TEDxUM
Gregory Heyworth: How I'm discovering the secrets of ancient texts
格裡高利．海沃斯: 發掘古文字的秘密
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格裡高利．海沃斯是原文科學家，他和他的實驗室用嶄新的多光譜影像技術，閱讀古代手稿和地圖。在這場精采的演說中，看海沃斯為遺失的歷史打亮一盞明燈，破解數千年來無人閱讀的文字。這些遺失的經典會如何改寫我們所知的過去？
Gregory Heyworth - Textual scientist
Gregory Heyworth uses spectral imaging technology to uncover lost classics that could rewrite history. Full bio
Gregory Heyworth uses spectral imaging technology to uncover lost classics that could rewrite history. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
On January 26, 2013,
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2013 年 1 月 26 日，
00:15
a band of al-Qaeda militants
entered the ancient city of Timbuktu
entered the ancient city of Timbuktu
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蓋達組織武裝部隊進入
古城廷布克圖，
古城廷布克圖，
00:19
on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
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此城位於撒哈拉沙漠南緣。
00:21
There, they set fire to a medieval library
of 30,000 manuscripts
of 30,000 manuscripts
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他們放火燒了一座中世紀的圖書館，
當中有三萬份手稿
當中有三萬份手稿
00:26
written in Arabic
and several African languages
and several African languages
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全由阿拉伯文
以及幾種非洲語言撰寫而成，
以及幾種非洲語言撰寫而成，
00:29
and ranging in subject from astronomy
to geography, history to medicine,
to geography, history to medicine,
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題材遍及天文學、
地理學、歷史和醫學，
地理學、歷史和醫學，
00:34
including one book which records
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其中一本書記載的
00:36
perhaps the first treatment
for male erectile dysfunction.
for male erectile dysfunction.
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可能是第一筆
治療男性勃起障礙的處方。
治療男性勃起障礙的處方。
00:41
Unknown in the West,
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西方人有所不知，
00:43
this was the collected wisdom
of an entire continent,
of an entire continent,
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這可是整塊非洲大陸的智慧結晶，
00:46
the voice of Africa at a time when Africa
was thought not to have a voice at all.
was thought not to have a voice at all.
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是非洲在大家認為無聲的時期
所發出的聲音。
所發出的聲音。
00:51
The mayor of Bamako,
who witnessed the event,
who witnessed the event,
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巴馬科市長目睹此事，
稱這起火燒手稿事件為
00:54
called the burning of the manuscripts
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00:55
"a crime against world cultural heritage."
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「破壞世界文化遺產之罪」。
00:58
And he was right --
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他說的對，
01:00
or he would have been, if it weren't
for the fact that he was also lying.
for the fact that he was also lying.
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應該說，要不是他說了謊，
不然他說的就對。
不然他說的就對。
01:04
In fact, just before,
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事實上，在那之前，
01:07
African scholars had collected
a random assortment of old books
a random assortment of old books
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非洲學者已經事先取出幾類古書，
01:11
and left them out
for the terrorists to burn.
for the terrorists to burn.
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避免這些書被恐怖分子燒毀。
01:14
Today, the collection
lies hidden in Bamako,
lies hidden in Bamako,
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今天，這套書藏在巴馬科，
01:16
the capital of Mali,
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馬利的首都，
01:18
moldering in the high humidity.
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因為溼度太重而逐漸腐壞。
01:20
What was rescued by ruse
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之前千方百計拯救的東西，
01:22
is now once again in jeopardy,
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現在又再次陷入危機，
01:24
this time by climate.
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這次是受到氣候威脅。
01:26
But Africa, and the far-flung
corners of the world,
corners of the world,
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但非洲和那些遠在天邊的世界角落
01:28
are not the only places,
or even the main places
or even the main places
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不是唯一，甚至不是主要
01:30
in which manuscripts that could change
the history of world culture
the history of world culture
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讓那些改變世界文明歷史的手稿
01:35
are in jeopardy.
