Oxford today

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16 Oxonian&News University news
Discovery
Research breakthroughs across the University
Writing
uncovered
the art of deciphering ancient texts using
the latest technology
You’re looking at an ancient text written
in proto-Elamite: the world’s oldestknown
undeciphered writing system,
which was used between 3200 and 3000
BC in what is now Iran. While it shares
similarities with archaic Mesopotamian
writing, almost 90 per cent of it remains
a mystery to scholars. Fortunately, a new
high-definition imaging system, known
as Reflectance Transformation Imaging
(RTI), has been developed by scientists
at Oxford and Southampton especially
to analyse inscribed artefacts of its type.
The device is made up of a dome of 76
lights with a camera at the top. When a
specimen is placed at the dome’s centre,
it is photographed 76 times, with each
shot illuminated by just one of the lights.
Subsequently, the 76 digital images are
merged to deliver researchers with a
means of virtually manipulating the light
cast on the object.
It allows specialists to pick up subtle
clues from the object’s surface – and
may help solve the riddle of proto-
Elamite. “The quality of these new
images is simply incredible,” explains Dr
Jacob Dahl, co-leader of the international
Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative and
fellow of Wolfson College. “Every time
I sit and look at the images from the RTI,
I make a new discovery. I’ve spent ten years
trying to decipher the proto-Elamite
writing system, but I think we’re finally on
the point of making a breakthrough.”
http://cdli.ucla.edu
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Redefining BMI
Professor Nick Trefethen from Oxford’s
Mathematical Institute is proposing
a new formula to calculate Body Mass
Index. “Currently, BMI may divide
weight by too large a number for short
people and too small a number for tall
people,” he explains. His update to the
equation divides a person’s weight in
kilos by their height in metres raised to
the power of 2.5, then multiplies that
number by 1.3. The new number may
be a better reflection of your health.
The planet which has
four suns
Amateur astronomers have helped
Oxford physicists discover a new
planet, called PH1, which is the first
known to have four stars. It orbits one
pair and another pair revolves around
it. The discovery is a result of citizen
science project PlanetHunters.org,
which lets volunteers help find stellar
quirks to enable astrophysicists to
identify new planets. “It’s fascinating
to try and to imagine what it would be
like to visit a planet with four suns in its
sky,” explains Dr Chris Lintott, who
leads the team. “But its formation
remains a complete mystery to us.”
www.planethunters.org
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