Latest news with #PlosOne
DW
a day ago
- Science
- DW
Dead Sea Scrolls older than previously thought says AI – DW – 06/04/2025
An AI trained on radiocarbon dating suggests some Dead Sea Scrolls might be older than previously thought. The findings could reshape our understanding of Judaism and early Christianity. An AI program trained to study the handwriting styles of ancient manuscripts suggests many of the Dead Sea Scrolls might be older than previously thought, as reported in a study published in the journal Plos One on Wednesday . The study is the latest entry in a new era of antiquity studies that has researchers use AI to reveal the secrets written on frayed and crumbling scrolls. The new method combines AI, radiocarbon dating, and handwriting analysis to more accurately estimate an ancient text's age. The now proposed redating could reshape our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and of Judaism and early Christianity, the authors of the study say. "It is very exciting to set a significant step into solving the dating problem of the Dead Sea Scrolls and also creating a new tool that could be used to study other partially dated manuscript collections from history," said study author Mladen Popovic from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Radiocarbon dating and AI analysis of handwriting The Dead Sea Scrolls, the first of which were discovered in a cave in Israel in 1947, are the most momentous manuscript discovery of the past hundred years. There are around 1,000 manuscripts in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among them are some of the oldest known copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible. Studies of these manuscripts have profoundly changed understanding of the origins of Christianity and the formation of post-biblical Judaism Dating these manuscripts with paleography — the study of ancient handwriting — reveals them to have been written over several hundred years between 250 B.C.E. and 100 C.E. However, scholars have struggled to analyze ancient texts, particularly with distinguishing one writer's style from another, meaning dating isn't very reliable. The researchers aimed to improve analytical methods by using AI to study handwriting and cross-reference this data with radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dating estimates the age of materials by measuring carbon-14 isotopes that slowly disappear over time. "The advantage of the [AI] model is that it provides quantified objectivity to palaeography, reducing the method's subjectivity," the authors write. An AI model was first trained on 24 manuscripts with reliable radiocarbon dating. The authors then used this AI model to analyze the handwriting style of 135 scrolls with unknown dates spanning three centuries from around 200 B.C.E. to 100 C.E. This created a better way of dating written manuscripts with 79% accuracy, according to the analysis. "This novel approach allowed [the researchers] to combine historical expertise with technical precision," said Thea Sommerschield and Yannis Assael, who previously developed AI tools for the study of ancient texts at the University of Oxford, UK, in a joint email to DW. Sommerschield and Assael were not involved in the study. Tomorrow Today — The Science Show To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video New Dead Sea Scroll chronology The authors of the study believe their analysis could lead to a new chronology of the scrolls. If verified, it would change understanding of the history of ancient Judea and the people who wrote the texts. The AI analysis found the manuscripts are older than previous estimates overall, suggesting dates in the early second century B.C.E., and sometimes slightly earlier. Scholars often assume that the rise and expansion of the Hasmonaean kingdom from the mid-second century B.C.E. onward caused a rise in "literacy scribal intellectual culture." The authors say their findings suggest that scribes were copying multiple literary manuscripts before this period. Sommerschield and Assael say the new study shows AI could be used to provide more accurate dating of other ancient texts. "This new study shows that computational tools don't diminish the role of human expertise, they enhance it, opening new paths for discovery in even the most well-studied texts," they said in their email. Antiquity scholars believe they are on the brink of a new era of because of AI. Researchers have also, for example, been using AI to translate ancient texts that have been vexing ancient scholars for decades. Edited by: Matthew Ward Agius
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Many of Dead Sea scrolls may be older than thought, experts say
Many of the Dead Sea scrolls could be older than previously thought, with some biblical texts dating from the time of their original authors, researchers say. The first of the ancient scrolls were discovered in the caves of Qumran in the Judean desert by Bedouin shepherds in the mid-20th century. The manuscripts range from legal documents to parts of the Hebrew Bible, and are thought to date from around the third century BCE to the second century CE. Now researchers have used artificial intelligence to glean fresh insights into the dates of individual scrolls – findings experts suggest could challenge ideas about when, where and by whom they were produced. 