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陷入險境的地方。
01:37
Several years ago, I conducted
a survey of European research libraries
a survey of European research libraries
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幾年前，
我對歐洲研究圖書館做調查，
我對歐洲研究圖書館做調查，
01:42
and discovered that,
at the barest minimum,
at the barest minimum,
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發現保守估計至少
01:44
there are 60,000 manuscripts
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有六萬份史前 1500 年的手稿
01:48
pre-1500
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01:49
that are illegible
because of water damage,
because of water damage,
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變得難以閱讀，因為受到水害、
01:52
fading, mold and chemical reagents.
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褪色、黴菌和化學試劑影響。
01:56
The real number is likely double that,
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實際數字可能是兩倍，
01:59
and that doesn't even count
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而且還不把
02:02
Renaissance manuscripts
and modern manuscripts
and modern manuscripts
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文藝復興時期和近代的手稿，
02:04
and cultural heritage
objects such as maps.
objects such as maps.
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還有文化遺產文物，
像是地圖算進來。
像是地圖算進來。
02:09
What if there were a technology
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要是有科技
02:12
that could recover
these lost and unknown works?
these lost and unknown works?
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能復原這些失去且不知名的文物，
該有多好？
該有多好？
02:17
Imagine worldwide
how a trove of hundreds of thousands
how a trove of hundreds of thousands
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想像全世界
百萬件珍貴文物中的一件，
百萬件珍貴文物中的一件，
02:22
of previously unknown texts
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以目前無人知曉的古文記載，
02:25
could radically transform
our knowledge of the past.
our knowledge of the past.
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是怎麼徹底顛覆
我們對過去的認識。
我們對過去的認識。
02:30
Imagine what unknown classics
we would discover
we would discover
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想像我們可能找到的經典文物，
02:34
which would rewrite the canons
of literature, history,
of literature, history,
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可能改寫文學、歷史、
02:37
philosophy, music --
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哲學和音樂的經典，
02:39
or, more provocatively, that could
rewrite our cultural identities,
rewrite our cultural identities,
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或是更誇張點，
可能改寫我們的文化認同，
可能改寫我們的文化認同，
02:43
building new bridges
between people and culture.
between people and culture.
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建立人類和文化之間的新橋梁。
02:47
These are the questions
that transformed me
that transformed me
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這些問題改變了我，
02:50
from a medieval scholar,
a reader of texts,
a reader of texts,
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讓我從中古世紀學者、文字讀者，
02:52
into a textual scientist.
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轉變為文本科學家。
02:56
What an unsatisfying word "reader" is.
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讓人不滿意的是「讀者」這兩個字。
02:58
For me, it conjures up
images of passivity,
images of passivity,
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這讓我腦海浮現一種被動的樣貌，
03:01
of someone sitting idly in an armchair
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就像某人呆坐在沙發椅上，
03:03
waiting for knowledge to come to him
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等著知識裝在精巧的包裝裡送上門。
03:05
in a neat little parcel.
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03:07
How much better to be
a participant in the past,
a participant in the past,
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要是能成為過去的參與者
就好多了，
就好多了，
03:10
an adventurer in an undiscovered country,
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當一個探險家，前往無人發掘之境
03:13
searching for the hidden text.
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尋找隱藏的文字。
03:17
As an academic, I was a mere reader.
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身為學者，我只是個讀者。
03:20
I read and taught the same classics
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我閱讀、教導的經典
03:23
that people had been reading
and teaching for hundreds of years --
and teaching for hundreds of years --
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是千百年來
人們一直在閱讀和教導的經典，
人們一直在閱讀和教導的經典，
03:26
Virgil, Ovid, Chaucer, Petrarch --
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像是維吉爾、奧維德、
喬叟、佩特拉克，
喬叟、佩特拉克，
03:29
and with every scholarly article
that I published
that I published
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我發表的每一篇學術文章，
03:31
I added to human knowledge
in ever-diminishing slivers of insight.
in ever-diminishing slivers of insight.
