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Hong Kong Dentist Crafts Robotic Tools To Explore Egyptian Pyramids

Posted by timothy on from the ya-gotta-have-a-hobby dept.

asavin writes "Ng Tze-chuen, a 59-year-old dentist, is teaming up with Egypt's former antiquities minister to explore the Pyramids of Giza. To do this, he's invented a tiny insect-sized robot with dental forcep-inspired grips on the top. This will be used to travel between the cracks on two mysterious doors blocking a tomb."

10 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Zahi Hawass by martin-boundary · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why not name the "former antiquities minister"? Zahi Hawass has been on practically every TV show about the pyramids for as long as some slashdotters have lived. He was a consultant on the Indiana Jones set. I think he deserves more than being some anonymous Egyptian former minister.

    1. Re:Zahi Hawass by n3r0.m4dski11z · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That guy is a complete xenophobe. I wouldn't trust a word he said. He goes on "crusades" liberating Egyptian relics from museums in other parts of the world. He personally dictated if you got to see off limits spaces, off limits relics in "his" sites in the country.

      He got kicked when the fascists were overthrown.

      That said, this is very interesting because that is the one mystery left (unless there is another door :P). Is there alien shit in there? is it just a pile of poop? If you watch any recent documentary about the pyramids, its always leaves you with a mysterious allure of the It is like finding jimmy hoffa or something.

      http://news.discovery.com/history/great-pyramid-secret-door-mystery-111209.html

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    2. Re:Zahi Hawass by hot+soldering+iron · · Score: 4, Informative

      There're rumors that he's been stealing other groups discoveries for years. He would closely monitor their progress, then kick the team out of the country just as they're about to make a big discovery. Come back a couple years later to their dig, and "discover" whatever the other team had found. Since EVERY team had to go through him and his office, it was very easy (and lucrative) for him to do.

      Like I said, rumors. It just sounds like the truth. Is it? Don't know. But a lot of archaeologists are glad he's "former antiquities minister" now.

      --
      When you want something built, come see me. If you want correct grammar and spelling, get a F*ing liberal arts student.
    3. Re:Zahi Hawass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      It was Zahi Hawass that had made sure it took 9 years for Gatenbrink to be able to go back inside the pyramid to attempt to get past the 'door'. I also think he had found something under the sphinx, they mentioned it on one of the crappy Fox shows that he did, but then the show ended without actually showing anything. I always pegged Hawass as a criminal of some sort.

    4. Re:Zahi Hawass by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 4, Informative

      > That guy is a complete xenophobe.

      That's putting it rather nicely. He's an Egyptian bigot with an ego the size of the pyramid. His arrogance is completely unable to accept the fact that the progress of civilization is cyclic NOT linear.

      He is also completely unable to accept the fact that the Sphinx had _water_ erosion. Geologists don't give a shit about the "status quo" of history / archeology. Rocks don't lie. Now the interpretation may be faulty, but when you have 200+ geologists accepting the conclusion, that's pretty damning evidence that Zahi is not interested in facts that burst his little bubble.

      Some geologists dated it be around 12,000 BC, others not so old. Fore more details, see the conflicting theories.

      http://www.robertschoch.com/sphinxcontent.html

      and

      http://www.grahamhancock.com/forum/TempleR1.php

    5. Re:Zahi Hawass by FreakyGreenLeaky · · Score: 2

      amen to that.

      he's wielded far too much personal power (bestowed upon him by a dictator) and blocked/interfered with important research over the years.

      fuck him.

  2. Frugal Innovation by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 2

    TFA is another example of what is known as Frugal Innovation - that is, to tap into devices that have already been invented and find new usage for them

    Bravo to the Hong Kong dentist and to all the inventors out there !

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Frugal Innovation by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Funny

      Bravo to the Hong Kong dentist and to all the inventors out there !

      Well, I think he's a little bit too long in the tooth to be cutting his teeth on doing archeology, but hey, you never know.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  3. Upuaut but not as tiny by future+assassin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Upuaut_Project

    There was a very cool show about it several years ago.

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    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  4. Re:endoscope? by nurb432 · · Score: 2

    I say break them if need be. The pyramid wont last forever, and i think its worth a little bit of damage in the name of science. its not like we are talking looting or anything.

    All they will find is a chamber, most likely with some figurines representing the king and his wife on their journey to become gods, but it will still be cool to get to see it.

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    ---- Booth was a patriot ----