'It's like a time machine. So we can shake hands with these people from 2,000 years ago, and we can put them in time much better now, said Prof Mladen Popović, first author of the research from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. While some scrolls were radiocarbon dated in the 1990s, Popović said scholars did not tackle the problem of castor oil contamination – a substance applied in the 1950s to help experts read the manuscripts, but which could skew results. In addition, many of the scrolls had only been dated by handwriting analysis. Writing in the journal Plos One, the team report how they attempted radiocarbon dating of 30 samples from different manuscripts found at four sites and thought to span five centuries. Crucially, the team first cleaned the samples to remove the castor oil contamination. The researchers successfully radiocarbon-dated 27 samples, finding that while two were younger than handwriting analysis had suggested, many were older. Among other findings, the researchers discovered two different writing styles, known as Hasmonean and Herodian scripts, coexisted for a much longer period than previously thought, while a sample from a manuscript called 4Q114 – which contains verses from the book of Daniel – was older than traditional palaeography had suggested. 'It was previously dated to the late second century BCE, a generation after the author of the Book of Daniel. Now, with our study we move back in time contemporary to that author,' said Popović. The team then used a type of AI known as machine learning to build a model they called Enoch – a nod to a biblical figure associated with scientific knowledge. The team trained Enoch by feeding it 62 digital images of ink traces from 24 of the radiocarbon dated manuscripts, together with the carbon-14 dates. They then verified the model by showing Enoch a further 13 images from the same manuscripts. In 85% of cases the model produced ages that tallied with the radiocarbon dates, and in many cases produced a smaller range of probable dates than obtained from radiocarbon dating alone. 'What we have created is a very robust tool that is empirically based – based on physics and on geometry,' said Popović. When Enoch was presented with images from 135 undated manuscripts it had not previously seen, it realistically dated 79% of them – as judged by expert palaeographers. Popović added those deemed unrealistic might have had problematic data, such as poor quality images. The system has already produced new insights including that a copy of the biblical book Ecclesiastes dates from the time of the book's presumed author. Popović said Enoch meant the age of further scrolls could now be uncovered without radiocarbon dating – a process that requires the destruction of small samples. 'There are more than 1,000 Dead Sea scrolls manuscripts so our study is a first but significant step, opening a door unto history with new possibilities for research,' he said. Prof emerita Joan Taylor of King's College London, said the results would have a major impact on Qumran studies. 'These results mean that most of the manuscripts found in the caves near Qumran would not have been written at the site of Qumran, which was not occupied until later,' she said. However, Dr Matthew Collins of the University of Chester cautioned that radiocarbon dating only shed light on the age of the parchment, not when it was written on, while there were also questions about how stylistically representative the small number of training samples were for different periods in time. 'Overall, this is an important and welcome study, and one which may provide us with a significant new tool in our armoury for dating these texts,' he said. 'Nevertheless, it's one that we should adopt with caution, and in careful conjunction with other evidence.'
DW
2 days ago
- General
- DW
AI finds Dead Sea Scrolls are older than first thought – DW – 06/04/2025
An AI trained on radiocarbon dating suggests some Dead Sea Scrolls might be older than previously thought. The findings could reshape our understanding of Judaism and early Christianity. An AI program trained to study the handwriting styles of ancient manuscripts suggests many of the Dead Sea Scrolls might be older than previously thought. The study is the latest in a new era of antiquity studies which use AI to reveal the secrets written on frayed and crumbling scrolls. The new method combines AI, radiocarbon dating, and handwriting analysis to more accurately estimate an ancient text's age. The proposed redating of some scrolls could reshape our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and of Judaism and early Christianity, the authors say. "It is very exciting to set a significant step into solving the dating problem of the Dead Sea Scrolls and also creating a new tool that could be used to study other partially dated manuscript collections from history," said study author Mladen Popović from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. The study appeared today in the journal Plos One. Radiocarbon dating and AI analysis of handwriting The Dead Sea Scrolls, the first of which were discovered in a cave in Israel in 1947, are the most momentous manuscript discovery of the past hundred years. There are around 1,000 manuscripts in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among them are some of the oldest known copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible. Studies of these manuscripts have profoundly changed understanding of the origins of Christianity and the formation of post-biblical Judaism Dating these manuscripts with paleography — the study of ancient handwriting — reveals them to have been written over several hundred years between 250BCE and 100CE. However, scholars have struggled to analyze ancient texts, particularly distinguishing one writer's style from another, meaning dating isn't very reliable. The researchers aimed to improve analytical methods by using AI to study handwriting and cross reference this data with radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dating estimates the age of materials by measuring carbon-14 isotopes that slowly disappear over time. "The advantage of the [AI] model is that it provides quantified objectivity to palaeography, reducing the method's subjectivity," the authors write. An AI model was first trained on 24 manuscripts with reliable radiocarbon