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For centuries, the <keyword id="2863171" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="herculaneum" source="Orion">Herculaneum</keyword> <keyword id="20522153" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="papyri" source="keywords">papyri</keyword>, a collection of 800 Greek scrolls preserved by the fiery wrath of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, have remained frustratingly mute. Though not victims of bad handwriting, time and decay rendered their text invisible, locking away their secrets for two millennia.<br /><br />While many know the tragedy of <keyword id="269295" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pompeii" source="Orion">Pompeii</keyword>, Vesuvius also consumed nearby <keyword id="20008838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="roman" source="keywords">Roman</keyword> cities, including the affluent Herculaneum in southern Italy. Evidence suggests it was likely a coastal retreat for Rome's elite. Among its preserved wonders was the Villa of the Papyri, an extraordinary library boasting over 1,800 papyrus scrolls — the Herculaneum papyri.<br /><br />Though the eruption's heat miraculously preserved these scrolls, centuries of ink smudging and material breakdown left them unreadable. However, a glimmer of hope has emerged from the ashes thanks to three researchers who harnessed the power of <keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI" source="Orion">AI</keyword> to unlock a portion of one scroll. Their efforts, rewarded with $700,000 in the "Vesuvius Challenge," bring us closer to understanding the lavish lives of the Roman elite.<br /><br />Launched in 2023, the ambitious Vesuvius Challenge aimed to decipher ancient scrolls using "computer vision, machine learning, and hard work." Participants successfully read text from an unopened scroll using virtual unrolling and AI, demonstrating the potential of these techniques. Now, the goal is to unlock an entire library, scaling up methods to read whole scrolls and establish an efficient process for the 800 scrolls held in Naples.<br /><br />The winning team, comprising <keyword id="20522154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youssef-nader" source="keywords">Youssef Nader</keyword>, <keyword id="20522155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="luke-farritor" source="keywords">Luke Farritor</keyword>, and <keyword id="20522156" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="julian-schilliger" source="keywords">Julian Schilliger</keyword>, used AI to decipher faint lettering and distinguish ink from the fragile papyrus. Their groundbreaking work recovered around 5% of the text, revealing discussions on "music, food, and how to enjoy life's pleasures." Experts believe these insights may have come from the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus.<br /><br />Intriguingly, the Villa of the Papyri has been linked to Julius Caesar's family, and some believe it could hold thousands more manuscripts. Considering only 3-5% of ancient Greek texts survive, unlocking this library could be revolutionary. The next phase of the competition aims to decipher 85% of the first scroll and pave the way for the remaining 799.<br /><br />Experts like Federica Nicolardi hail this achievement as "the start of a revolution in Herculaneum papyrology and in Greek philosophy in general." As AI tools continue to evolve, they unlock the secrets hidden in the ashes, offering unparalleled insights into the lost world of the Roman elite and enriching our understanding of the ancient world.<br />

AI helps researchers win $700k by decoding contents of 2000-year-old Roman scroll!

I visited Pompeii and its less touristy sister town Herculaneum in a day, and the experiences couldn't have been more different

