This is Scientific American's 60 Second Science.

I'm Christopher Intagiyata.

For 4500 years, the Great Pyramid or Kufu's Pyramid

has kept watch over the Egyptian desert. In that time it's suffered the indignities of

Tomb Raiders and gunpowder toting archaeologists, a la Indiana Jones. But the latest investigation of the

pyramid's mysteries is far more sophisticated and it takes a page from particle physics.

Scientists use muons, a byproduct of the cosmic rays constantly raining down on our planet to image the interior of the pyramid.

The particles interact differently with stone than with empty space, and that fact led the

scientist to discover a previously unknown hundred foot long void sitting somewhere above

the pyramid's grand gallery.

The good news is the void is there.

The other good news is that this void is very big.

Now what is it? We need the help of all the people.

Medi Taubi of the Heritage Innovation

Institute and an author of a paper detailing the findings in the journal Nature.

Maybe a egyptologist and and specialist in ancient Egyptian architecture will provide us with some

hypothesis that we can use for simulation and to compare with the data that we have to try to find a kind of architectural

explanation for this voice.

Until then, the newly discovered space will be just one of many enduring mysteries of this very old wonder of the world.

Thanks for listening.

For Scientific American 60 Second Science,

I'm Christopher Intellata.

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