This Huge Crater Hides a Secret + Other Weird Discoveries

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Transcript

00:00:00The next time you feel like complaining about your neighborhood, remember that some folks live inside a volcano crater.

00:00:06You can see their village on Google Maps when you look at the most beautiful island of Madagascar.

00:00:12There's an almost perfectly round dark spot on the map. Roads are running on both sides of it,

00:00:17but don't cross it. When you zoom in enough, you'll see a village with houses sitting in the middle of a crater.

00:00:24The nearest marked town is five miles away from it.

00:00:28You could think it's some tribe that's lived there for centuries and wouldn't move no matter what.

00:00:33But as you look at the maps from previous years, you can see it's not shrinking, but growing.

00:00:39The first houses appeared here in 2008.

00:00:43So, why would someone living in the 21st century

00:00:47willingly relocate to such a well-hidden and isolated location?

00:00:52This question was bothering the team of Vox, an American news website.

00:00:57They decided to solve the mystery with zero data available on the unusual village.

00:01:02The first logical step was to find someone local and just ask them about what was going on behind the crater walls.

00:01:09It was tricky from the start, as some places marked on Google around the area turned out to be fake and inspired by manga.

00:01:17The real places didn't have any contact information.

00:01:21Then, they reached out to an organization that had some pictures on Instagram posted from the nearest town.

00:01:27They responded, but it didn't help at all as they had never been near the mountain in question.

00:01:33So, the journalists decided to try and reach out to experts in agriculture and

00:01:38biogeography work who might have connections in the region.

00:01:42It was obvious at that point that a simple Google search or a couple of messages wouldn't help.

00:01:48So, they decided to ask someone based in Madagascar to go and see the place.

00:01:52The mystery chasers got in touch with the head of a local video production company.

00:01:57She was surprised that someone would live in that area because of earthquakes,

00:02:00but agreed to get a crew and travel around 85 miles from the capital of Madagascar to the village.

00:02:07They set the expedition date for January, in the middle of the rainy season.

00:02:12The closer they got to the location, the worse the roads became.

00:02:16At some point, they had to change from the car to motorbikes and finally walk to their destination for an hour.

00:02:23A storm interrupted their plans. They had to go back before it would become impossible to pass on the slippery terrain.

00:02:31For safety reasons, they decided to postpone their expedition until the end of the rainy season in May.

00:02:37In the four months between the two expeditions, the Vox team decided to learn more about the mysterious location.

00:02:45It turned out that the mountain dated back to the Cretaceous period, and it was volcanic.

00:02:51An expert explained that the mountain we see today must be 90 million years old,

00:02:56older than Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon.

00:02:59So, the volcano that was sitting here was long extinct.

00:03:03The massive surrounding the crater is a huge alkaline ring complex.

00:03:07It was once a thriving village because of its elevated position and access to fresh water.

00:03:13The soil here is really fertile, thanks to the alkaline chemicals in it.

00:03:18As the rainy season was over, the local crew was ready for another attempt to solve the mystery of the village inside the crater.

00:03:25This time, the weather and the roads were perfect.

00:03:29But there was a new problem. As they reached the village, the locals weren't too thrilled to see them.

00:03:35Finally, the leader of the Big Island Village, that's how its name translates, agreed to show them around.

00:03:42It turned out there were about 50 houses in the village and 300 people, all belonging to the Betsilio ethnic group.

00:03:49When their hometown became overcrowded, they knew it was time to look for a new home.

00:03:54One of the village elders knew this could be the new location.

00:03:58He traded cattle in the area and remembered this wide-open, empty space.

00:04:03So, they traveled around 240 miles from their old home to their new crater village.

00:04:09They grow cash crops, mostly lemons and oranges, and sell them at the markets in neighboring cities.

00:04:15Transporting goods is challenging because the roads leading to and around the village aren't in the best condition.

00:04:22The volcanic mountain witnessed the separation of Madagascar from India around 88 million years ago.

00:04:29Ever since the island has been isolated from the rest of the world and the result of this loneliness is a unique flora and fauna.

00:04:36There are 40 species of lemurs you won't find anywhere else on earth.

00:04:42All hail King Julian, if you know what I mean. Plus, there are about 800 species of butterflies.

00:04:4892% of Madagascar's mammals, 89% of its plant life and 95% of its reptiles can only be found here.

00:04:57So, if you want to meet creatures like the giraffe weevil, the panther chameleon, the tomato frog, the adorable predator fossa,

00:05:05cute lemurs like the sifaka or the indri and many other cool animals, you have to travel here.

00:05:14Scientists have three major theories on how the beautiful diversity of land animals made it to the island.

00:05:20First up, some species might have been chilling on Madagascar before it even became an island.

00:05:26Second theory, they swam or rafted their way from mainland Africa when the currents were feeling generous.

00:05:32Lastly, there's the land bridge idea.

00:05:35The problem is that there is hardly any fossil record in Madagascar between the time of the dinosaurs and about

00:05:422,000 years ago. In a new study, researchers compared the genes of modern-day

00:05:47Madagascar species with their mainland African relatives, trying to figure out when each animal's

00:05:53ancestors hitched a ride to the island. It turned out that some species in Madagascar have been there for over 80 million years.

00:06:02And have seen the island split from the Indian subcontinent.

00:06:05It means that creatures like the big-headed turtle survived the dinosaur extinction event 66 million years ago.

00:06:12But most of the reptiles, mammals and amphibians opted for a more adventurous journey.

00:06:18They descended from smaller animals that likely rafted their way to Madagascar.

00:06:23Lemurs, for example, probably had tiny ancestors like the mouse lemurs.

00:06:29Tortoises might have just floated across the Mozambique Channel without needing a raft to get to their destination.

00:06:36The first humans settled here just around a thousand and three hundred years ago.

00:06:41The island's name is still a bit of a linguistic mystery.

00:06:45Legend has it that Marco Polo, the famous Venetian merchant, gave it the name after getting his geography a bit mixed up.

00:06:52He confused it with the kingdom of Mogadishu in East Africa, did some mispronunciation and

00:06:58voila, Madagascar was born.

00:07:01Despite the uncertainty in its name's origin, language and culture point straight to Indonesia.

00:07:07Some scholars argue that the first settlers came here straight from Indonesia, with African influences sprinkled in later through migration.

00:07:16Others think it was a mix of several voyages along the coasts of India, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, creating a diverse melting pot.

00:07:24Most people on the island speak Malagasy, the national language, which is based on the Latin alphabet.

00:07:32French is also widely spoken and is officially recognized.

00:07:36If you're using vanilla on a regular basis, chances are that it comes from Madagascar.

00:07:42The island supplies around 80% of the world's natural vanilla and it makes

00:07:4825% of the country's exports.

00:07:51They also sell clothing and textiles, cloves, fish and shellfish and various food products overseas.

00:07:58They use most of the land to let their cattle wander and enjoy the juicy green grass.

00:08:04Some of the oldest villages used to be built on hilltops surrounded by huge ditches for defense.

00:08:10But later they've been rebuilt on lower grounds.

00:08:13It's more handy to do agriculture down there.

00:08:16So imagine you're 15 and you get bored of playing video games.

00:08:21Instead, to pass the time, you decide to give some attention to an old hobby of yours,

00:08:26tracking down lost Mayan cities. You've heard that some ancient civilizations are said to have built entire cities based on

00:08:34constellations. So you decide to check out whether that was true for the Mayans. You find a book containing all the

00:08:42constellations the Mayan civilization believed to exist. You open good old Google Maps and map every ancient Mayan city discovered to date.

00:08:50You start seeing that this information actually matches. And truly, the biggest ancient Mayan cities

00:08:57correspond to the brightest and biggest stars of the Mayan constellations.

00:09:02Okay, this is getting interesting.

00:09:04You manage to map out over 100 ancient cities when you suddenly notice something strange.

00:09:10There's an area in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico where archaeologists have unearthed two Mayan cities.

00:09:17But on the constellation map, there are three stars.

00:09:21Could this mean there is a long-lost city waiting to be discovered nearby?

00:09:26You might think this sounds too daydreaming, but the story is actually true.

00:09:31The previous account happened to a Canadian teenager named William Gadery.

00:09:36The boy is known as a science genius and had even won an award for the constellation theory

00:09:41we presented just now. When he noticed that a third city was missing from the 23rd constellation

00:09:47he was examining, he began to scour the internet for satellite pictures that could help him solve this mystery.

00:09:53He looked into images from NASA, JAXA, a Japan-based satellite company, and Google Earth.

00:10:00These images were still insufficient to answer his questions,

00:10:04so he reached out to a friend inside the Canadian Space Agency.

00:10:08His friend provided him with state-of-the-art satellite imagery that gave him the answer he was looking for.

00:10:15According to the images, there is a large square area right on the border of Mexico and Belize,

00:10:20which looks like the remains of a city.

00:10:23William took the images to a remote sensing expert known as Dr.

00:10:27Armin LaRocque from the University of New Brunswick.

00:10:30They studied the images thoroughly and concluded that the area could be housing 30 buildings and even a large pyramid.

00:10:38The scientific and archaeological community went crazy with the 15-year-old's discovery.

00:10:44Could this really be true?

00:10:46Some background. Lost Mayan cities began to be unearthed in the mid-20th century.

00:10:52Since then, ruins from cities such as Tikal, Palenique, and Uxmal have been rediscovered.

00:10:58The Mayans were one of the biggest pre-Columbian civilizations living in the Americas.

00:11:03They began to settle in the area as early as 1500 BCE.

00:11:08Experts believe that, at its height, the Mayan civilization consisted of over 40 cities with a population of millions of people.

00:11:16That's a crowd.

00:11:18And their cities were pretty interesting.

00:11:20Their civilization spanned over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, and Belize.

00:11:26They survived mainly on agriculture, so they developed a complex irrigation system in most of their cities.

00:11:32They built a series of ceremonial buildings, pyramids, plazas, and even courts for ball games.

00:11:39The Mayans were keen pyramid builders, but they also developed an advanced astronomical system.

00:11:45With whatever ancient technology they had, they were able to predict the exact location of planets, such as Venus and Mars,

00:11:53and they were able to predict the exact dates of eclipses.

00:11:57That's why the methodology William used to discover this long-lost Mayan city was unusual, but not completely surreal.

00:12:05The Mayans were keen astronomers, so it wouldn't be too strange that they built their major architectural feats in relation to the sky, would it?

00:12:14And they wouldn't be the first ones to be doing so.

00:12:17There is a famous fringe of Egyptology dedicated to studying how the Giza pyramids were built in perfect alignment with the Orion constellation,

00:12:26meaning that each pyramid was purposely built to align with one of the major stars of Orion's belt.

00:12:33According to William, he first had the idea to look at the Mayan constellations

00:12:38because he couldn't understand why the Mayans built their cities where they built them.

00:12:43Most major cities, such as Chichen Itza and Uxmal, aren't near any rivers or significant bodies of water.

00:12:50Instead, they're built on marginal lands and on top of mountains, which confused the 15-year-old.

00:12:56His next thought was that it might have something to do with astronomy.

00:13:00William named the new city he discovered Mouth of Fire, which is also my nickname, and he even won a Merit Award for his hard work.

00:13:07However, his theory was very much contested inside the archaeological community,

00:13:12and many Mayan experts worked to debunk William's findings.

00:13:16Some archaeologists say that constellation theories are too unscientific.

00:13:21Anthony Aveni, a renowned anthropologist and astronomer,

00:13:25referred to William's methodology as an act of creative imagination.

00:13:30He explained that there is no way to be sure what the Mayan constellations really were.

00:13:35It's all just hypothetical.

00:13:38Another debunking of William's findings came from Mayanist David Stewart,

00:13:43who said that the object identified on the satellite imagery is nothing but an old cornfield.

00:13:49His claim was supported by an expedition that took place near the area in 2021,

00:13:54when the archaeologists present reported there was nothing at all in this area.

00:13:59Still, a 15-year-old boy almost found a long-lost Mayan city,

00:14:04which is pretty exciting if you ask me.

00:14:07Similar techniques as those used by William are actually being used to unearth lost civilizations all over the world.

00:14:14According to space archaeologist Sarah Parquet,

00:14:17satellite imagery has been a key player in discovering ancient cities in Egypt and other places.

00:14:22Sarah herself spends most of her days scouring images for any sign

00:14:27of where there could have been cities long ago.

00:14:30What happens, she says, is that any time you have something buried,

00:14:34it's going to be covered either by vegetation, soil or sand,

00:14:38or some other modern construction on top of it,

00:14:41in order to assess whether there is something hidden under large canopies of vegetation or not.

00:14:47She uses infrared technology, for instance.

00:14:50A major recent discovery in Brazil was done in a similar way.

00:14:54Satellite imagery detected a network of trenches dating back to 200 to 1200 CE.

00:15:00These suggest settlements that could have supported around 60,000 people.

00:15:05But in this case, the satellite imagery did indeed correspond to what was on the ground.

00:15:11Researchers from the University of Florida found several mountains

00:15:15that were accompanied by ditches and geoglyphs.

00:15:18Archaeologists also found remnants of carefully designed walls,

00:15:23centered around plazas, much like the type of construction done by the ancient Mayans.

00:15:28Advances in satellite tech have also shed new light

00:15:31on long-discovered ancient Mayan cities, such as Tikal.

00:15:35Located in the heart of the Guatemalan jungle,

00:15:38Tikal is believed to have been the capital of the ancient Mayan empire.

00:15:42At its height, it was comparable in importance

00:15:45to cities such as London or New York in today's world.

00:15:49It was composed of a series of complex monuments,

00:15:52many of them believed to have been the resting places of kings and chiefs.

00:15:57Tikal is already known to have been big, but recent discoveries show

00:16:01it could have been even three times larger than what scientists originally believed.

00:16:06The main discovery revolves around a fortification on the outskirts of the city,

00:16:11indicating how far the original city stretched.

00:16:14And new discoveries still take place.

00:16:17In 2017, researchers also unearthed new clues

00:16:21regarding the potential causes of the decline of the Mayan civilization.

00:16:25Using data from a site in Cebul, located 62 miles southwest of Tikal,

00:16:31scientists analyzed radiocarbon data from ceramics and archaeological excavations

00:16:36to extract new information about the sudden demise of this great civilization.

00:16:41The information shows that, instead of a sudden collapse,

00:16:45the Mayans most likely collapsed in waves of social instability and political crises.

00:16:50These events are believed to have deteriorated Mayan city centers

00:16:54and began causing the dispersion of the Mayan population.

00:16:58Well, it seems like it's a prime time to uncover ancient ruins.

00:17:02You're entering the territory of an amazing but abandoned wildlife park.

00:17:08The animal cages are overgrown with grass.

00:17:11Small houses have been left for a long time

00:17:14and cobwebs and mold are everywhere.

00:17:17You walk into a dark building and see a green glow ahead.

00:17:22You approach and realize it's a large water tank.

00:17:26There's old green water in it,

00:17:29but you're attracted by the silhouette of a huge fish inside.

00:17:34You've just found a great white shark.

00:17:37Its body is in a formaldehyde solution,

00:17:40keeping it almost perfectly preserved.

00:17:43In 2012, wildlife wonderland in Australia ceased its operations.

00:17:49All the animals were moved from there,

00:17:52but the shark was forgotten.

00:17:56In 2018, urban explorer Luke McPherson visited this abandoned place

00:18:02and posted a video of the embalmed shark.

00:18:06The video got millions of views

00:18:09and the shark got a name, Rosie.

00:18:13Since then, the park has attracted many tourists.

00:18:17Unfortunately, vandals were among them.

00:18:20The fish tank was damaged and graffiti was painted on it.

00:18:24People demanded to save the unusual find

00:18:27and a few months later, when the shark tank was almost destroyed,

00:18:31it was moved to another working exhibition center.

00:18:35There, they restored the tank and renewed the liquid in it

00:18:39so the shark could retain its appearance.

00:18:42The next abandoned place is much scarier.

00:18:47Probably because of this, it attracts lots of visitors.

00:18:52We're in the Czech Republic, in the small village of Luková.

00:18:57It's very beautiful here,

00:18:59with small houses, cozy streets, and rich nature.

00:19:04Among the trees, you suddenly notice the silhouette of an old chapel.

00:19:09Before you go inside, you realize it's completely abandoned.

00:19:14You see old bricks with faded paint on the walls

00:19:18and a rusting metal roof.

00:19:20It looks a little creepy.

00:19:23You make a step inside.

00:19:26If some travelers discovered this place at night,

00:19:29they would run away screaming from what they saw inside.

00:19:34There are patrons in the chapel.

00:19:37Most of them are sitting on benches and some are standing.

00:19:42They don't move because they are plaster statues.

00:19:46But the most terrifying thing is

00:19:48that each statue is covered with a white sheet.

00:19:53In 1968, the chapel roof began to rot.

00:19:57Eventually, it collapsed and residents stopped coming here.

00:20:02In 2014, an artist made some plaster statues

00:20:07and placed them here to make it seem as if the building was haunted.

00:20:11This installation attracts tourists from all over the world,

00:20:15which helps gather the money to restore the chapel.

00:20:20We're in the US now, driving along Vashon Highway.

00:20:24There's a dense forest on both sides of the road.

00:20:28You get to the bus stop and get out of the car.

00:20:31To see the strange find you've heard about,

00:20:34you need to go into the forest.

00:20:37You wade through bushes, mud, trees, and...

00:20:41there you are.

00:20:43At first, you see nothing special.

00:20:46But then, you look up.

00:20:49There's a rusty red bicycle, literally inside a tree.

00:20:54It's become a part of the forest.

00:20:57The wheels and handlebars stick out

00:20:59and everything else is inside the trunk.

00:21:03It turns out that in 1954, a local boy was given a bicycle.

00:21:08But he was not very happy with his gift.

00:21:11The tires were very thin and hard

00:21:14and the handlebar looked like it came from a child's tricycle.

00:21:18One day, this boy was playing in the woods with his friends

00:21:22and only he had a bicycle.

00:21:25When everyone started to go home,

00:21:27the boy just left the bike by the tree.

00:21:30The tree continued to grow

00:21:32and the bike became part of it.

00:21:36Let's leave cold, dark places

00:21:39and come right to the center of the Southern California desert.

