Vesuvius at Home

For decades, computer scientist Brent Seales has pursued an obsession long thought impossible: reading the hundreds of scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Armed with cutting-edge imaging, artificial intelligence, and relentless determination, Dr. Seales and his underdog team work to digitally unlock the secrets of ancient Rome’s only surviving library. As their quest captures global attention, The Vesuvius Challenge becomes a high-stakes story of perseverance, discovery, and humanity’s quest to recover the great lost books of antiquity.