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I took a 7-hour walking tour of the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum during Europe's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tourists-pompeii-during-europe-deadly-heat-wave-2019-6">deadly heatwave in June.</a></li><li>While both towns were buried by the same volcanic eruption, visiting them in the 21st century couldn't have been a more contrasting experience.</li><li>Scroll down to see why.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Despite its population's annihilation almost 2,000 years ago, Pompeii's streets still swell and hum with life every day of the year. Instead of Roman citizens, Pompeii now plays host to a constant flow of camera-snapping tourists from all corners of the globe.</p><p>The ancient ruins welcome some 15,000 visitors a day, but archaeologists are worried about the strain tourism is placing on this fragile site.</p><p>Pompeii is undoubtedly the most famous of Mt Vesuvius' victims, but Herculaneum is also located just 15 kilometers away, and has all the appeals of antiquity that makes it's larger relative so appealing.</p><p>I decided to book a 7-hour walking tour of the two cities on <a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/experiences">Airbnb Experiences</a> in order to see how they compared. Unfortunately, I elected to do so in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tourists-pompeii-during-europe-deadly-heat-wave-2019-6">the midst of Europe's deadly heatwave.</a></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tourists-pompeii-during-europe-deadly-heat-wave-2019-6">I visited Pompeii in the middle of Europe's deadly heat wave, and I couldn't believe how many tourists braved the sweltering temperatures</a></em></p><p>While both towns were home to similar societies and got buried by the same volcanic eruption, visiting them in the 21st century couldn't have been a more contrasting experience.</p><p>Scroll down to see why.</p>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Three students won the Vesuvius Challenge for uncovering text in the Herculaneum papyri.</li><li>The students were awarded a $700,000 prize after using AI to uncover the passages.</li></ul><p>It pays to be an AI nerd.</p><p>Earlier this week, three students took home a $700,000 prize for winning the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/herculaneum-scrolls-vesuvius-challenge-first-word-prize-2023-10"><u>Vesuvius Challenge</u></a>, a competition that aims to decode the Herculaneum papyri, a collection of papyrus scrolls that have been unreadable for centuries. </p><p>The students, Youssef Nader, Luke Farritor, and Julian Schilliger, had never met in person but were the first team to uncover at least four legible passages in the scrolls of 140 characters each (the length of just two tweets).</p><p>“I think this promises a very exciting future where seemingly impossible ideas will become possible,” Nader, a 27-year-old <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-booming-is-phd-necessary-machine-learning-jobs-workers-2024-1"><u>machine-learning Ph.D</u></a>. student at Freie University in Berlin, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/vesuvius-challenge-ai-herculaneum-scrolls-b27c2e30"><u>told The Wall Street Journal</u></a>. Farritor, 22, is a student at the University of Nebraska, and Schilliger, 28, is a robotics graduate student at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, the Journal reported.</p><p>The scrolls were buried in the first century during the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-tourist-fell-into-italian-volcano-trying-recover-his-phone-2022-7"><u>eruption of Mount Vesuvius</u></a> in the Villa of the Papyri — an Italian countryside estate that historians have linked to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. About 800 scrolls have been excavated from the site to date. </p><p>“Some of these texts could completely rewrite the history of key periods of the ancient world,” Robert Fowler, chair of the Herculaneum Society, which raises awareness of the scrolls, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-ai-unlock-ancient-world-secrets/?utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business"><u>told Bloomberg</u></a>. “This is the society from which the modern Western world is descended.”</p><div type="image" title="Carbonized scroll of Herculaneum papyri." height="2436" width="3500" msid="107590048" hostid="261" sizebytes="835156"></div><p>And if uncovering them could mark a pivotal point in human history then their burial was a blessing in disguise. Unlike “virtually every ancient text” that decays once exposed to air, the Herculaneum papyri have been “carbonized by the heat of the volcanic debris” and therefore preserved, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://scrollprize.org/">the Vesuvius Challenge’s website</a>. </p><p>Three tech industry veterans — former Github CEO Nat Friedman, founder of the search engine Cue, Daniel Gross, and computer science professor Brent Seales — launched the competition<strong> </strong>in March 2023. It is backed by a bevy of entrepreneurs, investors, and key figures in the tech industry. </p><p>This year's winners built upon work already underway by Seales, who used X-ray tomography and computer vision to “virtually unwrap” the scrolls. From there, machine learning models can be used to identify ink and, ultimately, decipher words.</p><p>The passages 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 by Friedman on X. "In the closing section, he throws shade at unnamed ideological adversaries — perhaps the stoics? — who "have nothing to say about pleasure, either in general or in particular," Friedman explained.</p> <p>The competition's big winners helped uncover about 5% of one scroll, but the competition doled out more than 50 prizes last year, totaling more than $1 million to teams who helped find the first letters in the scrolls, assisted with ink detection, and developed open source tools.</p><p>This year, the bar is even higher, though the payout is lower. The Vesuvius Challenge hopes entrants will help uncover about 90% of the first four scrolls. The winning team will receive about $100,000. </p><p>The founders of the Vesuvius Challenge hope they’ll be able to crack open and read the entirety of all 800 scrolls in the next few years.</p>

3 students won $700,000 for using AI to translate 2 tweets worth of text from previously unreadable ancient scrolls

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Almost 2,000 years ago, Mount Vesuvius buried hundreds of papyrus scrolls in the city of Herculaneum.</li><li>The scrolls can't be unrolled so the Vesuvius Challenge was launched to find alternative methods.</li></ul><p>Luke Farritor, a 21-year-old undergraduate student at the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-most-school-spirit-2015-8#19-university-of-nebraska-at-lincoln--students-say-theres-an-undeniable-sense-of-unity-around-athletics-at-unl-husker-football-games-are-a-prized-tradition-and-the-team-is-a-strong-contender-in-the-big-ten-conference-2">University of Nebraska</a>, just won $40,000 for a breakthrough discovery in science. </p><p>Farritor was the first to read a word from one of the ancient Herculaneum scrolls as part of the <a href="https://scrollprize.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vesuvius Challenge</a> — a competition with $1,000,000 in prizes for people who can unlock the secrets of these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-dead-sea-scrolls-cave-expedition-in-qumran-cliffs-2017-2">ancient scrolls</a> using modern technology. </p><h2>Why the Herculaneum scrolls can't be read like normal</h2><p>When <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mount-vesuvius-digitalglobes-top-image-of-the-year-2014-1">Mount Vesuvius</a> erupted in 79 CE, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-sequence-ancient-pompeii-victims-genome-for-the-first-time-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pompeii</a> wasn't the only town it obliterated. Mudslides and immense heat reached all the way to the prosperous <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/visiting-pompeii-and-herculaneum-are-2-very-different-experiences-2019-7">city of  Herculaneum,</a> in what is now Itlay. </p><p>The heat was so intense, it instantaneously transformed hundreds of papyri scrolls into fossilized chunks of carbon. Those ancient scrolls then lay buried in mud for 1,700 years until they were finally excavated in 1752. </p><p>Any attempts to unfurl the Herculaneum scrolls, which now resemble charcoal logs, would damage them beyond repair.</p><p>"These are such crazy objects. They're all crumpled and crushed," Federica Nicolardi, a member of the academic committee that reviewed Farritor's findings, told Nature.</p><div type="image" title="Seth Parker and Brent Seales scan a replica of the Herculaneum scroll in a machine" height="3200" width="4800" msid="104384489" hostid="261" sizebytes="367948"></div><p>That's where modern-day technology comes in.</p><p>Instead, researchers have used X-rays and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-machine-learning">machine learning</a> to read a word from one of the scrolls for the very first time. </p><p>As part of the Vesuvius Challenge, the University of Kentucky recruited citizen scientists to use AI to parse out words from the X-ray images of the still-rolled scrolls. </p><p>Farritor was the first to read a word from the scroll and was awarded $40,000 from the Vesuvius Challenge at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0EsoAbRk1M" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> announcing the finding on Thursday. </p><h2>Purple cloth </h2><p>To win the prize, Farritor needed to detect at least 10 legible letters on the scroll. Working on a region that was less than a square inch, Farritor's algorithm detected several letters, including a complete word. </p><p>Farritor was the first person to submit enough legible letters to win the prize.</p><p>"I saw these letters and I just completely freaked out," he said during the press conference. "I freaked out, almost fell over, almost cried."</p><div type="image" title="An image of text from a Herculaneum scroll with ancient Greek letters highlighted in purple" height="750" width="1000" msid="104384491" hostid="261" sizebytes="77328"></div><p>Niccolardi, a professor of classics at the University of Naples Federico II, read the ancient Greek word,  "πορφυρας" which means either "purple dye" or "cloths of purple." </p><p>While she noted that there isn't enough context to understand what the scroll is saying, she said she's confident scholars will soon be able to read more of the document. "I think this will be a great revolution" in the field of papyrology. </p><p>She noted that these are unknown texts, making their unraveling of great interest to literary scholars as well. </p><p>When they do get the full picture of what the scroll contains, Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky, expects it to contain familiar themes.</p><p>"What I expect is writing that expresses what it means to be human, speaking of love and of war and of the things that still matter to us because <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/geoffrey-hinton-ai-smarter-than-humans-openai-godfather-chatgpt-2023-10">we are human</a>, just like they were human."</p><h2>The future of unwrapped scrolls </h2><p>With so many of the scrolls unread, there's still a grand prize, worth $700,000, on the line. To win, a team will have to read four passages from the two scanned scrolls. </p><div type="image" title="12 brown pieces of the opened Herculaneum papyrus scroll known as P.Herc.118" height="938" width="1500" msid="104384492" hostid="261" sizebytes="165854"></div><p>Seales said it's not just ancient texts that could benefit from the techniques the university is using.</p><p>He noted that the Frankin papers, damaged documents that were part of an expedition to the Arctic, are a candidate.</p><p>"It's unclear what's written on those papers," he said. Virtual unwrapping might be the thing that could reveal it." </p>