dating. The authors then used this AI model to analyze the handwriting style of 135 scrolls with unknown dates spanning three centuries from around 200BCE to 100CE. This created a better way of dating written manuscripts with 79% accuracy, according to the analysis. "This novel approach allowed [the researchers] to combine historical expertise with technical precision," said Thea Sommerschield and Yannis Assael, who previously developed AI tools for the study of ancient texts at the University of Oxford, UK. Sommerschield and Assael were not involved in the study. Tomorrow Today — The Science Show To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video New Dead Sea Scroll chronology The authors believe their analysis could lead to a new chronology of the scrolls. If verified, it would change understanding of the history of ancient Judea and the people who wrote the texts. The AI analysis found the manuscripts are older than previous estimates overall, suggesting dates in the early second century BCE, and sometimes slightly earlier. Scholars often assume that the rise and expansion of the Hasmonaean kingdom from the mid-second century BCE onward caused a rise in "literacy scribal intellectual culture." The authors say their findings suggest that scribes were copying multiple literary manuscripts before this period. Sommerschield and Assael say the new study shows AI could be used to provide more accurate dating of other ancient texts. "This new study shows that computational tools don't diminish the role of human expertise, they enhance it, opening new paths for discovery in even the most well-studied texts," they said in a joint email to DW. Antiquity scholars believe they are on the brink of a new era of because of AI. Other researchers have been using AI to translate ancient texts that have been vexing ancient scholars for decades. Edited by: Matthew Ward Agius
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
As infertility rises, experts stress need to battle stigma, misinformation
Infertility is on the rise in India: now the statistics are also showing it. A 2023 research paper, 'Surging trends of infertility and its behavioural determinants in India' published in Plos One, found that the rates of infertility in couples in India was 22.4% in 1992-93, surged to 25.3% in 2005-06 and then further spiked to 30.7% in 2015-16. And unlike what is commonly believed, men contribute to infertility issues about 40 to 50% of the time. What is behind these rising rates? Doctors point to changing lifestyles, obesity and unhealthy diet choices are some major factors. Understanding infertility Infertility is generally termed as the inability to conceive a child through a normal conjugal relationship between a couple for over a year. Doctors say that globally, the quality of sperm has been decreasing, which is one of the major contributing factors to the rise in infertility. Another major factor is the fact that couples now, in general, start planning their families later than they did in earlier generations, which potentially decreases their chances of conception as the sperm quality declines in the male partner with age, while the egg reserve reduces in the female partner. Runa Bal, professor at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital who has worked with infertility issues for a long time, says addiction to various substances as well as sedentary lifestyles are also contributing factors. 'Be it addiction to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or sitting in one position for long hours inside the office -- all of these add to the problem of infertility. Working in a heated area can also reduce sperm quality in men,' Dr Bal further added. That is why she says that a semen sample test is the first step in understanding infertility issues in couples, because it is a non-invasive test, unlike the ones performed in women. Experts also noted that rising lifestyle issues such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis can also decrease the chances of pregnancy in a couple. Sujay Das Gupta, director of clinical service, Genome - The Fertility Centre, a private fertility clinic in Kolkata, said that rising awareness among people may also be a factor behind rising number of cases. 'Couples are now open to the idea of visiting an infertility clinic and speaking to an expert. Five years ago, this was still a hush-hush topic, and so, we are also seeing and diagnosing more people now,' Dr Gupta added. He underscored the need for couples to not be misinformed, and to consult an expert if they were unable to conceive through normal sexual intercourse after one year. Infertility facts and figures Infertility affects millions of people – and has an impact on their families and communities. Estimates suggest that approximately 17.5% of the adult population -- roughly one in every six people of reproductive age worldwide experience infertility in their lifetime. In the male reproductive system, infertility is most commonly caused by problems in the ejection of semen, absence or low levels of sperm, or abnormal shape (morphology) and movement (motility) of the sperm. In the female reproductive system, infertility may be caused by a range of abnormalities of the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and the endocrine system, among others. Equal and equitable access to fertility care remains a challenge in most countries; particularly in low and middle-income countries. Fertility care is rarely prioritized in national universal health coverage benefit packages. Source: World Health Organization Combating the blame factor There are many instances even now, Dr. Gupta said, where relatives and families ask whose 'fault' it is for the couple being unable to get pregnant. He pointed out that counselling in these cases was important, in order to explain to families that there was no 'fault': often, it was merely a medical condition in one partner, much like common medical disorders such as hypertension or diabetes. It is the women who most often bear the burden of not being able to conceive, say doctors who have extensively handled infertility issues. 