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NARRATOR:
A massive object
of unknown origin
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soars by the Earth.
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ARI LOEB:
It was moving faster
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than all chemical rockets
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produced in human history.
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NARRATOR:
A shooting star explodes
over Mexico,
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mysteriously altering the
environment of an entire region.
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TRAVIS TAYLOR:
This area is completely devoid
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of electromagnetic signals.
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Your cell phone won’t work.
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You won’t pick up
satellite signals like GPS.
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It’s a really odd place.
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NARRATOR:
And a meteorite that is believed
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to be carrying unexpected cargo.
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GIORGIO TSOUKALOS:
This object may contain
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some type
of extraterrestrial technology
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that points
towards intelligence.
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NARRATOR:
Is it possible that
certain objects in outer space
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are not simply wonders of nature
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but could contain
alien technology
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that is being deliberately sent
to Earth?
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WILLIAM HENRY:
If you’re trying
to think of a way
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for an extraterrestrial
civilization
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to stimulate the evolution
of a species,
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you couldn’t think
of a better way to do it
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than through a meteorite.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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in the universe.
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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands
we question everything
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we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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The future is
right before our eyes.
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We are not alone.
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We have never been alone.
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In the high-country desert,
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just 35 miles southeast
of the city of Flagstaff,
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lies the Barringer Crater,
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one of the largest and
best-preserved impact craters
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in North America.
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DAVID CHILDRESS:
The Barringer Crater
is out in the desert.
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You’re driving south
on this small road
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and then, suddenly,
you see the crater rim.
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And there’s a building there.
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You take an elevator up
to the top of the rim
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and you’re looking down
at this amazing crater.
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It’s like you’re looking
at something
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that’s on another planet.
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NARRATOR:
According to scientists,
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the Barringer Crater was formed
roughly 50,000 years ago
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when a massive asteroid
measuring 150 feet in diameter
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and weighing
an incredible 300,000 tons
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slammed
into the Earth’s surface.
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The resulting explosion
was 150 times more powerful
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than the atomic bomb that was
dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
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However, it is only one
of many examples
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of how asteroid impacts
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have caused massive devastation
on Earth
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and also shaped the world
that we live in today.
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MICHIO KAKU: Asteroids hitting
the planet Earth
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affect everything.
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They’ve changed the climate.
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They’ve created tremendous
disasters on the planet.
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The most famous taking place
66 million years ago,
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when an object
about six miles across
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plowed into the Yucatán
Peninsula of Mexico...
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...wiping out the dinosaurs.
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(groaning)
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LOEB: It created
a whole new landscape on Earth,
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and it allowed, perhaps, for...
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creatures like ourselves
to exist.
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So, definitely,
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rocks colliding with Earth
had a huge impact
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on the evolution of life
on Earth.
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NARRATOR:
While a major life-altering
asteroid impact
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isn’t known to have occurred
on Earth for thousands of years,
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smaller fragments
known as meteors
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penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere
on a regular basis.
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TAYLOR:
Statistically, we get hit
by meteors all the time.
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You can go out any night
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and you can see shooting stars
or falling stars,
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which are objects outside
of the Earth
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entering the atmosphere
and burning up.
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Some of ’em actually make it
to the ground.
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KAKU:
We sometimes forget
that the world we see around us
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originally came
from outer space.
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When you look at the history
of the Earth,
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4.6 billion years ago,
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back then
there was basically rubble.
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Rubble, gas, particles
circulating around the Sun,
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and gravity began to coalesce
much of this material,
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which eventually became
the planet Earth.
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The Earth was molten
for many billion years.
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The elements like
the platinum-based materials
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and uranium tend to be heavy.
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Much of the heavy metals drifted
toward the center of the Earth
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when the Earth was formed.
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NARRATOR:
But as the Earth’s surface
cooled and solidified,
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an extended period known as the
Late Heavy Bombardment ensued,
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wherein billions of comets,
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asteroids and meteors
made impact,
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seeding our young planet
with numerous resources,
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including water
and precious metals.
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JOEL SERCEL:
During that bombardment phase,
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smaller impacts would hit
the crust and be trapped.
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So, many of the precious metals
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that we really value
on the Earth
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actually came
from the asteroids.
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NARRATOR:
Were it not for the metals
that arrived on Earth from space
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during its formation,
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the development
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of a technologically advanced
human civilization
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would not have been possible.
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These asteroids and meteors,
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they also contain
not just ordinary chemicals
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like carbon and iron
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but also materials
that are strong,
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conduct electricity--
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things like platinum.
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Platinum that is used
in the electronics industry.
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HENRY: Meteorites are providing
materials like iridium,
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quasi-nanocrystals
that are ultimately used
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in our technology,
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and also gold.
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The meteorites bring
the surface gold.
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A lot of, particularly,
the rare metals
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that are critical in things
like cell phone technologies
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and other electronic devices
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are often as likely to be here
only because of meteor impacts
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and that material coming
from elsewhere in space
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rather
than having formed naturally
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in just the Earth’s crust
as part of its evolution.
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NARRATOR:
Although the evidence
that cosmic impacts
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have been critical to sustaining
life on Earth is profound,
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incredibly, scientists have
recently discovered new evidence
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that meteors
may have seeded the Earth...
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with DNA.
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Researchers
at Hokkaido University
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make
an extraordinary announcement.
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After analyzing three meteorites
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that were formed
4.6 billion years ago
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at the very dawn
of the solar system,
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they discover that each object
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contains all four components
of DNA,
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the central building block
of life.
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Could some of the origins
of life come from space?
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One idea you could imagine is,
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an asteroid broke off
from a planet
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that had
the right chemicals for life.
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It traveled through space,
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entered the Earth’s atmosphere
as a meteorite,
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and then those chemicals
interact
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with the chemistry of the Earth.
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And perhaps
that was the starting point
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for life as we know it here.
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NARRATOR:
For decades,
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mainstream scientists
have studied the hypothesis
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that life on Earth
may have evolved
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from a so-called
primordial soup...
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...meaning
that organic compounds
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formed into living cells in
the planet’s primitive oceans.
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TSOUKALOS:
It’s still a question how life
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originated on Earth.
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And oftentimes you’re told
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that this all happened
due to a primordial soup.
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But there needed to be
certain ingredients,
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and astronomers are now saying
that the secret ingredients
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were brought here
through meteor impacts.
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NARRATOR:
For ancient astronaut theorists,
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the possibility
that meteors carried
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the building blocks
for human life on Earth
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raises an intriguing question.
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Could it be that
these ancient meteor impacts
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did not happen by chance
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but by design?
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TSOUKALOS:
Bioastronomers have coined
a concept called panspermia.
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Panspermia
essentially means seeding...
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"Pan" means "everything,"
"sperm" is "seeding."
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So, "the-the seeding
of everything."
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Now, often meteor impacts
are considered to be random.
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But if you say
"directed panspermia,"
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that means that
extraterrestrial intelligences
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deliberately sent
the building blocks of life
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somewhere that they knew
was going to be habitable.
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Is it possible that meteors
were sent to Earth deliberately
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because extraterrestrials knew
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that Earth can host life?
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NARRATOR:
Could it be that certain meteor
strikes in Earth’s history
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did not happen by chance
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but were, in fact, directed here
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by an extraterrestrial
intelligence?