00:21:43The sun is very hot and there's no one around.

00:21:47Only sand, dry brush, and mountains are in the distance.

00:21:52A couple of hours have passed.

00:21:55You're thirsty, the sun burns your skin,

00:21:59and suddenly, you see water.

00:22:02Or is it a mirage?

00:22:04You approach in hopes it isn't.

00:22:08Yes, this is real water.

00:22:11But it's not an oasis.

00:22:13Here, in the middle of the desert,

00:22:15there's an unmarked swimming pool.

00:22:18What a pleasure it is to jump inside.

00:22:21It's called a social pool.

00:22:23An artist built it in the summer of 2014.

00:22:27Absolutely anyone can use this pool.

00:22:30But not everyone will be able to find it.

00:22:34Unfortunately, there's only a carcass left of it today.

00:22:39Abandoned places don't just hold creepy and weird things.

00:22:44Some finds can make the person who found them rich.

00:22:49We're going to the Pigalle Red Light District in Paris.

00:22:53This is a residential area and nothing looks abandoned.

00:22:57You go into one of these houses.

00:22:59You meet people at the entrance,

00:23:01who check their mail in the box.

00:23:03You go up the stairs and stop at the door

00:23:06to a certain apartment.

00:23:08It looks dilapidated.

00:23:10You open it and step inside.

00:23:13What you see here reminds you

00:23:15of a creepy scene from a haunted house movie.

00:23:18All the furniture and decorations

00:23:21are not from this century.

00:23:23The whole apartment looks like an antique.

00:23:27A thick layer of dust covers every inch of this place.

00:23:31Old creepy dolls and stuffed toys

00:23:34lie on the tables and the floor.

00:23:36Add a disturbing tune from a music box

00:23:39and you have a full horror set.

00:23:42You feel like you've traveled a century back in time.

00:23:45And in a sense, it's true.

00:23:50The owner of the apartment moved out in the 1940s.

00:23:54She left everything as it was.

00:23:57The apartment was left untouched for 70 years.

00:24:01It was discovered in 2010

00:24:04when people began to evaluate the property

00:24:06of the apartment's owner.

00:24:08She lived somewhere else

00:24:10and didn't tell anyone about the place.

00:24:13When appraisers opened the apartment,

00:24:15they found a painting

00:24:17by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini

00:24:20which he created in the 19th century.

00:24:24This painting was sold for 2.5 million dollars.

00:24:29Now we go to another desert in Namibia.

00:24:33Here, among the dunes,

00:24:35not far from the ocean coast,

00:24:37you find a dried up lagoon

00:24:40and an old sunken ship

00:24:42half buried in the sand.

00:24:44Or rather, what's left of it.

00:24:47The age of this Portuguese vessel

00:24:49is about 500 years.

00:24:53It originally sailed from Lisbon in 1533

00:24:57and disappeared near a Namibian diamond mining city.

00:25:02Walking among the wreckage,

00:25:04you can find ship parts from those times.

00:25:07But the most interesting thing

00:25:09is a chest with gold coins.

00:25:12The net worth of the entire ship,

00:25:15along with the valuable treasure,

00:25:17is estimated at over 12 million dollars.

00:25:21The wreckage was discovered by geologists in 2008,

00:25:25but its full glory was only uncovered 8 years later.

00:25:30And now you're walking down New York streets

00:25:33passing a dark, deserted alley

00:25:36where you see some trash bins.

00:25:38You notice a painted canvas

00:25:40sticking out of one of them.

00:25:42You take it out of the trash

00:25:44and it turns out to be a painting.

00:25:46The image isn't very clear,

00:25:48but it looks beautiful.

00:25:50You decide a piece of art

00:25:52doesn't belong in the trash

00:25:54and take it home.

00:25:56For the next 4 years,

00:25:57you try to find out something about this painting

00:26:00and one day,

00:26:01on a website about antique stuff,

00:26:04you find out that this painting

00:26:06is a missing art masterpiece

00:26:09worth a million dollars.

00:26:12This is what happened to a woman

00:26:15from New York in 2003

00:26:17when she found the painting in the trash

00:26:20she immediately felt the power

00:26:22emanating from it.

00:26:24The woman learned

00:26:25the painting was stolen from its owner

00:26:27in 1989.

00:26:29She returned it

00:26:30and received 15,000 dollars as a reward.

00:26:34The painting,

00:26:35called Tres Personajes

00:26:37was drawn by the Mexican artist

00:26:39Rufino Tamayo in 1970.

00:26:43A collector bought this work of art

00:26:45as a gift for his wife,

00:26:47but a few years later,

00:26:49the painting was stolen

00:26:51while the couple was moving

00:26:52into a new home.

00:26:55Now let's finish our journey

00:26:57with the most grandiose

00:26:58and large-scale find.

00:27:02We're in Turkey.

00:27:04You've been living in an old house

00:27:06for a very long time

00:27:08and you want to redecorate the place.

00:27:10You throw out all of your obsolete stuff

00:27:13and then remember,

00:27:15you have an old basement.

00:27:17You never needed it before,

00:27:19but now you decide to turn it into a room.

00:27:22You break down a wall

00:27:24and discover a tunnel

00:27:26that leads underground.

00:27:28Excited,

00:27:29you go there

00:27:30and realize the tunnel

00:27:31doesn't just lead to a secret room,

00:27:34it leads to a colossal

00:27:36underground city.

00:27:39In 1963,

00:27:41a man from Turkey

00:27:42discovered an ancient city

00:27:44going down as deep as 18 floors.

00:27:48It could accommodate

00:27:49about 20,000 inhabitants,

00:27:51livestock,

00:27:52and food supplies.

00:27:54It's not just a maze of tunnels.

00:27:56There is a chapel,

00:27:57a school,

00:27:58stables,

00:27:59kitchens,

00:28:00and other attributes of civilization.

00:28:03The city was founded

00:28:05in the Byzantine era

00:28:06over a thousand years ago.

00:28:08It was likely built

00:28:10as a shelter from natural disasters

00:28:12and wars.

00:28:13The coolest detail though

00:28:15is that it's not the only

00:28:16underground town.

00:28:17It adjoins many other tunnels

00:28:20that stretch for several miles.

00:28:24On April 10th, 1912,

00:28:26the RMS Titanic

00:28:28set sail from England.

00:28:29But this wasn't the launch

00:28:31of a regular ship.

00:28:32The Titanic was the largest liner

00:28:34ever built at the time.

00:28:35It was 882 feet long.

00:28:37That's nearly the size

00:28:39of three soccer fields.

00:28:40And measured from the hull

00:28:41to the top of the smokestacks,

00:28:43the ship was an impressive

00:28:45175 feet tall.

00:28:46That's the size

00:28:47of a 17-story building.

00:28:49Deemed unsinkable,

00:28:50it took 3,000 workers

00:28:52almost three years to build.

00:28:57But a mere four days

00:28:58into its very first voyage,

00:29:00at 11.40 p.m.,

00:29:01the ship collided with an iceberg

00:29:03and was lost beneath the waves

00:29:05of the Atlantic Ocean.

00:29:06It took the liner

00:29:07only two hours and 40 minutes

00:29:09to sink.

00:29:10And of more than 2,200 passengers

00:29:13and crew members on board,

00:29:15only 706 survived.

00:29:19The wreck would remain lost

00:29:21for another 73 years,

00:29:23hiding its many secrets

00:29:24within the frigid Atlantic waters.

00:29:26And if it wasn't for a man

00:29:28whose whole life had been devoted

00:29:30to exploring the sea,

00:29:31the giant ship might have remained

00:29:33lost for a lot longer.

00:29:37That man was Robert Ballard.

00:29:39As a child, Ballard was obsessed

00:29:42with the ocean.

00:29:43This fascination started

00:29:45when he was just 12 years old.

00:29:47That's when he watched

00:29:48a film adaptation

00:29:49of Jules Verne's

00:29:50science fiction novel

00:29:5120,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

00:29:56It had everything to spark

00:29:57a young person's imagination,

00:29:59from adventure and strange creatures

00:30:01to a powerful underwater vehicle

00:30:03called the Nautilus.

00:30:04It could travel anywhere

00:30:06in the world you wanted to go.

00:30:11From that moment,

00:30:12life on dry land was no longer

00:30:14in Ballard's future.

00:30:15When he was 23,

00:30:17he was assigned

00:30:18to the Deep Submergence Group.

00:30:20There, he helped develop techniques

00:30:22to search the ocean floor.

00:30:24His biggest accomplishment

00:30:25was the creation of Alvin.

00:30:30It was a small,

00:30:31easy-to-maneuver submarine

00:30:32that could carry three people.

00:30:34It also featured

00:30:35an external mechanical arm

00:30:37designed to gather underwater samples

00:30:39while the crew remained safe

00:30:41and dry inside.

00:30:45Alvin the submarine

00:30:46quickly proved useful

00:30:47for a variety of tasks.

00:30:49For example,

00:30:50once he was used

00:30:51to track down an aircraft

00:30:52that had crashed into the sea.

00:30:56But the vessel experienced

00:30:57a series of setbacks.

00:30:59In one case,

00:31:00it was attacked by a swordfish,

00:31:02which caused the submarine

00:31:03to resurface quickly.

00:31:05The swordfish,

00:31:06still stuck in the outer skin

00:31:08of the submarine,

00:31:09became that night's dinner.

00:31:12And in October 1968,

00:31:15the submarine was being

00:31:16lowered into the water

00:31:17when the cables holding it snapped,

00:31:19sending it careening into the ocean

00:31:21along with three crew members on board.

00:31:24And because the small vessel

00:31:25was still open,

00:31:26it immediately filled with water

00:31:28and quickly began to sink.

00:31:32Luckily,

00:31:33the crew managed to escape,

00:31:34but Alvin was gone.

00:31:37Bad weather hampered

00:31:38multiple attempts

00:31:39to recover the vessel.

00:31:40It wasn't until the following year

00:31:42that it was finally returned

00:31:43to the surface.

00:31:47In time,

00:31:48Alvin would be improved.

00:31:49Its hull would be

00:31:50strengthened by titanium,

00:31:52giving it a higher depth rating,

00:31:54thus making it even better

00:31:55suited for ocean exploration.

00:31:57The specialized submarine

00:31:59would come in handy

00:32:00in many of Ballard's

00:32:01100-plus expeditions.

00:32:03The man was one of the first

00:32:04to explore an underwater

00:32:05mountain chain

00:32:06called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

00:32:08in the Atlantic Ocean.

00:32:11And when he found thermal vents

00:32:13in the Galapagos Rift

00:32:14in the late 70s,

00:32:15he also helped discover

00:32:17and document

00:32:18the process of chemosynthesis.

00:32:20That's a complicated

00:32:21chemical synthesis

00:32:22of food energy

00:32:23by bacteria.

00:32:26But his biggest discovery

00:32:28was still to come.

00:32:29Ballard claimed he'd never been

00:32:31a Titanic fanatic,

00:32:33but he eventually became obsessed

00:32:35with finding the ship

00:32:36after watching other explorers

00:32:38try and fail.

00:32:41As he said,

00:32:43Titanic was clearly

00:32:44the big Mount Everest

00:32:45at the time.

00:32:46Many others had tried,

00:32:47many that I thought

00:32:48would have succeeded

00:32:49or should have succeeded

00:32:50but didn't.

00:32:54Ballard began thinking

00:32:55about finding the ship

00:32:56as early as 1973.

00:32:58And four years later,

00:33:00he actually made an attempt.

00:33:02He used the deep-sea salvage vessel

00:33:04Sea Probe,

00:33:05which was a drill ship

00:33:06equipped with cameras and sonar.

00:33:08But he was forced to give up

00:33:10when the drilling pipe broke.

00:33:12It just wasn't his time.

00:33:16In the early 80s,

00:33:17a Texas oil man

00:33:18named Jack Grimm

00:33:20tried to find the wreck

00:33:21on three different occasions.

00:33:23Once,

00:33:24Grimm was actually

00:33:25right over the Titanic,

00:33:26but his equipment

00:33:27failed to detect it.

00:33:28That's what we call

00:33:29extreme bad luck.

00:33:33Ballard was just

00:33:34biding his time.

00:33:35He needed a plan

00:33:36and some help.

00:33:38The first issue

00:33:39was getting down

00:33:40to the bottom of the Atlantic.

00:33:42The furthest down

00:33:43he had ever traveled before

00:33:44was 20,000 feet.

00:33:46And this trip

00:33:47took him three hours.

00:33:48And that didn't include

00:33:49the way back up.

00:33:53Ballard knew

00:33:54he could use Alvin,

00:33:55already enhanced

00:33:56with a titanium hull,

00:33:57to withstand

00:33:58the pressure of the ocean.

00:33:59But he also needed something

00:34:01that didn't require him

00:34:02to actually go down with it.

00:34:04An unpiloted,

00:34:05remote-controlled submarine

00:34:06would be ideal.

00:34:08But first,

00:34:09he would have to create one.

00:34:13He reached out

00:34:14to the authorities,

00:34:15hoping they would provide

00:34:16funding for his project.

00:34:17And though officials

00:34:18had no interest

00:34:19in the Titanic,

00:34:20they were willing to help.

00:34:24Ah, but there was a catch.

00:34:26Ballard had to first focus

00:34:27on tracking down

00:34:28two submarines,

00:34:29the Thresher

00:34:30and the Scorpion,

00:34:31which had sunk

00:34:32to the bottom

00:34:33of the Atlantic Ocean

00:34:34in the 1960s.

00:34:35The authorities

00:34:36were hoping to study them

00:34:37to find out

00:34:38why they had sunk

00:34:39in the first place.

00:34:40They also wanted to know

00:34:41if they could be recovered

00:34:43or if it was safe

00:34:44to leave them

00:34:45on the ocean floor.

00:34:48Only when he had

00:34:49successfully completed this task

00:34:51would he be free

00:34:52to use any remaining time

00:34:53on his contract

00:34:54to find the Titanic.

00:34:56With no other options

00:34:57for funding,

00:34:58Ballard took the offer.

00:35:02He got to work.

00:35:03First,

00:35:04he created two new devices,

00:35:06Argo was an unpiloted

00:35:08deep-towed undersea

00:35:09video camera sled.

00:35:11It was designed

00:35:12to take photos

00:35:13and record videos

00:35:14from a series of cameras

00:35:15mounted on it.

00:35:16It could work

00:35:17at depths

00:35:18of up to 20,000 feet

00:35:19and it could also explore

00:35:21nearly 98%

00:35:22of the ocean floor.

00:35:26Argo was supposed

00:35:27to be tethered to a boat.

00:35:28As the boat moved,

00:35:29Argo would be pulled behind,

00:35:31floating just above

00:35:32the ocean floor.

00:35:34The camera would then

00:35:35transmit images

00:35:36to the surface.

00:35:39The second device

00:35:40was a small robotic vehicle

00:35:42called Jason Junior.

00:35:44It was also controlled remotely,

00:35:46which allowed the crew

00:35:47inside a submarine,

00:35:48like Alvin,

00:35:49to get closer to

00:35:50and photograph

00:35:51underwater objects.

00:35:54Ballard was now ready.

00:35:56He knew he had to find

00:35:57those submarines quickly

00:35:59and it didn't take him long.

00:36:01Much to his relief,

00:36:02the search was relatively simple

00:36:04and he was able

00:36:05to fulfill his obligations

00:36:06with 12 days to spare.

00:36:10With almost two weeks

00:36:12to devote to finding

00:36:13the Titanic,

00:36:14he set out

00:36:15to explore the ocean.

00:36:16He focused the search

00:36:17close to Newfoundland, Canada,

00:36:19pulling Argo

00:36:20along the ocean floor

00:36:21and reviewing

00:36:22the images it collected.

00:36:25And after a few days of nothing,

00:36:27they eventually found

00:36:28riveted hull plates

00:36:29and a boiler.

00:36:30Could this be it?

00:36:32The next day,

00:36:33a ship's large bow

00:36:34was revealed.

00:36:35On September 1st, 1985,

00:36:38Ballard and his fellow

00:36:39crew members realized

00:36:40they had finally found

00:36:41the infamous ship.

00:36:44The discovery resulted

00:36:46in a mix of emotions.

00:36:48Ballard was excited

00:36:49to be the first

00:36:50to find the Titanic's

00:36:51final resting place.

00:36:52But he was also overwhelmed

00:36:54by the sense of grief

00:36:55for those who had suffered

00:36:57when the ship had gone down.

00:37:00Over the next four days,

00:37:02the crew explored the wreck

00:37:04They found the crow's nest

00:37:05from where the iceberg

00:37:06had first been spotted.

00:37:08Plus,

00:37:09there was finally evidence

00:37:10of how the massive ship

00:37:11had split in two

00:37:12before sinking,

00:37:13with both halves

00:37:14of the ship found.

00:37:17There was furniture

00:37:19and dinnerware.

00:37:20And sadly,

00:37:21several leather shoes

00:37:22of those who hadn't

00:37:23made it to safety

00:37:24were scattered

00:37:25about the ocean floor.

00:37:27Ballard succeeded

00:37:29where others had failed

00:37:30and became an instant

00:37:31celebrity around the world.

00:37:34You'd think that locating

00:37:35the Titanic would be enough

00:37:36for one man,

00:37:37but not for Ballard.

00:37:40In 2019,

00:37:42he took on the challenge

00:37:43of solving another mystery,

00:37:45the disappearance

00:37:46of Amelia Earhart.

00:37:48Earhart had attempted

00:37:49to be the first woman

00:37:50to fly around the world.

00:37:52Unfortunately,

00:37:53she disappeared somewhere

00:37:54over the Pacific Ocean

00:37:55in 1937.

00:37:58She and her plane

00:38:00were never found.

00:38:01Ballard hoped

00:38:02that his luck with the Titanic

00:38:04would help with finding

00:38:05where Earhart had gone down.

00:38:07But his expedition

00:38:08failed to find anything.

00:38:11And though Robert Ballard

00:38:13has found more shipwrecks

00:38:14than anybody else,

00:38:15it's only the tip

00:38:16of the iceberg.

00:38:17It's estimated

00:38:18that there are over

00:38:193 million shipwrecks

00:38:20in the ocean,

00:38:21and Ballard

00:38:22has only located

00:38:23100 of them.

