the VMS maybe theres a corpse of a bookworm to study, etc
7) DNA team
works with the physical team to do any analysis and suggest where and what could be tested.
8) Historians
who could persue the provenance of the VMS.
9) A few Journal editors from Nature or PLOS One, a couple of science journalists.
To explore and suggest any other methods, , these are the folk who would know of such things
and they could document the whole project if they have any spare time.
10) Statisticians
Just a couple of these to explain, generate, suggest, validate any statistical stuff.
Would work mostly with Team1 and Team2
11) General staff for base control centre.
To keep it running smoothly, make the lights flash perhaps generate some beeping noises.
and to make me coffee -
after all i am in charge 
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RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
Koen G > 02-08-2020, 04:48 PM
You get it RobGea
If it were really a matter of global urgency (which it isn't, but for this thought experiment it is), then maybe a lot can be gained by enlisting people that know their ways around different libraries. This is something where individual(ist) researchers are severely limited. -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
MichelleL11 > 02-08-2020, 05:46 PM
(02-08-2020, 10:17 AM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.What do you do?
Who do you contact? What kind of people do you look for and which assignments do you give them?
My first reaction was extremely self-serving -- we could get everyone that is active on the board and their families together into some sort of "Manhattan Project" type living arrangement in a place with good weather, good food, and everyone vaccinated with an effective COVID-19 vaccine. They'd have to agree to bring all their Voynich resources with them and open minds. It could be fun. Messy, but fun.
We'd have an unlimited consultant budget, a couple of really talented Project Managers (I know a few I'd hire) in an attempt to corral the cats, and the best high speed internet connection money can buy. I also agree that a number of big money throws to the best collections of manuscripts (and significant selective money for individually identified manuscripts) surrounding the carbon dating for high quality scanning would be essential.
[One scary thing about this scenario is that it reads more like the start of a murder mystery than I'm comfortable with -- and I realized I'd be in a prime spot to be either the murderer or a murderee -- but, whatever.]
Then I realized that if I was going full bore on this hypothetical arrangement, I'd want to time travel the 1951 Brigadier John Tiltman to the group. I recently read his analysis and I was amazed at what he saw without the heavy duty computer work that has been done more recently. I think he would be an extremely valuable add.
Of course, all of this "degrees of freedom" could devolve into merely time-traveling various author contenders to the group for the real scoop, although if the reason the Voynich is enscripted is fear of mortal reprisal, we may not get a straight answer!
In any case, it was fun to think about -- but I'm afraid we're stuck doing all this for no free housing, no free food, no elimination of other responsibilities, no boon to the digitization process, and no John Tiltman to contribute to the conversation. Reality can be . . . tough.
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RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
Ruby Novacna > 02-08-2020, 07:23 PM
Just 3-4 programmers and a pretty big computer.
The team could analyze all the proposed solutions in a short time.
An OCR team, of course, to scan the documents that will serve as a basis for comparison for the programmers.
Google currently has all these skills and could decipher the manuscript in no time at all. -
RE: Solve the Voynich to save the world
Koen G > 02-08-2020, 08:47 PM
I wonder if this is true. Part of the problem would probably be that there is a lack of input material, like transcribed texts of other manuscripts. Could a computer really solve the MS if it is working in a vaccuum?