The long-standing mystery of the unread ancient scrolls of Mount Vesuvius has finally been solved after centuries, thanks to AI. The Vesuvius Challenge, initiated in March by Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, and Brent Seales, was designed to decode the Herculaneum Papyri, a set of ancient papyrus scrolls charred by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost two millennia ago. The challenge, which boasted over $1M in rewards, drew a worldwide pool of competitors and collaborators to address the issue using computer vision, machine learning, and sheer determination. The winning team, comprising Youssef Nader, Luke Farritor, and Julian Schilliger, received the Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize of $700,000 for their entry. The victorious team will be honored at the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles in March this year. The sections the winning team uncracked were likely written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus and touch on "music, food, and how to enjoy life's pleasures," according to a post ...