A 21-year-old won $40,000 for using AI to read the first word on a 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll buried by Mount Vesuvius

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk is keen to help with efforts to decode 2,000-year-old papyrus scrolls.</li><li>In a post on X, the billionaire volunteered funds for the Vesuvius Challenge project.</li></ul><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> wants to help with efforts to decode <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-decipher-ancient-philosophers-work-buried-mount-vesuvius-2024-2?mrfhud=true">2,000-year-old papyrus scrolls.</a></p><p>In a <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1754519304471814555">post on X</a>, the billionaire offered up funds for the Vesuvius Challenge project, suggesting the money would come from the Musk Foundation. In a message to Bloomberg, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ceo-elon-musk">Tesla CEO</a> said he didn't know how much he'd contribute.</p><p>Musk, who is known to be skeptical of AI safety, told the outlet he was in "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-07/elon-musk-to-back-nat-friedman-ai-translation-of-herculaneum-papryi">favor of civilizational enlightenment</a>."</p><p>Named the <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/herculaneum-scrolls-vesuvius-challenge-first-word-prize-2023-10"><u>Herculaneum Scrolls</u></a> after the city they were found in, scholars have speculated that they may hold information that could change our understanding of the ancient world.</p><p>The scrolls have proved almost impossible to decipher because they'd been burned and buried when <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-skeleton-of-a-roman-killed-steps-from-sea-fled-vesuvius-eruption-2021-12"><u>Mount Vesuvius</u></a> erupted about 2,000 years ago, leaving them charred and far too delicate to unroll. <br /><br />Previous efforts to read them yielded limited success and caused damage.</p><p>Skip to Monday when Nat Friedman, a tech executive and former CEO of GitHub who helped fund the Vesuvius Challenge, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1754519304471814555"><u>announced on X</u></a>: "Today we are overjoyed to announce that our crazy project has succeeded. After 2,000 years, we can finally read the scrolls."</p><p>Luke Farritor, a former SpaceX intern attending the<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-most-school-spirit-2015-8#19-university-of-nebraska-at-lincoln--students-say-theres-an-undeniable-sense-of-unity-around-athletics-at-unl-husker-football-games-are-a-prized-tradition-and-the-team-is-a-strong-contender-in-the-big-ten-conference-2"><u> University of Nebraska-Lincoln</u></a>, was among the students who deciphered a passage of the text, winning $700,000 of prize money.</p><p>Youssef Nader, an Egyptian Ph.D. student in Berlin, and Julian Schilliger, a Swiss robotics student in Zurich, were also part of the winning team.</p><p>The Vesuvius Challenge is ongoing since the scrolls have only been partially deciphered. <span>The primary goal for 2024 is to read</span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-students-decipher-first-passages-2000-year-old-scroll-burned-vesuvius-eruption-180983738/#:~:text=The%20contest%20organizers%20are%20already,papyri%20and%20other%20ancient%20texts."><span> 90% of each of the four scrolls</span></a>.</p><p>Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.</p>

Elon Musk wants to get in on the action to decipher 2,000-year-old papyrus scrolls

