One day soon AI systems like ChatGPT will be helpful when translating ancient Maya text. Today I did a quick check to see of ChatGPT 3.5 knows a simple ancient Maya word. This was my question: I am trying to translate some ancient Maya text. I am analyzing a specific glyph block and determined it …
Back in March I started working on integrating a dictionary into the Ancient Maya App. In an earlier blog post we announced Harri Kettunen (from the University of Helsinki) and Christophe Helmke (from the University of Copenhagen) gave us permission to integrate material from their well known Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs. The initial integration is largely complete and it …
I grew up watching Star Trek and the race to our Moon. Both suggested an optimistic view of our future. Like today, that era had its challenges and the path to this attractive future were not clear. For a long time, I thought this path was blocked by lack of technical progress. Hundred of people …
Galileo discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter in January of 1610. And he recounts the tale in The Starry Messenger, published on March 13 of that year. As the story goes, on Jan 7th Galileo looked at Jupiter through his telescope and saw what he assumed where three distant stars that appeared right next …
I am working on YouTube videos about the search for life on Venus. The Venus Life Finder team had hoped to launch their first probe this month, but it has been delayed. Their next launch window is over a year away. Rather than creating videos on a system that might be changing I’ll do more …
Was John Leonard, during his time on CBS Sunday Morning, the last critic to recommend shows on competing networks? His book “Reading for My Life” starts with this delightful story: In 1947, a young American and a middle-aged Japanese climbed a tower in Tokyo to look at the bombed temple and the burned-out plain of …
I have received permission from Harri Kettunen (from the University of Helsinki) and Christophe Helmke (from the University of Copenhagen) to include content from their well known Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs in the Ancient Maya App. This is huge! This highly regarded book is packed with details on every aspect of Maya language and writing. …
We’re happy to announce version 2.1 is in the app stores! This release includes a Yucatec Maya audio track for Yaxchilian Stela 11 that we recorded in Mérida as well as partial support for a Spanish language user interface. Our earlier blog post has all the details.
The next release of our Ancient Maya App is planned for March. It will include the audio for Yaxchilan Stela 11 in Yucatecan Maya, add support for Spanish language user interface and refresh of the software development environment. The rest of this post describes the issues involved in app development in case you’re interested in …
Deb and I are back from a very successful trip from Mérida. Here’s some details on each task we hoped to complete. The Ancient Maya App includes a drawing of Yaxchilan Stela 11 and an audio track about ancient Mayan writing. The app has audio tracks in three languages: English, Spanish and K’iche. Our first …