The world’s most mysterious book - Stephen Bax

Deep inside Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library lies a 240 page tome. Recently carbon dated to around 1420, its pages feature looping handwriting and hand drawn images seemingly stolen from a dream. It is called the Voynich manuscript, and it’s one of history’s biggest unsolved mysteries. The reason why? No one can figure out what it says. Stephen Bax investigates this cryptic work.

Lesson by Stephen Bax, animation by TED-Ed.

[miacrapnell]

‘After 100 years of frustration’

Someone please carve that into my grave

[loveyourself]

Can't imagine how many languages the humankind has forgotten.

[Lol-cgnk]

Ngl, that handwriting looks so beautiful, like when you see it the language feels familiar but you can't read it

[RendyRuban]

Honestly, that book looks beautifully and artistically made. Especially those handwritings.

[nicholsencalope]

introvert kid: *draws things out of boredom*

people today: *the world's most mysterious book*

[Pilbaranb]

Just gotta say the way you presented this video is beautiful. From the animations and art to the sound in the background and the soothing voice. Nice

[pvvineet]

When decoded its "Never gonna give you up" put in loop.

[pigpjs]

In middle school my two best friends and I shared a diary we passed to each other. We wrote it in a language we made up. We also lost it and don't know what happened to it.

Always assumed the Voynich Manuscript was the 1420s version of three best friends sharing a diary and then losing it to have it somehow become a great mystery.

[axielily]

1:37 can we talk about how pretty the handwriting is?

[soxvo]

Is no one going to talk about how beautifully made this video is done? I love it :(

[coronabibi]

This inspired me to write some gibberish to confuse the future generations

[dysn]

I guess it's also important to note that folks couldn't just get a journal for fun back then, it was considerable effort to do the binding, material, resources, inks, and so on to make a complete tome, so that kind of dedication as well as its age is quite significant

[commenturthegreat]

Oh, so when some medieval guy does it it's "mysterious" and "captivating", but when I do it I "have terrible hand writing" and "need to go back to school"

[augustvalek]

This gives me hope that my old notebooks will be found in 600 years and they'll think of them as a compendium on medicine when in truth are just the hastily and poorly written notes of a med student

[wes]

Could you imagine having a book you drew nonsense in and then hundreds of years later people think it's some magnificent work of complex art and dedicate years attempting to understand its 'complexity?'

[outresru]

Also can we take a moment to appreciate the stop-motion technique used to create the graphics for this video?? absolutely amazing creativity ! <33

[ShawnRavenfire]

I wonder if some future generation will find one of my old high school notebooks that I would scribble on and have scholars trying to decipher it.

[LITTLEIMY]

Have you tried turning it off and then on again?

[annnie]

Imagine if someone randomly watched this video and understood what it said.

[Dicyroller]

I feel it almost matters less what it actually is, than how much joy and thought has gone into it. If we learn someday that it holds the secret to remaining zit-free, or just understanding, and exploring a wonderful mystery, I am happy this object exists.