Latest news with #Biondi
National Geographic
16-04-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
Is there really a secret city under Egypt's pyramids?
Two Italian scientists claim to have discovered 38,000-year-old structures buried deep beneath the pyramids. But there's a big reason to be skeptical. Sun above the pyramid of Khafre at Giza Photograph by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux For the past few weeks, the internet has been abuzz with stories about a secret city allegedly located under the Pyramids at Giza. A research team led by retired organic chemist Dr. Corrado Malanga and former academic and remote sensing expert Dr. Filippo Biondi, claim to have discovered and reconstructed enormous 38,000-year-old structures buried deep underneath the pyramid of Khafre at Giza. In a press conference held in Italy, Malanga and Biondi announced that through the development of a new proprietary method for interpreting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) signals, they were able to detect structures two kilometers beneath the Khafre pyramid. According to Malanga and Biondi, they discovered eight shafts, surrounded by spiral pathways, that connect to two 90-meter cube-shaped structures. Above the shafts, they claim to have found five structures connected to one another by passageways. Using what appears to be AI-generated reconstructions, they, and others, have hypothesized that these structures are part of a legendary ancient city or even a prehistoric power-generating structure (i.e. a power station). Rumors of hidden structures underneath the Giza plateau are nothing new. The idea dates to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus and intermittently bubbled to the surface of popular consciousness throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. They became particularly popular among French scholars in the 19th century and again in the 20th century when American psychic Edgar Cayce popularized the idea that a secret hall of records was buried underneath the pyramid complex. The concept of a power station, allegedly built by aliens, has also been bouncing around pseudoscientific circles for a while. It is part of a broader conspiracy theory that credits impressive ancient architectural projects to aliens. (How cosmic rays helped find a tunnel in Egypt's Great Pyramid.) This newest iteration of the pyramid conspiracy theory has captured public attention because of the scientific credentials of its authors. In the past Malanga and Biondi published a peer-reviewed article on the internal structure of the Khafre pyramid. Though these newer sensational claims have not been peer-reviewed, and one of the authors is well known for publishing books about aliens, the combination of doctorates and an allegedly new technology has captured public attention. The story went viral and was picked up by InfoWars, Joe Rogan, Piers Morgan, and other critics of 'mainstream archeology.' 'These claims were received by a public primed for such news from long time claims of mysterious, hidden chambers under the pyramid,' says Dr. Flint Dibble, a well-respected archeologist and science communicator who has headed up 3-D digital mapping projects for a large excavation at Abydos in Egypt and teaches at Cardiff University. 'And they appeared legit because of the conflation of peer-reviewed research and the degrees that the scholars hold.' But as other experts have pointed out, the problem with the lost city hypothesis is that it uses an unproven technology, takes imaginative leaps in its reconstructions, and fails to account for what we know about the archeology of the region. (Who built the pyramids of Giza?) Shallow Radar Technology To begin with, there are the methods involved in scanning the ground beneath the Giza plateau. As Dibble and public archeologist Milo Rossi have explained, these methods have never been confirmed or proven, nor have they been independently verified. Synthetic aperture radar only detects up to two meters underground in similar conditions. It is difficult to imagine that SAR is providing credible information about structures 2,000 meters beneath the surface. The pyramids of Giza with Cairo in the foreground. Photograph by Alex Saberi, Nat Geo Image Collection To be clear, Malanga and Biondi have not discovered a new way of detecting structures two kilometers beneath the ground; instead they claim to have a new method of interpreting these synthetic aperture radar signals. If one compares the images of the radar signals published in the report with the reconstructions they generated, it is clear how much artistic license is being taken in the interpretation of the images. The technology does not allow scientists to create an entire 3-D model or produce the kinds of cross-sections envisioned in the reconstructions. As Dibble joked with Rossi in one podcast, the reconstruction appears to be based on the reactor room of Total Recall. Alongside public educators like Dibble and Rossi, other established academics have criticized the discovery. Professor Lawrence B. Conyers, an expert in ground-penetrating radar at the University of Denver, told the Daily Mail that the claims of a vast city are 'a huge exaggeration.' Egyptian archeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, the former Ministry of Antiquities, called the claims 'baseless' and noted that the Egyptian Council of Antiquities did not grant permits for this kind of study to take place in the Khafre pyramid. Summing up the interpretative and practical issues, Dr. Sarah Parcak, an award-winning scholar at the University of Alabama who uses cutting-edge satellite imagery to better improve our understanding of Egyptian archeology, said, 'I could get any satellite imagery to look almost any way I wanted with enough manipulation… I think that's what these guys, they've done. They've misinterpreted the data. And the satellite imagery … SAR data can't see through