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NARRATOR: Incredible strength.
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RICHARD RADER:
You had the creation
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of a superhuman that was
indestructible, invincible.
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NARRATOR: Superior intelligence.
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MARK DICE: The ultimate goal
is to become an immortal god.
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NARRATOR:
And the ability to reproduce.
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DAVID WILCOCK:
You have a robotic consciousness
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that has become something
we would think of as a person.
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NARRATOR: But is this obsession
with creating counterfeit humans
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really pointing the way
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to mankind's future
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or to its past?
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GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
Another civilization has done
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the same thing hundreds
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of thousands of years before us.
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NICK POPE:
We may be living in a universe
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where the real
intelligences out there
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are robots.
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NARRATOR:
Since the dawn of civilization,
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mankind has credited
its origins to gods
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and other visitors
from the stars.
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What if it were true?
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Did extraterrestrial beings
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really help
to shape our history?
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And if so,
could there be a connection
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between aliens and robots?
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Kansai Science City, Japan.
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At the
Advanced Telecommunications.
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Research Institute,
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Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro
and his team
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are developing
a series of robots.
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Artificial humans
that are incredibly lifelike,
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both in their appearance
and in their facial gestures.
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NARRATOR: This robot...
Part of the Geminoid series...
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Is designed to look
identical to its maker.
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But what separates it
from other robots of its type
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is the number of miniature
motors, called actuators,
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used to mimic human expression.
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While most use ten to 12,
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the latest Geminoids
use over 50.
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NARRATOR:
The robot is programmed to mimic
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as closely as possible
the movements
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a human makes while at rest.
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It responds spontaneously
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to being touched
or when asked a question.
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It can also
be remotely operated.
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NARRATOR: While the Geminoid
robots focus primarily
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on replicating
facial expression,
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engineers at
the University of Texas.
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Human Centered Robotics Lab
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have developed a robot
named Dreamer
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that can perform
an equally impressive series
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of sophisticated body movements.
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We made Dreamer more human-like
through, uh,
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features and-and shapes and
kind of dimensions of a human.
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And at the same time making the
movements much more human-like
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by understanding
and learning from the human.
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So one thing that makes unique
the movement of Dreamers
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is what we call
the whole body control.
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NARRATOR: Although Dreamer's
torso rests on a wheeled base,
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a bipedal set of robotic legs
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are currently being developed
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which will make Dreamer
fully mobile within two years.
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SENTIS: Ultimately,
we want these machines
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to live 100 years unassisted.
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Without any supervision
whatsoever.
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NARRATOR: By combining
the lifelike characteristics
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of androids like those
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developed by Hiroshi Ishiguro
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with the mobility
of robots like Dreamer,
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scientists believe
we might soon see a time
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when artificial humans
will be virtually identical
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to the real thing.
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SENTIS: We're gonna be able to
actually create very human-like
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robotic systems
to the point that
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they are nearly
indistinguishable,
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both in movement
and in morphology.
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STEVE FULLER:
You look at something like
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the sort of entities
that were dealt with
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in the movie Blade Runner,
the kinds of Turing tests
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that were done there
to try to spot the androids.
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I think that in principle,
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we could have androids passing
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a sophisticated version
of the Turing test
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that would force the machine
to think reflectively about
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its own consciousness,
about its own past,
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about its own feelings,
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and I think that this
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should not be impossible
to do, and in which case
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we should count
these beings as human.
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NARRATOR: In the 21st century,
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robots are being programmed
to do everything
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from performing surgery
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to driving a car.
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And humanoid robots are rapidly
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reaching a level
of sophistication
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that was thought to exist
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only in science fiction.
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But what are the implications
of creating robots
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that are increasingly
intelligent and independent?
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In March of 2015,
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Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
was quoted as saying.
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"Computers are going
to take over from humans...
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the future is scary."
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Even Stephen Hawking
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and Tesla Motors founder
Elon Musk
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have predicted
that machines may soon surpass
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and ultimately replace humans.
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Many scientists
and thinkers have postulated
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that ultimately machines
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are gonna take over the world.
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Computers are getting faster
and more powerful.
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Ultimately, we will
design machines
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that themselves design
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even better machines.
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If it gets smarter than us,
we'd better watch out.
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NARRATOR: But while
conventional scientists
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ponder whether or not robots
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are destined
to take over the earth,
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ancient astronaut theorists
are asking themselves
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quite a different question:
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Did this all happen before,
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perhaps thousands of years ago?
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Abydos, Egypt.
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Seven miles west of the Nile.
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Within this expansive
archaeological site
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lies the ruins
of the Osiris Hall,
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where thousands
would gather to worship
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the god of the underworld.
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TSOUKALOS: In comparison
to many of the gods,
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Osiris is actually
thought to have lived
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physically on Earth
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as one of Egypt's Pharaohs.
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He is often depicted
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with a winged disc of the sun.
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And while many scholars
have suggested
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that this is nothing else
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but, uh, to worship the sun,
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that sun, as far as
the Egyptians were concerned,
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also had wings
and it descended from the sky.