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都只是在人類知識加上一筆
會永遠消逝的見解。
會永遠消逝的見解。
03:36
What I wanted to be
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我想成為的
03:38
was an archaeologist of the past,
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是過去的考古學家、
03:40
a discoverer of literature,
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文學的發現者、
03:42
an Indiana Jones without the whip --
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沒有鞭子的印第安納．瓊斯，
03:44
or, actually, with the whip.
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其實有鞭子也不錯。
03:45
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
03:46
And I wanted it not just for myself
but I wanted it for my students as well.
but I wanted it for my students as well.
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不只是為了我自己，
也是為了我的學生。
也是為了我的學生。
03:50
And so six years ago,
I changed the direction of my career.
I changed the direction of my career.
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因此六年前，我轉行了。
03:54
At the time, I was working
on "The Chess of Love,"
on "The Chess of Love,"
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那時候我在編輯《棋之愛》，
03:57
the last important long poem
of the European Middle Ages
of the European Middle Ages
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最新發現的歐洲中古世紀長詩，
04:00
never to have been edited.
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從未編輯過。
04:01
And it wasn't edited because
it existed in only one manuscript
it existed in only one manuscript
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沒人編是因為它只存在一份手稿中，
04:05
which was so badly damaged
during the firebombing of Dresden
during the firebombing of Dresden
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這稿在二戰炮轟德勒斯登時
被嚴重損毀，
被嚴重損毀，
04:08
in World War II
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04:09
that generations of scholars
had pronounced it lost.
had pronounced it lost.
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世代學者都聲稱稿已經不見了。
04:13
For five years, I had been working
with an ultraviolet lamp
with an ultraviolet lamp
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五年來，我一直靠著一盞紫外線燈
04:16
trying to recover traces of the writing
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試圖還原書寫的字跡，
04:18
and I'd gone about as far
as technology at the time
as technology at the time
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我做到當時科技能幫我的極限。
04:21
could actually take me.
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04:22
And so I did what many people do.
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因此後來我和大家做一樣的事。
04:24
I went online,
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我上網，
04:26
and there I learned about
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學到關於
04:28
how multispectral imaging had been used
to recover two lost treatises
to recover two lost treatises
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多光譜造像過去怎麼用來
復原希臘知名數學家
阿基米德的兩份論文，
阿基米德的兩份論文，
04:33
of the famed Greek
mathematician Archimedes
mathematician Archimedes
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04:36
from a 13th-century palimpsest.
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原稿寫在 13 世紀羊皮紙上。
04:37
A palimpsest is a manuscript
which has been erased and overwritten.
which has been erased and overwritten.
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羊皮紙這種手稿
會一直被清除、覆寫。
會一直被清除、覆寫。
04:42
And so, out of the blue,
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因此突然靈光一閃，
04:43
I decided to write
to the lead imaging scientist
to the lead imaging scientist
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我決定寫封信
給那位負責阿基米德羊皮紙計畫的
首席影像科學家，
首席影像科學家，
04:46
on the Archimedes palimpsest project,
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04:48
Professor Roger Easton,
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羅傑．伊斯頓教授，
04:50
with a plan and a plea.
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信中附上計畫和請願。
04:52
And to my surprise,
he actually wrote back.
he actually wrote back.
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讓我驚訝的是，他回我信了。
04:56
With his help, I was able
to win a grant from the US government
to win a grant from the US government
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因為他的幫忙，
我申請到美國政府補助，
我申請到美國政府補助，
04:59
to build a transportable,
multispectral imaging lab,
multispectral imaging lab,
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建造一個可移動的
多光譜造像實驗室。
多光譜造像實驗室。
05:03
And with this lab, I transformed
what was a charred and faded mess
what was a charred and faded mess
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有了這個實驗室，
我得以將焦黑、褪色的東西，
我得以將焦黑、褪色的東西，
05:08
into a new medieval classic.
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轉變為嶄新的中古世紀經典。
05:11
So how does multispectral
imaging actually work?
imaging actually work?