rock, period.' Water, Water, Everywhere More problematic, Dibble explained, is the study's curious avoidance of all the archeological data about Giza plateau that was painstakingly collected over the past two centuries. All these studies, which utilized geochemical analysis, satellite remote sensing, seismic refraction, muon scans, electrical resistivity tomography, ultrasonic testing, ground penetrating radar, and magnetometry, have been carefully checked against one another and in some instances confirmed through excavation and drilling into the bedrock. The cumulative weight of this evidence has led to a robust understanding of what lies beneath the pyramids, how the pyramids were built, and when they were constructed. The most relevant piece of data here is the water table at Giza. An intensive study performed by Sharafeldin et al in 2019 revealed that the water table at Giza is only a few dozen meters under the surface of the plateau. The proximity of the groundwater, Dibble said, means that even today the Sphinx and other monuments are slowly eroding from water that sometimes 'wicks' up from beneath the ground. What this means for this new study is that if there really were megastructures some 2,000 meters underneath the pyramids, they would always have been part of an underwater city. Think Aquaman's Atlantis, not Amsterdam, Venice, or even the mythical Atlantis that fell into the sea. (Meet the anti-Indiana Jones solving the pyramids' secrets.) In general, water is a critical part of understanding the life course of the pyramids. The pyramids were built soon after the end of the African humid period when greater rainfall meant that the Sahara was more like a verdant savannah. A recent study by Sheisha et al in 2022 showed that during the period of construction the Kufu branch of the Nile extended right up to the Giza plateau, facilitating the transport of the stones needed for the construction of the pyramids. We do not need aliens when we have water.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Families of COVID nursing-home victims blast Cuomo lawsuit being tossed: ‘He should be in prison'
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo all but got away with murder this week when a federal judge tossed a lawsuit blaming his administration for thousands of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, disgusted relatives told The Post. Patricia Biondi, one of eight plaintiffs in the $10 million wrongful-death suit, called Manhattan federal Judge Katherine Polk Failla's Monday decision to dismiss the case over lack of evidence a 'bad joke,' adding Cuomo – the frontrunner in NYC's mayoral race — 'mismanaged the whole COVID crisis' as governor. 'He's just walking away scot free, and he has the nerve to run for office again?' said Biondi, 72, of Wappingers Falls, NY, whose husband of over 30 years, Michael, 77, died of the bug in November 2020 — just a month after checking into a Mohegan Lake nursing home for physical therapy. 'Cuomo should be in prison – not running for office,' she said. 'I think what he did was horrendous.' 'He's a real piece of work,' added Biondi, who said neither she nor her two daughters and four granddaughters got to say goodbye to Michael because of strict pandemic restrictions. Cuomo wound up striking a $5.1 million book deal to write a memoir about leading the state during the pandemic. Stacie Druckman, 52, said she holds Cuomo and his administration responsible for the April 2020 death of her 73-year-old father, Arthur Druckman, at a Bronx nursing home. Cuomo, she said, 'shouldn't be allowed to run' for mayor. 'People are forgetting what happened, but some people like me aren't,' she said. Both Biondi and Druckman said they want to appeal the judge's decision, but Biondi conceded it would be a 'longshot' to find a judge in New York who'd rule against Cuomo. Their lawyer, Joseph Ciaccio, did not return messages but previously told Law 360, 'We will continue to explore all options.' The Cuomo administration issued a controversial directive on March 25, 2020, forcing New York nursing homes to take in COVID-19 patients who were discharged from hospitals, which some experts have said contributed to thousands of deaths. The directive was issued in response to many hospitals statewide – especially in NYC – being overwhelmed with patients and lacking enough beds. The plaintiffs in the 2023 suit contend their loved ones' deaths were a result of the directive, accusing Cuomo, his top aide Melissa DeRosa and ex-state of Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker of depriving nursing home residents to 'fundamental rights to life, bodily integrity, and the right to personal security' as required under the 14th Amendment. The judge in a 44-page order Monday dismissing the suit said the plaintiffs' claims failed to pass legal muster because the state didn't 'create' the virus or imprison the residents. 'The court's sympathy for plaintiffs and their loved ones simply cannot supplant governing law,' the judge wrote. Brooklyn federal Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall in September dismissed a similar 2022 suit filed by borough resident Daniel Arbeeny, whose father contracted the virus in a Brooklyn nursing home and died. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi hailed the latest ruling, proclaiming, 'once again, justice has prevailed.' 'As we pass the fifth anniversary of COVID, the pain of those who have lost loved ones continues to be weaponized for political purposes and electoral gain at the highest levels,' he said. 'However, anytime this issue gets taken out of the press or the political arena and into the courts, the truth wins.' 'We are very sorry for her loss, but Mr. Biondi passed seven months after the [state Department of Health] guidance was no longer in place — showing once again how much people's pain was weaponized and politicized to the point where there is no relationship to the facts,' added Azzopardi.
