Previous scanning projects have yielded exciting, but far more modest, discoveries than what would constitute an “underground city.” The ScanPyramids mission – led by Cairo University and the French HIP Institute – combined multiple technologies (muography, thermography, photogrammetry) to non-destructively probe four pyramids (Khufu, Khafre, Bent, Red). Besides the Big Void, ScanPyramids found a smaller hidden cavity behind Khufu’s north face chevrons (now known to be a corridor) . No publicized voids were detected in Khafre’s pyramid by that effort. In fact, Khafre’s pyramid has been relatively quiet in terms of revelations; its known internal layout consists of a single main burial chamber and a couple of short tunnels, and earlier scans (like Alvarez’s muon experiment) reported no significant anomalies. This was the status quo until claims emerged in 2025 of something dramatically different under Khafre…

Photo by Simon Berger

Dolphins have long captured our imagination as the geniuses of the ocean. These sleek marine mammals play in complex social groups, use curious tools, and even recognize themselves in mirrors. But what exactly makes a dolphin “intelligent,” and how do scientists know? In this feature, we dive into the world of dolphin cognition – from their remarkable brains and communication abilities to famous experiments (including one where a researcher lived with a dolphin in a flooded house!). We also explore real-world dolphin smarts in the wild and discuss how scientists today view the enigma of dolphin intelligence.

Photo by Freddy Jimenez

Imagine a material that’s almost lighter than a feather – so light it’s 99.8% air – yet solid enough to support a brick. It looks like a piece of ghostly blue smoke, but you can hold it in your hand. This isn’t science fiction; it’s aerogel, the world’s lightest solid. Aerogel earned the nickname “frozen smoke” for its wispy appearance, and for a time it even held the Guinness World Record for lowest-density solid. Despite being mostly air, aerogel can be remarkably strong and an excellent insulator. In fact, it can protect a flower from the heat of a flame – a visual demo that has captivated many observers. What started as a laboratory curiosity is now a material with out-of-this-world applications (literally – NASA has used it in space), as well as down-to-earth uses here at home.

Photo “Aerogel!” by jon collier, CC BY-SA 2.0