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Perhaps further clues
can be found
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by examining ancient cultures
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that believe meteorites possess
an otherworldly connection.
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AMIR HUSSAIN:
Muslims believe that this stone
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was sent down by God to Earth.
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HENRY:
They believe that, through
meteorites, they can talk
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with the gods.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
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At the center of Islam’s holiest
city stands the Grand Mosque,
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the largest house
of Islamic worship on Earth.
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It is also the final destination
of the hajj pilgrimage,
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which every Muslim is required
to complete once in their life
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if they are physically able.
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00:11:09,878 --> 00:11:11,958
In the mosque’s
central courtyard
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stands an ancient structure
called the Kaaba, or Cube.
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And embedded
in one corner of the Kaaba
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is the most sacred object
in Islam,
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the Black Stone,
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a mysterious rock
that is believed
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to have come from the heavens.
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For the world’s
1.8 billion Muslims,
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this stone is crucial.
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When Muslims face, they face
in the direction of Mecca.
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They face in the direction
of that stone.
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The Black Stone
of the Kaaba in Mecca
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is some kind of fragment
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that is held together
by a silver band,
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and the object is actually said
to have fallen from heaven
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and that is said
to have landed in paradise,
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00:12:01,095 --> 00:12:04,345
where it was picked up
by Adam and Eve.
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HUSSAIN:
The first human being, Adam,
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in Islamic tradition,
builds the first temple
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out of this stone,
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the first place to worship God.
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(thunder rumbling)
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Then the story is that that
stone gets lost during the flood
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and is then rediscovered
by Abraham.
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So Abraham,
with his son Ishmael,
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00:12:27,288 --> 00:12:31,418
build in Mecca
the first place of prayer.
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That’s why Mecca
is important to Muslims.
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What survives
of that original building
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going back
thousands of years earlier
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is this black stone in
the eastern corner of the Kaaba.
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If we’re scientific,
we may call that a meteorite.
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JONATHAN YOUNG: If we take
the scripture seriously,
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this story tells us this stone
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was the communication
between the two dimensions
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from the heaven to the Earth
for Adam and Eve.
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This was
the first altar to communicate
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with the celestial realm.
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NARRATOR:
The Black Stone of Mecca
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00:13:06,995 --> 00:13:10,465
is arguably the world’s
most venerated meteorite,
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but it is hardly alone.
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00:13:13,167 --> 00:13:16,047
Many other ancient cultures
believe meteorites
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00:13:16,170 --> 00:13:20,760
and impact sites have
a connection to a higher realm.
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In Roman times, a very,
uh, prominent meteorite
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was found in Syria
and was worshipped.
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00:13:29,934 --> 00:13:32,604
It was referred to
as Helio Elagabalus,
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00:13:32,687 --> 00:13:36,607
which literally means "the Sun
touching down to the Earth."
252
00:13:37,650 --> 00:13:41,950
In Delphi, a meteorite
was associated with Apollo
253
00:13:42,030 --> 00:13:44,570
at his temple in Delphi.
254
00:13:45,742 --> 00:13:50,452
So this is a constant theme that
we have in the ancient world,
255
00:13:50,538 --> 00:13:53,618
tying physical objects
to the gods,
256
00:13:53,708 --> 00:13:55,878
to the skies, to the heavens.
257
00:13:57,712 --> 00:13:59,802
NARRATOR:
Historians of religion agree
258
00:13:59,881 --> 00:14:01,971
that people
have venerated meteorites
259
00:14:02,050 --> 00:14:04,800
and impact sites
throughout history.
260
00:14:04,886 --> 00:14:06,926
The question is why.
261
00:14:08,097 --> 00:14:10,637
HENRY: Something that we find
repeated over and over again
262
00:14:10,725 --> 00:14:13,105
in these crater impact sites
is that
263
00:14:13,227 --> 00:14:15,647
they believe that,
through these meteorites,
264
00:14:15,730 --> 00:14:17,110
they can talk with the gods
265
00:14:17,231 --> 00:14:19,731
and the gods
can actually see them as well.
266
00:14:19,859 --> 00:14:22,949
So the meteorite then becomes
a way of connecting
267
00:14:23,071 --> 00:14:25,321
with the divine beings.
268
00:14:26,574 --> 00:14:27,994
NARRATOR:
Is it possible
269
00:14:28,076 --> 00:14:30,656
that numerous ancient cultures
around the world
270
00:14:30,745 --> 00:14:33,665
simply passed down
similar mythological stories
271
00:14:33,748 --> 00:14:38,338
that meteorites and earthly
impact sites could allow them
272
00:14:38,419 --> 00:14:41,339
to communicate
with higher beings?
273
00:14:41,422 --> 00:14:43,672
Ancient astronaut theorists
suggest
274
00:14:43,758 --> 00:14:46,008
that these
otherworldly encounters
275
00:14:46,094 --> 00:14:48,054
may have actually happened.
276
00:14:48,137 --> 00:14:49,927
And for further evidence,
277
00:14:50,056 --> 00:14:52,636
they point to one
of the most mysterious
278
00:14:52,767 --> 00:14:56,437
and sacred sites
in North America.
279
00:15:00,274 --> 00:15:03,034
Sprawling
across a large clearing
280
00:15:03,111 --> 00:15:05,321
that divides a wooded landscape
281
00:15:05,446 --> 00:15:11,286
sets a 1,370-foot-long monument
in the shape of a coiling snake.
282
00:15:11,411 --> 00:15:15,541
It is known
as the Great Serpent Mound.
283
00:15:15,623 --> 00:15:17,883
According to historians,
284
00:15:17,959 --> 00:15:21,169
an Indigenous Native American
culture called the Adena
285
00:15:21,295 --> 00:15:24,375
built the mound in 320 BC.
286
00:15:24,465 --> 00:15:28,215
And, curiously, it is positioned
right on the edge
287
00:15:28,302 --> 00:15:30,722
of an enormous crater.
288
00:15:30,805 --> 00:15:32,565
HUGH NEWMAN:
It actually sits
289
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:37,730
right on a 300 million-year-old
meteor impact crater
290
00:15:37,812 --> 00:15:40,732
which was so powerful
that it even went down
291
00:15:40,815 --> 00:15:43,575
to the mantle inside the Earth.
292
00:15:43,651 --> 00:15:46,741
And this has created
all sorts of gravitational
293
00:15:46,821 --> 00:15:49,571
and magnetic anomalies
in the area.
294
00:15:49,657 --> 00:15:51,577
And it’s thought that the reason
295
00:15:51,659 --> 00:15:55,079
the Adena people
who built this site chose it
296
00:15:55,163 --> 00:15:58,423
is because it has
these kind of energetic,
297
00:15:58,499 --> 00:16:02,249
almost spiritual qualities
associated with it.
298
00:16:03,296 --> 00:16:05,086
One of the great mysteries
of Serpent Mound
299
00:16:05,173 --> 00:16:08,433
is that this meteorite
creates this impact site,
300
00:16:08,509 --> 00:16:11,259
this impact crater,
250 million years ago.