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So in my opinion,
something else was depicted:
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An extraterrestrial event
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that in fact
took place in real life.
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NARRATOR: Although most ancient
astronaut theorists believe
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that the Egyptian gods were,
in reality,
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extraterrestrial visitors,
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there are many
who wonder if Osiris
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was even made
of flesh and blood.
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One of the most famous stories
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that go hand in hand with Osiris
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was that he was dismembered
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by his jealous brother, Seth.
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JONATHAN YOUNG:
Seth went into a fury
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and tore his brother's dead body
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to shreds, tore it
into 14 pieces, had it scattered
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far and wide
all over the kingdom.
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But Isis, the loyal wife,
searched far and wide
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and found the pieces
and pulled it together.
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TSOUKALOS: Isis succeeded
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in resurrecting him.
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Now, when I hear
a story like that,
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that a being is dismembered
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and then somebody
puts together those pieces
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and then they are able
to magically resurrect him,
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I have to ask the question:
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Is it possible
that Osiris was not
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some type of biological entity,
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but perhaps he was some type
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of a machine or a robot?
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NARRATOR:
For ancient astronaut theorists,
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perhaps the strongest evidence
that Osiris
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may have been a robot
can be found
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in the ancient Pyramid Texts,
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which describe the symbol
of the Djed Pillar
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as Osiris' spine.
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Osiris in his resurrected form
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was portrayed as a pillar
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00:10:03.337 --> 00:10:05.503
that clearly resembles
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00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:07.806
a modern-day Tesla coil.
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00:10:07.841 --> 00:10:12.243
The Djed Pillar
was considered a power pillar.
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TSOUKALOS:
In this one carving at Abydos,
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it is as if Isis has her hand
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inserted into Osiris's back.
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And so perhaps it illustrates
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how she was manipulating Osiris.
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Could it be that
the story of Osiris
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is something
completely different
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than what we have thought?
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NARRATOR: Is it possible
that our ancestors
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encountered highly sophisticated
extraterrestrial robots
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in the ancient past?
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And if so,
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might there be some
tangible evidence?
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Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes
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00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:00.825
and believe the evidence
was recovered
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00:11:00.861 --> 00:11:03.128
deep beneath the sea
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00:11:03.163 --> 00:11:04.496
and dates back
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00:11:04.531 --> 00:11:07.298
more than 2,000 years.
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NARRATOR: The Aegean Sea.
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00:11:14.341 --> 00:11:17.742
April, 1900.
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Just 230 feet off the coast
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00:11:20.514 --> 00:11:23.581
of the small island
of Antikythera,
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00:11:23.617 --> 00:11:26.751
sponge divers discover
an ancient shipwreck
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00:11:26.787 --> 00:11:29.754
150 feet beneath the surface.
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Over the next two years,
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00:11:33.927 --> 00:11:37.395
artifacts are recovered
from the wreckage
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00:11:37.431 --> 00:11:39.931
and among them are the remains
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00:11:39.966 --> 00:11:42.600
of a coral-encrusted metal box
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00:11:42.636 --> 00:11:46.710
that dates back
to the second century BC.
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00:11:46.106 --> 00:11:48.473
It is the oldest
mechanical computer
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00:11:48.508 --> 00:11:50.750
ever found,
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00:11:50.110 --> 00:11:53.178
predating artifacts
of similar complexity
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00:11:53.213 --> 00:11:56.781
by 1,500 years.
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So you have
this small little box
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00:11:59.152 --> 00:12:02.353
with dozens of cogwheels
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00:12:02.389 --> 00:12:05.757
on the inside,
and it has been determined that
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00:12:05.792 --> 00:12:08.760
that analog computer was used
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00:12:08.795 --> 00:12:12.397
to predict astronomical events.
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00:12:12.432 --> 00:12:15.800
And so it was the first computer
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00:12:15.836 --> 00:12:19.771
that has ever been created
by mankind.
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CHILDRESS:
The American scientists
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00:12:21.908 --> 00:12:23.842
who were studying
the Antikythera device
223
00:12:23.877 --> 00:12:26.811
actually said that discovering
the Antikythera device
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00:12:26.847 --> 00:12:28.980
was like finding a jet plane
225
00:12:29.150 --> 00:12:30.915
in the tomb of King Tut.
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00:12:30.951 --> 00:12:34.385
It was so amazing to them.
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00:12:34.421 --> 00:12:38.123
They had never, ever conceived
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00:12:38.158 --> 00:12:41.593
that the ancient Greeks,
at 200 BC,
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00:12:41.628 --> 00:12:45.530
would have had the knowledge
of mechanical devices like this.
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00:12:45.565 --> 00:12:49.267
That's completely changed the
way we perceive ancient history.
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NARRATOR: While excavation teams
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00:12:52.906 --> 00:12:56.107
have still not determined for
certain the origin of the ship
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00:12:56.143 --> 00:13:00.110
on which the Antikythera
mechanism was found,
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00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:03.915
the leading candidate
is the island of Rhodes.
