Results: Hidden in the Cambodian rainforest

Did you hear about this discovery?

By flying over the forest (734 square miles), the scientists fired lasers down to the ground that are then reflected back. LiDAR (light detection and ranging) was developed by the military to identify the location of submarines beneath the waves, but the technology can also see features on the ground beneath the forest canopy, and has proven to be an incredible tool in identifying details that are easily missed or hidden on the ground. Do you know about other places discovered using this technology? If you do, please let us know about it in the comments below.

There was once an extensive system of water channels and roads connecting numerous cities throughout the area, built centuries before archaeologists thought that the technology had reached the region. The defining signature of the Khmer empire, its immense hydraulic engineering program, may have been the downfall for this civilization. The Khmer empire is well known for building vast canals and reservoirs that enabled the people to manage the seasonal rains. In turn, this provided them with enough food and wealth to support such large communities. But at the Khmer's peak, it seems that a changing climate became more erratic, shifting dramatically between dry and wet periods. This, it seems, set in motion a series of declines from which the Khmer could not recover. Do you believe that lack of water can be a threat in the future for life on earth?

Can you mention any other civilization that was seriously affected by the lack of water?