Lidar works by beaming a laser from a hand-held scanner from an airplane or up-close. The technology creates a virtual 3D map of the area, omitting the vegetation and leaving only the topography of the area. “There are entire cities we didn’t know about now showing up in the survey data,” said archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli, one of the leading scientists with the Foundation for Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage (Pacunam) which launched the project.
The new data also found thousands of residential homes, which helped scientists understand that the population of the territory was 11 million, nine million more than previously estimated. This puts the Maya on the same level as ancient Egyptian and ancient Chinese civilizations, both in terms of their population and level of advancement.
Constellations: Ancient Stories Hidden in the Night Sky
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An In-Depth Look at Palenque, Mexico in 4K
Palenque was once a flourishing city in the Mayan Empire. Take a close look at the Mesoamerican architectural marvel in this 4K video.
10 of the BEST Archeological Discoveries Made in 2020
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Ever Wonder What People Were Like Thousands of Years Ago?
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16 Jaw-Dropping Archeological Finds
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Egypt's 10 Most Jaw-Dropping Wonders
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Revolutionize Your Green Space: 12 Cool Garden Gadgets
Take your garden to the next level with the amazingly cool inventions and gadgets.
You Wouldn't Believe How Far Technology Has Come
Take a look at the advancements of technology in this video. Impressive.
Thought Nature is Wild? See It Under a Microscope
You won't believe the things you could discover by looking at everyday items under a microscope.
Is There Any Way To Destroy or Deflect Asteroids?
Watch an interview with Cathy Plesko, a leading scientist working on preparing for the dangers of an asteroid attack
10 Incredible Animal-Inspired Robots
Let's meet some incredibly realistic robotic animals.
First US Embryo to be 'Edited'; Rise of Genetic Changes!
Could the first human embryos be genetically modified?
Wow! Who Knew That Jupiter Was So Mesmerizing?
Take a look at Jupiter like you've never seen it before!
Experience the True Scale of Heavenly Bodies
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How It's Made: Merino Wool
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The McGurk Effect - Don't Believe Your Eyes!
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3 Surefire Ways to Always Identify Pseudoscience
Find out how you can identify pseudoscience, and learn how it differs from actual science.
24 Confusing Optical Illusions Explained - Fascinating!
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Let's Talk About Size, From Big to Huge.
an incredible discovery that leads us to a better and better understanding of these objects' true size.
Discover How Anesthesia Affects Your Body and Mind
If you were ever curious about how exactly anesthesia works, then this video has all the answers!
These Expensive Megaprojects Proved to be a Waste of Time
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12 Earliest Versions of Tech Inventions We Use Every Day
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This South African Plant May be the New Cannabis
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13 Incredible ROOF INNOVATIONS For Your House
Keep the roof of your house safe with these incredibly useful inventions.
Your Voice is as Unique As Your Fingerprints
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The Psychology Behind Why Some People Are Habitually Late
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The Oldest Medicines That Have Stood the Test of Time
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The History of Our Planet in One Beautiful Spiral...
This beautiful infographic offers us a remarkable story – the history of Planet Earth.
What Metals Do We Mine the Most? This Graph Shows All!
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15 Frightening Animals Early Humans Had to Live With
10 scary animals early cavemen in Africa had to deal with 200,000 years ago.
What is Your Consciousness? A Remarkable Video...
This video by Ted-ed searches to explain the origin of consciousness as well as what is consciousness.
14 of the Most Fascinating Specialized Tools You'll See
We bet you haven’t seen these unique tools before!
8 Lies We've Been Told About Electricity
These incorrect facts about electricity have been perpetuated long enough. It's time to disprove them.
20 Amazingly Simple Inventions That Make Life Easier
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These Ancient Inventions Have Got Scientists Stumped!
Here are 12 items from long ago which prove that our ancestors possessed knowledge and skills far more advanced than we once believed them to be.
16 Surprising Things I Never Knew About Sleeping!
Who knew there was so much we don't know about our most popular activity! Here are 16 facts you may not have known about your sleep.
17 Experiments That Produced Very Bizarre Results...
Take a look at this collection of photos showing how common people performed some fascinating accidental scientific experiments.
6 Signs That Someone is Listening on Your Cellphone Calls!
With technology advancing all the time, there is the ever-increasing chance of our phones being tapped. Here are 6 signs that your phone could be tapped.
A Tunnel Built by a Swarm of Robots - Jaw-Dropping!
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Do You Know What Alzheimer's Really Is?
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These Inventions Prove the Middle Ages Were Not So “Dark”
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Ever Wonder What Life Is Like if We Zoom In All the Way?
A selection of some of the winning photographs from Nikon's yearly macro photography contest.
25 Feats of Engineering that Leave Everyone Amazed
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These Wacky Inventions of the Past Appear Odd to Us Today!
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What Does Medicine ACTUALLY Do In the Body? Fascinating.
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WHY is Sugar So Devilishy Addictive?
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You Won't Believe That These Things Exist in Japan...
If there's one place on this planet that well and truly at the forefront of modern technology, it has got to be Japan, as these inventions prove...