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那到底多光譜造像要怎麼做？
05:14
Well, the idea
behind multispectral imaging
behind multispectral imaging
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首先，多光譜造像背後的想法
05:16
is something that anyone who is familiar
with infrared night vision goggles
with infrared night vision goggles
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是每個戴過紅外線夜視鏡的人
都熟悉的原理，
都熟悉的原理，
05:20
will immediately appreciate:
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馬上就能理解：
05:22
that what we can see
in the visible spectrum of light
in the visible spectrum of light
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我們在可見光譜中可以看到的
05:24
is only a tiny fraction
of what's actually there.
of what's actually there.
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只是實景的一小部分。
05:27
The same is true with invisible writing.
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看不見的筆跡也一樣。
05:31
Our system uses 12 wavelengths of light
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我們的機器使用 12 道光波長，
05:35
between the ultraviolet and the infrared,
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介於紫外線和紅外線之間，
05:38
and these are shown down
onto the manuscript from above
onto the manuscript from above
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這些光從上方這些 LED 燈
照在手稿上，
照在手稿上，
05:41
from banks of LEDs,
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05:42
and another multispectral light source
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另一個多光譜光源
05:44
which comes up through
the individual leaves of the manuscript.
the individual leaves of the manuscript.
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從每張手稿下朝上照射出。
05:47
Up to 35 images per sequence
per leaf are imaged this way
per leaf are imaged this way
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每次每頁最多可連續
造出 35 張影像，
造出 35 張影像，
05:52
using a high-powered digital camera
equipped with a lens
equipped with a lens
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運用高功率數位相機
05:54
which is made out of quartz.
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和一顆用石英做的鏡頭，
05:56
There are about five
of these in the world.
of these in the world.
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全世界大概有五顆。
05:58
And once we capture these images,
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只要我們捕捉到影像，
06:00
we feed them through
statistical algorithms
statistical algorithms
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就透過統計演算法，
06:02
to further enhance and clarify them,
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進一步強化、辨析，
06:05
using software which was originally
designed for satellite images
designed for satellite images
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搭配的軟體是
原先設計給衛星影像、
原先設計給衛星影像、
06:08
and used by people
like geospatial scientists
like geospatial scientists
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地理空間科學家
06:12
and the CIA.
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和中央情報局使用的。
06:14
The results can be spectacular.
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結果可能非常驚人。
06:16
You may already have heard
of what's been done
of what's been done
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也許你聽過先例
06:18
for the Dead Sea Scrolls,
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《死海古卷》的成果，
06:19
which are slowly gelatinizing.
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現在這卷書快糊掉了。
06:22
Using infrared, we've been able
to read even the darkest corners
to read even the darkest corners
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透過紅外線，我們甚至可以看清
《死海古卷》最不清楚的角落。
06:26
of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
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06:28
You may not be aware, however,
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不過你可能會注意到
06:30
of other Biblical texts
that are in jeopardy.
that are in jeopardy.
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其它聖經文本也處於險境。
06:33
Here, for example,
is a leaf from a manuscript
is a leaf from a manuscript
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例如這一頁手稿，
06:36
that we imaged,
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我們已經造像，
06:38
which is perhaps the most valuable
Christian Bible in the world.
Christian Bible in the world.
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這大概是世界上最珍貴的聖經。
06:42
The Codex Vercellensis is the oldest
translation of the Gospels into Latin,
translation of the Gospels into Latin,
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《韋爾切利拉丁抄本》是世界上最早
譯為拉丁文的福音書，
譯為拉丁文的福音書，
06:48
and it dates from the first half
of the fourth century.
of the fourth century.
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可追溯到四世紀上半葉。
06:52
This is the closest we can come
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這本聖經的年代是最接近
06:54
to the Bible at the time
of the foundation of Christendom
of the foundation of Christendom
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君士坦丁大帝以基督教立國，
06:58
under Emperor Constantine,
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07:00
and at the time also
of the Council of Nicaea,
of the Council of Nicaea,
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以及尼西亞會議
07:03
when the basic creed of Christianity
was being agreed upon.
was being agreed upon.