301
00:16:11,345 --> 00:16:14,255
Then, suddenly, 3,000 years ago,
302
00:16:14,348 --> 00:16:16,268
the Adena people come along
303
00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:19,850
and they’re somehow able
to identify its significance
304
00:16:19,979 --> 00:16:22,899
and they build an effigy,
305
00:16:23,024 --> 00:16:26,614
and it becomes this very
powerful place of reverence
306
00:16:26,694 --> 00:16:31,284
for the Adena people
for the next 2,000 years or so.
307
00:16:31,365 --> 00:16:35,285
When you look at
the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio,
308
00:16:35,369 --> 00:16:39,079
you have to wonder
if there was some energy there
309
00:16:39,207 --> 00:16:40,787
that they were feeling.
310
00:16:40,875 --> 00:16:43,965
And so they built
the Serpent Mound there
311
00:16:44,045 --> 00:16:48,135
as a testament to
the extraterrestrial connection,
312
00:16:48,216 --> 00:16:50,716
perhaps,
that’s with this crater.
313
00:16:52,386 --> 00:16:54,806
NEWMAN:
Serpent Mound
has long been talked about
314
00:16:54,889 --> 00:16:58,929
as being, like, an otherworldly
connection point.
315
00:16:59,060 --> 00:17:01,480
And in traditions
that go way, way back,
316
00:17:01,562 --> 00:17:04,442
there’s talk of the star people.
317
00:17:04,565 --> 00:17:06,975
They’re described
in certain ways in myths,
318
00:17:07,068 --> 00:17:09,318
which, in modern terms,
we would see
319
00:17:09,403 --> 00:17:11,783
as, like, UFOs landing
320
00:17:11,906 --> 00:17:14,276
and interacting with
these extraterrestrial beings.
321
00:17:14,408 --> 00:17:19,408
So, is Serpent Mound part
of this ancient tradition?
322
00:17:22,250 --> 00:17:25,340
NARRATOR:
As unique
as the Great Serpent Mound is
323
00:17:25,419 --> 00:17:27,499
against its forested landscape,
324
00:17:27,588 --> 00:17:31,008
it is not the only
asteroid impact site on Earth
325
00:17:31,092 --> 00:17:33,012
where ancient cultures believed
326
00:17:33,094 --> 00:17:35,934
there was
an extraterrestrial connection.
327
00:17:36,055 --> 00:17:40,385
HENRY: In Australia, we find an
extraordinarily mysterious site,
328
00:17:40,476 --> 00:17:42,266
the Wolfe Creek Crater.
329
00:17:42,395 --> 00:17:45,445
The Indigenous people
call it Kandimalal,
330
00:17:45,565 --> 00:17:47,865
"the star
that fell from the sky."
331
00:17:47,942 --> 00:17:52,532
It’s a impact crater site
that’s 3,000 feet in diameter.
332
00:17:52,613 --> 00:17:54,363
But even more interesting
than that
333
00:17:54,448 --> 00:17:57,578
is the Indigenous legend
that is attached to it.
334
00:17:57,660 --> 00:18:01,210
They talk about two serpents
that emerged from the dreamtime
335
00:18:01,289 --> 00:18:03,459
and created this crater.
336
00:18:03,583 --> 00:18:05,883
It suggests once again
that these Indigenous cultures
337
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,710
were in contact
with otherworldly beings
338
00:18:08,796 --> 00:18:12,546
that either are connected with
the crater, the impact site,
339
00:18:12,633 --> 00:18:15,343
or somehow emerged from it.
340
00:18:16,470 --> 00:18:19,720
NARRATOR:
Did our ancestors bear witness
to the proof
341
00:18:19,807 --> 00:18:22,847
that asteroids and meteors
could connect man
342
00:18:22,977 --> 00:18:25,727
with otherworldly beings?
343
00:18:25,813 --> 00:18:28,863
Perhaps further clues
can be found by examining
344
00:18:28,983 --> 00:18:32,903
two mysterious objects
that have recently been detected
345
00:18:32,987 --> 00:18:34,567
in outer space,
346
00:18:34,655 --> 00:18:36,525
which some scientists believe
347
00:18:36,657 --> 00:18:40,287
may be controlled
by extraterrestrials.
348
00:18:44,999 --> 00:18:48,879
KAREN MEECH: We have never seen
an object like this ever.
349
00:18:49,003 --> 00:18:50,253
This was really exciting.
350
00:18:50,338 --> 00:18:52,088
TAYLOR:
It came into our solar system,
351
00:18:52,173 --> 00:18:55,263
went around the Sun
and flew by Earth as if
352
00:18:55,343 --> 00:18:56,973
it was a probe looking at us.
353
00:19:02,058 --> 00:19:03,888
NARRATOR:
The island of Maui.
354
00:19:04,018 --> 00:19:07,688
Here, atop
a dramatic 10,000-foot summit,
355
00:19:07,772 --> 00:19:10,522
stands
the Haleakala Observatory.
356
00:19:10,608 --> 00:19:14,438
On October 19, 2017,
357
00:19:14,528 --> 00:19:17,868
astronomers detect
a mysterious object
358
00:19:17,948 --> 00:19:20,698
traveling
through our solar system.
359
00:19:20,785 --> 00:19:24,835
It is unlike anything
that has been seen before.
360
00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:28,541
I was in charge
of coordinating the observing
361
00:19:28,668 --> 00:19:30,378
to characterize the object.
362
00:19:30,461 --> 00:19:33,881
There were four images taken
that showed
363
00:19:33,964 --> 00:19:38,394
an object moving rapidly
with respect to the stars.
364
00:19:38,469 --> 00:19:40,889
The stars
are individual dots of light,
365
00:19:40,971 --> 00:19:42,561
and this object was a streak.
366
00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,390
So they knew it was moving fast.
367
00:19:44,517 --> 00:19:49,397
At that point,
they started to compute an orbit
368
00:19:49,522 --> 00:19:51,732
to try and understand
what this object was.
369
00:19:51,816 --> 00:19:54,736
Everything in the solar system’s
either on a circular
370
00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:56,399
or an elliptical orbit.
371
00:19:56,529 --> 00:19:58,069
But once more data came in,
372
00:19:58,155 --> 00:20:01,155
it was very clear
that the orbit was hyperbolic,
373
00:20:01,242 --> 00:20:04,582
meaning something coming
from outside the solar system.
374
00:20:04,704 --> 00:20:09,754
We have never seen an object on
an orbit like this ever before.
375
00:20:09,834 --> 00:20:14,764
And it’s an irregularly shaped
object that’s about 800 meters,
376
00:20:14,839 --> 00:20:17,259
or half a kilometer, in length.
377
00:20:18,175 --> 00:20:20,085
This was really exciting.
378
00:20:21,429 --> 00:20:24,599
NARRATOR:
The landmark discovery
is the first time an object
379
00:20:24,682 --> 00:20:27,772
is officially recognized
as interstellar.
380
00:20:28,686 --> 00:20:31,096
To signify the importance
of the finding,
381
00:20:31,188 --> 00:20:34,318
the astronomers give it
a fitting name.
382
00:20:35,443 --> 00:20:38,113
MEECH:
In honor of this object
being discovered
383
00:20:38,195 --> 00:20:39,605
by a telescope in Hawaii,
384
00:20:39,697 --> 00:20:44,617
the team came up
with the name Oumuamua,
385
00:20:44,702 --> 00:20:46,792
which means
"voyager from the distant past
386
00:20:46,871 --> 00:20:49,211
reaching out to us."