The National
23-03-2025
- Science
- The National
Egyptologist questions claims of hidden tunnels and chambers under Giza pyramids
Recent reports circulating on social media about the supposed discovery of a vast hidden network of chambers and tunnels beneath the Great Pyramid of Giza have been categorically denied by Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former minister of antiquities. The archaeologist said the claims were 'completely wrong' and lacking any scientific basis. The viral reports were based on a paper published in October 2022 in the MDPI journal Remote Sensing, in which researchers Filippo Biondi and Corrado Malanga said they used an innovative radar technique to map the interior of the pyramids in unprecedented detail. The authors reported finding an extensive underground complex, including unexplored chambers, passageways, and even a large void connected to the pyramid's known Grand Gallery. However, Dr Hawass dismissed their findings as 'fake news.' 'The claim of using radar inside the pyramid is false, and the techniques employed are neither scientifically approved nor validated,' he said. Mr Biondi and Mr Malanga's methodology relied on analysing ambient vibrations and seismic waves to estimate 'micro-movements' of the pyramid, which they claim enabled high-resolution 3D tomography of the interior, according to their research paper. However, experts including Dr Hawass have called into question whether this approach could realistically penetrate the pyramid's dense stone to the claimed depths of more than 100 metres. The authors propose an unconventional interpretation of the pyramid as a kind of "giant resonance chamber" designed to be filled with water and generate low-frequency vibrations, rather than solely serving as a pharaonic tomb. They suggest that the pyramid's eight-sided shape and interior chambers were designed to channel water and create a vibrational effect for "curative and religious purposes". However, this theory is regarded by sceptics as highly speculative and not supported by archaeological evidence. While the idea of hidden chambers in the Great Pyramid has long fascinated the public imagination, Dr Hawass's team said that decades of rigorous scientific investigations by Egyptian and international experts have yielded no credible evidence for the claimed structures. Previous studies using muon tomography, gravimetry and conventional radar have detected a few small voids but nothing resembling the massive network described by Mr Biondi and Mr Malanga. Despite the lack of scientific substantiation, the researchers' claims rapidly went viral on social media, racking up millions of views and shares. This underscores the need for caution and scepticism when evaluating sensational archaeological 'discoveries' that have not undergone proper scientific vetting and peer review. As Dr Hawass and other Egyptologists have long stressed, unlocking the enduring mysteries of the pyramids requires a patient, evidence-based approach grounded in rigorously tested and validated methods.