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對基督教基本教義
取得一致意見的時期。
取得一致意見的時期。
07:06
This manuscript, unfortunately,
has been very badly damaged,
has been very badly damaged,
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很不幸這份抄本已嚴重受損，
07:09
and it's damaged because for centuries
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而且受損是因為幾世紀以來，
07:12
it had been used and handled
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世代人們手持著它
07:14
in swearing in ceremonies in the church.
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在教堂儀式中宣誓。
07:17
In fact, that purple splotch
that you see in the upper left hand corner
that you see in the upper left hand corner
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其實，你在左上角看到的
這塊紫色污點
這塊紫色污點
07:21
is Aspergillus, which is a fungus
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是麴菌，這種真菌
07:26
which originates in the unwashed hands
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來自肺結核患者未洗淨的雙手。
07:29
of a person with tuberculosis.
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07:32
Our imaging has enabled me
to make the first transcription
to make the first transcription
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我們造的影像，
讓我可以為此抄本製作出
讓我可以為此抄本製作出
07:35
of this manuscript in 250 years.
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250 年來第一份副本。
07:39
Having a lab that can travel
to collections where it's needed, however,
to collections where it's needed, however,
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有一間能移動到文物收藏處的實驗室
07:43
is only part of the solution.
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其實只是解決方法的一部分。
07:45
The technology is expensive and very rare,
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這項科技昂貴又稀有，
07:48
and the imaging and image
processing skills are esoteric.
processing skills are esoteric.
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造像和影像的製成技術
也鮮為人知。
也鮮為人知。
07:51
That means that mounting recoveries
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這代表了要復原文物
07:53
is beyond the reach of most researchers
and all but the wealthiest institutions.
and all but the wealthiest institutions.
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是大多數學者辦不到的，
只有有錢機構能做到。
只有有錢機構能做到。
07:58
That's why I founded the Lazarus Project,
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這就是為什麼我籌備拉撒路計畫，
（註：起死回生之意）
（註：起死回生之意）
08:01
a not-for-profit initiative
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這項非營利倡議
08:02
to bring multispectral imaging
to individual researchers
to individual researchers
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將多光譜造像帶給個別的研究員
08:06
and smaller institutions
at little or no cost whatsoever.
at little or no cost whatsoever.
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以及小型機構，
只需少許費用或根本不要錢。
只需少許費用或根本不要錢。
08:11
Over the past five years,
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過去五年來，
08:13
our team of imaging scientists,
scholars and students
scholars and students
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我的團隊，
包含造像科學家、學者和學生，
包含造像科學家、學者和學生，
08:17
has travelled to seven different countries
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前往七個國家
08:19
and have recovered some of the world's
most valuable damaged manuscripts,
most valuable damaged manuscripts,
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復原了幾件世界極珍貴的受損手搞，
08:23
included the Vercelli Book,
which is the oldest book of English,
which is the oldest book of English,
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包含《韋爾切利手抄本》，
最古老的英文書；
最古老的英文書；
08:26
the Black Book of Carmarthen,
the oldest book of Welsh,
the oldest book of Welsh,
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《卡馬森的黑皮書》，
最古老的威爾斯文書；
最古老的威爾斯文書；
08:28
and some of the most valuable
earliest Gospels
earliest Gospels
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以及幾件最珍貴古老的福音書，
08:32
located in what is now
the former Soviet Georgia.
the former Soviet Georgia.
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藏身在前蘇聯的喬治亞。
08:36
So, spectral imaging
can recover lost texts.
can recover lost texts.
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因此多光譜造像
可以復原很多遺失的文字。
可以復原很多遺失的文字。
08:40
More subtly, though, it can recover
a second story behind every object,
a second story behind every object,
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而且更巧妙的是能夠復原
隱身在每個文物背後的第二個故事，
隱身在每個文物背後的第二個故事，
08:45
the story of how, when
and by whom a text was created,
and by whom a text was created,
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關於文本創作的原因、
時間和人物的故事，
時間和人物的故事，
08:50
and, sometimes, what the author
was thinking at the time he wrote.
was thinking at the time he wrote.
