Ancient History

The Science of Pyramid Construction: Weighing the Great Pyramid

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The Great Pyramid of Giza is an awe-inspiring example of ancient Egyptian ingenuity with pyramid construction. It was built around 2560 BCE during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu. And, it is the oldest and biggest of the three pyramids which make up the Giza pyramid complex. This colossal structure held the record as the world’s tallest human-made structure for over 3,800 years. This changed in 2010, when the UAE built the Burj Khalifa. The Great Pyramid’s precise construction uses an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks and continues to baffle modern engineers and archaeologists. What they can all agree on, though, is that it is incredible.

Insects

Spider Ballooning: How Spiders Fly

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Have you ever seen tiny spiders floating through the air on silken threads? This phenomenon is called spider ballooning, and it is the unique way some spiders fly to the skies. These spiders are excellent paragliders! Ballooning lets spiders travel long distances and find new homes. Spider ballooning isn’t just cool to watch – it plays a big role in how spider populations spread and thrive.

Mammals

The Link Between Squirrels and Power Outages

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Did you know that tiny, furry creatures can cause big power problems? Squirrels and power outages go hand in hand. In fact, in some areas they cause more power outages than any other source, other animals, and natural disasters combined. These bushy-tailed troublemakers have a knack for getting into places they shouldn’t, often with shocking results (literally!). Squirrels have caused outages in 49 of the 50 US states — the only state missing is Hawaii, and that’s because there are no squirrels there.