00:38:25Now, in his late 70s,

00:38:28the man is hoping

00:38:29to encourage young people

00:38:30to continue his work

00:38:31of exploring the ocean

00:38:32and its many mysteries.

00:38:34In 1989,

00:38:35he started

00:38:36the Jason Learning Project

00:38:38to inspire grade school students

00:38:39to pursue science, technology,

00:38:41engineering, and math.

00:38:44He has his own research vessel

00:38:47called the E.V. Nautilus,

00:38:49after the name of the submarine

00:38:50in Jules Verne's novel,

00:38:52a fitting tribute

00:38:53to the story

00:38:54that inspired his career.

00:38:56So in the early 2000s,

00:38:57a geology major

00:38:59went on a field trip

00:39:00to the world's largest

00:39:01open-pit coal mine

00:39:03in Colombia.

00:39:04He picked up a piece of rock

00:39:06and noticed impressions

00:39:07of some prehistoric leaves on it.

00:39:09Then he found more rocks,

00:39:11and each of them

00:39:12had the same pattern.

00:39:14Back then,

00:39:15the student could hardly know

00:39:16that his discovery

00:39:17would help describe

00:39:18the largest snake

00:39:19that has ever lived on Earth.

00:39:21The student took his findings

00:39:23to a local scientist

00:39:24who called up

00:39:25the Smithsonian Institute

00:39:26and invited them

00:39:27for a fossil hunt.

00:39:29He wasn't that surprised,

00:39:30as he knew

00:39:31there were fossils

00:39:32in the pits of Sarajan.

00:39:34Back in 1990,

00:39:35another geologist

00:39:36found a fossil there

00:39:37and brought it to his office.

00:39:39He wasn't sure

00:39:40of what it was

00:39:41and called it

00:39:42a petrified branch.

00:39:44Years later,

00:39:45a paleontologist

00:39:46saw an image of this branch.

00:39:48He knew it wasn't

00:39:49a branch at all,

00:39:50but a fossilized jawbone

00:39:52of an animal.

00:39:53The scientist

00:39:54got so excited about the find

00:39:56that he flew

00:39:57all the way to Colombia.

00:39:58He wanted to examine the fossil,

00:40:00but no one had the key

00:40:02to its glass display case.

00:40:04The scientist couldn't wait,

00:40:05so they broke the glass

00:40:07and confirmed

00:40:08that it was a fossil

00:40:09of an animal

00:40:10that lived millions

00:40:11of years ago.

00:40:12After Herrera's finding,

00:40:14they knew exactly

00:40:15there were more fossils

00:40:16in the area.

00:40:17It took the team of scientists

00:40:19about two years

00:40:20to figure out

00:40:21they were all a part

00:40:22of a giant snake

00:40:23and not a crocodile,

00:40:25as they thought

00:40:26because of the size.

00:40:27They managed to establish it

00:40:29by looking at the vertebrae

00:40:31and ribs

00:40:32of around 30 giant snakes.

00:40:34Now, you might think

00:40:35that fossils would get

00:40:36easily destroyed

00:40:37in an open pit coal mine,

00:40:39but in fact,

00:40:40they were found

00:40:41under the coal

00:40:42that served as a protective layer

00:40:44for them.

00:40:45Sadly,

00:40:46the scientists couldn't find

00:40:47the Titanoboa's skull.

00:40:49Unlike jaws,

00:40:50which are extremely powerful

00:40:51thanks to their muscles,

00:40:53snake bones are pretty fragile.

00:40:55That's why they usually crumble

00:40:57long before the sediment

00:40:58can appear over them.

00:41:00But still,

00:41:01the researchers managed

00:41:02to find three skull fragments.

00:41:04Thanks to this discovery,

00:41:05they've made a full-scale replica

00:41:07of the snake's head,

00:41:09which supported the theory

00:41:10that it used to be

00:41:11one of the largest predators

00:41:12of its time.

00:41:14If you're starting to freak out,

00:41:15don't worry.

00:41:16So am I.

00:41:17They also established

00:41:18it was related

00:41:19to modern boas

00:41:20and anacondas.

00:41:22That's how Titanoboa

00:41:23got its name.

00:41:24It's basically

00:41:25a titanic boa.

00:41:27The huge snake

00:41:28was officially described

00:41:29in 2009.

00:41:31Titanoboa was thriving

00:41:33around 60 million years ago,

00:41:356 million years

00:41:36after the Tyrannosaurus rex

00:41:38roamed the planet.

00:41:39Back then,

00:41:40it enjoyed the climate

00:41:41of the area in South America,

00:41:43which is now Colombia and Peru.

00:41:45It got almost as long

00:41:47as a bowling lane,

00:41:4850 feet,

00:41:49or twice as long

00:41:50as the biggest snake

00:41:51living today.

00:41:52It was as heavy

00:41:53as four giant anacondas.

00:41:55It got this long

00:41:57and this heavy

00:41:58thanks to a lucky coincidence.

00:42:00Snakes are cold-blooded animals,

00:42:02so they need a warm client

00:42:03to live and grow in.

00:42:05Northeastern Colombia

00:42:06was perfect.

00:42:07It was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit

00:42:09when Titanoboa was alive.

00:42:11Titanoboa wasn't that fast,

00:42:13especially on land,

00:42:15but it most likely

00:42:16spent much time

00:42:17in or near the water.

00:42:19Our hero could swim

00:42:20at a speed

00:42:21of up to 12 miles per hour.

00:42:23Like present-day snakes,

00:42:24it could wriggle around

00:42:26and change direction

00:42:27really quickly.

00:42:28Scientists still aren't sure

00:42:29if it could climb trees.

00:42:31Paleontologists believe

00:42:33that Titanoboa

00:42:34had brownish or grayish skin.

00:42:36It was the perfect color

00:42:38for the serpent to hide

00:42:39in the muddy rivers

00:42:40of the tropical rainforests.

00:42:42But then again,

00:42:43I don't see why

00:42:44it would have to hide

00:42:45from anyone,

00:42:46given its size.

00:42:47The largest snake ever

00:42:49wasn't venomous,

00:42:50but it didn't stop it

00:42:51from hunting

00:42:52any animal it wanted.

00:42:54And although it could choose

00:42:55pretty much anything,

00:42:57its favorite meal

00:42:58was most likely fish.

00:43:00Scientists decided so

00:43:02based on the snake's palate

00:43:04and the number

00:43:05and type of its teeth.

00:43:06You can't recreate

00:43:07the giant's diet today

00:43:09as all of those fish types

00:43:10are also extinct.

00:43:12When it wanted to

00:43:13spice up its menu,

00:43:15Titanoboa dined

00:43:16on other reptiles.

00:43:17It sneaked up on its prey

00:43:19and got them down

00:43:20with one quick strike.

00:43:22Its bite had a very

00:43:23special design.

00:43:24The structure of its jaws

00:43:26let Titanoboa clamp down

00:43:28on the body of its prey,

00:43:29so there was no escape.

00:43:31Titanoboa also had

00:43:33a mean set of thin

00:43:34and pointed teeth.

00:43:35They bent inwards

00:43:37in the snake's jaw

00:43:38like fishing hooks.

00:43:39This little feature

00:43:40helped Titanoboa

00:43:41get a grip on its prey

00:43:43and prevent the slightest chance

00:43:44of its running

00:43:45or swimming away.

00:43:46It could most likely

00:43:48easily swallow

00:43:49even large turtles

00:43:50and crocodiles.

00:43:51Now, all that sounds

00:43:53pretty scary,

00:43:54but we have nothing

00:43:55to worry about

00:43:56as Titanoboas

00:43:57are long extinct, right?

00:43:59Well, technically,

00:44:01as the temperatures

00:44:02on Earth are going up,

00:44:03it's quite possible

00:44:05that snakes might

00:44:06also grow in size.

00:44:08They love heat

00:44:09more than anything,

00:44:10so they should feel

00:44:11comfortable here.

00:44:12Of course,

00:44:13that would be a completely

00:44:14different snake,

00:44:15but it's not impossible

00:44:17that we'll see something

00:44:18similar to Titanoboa.

00:44:20But before you think

00:44:21of escaping to another

00:44:23planet,

00:44:24remember that huge snakes

00:44:26would need something huge

00:44:27to eat.

00:44:28Such giants prefer

00:44:29to wrap around something huge

00:44:31and swallow it.

00:44:32Most people would be

00:44:33simply too small for them,

00:44:35so unless the huge snake

00:44:36was starving,

00:44:37I don't think it'd waste

00:44:39its energy on attacking

00:44:40anything too little.

00:44:42Plus, like any other snake,

00:44:44Titanoboa had a sharp

00:44:45and delicate sense of smell,

00:44:47needing exceptional conditions

00:44:49and was sensitive to vibrations.

00:44:51A little too smelly

00:44:53would be too noisy,

00:44:54too cold,

00:44:55too dry or too wet,

00:44:57and the snake wouldn't go

00:44:58near this place

00:44:59unless absolutely desperate.

00:45:01So if you live in a big city,

00:45:03your chances of meeting

00:45:04a huge snake like Titanoboa

00:45:06are about zero.

00:45:08Rural areas are

00:45:09something different,

00:45:10but the only place

00:45:11where the giant serpent

00:45:12would consider living

00:45:13would be near the equator.

00:45:15We already have

00:45:16some pretty giant snakes

00:45:17in the warmest regions

00:45:18of the world.

00:45:19Amethystine python

00:45:21or, less poetically,

00:45:22scrub python,

00:45:24is a gentle giant.

00:45:26It's the largest snake

00:45:27in Papua New Guinea

00:45:28in Australia.

00:45:29It can grow to the enormous

00:45:31size of 28 feet

00:45:33and weigh up to 77 pounds,

00:45:35which is about as heavy

00:45:36as a Dalmatian.

00:45:38Scrub pythons are pretty curious,

00:45:40sometimes slithering

00:45:41inside people's homes

00:45:42in Australia,

00:45:44but they're mostly

00:45:45harmless to humans.

00:45:46Their favorite food

00:45:47is rodents,

00:45:48bats,

00:45:49and birds

00:45:50that come to streams for water.

00:45:52Until then,

00:45:53pythons quietly lie in wait.

00:45:55They have heat centers

00:45:56in the pit of their muzzles.

00:45:58They help the pythons

00:45:59better see warm-blooded animals

00:46:01they can have for dinner.

00:46:03The African rock python

00:46:05is one of only 11

00:46:06living species of its kind.

00:46:08It's currently

00:46:09the second largest snake

00:46:10on the planet.

00:46:11This huge brown snake

00:46:13reaches lengths up to 20 feet

00:46:15and weighs about half as much

00:46:17as the giant panda.

00:46:18It's very serious

00:46:20about its meals

00:46:21as it can catch an antelope

00:46:23and eat it whole.

00:46:24Even the cold-blooded crocodiles

00:46:26are afraid of this beast

00:46:28because it can easily

00:46:29eat one of their kind, too.

00:46:31In 1958,

00:46:32a zoologist found

00:46:33a 4-foot-long young Nile crocodile

00:46:36inside an African python's stomach.

00:46:39According to the scientist,

00:46:40the python said,

00:46:41Well, I don't know about you,

00:46:43but I find this whole thing

00:46:44hard to swallow.

00:46:46Actually, that's not true.

00:46:48Pythons can't talk,

00:46:49as far as we know.

00:46:51The reticulated python

00:46:53holds the record

00:46:54as the longest

00:46:55of all the living snakes

00:46:56in the world.

00:46:57The largest of these guys

00:46:58made it into the Guinness World Records

00:47:00in 2011

00:47:01with a length of 25.2 feet.

00:47:04Its name is Medusa

00:47:06and it lives in a zoo

00:47:07in Kansas City, Missouri.

00:47:09An adult reticulated python

00:47:11is large enough

00:47:12to swallow a human whole

00:47:14or a whole human,

00:47:15either way.

00:47:16But these snakes

00:47:17are mostly quite peaceful

00:47:19and prefer to lie down

00:47:20without much movement.

00:47:22Although many pythons

00:47:23have dwarf forms

00:47:24that are much smaller

00:47:25than their full-grown cousins,

00:47:27reticulated pythons

00:47:28also have super dwarf forms.

00:47:31You can keep one of those

00:47:32as an 8-foot-long pet.

00:47:34Yes, it's considered

00:47:35a dwarf form,

00:47:36although it's longer

00:47:37than the average human is tall.

00:47:40You know, somehow

00:47:41I still don't find

00:47:42that comforting.

00:47:44Whenever you hear

00:47:45about ancient ruins,

00:47:46you almost never picture

00:47:47them being suspended somewhere

00:47:48or just randomly hanging

00:47:50on the branch of a tree, right?

00:47:52In fact,

00:47:53for most of the ancient artifacts

00:47:54we have exposed

00:47:55in museums all over the world,

00:47:57archaeologists did quite

00:47:58an impressive amount of digging.

00:48:01You see,

00:48:02buildings have this funny way

00:48:03of fading away over time

00:48:04if not properly taken care of.

00:48:07Sometimes we need

00:48:08to reuse some building materials

00:48:10so an older construction

00:48:11may be sacrificed

00:48:12in the process.

00:48:14Other times,

00:48:15houses are abandoned

00:48:16and once they are exposed

00:48:17to the elements on the surface,

00:48:18like rain or sunlight,

00:48:20they don't really stand a chance.

00:48:22Some just simply crumble away

00:48:24due to good old erosion.

00:48:26So the only way

00:48:27a piece of architecture

00:48:28can survive the test of time

00:48:29is if it's somehow

00:48:30gotten buried deep down.

00:48:32Now,

00:48:33how did they end up

00:48:34buried in the first place?

00:48:35Well,

00:48:36it's quite the comedy of errors.

00:48:38Ancient cities had a habit

00:48:39of gradually raising

00:48:40their ground level

00:48:41like a kid adding toppings

00:48:42to their ice cream sundae.

00:48:44You see,

00:48:45these settlements were always

00:48:46busy collecting food

00:48:46and building materials

00:48:47to keep up with their

00:48:48ever-growing population.

00:48:50But hey,

00:48:51who has time to deal

00:48:52with waste and rubbish?

00:48:54It wasn't exactly high

00:48:55on their to-do list

00:48:56back in the day.

00:48:57So when it came

00:48:58to building new houses,

00:48:59ancient civilizations found

00:49:01it much easier

00:49:02to save their sweat and tears

00:49:03by piling up the rubble

00:49:04and constructing right on top.

00:49:06But that's not all.

00:49:08Rivers would also

00:49:09occasionally flood

00:49:10and deposit a layer

00:49:11of sediment on the city floors,

00:49:13further encapsulating

00:49:14those ancient constructions.

00:49:16And in those dry regions

00:49:17like the desert,

00:49:18where the wind likes

00:49:19to show off its

00:49:20sand and dust dance moves,

00:49:22you can bet it was

00:49:23a constant struggle

00:49:24to keep the establishments clean.

00:49:26One hilarious example

00:49:27is the Sphinx,

00:49:29which had its head buried

00:49:30in sand until a group

00:49:31of archaeologists

00:49:32unearthed it in 1817.

00:49:36Some ancient towns

00:49:37eventually got covered up

00:49:38because they were

00:49:39completely abandoned.

00:49:40With less human activity

00:49:41to control their expansion,

00:49:43plant seeds couldn't

00:49:44resist the opportunity

00:49:45and sprouted all over the place.

00:49:47They gobbled up carbon dioxide

00:49:48from the air and grew,

00:49:50adding more and more

00:49:51bulk to the ground.

00:49:52Those cheeky roots

00:49:53even decided to stabilize

00:49:54the soil made from

00:49:55decaying plant matter,

00:49:56creating layers upon layers

00:49:58of earthy goodness.

00:50:00It's like the ultimate DIY

00:50:01project Mother Nature

00:50:02embarked on,

00:50:03with plants as her

00:50:04loyal helpers.

00:50:05The act of digging

00:50:06into the secrets

00:50:07of ancient civilizations

00:50:08is not just about

00:50:09unearthing a lost world.

00:50:10It's also an epic quest

00:50:12to reveal the hidden treasures

00:50:13beneath layers of history.

00:50:16But how do archaeologists

00:50:18know where to dig

00:50:19in the first place?

00:50:20If everything is covered

00:50:21in layers upon layers

00:50:22of sediments, debris

00:50:23and plant roots,

00:50:24they must have

00:50:25some sort of system

00:50:26they rely on

00:50:27before embarking

00:50:28on a new project, right?

00:50:29For starters,

00:50:30they're not always

00:50:31the ones suggesting

00:50:32an archaeological dig

00:50:33in a certain location.

00:50:35Let me explain.

00:50:36Let's say you're a contractor

00:50:38and you want to build

00:50:39a new, fancy apartment complex

00:50:41in your city.

00:50:42Some local legislations

00:50:43have certain requirements

00:50:44before your project

00:50:45can start, though.

00:50:46For instance,

00:50:47before anyone

00:50:48starts building

00:50:49on a piece of land,

00:50:50they might need

00:50:51to bring in specialists

00:50:52to check the soil.

00:50:53These clever folks

00:50:54can be archaeologists,

00:50:55geologists

00:50:56or paleontologists

00:50:57and they need

00:50:58to keep an eye

00:50:59on things during development.

00:51:00If any artifacts

00:51:01or ecofacts,

00:51:02fancy word for organic remnants,

00:51:04are discovered,

00:51:05these experts

00:51:06swoop in

00:51:07to excavate

00:51:08and study them.

00:51:10But what about sites

00:51:11that have nothing to do

00:51:12with bulldozers

00:51:13and yellow hats?

00:51:14Archaeologists

00:51:15have more than one trick

00:51:16up their sleeves

00:51:17when it comes to locating

00:51:18ancient hotspots.

00:51:20They dive deep

00:51:21into historic records

00:51:22with a healthy dose

00:51:23of detective work.

00:51:24By sniffing out

00:51:25old documents

00:51:26and maps,

00:51:27they can piece together

00:51:28the puzzle of human activity

00:51:29in a specific area.

00:51:31If a site has been

00:51:32visited before,

00:51:33it's even better.