<ul class="summary-list"><li>ChatGPT has made the world familiar with AI that can make everyone more productive.</li><li>But a pair of developments this month show AI could set humans on course for a new age of discovery.</li></ul><p>In many ways, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chat-gpt-2023-1">ChatGPT era</a> has opened people's eyes to the ways in which artificial intelligence can help them accomplish tasks at home, in class, or at work.</p><p>But if that's all you think the algorithms are limited to, think again. </p><p>A pair of developments this month have shown how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-chatgpt-at-work-job-save-time-ai-2023-2">AI can help humans</a> peer far beyond the peripheries of space and time they're familiar with to deliver real-world impact.</p><p>On Monday, it was revealed that a team of researchers had used <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-machine-learning">machine learning</a> to solve one of archaeology's longest-enduring mysteries by decoding a near 2000-year-old scroll that was almost lost to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.</p><p>The scroll, part of the Herculaneum papyri first discovered in a villa close to Pompeii in the 18th century, survived just enough for researchers to make it a subject of intense interest as they sought to decipher any bit of information they could from it.</p><p>Those efforts struggled to make headway until former GitHub CEO and Ancient Rome enthusiast <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/github-ceo-nat-friedman-most-valuable-social-network-2020-1">Nat Friedman</a> became aware of its existence.</p><p>He made it his mission to uncover the scroll's secrets by setting up a competition called the Vesuvius Challenge that invited researchers to use AI techniques like machine learning and computer vision to <a target="_blank" href="https://scrollprize.org/"><u>"resurrect an ancient library from the ashes of a volcano."</u></a></p><p>The efforts seem to have paid off.</p><p>A trio of researchers hailing from the US, Egypt, and Switzerland won $700,000 after using AI to analyze high-resolution CT scans of the rolled-up scroll, a remarkable feat given the damage that would be caused by attempting to unroll any one of these "lumps of carbonized ash."</p><p>What they managed to decipher amounts to about 5% of one scroll, equivalent to around 15 columns of text that the Vesuvius Challenge says describe "pleasure" — a concept understood as "the highest good in Epicurean philosophy."</p><h2>AI is paving the way to the future too</h2><div type="image" title="Bill Gates" height="3142" width="4714" msid="107499527" hostid="261" sizebytes="363196"></div><p>As well as seeing AI be used to excavate the past, it seems to be getting used to forge a path to the future too.</p><p>The same day the Vesuvius Challenge unveiled its winner, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos-backed company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.koboldmetals.com/"><u>KoBold Metals</u></a> shared that AI played a key role in its discovery of a copper deposit in Zambia that could be the country's largest find in 100 years.</p><p>Copper is a vital metal for various components in electric vehicles, making it one of the most in-demand materials today. However, analysts have warned that <a target="_blank" href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/copper-prices-may-jump-20-by-2027-as-supply-deficit-rises/#:~:text=By%20Dr.&amp;text=The%20primary%20supply%20of%20copper,million%20metric%20tons%20by%202027."><u>prices of copper could jump as much as 20% by 2027</u></a> due to a shortage of supply.</p><p>According to the company, the "majority of easy-to-find deposits have already been discovered," which means prospecting "mineral deposits of the future" will require looking deep underground.</p><p>Its process for doing this involves using AI to crunch geoscience data about the Earth's crust — as well as maps and other historical documents — to allow their researchers to start figuring out if there are any deposits hidden in plain sight.</p><p>The AI can model all this data into a map-style rendering that then allows the company to decide on locations that might hide deposits.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/KoBold_Metals/status/1754369261156663402?s=20"><u>KoBold Metals president Josh Goldman</u></a> reckons that the AI-led discovery represents "one of the world's biggest high-grade large copper mines," having compared it in size to the Kakula mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ivanhoemines.com/what-we-do/operations-projects/kamoa-kakula-mining-complex/"><u>produced 393,551 tonnes of copper in 2023.</u></a></p><p>Clearly then, billions of dollars aren't just being spent on AI for the sake of achieving some productivity and efficiency hacks. AI could also help usher humans into a new age of discovery.</p>

