In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) showed its power in surprising ways. Scientists used AI and X-rays to read ancient scrolls from Herculaneum, Italy, that were buried by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD. These scrolls are so delicate they can't be unrolled, but AI helped decode over 2, 000 characters, giving us a new window into ancient Rome and Greece. The Vesuvius Challenge, a competition to decipher these scrolls, hopes to unlock 90% of four scrolls by the end of 2024.

AI also helped understand whale communication. Researchers used machine learning to analyze sperm whale clicks, finding patterns similar to human phonetics. This could one day help us communicate with whales! In Peru, AI helped find many more mysterious symbols in the Nazca Desert than humans could alone. And in biology, AI tools like AlphaFold predict protein structures, speeding up research and medical advancements.

But AI isn't always perfect. It can't interpret the meaning behind whale clicks yet, and it suggested many false sites in Peru. Also, AI tools like AlphaFold can't predict the effects of new mutations in proteins. Still, AI is making big waves in science and discovery.

AI's Unexpected Discoveries in 2024

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