The National
23-03-2025
- Science
- The National
Renowned Egyptologist debunks claims of hidden tunnels and chambers under Giza pyramids
Recent reports circulating on social media about the supposed discovery of a vast hidden network of chambers and tunnels beneath the Great Pyramid of Giza have been categorically denied by Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former minister of antiquities. The renowned archaeologist denounced the claims as 'completely wrong' and lacking any scientific basis. The viral reports were based on a paper published in October 2022 in the MDPI journal Remote Sensing, in which researchers Filippo Biondi and Corrado Malanga claimed to have used a novel radar technique to map the interior of the pyramids in unprecedented detail. The authors reported finding an extensive underground complex, including previously unknown chambers, passageways, and even a large void connected to the pyramid's known Grand Gallery. However, Dr Hawass dismissed their findings as 'fake news.' 'The claim of using radar inside the pyramid is false, and the techniques employed are neither scientifically approved nor validated,' the renowned archaeologist said. Mr Biondi and Mr Malanga's methodology relied on analysing ambient vibrations and seismic waves to estimate 'micro-movements' of the pyramid, which they claim enabled high-resolution 3D tomography of the interior, according to their research paper. However, experts including Dr Hawass have called into question whether this approach could realistically penetrate the pyramid's dense stone to the claimed depths of more than 100 metres. The authors propose an unconventional interpretation of the pyramid as a kind of 'giant resonance chamber' designed to be filled with water and generate low-frequency vibrations, rather than solely serving as a pharaonic tomb. They suggest that the pyramid's eight-sided shape and interior chambers were designed to channel water and create a vibrational effect for 'curative and religious purposes'. However, this theory is highly speculative and not supported by archaeological evidence. While the idea of hidden chambers in the Great Pyramid has long fascinated the public imagination, Dr Hawass's team emphasised that decades of rigorous scientific investigations by Egyptian and international experts have yielded no credible evidence for the claimed structures. Previous studies using muon tomography, gravimetry and conventional radar have detected a few small voids but nothing resembling the massive network described by Mr Biondi and Mr Malanga. Despite the lack of scientific substantiation, the researchers' claims rapidly went viral on social media, racking up millions of views and shares. This underscores the need for caution and scepticism when evaluating sensational archaeological 'discoveries' that have not undergone proper scientific vetting and peer review. As Dr Hawass and other Egyptologists have long stressed, unlocking the enduring mysteries of the pyramids requires a patient, evidence-based approach grounded in rigorously tested and validated methods.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
$71 million program for EV charging stations in Eastern Washington suspended after Federal memo
Feb. 8—A program to award $71 million in grant funding to install electric vehicle charging stations along priority "alternative fuel corridors" throughout Eastern Washington is on pause following a new directive from the Federal Highway Administration. On Thursday, Emily Biondi, associate administrator of the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty at the Federal Highway Administration, notified the heads of state transportation departments throughout the country that the new leadership at the agency has "decided to review the policies underlying the implementation" of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. The program, included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was set to distribute $5 billion to states to "strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability," according to the Federal Highway Administration. "Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved," Biondi wrote Thursday. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the directive halts $102 million that was meant for Washington. "WSDOT doesn't spend the money itself, we award it to grant applicants for programs and projects," Barbara LaBoe, acting deputy communications director for the agency, wrote in an email. As of Friday, WSDOT is seeking additional information about the specifics of the suspension. WSDOT has suspended two programs that total more than $90 million. One program would award grant funds to install electric vehicle charging stations alongside fuel corridors in the state, which WSDOT was set to receive and distribute $71 million in the program. While applications for the program were due by the end of January, the agency has not distributed funds due to a "lack of clarity" around the federal funding. According to the request for proposal for the program, WSDOT had identified five priority "Alternative Fuel Corridors" in the state, most of which would have filled gaps in charging stations for motorists driving to or through the Spokane area, and planned to install between 14 and 19 fueling stations along the corridors throughout the state. "WSDOT is tracking existing and planned stations that meet port, power, and distance requirements to ensure deploying NEVI infrastructure meets the most critical gaps on our Interstates and US Routes," the request for proposal states. WSDOT has identified U.S. Highway 195from Spokane to the Idaho border, U.S. Highway 395 from Spokane to the Canadian border, U.S. Highway 2 from Leavenworth to Newport and Interstate 90 from Seattle to the Idaho border as priority alternative fuel corridors in the program. Under the program, grants would have covered up to 80% of the project costs, with applicants required to cover at least 20%. WSDOT has also paused a program to install medium- and heavy-duty truck charging and hydrogen refueling stations along Interstate 5 and at transportation hubs. The project, which was part of a tri-state grant also awarded to California and Oregon, was in the planning phase. Grants for the project totaled $102 million, with WSDOT receiving $21.1 million. As of Friday, WSDOT plans to proceed with a $10.1 million grant program to repair electric vehicle charging equipment in the state. According to information from the Federal Highway Administration, the program will fix 560 charging stations in the state. WSDOT said the entirety of the spending in the program has already been authorized. In her memo, Biondi wrote that "reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed in order to not disrupt current financial commitments." The WSDOT was one of 14 state departments of transportation and 10 local entities awarded competitive funding.