387
00:20:50,374 --> 00:20:52,714
NARRATOR:
Astronomers
were not only mystified
388
00:20:52,793 --> 00:20:54,803
by where Oumuamua came from
389
00:20:54,879 --> 00:20:58,169
but also by its strange
oblong shape,
390
00:20:58,299 --> 00:21:01,179
which was like no asteroid
ever detected.
391
00:21:01,302 --> 00:21:03,472
The interstellar object
392
00:21:03,554 --> 00:21:06,064
moved steadily
through the solar system,
393
00:21:06,140 --> 00:21:09,980
and astronomers were taken
by surprise once again
394
00:21:10,060 --> 00:21:12,310
when, after passing by the Sun,
395
00:21:12,396 --> 00:21:15,316
it appeared to accelerate.
396
00:21:15,399 --> 00:21:19,319
MEECH:
Oumuamua was moving rapidly away
from the Sun.
397
00:21:19,445 --> 00:21:22,495
When it made its closest pass
to the Sun,
398
00:21:22,573 --> 00:21:24,323
uh, inside the orbit of Mercury,
399
00:21:24,408 --> 00:21:26,158
it was moving very fast--
400
00:21:26,285 --> 00:21:29,655
a little more
than 195,000 miles per hour.
401
00:21:29,747 --> 00:21:32,997
So this is moving rapidly out
of the solar system.
402
00:21:34,168 --> 00:21:37,338
NARRATOR:
To Harvard astronomer
Dr. Avi Loeb,
403
00:21:37,421 --> 00:21:39,171
the unusual behavior
404
00:21:39,256 --> 00:21:43,506
indicated that the object
wasn’t an asteroid or a comet.
405
00:21:43,594 --> 00:21:48,564
Instead, he proposed
an extraordinary hypothesis--
406
00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:53,022
Oumuamua was
an extraterrestrial spacecraft.
407
00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:56,185
Oumuamua
was definitely an outlier.
408
00:21:56,273 --> 00:22:00,193
And the question is, why would
the first interstellar meteor
409
00:22:00,277 --> 00:22:02,397
be so unusual?
410
00:22:03,405 --> 00:22:07,195
There was a question
as to what pushed Oumuamua away
411
00:22:07,284 --> 00:22:08,544
from the Sun,
412
00:22:08,619 --> 00:22:11,199
and my thought was,
413
00:22:11,288 --> 00:22:14,038
that raises the possibility
that it may have been
414
00:22:14,124 --> 00:22:17,044
a spacecraft
propelled artificially.
415
00:22:18,295 --> 00:22:22,375
TAYLOR:
Oumuamua could possibly
have been a probe coming into
416
00:22:22,466 --> 00:22:26,216
our solar system, the same way
we send probes to Jupiter.
417
00:22:26,303 --> 00:22:29,393
It came into our solar system,
went around the Sun,
418
00:22:29,473 --> 00:22:33,563
and flew by Earth as if, uh,
it was a probe looking at us.
419
00:22:35,229 --> 00:22:38,399
NARRATOR:
Intrigued by the possibility
that Oumuamua
420
00:22:38,482 --> 00:22:41,572
might actually be a probe
sent to our solar system
421
00:22:41,652 --> 00:22:44,912
by an extraterrestrial
civilization,
422
00:22:44,989 --> 00:22:48,409
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb
began searching for evidence
423
00:22:48,534 --> 00:22:53,124
of other celestial objects
moving in a similar fashion.
424
00:22:54,206 --> 00:22:58,746
I came across a meteor catalog
that the government
425
00:22:58,836 --> 00:23:01,546
compiled using
its missile warning system.
426
00:23:02,715 --> 00:23:05,095
It’s called CNEOS,
427
00:23:05,175 --> 00:23:08,255
and I asked my student
to check if any
428
00:23:08,387 --> 00:23:11,847
of those meteors came
from outside the solar system.
429
00:23:11,932 --> 00:23:15,102
He found that one of them
was actually moving at
430
00:23:15,227 --> 00:23:19,437
60 kilometers per second,
clearly unbound to the Sun.
431
00:23:19,523 --> 00:23:24,443
NARRATOR:
Astronomers determined
that this object, like Oumuamua,
432
00:23:24,528 --> 00:23:28,698
did, in fact, originate
outside the solar system.
433
00:23:28,782 --> 00:23:31,702
This new discovery
was first observed
434
00:23:31,785 --> 00:23:36,115
by military satellites
in January 2014,
435
00:23:36,206 --> 00:23:40,086
three years before
Oumuamua was identified.
436
00:23:42,713 --> 00:23:46,473
But, unlike Oumuamua,
this object did not pass
437
00:23:46,592 --> 00:23:48,802
by the planet
but actually entered
438
00:23:48,928 --> 00:23:53,968
Earth’s atmosphere and exploded
over the Pacific Ocean.
439
00:23:54,058 --> 00:23:55,808
LOEB:
The meteor burned up
440
00:23:55,893 --> 00:23:59,153
about 100 miles off the coast
of Papua New Guinea,
441
00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:02,981
and it released a few percent
of the energy
442
00:24:03,067 --> 00:24:06,147
of the Hiroshima bomb
when it exploded.
443
00:24:06,278 --> 00:24:10,318
From that, we inferred
it was about half a meter
444
00:24:10,407 --> 00:24:12,157
in size when it exploded.
445
00:24:12,242 --> 00:24:16,832
NARRATOR:
Excited by the discovery,
Dr. Loeb closely examined
446
00:24:16,914 --> 00:24:20,504
the data captured
by the military satellites,
447
00:24:20,626 --> 00:24:23,496
and he noticed
something extraordinary.
448
00:24:23,629 --> 00:24:25,669
LOEB:
The government released data
449
00:24:25,756 --> 00:24:28,426
of the explosion,
and from that we inferred
450
00:24:28,509 --> 00:24:32,349
that the object must have been
tougher than iron.
451
00:24:32,471 --> 00:24:36,351
So, not only was this object
452
00:24:36,475 --> 00:24:40,845
the first interstellar meteor
but it was also tougher
453
00:24:40,938 --> 00:24:43,518
than all other meteors detected
454
00:24:43,607 --> 00:24:45,357
by the government
in that catalog.
455
00:24:45,484 --> 00:24:49,204
And that raises
the possibility that it may
456
00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:52,531
have been a spacecraft
propelled artificially
457
00:24:52,616 --> 00:24:56,786
and made of some alloy
that is much tougher
458
00:24:56,870 --> 00:24:59,540
than iron meteorites.
459
00:24:59,623 --> 00:25:03,133
To find out, we need
to find the material.
460
00:25:03,210 --> 00:25:06,880
If we do end up concluding
that it was artificial
461
00:25:06,964 --> 00:25:09,554
in origin, perhaps a spacecraft,
462
00:25:09,633 --> 00:25:11,973
that would have
huge implications
463
00:25:12,052 --> 00:25:13,682
for the future of humanity.
464
00:25:14,763 --> 00:25:16,893
KAKU:
Some people are saying
this object
465
00:25:16,974 --> 00:25:18,894
came from outside
the solar system.
