Egyptian officials have revealed that a 3,000-year-old golden bracelet stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was melted down and sold for about $4,000. A restoration specialist at the museum reportedly confessed to taking the artifact, which belonged to Pharaoh Amenemope of the 21st dynasty, a ruler during the Third Intermediate Period. Although his reign lasted only nine years, Amenemope’s tomb is notable as one of only three royal burial sites found intact; most have been looted over the centuries. Egyptian law imposes strict penalties for artifact theft, with punishments reaching life imprisonment and fines of roughly $200,000.
How do you topple a governor who treats a state like his personal ATM?
James Ibori rose from petty London theft to governor of Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta State, flaunting Bentleys, private jets, and six-figure credit card bills on a $40,000 salary. In London, Scotland Yard detective Jonathan “JB” Benton followed the money through shell companies, crooked enablers, and a plush office near the Ritz. A search of its fireplace revealed two hidden hard drives, the blueprint of Ibori’s laundering empire.
But power fought back. In Abuja, Nigeria’s anti-corruption chief, Nuhu Ribadu, was offered $15 million to close the case, then ambushed with gunfire when he refused. Immunity shielded Ibori while he was in office, and influence bought him time afterward. Then came the break: a private jet inbound to Dubai. Benton made the call, and Dubai police pulled Ibori from the plane, though bail left him living in luxury on the Palm instead of behind bars.
Join Jonathan Benton in this week’s podcast selection, 'Bring Down the Big Man', as the hunt closes in on a governor who thought he was untouchable.
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What happens when the sun’s winds collide with Earth?
A SpaceX rocket has deployed three spacecraft to study the solar wind, the stream of charged particles constantly flowing from the sun. Formed in the star’s outer atmosphere, the solar wind shapes a magnetic bubble called the heliosphere, which shields the solar system from high-energy radiation.
NASA’s probe will focus on both the solar wind and the heliosphere, while a second mission will examine how Earth’s upper atmosphere responds to solar storms. The third, managed by NOAA, will provide real-time monitoring after its previous probe went offline in July. Understanding solar storms is critical, since powerful bursts can disrupt global telecommunications and satellite systems.
Image Credit: NASA
Articles
Secret Cities
Where do you hide a city?
Some are carved into salt mines, others buried beneath English villages or fenced off by the Soviets. During WWII, the US secretly built entire towns for the Manhattan Project, housing more than 100,000 people who didn’t officially exist. In Germany, the Soviets turned Wünsdorf into “Little Moscow,” a base for 75,000 soldiers and families hidden in a pine forest. Britain even built a vast underground city in Wiltshire to shelter the government if nuclear war broke out.
From Poland’s extraordinary salt mines to Cold War tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar, the world is dotted with ghostly places that once thrived in total secrecy. Discover more in this SPYSCAPE article.
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What does it take to rebuild a landmark scarred by fire?
Nearly six and a half years after flames engulfed its roof, Notre Dame’s towers and upper levels reopened today in Paris. Visitors can once again climb its 424 steps to the bell towers and gaze at the cathedral’s iconic gargoyles.
The restoration sought to honor the Gothic craftsmanship of the 13th century, requiring over 1,000 oak trees and the work of more than 2,000 artisans. Before the fire, Notre Dame drew over 11 million visitors a year. Since partially reopening, attendance has surged, with tickets for this weekend selling out in just 24 minutes.
Quirky
Pasta Physics
What happens when physicists take on Cacio e pepe?
An Italian research team has won an Ig Nobel Prize for studying how cheese, water, and pepper combine to prevent clumping in the classic pasta dish. ISTA scientist Fabrizio Olmeda and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, the University of Padua, and the University of Barcelona analyzed the interaction between starch and fat in Pecorino Romano, identifying the precise conditions that prevent the sauce from becoming sticky.
The Ig Nobel Prizes, awarded annually since 1991, honor “research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think.” Past awards have been given to studies on a wide range of topics, from reindeer behavior to upside-down rhinos!
Image Credit: ISTA
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