AI is setting humanity on the path to a new age of discovery

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An ancient Greek philosopher's musings about "pleasure" have been rediscovered in an ancient passage.</li><li>The passage is from a scroll that was buried after Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago.</li></ul><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-companies-are-using-ai-generative-ai-daily-tasks-automation-2024-1">Armed with AI</a>, a trio of young students have accomplished in a single year what scientists couldn't in 272 years.</p><p>Luke Farritor, a student at the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-most-school-spirit-2015-8#19-university-of-nebraska-at-lincoln--students-say-theres-an-undeniable-sense-of-unity-around-athletics-at-unl-husker-football-games-are-a-prized-tradition-and-the-team-is-a-strong-contender-in-the-big-ten-conference-2"> <u>University of Nebraska-Lincoln</u></a> and former SpaceX intern, Youssef Nader, an Egyptian PhD student in Berlin, and Julian Schilliger, a Swiss robotics student in Zurich, deciphered text on a 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll, winning them $700,000 of prize money in the process.</p><p>The scroll is just one of hundreds that were first excavated in 1752. Named the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/herculaneum-scrolls-vesuvius-challenge-first-word-prize-2023-10">Herculaneum Scrolls</a>, after the city they were found in, the collection is the only library left from the ancient world. But their secrets remained unknown for the last 272 years.</p><div type="image" title="A charred black Herculaneum scroll with red laser lines being scanned at Institut de France by Brent Seales and his team" height="720" width="1300" msid="107507244" hostid="261" sizebytes="31378"></div><p>No one could decipher them because they'd been burned and buried when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-skeleton-of-a-roman-killed-steps-from-sea-fled-vesuvius-eruption-2021-12">Mount Vesuvius</a> erupted about 2,000 years ago, leaving them charred and far too delicate to unroll. In fact, previous efforts to read them yielded limited success and damaged some of the scrolls.</p><p>Enter AI technology. The brilliant student trio used a combination of AI and 3D mapping to decipher letter shapes in a small section of the scroll. Their efforts were part of a competition called the Vesuvius Challenge, a contest that launched in 2023 offering <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aurora-night-sky-phenomena-steve-new-research-2023-12">citizen scientists</a> $1 million in prizes to whomever could transcribe part of the scroll's text.</p><h2>What the scroll said</h2><div type="image" title="Several rows of Greek writing on black-and-white images of a papyrus scroll" height="900" width="1200" msid="107507245" hostid="261" sizebytes="237096"></div><p>The newly translated passages are thought to originate from the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus and contain his thoughts on music and food.</p><p>"The Epicureans had much to say about pleasure and pain, and even in this text, there is a discussion of how abundance and scarcity can affect our pleasure," Brent Seales, a computer science professor at the University of Kentucky who took X-ray CT scans of the ancient scrolls in 2009, said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://uknow.uky.edu/research/grand-prize-discovery-made-2000-year-old-herculaneum-scrolls"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>On Monday, Nat Friedman, a tech executive and former CEO of GitHub who became obsessed with the scrolls during the 2020 Covid lockdown and helped fund the challenge excitedly <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1754519304471814555"><u>posted on X</u></a> (formerly Twitter): "Today we are overjoyed to announce that our crazy project has succeeded. After 2,000 years, we can finally read the scrolls."</p><h2><strong>First-prize winner for the second time</strong></h2><p>Farritor had already won first place in the Vesuvius Challenge's "First Letters Prize," winning him $40,000 last year.</p><p>He, along with second-place winner Nader, used AI to become the first to read a single word from the scroll. The word was translated from Greek to mean "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVXqisH6VeM">purple dye</a>" or "clothes of purple."</p><div type="image" title="An image of text from a Herculaneum scroll with ancient Greek letters highlighted in purple" height="750" width="1000" msid="107507246" hostid="261" sizebytes="77328"></div><p>Several months later, Nader and Farritor, in collaboration with Schilliger had translated entire passages.</p><p>They went above and beyond the contest's stipulated four columns of text and read an additional 11 partial columns. In total, they transcribed hundreds of words, earning them the grand prize of $700,000.</p><p>However, the students couldn't have done it without the dedicated work from Seales and his team of researchers.</p><p>Seales' used the CT scans to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.engr.uky.edu/herculaneum"><u>create</u></a> the software for virtually unwrapping the scrolls in the first place.</p><div type="image" title="Seth Parker and Brent Seales scan a replica of the Herculaneum scroll in a machine" height="3200" width="4800" msid="107507247" hostid="261" sizebytes="367948"></div><p>He and a team of researchers then flattened out the images so they weren't on top of each other like the layers of an onion, and then used machine learning to identify areas with ink.</p><p>Currently, researchers have only unrolled and deciphered about 5% of a single scroll. Scholars are hoping to find lost treasures from Aristotle or Homer in the other 280 papyri, <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=42f6ab98441e9ce915982c117acf1c43822ecd285bd4ae5f9282eeab96490b72&amp;postID=65c2139c72404cb0557486c2&amp;postSlug=ai-decipher-ancient-philosophers-work-buried-mount-vesuvius-2024-2&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-024-00346-8"><u>Nature</u></a> reported.</p>

A former SpaceX intern and 2 other students won $700,000 for deciphering a 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll using AI. Here's what it said.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a Roman man who was fleeing the eruption of Mount <keyword id="12669749" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vesuvius" source="Orion">Vesuvius</keyword> in 79 AD.</li><li>Scientists believe the man was possibly trying to get on a rescue ship.</li></ul><p>Archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a man killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, offering new insights into one of the most famous volcanic eruptions in history.</p><p>The man, who researchers believe was between 40 and 45 years old, was killed just steps from the sea in the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum as he tried to escape, Italian news agency <a href="https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2021/10/15/sensational-fugitive-skeleton-found-at-herculaneum_9dc02abd-c1c3-4477-b2f4-7b46c64ce928.html">ANSA</a> said.</p><p>He was carrying with a wooden box containing a ring, which could have been his most prized possession, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/last-fugitive-boiled-alive-vain-attempt-flee-vesuvius-79ad-762d3q93z">The Times</a> said.</p><p>The eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago destroyed several major Roman cities, including Pompeii and Herculaneum.</p><p>The remains were discovered during excavations in October, and archaeologists released several images for the first time on Wednesday.</p><div type="image" title="The skeleton of a male victim just found during a new excavation campaign in the Herculaneum archaeological area, the town buried with the nearly Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius volcano on 79 AD." height="2333" width="3500" msid="88091367" hostid="261"></div><p>"The last moments here were instantaneous but terrible," Francesco Sirano, the site director, told ANSA. </p><p>"It was 1 a.m. when the pyroclastic surge produced by the volcano reached the town for the first time with a temperature of 300-400 degrees, or even, according to some studies, 500-700 degrees."</p><p>"A white-hot cloud that raced towards the sea at a speed of 100km [60 miles] per hour, which was so dense that it had no oxygen in it," he added.</p><p>The man's bones were stained red from blood, Sirano told the outlet, because of combustion caused by the flow of magma, ash, and gas.</p><p>"They would have burnt off all his clothing and vaporized his flesh. Death would have been instantaneous," said Pierpaolo Petrone, an anthropologist and archeologist, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/12/02/last-fugitive-ancient-skeleton-sheds-light-roman-vapourised/">reported The Telegraph.</a></p><p>The remains were surrounded by heavy carbonized wood, including a roof beam that could have crushed his skull, ANSA reported.</p><p>Unusually, the skeleton was facing upwards, suggesting that he had turned to face the onrushing cloud of hot gas and volcanic matter.</p><p>"Most of the people we've found here at Herculaneum were face down, but maybe he was trying to reach a boat and turned because he heard the roar of the cloud racing towards him at 100km/h," Sirano said, according to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/last-fugitive-boiled-alive-vain-attempt-flee-vesuvius-79ad-762d3q93z">The Times.</a></p><p>The remains were found in an area where 300 people were unearthed in fishermen's shelters in the 1980s, likely awaiting a possible rescue by the fleet of Pliny the Elder, ANSA said.</p><p>Researchers are now puzzling over the man's identity and wondering why he was not sheltering with the others. Sirano suggested he could have been a rescuer or soldier helping people escape to the sea. </p><p>Alternatively, he could have been a fugitive who left the group to try and get on a rescue ship.</p><p>Some experts have suggested he was not a rich man, evidenced by the ring he was carrying.</p><p>"The ring is reddish, meaning iron, but there is something green inside the box which could be bronze," Ivan Varriale, an archaeologist, told The Times. </p><p>"The box looks like it was used to keep change, and if that's all he was carrying, he may not have been rich."</p><p>Traces of fabric in the stone indicated that the wooden box was once stored in a bag.</p><p>Thousands of years ago, Herculaneum was a seaside town favored by wealthy Romans. The ancient town now lies beneath the modern Italian city of Ercolano.</p>