466
00:25:18,976 --> 00:25:22,476
Maybe, just maybe,
it’s a techno-signature
467
00:25:22,563 --> 00:25:24,063
of intelligent life.
468
00:25:24,148 --> 00:25:25,898
And that has created a sensation
469
00:25:25,983 --> 00:25:28,573
because this is
a new branch of science.
470
00:25:28,694 --> 00:25:31,404
We’re not just looking
at asteroids anymore.
471
00:25:31,530 --> 00:25:34,410
We’re looking for remnants
of intelligence.
472
00:25:34,491 --> 00:25:39,251
HENRY:
When you consider the vastness
of space and just how tiny
473
00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:41,581
our planet is--
it’s literally a tiny speck
474
00:25:41,665 --> 00:25:44,915
within the Milky Way galaxy--
and then you factor in
475
00:25:45,002 --> 00:25:46,752
direct hits by meteorites
476
00:25:46,837 --> 00:25:49,587
that came from beyond
our solar system,
477
00:25:49,673 --> 00:25:52,093
you have to wonder,
are these meteorites
478
00:25:52,176 --> 00:25:54,426
somehow intelligently directed?
479
00:25:55,429 --> 00:25:57,429
NARRATOR:
Is it possible that the meteor
480
00:25:57,514 --> 00:26:01,274
that exploded near
Papua New Guinea in 2014
481
00:26:01,351 --> 00:26:05,271
was carrying
extraterrestrial technology?
482
00:26:05,355 --> 00:26:08,775
If so, could
an advanced civilization
483
00:26:08,859 --> 00:26:12,279
be sending such objects
to Earth deliberately?
484
00:26:12,404 --> 00:26:14,954
Ancient astronaut
theorists suggest,
485
00:26:15,032 --> 00:26:16,702
further clues can be found
486
00:26:16,784 --> 00:26:21,164
at an impact crater
in northern Mexico
487
00:26:21,288 --> 00:26:26,458
that some believe functions
as a beacon for UFOs.
488
00:26:28,796 --> 00:26:32,966
This area is completely devoid
of electromagnetic signals.
489
00:26:33,092 --> 00:26:36,302
Your cell phone won’t work,
you won’t pick up GPS.
490
00:26:36,386 --> 00:26:40,636
People see UFOs
and mysterious lights.
491
00:26:51,026 --> 00:26:53,106
NARRATOR:
The U.S. Air Force launches
492
00:26:53,195 --> 00:26:56,115
an Athena V-123-D missile
493
00:26:56,198 --> 00:26:58,158
from the Green River Test Site.
494
00:26:59,576 --> 00:27:03,116
The rocket is programmed
to land 700 miles away
495
00:27:03,205 --> 00:27:06,795
at the White Sands Missile Range
in New Mexico.
496
00:27:06,875 --> 00:27:10,625
But the missile veers
hundreds of miles off course...
497
00:27:13,882 --> 00:27:16,802
...and crashes
in the remote Mapimí desert
498
00:27:16,885 --> 00:27:18,465
in northern Mexico.
499
00:27:18,554 --> 00:27:22,314
When workers arrive
to clean up the crash site,
500
00:27:22,391 --> 00:27:26,021
they notice something
very unusual.
501
00:27:26,103 --> 00:27:28,483
During the cleanup process
it was noted that
502
00:27:28,564 --> 00:27:30,574
radio communications
didn’t work well,
503
00:27:30,691 --> 00:27:32,231
compasses didn’t work right.
504
00:27:33,527 --> 00:27:38,107
This area is completely devoid
of electromagnetic signals.
505
00:27:39,408 --> 00:27:41,158
Meaning your cell phone
won’t work,
506
00:27:41,243 --> 00:27:43,663
you won’t pick up
satellite signals like GPS.
507
00:27:43,745 --> 00:27:45,405
It’s a really odd place.
508
00:27:46,540 --> 00:27:48,670
NARRATOR:
The area quickly earned
the nickname
509
00:27:48,750 --> 00:27:50,840
La Zona del Silencio,
510
00:27:50,919 --> 00:27:52,879
or the "Zone of Silence."
511
00:27:54,631 --> 00:27:58,051
COLLINS:
The Zone of Silence
has become notorious,
512
00:27:58,135 --> 00:28:01,605
um, in the last 50-odd years
513
00:28:01,722 --> 00:28:05,562
through the fact that many
mysterious events have occurred.
514
00:28:06,894 --> 00:28:11,694
And the origins of this location
515
00:28:11,773 --> 00:28:14,113
seem to be of a cosmic nature.
516
00:28:14,234 --> 00:28:18,744
NARRATOR:
The Athena rocket was just
the latest object to fall
517
00:28:18,822 --> 00:28:22,032
from the heavens and land
in the Mapimí desert.
518
00:28:22,117 --> 00:28:25,697
Prior to the crash,
the Zone of Silence
519
00:28:25,787 --> 00:28:28,707
had been bombarded
by more meteor strikes
520
00:28:28,790 --> 00:28:30,960
than any other spot on Earth.
521
00:28:33,462 --> 00:28:35,712
The Zona del Silencio
522
00:28:35,797 --> 00:28:39,377
was well-known for the
numerous meteorite impacts,
523
00:28:39,468 --> 00:28:43,428
over and over, over thousands
of years hitting that one spot.
524
00:28:44,848 --> 00:28:47,228
NARRATOR:
Perhaps the most
intriguing impact
525
00:28:47,309 --> 00:28:51,059
occurred in February 1969.
526
00:28:51,146 --> 00:28:53,106
BIRNES:
The year
before the Athena rocket,
527
00:28:53,190 --> 00:28:56,230
there was a meteor crash
in that Zone of Silence.
528
00:28:56,318 --> 00:28:57,818
It was the Allende meteor.
529
00:28:59,196 --> 00:29:04,116
And what that meteor
brought to this planet
530
00:29:04,243 --> 00:29:06,293
was the element curium.
531
00:29:06,411 --> 00:29:08,081
We know what curium is,
532
00:29:08,163 --> 00:29:10,833
and it doesn’t occur naturally
on this planet.
533
00:29:10,958 --> 00:29:14,588
TAYLOR:
Now, curium is a material
that we create
534
00:29:14,670 --> 00:29:17,170
in nuclear reactors
or in nuclear explosions or
535
00:29:17,297 --> 00:29:20,217
it’s created inside
the nuclear fire of the Sun.
536
00:29:21,677 --> 00:29:24,427
So it doesn’t just
occur randomly anywhere
537
00:29:24,513 --> 00:29:25,763
and it’s not a decay product.
538
00:29:25,847 --> 00:29:27,467
It has to be created.
539
00:29:27,557 --> 00:29:29,597
So the question arose then,
540
00:29:29,685 --> 00:29:32,655
was this meteor
that impacted in Mexico
541
00:29:32,771 --> 00:29:36,361
created in a reactor
by some advanced civilization?
542
00:29:37,734 --> 00:29:41,824
NARRATOR:
Created in a reactor
by an advanced civilization?
543
00:29:41,905 --> 00:29:45,775
Is it possible
that the Allende meteorite,
544
00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:48,447
and perhaps others that
struck the area before it,
545
00:29:48,537 --> 00:29:51,867
contained
extraterrestrial technology?