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有時候還能復原
作者書寫時的想法。
作者書寫時的想法。
08:54
Take, for example, a draft
of the Declaration of Independence
of the Declaration of Independence
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例如，這份《美國獨立宣言》草稿
08:57
written in Thomas Jefferson's own hand,
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由湯瑪斯．傑佛遜親手寫下，
09:00
which some colleagues of mine
imaged a few years ago
imaged a few years ago
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這是由我的幾位同事數年前
09:02
at the Library of Congress.
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在國會圖書館造的像。
09:04
Curators had noticed
that one word throughout
that one word throughout
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館長發現有一個字在整篇裡
09:07
had been scratched out and overwritten.
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不斷被擦去又覆寫。
09:09
The word overwritten was "citizens."
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這個被覆寫的字是「公民」。
09:12
Perhaps you can guess
what the word underneath was.
what the word underneath was.
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也許你能猜出底下原本的字。
09:15
"Subjects."
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「臣民」。
09:17
There, ladies and gentlemen,
is American democracy
is American democracy
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各位女士、先生，美國的民主
09:20
evolving under the hand
of Thomas Jefferson.
of Thomas Jefferson.
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在湯瑪斯．傑佛遜之手下展開了。
09:23
Or consider the 1491 Martellus Map,
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或是想想 1491 年馬提勒斯的地圖，
09:27
which we imaged
at Yale's Beinecke Library.
at Yale's Beinecke Library.
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我們在耶魯
拜內克古籍善本圖書館造了像。
拜內克古籍善本圖書館造了像。
09:29
This was the map
that Columbus likely consulted
that Columbus likely consulted
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當年哥倫布就是先查了這份地圖，
09:32
before he traveled to the New World
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才到新世界航行，
09:33
and which gave him his idea
of what Asia looked like
of what Asia looked like
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這份地圖帶給他對亞洲的印象，
09:36
and where Japan was located.
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1600
以及日本所在位置的概念。
09:39
The problem with this map
is that its inks and pigments
is that its inks and pigments
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這地圖的問題在於上面的墨料
09:42
had so degraded over time
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經年累月褪色得嚴重，
09:44
that this large, nearly seven-foot map,
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以至於這張大約七呎的地圖
09:46
made the world look like a giant desert.
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讓世界看起來像巨大的沙漠。
09:49
Until now, we had very little idea,
detailed idea, that is,
detailed idea, that is,
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直到現在，
我們對它的細節仍所知甚少，
我們對它的細節仍所知甚少，
09:53
of what Columbus knew of the world
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不了解哥倫布所知的世界
09:54
and how world cultures were represented.
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以及當時的世界文化如何被展現。
09:57
The main legend of the map
was entirely illegible under normal light.
was entirely illegible under normal light.
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地圖上的說明在一般燈光下
完全看不見。
完全看不見。
10:01
Ultraviolet did very little for it.
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紫外線的幫助非常有限。
10:03
Multispectral gave us everything.
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多光譜帶給我們完整的面貌。
10:06
In Asia, we learned of monsters
with ears so long
with ears so long
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在亞洲，我們看到怪獸
有非常長的耳朵，
有非常長的耳朵，
10:10
that they could cover
the creature's entire body.
the creature's entire body.
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可以覆蓋自己的全身。
10:13
In Africa, about a snake
who could cause the ground to smoke.
who could cause the ground to smoke.
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在非洲，有條蛇可以讓土地冒煙。
10:18
Like starlight, which can convey images
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就像星光可以傳達出
10:20
of the way the Universe
looked in the distant past,
looked in the distant past,
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遠古時期的宇宙影像一樣，
10:23
so multispectral light can take us back
to the first stuttering moments
to the first stuttering moments
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多光譜燈光也能帶我們回到
文物被創造之際，
文物被創造之際，
10:27
of an object's creation.
