Cosmic rays reveal the secrets of Egypt’s pyramids!

Some of the mysteries surrounding Egypt’s great pyramids will be explored using space-age technology according to a statement released by the country’s Minister of Antiquities. The “Scan Pyramids” project will use cosmic rays to solve the enigma of the ancient pyramids at Dahshur and Giza, aiming to provide better understanding of their architecture and interior design.

Cosmic rays are high-energy, subatomic particles that typically originate outside our solar system. They naturally bombard Earth, crashing into the atmosphere and triggering a cascade of lower energy particles. Physicists have harnessed their power to make 3D images of impossible-to-reach places, now helping to predict earthquakes and volcanoes. Think of it as a cosmic CT scan, only for buildings. The technique could one day be used to reveal corrosion within inaccessible pipes and valves, or degradation within buried masonry, without harming the facilities under assessment, the environment, nor the workers involved in the projects.

The Scan Pyramids project will be the first time that a cosmic rays laboratory has been established outside Japan, and only the second one ever created.

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Cosmic rays reveal the secrets of Egypt’s pyramids!