Daily Mail - 19.08.2019

Page 25

Deciphered,

Brunel’s poor

handwriting

A COMPUTER is helping to decode the

‘almost impossible to read’ handwriting

of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

A software program has been designed

to decipher the great engineer’s diaries

and documents because the work has

become too time consuming for research-

ers at the SS Great Britain Trust.

The computer is becoming proficient

and can read 65 per cent of Brunel’s

words, providing insight into the work

and theories of the 19th century engineer

best known for designing the Clifton Sus-

pension Bridge in Bristol.

A Trust spokesman said: ‘Brunel’s hand-

writing style is particularly tricky;

although elegant and beautiful, it is

almost impossible to read. By teaching

the software to read handwritten arte-

facts, collections can be deciphered.’

SS Great Britain has around 65,000

pieces of Brunel memorabilia. Instead of

checking each in triplicate – as happened

under the old system – Transkribus Arti-

ficial Intelligence software has built a pro-

file of Brunel’s handwriting. The program,

designed by the University of Innsbruck

with University College London, needs a

minimum of 15,000 words of transcribed

handwriting to work. ‘We now excitedly

await the outcome of our first upload,’

said the spokesman.

A YOUNG care

assistant died after

taking ‘at least ten’

ecstasy tablets and

falling from a cliff,

an inquest heard.

Anastazja Zofia

Plusa, pictured,

was found dead on

April 15 on a Cor-

nish beach by a

dog walker, wearing just her underwear

and a pair of Converse trainers.

An inquest into the 22-year-old’s death

revealed she had taken a ‘massive’

amount of MDMA before falling to her

death on Perranporth beach.

Friday’s inquest, in Truro, Cornwall,

heard how she deleted her Facebook

account, quit the family WhatsApp group

and reset her iPad before her death.

Miss Plusa was born in Lodz, Poland,

and moved to Cornwall in 2016, where

she worked as a care assistant and

started a relationship with a local man.

The coroner recorded a verdict

of misadventure.

Woman’s cliff fall

death after taking

10 ecstasy tablets

She’s a sensation with the bat – and has hit 4 centuries

• but critics of 6ft transgender women’s star say it’s...

A TRANSGENDER cricketer

has reignited a row over who

should be allowed to play

women’s sports after becoming

a star this season.

Maxine Blythin, who is more

than 6ft tall, has a batting average

of 124 and has hit four centuries.

But her success as Kent’s

first transgender woman cricketer

• playing in the Women’s
  Cricket Southern League – has
  upset campaign group Fair Play
  For Women.
  Trans women players are only
  tested for testosterone levels if they
  are selected to play for England – in
  line with England and Wales Cricket
  Board (ECB) rules.
  Fair Play For Women said the policy
  was unfair at a time when the game
  is improving opportunities for female

By Miles Dilworth

Star player: Maxine Blythin in action for Kent. Inset: Towering above her teammates

players. Dr Nicola Williams, director

of the group, said: ‘Female-only

teams are vital to uphold fair compe-

tition for women in cricket.

‘Opening up the women’s game to

cross-dressing males who do noth-

ing more than “identify as a woman”

shows utter contempt for the wom-

en’s game.

‘The ECB say they are proud of

their “inclusive policy” when in real-

ity this policy will exclude women

‘Demonstrably

unfair’

Just not cricket!

from their own game.

‘Your average male player will

be able to walk into the few

paid, professional opportuni-

ties created by the ECB for

exceptional women.

‘No reasonable person can say

this is fair or right.

‘Ways must be found to encour-

age more trans people to play

sport but sacrificing the wom-

en’s game is not the answer. If

you were born male you can’t

play female sport – it is as sim-

ple as that.’

Last week, Fair Play For

Women tweeted: ‘Letting males

who self-identify as women play

in women’s competitions is

demonstrably unfair.

‘The ECB knows males have a

performance advantage over

females. This is why it lets

women use lighter and smaller

cricket balls and why bounda-

ries are set closer.’

It came after Cricket Australia

last week said testosterone lev-

els would be tested in non-pro-

fessional leagues.

The move was influenced by

controversy over transgender

players such as Erica James,

44, who transitioned three

years ago.

She took female hormones two

months before taking up cricket

again in 2016.

The ECB is thought to be wor-

ried about a backlash against

transgender players.

A spokesman for the govern-

ing body said: ‘Our position on

transgender participation will

be reviewed as part of our ongo-

ing commitment to regularly

review all governance policies.

‘This will take place as part of

a business-as-usual principle –

and not in response to the

Cricket Australia policy around

trans athlete participation.

‘In our current policy, the eligi-

bility of players is based on one’s

own self-identified gender, with

no medical requirement.

‘We are unlikely to make any

unilateral changes to this

stance. We are proud that this

model promotes an inclusive

environment for all partici-

pants in domestic and recrea-

tional cricket.’

Tennis legend Martina Navra-

tilova stoked controversy when

she said trans women compet-

ing in sport was ‘insane’ and

amounted to ‘cheating’.

Former British swimmer Shar-

ron Davies has said transgender

athletes could ‘potentially game

the system’ by competing in

women’s sports when they have

a male sex advantage.

Kent Cricket chief Simon Sto-

rey said the club was ‘commit-

ted to promoting diversity and

inclusion’ within the sport.

He added: ‘Our policy on

transgender athletes is in line

with ECB policy and is applied

consistently across all levels of

the game in Kent.’

Miss Blythin was not available

for comment.

Daily Mail, Monday, August 19, 2019