'This adds to anxiety and depression among women, making conception harder. In our experience we have seen that when a couple adopts a child and gets rid of the anxiety, within a year or two they also become biological parents because their mental health becomes better,' Dr Bal added. In many cases women are the first to approach doctors, because the load of 'starting a family' and bearing a child remains on their shoulders due to societal mores. Doctors said that many couples also insist that their family remain in the dark if the pregnancy was achieved through IVF. Lack of work-life balance Experts highlighted that with hectic work lives, a lot of couples do not find time to have a regular conjugal life, which makes conception difficult. Clinics have also reported that many couples go through several rounds of infertility tests only to later reveal that they have not had sexual intercourse in over five years or more. Atreyee Chatterjee, chief embryologist, Genome - The Fertility Centre says that with changing social structures, better education and awareness, men have become open to the idea that even a male partner can have issues and can be a contributing factor in infertility. 'Couples, especially women start to become reclusive when they cannot conceive, and relatives keep asking them about it. We constantly urge family members to not do this because we never know the trauma couples have already survived and how many rounds of IVF they have failed. It can add to their trauma,' Ms. Chatterjee added. She noted that in her years of experience she has observed a consistent decline in the sperm quality, which also affects conception even through IVF. As a solution, experts said that better mental health, reducing work pressure, balanced diets, increased physical activity, and a focus on a better lifestyle can play a major role in battling infertility issues and help in natural pregnancy through conjugal relationship between couples.
Business Mayor
23-04-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
Bite marks on York skeleton reveal first evidence of ‘gladiators' fighting lions
Bite marks from a lion on a man's skeleton, excavated from a 1,800-year-old cemetery on the outskirts of York, provide the first physical evidence of human-animal combat in the Roman empire, new research claims. While clashes between combatants, big cats and bears are described and depicted in ancient texts and mosaics, there had previously been no convincing proof from human remains to confirm that these skirmishes formed part of Roman entertainment. Prof Tim Thompson, an anthropologist and first author on the study at Maynooth University in Ireland, said: 'This is the first time we have physical evidence for gladiators fighting, or being involved in a spectacle, with big cats like lions in the Roman empire.' Excavations at the Driffield Terrace burial site, near York city centre, began more than 20 years ago and uncovered about 80 decapitated skeletons. Most belonged to well-built young men and bore signs of brutal violence, leading experts to suspect they had uncovered a gladiator graveyard. Part of the male skeleton's hip bone. Photograph: Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain One of the skeletons, belonging to a man aged 26 to 35, was buried in a grave with two others and overlaid with horse bones. The remains showed puncture marks on the pelvis, initially thought to be animal bites. However, it took years of extensive work to confirm the injuries were inflicted by a large carnivore. The researchers scoured clinical and forensic literature for descriptions of bite marks made by various animals, but found little on the big cats Romans might have encountered. So they teamed up with zoos in Britain, which provided them with horse bones that had been chewed by cheetahs, lions, tigers and leopards for comparison. The bite marks on the man's hip matched those made by lions, but big cats typically kill by biting their prey's head or neck, Thompson said. 'The pelvis is unusual. You can survive that injury, it's not fatal,' he said. 'We think the individual had been incapacitated and that these marks are evidence of the animal dragging the body away.' The man might have been fatally injured in combat before he was seized by the animal, Thompson added. Roman gladiators typically fought each other, but other combatants known as bestiarii would take on dangerous and exotic animals as part of the games. A researcher holds the ancient hip bone with the lesion. Photograph: Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain Dr John Pearce, an archaeologist from King's College London and co-author of the study published in Plos One, said York doubled as a Roman town and legionary fortress at the time, making it the second largest population centre in Britain after Londinium. He said: 'These may be gladiators who trained in a gladiatorial school at York linked to the Roman legion based there, and their comrades from the arena or training ground took responsibility for burying them.' If the researchers are right, their discovery raises questions about where gladiators fought their battles. An arena probably exists beneath the city of York, but uncovering it will not be easy. 'One of challenges with York is that so many old buildings are preserved, you can't do the excavations underneath them,' Thompson said. It is not the only mystery that remains. 'This shifts the conversation,' Thompson added. 'We now know that these events happened in the provinces of the Roman empire, but it raises other questions. How, for example, do you get a lion from Africa to York?'