The skeleton of a Roman 'vaporized' just steps from the sea as he fled the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD, found by archaeologists

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by John Martin</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The "single biggest risk on the European political landscape" is happening this year, and it is not Britain leaving the European Union, say analysts at Citi.</p><p>Tina Fordham and her team at Citi told clients in a note, entitled "Global Economics View: Who's Next? EU Political Risks After The Brexit Vote," that while Britons voting to leave the 28-nation bloc poses a problem for the EU, it is actually the high risk of Italy having its own referendum that poses a huge threat to the political landscape (emphasis ours):</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Hungary (on EU refugee quotas) and Italy (on constitutional reform) will likely have referendums in H2 2016. <strong>The latter is probably the single biggest risk on the European political landscape this year among non-UK issues, as <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/deutsche-bank-risk-of-political-collapse-2016-5">PM [Matteo] Renzi's political future may be tied to the outcome of the referendum</a>. </strong></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We do not expect any other In/Out referendums on EU/Eurozone membership in an EU country in the near-term, despite rising EU- and Euro-scepticism across many countries. The reasons are that electorates cannot directly trigger EU referendums in most countries and that the authorities (usually Parliaments) that have the power currently appear unlikely to use it although in an environment of diminishing trust in elites, the temptation to seek political legitimacy through referendums is tempting."</p><p><span>In October this year, </span>Italians will have a say on reforms to its Senate, the upper house of parliament, in October.</p><p>If approved, the reforms could improve the stability of Italy's political set up and allow Renzi to push through laws aimed at improving the country's economic competitiveness.</p><p>If denied, Renzi's government will fall, plunging Italy back into the type of political chaos last seen after the ousting of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. And since the eurosceptic vote won in Britain, analysts are now worried that these reforms will not go through.</p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/eu-referendum-results-britain-votes-brexit-2016-6">On June 23, 51.9% of Brits voted for a Brexit</a><span> in the referendum on European Union membership versus 48.1% who voted for Britain to stay within the EU. The turnout was 72.2% of the 46,499,537 people who were entitled to take part in the vote. This is a record for a <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> poll.</span></p><p>Analysts say that now, because the Leave vote was successful, this could lead to other countries across Europe holding their own referendums due to the rise of populism across many EU nations. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-eu-referendum-risk-of-political-contagion-in-europe-2016-6">Right-wing and anti-immigrant parties in France, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden are asking for their own referendums</a>.</p><p><span>Citi has a chart which shows how many countries across Europe have growing euroscepticism and which could pose a threat to the makeup of the EU:</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Citi</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/omaha-steaks-unboxed-mail-order-2015-5">Here's what you get when you order 'Omaha Steaks' in the mail </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BxanQ3dTqLutSb3FfaAJBvFo3VETCmUT" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

CITI: 'The single biggest risk on the European political landscape' this year is not Brexit

