The New Atlantis-Voynich Optical Theory

This theory is based on my observation that various cylinders in the 'Voynich Manuscript are strikingly similar to early optical devices, most closely, early microscopes. Before me, others had noted that many illustrations in the Voynich resembled microscopic organisms, and I concur.

The theory was rendered unlikely, when the vellum was tested to be from about 1404-1438. This, because the materials would have had to have been at least 150 to 175 years at the time this theory claims... which is about 1610 to 1620. However there still seems be some interest in the concepts I have proposed, so I thought I would keep the information available for those interested.

For more information go to the main site:
http://www.santa-coloma.net/voynich_d...

And the blog, which covers other topics relating to the Voynich in history, optics and otherwise:
http://proto57.wordpress.com/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Voynich
• Manuscript
• Cipher
• Code
• Drebbel
• Francis
• Bacon
• new
• atlantis
• microscopes
• utopia

[pepperdavescott]

(continuing from before),...if the language is ever decrypted, which it may never be, that will still be only part of the mystery solved...if it is never decrypted, it will only serve to fuel speculation for eons to come. Whatever the case, I'm fascinated, something about the illutrations creeps me out, as if the artist had seen these things...which are obviously not of this world. There is one thing I'd state, the majority of these plants seem to be graftings...only one translation would...

[proto57]

@pepperdavescott Thanks for the input, all very interesting. As for grafting, I've been told that green plant grafting is unusual to see at all... that is, trees are usually grafted. In the New Atlantis, grafting is mentioned, "In these we practise likewise all conclusions of grafting, and inoculating, as well of wild-trees as fruit-trees, which produceth many effects...". He goes on to explain that plants "of many different" and "new kinds" are produced. Sound familiar?

[pepperdavescott]

Really nice job. Your theory makes all kinds of sense. I just stumbled across the topic of the Voynich manuscript yesterday, what a nice piece of art it is!

[proto57]

@pepperdavescott Thank you pepper... since we don't know the answer, "making sense" is all we can hope for at this point. I'm glad it does, to you and I and many others.

[juggleknot]

how old are the inks?

the things you call microscopes look more like cross-sections of plant stems to me

[proto57]

@juggleknot Interesting idea, but I tend to think they are too "mechanical" in appearance. Even if this theory is incorrect, I would suspect they still are meant to represent something man-made, like a jar or candle, and so on. As for the inks, they have not been dated. The composition of the inks was analysed, and the results revealed that they are "of a type" that was used when the vellum was created, but then, also, for some time after.

[bodyrock5]

What if? Is the ultimate question.........

[whanethewhip]

One of the better hypothesis put forward.

[pepperdavescott]

@proto57 Sure does. Herbaceous plants and succulents are sometimes grafted...tomatoes are sometimes grafted to potato rootstock for disease resistance (at least by individuals) and you've seen the grafted cacti for sale...Don't know of much else offhand. I wonder what "inoculating" meant at that time...hey that might be a clue to pursue, actually. Any access to the OED?

[pepperdavescott]

I hate to add another post just for this, but I wanted to clear up the confusion I may have left when I posted earlier...the limitaton of characters per post meant I had to break my response into parts. They wound up in reverse order, so, as they stand just now, read from bottom up, starting with "The one thing." There were four posts in reverse order before this one.

[pepperdavescott]

@proto57 Yet if fake, what a brilliant fake!

[pepperdavescott]

make sense for a scientific perspective, the author was speculating on possible combinations of plant materials, and these were the outcomes...I don't believe these to be desireable outcomes. There is something sinister here, or else, as proto57 says, the imaginings pertaining to a fantastic and undiscovered world with a pharmacopia yet unkown. I need to study more f the other sections...

[pepperdavescott]

The one thing that can't be dismissed is the fact of it's appearance, or reappearance, in 1912...whatever the text is, it's the phenomenaly brilliant execution of text and illustration and it's ability to evoke a whole unknown world that is so impressive. If it is fictitous, it still ranks with H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and the resultant, sociologically significant "cult" of the Necronomicon...as well as the legends of Lemuria, Atlantis, etc...

[VibrationsfromMirror]

@proto57 No, wasn't kidding. You made this microscope a good story. Maybe something coming soon on the letters and the old language? Sometimes fact is stranger than x-files. (well maybe close to x-files  hehe)