News: 3D technology used to virtually dissect mummy

According to the San Franciso Chronicle, Silicon Graphics has teamed up with the British Museum to probe a 3,000 year old Egyptian mummy using powerful 3D visualization technology, without having to unwrap the body. The article says a CT scan machine -- similar to what is used in hospitals -- was used to create 1,500 scans of the mummy in London. A $600,000 SGI system in California then used the scans to create highly detailed 3D images, which allow researchers to virtually "dissect" the body, and determine medical conditions that may have affected the health of the subject. The article states that the technology may have applications in modern autopsies.