
Mysterious Voynich manuscript has 'genuine message' - Libertatea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22975809
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Luyt
There exists a Skeptoid article about the Voynich manuscript:
[http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4252](http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4252)

The conclusion:

 _" So let's wrap this up with my favorite theory, and the one that is perhaps
best supported by all that's known. In the early 1400s, some professional,
perhaps a physician or astrologer or alchemist, wanted to create some
marketing material that demonstrated he had rare knowledge from the East. He
engaged a monk or other scribe to produce a book filled with wondrous and
curious illustrations from multiple sciences, and a text that nobody could
read, which he could tell his customers was the source of whatever great
Eastern wisdom he wanted. The monk had a colleague assist, and the two devised
an alphabet and used their own multilingual familiarity with written language
to devise a convincing nonsense text. It was well done enough that its owner
could even use it to impress his colleagues. Thus, this anonymous professional
ended up with impressive marketing collateral that's conceptually identical to
the labcoat worn by a naturopath, the energy diagram on the wall of a yoga
guru, and the purchased-online title of "doctor" sported by alternative
practitioners of every variety."_

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abstrakraft
Just another article about another inconclusive statistical analysis on the
Voynich text, with no technical details.

Move along, nothing to see here.

~~~
fierycatnet
I was excited to see that maybe something new was discovered but this article
is just useless, just filler words.

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raverbashing
Humm so the article is a long text with language structure but without a
message... humm....

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TeMPOraL
I think I'll go with Randall Munroe on this one.

[http://xkcd.com/593/](http://xkcd.com/593/)

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oofabz
Is there anyplace I can buy a print of the Voynich manuscript? I have long
been fascinated by it but I've never seen it for sale. Amazon has some books
about it, but not the manuscript itself.

~~~
eksith
I don't know if there are reproductions, but meanwhile, you can get page-by-
page scans of it here :

[http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/esp_ciencia_manusc...](http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/esp_ciencia_manuscrito07a.htm)

Edit: Better source at the Yale library you can download the whole thing as
one PDF :

[http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3519597](http://brbl-
dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3519597)

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jvdh
There's also a very interesting novel where the Voynich manuscript plays a
central role: PopCo by Scarlett Thomas [0]

Another central theme that will probably appeal to this audience is
underground resistance against global commercialisation.

[0]: [http://www.amazon.com/PopCo-Scarlett-
Thomas/dp/B000I2J20E/re...](http://www.amazon.com/PopCo-Scarlett-
Thomas/dp/B000I2J20E/ref=la_B000APSRUK_1_3)

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charlieflowers
It has pictures of naked women bathing. So the words probably don't mean
anything. I mean, who subscribes to Playboy for the articles?

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coolsunglasses
You jest but Playboy used to have some of the best interviews ever conducted.

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charlieflowers
It would be very interesting indeed if that holds true for the Voynich
manuscript :)

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97-109-107
This is a very similiar article theme-wise, but not as sparse on details
[http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/ff-the-
manuscript/al...](http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/ff-the-
manuscript/all/)

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diminish
Cryptographers; isn't Voynich manuscript a proof that security by obscurity
works? (only confidentiality)

~~~
nknighthb
I think it's proof that given sufficient decorative fluff, people will spend a
great deal of time attempting to make sense of nonsense. Same basic principle
as snake oil.

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draq
I think it's alien.

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bby
Where can I find specifics on the actual methods they are using to research
the manuscript?

~~~
swatkat
This page has some info:

[http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjourna...](http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0066344)