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作者躊躇不已的第一現場。
10:29
Through this lens, we witness
the mistakes, the changes of mind,
the mistakes, the changes of mind,
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透過這個鏡頭，我們目睹了
錯誤、改變心意、
錯誤、改變心意、
10:33
the naïvetés, the uncensored thoughts,
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天真、未拘束的想法，
10:36
the imperfections of the human imagination
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人類想像力的不完美
10:38
that allow these hallowed objects
and their authors
and their authors
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允許這些神聖的文物和創作者
10:41
to become more real,
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變得更真實，
10:43
that make history closer to us.
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讓歷史更接近我們。
10:46
What about the future?
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那麼未來呢？
10:48
There's so much of the past,
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過去如此長遠，
10:50
and so few people
with the skills to rescue it
with the skills to rescue it
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很少人有這些技術
10:53
before these objects disappear forever.
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趕在這些文物消逝之前
拯救過往。
拯救過往。
10:58
That's why I have begun to teach
this new hybrid discipline
this new hybrid discipline
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這也是為什麼我開始教
這項新的混合學科，
這項新的混合學科，
11:01
that I call "textual science."
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我稱為「原文科學」。
11:03
Textual science is a marriage
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原文科學是場婚姻，結合
11:05
of the traditional skills
of a literary scholar --
of a literary scholar --
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文學學者的傳統技術──
11:07
the ability to read old languages
and old handwriting,
and old handwriting,
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閱讀古語和古文的能力，
11:10
the knowledge of how texts are made
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了解原文如何製成的知識，
11:12
in order to be able
to place and date them --
to place and date them --
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以此來追溯時地──
11:14
with new techniques like imaging science,
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以及新技術，像是造像科學、
11:16
the chemistry of inks and pigments,
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墨料科學、
11:19
computer-aided optical
character recognition.
character recognition.
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電腦輔助的光學字元辨識。
11:23
Last year, a student in my class,
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去年，我班上的一位學生，
11:25
a freshman,
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大一生，
11:26
with a background in Latin and Greek,
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有拉丁和希臘血統，
11:28
was image-processing a palimpsest
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他為一張羊皮紙造影，
11:30
that we had photographed
at a famous library in Rome.
at a famous library in Rome.
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那是我們在羅馬的知名博物館
照相的羊皮紙。
照相的羊皮紙。
11:34
As he worked, tiny Greek writing
began to appear from behind the text.
began to appear from behind the text.
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經過他努力後，小小的希臘文筆跡
開始顯現在文字背後。
開始顯現在文字背後。
11:40
Everyone gathered around,
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大家靠過去看，
11:41
and he read a line from a lost work
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他唸了一行
11:44
of the Greek comic dramatist Menander.
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希臘喜劇家米南德遺失的作品。
11:47
This was the first time
in well over a thousand years
in well over a thousand years
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這是上千年來第一次，
11:50
that those words
had been pronounced aloud.
had been pronounced aloud.
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那些文字被大聲朗誦出。
11:53
In that moment, he became a scholar.
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在那一刻，他成為了學者。
11:57
Ladies and gentlemen,
that is the future of the past.
that is the future of the past.
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各位女士、先生，
這是過去的未來。
這是過去的未來。
12:00
Thank you very much.
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非常謝謝大家。
12:02
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gregory Heyworth - Textual scientistGregory Heyworth uses spectral imaging technology to uncover lost classics that could rewrite history.
Why you should listen
Gregory Heyworth is associate professor of English at the University of Mississippi. He is a medievalist and founder of the discipline of textual science.
Professor Heyworth directs the Lazarus Project, a not-for-profit initiative to restore damaged and illegible cultural heritage objects, especially manuscripts and maps, using spectral imaging technology. He has helped recover numerous important objects including the Vercelli Book and the 1491 Martellus Map.
Currently he is working on a project to recover the manuscript fragments of the lost Cathedral Library of Chartres, France, bombed in WWII.
Gregory Heyworth | Speaker | TED.com