546
00:29:51,999 --> 00:29:55,789
And if so, how did it get here?
547
00:29:55,877 --> 00:29:59,917
Some researchers believe
it was sent deliberately.
548
00:30:01,591 --> 00:30:04,971
And as evidence
they point to numerous UFOs
549
00:30:05,053 --> 00:30:07,603
that have been reported
in the area.
550
00:30:08,890 --> 00:30:11,680
There’s no question
that the Zone of Silence
551
00:30:11,768 --> 00:30:14,808
is a very mysterious area.
552
00:30:14,896 --> 00:30:18,476
In the last 50-odd years,
553
00:30:18,567 --> 00:30:21,187
many mysterious events
have occurred.
554
00:30:22,154 --> 00:30:24,574
People see UFOs,
555
00:30:24,698 --> 00:30:27,368
mysterious lights,
556
00:30:27,492 --> 00:30:31,502
and experience other types
of paranormal activity.
557
00:30:33,081 --> 00:30:36,501
In 2008, I was filming
in the Zone of Silence,
558
00:30:36,585 --> 00:30:41,555
and the locals
in the town of Coyame
559
00:30:41,631 --> 00:30:45,681
talked about how strange beings
came up out of the ground.
560
00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,010
Whether these beings
were extraterrestrials,
561
00:30:50,098 --> 00:30:53,228
whether these things were
something else, we don’t know.
562
00:30:55,437 --> 00:30:59,687
NARRATOR:
Is it more than mere coincidence
that in the Zone of Silence,
563
00:30:59,775 --> 00:31:02,785
where a high number
of meteor impacts have occurred
564
00:31:02,903 --> 00:31:06,913
and strange electromagnetic
anomalies have been recorded,
565
00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:13,040
there have also been reports of
UFOs and otherworldly entities?
566
00:31:13,121 --> 00:31:17,251
Could it be,
as researchers have argued,
567
00:31:17,376 --> 00:31:21,376
that the impacts
over and over in that area
568
00:31:21,463 --> 00:31:24,633
have created
a whole anomalous area?
569
00:31:24,758 --> 00:31:29,258
And that the Zone of Silence
is so magnetically
570
00:31:29,346 --> 00:31:34,556
and electronically potent, that
it’s somehow attracted the ETs?
571
00:31:34,643 --> 00:31:37,273
And you might ask yourself, why?
572
00:31:37,354 --> 00:31:40,404
Do they need the magnetic energy
from that spot?
573
00:31:40,482 --> 00:31:43,992
Maybe they are
terraforming our planet
574
00:31:44,111 --> 00:31:47,491
for their own purposes,
and we don’t know why.
575
00:31:49,408 --> 00:31:53,328
TSOUKALOS:
The idea that,
through meteor impacts,
576
00:31:53,453 --> 00:31:56,083
one could influence
the development
577
00:31:56,164 --> 00:31:58,834
and the evolution of a planet
578
00:31:58,959 --> 00:32:03,459
is feasible to me,
and many astronomers
579
00:32:03,547 --> 00:32:08,427
and bioastronomers
are looking at these ideas
580
00:32:08,510 --> 00:32:11,930
as actual concepts in reality.
581
00:32:12,013 --> 00:32:15,983
And so, has this potentially
happened on Earth?
582
00:32:16,101 --> 00:32:19,021
And the answer to that
is a resounding yes.
583
00:32:20,147 --> 00:32:22,607
NARRATOR:
Are meteorite impacts
responsible
584
00:32:22,691 --> 00:32:25,991
for the mysterious phenomena
in the Zone of Silence?
585
00:32:26,862 --> 00:32:29,492
And if so,
might they be connected
586
00:32:29,573 --> 00:32:32,203
to UFO activity in the area?
587
00:32:33,410 --> 00:32:37,040
Some researchers believe
that further clues can be found
588
00:32:37,164 --> 00:32:42,134
in similar anomalies
that occur 1,500 miles away
589
00:32:42,210 --> 00:32:45,800
in a mysterious area known...
590
00:32:46,756 --> 00:32:49,006
...as Skinwalker Ranch.
591
00:32:51,553 --> 00:32:53,813
BIRNES: Skinwalker Ranch
is one of the most
592
00:32:53,889 --> 00:32:56,309
anomalous areas on this planet.
593
00:32:56,391 --> 00:32:58,731
TAYLOR:
There are strange
magnetic field anomalies.
594
00:32:58,852 --> 00:33:02,812
Is it possible that this is from
some extraterrestrial origin?
595
00:33:08,945 --> 00:33:10,605
NARRATOR:
Uintah County, Utah.
596
00:33:10,697 --> 00:33:14,447
Located in the northeastern
part of the state
597
00:33:14,534 --> 00:33:19,374
is a 512-acre property
known as Skinwalker Ranch,
598
00:33:19,498 --> 00:33:23,078
one of the most intensely
studied paranormal hot spots
599
00:33:23,210 --> 00:33:25,290
in the world.
600
00:33:26,505 --> 00:33:28,465
Skinwalker Ranch
is one of the most
601
00:33:28,548 --> 00:33:30,758
anomalous areas on this planet.
602
00:33:30,884 --> 00:33:32,724
Here’s what people have seen
in that ranch:
603
00:33:32,802 --> 00:33:37,722
strange creatures suddenly
appearing out of nowhere,
604
00:33:37,807 --> 00:33:42,897
UFOs, instruments don’t work.
605
00:33:43,021 --> 00:33:45,901
The people around the ranch
606
00:33:45,982 --> 00:33:50,152
set up observation posts
to see what’s going on.
607
00:33:50,237 --> 00:33:51,897
And they’re the ones
that are recording
608
00:33:51,988 --> 00:33:54,238
all kinds of strange creatures.
609
00:33:55,408 --> 00:33:58,578
NARRATOR:
Astrophysicist
and aerospace engineer
610
00:33:58,703 --> 00:34:02,083
Dr. Travis Taylor has spent
nearly 20 years
611
00:34:02,165 --> 00:34:04,075
working on high-tech programs
612
00:34:04,167 --> 00:34:07,127
for the Department of Defense
and NASA.
613
00:34:07,254 --> 00:34:09,094
It is going nuts.
614
00:34:09,172 --> 00:34:12,432
NARRATOR:
In 2019, he joined
615
00:34:12,509 --> 00:34:14,299
a research team investigating
616
00:34:14,427 --> 00:34:17,427
the strange phenomena
at Skinwalker Ranch.
617
00:34:17,514 --> 00:34:18,644
It just jumped to 18.
618
00:34:18,765 --> 00:34:19,765
We need to get
out of here, guys.
619
00:34:19,849 --> 00:34:21,639
Let’s get out of here.
620
00:34:21,768 --> 00:34:24,478
NARRATOR:
Since that time,
Dr. Taylor has come to believe
621
00:34:24,604 --> 00:34:27,774
that the mysterious events
are connected
622
00:34:27,857 --> 00:34:30,777
to the unique geology
of the Uintah Basin
623
00:34:30,902 --> 00:34:34,952
where Skinwalker Ranch
is located.
