Scientists use X-Ray vision to uncover lost opera

Scientists at the University of Manchester have harnessed a process called X-Ray fluorescence to read the blotted finalé of Cherubini’s Médée.

The ink used on the carbon-damaged scores contained high levels of zinc and iron. By using sensors to detect electron activity associated with these elements, scientists could decipher Cherubini’s notes.

The opera can now be performed in full for the first time in 200 years.