Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- laminate / ˈlæm əˌneɪt / (n.) – a product that is made by pressing or sticking together thin layers of a particular material
Example:A copy of the map was printed on a plastic laminate to protect it and make it last longer.
- varnish / ˈvɑr nɪʃ / (n.) – a clear liquid that dries to a hard, shiny layer to protect surfaces
Example:The wooden table was coated with two layers of varnish to keep water out.
- crucially / ˈkruː ʃə li / (adv.) – in an extremely important way
Example:The firefighters arrived on time and, crucially, were able to save the people in the burning building.
- conservator / kənˈsɜr və tər / (n.) – a person whose job is to protect, repair, and care for works of art, buildings, or cultural things so they stay in good condition
Example:A team of conservators carefully removed the dirt from the recently discovered ancient statue.
- precision / prɪˈsɪʒ ən / (n.) – the quality of being exact and correct
Example:The new machine cuts metal with high precision, leaving a smooth edge and improving the quality.
Article
Read the text below.
A high-tech breakthrough could speed up the restoration of centuries-old paintings using a digital mask. Scientists say the method, tested on a 15th-century work, took hours instead of months, and leaves the original untouched.
The method, published in Nature on June 11, uses a digitally printed mask to repair damaged images. Researchers tested it on a 15th-century oil painting that had suffered heavy damage.
Instead of months of cleaning, analysis and touch-ups, this process took just three and a half hours.
It works by digitally reconstructing the missing parts of the painting. That digital image is then printed onto a color-accurate laminate. The printed mask is laid directly over the damaged artwork, restoring the image without altering the original.
“This is a multilayer film that is made of very thin polymer membranes that are bound with conservation-grade varnish, and this mask it is a color-accurate printed mask of just the regions that need to be restored in the painting and is otherwise transparent everywhere else,” explains Alex Kachkine, a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who has led the study.
The process used more than 57,000 unique colors and covered over 66,000 square millimeters. Crucially, the mask is removable, so no permanent changes are made to the painting itself.
The method only works on smooth, varnished surfaces for now. But experts say it could help museums restore more works, especially those lower on the priority list. And it may be a step toward bridging the gap between digital tools and physical restoration.
And Kachkine says it will not replace traditional, human conservators.
“A conservator needs a huge amount of background knowledge, skill, and resources to preserve the work and ensure it’s maintained for future generations. This technique changes none of that,” he says.
“What it gives conservators is more tools, more precision, and more flexibility. It also enables them to work on more pieces than they were previously able to.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Scientists have developed a new digital method that can restore damaged paintings in a few hours, without touching the original artwork. Do you think it’s better to keep old paintings as they are, even if they look damaged, or try to make them look new again? Why do you say so? When do you think it is okay to restore something old, and when should we leave it as it is? Discuss.
- What do you think are the pros and cons of restoring old, damaged paintings or objects? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Scientists say the new digital method can restore a damaged painting in just a few hours instead of taking many months. Do you think making things faster is always a good thing? What could be the risks of working too quickly on important things? Discuss.
- In your daily life, are there things that used to take more time but are now much faster because of technology (ex. shopping, learning)? Has this change been good or bad for you? Why? Discuss.