Researchers developed a computer program to reconstruct ancient languages

Computer scientists have apparently developed a program capable of reconstructing ancient languages using huge data computing methods and machine learning, according to BBC reports.

Researchers developed a computer program to reconstruct ancient languages

According to details; the software would be capable to rebuild protolanguages - the ancient tongues from which our modern-day languages developed. The new program will help ease the old slow and labor-intensive process of rebuilding old languages being used by linguists.

The model is based on the established linguistic theory that words evolve along the branches of a family tree. Linguists typically use what is known as the 'comparative method' to establish relationships between languages, identifying sounds that change with regularity over time to determine whether they share a common mother language.

The reports suggest that scientists have already used the program to recreate ancient Proto-Austronesian, which gradually developed into languages spoken in Polynesia and other places. The software developers’ team now plans to use the same program to help re-born original North American proto-languages.

The work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Researchers apply this system to 637 Austronesian languages, providing an accurate, large-scale automatic reconstruction of a set of protolanguages. 

Dr Dan Klein, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley - one of the researchers involved in the developing of program - told that the system still has limitations. For example, it can't handle morphological changes or re-duplications - how a word like 'cat' becomes 'kitty-cat'.

Dr. Klein said: "At a much deeper level, our system doesn't explain why or how certain changes happened, only that they probably did happen."

While researchers are able to reconstruct languages that date back thousands of years, there is still a question mark over whether it would ever be possible to go even further back to recreate the very first protolanguage from which all others evolved.

Video and Photos: Mammoth carcass found in Siberia by 11-year-old Zhenya Salinder

MOSCOW, Russia (Sat, Oct. 06) – Reported by madn3wz

Mammoth carcass found in Siberia by 11-year-old Zhenya Salinde

A well-preserved carcass of a teenage mammoth has been discovered in the permafrost in northern Siberia truly accidentally when an eleven-year-old boy was just wandering in the area with his dog.

According to details; the 11-year-old Zhenya Salinder found the sixteen-year-old mammoth - in Sopochnaya Karga, 3,500km (2,200 miles) northeast of Moscow - which is 2-meter tall and weighs about 500kgs, in late September when he spotted its limbs sticking out of the frozen mud. 

Mammoth carcass found in Siberia by 11-year-old Zhenya Salinde

Professor Alexei Tikhonov of the Zoology Institute in St. Petersburg said on Friday while announcing the discovery:

"A teenage mammoth (named as Jenya by the scientists) who once roamed the Siberian tundra in search of fodder and females might have been killed by an Ice Age man on a summer day tens of thousands of years ago".

Tikhonov told the AP news agency that Jenya was "pretty small for his age, But what killed Jenya was not his size but a missing left tusk that made him unfit for fights with other mammoths or human hunters who were settling the Siberian marshes and swamps some 20,000-30,000 years ago".

The splits on Jenya's remaining tusk show a "possible human touch," he added.

Up to 13 feet in height and 10 tons in weight, mammoths migrated across huge areas between Great Britain and North America and were driven to extinction by humans and the changing climate. 

Wooly mammoths are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago, although scientists think small groups of them lived longer in Alaska and on Russia’s Wrangel Island off the Siberian coast. 

Earlier this year, a very well preserved juvenile mammoth nicknamed Yuka was unveiled by scientists, according to BBC News

Found in the Yakutia region of Russia, it preserves much of its soft tissue and strawberry-blonde coat of hair. There were also signs from its remains that humans may have stolen the carcass from lions and perhaps even stashed it for eating at a later date.

Watch video report below:

VIDEO: Mona Lisa skeleton unearthed in St. Ursula, Italy -- Claimed Silvano Vinceti

FLORENCE, Italy (Tue, July 24) – Italian archaeologists have dug out a skeleton today believed to be of Lisa Gherardini, the woman who inspired one of the most emblematic works of Leonardo da Vinci, “Mona Lisa”.

Mona Lisa remains unearthed in St. Ursula, Florence, Italy

Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542), also known as Lisa del Giocondo, is considered by some experts as the model of the famous portrait of the Mona Lisa exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris, is undoubtedly one of the world's most familiar paintings.

According to details; archaeologists have found bones near the convent of Sant'Orsola (or St. Ursula) in Italian city of Florence. These remains will be sent to the Department for the Conservation of Cultural Property in Ravenna (northern Italy), to be examined, the researchers said.

A team of archaeologists began excavations in this convent last year after documents have confirmed that Gherardini, wife of a wealthy silk merchant of Florence (Francesco del Giocondo), lived in place after the death of her husband – Francesco del Giocondo.

The documents also revealed that Lisa Gherardini was under the care of his two daughters who were nuns.

Famous art researcher Silvano Vinceti, also head of the team of archaeologists, believes that this discovery, made in an abandoned convent, is particularly exciting. But going further emphasized performed tests of the remains to verify the identity, writes Lusa.

"I can say that we have reached the most exciting part of the investigation," said Vinceti, an expert in solving mysteries related to the art world.

