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Massive Mayan city in Guatemala jungle discovered, thanks to laser technology
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Forest burns in the El Peten area of northern Guatemala in this May 10, 1998 photo. Smoke from hundreds of forest fires raging in Central America and southern Mexico is drifting more than 2,000 miles north, causing health and air traffic problems in states from Texas to Florida.(AP Photo/Mynor DeLeon-PRENSA LIBRE) - photo by Herb Scribner
Researchers recently uncovered more than 60,000 houses, palaces, highways and other hidden Mayan ruins in Guatemala, thanks to laser technology, according to National Geographic.

The new laser technology called Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR digitally removed the tree canopy from aerial images of the now-unpopulated landscape, revealing the ruins of a sprawling pre-Columbian civilization that was far more complex and interconnected than most Maya specialists had supposed, according to National Geographic.

The researchers uncovered more than 810 square miles of ruins in the northern Petn area of Guatemala, which is thought to have been home to millions more people than other research had previously suggested, according to BBC.

"I think this is one of the greatest advances in over 150 years of Maya archaeology," Stephen Houston, professor of archaeology and anthropology at Brown University, told BBC.

The research suggests that Central America may have supported a large population that would have put it on the scale of Greece and China.

According to National Geographic, the technology revealed highways connecting urban centers and quarries. Complex irrigation and terracing systems supported intensive agriculture capable of feeding masses of workers who dramatically reshaped the landscape.

Ithaca College archaeologist Thomas Garrison told Popular Mechanics that the fences and canals show that the civilization likely had a fully operating workforce.

"Everything is turned on its head," he told BBC.

Canuto said that its surprising these structures were hiding in plain sight, according to Popular Mechanics.

"As soon as we saw this we all felt a little sheepish because these were things that we had been walking over all the time, he said.

Marcello Canuto, a Tulane University archaeologist, told National Geographic that the new technology will change the way people view population growth in that region of the world.

Weve had this Western conceit that complex civilizations cant flourish in the tropics, that the tropics are where civilizations go to die, he said.

Lisa Lucero, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois, agreed, saying this finding proves people can live in a forest without having to destroy the environment, LiveScience reported.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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