Nosy AI reads a 300-year-old sealed letter — without opening it

Scientists have used an algorithm to read an unopened letter written 300 years ago — without breaking its seal. The note had been securely shut through an archaic process known as “letterlocking.” The method was used to secure written communications for centuries before the widespread adoption of envelopes in the 1830s. The intricate system of folds, tucks, and slits effectively turns the paper into its own envelope. Often, the notes were then sealed and ri