"It is the culmination of our work and we are close to answering the main question: whether or not we find the remains of Lisa Gherardini?" Vinceti said further.

Watch exciting video below:

Report Tags:

Mona Lisa, Silvano Vinceti, Lisa Gherardini, Louvre Museum, Francesco del Giocondo, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence, Sant'Orsola, St. Ursula, Mona Lisa Skeleton, Mona Lisa Remains, Mona Lisa remains found, Mona Lisa remains found in Italy

Violence erupted in Jammu Kashmir after Peer Dastgeer Sahib Shrine gutted in major fire

SRINAGAR, India (Mon, Jun 25) – The clashes between police and angry Muslims erupted after the over 200-year-old historical Peer Dastgeer Sahib shrine in Srinagar was devastated in a blaze here Monday morning although the authorities said all the relics of the 11th century saint were unharmed.

Violence erupted in Jammu Kashmir after Peer Dastgeer Sahib Shrine gutted in major fire

According to details; fire broke out inside the Peer Dastgeer Sahib Shrine in Khanyar locality of the city around 6.30 am today. Firefighters and emergency teams responded quickly as dozens of firefighters were trying to control the blaze. 

A senior officer of the local firefighting department said, "The firefighting is still going on at the shrine although the old wooden structure appears to have suffered massive damage. The cause of fire is being ascertained". 

According to initial reports; there have been no casualties, but a few people are reported to be trapped inside the shrine.

The old wooden building has suffered extensive damage, reports said. It is not yet known what caused the fire.

Admiration for the 11th century saint in Indian held Kashmir cuts across religious barriers, while Muslims call the saint Ghaus-e-Azam, the Hindus worship the saint as Kahnoow.

Historical Discovery: 3000-year-old ancient jewelry found near Megiddo, Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel (Sat, May 26) – Archaeologists have discovered a very rare trove of ancient jewelry near the ancient city of Megiddo in Northern Israel. The historical discovery will offer a rare glimpse into ancient Canaanite high society, said Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, who co-directed the dig.

Historical Discovery: 3000-year-old ancient jewelry found near Megiddo, Israel

According to details; the 3000-year-old jewelry - including a ring, beads and earrings hidden in ceramic pot – was found during the excavations in 2010, but the pot containing the jewelry was left in a laboratory for molecular analysis of the things inside it.

The pot was cleaned up recently to find the real discovery inside it, the antique jewelry dating to around 1100 B.C., which is believed to be owned by a Canaanite family most probably from the ruling elite.

Tel Aviv University called the discovery "among the most valuable ever found from the Biblical period," adding that one piece in particular, a gold earring decorated with molded ibexes, or wild goats, is "without parallel."

Finkelstein said the jewelry likely belonged to a Canaanite family.

"We can guess that it was a rich family, probably belonging to the ruling elite," he said.

Aren Maeir, an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University, said that because the raw materials used come are not from the area, the find "tells us about international relations ... and about technical traditions used at the time."

Megiddo was an important trade center in ancient times. According to the New Testament, Megiddo will be the site of the final apocalyptic battle between good and evil.

Report Tags: Ancient Jewelry, Megiddo, 3000-year-old Jewelry, Israel Finkelstein, Tel Aviv University, Israel, 1100B.C. Jewelry, Canaanite family, Historical discovery

Google celebrated 78th birthday of Robert Moog with an interactively doodled electronic synthesizer

To pay the homage and to celebrate the 78th birthday of late Robert Moog, the inventor of electronic synthesizer, Google came up with an interactive doodle on Wednesday (May 23).

Google celebrated 78th birthday of Robert Moog with an interactively doodled electronic synthesizer

A real-like performing Moog synthesizer on the homepage of search engine giant not only allows the users to create their own music but has use volume, mixer, oscillators, filter and envelope controls as well. 

One can use your mouse or keyboard on the Moog doodle's keys and dials to make nearly limitless sounds. 

Watch video of the virtual synthesizer in action and continue reading about Robert Moog and his inventions in musical field:

Trendz & Styles 4U 

Google Doodle celebrates birthday of archaeologist, Howard Carter - the discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun

Today's Google doodle pays honor to an English archaeologist and Egyptologist Horward Carter, whose most significant contribution to his field was the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, in 1922. 

Google Doodle celebrates birthday of archaeologist, Howard Carter - the discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun

The 138^th birthday of this great archaeologist is celebrated in the latest Google doodle, a colorful graphic depicting the British archaeologist looking keenly a display of ancient Egyptian treasures.

Carter was born in London on 9 May 1874 and took off to Egypt at the age of 17, to assist in the excavation and recording of Middle Kingdom tombs. He transformed his rawness into an asset, coming up with some rather novel skills while replicating the decoration of tombs being excavated.

In 1899, Howard was appointed the first chief inspector of the Egyptian Antiquities Service (EAS). Cartor monitored scores of excavations at Thebes (now known as Luxor).

On 4 November 1922, Carter's excavation group found the steps leading to Tutankhamun's tomb, by far the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. 