00:51:34Finding records

00:51:35of past excavations

00:51:37or historical accounts

00:51:38can give archaeologists

00:51:39lots of information

00:51:40on where to continue

00:51:41their treasure hunt.

00:51:44Before archaeologists

00:51:45start swinging their shovels,

00:51:46they engage

00:51:47in a bit of a visual scan mission.

00:51:49Armed with a grid system,

00:51:51they'll stroll around the site,

00:51:53keeping their eyes peeled

00:51:54for any artifacts

00:51:55that might be hiding

00:51:56just beneath the Earth's

00:51:57upper layer.

00:51:58From ground stone tools

00:51:59to historic glass

00:52:00and even ancient garbage dumps,

00:52:02yes, they're all so valuable.

00:52:04These keen-eyed explorers

00:52:06can spot signs

00:52:07of human activity

00:52:08faster than most people.

00:52:09If they stumble

00:52:10upon midden soil,

00:52:11fancy term for a garbage dump,

00:52:13they know for sure

00:52:14that humans once

00:52:15called this place home.

00:52:17Archaeologists

00:52:18don't just rely

00:52:19on their trusty shovels, though.

00:52:20They have an arsenal of gadgets

00:52:22to aid in their search

00:52:23for hidden wonders.

00:52:24Geophysical tools

00:52:25are like their secret weapons.

00:52:27Take the resistivity meter,

00:52:29for example.

00:52:30This clever contraption

00:52:31measures the electrical

00:52:32component of the soil

00:52:33and any buried features

00:52:34or artifacts.

00:52:36A buried wall, for instance,

00:52:37will create

00:52:38a different resistivity reading

00:52:39than the surrounding soil.

00:52:41Magnetometers

00:52:42and ground-penetrating radar

00:52:44work in similar ways,

00:52:45showcasing potential hints

00:52:47of ancient treasures

00:52:48in the soil.

00:52:49And who could forget

00:52:50our trusty old friend,

00:52:51the GPS?

00:52:52It helps archaeologists

00:52:53map out precise locations

00:52:55like a high-tech treasure map

00:52:57leading them straight

00:52:58to their pot of gold.

00:53:01Care to virtually visit

00:53:02some of the most important

00:53:03archaeological sites

00:53:04in the world?

00:53:05Well, follow me.

00:53:07In the United Kingdom,

00:53:08for instance,

00:53:09you'll find this interesting place

00:53:10called Stonehenge.

00:53:12It's one of many henges

00:53:13scattered around.

00:53:14But this one really

00:53:15takes the cake.

00:53:16Picture this.

00:53:17Massive ancient stones

00:53:19standing tall and proud,

00:53:21arranged in a funky outer ring

00:53:23and an inner horseshoe,

00:53:24with some smaller stones

00:53:25thrown in for good measure.

00:53:27And guess what?

00:53:28These amazing stones

00:53:29have been around

00:53:30for over 5,000 years.

00:53:31Talk about a serious case

00:53:33of rock-solid longevity.

00:53:36Now, here's where

00:53:37it gets interesting.

00:53:38According to local folklore,

00:53:40the legendary wizard Merlin

00:53:41whipped out his magic wand

00:53:42and poof!

00:53:43He teleported these

00:53:44massive stones

00:53:45all the way from Ireland.

00:53:46Apparently some giants

00:53:47had assembled them there,

00:53:48but Merlin decided

00:53:49they would look much better

00:53:50at their new location.

00:53:51Others think it's just

00:53:52the ruined remains

00:53:53of an old Roman

00:53:54spiritual edifice.

00:53:56These amazing structures

00:53:57were built by our

00:53:58Bronze Age ancestors.

00:54:00With their simple tools

00:54:01and limited tech,

00:54:02they managed to create

00:54:03this monumental masterpiece.

00:54:05Impressive, right?

00:54:07Unfortunately,

00:54:08there's still so much

00:54:09we don't know about this area.

00:54:11Stonehenge's initial purpose

00:54:12remains a mystery

00:54:13to this day.

00:54:14Sure, there are

00:54:15lots of theories,

00:54:16but scientists

00:54:17have yet to agree

00:54:18on the subject.

00:54:19However, we do know

00:54:20that it's perfectly aligned

00:54:21to catch the sunrise

00:54:22during the summer

00:54:23and winter solstices.

00:54:26The ancient city of Pompeii

00:54:27is an equally amazing

00:54:28archaeological site.

00:54:30Picture this.

00:54:31Mount Vesuvius,

00:54:32a notorious troublemaker,

00:54:34decided to throw

00:54:35a volcanic tantrum

00:54:36and completely covered

00:54:37this ancient Roman city.

00:54:39It turned it into

00:54:40a time capsule

00:54:41located outside

00:54:42present-day Naples

00:54:43in Italy.

00:54:44Fast forward to the year 1748

00:54:46when a bunch of

00:54:47adventurous explorers

00:54:48stumbled upon Pompeii.

00:54:49Lo and behold,

00:54:50they discovered

00:54:51a treasure trove

00:54:52of well-preserved goodies,

00:54:53streets,

00:54:54houses,

00:54:55food

00:54:56probably a bit stale

00:54:57by then,

00:54:58blingy jewelry,

00:54:59fancy sculptures,

00:55:00colorful frescoes,

00:55:01everyday household items,

00:55:03and even animal

00:55:04and human remains.

00:55:05It was like an epic

00:55:06archaeological party.

00:55:08From the looks of it,

00:55:09Pompeii had it all.

00:55:11Fancy houses and villas,

00:55:13a massive 20,

00:55:140-0-0 seat arena,

00:55:16cute little artisan shops,

00:55:18hangouts like taverns,

00:55:19and let's not forget

00:55:20the saucy spots

00:55:21like those luxurious bathhouses

00:55:23for some intense pampering.

00:55:25There's also the sanctuary

00:55:26of Apollo

00:55:27where people used to gather

00:55:28for their daily dose of worship.

00:55:30And of course,

00:55:31the bustling heart of the city,

00:55:32the Forum of Pompeii,

00:55:34where all the cool people

00:55:35used to hang out.

00:55:36And guess what?

00:55:37Pompeii is so cool

00:55:38that it made it

00:55:39to UNESCO's World Heritage List

00:55:40back in 1997.

00:55:42That's like the ultimate

00:55:43Hall of Fame

00:55:44for historical awesomeness.

00:55:46It also includes

00:55:47many other famous buildings

00:55:48and sites

00:55:49like the Taj Mahal in India

00:55:51and the Acropolis

00:55:52of Athens in Greece.

00:55:54It's March 1974.

00:55:57The Betts family,

00:55:58Jerry, Antoine,

00:55:59and their son Terry

00:56:00are walking through the woods

00:56:02at their estate

00:56:03on Fort George Island.

00:56:04As they enjoy their spring walk,

00:56:06little do they know

00:56:07that today

00:56:08they'll come across something

00:56:10that'll change their lives forever.

00:56:12As Terry walks ahead,

00:56:14he can feel something

00:56:15pulling him towards

00:56:16an unknown object.

00:56:18Unsure of what to make

00:56:19of this feeling,

00:56:20but curious to pursue

00:56:21whatever's calling to him.

00:56:23Terry, where are you going?

00:56:25his mother calls out,

00:56:26but he ignores her

00:56:28and frantically tries

00:56:29to find this unknown thing.

00:56:31He wants it.

00:56:32He needs it.

00:56:33And then he can see something.

00:56:36A shiny silver sphere

00:56:38the size of a bowling ball

00:56:40nestling among the grass.

00:56:42As Terry approaches it,

00:56:43he notices it's eerily untouched

00:56:46with no damage or dirt on it.

00:56:48Terry picks it up.

00:56:49It's heavy,

00:56:50but he holds it tight.

00:56:52Always finding junk

00:56:53where you go,

00:56:54his father laughs.

00:56:56Terry was always collecting

00:56:57strange metallic objects.

00:56:59He found them fascinating.

00:57:01It's just a souvenir,

00:57:02that's all.

00:57:03The three of them

00:57:04look at the ball

00:57:05all intrigued

00:57:06by the perfect shiny sphere.

00:57:08As they walk back home,

00:57:10they excitedly discuss

00:57:11its possible origins,

00:57:13fantasizing the possibilities

00:57:15that maybe it's a cannonball

00:57:17used by conquistadors

00:57:19or that it could have fallen

00:57:20from a NASA satellite in orbit.

00:57:24They arrive home

00:57:25and Terry places the mysterious ball

00:57:27on a windowsill in his room

00:57:29next to many of his other exhibits

00:57:31and it sits there for now.

00:57:35Two weeks pass

00:57:36and Terry has a friend over.

00:57:38They hang out

00:57:39and take turns playing the guitar.

00:57:41Terry strikes a chord

00:57:43and a vibration occurs

00:57:45that comes from the windowsill.

00:57:47The boys sit silently,

00:57:49spooked by the unknown sound.

00:57:51They look around

00:57:52to find where it came from.

00:57:54It's probably just a possum,

00:57:56Terry says calmly.

00:57:58But as he raises his pick,

00:58:00he looks towards the sphere

00:58:01suspiciously.

00:58:03As he strikes another chord,

00:58:05he sees the sphere vibrate

00:58:07and this time

00:58:08it's also emitting a humming sound.

00:58:11Terry puts down the guitar

00:58:13and approaches the ball

00:58:14and as he reaches toward it,

00:58:16the sound slowly fades.

00:58:18Startled,

00:58:19he stands in silence

00:58:21before calling out to his dad.

00:58:23Terry explains the strange

00:58:25phenomenon to his father.

00:58:27Antoine looks at it closely

00:58:29then holds it up to his ear.

00:58:31As he shakes it vigorously,

00:58:33he can feel something

00:58:33inside the ball moving.

00:58:35Shocked,

00:58:36he places it down on a table.

00:58:39Once placed,

00:58:40it begins to roll.

00:58:42Moving towards one edge of the table

00:58:44then circling around.

00:58:46Moving corner to corner

00:58:48in a rectangle

00:58:49endlessly searching for something

00:58:51possibly an exit.

00:58:53Until finally,

00:58:54it rolls back to the middle

00:58:56becoming motionless once more.

00:58:58They all look at the ball

00:59:00puzzled by the display

00:59:02Antoine places the ball on the floor.

00:59:05As soon as it touches the surface,

00:59:07it quickly rolls toward the door.

00:59:09This time,

00:59:10it's clear

00:59:11the sphere wants to make an escape.

00:59:13The thing is too valuable to lose

00:59:15and Terry quickly chases after it.

00:59:18He grabs it

00:59:19before it leaves the house.

00:59:21He places the ball

00:59:22somewhere safe inside a box

00:59:24incapable of another escape attempt.

00:59:27Over the following days,

00:59:28Terry took it upon himself

00:59:30to make his own experiments.

00:59:32He found that when within the sunlight,

00:59:34it appeared to be more active.

00:59:36His opinion was that

00:59:38it reacted to solar radiation.

00:59:40When hit with a hammer,

00:59:42it would ring out loudly

00:59:43as though it felt the strike.

00:59:45Strange things also occurred

00:59:47in the Betts family home.

00:59:49Doors would suddenly slam shut at night

00:59:52and strange organ music

00:59:54played throughout the house

00:59:55even though they didn't own an organ.

00:59:58The family sat down

00:59:59to discuss the sphere.

01:00:01They felt it was something

01:00:02truly extraterrestrial

01:00:04and they required professional advice.

01:00:10The authorities came to review the ball

01:00:13puzzled by the object

01:00:14as it moved in an unpredictable way.

01:00:17But they couldn't recognize what it was

01:00:20or provide an explanation for it.

01:00:22All they could confirm

01:00:23was that it didn't come

01:00:25from another planet.

01:00:26The Betts family disagreed

01:00:28and wanted a second opinion.

01:00:31They sent it to Dr. J. Allen Hynek

01:00:34an astronomer and expert

01:00:35in the extraterrestrial.

01:00:37He spent six hours

01:00:39reviewing the sphere.

01:00:40Through as many examinations

01:00:42the doctor found that

01:00:43the strange sphere emitted radio waves

01:00:46and had its own magnetic field.

01:00:50With this new information

01:00:52the Betts' were interviewed

01:00:53by a reporter.

01:00:54The mysterious sphere

01:00:56quickly became famous.

01:00:58Its story spread in papers

01:01:00throughout the USA

01:01:01and even made the news internationally.

01:01:04Everyone wanted to know more

01:01:06about this mysterious sphere.

01:01:08A television crew

01:01:09soon visited the Betts' house

01:01:11hoping to experience

01:01:12the extraterrestrial object firsthand.

01:01:15The sphere was placed on the ground.

01:01:17It did its usual trick

01:01:19and the visitors stood there

01:01:21speechless at what they were witnessing.

01:01:23The reporters asked

01:01:24to place the family's poodle

01:01:26next to the ball

01:01:27to provide an indication

01:01:28of the sphere's size.

01:01:30As the dog sat next to it

01:01:32it began to whimper

01:01:33and covered its ears with its paws

01:01:35something it had never done before

01:01:37around the ball.

01:01:39The Betts' family felt

01:01:40they had something truly valuable

01:01:42and insured it through Lloyd's of London.

01:01:44And if they left it at home

01:01:46they had someone stay to watch it

01:01:48ensuring no one would steal it

01:01:50or let it escape.

01:01:53But what was the mysterious

01:01:55Betts' sphere really?

01:01:57When responding to the press

01:01:59the spokesman from the authorities

01:02:01revealed the sphere was made

01:02:03from high-grade stainless steel.

01:02:05Although the sphere

01:02:06wasn't something they made themselves

01:02:08it was still likely created

01:02:10somewhere on Earth.

01:02:11If it came from outer space

01:02:13they advised it would be made

01:02:14from different elements.

01:02:16Their review showed

01:02:17the shell of the sphere

01:02:18is one inch thick

01:02:19and high-grade stainless steel.

01:02:22It weighed 22 pounds

01:02:24the exact weight

01:02:25for that amount of stainless steel.

01:02:27It had no seams on it

01:02:29the shell was scuffed in parts

01:02:31and had a small triangular mark

01:02:33three millimeters long.

01:02:35They were sure

01:02:36it was just a steel ball

01:02:38but they wanted to confirm further

01:02:40by using x-rays.

01:02:42They found small beads

01:02:43of residue inside.

01:02:45These beads would have been

01:02:46caught inside the object

01:02:47when it was manufactured.

01:02:50Clarifying why there was

01:02:51a feeling of movement

01:02:52inside the ball

01:02:54they also solved the mystery

01:02:55of the strange movement

01:02:57as it's a perfectly balanced sphere

01:02:59sitting on the slightest

01:03:00uneven surface

01:03:02would cause it to roll.

01:03:03The Betzes house

01:03:04had uneven stone floors

01:03:06and it had only ever been witnessed

01:03:08to move around there.

01:03:10The authority also wanted

01:03:12to cut it open

01:03:13to prove their assessment.

01:03:14However, the Betzes were adamant

01:03:16that it couldn't be damaged.

01:03:19It was identified further

01:03:20that the sphere

01:03:21was just a ball check valve

01:03:23produced by the Bell

01:03:24and Gossett Company.

01:03:26The ball's size, weight

01:03:27and metallurgic composition

01:03:29match perfectly

01:03:30to what they made.

01:03:31Confirming how it managed

01:03:33to make the journey

01:03:34to the Betzes estate

01:03:35three years before

01:03:36the discovery of the sphere

01:03:38an artist, James Durling Jones

01:03:40had collected a few

01:03:41of these ball check valves.

01:03:43He liked to use them

01:03:44in his sculptures

01:03:45with no room inside of his sphere

01:03:47or no room inside of his bust.

01:03:49He put them

01:03:50on the top of the roof rack.

01:03:52His journey took him

01:03:53past the Betzes estate

01:03:54and along the way

01:03:55a few of these balls

01:03:56happened to roll off

01:03:58and were lost

01:03:59at least until Terry

01:04:00came along

01:04:01one fine spring day.

01:04:03But what about the radio waves

01:04:05and odd magnetic properties

01:04:07confirmed by Dr. Hynek?

01:04:09Well, although Antoine claimed

01:04:11that's what was found

01:04:12it was never confirmed

01:04:14to be true with the doctor.

01:04:17The 1970s were a heyday

01:04:19for all things

01:04:20out of our planet

01:04:21and anything related

01:04:22would gain popularity immediately.

01:04:25The authorities

01:04:26only enhanced this

01:04:27by providing monetary rewards

01:04:29for supporting evidence.

01:04:31Finding something

01:04:32extraterrestrial

01:04:33could have been

01:04:34just a ploy by the Betzes

01:04:36for a cash reward.

01:04:37Have you heard

01:04:38about a diamond star

01:04:39that could put all the riches

01:04:41on Earth to shame?

01:04:43Or how about twinkling stars

01:04:45with surfaces made of solid iron?

01:04:47So let's take a look

01:04:48at these weird stars

01:04:50and try to unravel

01:04:51their mysteries.

01:04:54There's a star

01:04:55in the Centaurus constellation

01:04:57that was nicknamed

01:04:58Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

01:05:00Yes, it was named

01:05:01after a Beatles song

01:05:03because it basically

01:05:04is a Beatles song.

01:05:05You see,

01:05:06the star was discovered

01:05:07to have a massive diamond

01:05:09at its core.

01:05:12Now, you may be wondering

01:05:14how big this diamond really is.

01:05:16Well,

01:05:17it's estimated to be

01:05:18about 10 billion trillion

01:05:20trillion carats.

01:05:22That's a one

01:05:23followed by 34 zeros.

01:05:25To put that into perspective,

01:05:27the Hope Diamond,

01:05:28which is one of

01:05:29the largest diamonds on Earth,

01:05:31is a measly 45.5 carats

01:05:33in comparison.

01:05:35Can you imagine

01:05:36the size of the ring

01:05:37you could make

01:05:38with this star diamond?

01:05:39And it's about

01:05:40the same mass as our Sun.

01:05:43But don't get too excited

01:05:45about the prospect

01:05:46of owning this diamond

01:05:47just yet.

01:05:48Even if you were Jeff Bezos,

01:05:50you wouldn't be able

01:05:51to afford it.