<p>English writer G.K. Chesterton said that the traveler sees what he sees, while a tourist only sees what he came to see.</p>
<p>And sometimes, those tourist attractions aren't worth seeing at all.</p>
<p>Inspired by this <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-most-disappointing-travel-places-2014-12">Reddit list of overrated tourist destinations</a>, we wanted to round up some of the biggest tourist let-downs in the world, and suggest some alternative places to go instead.</p>
<p>We're not saying you should never visit the Great Pyramids in Cairo or view the art in the Louvre. We're just saying that you should also get off the beaten path - it will lead you to something even better. &#xa0;</p>
<h3>Instead of seeing NYC from the top of the Empire State Building, go to the Top of the Rock</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Waiting to get to the top of the Empire State Building is a pain. It's expensive, there are long lines, and the views of New York City are only so-so.</p>
<p>A better option is to go to the Top of the Rock in Midtown. Sure it's just as expensive, but your view will include the iconic Empire State Building (which you miss by going to the Empire State Building itself) as well as views of Central Park.&#xa0;</p>
<h3>Instead of touring the ruins of Pompeii, visit the lesser-known ancient Roman city Herculaneum</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Because Pompeii has become so massively well-known, it's always crowded with tourists and many of its frescoes have been removed to be housed in museums around the world.</p>
<p>Herculaneum was also buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, but unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum retained many of its wooded objects like building beams, beds, doors, and even food. Plus it was a wealthier town than Pompeii and there are more lavish homes and frescoes to view.</p>
<h3>Instead of seeing the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, spot the real celebs where they actually hang out</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a rude awakening for tourists - the street is dirty, littered, and not at all glamorous.</p>
<p>A better option (if you can afford it) is to go to the real locations where celebrities hang out. Beacher's Madhouse, the restaurant Nobu, and the Staples Center are all good options.</p>
<p>If you're on a budget, go hiking at Runyan Canyon where many celebs go to walk their pets and burn off some calories.</p>
<h3>Instead of taking a tourist shot at the Great Pyramids, drive to the Pyramid Fields of Dahshur</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The Great Pyramids of Cairo may be the most well-known pyramids in the world, but that doesn't mean they're the best. In fact, they can be so overrun with tourists and the view marred by modern Cairo that some say it's not even worth visiting.</p>
<p>If you love history but hate the crowds, head to the Pyramid Fields at Dahshur. It's not a far drive from Cairo, but far enough where not many tourists venture out. Plus, the pyramids there are just as awe-inspiring as those in Cairo - perhaps more so.</p>
<h3>Instead of braving the heat in Athens, take a trip to one of Greece's gorgeous islands</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>After you visit the Acropolis in Athens, give yourself a palate cleanser from the heat and scaffolding by exploring the beautiful and exotic Greek islands.&#xa0;</p>
<p>We especially recommend Rhodes, which has gorgeous beaches as well as its medieval Old Town, the Temple of Apollo, the Acropolis of Lindos, the Governor's Palace, and more. For history buffs, Rhodes is unmissable.</p>
<h3>Instead of walking around Stonehenge with all the tourists, go out of your way to see the Callanish Standing Stones</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Stonehenge has long been made into a tourist must-see, but the endless crowds and designated walkway can make it seem less than extraordinary.</p>
<p>For a dramatic alternative, Scotland's Isle of Lewis has its own standing stones that are breathtaking as well as less visited. Plus, you can get a lot closer to the Callanish Standing Stones than at Stonehenge.&#xa0;</p>
<h3>Instead of battling crowds ogling the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, see the impressionist works at the Musée d'Orsay</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The Louvre is spectacular yet overwhelming, and the same can be said for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. The tiny work of art is constantly surrounded by tourists trying to snap a picture of the famous painting.</p>
<p>Instead, head to the train-station-turned-museum Musée d'Orsay. It has gorgeous impressionist works and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Paris. Fans of Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh will love this museum.</p>
<h3>Instead of making a wish at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, meander over to the Piazza Navona</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>While the Trevi Fountain may be beautiful, it's overrun with people, which makes it next to impossible to appreciate the grandeur of the fountain.</p>
<p>When you're sick of trying to take a picture there, go to the Piazza Navona, which is not only less crowded, but it also has a pretty fountain with sculptures by famed Italian sculptor Bernini.</p>
<h3>Instead of downing a pint at the Guinness Factory in Dublin, spend an evening in a genuine Dublin pub</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The Guinness Factory tour may sound like a good idea, but for all your trouble you're rewarded with a single pint of Guinness and a sub-par view of Dublin.</p>
<p>Skip the tour and get directly to the Guinness at a nearby Dublin pub. A historic option like The Brazen Head (Dublin's oldest pub) will not only give you a more genuine Irish experience, but it'll also get you buzzed a lot faster.</p>
<h3>Instead of wandering through Times Square, head uptown to Museum Mile</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>While most tourists come to New York City and head directly for Times Square, it's incredibly disappointing. Times Square is dirty, crowded, expensive, and overwhelming - walk through it once and you'll never want to go back.</p>
<p>A much lovelier walk can be had on New York's Museum Mile on 5th Avenue. It stretches from 82nd to 104th street with well-known museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim. You'll also get gorgeous views of Central Park.</p>
<h3>Instead of staying at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas like everyone else, check out a resort in the Exumas&#xa0;</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Everyone stays at Atlantis Resort, but hardly anyone seems to actually enjoy it. The rooms need updating, the food is expensive, and the attractions are only so-so.</p>
<p>Honestly, anywhere else in the Bahamas is better. Try a resort on a smaller island in the Exumas which is more low-key with its pristine coastlines and cool attractions like the&#xa0;"domesticated" swimming pigs that live on Big Major's Spot.</p>
<h3>Instead of staring up at Mount Rushmore from a tiny viewing platform, take a drive through South Dakota's Badlands National Park</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Mount Rushmore is an American cultural icon, but standing on a viewing platform and looking up at the real thing may make the presidents' heads look rather tiny - and disappointing.</p>
<p>Instead, go to South Dakota's Badlands National Park. With nearly 243,000 acres of protected land, visitors can view the incredible rock formations and wildlife you can't see anywhere else in the world, including mountain goats, rabbits, bobcats, antelope, and even bison.&#xa0;</p>
<h3>Instead of seeing the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, walk over to the nearby Gefion Fountain</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is a major tourist attraction on the&#xa0;Langelinie waterfront despite its diminutive size.</p>
<p>There's a more interesting attraction close by, however - the Gefion Fountain. Sculptor Anders Bungdaard designed the fountain showing&#xa0;Norse&#xa0;Goddess Gefion&#xa0;who was offered as much land in Sweden as she could plow.</p>
<p>So she turned her sons into oxen and plowed enough land to create Zealand, the island where Copenhagen is located. Gefion was pretty badass and her fountain is, too.</p>
<h3>Instead of going to a wax museum, go literally anywhere else</h3>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>The world is a huge place with plenty to see and experience. Why would you waste your time looking at wax replicas of famous people?</p>
<p>If you don't believe me, go once and you'll never want to go again.</p>