At this time Carter wrote in his pocket diary: "Discovered tomb under tomb of Ramsses VI investigated same & found seals intact."

He died of lymphoma in Kensington, London, on March 2, 1939 at the age of 64. He was buried in the Putney Vale Cemetery in London., and on his gravestone is written: "May your spirit live, May you spend millions of years, You who love Thebes, Sitting with your face to the north wind, Your eyes beholding happiness" and "O night, spread thy wings over me as the imperishable stars".

Report Tags: Kensington, London, Horward Carter, tomb of Tutankhamun, Egypt, Ramsses VI, archaeologist, archaeology, Valley of the Kings, Google, Google Doodle

Amazing VIDEO: Google Doodle Zipper working for Gideon Sundback's 132nd Birthday

Search engine giant Google has celebrated the 132nd birthday of Swedish inventor in a totally unique way on April 24. Google 'zipped' its homepage to remember Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the modern metal zipper. To play and enjoy Google’s doodle you need just a click, and the page unzips to reveal a search results page on the Swedish-born engineer.

Google Doodle Zipper working for Gideon Sundback's 132nd Birthday

Born on April 24, 1880, Sundback migrated to United States from Sweden in 1905. There he worked at the Universal Fastener Company in New Jersey, and went on to become its head designer in 1909. (Via Wikipedia)

If you are a Firefox user, you might not be allowed to play with the new, interactive zipper Google doodle. This is because the new zipper Google doodle does not seem to be fully compatible with the Firefox browser.

We checked the same issue on other browsers including Google's own Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Apple's Safari, and it seemed to work fine on them. Google is believed to use advanced JavaScript and HTML5 elements for many of its fun and interactive doodles, but some of the code isn't always compatible on all modern Web browsers.

Google has been pushing its Chrome Web browser in a big way, including advertisements in the mainstream media and outdoor hoardings. Advertising approaches that we do not usually associate with Google. Chrome is now the most serious contender to Internet Explorer in the battle of the browsers.

Watch video below to see the Google Doodle Zipper in action: 
 

Report Tags: Google Doodle, google, Zipper Doodle, video, Sweden, Youtube, Google Doodle Zipper, 132nd birthday

Exclusive Pictures and Video: Giant fossilized dinosaur eggs discovered in Chechnya

Geologists in Chechnya have discovered what they believe is a batch of fossilized dinosaur eggs. It's not clear what kind of dino' laid them ... but the giant eggs date back some 60-million years.

Giant fossilized dinosaur eggs discovered in Chechnya (Image Credit RT)

There’s no exact number of eggs discovered but a senior geologist at the Chechen State University, Said-Emin Dzhabrailov, confirmed the discovery of 40 giant egg-like fossils while workers constructing a new road were came across a hillside near the Chechen border with Georgia.

 

"There could be many more under the ground," Dzhabrailov said further.

The “eggs” range from 25cm to one meter in diameter. They belong to herbivorous dinosaurs, claimed another scientist from the Chechen State University, Magomed Alkhazurov.

Watch vide below:

For photos get to the link below:

http://rt.com/news/chechnya-dinosaur-eggs-russia-333/

100th anniversary of Titanic Disaster: The other love story -- Ann Elizabeth Isham gave her life for her dog

The world recalls the historic morning 100 years ago when the Titanic sailed out into the open sea to start its momentous journey, never to reach its destination.

100th anniversary of Titanic Disaster: The other love story

RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. (Via Wikipedia)

The apparently 'Unsinkable' liner began its journey on April 10, 1912 and met the tragedy on April 14, 1912 after hitting an iceberg off Newfoundland shortly before midnight and sinking two hours later, killing 1,514 passengers and crewmembers.

During the past 100 years everybody might have been talked about each and every aspect of this unfortunate liner, its passengers, its crewmembers and the luxuries provided therein; but have you thought about few four-footed passengers on board?

There were twelve dogs on the ill-fated Titanic, all belongs to 1^st class passengers, and only three were survived the disaster. Those lucky three include a baby Pomeranian Lady, whose owner, Margaret Hays of New York City, covered her in a blanket and took her into a lifeboat.

The other two dogs to survive were also small, pedigreed pooches that travelled in cabins of their owners. Sun Yat-sen, a Pekingese belonging to Henry and Myra Harper (of the Harper & Row publishing dynasty) lived to yip another day, as did a Pomeranian belonging to Elizabeth Rothschild of New York.

The other 9 dogs died in this tragedy were restricted to an onboard kennel, where they were walked and cared for by crewmembers.

An emotional story, to me more touching than the story of Jack and Rose, is also associated with one of the dogs killed in Titanic disaster. There was a Great Dane among unlucky dogs owned by Ann Elizabeth Isham. She climbed out of a lifeboat after being informed that her dog was too big to join her, therefore has been returned to the ship’s kennel. A few days after the sinking, her body was found by a recovery ship, clutching her darling dog.

Tags: Titanic, Titanic tragedy, Titanic accident, Ann Elizabeth Isham, Unsinkable, Jack and Rose, Southampton, England,