01:05:52According to Ronald Winston,

01:05:54CEO of Harry Winston Inc.,

01:05:56the diamond is so big

01:05:58that it would likely

01:05:59depress the value

01:06:00of the market.

01:06:01So you'd have to settle

01:06:02for a much smaller

01:06:04diamond engagement ring.

01:06:07One interesting thing

01:06:08about the Lucy in the Sky

01:06:10with Diamonds star

01:06:11is that it's incredibly dense.

01:06:13In fact,

01:06:14it has the mass of the Sun

01:06:15crammed into an object

01:06:17only a third the diameter

01:06:18of Earth.

01:06:19That's like trying

01:06:20to fit an elephant

01:06:21into a shoebox.

01:06:23And yet,

01:06:24despite its massive size,

01:06:26it's actually quite cool

01:06:28with a core temperature

01:06:29of only about

01:06:3012,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

01:06:32By comparison,

01:06:33the core temperature

01:06:34of our Sun

01:06:35is about 27 million

01:06:37degrees Fahrenheit.

01:06:40Since the discovery

01:06:41of Lucy in the Sky

01:06:42with Diamonds,

01:06:43several other crystallized stars

01:06:45have been found,

01:06:46some with diamond hearts

01:06:48the size of Earth.

01:06:49It just goes to show

01:06:50that the universe

01:06:51is full of surprises.

01:06:53And you never know

01:06:54what kind of treasures

01:06:55you might find out there

01:06:56in the vast expanse of space.

01:07:00And this isn't

01:07:01the only weird star

01:07:02we've discovered so far.

01:07:04There are many strange,

01:07:06unexplained things

01:07:07in outer space.

01:07:09For example,

01:07:10let's take Vega.

01:07:12Vega,

01:07:13also known as Alpha Lyrae,

01:07:15is a bright star

01:07:16located in the constellation Lyra.

01:07:18It's one of the brightest stars

01:07:20in the night sky

01:07:21and is easily visible

01:07:22to the naked eye

01:07:23from most parts of the world.

01:07:27Now, Vega may look

01:07:28like a beautiful,

01:07:29bright star

01:07:30to us Northern Hemisphere folks,

01:07:32but little do we know,

01:07:33it's hiding a secret.

01:07:35It's actually

01:07:37quite squashed.

01:07:40You see,

01:07:41Vega's high spin rate

01:07:43causes it to bulge

01:07:44at the equator,

01:07:45kind of like a cosmic belly.

01:07:47It rotates once every 12.5 hours,

01:07:50which is pretty fast

01:07:51for a star,

01:07:52and it throws material out

01:07:54around its waistline.

01:07:55It's almost like

01:07:56the star is hula-hooping.

01:07:58This material is further

01:08:00from the center of the star,

01:08:01so it experiences less gravity,

01:08:04causing it to cool

01:08:05and darken,

01:08:06leading to a gravity

01:08:07darkening effect.

01:08:11So Vega is basically

01:08:13a cosmic fitness guru's

01:08:15worst nightmare.

01:08:16Although for us stargazers,

01:08:18it still looks round

01:08:19because we're looking at it

01:08:20from Earth's pole end.

01:08:22However,

01:08:23if we saw it

01:08:24from a different angle,

01:08:25we'd get a very different view,

01:08:27one that might make us wonder

01:08:29if Vega has been sneaking

01:08:31some cosmic donuts

01:08:32behind our backs.

01:08:34But while we might joke

01:08:35about its equatorial waistline,

01:08:37there's no denying

01:08:38that Vega is still

01:08:39one of the brightest

01:08:40and most fascinating stars

01:08:42in our galaxy.

01:08:46But if you want something

01:08:47actually bright,

01:08:48then how about a supernova?

01:08:53Supernovas are giant space

01:08:55booms that occur

01:08:57when stars reach

01:08:58the end of their life cycle.

01:09:00It's like the grand finale

01:09:01of a movie.

01:09:02It's like the grand finale

01:09:03of a firework show,

01:09:04but on a cosmic scale.

01:09:06They release more energy

01:09:08in a few seconds

01:09:09than our Sun will produce

01:09:11in its entire lifetime.

01:09:15And this is exactly

01:09:16what happened to the next star

01:09:18of our show,

01:09:19this celestial object

01:09:20with a weird name,

01:09:21IPFT-14 HLS.

01:09:25But there's a catch.

01:09:27It isn't your average supernova.

01:09:29Even though this star

01:09:30made a blast in 2014

01:09:32and started to fade away

01:09:34like usual,

01:09:35recently it made

01:09:36an unexpected comeback

01:09:38and brightened once more.

01:09:40Talk about a dramatic entrance.

01:09:44And if that wasn't enough,

01:09:45this thing continued

01:09:46to fade and brighten

01:09:47at least five times in total,

01:09:50which is a bit like a yo-yo.

01:09:52It's like the star

01:09:53just couldn't make up its mind

01:09:54about whether it wanted

01:09:55to stay bright

01:09:56or fade away into the abyss.

01:10:01Also, when scientists

01:10:02measured the supernova's spectrum,

01:10:04they found that it was evolving

01:10:06ten times slower than other stars.

01:10:09Maybe it's a supernova

01:10:10that just wants to enjoy

01:10:12its golden years.

01:10:15All in all,

01:10:16this object is a real mystery.

01:10:21But this is not the only star

01:10:22suffering from the

01:10:23two-in-one syndrome.

01:10:25At first glance,

01:10:26MY Camelopardalis

01:10:28appears to be a fairly

01:10:30common star.

01:10:31But after a closer look,

01:10:33astronomers concluded

01:10:34it was actually two stars in one.

01:10:39These two stars

01:10:40are orbiting each other

01:10:41at over 600,000 miles per hour.

01:10:44It's a contact binary star system,

01:10:47which means that the stars

01:10:48are so close together

01:10:49that they share a common envelope.

01:10:52In other words,

01:10:53they're so close to each other

01:10:54that they're practically smooching.

01:10:58These celestial,

01:10:59Romeo and Juliet,

01:11:00are one of the most

01:11:01massive known

01:11:02binary stars out there.

01:11:04Each of them individually weighs in

01:11:06at a whopping

01:11:0732 and 38 solar masses,

01:11:10respectively.

01:11:13Astronomers also think

01:11:14that they might be

01:11:15on the brink of a stellar merger,

01:11:17which means that one day

01:11:19they might just combine

01:11:20into one giant superstar.

01:11:23Wow,

01:11:24who knew space could be so romantic?

01:11:26Next,

01:11:28introducing another long name,

01:11:30HD 140283,

01:11:33also known as Methuselah's star.

01:11:36This little guy

01:11:37in the constellation Libra

01:11:38has been around for a while.

01:11:40And by a while,

01:11:41I mean a really long time.

01:11:43Actually,

01:11:44scientists used to think

01:11:45it was older

01:11:46than the universe itself.

01:11:49Just imagine

01:11:51if it turned out to be true.

01:11:53But eventually,

01:11:54they figured out

01:11:55that it's actually around

01:11:5614.8 billion years old,

01:11:59a peer of our universe.

01:12:01That's still pretty impressive, though.

01:12:03This star is so old,

01:12:05it remembers

01:12:06when the Milky Way

01:12:07was just a baby galaxy.

01:12:11But despite all that,

01:12:13this star still has

01:12:14some life left in it.

01:12:16It's just starting to expand

01:12:17into a red giant,

01:12:18which is kind of like

01:12:19when you hit your 30s.

01:12:21Talk about getting old.

01:12:23But if all these things

01:12:24are somewhat comprehensible,

01:12:26then how about a star

01:12:27that was literally named

01:12:29WTF star by scientists?

01:12:32No, I'm not kidding.

01:12:33At least, it used to be.

01:12:35Now, it's called Tabby's star.

01:12:38It also has a more scientific name,

01:12:40but that one is

01:12:41a bit of a mouthful.

01:12:45But what's really bizarre

01:12:46about this star

01:12:47is its irregular dimming.

01:12:49It's not like

01:12:51For some reason,

01:12:52it doesn't glow

01:12:53like a normal star,

01:12:54but blinks

01:12:55as if someone turned

01:12:56on and off a flashlight.

01:12:58And it's not just a little dip.

01:13:00We're talking

01:13:01up to a 22% drop in light.

01:13:04So it's not because

01:13:05it sometimes gets blocked

01:13:06by a planet or something.

01:13:10Scientists have come up

01:13:11with all sorts of explanations

01:13:13for this strange behavior,

01:13:14from comets to dust

01:13:16to even an

01:13:17extraterrestrial megastructure.

01:13:20That's right.

01:13:21But before your imagination

01:13:22runs too wild,

01:13:24it's important to note

01:13:25that the most likely explanation

01:13:27is just plain old dust.

01:13:29Perhaps the star

01:13:30is surrounded by

01:13:31some kind of dust cloud.

01:13:32And sometimes,

01:13:33it prevents us

01:13:34from seeing it clearly.

01:13:38Although this explanation

01:13:39is still not 100% confirmed,

01:13:41there are still

01:13:42plenty of mysteries

01:13:43surrounding Tabby's star.

01:13:45One thing's for sure,

01:13:46it may be a bit of an oddball,

01:13:48but that's what

01:13:49makes it so fascinating.

01:13:53So there you have it, folks.

01:13:54We're left in awe

01:13:56of the incredible diversity

01:13:58and strangeness of the cosmos.

01:14:00There's so much more

01:14:01to discover out there.

01:14:02So let's keep exploring

01:14:04and keep being amazed

01:14:05by the wonders of the universe.

01:14:08Professional storage hunting

01:14:09is really quite a gig these days.

01:14:12It's drawn a lot of attention

01:14:13from people all around the world too

01:14:15since there are many TV shows

01:14:17focused on it.

01:14:19But it's not just

01:14:20storage hunters

01:14:21that can hit the jackpot

01:14:22with their findings.

01:14:23One couple from Arizona

01:14:25simply wanted a couch,

01:14:26but they weren't willing

01:14:27to buy a new one

01:14:28or pay a lot of money for it.

01:14:29So they participated

01:14:30in an auction

01:14:31where they made a $10 offer

01:14:33for an old couch.

01:14:35Since that piece of furniture

01:14:36wasn't in the best shape,

01:14:37they ended up purchasing the couch

01:14:39and the container it came in.

01:14:41When going through the storage unit,

01:14:43they had the best surprise.

01:14:45They found an old teddy bear

01:14:47filled with cash.

01:14:48That little toy

01:14:49ended up bringing them

01:14:50about $300,000.

01:14:54In 2011,

01:14:55another man came across

01:14:56an interesting discovery

01:14:57of his own

01:14:58after he examined the contents

01:14:59of a storage locker

01:15:00in San Fernando Valley.

01:15:02What he stumbled upon

01:15:03was a special comic book

01:15:05called Action Comics No. 1.

01:15:08The man didn't really know

01:15:10how valuable his finding was

01:15:11until he took it to an expert

01:15:13for further evaluation.

01:15:15Turned out,

01:15:16the comic book was actually

01:15:17the first one

01:15:18featuring Superman.

01:15:20But as much as he wanted

01:15:21to profit from it,

01:15:22the man had to give it back

01:15:23to the previous owner.

01:15:26The story goes

01:15:27that the comic book

01:15:28was stolen from a famous actor

01:15:29who was himself

01:15:30really passionate

01:15:31about comics

01:15:32and Superman in particular.

01:15:34The actor had reported the book

01:15:35as missing

01:15:36to his insurance company

01:15:37and authorities,

01:15:38but it couldn't be found.

01:15:40The comic book

01:15:41estimated to be worth

01:15:42somewhere around $1 million

01:15:45reunited with its rightful owner

01:15:4611 years after it had been stolen.

01:15:50Another incredible

01:15:51vintage object

01:15:52was found in a storage unit

01:15:53in Melbourne, Australia.

01:15:55It was a 1927

01:15:57Harley-Davidson 8-valve racer

01:15:59with a sidecar.

01:16:01Based on experts' opinion,

01:16:02this fascinating vehicle

01:16:03had been sitting there

01:16:04for over half a century

01:16:05before resurfacing in 2015.

01:16:09It went for sale

01:16:10pretty soon afterwards

01:16:11and was purchased

01:16:12for a whopping $470,000.

01:16:16Some auctions

01:16:17for abandoned storage units

01:16:18are fun

01:16:19just because you have no idea

01:16:21what you're going to find in there

01:16:23and that's regardless

01:16:24of how much profit

01:16:25you'll end up making.

01:16:27It's the story of a couple

01:16:28from Long Island

01:16:29that spent only $100

01:16:31on the best thing

01:16:32they'd ever purchased.

01:16:34Hidden inside their mystery unit

01:16:36was a custom

01:16:371976 Lotus Esprit Sport.

01:16:41Not only was this car special

01:16:42because of its design,

01:16:45but it was also the car

01:16:46that was used

01:16:47in the 1977 James Bond movie

01:16:49The Spy Who Loved Me.

01:16:52At first,

01:16:53the couple had no idea

01:16:54the car was a famous one

01:16:56so they just looked at

01:16:57how they could fix it

01:16:58so they could continue using it.

01:16:59I mean,

01:17:00it did look pretty cool.

01:17:02After they took it

01:17:03to a repair shop,

01:17:04they found out

01:17:05that there was something

01:17:06special about the vehicle.

01:17:08Soon enough,

01:17:09they discovered

01:17:10where it came from

01:17:11and ended up selling it

01:17:12at an auction in 2013.

01:17:14The price?

01:17:15A mind-boggling

01:17:16$997,000!

01:17:19Another person

01:17:20from Southern California

01:17:21found something

01:17:22incredible

01:17:23in an abandoned

01:17:24storage unit

01:17:25back in 2017.

01:17:27His locker

01:17:28ended up filled

01:17:29with vintage videos,

01:17:30game hardware

01:17:31and game cartridges.

01:17:33After he took them

01:17:34for evaluation,

01:17:35he found out

01:17:36that his findings

01:17:37were worth over $50,000!

01:17:40In 2010,

01:17:41another person

01:17:42paid just

01:17:44$275

01:17:45for a large storage unit

01:17:46that seemed to be

01:17:47filled with

01:17:48simple salon supplies.

01:17:50But,

01:17:51after looking closely,

01:17:52the person discovered

01:17:53a hidden object

01:17:54that ended up

01:17:55being worth a lot.

01:17:57A 1928

01:17:58Marshall & Wendell

01:17:59Salesman Piano.

01:18:01After further evaluation,

01:18:02the price of the

01:18:03musical instrument

01:18:04was estimated

01:18:05somewhere between

01:18:06$10,000

01:18:07and $12,000.

01:18:09Space technology

01:18:10and a forgotten

01:18:11storage unit?

01:18:12This unit was

01:18:13auctioned off

01:18:14in Florida.

01:18:15After inspecting it,

01:18:16the owner realized

01:18:17it contained

01:18:18a NASA rocket

01:18:19and a countdown clock.

01:18:21Apparently,

01:18:22those were put

01:18:23into storage

01:18:24after the program

01:18:25they were supposed

01:18:26to be used in

01:18:27had been discontinued.

01:18:28The finding

01:18:29became so famous

01:18:30that it even

01:18:31made it on TV.

01:18:32Fans of famous

01:18:33singers may get

01:18:34some surprises

01:18:35in abandoned

01:18:36storage units too.

01:18:37Here's a story

01:18:38about a unit

01:18:39containing Aretha

01:18:40Franklin's

01:18:42most of her things

01:18:43were transported there

01:18:44after an incident

01:18:45at her house.

01:18:46She ended up

01:18:47abandoning those items.

01:18:48Later,

01:18:49she admitted

01:18:50she had forgotten

01:18:51about them.

01:18:52At the auction,

01:18:53things like bags,

01:18:54articles of clothing

01:18:55and even receipts

01:18:56in her name

01:18:57were presented

01:18:58to the public.

01:19:00Similarly,

01:19:01tucked away in a

01:19:02locker that used

01:19:03to be the property

01:19:04of Michael Jackson's

01:19:05dad,

01:19:06there were over

01:19:07250 undiscovered

01:19:08and unreleased

01:19:09recordings.

01:19:10During the time

01:19:12Michael Jackson

01:19:13wrote and produced

01:19:14those songs,

01:19:15he was between

01:19:16contracts.

01:19:17So,

01:19:18technically,

01:19:19there was no

01:19:20legal ownership

01:19:21of the songs.

01:19:22More so,

01:19:23the locker contained

01:19:24a huge number

01:19:25of photos of

01:19:26the famous singer

01:19:27and personal objects

01:19:28belonging to the

01:19:29Jackson family.

01:19:30Some of these

01:19:31items were auctioned

01:19:32off,

01:19:33while some others

01:19:34were acquired

01:19:35back by the family

01:19:36at great expense.

01:19:37It goes to show

01:19:38that missing a payment

01:19:39on your storage unit

01:19:40can be detrimental

01:19:41to your life.

01:19:42Every item found

01:19:43in storage units

01:19:44is inanimate.

01:19:45As weird as that

01:19:46may sound,

01:19:47one story has it

01:19:48that a man kept

01:19:49stumbling upon a cat

01:19:50while regularly

01:19:51visiting his

01:19:52storage unit.

01:19:53He couldn't really

01:19:54figure out how she

01:19:55got in there

01:19:56and why she kept

01:19:57coming back to visit.

01:19:58So,

01:19:59he decided to take

01:20:00her home.

01:20:01Never thought you'd

01:20:02find a furry new

01:20:03friend in a storage

01:20:04unit, right?

01:20:05Other storage locker

01:20:06stories are less

01:20:07fortunate.

01:20:08Like this one

01:20:09that happened in

01:20:10an abandoned

01:20:11locker.

01:20:12A security guard

01:20:13saw that the

01:20:14door to the

01:20:15particular locker

01:20:16was open.

01:20:17Since he didn't

01:20:18hear any noise

01:20:19coming from inside,

01:20:20the guard decided

01:20:21to simply close

01:20:22the door.

01:20:23He thought that

01:20:24the owner had

01:20:25mistakenly left

01:20:26it open.

01:20:27Needless to say,

01:20:28the thief got

01:20:29stuck inside

01:20:30and was eventually

01:20:31caught and handed

01:20:32over to the police

01:20:33after he tried

01:20:34to escape.

