AI vs. the Bible, a Cosmic Mystery, and a Math Revolution

The Point by Modern Sciences - August 13, 2025

Author

Don Smith
August 13, 2025

By The Modern Sciences Team

August 13, 2025

Welcome to August, Cultivators of Curiosity!


Welcome to the 32nd volume of The Point by Modern Sciences! In this milestone issue, we’re exploring how cutting-edge tools and rigorous new methods are being used to re-examine some of the world’s oldest and most profound questions. We’re examining the intersection of modern inquiry and ancient truths, cosmic anomalies, and foundational problems that we once thought were set in stone.


First, we investigate how an advanced AI model is providing new statistical clues to a question that has been debated for millennia: Who wrote the Bible? This is more than a historical exercise; it’s a pioneering technique that forges a new link between the humanities and computational science. Next, we travel to the frozen expanse of Antarctica, where a 15-year search has cast serious doubt on "impossible" signals once hailed as evidence of new physics. Finally, we turn to the world of pure mathematics, where a brilliant new method has solved a centuries-old problem in algebra, offering an elegant approach that could reshape computer algorithms and inspire future breakthroughs.

HISTORY

Who wrote the Bible? A new AI model offers statistical clues

An international team is applying artificial intelligence to one of history's greatest literary puzzles: the authorship of the Bible. By analyzing subtle word patterns, their new statistical model can distinguish between the unique writing styles of ancient scribes. This fusion of science and scripture offers quantitative evidence to help settle centuries-old debates and reveal the text's hidden literary history.



The Point:

  • AI deciphers the Bible's authors: An international team developed a statistical model that uses artificial intelligence to identify the unique linguistic fingerprints of different scribes within the Hebrew Bible's first nine books.

  • The model reveals distinct authorial styles: The AI validated existing scholarly beliefs about major biblical sections and provided new evidence suggesting that stylistically different authors wrote the two parts of the Ark Narrative.

  • A new paradigm for authenticating ancient texts: This pioneering method creates a new bridge between science and the humanities and can be used to authenticate other historical documents, from the Dead Sea Scrolls to potential forgeries.


EARTH

New research casts doubt on 'impossible' signals from Antarctica

Scientists are re-evaluating bizarre radio signals from Antarctica that seem to defy the laws of physics. A new, exhaustive search by the Pierre Auger Observatory for similar upward-traveling particles came up empty after analyzing 15 years of data. This lack of confirmation casts doubt on one of the most exotic explanations, leaving the initial cosmic mystery unsolved.



The Point:

  • A new study challenges an exotic physics theory: Scientists with the Pierre Auger Observatory conducted a 15-year search for upward-traveling particles to verify anomalous signals previously detected by the ANITA experiment in Antarctica.

  • The search found no significant evidence of such events: After analyzing data from 2004 to 2018, researchers found only one candidate event, a number consistent with background noise from misidentified cosmic rays, not a new discovery.

  • The null result deepens the original cosmic mystery: The lack of detections at Auger strongly contradicts predictions based on the ANITA signals, effectively ruling out the leading explanation and leaving the bizarre Antarctic anomaly unexplained.


MATH AND THE SCIENCES

New Mathematical Method Solves Centuries-Old Problem of Higher-Degree Polynomial Equations

A groundbreaking study has unveiled a new method for solving higher-degree polynomial equations, a challenge that has perplexed mathematicians for centuries. Led by Professor Norman Wildberger, the team from UNSW Sydney developed an approach that bypasses irrational numbers, offering a clean and practical solution for equations once thought unsolvable. This innovation could revolutionize fields like computer science and astronomy.



The Point:

  • New way to solve complex polynomials: Mathematicians have developed a method to solve higher-degree equations without radicals, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional algebraic techniques.

  • Catalan numbers and power series at work: The approach builds on mathematical sequences like the Catalan numbers and uses power series to generate practical, approximate solutions.

  • Potential impact beyond pure math: This breakthrough could improve computer algorithms and inspire new mathematical discoveries, primarily through the novel “Geode” array.