14 Overrated Tourist Attractions Around The World - And Where To Go Instead

<p>We write a lot of lists telling travelers the best places to visit around the world.</p>
<p>But how about where not to go?</p>
<p>In a recent Reddit thread, users were asked what was the most disappointing place they've ever traveled to and why.</p>
<p>Keep reading to see the 16 locations you never want to visit.</p>
<h2>1. Casablanca</h2>
<p>"The least-interesting place in a fascinating country. Really, Casablanca is just a dumpy business district on the coast. Other than one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_II_Mosque">obscenely expensive mosque</a> that the previous king had built, there's really nothing to see." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcmp1k">Matthattan</a> </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>2. Malè, Maldives</h2>
<p>"Malè, capital of the Maldives. What a **** hole. The rest of the Maldives was incredible." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcknpq">I_Nickd_it</a><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcknpq"><br /></a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>3. Jamaica</h2>
<p>"They're very in your face about tipping and expect money for everything...If you like staying in an all-inclusive resort wallowing on a beach doing nothing but laying about maybe Jamaica is for you. If you're looking for exploration of nature and culture you'll be sorely disappointed." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcpakf">aussydog</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>4. The Great Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt</h2>
<p>"The pyramids could be seen from the Pizza Hut, so close it's impossible to imagine them away from the city. At the pyramids themselves, you are constantly harassed by Egyptians trying to sell you stuff up to the point where you feel the need to start hitting them to get away from you. Left after just 15-20 minutes, couldn't stand it any longer." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmclou4">Broes</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>5. Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy</h2>
<p>"It is so tiny compared to what you would have expected from pictures. The buildings around it are a lot nicer. It is overall very lame." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcml0r">happypants69</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>6. Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, USA</h2>
<p>"You drive up into the South Dakota mountains to see it, come to this enormous visitor's center, then the 'viewing deck' is outside, you look up, and way in the distance is this tiny set of heads. It's hard to say if it's much smaller than the photos make it seem, or if the viewing deck is an absurdly long distance away, but the impression is vastly underwhelming." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcnc4k">ratbastid</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>7. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK</h2>
<p>"It's smaller than you think, you can't get close to it, and it's hours from London (which wouldn't matter if it was worth it)." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcknmv">StallinWasAJerk</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>8. Daytona Beach, Florida, USA</h2>
<p>"Friends somehow convinced me to go a few years ago. Never again will I enter that city of my own free will. There is literally nothing to do there, aside from going to the dilapidated beach and eating at Joe's Crab Shack." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcmpfa">danecdote</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>9. Pompeii, Italy</h2>
<p>"Pompeii is lame and very crowded with tourists. All of the great mosaics have been taken by museums. If you want to go somewhere much better preserved, much more interesting, and way less crowded, check out the nearby ruins of Herculaneum." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcpuw2">Ecuadorable </a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>10. Gibraltar</h2>
<p>"It really is just a big rock and not the country it technically claims to be...You can see everything Gibraltar has to offer in a few hours. We were stuck there for a week." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcp6qr">Noneerror</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>11. Sentosa Beaches in Singapore</h2>
<p>"It's all fancy and hyper-developed and connected to one of the largest malls on earth (Vivo Mall), but you get to the beach via monorail and you get to the sand and look out to the ocean and all you see is oil tankers and factories spewing smoke on the horizon. It was like some sort of futuristic dystopia." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmctcbh">magnora4</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>12. Naples, Italy</h2>
<p>"The city had piles of trash on the streets." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmckhq3">GuluOne</a><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmckhq3"><br /></a></p>
<p>"In the city of Naples and the surrounding countryside of Campania, Italy, the Mafia has controlled the waste-management industry for decades - dumping and burning trash across its rolling hills and vineyards. In 1994, the European Union declared the situation an official environmental emergency, and things have only gotten worse since then." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmclfk4">Azertys </a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>13. Andorra</h2>
<p>"Looking back, I think I basically just visited the outlet mall of Europe." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmclxol">breerocks</a> </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>14. Marrakesh, Morocco</h2>
<p>"I'd never felt so abused before (I'm from America, there's still sexism, but god it's so much easier to deal with). The molestation, coupled with the obvious disrespect (male shopowners would yell at me for not buying things - full on yell and curse - and sometimes just for fun, then laugh when all the foreign girls around became upset. They wouldn't yell at other men.) made me swear never to go back.</p>
<p>"I saw one shop owner ask a mother how much she would charge for her blonde teenage daughter. I'd gone through so much in a week I didn't even register that until a guy in my group started getting really upset about it." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmd5yuy">probs_wrong</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>15. Athens, Greece</h2>
<p>"Expected the birthplace of a great civilization. Received slums and scaffolding." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcv1a1">Kuba_Khan</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>16. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA</h2>
<p>"I've been twice and while it can be fun, it's really not worth it. The streets are filthy, there are homeless people every twenty or so feet begging, and since you can get alcohol for free people get really drunk and start fights everywhere." - <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ndc2r/world_travelers_of_reddit_where_did_you_go_that/cmcmvd3">Mos_definitely</a></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>

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