01:20:35Keeping items

01:20:36in storage units

01:20:37is not easy.

01:20:38So,

01:20:39keeping items in

01:20:40storage units may

01:20:41seem like a great

01:20:42idea when you need

01:20:43some space in your

01:20:44house but don't

01:20:45want to get rid of

01:20:46them just yet.

01:20:47However,

01:20:48you do need to know

01:20:49that there are a

01:20:50couple of rules you

01:20:51need to follow

01:20:52because not every

01:20:53item is safe or

01:20:54legal to keep in

01:20:55storage.

01:20:56Take vehicles,

01:20:57for instance.

01:20:58In the U.S.,

01:20:59most storage room

01:21:00suppliers only

01:21:01accept them if

01:21:02they're fully

01:21:03registered,

01:21:04insured,

01:21:05and in operable

01:21:06condition.

01:21:07And this doesn't

01:21:08apply to boats

01:21:09and even trucks.

01:21:10So you need to be

01:21:11prepared to offer

01:21:12all sorts of

01:21:13supporting documentation

01:21:14before you can move

01:21:15such an item into

01:21:16a storage facility.

01:21:17For obvious reasons,

01:21:18perishable items

01:21:19are a no-go.

01:21:20It includes food

01:21:21that needs to be

01:21:22refrigerated,

01:21:23food that is not

01:21:24kept in airtight

01:21:25containers,

01:21:26and even dry pet

01:21:27food in some cases.

01:21:28Most companies

01:21:29that offer storage

01:21:30space stay away

01:21:31from such items

01:21:32because they can

01:21:33attract bugs and

01:21:34rodents or might

01:21:35encourage bacteria

01:21:36and mold to

01:21:37develop inside.

01:21:38You might think

01:21:39canned food is a

01:21:40no-go,

01:21:41but in most places

01:21:42it's not allowed

01:21:43either.

01:21:44That's because the

01:21:45standard storage unit

01:21:46does not have a

01:21:47specific way in

01:21:48which you can

01:21:49control the

01:21:50temperature inside.

01:21:51And some food cans

01:21:52can burst in

01:21:53high-heat

01:21:54environments.

01:21:55Plants aren't

01:21:56allowed in storage

01:21:57containers either.

01:21:58Not only do they

01:21:59need sunlight to

01:22:00thrive,

01:22:01but they can be a

01:22:02source of bugs

01:22:03and pests too.

01:22:04More so,

01:22:05some plants can

01:22:06cause weird smells

01:22:07if not treated

01:22:08properly.

01:22:09So, it's best if you

01:22:10plant them outside

01:22:11or give them away

01:22:12if you can't fit them

01:22:13inside your house

01:22:14anymore.

01:22:20Do you know that

01:22:21NASA explores not

01:22:22only stars,

01:22:23planets,

01:22:24galaxies,

01:22:25or black holes?

01:22:26Hard to believe,

01:22:27but yes.

01:22:28The agency also

01:22:29works on discoveries

01:22:30here on our

01:22:31home planet Earth.

01:22:33So what has NASA

01:22:34recently discovered?

01:22:35Is there life

01:22:36under the ice?

01:22:38While they were

01:22:39analyzing data

01:22:40recently,

01:22:41they discovered

01:22:42something unbelievable

01:22:43hiding under

01:22:44Antarctica's ice.

01:22:45And this discovery

01:22:46not only changes

01:22:47everything we know

01:22:48about the whole

01:22:49water system of the

01:22:50Earth,

01:22:51but it may also

01:22:52help with research

01:22:53about life in space.

01:22:55Humankind's

01:22:56existence might

01:22:57depend on

01:22:58understanding

01:22:59Antarctica and

01:23:00its secrets.

01:23:01So, the recent

01:23:02discoveries reveal

01:23:03vital information

01:23:04about our survival.

01:23:06But before we continue,

01:23:07let's see how much

01:23:08you know about

01:23:09this place,

01:23:10where it's only ice

01:23:11as far as your

01:23:12eyes can see.

01:23:15Antarctica is one

01:23:16of the world's

01:23:17seven continents

01:23:18in the southern

01:23:19hemisphere.

01:23:20It's the fifth

01:23:21largest continent

01:23:22in terms of total area,

01:23:23and that means

01:23:24it's almost twice

01:23:25the size of Australia.

01:23:26Want to see

01:23:27real meteorites?

01:23:28Go to Antarctica!

01:23:30Due to its dry

01:23:31climate,

01:23:32Antarctica is one

01:23:33of the best places

01:23:34to observe space.

01:23:35But what's even

01:23:36greater is that

01:23:37you can find

01:23:38meteorites on the

01:23:39white surface

01:23:40of the continent.

01:23:41Scientists have

01:23:42already plucked

01:23:43about 45,000

01:23:44meteorites from the

01:23:45ice,

01:23:46and they think

01:23:47they can see

01:23:48another 300,000.

01:23:49Since there aren't

01:23:50many terrestrial

01:23:51rocks there,

01:23:52it's easy for them

01:23:53to spot them

01:23:54thanks to their

01:23:55dark color.

01:23:56Antarctica's dry

01:23:57desert environment

01:23:58also helps preserve

01:23:59them,

01:24:00even the ones

01:24:01that fell to Earth

01:24:03And can you

01:24:04imagine any

01:24:05volcanic activity

01:24:06in Antarctica?

01:24:07It's hard.

01:24:09But this place

01:24:10is where fire

01:24:11meets the ice.

01:24:13West Antarctica

01:24:14is where most

01:24:15volcanic activity

01:24:16occurs.

01:24:18Scientists recently

01:24:19found that

01:24:20138 volcanoes

01:24:21exist in

01:24:22West Antarctica

01:24:23alone.

01:24:24Wow!

01:24:26You would think

01:24:27that Antarctica

01:24:28is always cold,

01:24:29but no!

01:24:30Its coastal regions

01:24:31can get as warm

01:24:32as 50 degrees

01:24:33Fahrenheit.

01:24:35But have you ever

01:24:36wondered what

01:24:37Antarctica would

01:24:38look like if there

01:24:39were no ice?

01:24:41It may seem

01:24:42unimaginable now,

01:24:43but it was not

01:24:44always covered

01:24:45by ice.

01:24:46That was 34

01:24:47million years ago

01:24:48though,

01:24:49so nobody could

01:24:50tell how the

01:24:51continent's surface

01:24:52would be without

01:24:53the ice.

01:24:54But NASA

01:24:55changed that.

01:24:56They generated

01:24:57computer simulations

01:24:58and created the

01:24:59most accurate map

01:25:00of today.

01:25:01What they saw

01:25:02was incredible.

01:25:04The continent

01:25:05was not flat at all

01:25:06like it seemed.

01:25:07It's pretty bumpy

01:25:08with valleys,

01:25:09rolling plains,

01:25:10and high mountains.

01:25:13But this was

01:25:14nothing next to

01:25:15what they had

01:25:16discovered under

01:25:17Antarctica's ice.

01:25:19So what is it?

01:25:21Drum roll please.

01:25:23NASA found

01:25:24two new

01:25:25subglacial lakes.

01:25:27And what's even

01:25:28cooler about it

01:25:29is that they

01:25:30spotted these lakes

01:25:31from space.

01:25:32How is that?

01:25:34If your answer

01:25:35is high-tech

01:25:36satellites,

01:25:37then you're right.

01:25:39In 2003,

01:25:40NASA launched

01:25:41a satellite called

01:25:42IceSat.

01:25:43It measured

01:25:44ice sheet

01:25:45mass balance

01:25:46and cloud

01:25:47and aerosol heights.

01:25:49The satellite

01:25:50also helped create

01:25:51the ice-free map

01:25:52of Antarctica.

01:25:54In 2010,

01:25:55the European Space

01:25:56Agency launched

01:25:57the second satellite,

01:25:58CryoSat-2.

01:26:00It was for tracking

01:26:01the changes

01:26:02in the thickness

01:26:03of the ice.

01:26:04Then in 2018,

01:26:05NASA launched

01:26:06the third one,

01:26:07IceSat-2,

01:26:09a follow-on

01:26:10to the IceSat spacecraft.

01:26:12It measured

01:26:13ice sheet elevation

01:26:14and sea ice thickness.

01:26:16It was NASA's

01:26:17most advanced

01:26:18Earth-observing

01:26:19laser instrument.

01:26:20It delivered

01:26:21the highest

01:26:22precision data.

01:26:24And when that

01:26:25was combined

01:26:26with the data

01:26:27from the satellites,

01:26:28it was possible

01:26:29to spot these

01:26:30two new lakes

01:26:31near a pair

01:26:32of larger ones.

01:26:33But how is it

01:26:34possible that

01:26:35these lakes exist

01:26:36in the first place?

01:26:38The average

01:26:39thickness of

01:26:40most Antarctica ice

01:26:41is approximately

01:26:421.2 miles.

01:26:43However,

01:26:44it can get

01:26:45over 1.8 miles

01:26:46thick in some places,

01:26:47especially

01:26:48during the winter.

01:26:50So,

01:26:51you might think

01:26:52that there's

01:26:53nothing under there,

01:26:54but science

01:26:55says otherwise.

01:26:57It's not quite possible

01:26:58to see it

01:26:59with your bare eyes,

01:27:00but the continent's ice

01:27:01is slowly

01:27:02but constantly

01:27:03flowing in different directions

01:27:04under the force

01:27:05of its weight.

01:27:07But scientists

01:27:08could not figure out

01:27:09how water moved

01:27:10for many years.

01:27:12That started to change

01:27:13in 2007,

01:27:14when data

01:27:15gathered from the IceSat

01:27:16provided insight

01:27:17into what hides

01:27:18beneath the surface.

01:27:21They first discovered

01:27:22an entire network

01:27:23of meltwater lakes

01:27:24connected under

01:27:25Antarctica's

01:27:26fast-flowing

01:27:27ice streams,

01:27:28and there were

01:27:29hundreds of them.

01:27:31Scripps Institution

01:27:32of Oceanography

01:27:33glaciologist

01:27:34Helen Amanda Fricker

01:27:35figured that

01:27:36the elevation changes

01:27:37measured by IceSat

01:27:38happened because

01:27:39of the dynamics

01:27:40of these lakes.

01:27:42They did not hold

01:27:43meltwater statically.

01:27:45Instead,

01:27:46they were filling

01:27:47and draining

01:27:48continuously over time

01:27:49through a system

01:27:50of waterways.

01:27:51And as they did that,

01:27:52the ice above

01:27:53rose and fell.

01:27:55But where do they drain?

01:27:58The ocean, of course.

01:27:59And it drains a lot.

01:28:02A recent study

01:28:03co-authored by Fricker

01:28:04found that the

01:28:05drainage of one lake

01:28:06flushed as much as

01:28:07198 billion gallons

01:28:09into the ocean

01:28:10in only three days.

01:28:13Countless mysteries

01:28:14about how nature works

01:28:15are still waiting

01:28:16to be solved.

01:28:17But finding the

01:28:18two new lakes

01:28:19will give scientists

01:28:20a better picture

01:28:21of how fast

01:28:22the Antarctic ice sheet

01:28:23changes as the climate

01:28:24gets warmer

01:28:25and how this will affect

01:28:26global ocean currents

01:28:27and sea level rise.

01:28:29The filling

01:28:30and draining cycle

01:28:31of the lakes

01:28:32also cause the ice sheet

01:28:33to suffer cracks

01:28:34and crevices.

01:28:35So,

01:28:36the information

01:28:37they find from

01:28:38these new lakes

01:28:39will also give them

01:28:40a better understanding

01:28:41of the damage

01:28:42on the surface

01:28:43of the ice.

01:28:44They will also be able

01:28:45to assess

01:28:46how this filling

01:28:47and draining system

01:28:48influences the speed

01:28:49at which ice slips

01:28:50into the oceans

01:28:51and seas.

01:28:52This means

01:28:53they can evaluate

01:28:54how the added freshwater

01:28:55may alter

01:28:56marine ecosystems.

01:28:58This discovery

01:28:59may also suggest

01:29:00whether life

01:29:01is under the ice.

01:29:02Wow!

01:29:03Scientists drilled

01:29:04through about

01:29:053,504 feet

01:29:06of ice

01:29:07and found

01:29:08that water samples

01:29:09taken from

01:29:10one of the lakes

01:29:11contained approximately

01:29:1210,000 bacterial

01:29:13cells per milliliter.

01:29:15Such a high number

01:29:16of bacterial life

01:29:17is a good sign

01:29:18because that means

01:29:19the icy waters

01:29:20might also support

01:29:21higher life forms

01:29:22such as micro-animals

01:29:24and one of these

01:29:25new lakes

01:29:26might even be

01:29:27their home.

01:29:28But the most

01:29:29exciting thing

01:29:30is that the new lakes

01:29:31might help them

01:29:32understand

01:29:33whether life

01:29:34on other planets

01:29:35is possible.

01:29:36Scientists believe

01:29:37any life

01:29:38below the frozen

01:29:39surface of the planet

01:29:40Mars

01:29:41might follow

01:29:42the patterns

01:29:43seen in Antarctica's lakes.

01:29:44So,

01:29:45there is a possibility

01:29:46that they might find

01:29:47critical new information

01:29:48on the type of life

01:29:49that may have existed

01:29:50on the Red Planet.

01:29:52You wouldn't want

01:29:53to be there

01:29:54during the winter though.

01:29:56The lowest temperature

01:29:57on Earth

01:29:58you can experience

01:29:59is negative 128 degrees

01:30:00Fahrenheit.

01:30:01In 2010,

01:30:02there was an even

01:30:03lower temperature

01:30:04of negative 135 degrees

01:30:05Fahrenheit.

01:30:07You may feel

01:30:08this cold much worse

01:30:09due to the strong

01:30:10and dry winds.

01:30:12Did you know

01:30:13that the size

01:30:14of the ice surface

01:30:15on Antarctica

01:30:16also changes

01:30:17throughout the year?

01:30:19It's about 1.2 million

01:30:20square miles

01:30:21during the summer,

01:30:22but when it's winter,

01:30:23it grows to

01:30:247.3 million

01:30:25square miles.

01:30:27Yet,

01:30:28despite the change,

01:30:29it remains

01:30:30the largest piece

01:30:31of ice on Earth.

01:30:32Sorry Arctic,

01:30:33you lose.

01:30:35Do you know

01:30:36these cute little penguins?

01:30:37Consider these animals

01:30:38the locals

01:30:39because there is

01:30:40no native population

01:30:41in Antarctica.

01:30:43It's a no-man's land

01:30:44because

01:30:45no single country

01:30:46owns it.

01:30:47But do you know

01:30:48who really owns it?

01:30:49Five different species

01:30:50of penguins,

01:30:51seals,

01:30:52and killer whales.

01:30:53Ha ha.

01:30:55Despite the continent's

01:30:56harsh conditions,

01:30:57you can visit it

01:30:58as a tourist

01:30:59for fishing

01:31:00and research purposes.

01:31:01Around 5,000 people

01:31:02reside on the continent

01:31:03during summer

01:31:04at research stations.

01:31:06But when winter comes,

01:31:07the number

01:31:08naturally drops

01:31:09down to 1,000.

01:31:11Antarctica's ice blanket

01:31:12makes up 70%

01:31:13of the world's

01:31:14freshwater reserves.

01:31:15Imagine what would

01:31:16happen if it melted.

01:31:18The global sea levels

01:31:19would be raised

01:31:20by almost 200 feet.

01:31:22On January 10, 1992,

01:31:25a huge cargo ship

01:31:26sailed somewhere

01:31:27in the middle

01:31:28of the Pacific Ocean.

01:31:29It got caught

01:31:30in a strong storm.

01:31:31Its waves battered

01:31:32the ship frightfully

01:31:34and some of its containers

01:31:35fell into the water.

01:31:37One of them opened

01:31:38and released

01:31:39some 29,000 rubber toys.

01:31:41There were yellow ducks,

01:31:42frogs,

01:31:43and blue turtles.

01:31:44From that moment,

01:31:45their journey

01:31:46of almost 20,000 miles

01:31:48across the world's oceans

01:31:49began.

01:31:51This enormous number

01:31:52of toys survived

01:31:53many years of storms,

01:31:54salt water,

01:31:55encounter with

01:31:56marine animals,

01:31:57and countless days

01:31:58under the scorching sun.

01:32:00The ducks even ventured

01:32:01into the icy waters

01:32:02of the Arctic

01:32:03and swam through

01:32:04the spot

01:32:05where the Titanic sank.

01:32:07Some of the toys

01:32:08settled in Hawaii

01:32:09and some went

01:32:10to the shores of England.

01:32:11Many people watch

01:32:12their journey

01:32:13all the time.

01:32:14Oceanologists studied

01:32:15ocean currents

01:32:16with the help of this

01:32:17migrating flock

01:32:18of rubber duckies.

01:32:19People authored books

01:32:20about these ducks.

01:32:22Each toy is an artifact

01:32:23and somebody managed

01:32:24to find at least

01:32:25one of them.

01:32:27One frog washed up

01:32:28on the coast of England

01:32:29and other toys

01:32:30were found in the ocean.

01:32:32People are looking for them

01:32:33and selling them

01:32:34for thousands of dollars.

01:32:35Until now,

01:32:36these wanderers

01:32:37are floating

01:32:38somewhere out there

01:32:39and you may find

01:32:40one of them sometime.

01:32:42I keep mine close by.

01:32:44You know what ammumite is?

01:32:46It's a kind of a big

01:32:47ancient seashell

01:32:48with a spiral on its back.

01:32:50So, the coast of Washington

01:32:52hides many fossils

01:32:53of these animals.

01:32:55One day,

01:32:56a group of scientists

01:32:57went there

01:32:58to find these

01:32:59prehistoric things.

01:33:00But instead,

01:33:01they found a massive bone

01:33:02of an unknown dinosaur.

01:33:04The problem was

01:33:05that the fossil

01:33:06was stuck in a coastal rock.

01:33:08Paleontologists

01:33:09dragged a stone saw

01:33:10to get the find.

01:33:12They extracted the bone

01:33:13and discovered it belonged

01:33:14to an animal

01:33:15that lived about

01:33:1680 million years ago.