624
00:34:35,073 --> 00:34:37,993
The Uintah Basin
appears to be the epicenter
625
00:34:38,118 --> 00:34:41,118
of some really unusual
phenomena, including
626
00:34:41,204 --> 00:34:43,044
UAP sightings,
627
00:34:43,123 --> 00:34:45,293
strange energy measurements,
628
00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:48,635
strange electric
and magnetic field anomalies,
629
00:34:48,753 --> 00:34:51,553
and even other anomalies
that look like
630
00:34:51,631 --> 00:34:53,631
something out of
a science-fiction movie.
631
00:34:53,717 --> 00:34:55,127
What is that solid light?
632
00:34:55,218 --> 00:34:56,638
It’s got a black dot
in the center of it.
633
00:34:56,720 --> 00:34:57,800
What?
634
00:34:58,805 --> 00:35:00,965
NARRATOR:
As part of the investigation,
635
00:35:01,057 --> 00:35:03,637
Dr. Taylor and the research team
636
00:35:03,768 --> 00:35:06,478
drilled core samples
of the soil in the area
637
00:35:06,563 --> 00:35:08,483
around Skinwalker Ranch.
638
00:35:08,565 --> 00:35:12,325
And what they found
was unexpected.
639
00:35:12,402 --> 00:35:14,492
TAYLOR:
We made an immense amount
640
00:35:14,571 --> 00:35:16,991
of measurements and taken
an immense amount of data,
641
00:35:17,115 --> 00:35:19,985
and from all those measurements,
what we’ve discovered is,
642
00:35:20,076 --> 00:35:22,156
there seems to be
an interesting mix of things
643
00:35:22,287 --> 00:35:24,827
underneath the ground
here at Skinwalker Ranch
644
00:35:24,914 --> 00:35:28,844
that are the makeup elements
that you would need to create
645
00:35:28,918 --> 00:35:31,498
computers, spacecraft,
and so on.
646
00:35:31,588 --> 00:35:35,168
The geology looks like
647
00:35:35,258 --> 00:35:37,008
an ancient impact crater.
648
00:35:37,093 --> 00:35:39,683
And there was an impact here
maybe 50 million years ago.
649
00:35:39,763 --> 00:35:42,853
Is it possible that
this different phenomena
650
00:35:42,974 --> 00:35:45,104
that happen at
Skinwalker Ranch is from
651
00:35:45,185 --> 00:35:49,025
some extraterrestrial origin,
uh, an ancient impact site,
652
00:35:49,105 --> 00:35:50,685
an ancient crash site?
653
00:35:50,774 --> 00:35:54,944
Skinwalker Ranch, it appears
to be similar to Mexico
654
00:35:55,028 --> 00:35:57,028
where there is a Zone of Silence
655
00:35:57,155 --> 00:36:01,075
right where there’s
odd phenomena being seen that
656
00:36:01,201 --> 00:36:04,871
could be potentially a
side effect of a meteor impact.
657
00:36:06,456 --> 00:36:08,536
NARRATOR:
Could it be that meteorites
658
00:36:08,625 --> 00:36:10,545
are responsible
for the phenomena
659
00:36:10,627 --> 00:36:15,007
at Skinwalker Ranch
and the Zone of Silence?
660
00:36:16,883 --> 00:36:20,803
Dr. Taylor believes not only
that this is possible
661
00:36:20,887 --> 00:36:23,717
but that the same might be true
for other areas
662
00:36:23,848 --> 00:36:26,728
across the globe
where electromagnetic anomalies
663
00:36:26,810 --> 00:36:29,100
are present.
664
00:36:29,229 --> 00:36:32,059
TAYLOR:
There are other similar places
around the world,
665
00:36:32,190 --> 00:36:34,150
like near Roosevelt in Utah.
666
00:36:34,234 --> 00:36:37,494
There’s places in Iraq
where this, uh, occurs.
667
00:36:37,570 --> 00:36:39,910
There’s places in Australia
where compasses
668
00:36:39,989 --> 00:36:41,949
and other electromagnetic
phenomena occur.
669
00:36:42,075 --> 00:36:44,415
Where we have,
uh, communications
670
00:36:44,494 --> 00:36:46,084
that don’t function properly,
671
00:36:46,204 --> 00:36:48,254
sort of like
radio silent regions.
672
00:36:48,331 --> 00:36:52,421
And all these seem to be near
meteor impact sites.
673
00:36:52,544 --> 00:36:55,764
And people that are near those,
they see UFOs,
674
00:36:55,839 --> 00:36:58,089
they-they think they see
entities and things like that--
675
00:36:58,174 --> 00:37:00,014
maybe they do.
676
00:37:00,093 --> 00:37:04,683
Is it the impactor that created
some kind of strange phenomena?
677
00:37:04,764 --> 00:37:07,354
Or it might be
some other technology
678
00:37:07,434 --> 00:37:08,854
that we don’t understand
at play here.
679
00:37:10,603 --> 00:37:13,113
Could these impact sites
be directed crashes
680
00:37:13,231 --> 00:37:17,321
from an ancient or an advanced
extraterrestrial civilization,
681
00:37:17,444 --> 00:37:20,364
and that’s why we see
these strange phenomena?
682
00:37:22,449 --> 00:37:26,789
HENRY:
Another facet of these impact
crater sites is the materials
683
00:37:26,911 --> 00:37:29,461
and the energy
that is left behind,
684
00:37:29,539 --> 00:37:30,789
and you have to wonder, well,
685
00:37:30,874 --> 00:37:32,334
what is the role
of those materials,
686
00:37:32,459 --> 00:37:35,629
and is it possible
that they are responsible
687
00:37:35,712 --> 00:37:40,052
for altering the planet
for an unknown purpose?
688
00:37:41,176 --> 00:37:44,136
NARRATOR:
Could it be
that extraterrestrials
689
00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:47,812
are intentionally depositing
exotic materials on Earth
690
00:37:47,891 --> 00:37:49,731
through meteor impacts
691
00:37:49,809 --> 00:37:54,479
as part of an ongoing mission
to transform the planet
692
00:37:54,606 --> 00:37:57,566
and direct the future
of humanity?
693
00:37:58,985 --> 00:38:00,815
Perhaps further clues
will be revealed
694
00:38:00,945 --> 00:38:03,025
by an audacious new mission
695
00:38:03,156 --> 00:38:06,156
designed to retrieve
a piece of a meteor
696
00:38:06,242 --> 00:38:11,412
that might contain
extraterrestrial technology.
697
00:38:21,174 --> 00:38:24,684
NARRATOR:
Theoretical physicist
Dr. Avi Loeb
698
00:38:24,761 --> 00:38:27,511
announces an ambitious
new expedition.
699
00:38:27,597 --> 00:38:31,347
Its goal is to recover fragments
700
00:38:31,434 --> 00:38:33,894
of the interstellar meteor
that exploded
701
00:38:34,020 --> 00:38:38,650
over the Pacific Ocean
in February 2014.
702
00:38:39,901 --> 00:38:42,781
LOEB:
This meteor was roughly
half a meter in size,
703
00:38:42,862 --> 00:38:45,202
bigger than a basketball,
and it burned up
704
00:38:45,281 --> 00:38:49,541
about 100 miles off the coast
of Papua New Guinea.
705
00:38:49,619 --> 00:38:51,869
The ocean is very deep.