01:33:18It was a theropod,

01:33:19a predatory dinosaur

01:33:20that moved on two legs.

01:33:22T. rex

01:33:23and velociraptors

01:33:24belong to this species.

01:33:26It's not proven exactly

01:33:27who this bone belonged to,

01:33:29but researchers say

01:33:30the descendants

01:33:31of these dinosaurs

01:33:32are modern birds.

01:33:34In 2008,

01:33:35on the shore

01:33:36of Brighton Beach,

01:33:38people discovered

01:33:39probably one of the

01:33:40most unusual things

01:33:41that have ever been

01:33:42thrown on the shore.

01:33:44This was a big

01:33:458-foot Lego man.

01:33:46He was whole

01:33:47and looked great.

01:33:48It's unknown

01:33:49how long he stayed

01:33:50in the ocean

01:33:51and ended up here.

01:33:52The discovery

01:33:53attracted the attention

01:33:54of locals

01:33:55and the district administration.

01:33:57The Lego man

01:33:58looked so cool

01:33:59on the beach

01:34:00that the people

01:34:01at City Hall

01:34:02decided to leave him there.

01:34:03Nobody knows

01:34:04the true story

01:34:05of this giant toy.

01:34:06Some say

01:34:07that Lego man

01:34:08came from Denmark.

01:34:09There's a Legoland

01:34:10theme park.

01:34:11Maybe the toy

01:34:12came straight from there.

01:34:13Others are sure

01:34:14that it fell

01:34:15from some passing ship

01:34:16– see rubber duckies.

01:34:18But, of course,

01:34:19there's a high probability

01:34:20that this is all

01:34:21part of a PR campaign.

01:34:23Even if it's not,

01:34:24it's still a great ad.

01:34:26In 2010,

01:34:27locals found

01:34:28a giant tree

01:34:29washed up on the beach

01:34:30on the shore

01:34:31of La Push, Washington.

01:34:33Several people

01:34:34could fit inside his trunk.

01:34:36There's enough room

01:34:37for a bed,

01:34:38a table,

01:34:39a TV,

01:34:40and even throw a small party.

01:34:41And the height

01:34:42of the tree itself

01:34:43reached about 200 feet.

01:34:45This is almost

01:34:46the size of a Boeing

01:34:47passenger jet.

01:34:48There were a lot

01:34:49of discarded trees

01:34:50on the shore that day,

01:34:51but this giant

01:34:52was the king among them.

01:34:54High tides

01:34:55and fierce winds

01:34:56brought it ashore.

01:34:57Storms occur

01:34:58often in this region.

01:34:59During this time,

01:35:00rivers flowing

01:35:01through the area

01:35:02spill over the forest

01:35:03and dump large trees.

01:35:05Also, near the beach,

01:35:06there are high slopes

01:35:07with tropical forests.

01:35:09At high tide,

01:35:10the water washes

01:35:11away the trees

01:35:12and brings them

01:35:13to the shore.

01:35:14Now, they didn't know

01:35:15the exact type of tree,

01:35:17but it was like

01:35:18the Sitka Spruce,

01:35:19Red Cedar,

01:35:20and Douglas Fir.

01:35:22In 2020,

01:35:23a giant squid

01:35:24was found

01:35:25on the shore

01:35:26of a South African beach.

01:35:27Such finds are rare

01:35:28because giant squids

01:35:29live in deep,

01:35:30dark waters.

01:35:32The beached sea creature

01:35:33was almost 14 feet long.

01:35:35This is more than

01:35:36the size of a passenger car.

01:35:38Some of these individuals

01:35:39can reach the size of buses.

01:35:41It's not surprising

01:35:42that sailors

01:35:43called these monsters

01:35:44Kraken in the distant past.

01:35:46They have enormous tentacles,

01:35:47beak-like mouths,

01:35:49and the most giant eyes

01:35:50in the animal world.

01:35:52One such eye

01:35:53can be the size

01:35:54of a football.

01:35:56In 2021,

01:35:57a family found

01:35:58an old, closed bottle

01:35:59on a beach in Hawaii.

01:36:01And, of course,

01:36:02there was a message

01:36:03written 37 years ago

01:36:04inside.

01:36:06The letter

01:36:07was written in English.

01:36:08Then it turned out

01:36:09that school students

01:36:10at one Japanese school

01:36:11wrote this message.

01:36:13Back in 1984,

01:36:15the school released

01:36:16about 450 bottles

01:36:17into the ocean

01:36:18to study ocean currents.

01:36:20The letter

01:36:21had an address

01:36:22with a request

01:36:23to give it back.

01:36:24Now,

01:36:25about 50 bottles

01:36:26have been returned

01:36:27to that school in Japan.

01:36:28But this message

01:36:29found on the shore of Hawaii

01:36:30is the first

01:36:31since 2002.

01:36:34Imagine you're walking

01:36:35along the shore

01:36:36and suddenly see

01:36:37something strange

01:36:38in the distance.

01:36:39It looks like

01:36:40a giant starfish

01:36:41with large,

01:36:42dark green tentacles.

01:36:44The center of this star

01:36:45has a strange red glow.

01:36:47The object

01:36:48is fenced with tape.

01:36:49There are people

01:36:50in protective suits around.

01:36:52It happened in May 2022

01:36:54on Bondi Beach, Australia.

01:36:56On that day,

01:36:57journalists

01:36:58and many tourists

01:36:59came to the shore

01:37:00to find out

01:37:01that the unknown creature

01:37:02was just a sculpture

01:37:03made as an ad

01:37:04for one famous

01:37:05American TV series.

01:37:08In England,

01:37:09a 180-million-year-old fossil

01:37:11was found

01:37:12on Charmouth Beach.

01:37:13This was one of the

01:37:14oldest finds

01:37:15in the world.

01:37:16And this was

01:37:17just not a bone,

01:37:18but almost

01:37:19the whole skeleton

01:37:20of a huge

01:37:21underwater lizard,

01:37:22Ichthyosaurus.

01:37:24Let's just call him

01:37:25Icky.

01:37:26The size of this fossil

01:37:27was 40 feet long.

01:37:28It's practically

01:37:29the length of a small bus.

01:37:31The lizard's head alone

01:37:32was 7 feet.

01:37:33That's the average height

01:37:34of a professional

01:37:35basketball player

01:37:36who aren't fossils.

01:37:38Icky was not only

01:37:39one of the oldest,

01:37:40but also

01:37:41one of the most

01:37:42giant ancient skeletons

01:37:43ever discovered

01:37:44by people.

01:37:45Just imagine

01:37:46how it swam

01:37:47in the seas and oceans

01:37:48and terrified

01:37:49all the sea creatures

01:37:50180 million years ago.

01:37:53No thanks.

01:37:54On February 16, 2020,

01:37:57locals found

01:37:58a large cargo ship

01:37:59stuck on a rocky shore

01:38:01off the coast

01:38:02of an Irish village.

01:38:03It was old,

01:38:04rusty,

01:38:05with holes in the body

01:38:06and rotten parts.

01:38:07Kind of like me.

01:38:09The day before, though,

01:38:10it wasn't there.

01:38:11There was nothing

01:38:12valuable or exciting

01:38:13on board,

01:38:14just some old

01:38:15barrels of fuel.

01:38:17People didn't find

01:38:18any records or logs.

01:38:19Who owned the ship?

01:38:21Who was the captain?

01:38:22Where was the whole crew?

01:38:24No one had the answers

01:38:25to these questions.

01:38:27Soon, the press

01:38:28found out about the ship

01:38:29and someone called

01:38:30the village administration

01:38:31and introduced themselves

01:38:32as the owner.

01:38:34That person didn't

01:38:35supply any evidence

01:38:36and hung up.

01:38:37Of course,

01:38:38no one took the ship,

01:38:39but after a while,

01:38:40people began to reveal

01:38:41the story of this

01:38:42mysterious vessel.

01:38:44It's called Alta.

01:38:46Five months before

01:38:47the final stop

01:38:48on the coast of Ireland,

01:38:50it was seen

01:38:51thousands of miles away

01:38:52in the waters

01:38:53of the Atlantic Ocean.

01:38:55That day,

01:38:56the big ship

01:38:57MS Protector

01:38:58was sailing through

01:38:59calm waters

01:39:00and spotted Alta.

01:39:02The MS Protector crew

01:39:03tried to contact it,

01:39:04but no one answered.

01:39:06Even then,

01:39:07the vessel was empty.

01:39:08It was a phantom ship.

01:39:11It's still unknown

01:39:12how it could cover

01:39:13the distance across

01:39:14the Atlantic

01:39:15and surf to the coast

01:39:16of Ireland.

01:39:17Maybe it's just luck.

01:39:18It's also notable

01:39:19that no one else

01:39:20has seen the ship

01:39:21all this time.

01:39:23It just calmly sailed

01:39:24huge distances

01:39:25surviving storms.

01:39:27But then,

01:39:28added information appeared.

01:39:30Alta had changed

01:39:31several captains

01:39:32and flags.

01:39:33It was used by smugglers

01:39:35for illegal purposes.

01:39:37It visited the shores

01:39:38of Africa and Greece.

01:39:40One day,

01:39:41several members

01:39:42of the Alta crew

01:39:43sent a distress signal.

01:39:44They ran out of food

01:39:45and water supplies.

01:39:47There was a breakdown

01:39:48inside the engine.

01:39:49People were rescued

01:39:50and the ship remained

01:39:51wandering in the ocean.

01:39:53The owner of the boat

01:39:54was never found.

01:39:56Imagine discovering

01:39:57an ancient city

01:39:58without leaving the comfort

01:39:59of your home.

01:40:01In 1963,

01:40:02a man in the Nevsehir province

01:40:04of Turkey

01:40:05did exactly that.

01:40:07He was renovating his house.

01:40:09He knocked down a wall

01:40:10in his basement

01:40:11and found

01:40:12a mysterious room.

01:40:14He continued digging

01:40:15and saw a tunnel.

01:40:17This is how

01:40:18Derinkuyu Underground City

01:40:19was found.

01:40:22Derinkuyu is one of the

01:40:23deepest multi-level

01:40:24underground settlements

01:40:25of Cappadocia

01:40:26and in all of Turkey.

01:40:28This engineering masterpiece

01:40:29has eight levels.

01:40:31The inhabitants

01:40:32living on those floors

01:40:33had access to cellars,

01:40:34storage areas,

01:40:35chapels,

01:40:36a school,

01:40:37a study room

01:40:38and other structures.

01:40:41All floors are connected

01:40:42by an extensive network

01:40:43of tunnels.

01:40:45It's believed

01:40:46that the underground city

01:40:47was built as a shelter.

01:40:49You can't see the construction

01:40:50from the outside.

01:40:51Its depth

01:40:52is approximately

01:40:53279 feet.

01:40:55The complex

01:40:56was large enough

01:40:57to shelter about

01:40:5820,000 people

01:40:59plus their livestock

01:41:00and food supplies.

01:41:02There's also

01:41:03a 180-foot

01:41:04ventilation shaft.

01:41:05People used it

01:41:06both for ventilation

01:41:07and as a well.

01:41:09The well supplied water

01:41:10both to the villagers

01:41:11living on the surface

01:41:12and to those hiding

01:41:13in the underground city.

01:41:16Interestingly,

01:41:17those living

01:41:18on the bottom levels

01:41:19were able to cut off

01:41:20the water supply

01:41:21for the upper

01:41:22ground levels.

01:41:23This kept the water

01:41:24safe from potential

01:41:25poisoning.

01:41:27The place was designed

01:41:28for protection.

01:41:30The tunnels could be

01:41:31blocked from the inside

01:41:32with huge round

01:41:33rolling stone doors.

01:41:35The passageways

01:41:36were extremely narrow.

01:41:37Potential invaders

01:41:38had to enter the tunnels

01:41:39one at a time.

01:41:40Seems like they thought

01:41:41of everything

01:41:42in the 7th century BCE.

01:41:45Archaeologists

01:41:46believed the Pharygians

01:41:47were the ones

01:41:48who first built

01:41:49the levels.

01:41:50After them,

01:41:51the structure was used

01:41:52and enhanced

01:41:53in Roman times.

01:41:54This was when

01:41:55the chapels were added.

01:41:56The golden time

01:41:57of Derinkuyu,

01:41:58however,

01:41:59was during

01:42:00the Byzantine era.

01:42:02But how did these people

01:42:03manage to create

01:42:04such tunnels?

01:42:05Well,

01:42:06the rock they carved

01:42:07them into

01:42:08wasn't usual.

01:42:09It was soft

01:42:10volcanic rock.

01:42:11It appeared

01:42:12due to a geological

01:42:13process that began

01:42:14millions of years ago.

01:42:16Volcanic eruptions

01:42:17covered the area

01:42:18in thick ash.

01:42:19It then solidified

01:42:20into this soft rock.

01:42:22When the natural forces

01:42:23of wind and water

01:42:24eroded softer parts,

01:42:26only hard elements

01:42:27remained.

01:42:29Fun fact,

01:42:30fairy chimneys

01:42:31are also made of

01:42:32intricately shaped

01:42:33volcanic soft rock.

01:42:35But they formed

01:42:36naturally

01:42:37without any

01:42:38human intervention.

01:42:40I'm still in Turkey,

01:42:41but this time,

01:42:42my destination

01:42:43is Kanakale,

01:42:45where a myth

01:42:46came to life.

01:42:47For 3,000 years,

01:42:48people believed

01:42:49that Homer's Iliad

01:42:50was fiction,

01:42:51and that Troy

01:42:52never existed.

01:42:53In 1863,

01:42:54everything changed.

01:42:57Expatriate

01:42:58Frank Calvert

01:42:59discovered ancient

01:43:00ruins in western Turkey.

01:43:02He was convinced

01:43:03they belonged

01:43:04to the ancient

01:43:05city of Troy.

01:43:06Heinrich Schliemann

01:43:07examined this area

01:43:08in 1868.

01:43:10That's when Troy

01:43:11saw sunlight again

01:43:12after all those

01:43:13centuries.

01:43:14Troy has complex

01:43:15layers.

01:43:16Over the years,

01:43:17nine ancient cities

01:43:18were built

01:43:19on top of one another.

01:43:22Historians say

01:43:23that the area

01:43:24was strategically located

01:43:25between Europe

01:43:26and Asia,

01:43:27so it became

01:43:28a prosperous trade

01:43:29and cultural center.

01:43:30This strategic position

01:43:31made Troy

01:43:32attractive

01:43:33throughout history.

01:43:35After the

01:43:36Trojan Conflict,

01:43:37the city was abandoned

01:43:38between the years

01:43:391100

01:43:40to 700 BCE.

01:43:42Then,

01:43:43Greek settlers

01:43:44rediscovered the area,

01:43:45and Alexander the Great

01:43:46ruled there.

01:43:47The Romans

01:43:48then invaded the city.

01:43:49Speaking of this event,

01:43:50the first thing

01:43:51you would see

01:43:52when visiting the site

01:43:53is a replica

01:43:54of the wooden

01:43:55Trojan horse

01:43:56from a movie

01:43:57shot in 2004.

01:44:00The next stop

01:44:01is Lothal.

01:44:02In the 1950s,

01:44:03Lothal

01:44:04and several other

01:44:05Harappan sites

01:44:06were discovered

01:44:07in India.

01:44:08These new provinces

01:44:09extended the boundaries

01:44:10of the Indus Valley

01:44:11civilization.

01:44:14Lothal was an

01:44:15important part

01:44:16of the Harappan civilization.

01:44:17It had vast

01:44:18cotton

01:44:19and rice fields.

01:44:20Plus,

01:44:21it had

01:44:22a bead-making factory.

01:44:23Beads

01:44:24were made from

01:44:25semi-precious stones

01:44:26like agate.

01:44:27Many of these beads

01:44:28were later found

01:44:29in Mesopotamia,

01:44:30which serves as evidence

01:44:31that Lothal

01:44:32was a thriving

01:44:33trading port.

01:44:35Archaeologists

01:44:36believe that the city

01:44:37was part of an

01:44:38ancient trade route.

01:44:39Traces of agriculture?

01:44:40Check.

01:44:41Traces of trade?

01:44:42Check.

01:44:43What else?

01:44:44The remains

01:44:45of residential buildings,

01:44:46streets,

01:44:47bathing pavements,

01:44:48and drains.

01:44:49Some real city

01:44:50planning.

01:44:51And,

01:44:52impressive examples

01:44:53of early urbanization.

01:44:55The town

01:44:56was well-constructed.

01:44:57There were

01:44:58modern houses.

01:44:59Some of them

01:45:00had six rooms,

01:45:01bathrooms,

01:45:02a large courtyard,

01:45:03and even a veranda.

01:45:04Lothal

01:45:05also had

01:45:06the world's

01:45:07oldest known dock.

01:45:08It linked the city

01:45:09with the Sabarmati River

01:45:10and the trade route.

01:45:13The ancient

01:45:14Mayan city of

01:45:15Calakmul

01:45:16is located

01:45:17in southern Mexico

01:45:18in the tropical forest

01:45:19of the Tierras Bajas.

01:45:21From 500 CE

01:45:22to 800 CE,

01:45:23Calakmul

01:45:24was home to

01:45:25over 50,000 people.

01:45:27There was a central

01:45:28plaza surrounded

01:45:29by outer districts.

01:45:30And,

01:45:31if we count both

01:45:32the inhabitants

01:45:33of all those

01:45:34outer areas

01:45:35and those

01:45:36who lived in the center,

01:45:37Calakmul

01:45:38had a population

01:45:39of more than

01:45:401.5 million people.

01:45:42It was a city

01:45:43that was

01:45:44habitable

01:45:45for 12 centuries.

01:45:46It's believed

01:45:47that the place

01:45:48had more constructions

01:45:49than any other

01:45:50excavated Maya

01:45:51settlements in the region.

01:45:52After 1000 CE,

01:45:53the Maya civilization

01:45:54there

01:45:55faced a downfall.

01:45:56The settlement

01:45:57that was once

01:45:58the center of

01:45:59Mesoamerica

01:46:00was almost

01:46:01completely abandoned.

01:46:02The ancient city

01:46:03was at the heart

01:46:04of the second-largest

01:46:05tropical forest

01:46:06in America.

01:46:07The site is

01:46:08well-preserved,

01:46:09so today,

01:46:10if you were to visit it,

01:46:11you would be able

01:46:12to see what life

01:46:13looked like

01:46:14in ancient

01:46:15Mayan times.

01:46:16The city remains

01:46:17include

01:46:18architectural complexes

01:46:19and sculpted monuments,

01:46:20defensive systems,

01:46:21quarries,

01:46:22water management

01:46:23features,

01:46:24agricultural terraces,

01:46:25massive temple

01:46:26pyramids,

01:46:27and palaces,

01:46:28not to mention

01:46:29a variety of

01:46:30body ornaments

01:46:31and other

01:46:32accompanying objects.

01:46:33It proves

01:46:34that complex

01:46:35state-organized

01:46:36societies

01:46:37lived in this

01:46:38tropical forest.

01:46:39The Mayans

01:46:40depicted nature

01:46:41in their paintings,

01:46:42pottery,

01:46:43sculptures,

01:46:44rituals,

01:46:45and even food.

01:46:47I'm moving on

01:46:48to a place

01:46:49people thought

01:46:50didn't really exist.

01:46:51The city of

01:46:52Thaunus-Heracleion

01:46:53appeared only

01:46:54in a few inscriptions

01:46:55and ancient texts.

01:46:57Turns out,

01:46:58it was waiting

01:46:59to be discovered

01:47:00for thousands of years.

01:47:01Scientists searched

01:47:02the majority

01:47:03of the coast of Egypt,

01:47:04but then,

01:47:05archaeologist

01:47:06Frank Gaudio

01:47:07and his team

01:47:08detected a colossal face

01:47:09looking at them

01:47:10from under the water.

01:47:11The ancient city

01:47:12of Heracleion

01:47:13was discovered

01:47:14completely submerged

01:47:15four miles

01:47:16off Alexandria's coast.

01:47:19In the ruins

01:47:20of the lost city,

01:47:21there were 64 ships,

01:47:23700 anchors,

01:47:24and a treasure trove

01:47:25of gold coins.

01:47:27Archaeologists

01:47:28consider a 16-foot

01:47:29tall statue

01:47:30and the temple remains

01:47:31the most important

01:47:32findings discovered

01:47:33by the expedition.

01:47:35Back then,

01:47:36the city had ceremonies

01:47:37and celebrations

01:47:38that took place

01:47:39in the Temple

01:47:40of Amun.

01:47:42The ruins

01:47:43and artifacts

01:47:44were made from

01:47:45granite and diorite,

01:47:46so they were

01:47:47in good condition

01:47:48even after having been

01:47:49in contact with water

01:47:50for centuries.

01:47:51They give people

01:47:52a glimpse

01:47:53into what life was like

01:47:542,300 years ago

01:47:55in one of the most

01:47:56important trade ports

01:47:57of the world.

01:47:59The city

01:48:00had a network

01:48:01of canals.

01:48:02You can think of it

01:48:03as an ancient

01:48:04Egyptian Venice.

01:48:05The canals

01:48:06linked many

01:48:07separate harbors

01:48:08and anchorages.

01:48:09Towers,

01:48:10temples,

01:48:11houses,

01:48:12and other structures

01:48:13were also linked

01:48:14by bridges.

01:48:15Thanas Heraklion

01:48:16was the country's

01:48:17main port

01:48:18for international trade

01:48:19and the collection

01:48:20of taxes.

01:48:22No one really knows

01:48:23how the city

01:48:24ended up submerged,

01:48:25but archaeologists

01:48:26connect it

01:48:27with natural causes.

01:48:28At the end

01:48:29of the 2nd century BCE,

01:48:31most probably

01:48:32after a flood,

01:48:33Heraklion

01:48:34got covered

01:48:35with water.

01:48:36Then,

01:48:37Alexandria,

01:48:38the city

01:48:39founded by

01:48:40Alexander the Great,

01:48:41became more glorious

01:48:42than Heraklion.

01:48:43Before Alexandria's fame,

01:48:45Heraklion was the

01:48:46main port of entry

01:48:47to Egypt.

01:48:48So,

01:48:49after the disaster,

01:48:50many ships

01:48:51heading for Heraklion

01:48:52had to change

01:48:53their route

01:48:54and go to Alexandria.

01:48:55Heraklion

01:48:56lost its glory

01:48:57until its rediscovery

01:48:58in 1933.

01:49:02Mesa Verde

01:49:03is an American

01:49:04national park

01:49:05in Colorado.

01:49:06The park

01:49:07is the largest

01:49:08archaeological preserve

01:49:09in the U.S.,

01:49:10with more than

01:49:115,000 sites,

01:49:12including

01:49:13600 cliff dwellings.

01:49:14Mesa Verde

01:49:15means

01:49:16green table

01:49:17in Spanish.

01:49:18The name comes

01:49:19from the shape

01:49:20of the mountains

01:49:21in the area,

01:49:22with flat tops

01:49:23and steep sides.

01:49:24The park

01:49:25is an ancestral

01:49:26Puebloan

01:49:27archaeological site.

01:49:29Starting from 7500 BCE,

01:49:31a group of nomadic

01:49:32Paleo-Indians

01:49:33seasonally lived

01:49:34in Mesa Verde.

01:49:35They were hunters,

01:49:36gatherers,

01:49:37and crop farmers.

01:49:38They built

01:49:39the first

01:49:40Pueblos

01:49:41in the region.

01:49:42By the end

01:49:43of the 12th century,

01:49:44the Mesa Verdeans

01:49:45began constructing

01:49:46massive cliff dwellings,

01:49:47which are now

01:49:48the best-known

01:49:49structures in the park.

01:49:52Under the burning sun,

01:49:54among the sand dunes,

01:49:55somewhere in the

01:49:56Sahara Desert,

01:49:57you're walking

01:49:58in search of

01:49:59an ancient treasure.

01:50:00Finally,

01:50:01you find a strange

01:50:02rock in the sand.

01:50:03It's big,

01:50:04looks like a large

01:50:05piece of black coal

01:50:06or rock,

01:50:07but something shiny

01:50:08on its surface

01:50:09makes the rock

01:50:10unusual.

01:50:11This unique find

01:50:12is the oldest thing

01:50:13that has ever

01:50:14been discovered

01:50:15on our planet.

01:50:16This rock

01:50:17was born long before

01:50:18Earth appeared

01:50:19in outer space.

01:50:20The unusual meteorite

01:50:21was found in 2020,

01:50:22in a remote area

01:50:23of the Sahara Desert.

01:50:25Scientists have

01:50:26analyzed the isotopes

01:50:27of magnesium

01:50:28and aluminum

01:50:29on the stone's surface

01:50:30and found that its age

01:50:31is about

01:50:32four and a half

01:50:33billion years.

01:50:34At the moment,

01:50:35this is the oldest

01:50:36sample of magma

01:50:37from space

01:50:38in history.

01:50:39It belongs to

01:50:40a small protoplanet

01:50:41that didn't have time

01:50:42to form completely.

01:50:44It happened

01:50:45a very long time ago

01:50:46when our solar system

01:50:47was forming.

01:50:48Many huge asteroids

01:50:49were floating in space.

01:50:51Some of them

01:50:52were formed into

01:50:53huge celestial bodies,

01:50:54which later

01:50:55became planets.

01:50:56The big rocky planets

01:50:57were absorbing

01:50:58the smaller ones.

01:50:59The rock was part

01:51:00of a little protoplanet

01:51:02that just began

01:51:03its formation,

01:51:04but another

01:51:05huge asteroid

01:51:06destroyed it.

01:51:07The planet shattered

01:51:08into billions of pieces.

01:51:09Some of them

01:51:10became part

01:51:11of other planets,

01:51:12some flew outside

01:51:13the solar system,

01:51:14and one piece

01:51:15that had been

01:51:16wandering in space

01:51:17until our Earth

01:51:18was formed.

01:51:19After that,

01:51:20it hit the planet's

01:51:21atmosphere and fell

01:51:22into the territory

01:51:23now known

01:51:24as the Sahara Desert.

01:51:26The rock was

01:51:27discovered in 2020,

01:51:28but the erosion

01:51:29of extraterrestrial rocks

01:51:30shows that it

01:51:31could have fallen

01:51:32much earlier.

01:51:33This ancient thing

01:51:34weighing around 70 pounds

01:51:35has several pieces

01:51:36of different meteorites

01:51:37inside.

01:51:38In simple words,

01:51:39it's a volcanic rock

01:51:40consisting of lava.

01:51:42It has cooled,

01:51:43solidified,

01:51:44and crystallized.

01:51:45That's why you

01:51:46notice the glitter.

01:51:47Scientists hope

01:51:48that further study

01:51:49of the rock

01:51:50will help to learn more

01:51:51about our solar system

01:51:52foundation.

01:51:53The biggest asteroid

01:51:54discovered in the U.S.

01:51:55is the Willamette.

01:51:56Its size is 84 square feet,

01:51:59and its weight

01:52:00is more than 15 tons.

01:52:01This is half the weight

01:52:02of a bus.

01:52:03Several people

01:52:04can fit on the surface

01:52:05of this outer space object.

01:52:07But the coolest thing

01:52:08is that it's not a rock

01:52:09like most meteorites

01:52:11that were found.

01:52:12Willamette is made

01:52:13of nickel and iron.

01:52:15This massive piece of metal

01:52:17was discovered in 1906.

01:52:19Now, the huge rock

01:52:20is kept at the

01:52:21American Museum

01:52:22of Natural History.

01:52:24The largest meteorite

01:52:25ever found is Hoba.

01:52:27It's located in Namibia,

01:52:28and people have never

01:52:29changed its position

01:52:30because it's too heavy.

01:52:32The weight of Hoba

01:52:33is 60 tons.

01:52:34It's heavier than a tank.

01:52:37The next space-related event

01:52:38occurred on February 28

01:52:40in southwest England.

01:52:42On this day,

01:52:43a huge flash lit up the sky.

01:52:45Then there was a loud crash.

01:52:47Several residents

01:52:48opened the doors

01:52:49of their houses

01:52:50and noticed

01:52:51a black sooty spot

01:52:52on the lawn.

01:52:53They immediately guessed

01:52:54what had happened

01:52:55and reported the discovery

01:52:56to the British Meteorite

01:52:57Observation Network.

01:52:59If you ever find

01:53:00a meteorite,

01:53:01report it to some

01:53:02geological research

01:53:03or space center

01:53:04as soon as possible.

01:53:05The longer a space rock

01:53:06lies on the ground,

01:53:07the faster it loses

01:53:08its value.

01:53:10Rain, dust, snow,

01:53:11wind, scorching sun,

01:53:13all these factors

01:53:14damage the surface

01:53:15of the meteorite.

01:53:16It makes it difficult

01:53:17to study the celestial object.

01:53:20The meteorite

01:53:21found in England

01:53:22looks like coal,

01:53:23but it's way softer

01:53:24and more fragile.

01:53:25It most likely

01:53:26used to contain

01:53:27frozen water.

01:53:28The rock is part

01:53:29of a huge asteroid

01:53:30that clouded

01:53:31through outer space

01:53:32when our solar system

01:53:33hadn't fully formed yet.

01:53:35They found a unique

01:53:36combination of minerals

01:53:37inside the rock.

01:53:38It can help scientists

01:53:39learn more about

01:53:40the origins of the

01:53:41solar system

01:53:42and life on Earth.

01:53:44Now we're heading

01:53:45to Germany,

01:53:46to the small town

01:53:47of Nördlingen,

01:53:48a huge ancient meteorite

01:53:49hidden here.

01:53:50It's very difficult

01:53:51to notice it

01:53:52unless you know

01:53:53the secret of this town.

01:53:54You're walking

01:53:55along the cozy

01:53:56little streets

01:53:57and looking at the

01:53:58buildings with

01:53:59beautiful architecture.

01:54:00You spend the whole

01:54:01day there

01:54:02and don't find anything

01:54:03that reminds you

01:54:04of a meteorite.

01:54:05To solve the mystery,

01:54:06you need to get

01:54:07out of town.

01:54:08So you climb

01:54:09a high hill

01:54:10and see that the city

01:54:11is located

01:54:12inside a pit.

01:54:13For a long time,

01:54:14locals were sure

01:54:15the house was located

01:54:16in the crater

01:54:17of an extinct volcano.

01:54:19If you look at

01:54:20the houses

01:54:21from a certain angle,

01:54:22you may notice

01:54:23an unusual shining

01:54:24coming from them.

01:54:26In the middle

01:54:27of the 20th century,

01:54:28a group of geologists

01:54:29came here

01:54:30and immediately

01:54:31declared that the crater

01:54:32doesn't look like

01:54:33a volcanic one.

01:54:34The town was built

01:54:35on a huge crater

01:54:36left by a meteorite.

01:54:38The huge celestial body

01:54:39fell here

01:54:40about 15 million

01:54:41years ago.

01:54:42It was so hot

01:54:43that the carbon

01:54:44bubbles inside

01:54:45instantly turned

01:54:46into small diamonds.

01:54:48When people were

01:54:49building this city,

01:54:50they didn't know

01:54:51they were using

01:54:52expensive stones

01:54:53since the diamonds

01:54:54were hardly visible.

01:54:55The locals

01:54:56never attached

01:54:57importance to the fact

01:54:58that the city walls

01:54:59shine unusually

01:55:00in the sun.

01:55:01Now they believe

01:55:02this place was

01:55:03built from diamonds

01:55:04that had fallen

01:55:05from the sky.

01:55:07Our next stop

01:55:08is in the UK again.

01:55:09This time,

01:55:10the rocks are of

01:55:11an earthly origin.

01:55:12The famous Stonehenge.

01:55:14People place

01:55:15circles of rocks

01:55:16here in a certain order.

01:55:18Everyone knows

01:55:19about this archaeological

01:55:20monument,

01:55:21but no one knows

01:55:22the reason for

01:55:23its creation

01:55:24for certain.

01:55:25Another construction

01:55:26built out of

01:55:27mysterious rocks

01:55:28was discovered

01:55:29just 2 miles away.

01:55:30It's called

01:55:31Superhenge.

01:55:32It's bigger,

01:55:33heavier,

01:55:34and takes up

01:55:35more space.

01:55:36Each plate here

01:55:37is 15 feet,

01:55:38which is about

01:55:39the height

01:55:40of two floors.

01:55:41Once,

01:55:42the stones

01:55:43stood vertically

01:55:44and formed

01:55:45a huge semicircle.

01:55:46But someone

01:55:47pushed the stones

01:55:48over about

01:55:494,500 years ago.

01:55:50It was a college

01:55:51student.

01:55:52That's why they

01:55:53couldn't be detected

01:55:54for a long time.

01:55:55Scientists still

01:55:56can't solve

01:55:57the mystery

01:55:58of Superhenge,

01:55:59but they believe

01:56:00the standing

01:56:01vertical stones

01:56:02were part of

01:56:03some huge monument.

01:56:04Some other

01:56:05amazing rocks

01:56:06are located

01:56:07in the south

01:56:08of Costa Rica.

01:56:09There are big

01:56:10ones the size

01:56:11of a human,

01:56:12and there are

01:56:13smaller ones

01:56:14the size

01:56:15of bowling balls.

01:56:16And they all

01:56:17have a perfectly

01:56:18round shape.

01:56:19These giant

01:56:20rocks are

01:56:21polished using

01:56:22stone tools

01:56:23to get the

01:56:24perfect round shape.

01:56:25These balls

01:56:26are incredibly heavy

01:56:27but can easily

01:56:28roll like a

01:56:29basketball.

01:56:30All the rocks

01:56:31are of a

01:56:32different age.

01:56:33Some of them

01:56:34were created

01:56:35about 2,500 years

01:56:36ago.

01:56:37Most of them

01:56:38are made of

01:56:39molten volcanic

01:56:40magma.

01:56:41Until now,

01:56:42scientists don't

01:56:43know for what

01:56:44purpose these

01:56:45stones were used.

01:56:46They were found

01:56:47in different parts

01:56:48of Costa Rica,

01:56:49specifically to

01:56:50show the greatness

01:56:51of local kings.

01:56:52Also,

01:56:53many experts

01:56:54believe the rocks

01:56:55were used as a

01:56:56tool for studying

01:56:57astronomy.

01:56:58The people who

01:56:59knew their purpose

01:57:00of the rocks

01:57:01had disappeared,

01:57:02and the history

01:57:03of the stones

01:57:04was lost along

01:57:05with them.

01:57:06Let's finish our

01:57:07journey with the

01:57:08coolest archaeological

01:57:09find.

01:57:10You're walking

01:57:11through the desert

01:57:12of Peru and

01:57:13climbing a low

01:57:14hill.

01:57:15You look down

01:57:16and notice the

01:57:17surface of the hill

01:57:18from far away

01:57:19and see a huge

01:57:20cat on the hill.

01:57:22Such a drawing

01:57:23is called a

01:57:24geoglyph.

01:57:25Its length is

01:57:26around 120 feet,

01:57:27which is about

01:57:28half the size of

01:57:29a Boeing commercial

01:57:30jet.

01:57:31Archaeologists

01:57:32discovered the

01:57:33giant cat in 2020

01:57:34and found out

01:57:35that it had been

01:57:36created somewhere

01:57:37between 200 and

01:57:38100 BCE.

01:57:39This huge drawing

01:57:40is part of a

01:57:41mysterious group

01:57:42of different

01:57:43pictures.

01:57:44In addition to

01:57:45the cat,

01:57:46there are other

01:57:47famous plants

01:57:48and fantastic

01:57:49figures.

01:57:50All of them

01:57:51were found

01:57:52in the desert

01:57:53of Peru.

01:57:54The kitten

01:57:55was found by

01:57:56chance.

01:57:57Archaeologists

01:57:58didn't see it

01:57:59at first because

01:58:00natural erosion

01:58:01on the hillside

01:58:02had almost erased

01:58:03the silhouette.

01:58:04That's it for today,

01:58:05so hey, if you

01:58:06pacified your

01:58:07curiosity, then

01:58:08give the video a

01:58:09like and share

01:58:10it with your

01:58:11friends.

01:58:12Or if you want

01:58:13more, just click

01:58:14on these videos

01:58:15and stay on

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