706
00:38:51,955 --> 00:38:53,875
It’s about a mile deep there,
707
00:38:53,957 --> 00:38:55,957
but we plan to use a sled
708
00:38:56,042 --> 00:38:59,552
equipped with a magnet that will
attract the small fragments
709
00:38:59,629 --> 00:39:03,299
and collect them,
and we will go back and forth
710
00:39:03,383 --> 00:39:06,223
across the region of interest,
just like mowing the lawn,
711
00:39:06,344 --> 00:39:12,564
for a couple of weeks, and
we hope to find those fragments.
712
00:39:12,642 --> 00:39:15,732
We hope, just like detectives,
713
00:39:15,812 --> 00:39:18,062
to collect enough evidence
that will tell
714
00:39:18,147 --> 00:39:19,607
us the origins of this object.
715
00:39:19,732 --> 00:39:22,902
NARRATOR:
If the project is successful,
716
00:39:23,027 --> 00:39:24,897
it will mark the first time
717
00:39:25,029 --> 00:39:28,819
humanity has recovered material
from another solar system.
718
00:39:28,908 --> 00:39:31,238
LOEB:
Whatever we find
will have a big impact
719
00:39:31,327 --> 00:39:35,247
on our understanding
of interstellar objects.
720
00:39:35,331 --> 00:39:37,831
NARRATOR:
But what excited
Dr. Loeb the most
721
00:39:37,917 --> 00:39:41,247
about the meteor
isn’t where it came from
722
00:39:41,337 --> 00:39:43,587
but what it might contain.
723
00:39:43,673 --> 00:39:45,933
LOEB:
The reason that the meteor
is interesting
724
00:39:46,009 --> 00:39:49,009
is because the possibility
that it may have been
725
00:39:49,095 --> 00:39:52,135
a spacecraft
propelled artificially
726
00:39:52,265 --> 00:39:55,775
and made of some alloy
that is much tougher
727
00:39:55,852 --> 00:39:58,442
than iron meteorites.
728
00:39:58,521 --> 00:40:00,771
If we do end up concluding
that it was
729
00:40:00,899 --> 00:40:03,649
artificial in origin,
perhaps a spacecraft,
730
00:40:03,776 --> 00:40:07,776
that would be the first time
that we found evidence
731
00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:10,494
for an object that originated
732
00:40:10,617 --> 00:40:12,617
from another civilization.
733
00:40:12,702 --> 00:40:16,502
NARRATOR:
Could the remnants of
an extraterrestrial spacecraft
734
00:40:16,623 --> 00:40:20,043
really be lying at the bottom
of the Pacific Ocean?
735
00:40:20,126 --> 00:40:23,796
While it may be
a sensational notion,
736
00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:28,090
the possibility has excited
researchers around the world.
737
00:40:29,469 --> 00:40:31,889
KAKU:
So, there’s talk that maybe
we should try to capture
738
00:40:31,971 --> 00:40:35,471
this material that plunged
into the Pacific.
739
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:36,640
Because who knows?
740
00:40:36,726 --> 00:40:39,226
Maybe it was sent here
741
00:40:39,312 --> 00:40:41,982
by an alien civilization
in outer space.
742
00:40:42,065 --> 00:40:43,985
Now, the probability
of that happening
743
00:40:44,067 --> 00:40:45,527
is very small, let’s face it.
744
00:40:45,652 --> 00:40:47,072
It’s a long shot.
745
00:40:47,153 --> 00:40:49,663
But, hey,
science is based on long shots.
746
00:40:49,781 --> 00:40:52,831
You never know where the next
discovery is being made.
747
00:40:52,951 --> 00:40:54,991
And so I think
it’s worthwhile to try to see
748
00:40:55,078 --> 00:40:57,578
whether we can retrieve
this object.
749
00:40:57,664 --> 00:41:00,834
TSOUKALOS:
This object may contain
750
00:41:00,959 --> 00:41:04,499
some type of
extraterrestrial technology
751
00:41:04,629 --> 00:41:08,009
or some type of an
extraterrestrial signature
752
00:41:08,132 --> 00:41:10,892
that points towards
intelligence.
753
00:41:11,010 --> 00:41:14,560
If they can find this object
and study it,
754
00:41:14,681 --> 00:41:17,391
it could potentially be
one of the greatest discoveries
755
00:41:17,517 --> 00:41:19,267
in human history.
756
00:41:19,352 --> 00:41:22,352
NARRATOR:
According to
ancient astronaut theorists,
757
00:41:22,438 --> 00:41:26,148
the findings may help answer
an essential question.
758
00:41:27,193 --> 00:41:30,863
Have alien civilizations
from across the galaxy
759
00:41:30,947 --> 00:41:34,277
been sending materials
to Earth for eons,
760
00:41:34,367 --> 00:41:38,197
with the deliberate intention
of developing our planet,
761
00:41:38,329 --> 00:41:41,289
altering evolution,
and setting us
762
00:41:41,374 --> 00:41:43,634
on a path to our future?
763
00:41:43,710 --> 00:41:46,920
TAYLOR:
Perhaps, out of all
these things that crash
764
00:41:47,046 --> 00:41:49,876
into the Earth’s atmosphere,
some percentage of them
765
00:41:50,008 --> 00:41:53,048
could be of
extraterrestrial origin.
766
00:41:53,136 --> 00:41:54,716
And if we go and look
at all these,
767
00:41:54,846 --> 00:41:56,716
as many as we can find,
perhaps we’ll find
768
00:41:56,806 --> 00:41:58,466
that one needle in the haystack
769
00:41:58,558 --> 00:42:01,228
that tells us this is a device,
or was a device
770
00:42:01,310 --> 00:42:04,400
before it impacted the Earth,
that came from outside
771
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,070
of our solar system and from
some advanced civilization.
772
00:42:09,402 --> 00:42:11,742
TSOUKALOS:
Maybe we’ll find new DNA
773
00:42:11,863 --> 00:42:15,073
or we’ll find
new building blocks for life,
774
00:42:15,158 --> 00:42:19,908
life that we didn’t even know
could even exist.
775
00:42:19,996 --> 00:42:22,496
And what implications
776
00:42:22,582 --> 00:42:25,002
does that have for us?
777
00:42:26,210 --> 00:42:28,840
NARRATOR:
Were meteors
deliberately sent to Earth
778
00:42:28,921 --> 00:42:30,921
to terraform the planet,
779
00:42:31,007 --> 00:42:34,427
enabling the development
of intelligent life
780
00:42:34,552 --> 00:42:37,932
and a technologically
advanced civilization?
781
00:42:38,014 --> 00:42:41,854
And if so,
are extraterrestrials
782
00:42:41,934 --> 00:42:45,814
continuing to direct
the evolution of both the planet
783
00:42:45,938 --> 00:42:49,438
and humanity
through meteor impacts today?
784
00:42:49,567 --> 00:42:53,817
Perhaps the proof lies
not in the skies above
785
00:42:53,946 --> 00:42:57,776
but in plain sight
here on Earth.
786
00:42:57,867 --> 00:43:01,787
And it is there we must look
for the undeniable evidence
787
00:43:01,871 --> 00:43:05,961
of our connection to the cosmos.
788
00:43:06,084 --> 00:43:08,464
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