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00:13:03.950 --> 00:13:06.484
According to some
contemporary accounts,
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00:13:06.520 --> 00:13:10.488
Rhodes was once home to what,
by today's standards,
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00:13:10.524 --> 00:13:14.259
would be considered
high technology.
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00:13:14.294 --> 00:13:16.327
In the fifth century BC,
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00:13:16.363 --> 00:13:18.863
the poet Pindar
wrote that Rhodes
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00:13:18.899 --> 00:13:22.330
was once adorned with statues
that came to life
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00:13:22.680 --> 00:13:25.770
like living, moving creatures.
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TSOUKALOS: He wrote that they
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00:13:28.508 --> 00:13:32.477
all of a sudden became alive,
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00:13:32.512 --> 00:13:34.712
and so the question then arises:
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00:13:34.748 --> 00:13:37.582
Well, if you have
a lifeless object first
246
00:13:37.617 --> 00:13:39.350
and then
all of a sudden somebody
247
00:13:39.386 --> 00:13:41.753
breathes life into something,
248
00:13:41.788 --> 00:13:45.256
could it be that
we have references
249
00:13:45.292 --> 00:13:47.492
to some type of machines?
250
00:13:49.496 --> 00:13:52.630
Where did the people of Rhodes
251
00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:54.532
get the knowledge
of how to create
252
00:13:54.568 --> 00:13:58.369
these moving statues
2,500 years ago?
253
00:13:58.405 --> 00:14:02.106
I believe that it is
254
00:14:02.142 --> 00:14:03.775
just what Pindar said,
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00:14:03.810 --> 00:14:05.877
which is, they got it
from the gods.
256
00:14:05.912 --> 00:14:08.120
Well, who are these gods?
257
00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.916
The gods are real people,
they're extraterrestrials
258
00:14:11.952 --> 00:14:15.420
who had this technology,
shared it with humanity.
259
00:14:15.455 --> 00:14:18.623
And now when we see
the Antikythera mechanism,
260
00:14:18.658 --> 00:14:21.226
there's something
you can put your hands on
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00:14:21.261 --> 00:14:23.494
that shows that
they had the capability
262
00:14:23.530 --> 00:14:25.964
to do advanced machine work.
263
00:14:25.999 --> 00:14:30.501
It's 1,500 years
too early, at least.
264
00:14:30.537 --> 00:14:33.872
The point is,
that technology really exists,
265
00:14:33.907 --> 00:14:36.307
and from a technology like that,
266
00:14:36.343 --> 00:14:39.310
going to robotics
is not too much further.
267
00:14:39.346 --> 00:14:41.546
And extraterrestrials
would very well have had
268
00:14:41.581 --> 00:14:43.548
that capability for the time.
269
00:14:43.583 --> 00:14:47.285
If you believe what this legend
says on face value.
270
00:14:50.757 --> 00:14:53.625
NARRATOR: Could the Antikythera
mechanism be proof
271
00:14:53.660 --> 00:14:56.127
that the ancient Greeks
had technology
272
00:14:56.162 --> 00:14:59.931
far in advance of the times
in which they lived?
273
00:14:59.966 --> 00:15:03.835
And might this be evidence
that there really were
274
00:15:03.870 --> 00:15:07.238
functioning robots
on the island of Rhodes?
275
00:15:09.109 --> 00:15:12.760
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes
276
00:15:12.112 --> 00:15:14.545
and claim there is also evidence
277
00:15:14.581 --> 00:15:16.381
that advanced robots existed
278
00:15:16.416 --> 00:15:18.583
300 miles to the north
279
00:15:18.618 --> 00:15:21.986
on another Greek island: Lemnos.
280
00:15:23.890 --> 00:15:26.491
Here lie the ruins
of Hephaistia,
281
00:15:26.526 --> 00:15:30.228
one of the most important
cities in Greece.
282
00:15:30.263 --> 00:15:33.598
It is named for the Greek god
of metallurgy,
283
00:15:33.633 --> 00:15:36.134
Hephaestus, who was said
to have fallen here
284
00:15:36.169 --> 00:15:38.536
from the sky
and actually existed
285
00:15:38.571 --> 00:15:41.639
on Earth alongside humans.
286
00:15:41.675 --> 00:15:43.608
RADER: He's described
in his workshop as being
287
00:15:43.643 --> 00:15:46.577
surrounded by automated robots.
288
00:15:46.613 --> 00:15:49.547
He flips on the machines
289
00:15:49.582 --> 00:15:52.951
and they bustle around,
doing all the sort of...
290
00:15:52.986 --> 00:15:54.886
the hard busywork for him.
291
00:15:54.921 --> 00:15:57.622
NARRATOR:
One of Hephaestus' most famous
292
00:15:57.657 --> 00:16:01.920
and amazing creations was Talos,
293
00:16:01.127 --> 00:16:03.528
a giant man made of bronze
294
00:16:03.563 --> 00:16:07.980
who protected
the island of Crete.
295
00:16:07.133 --> 00:16:08.766
Talos was able to observe
296
00:16:08.802 --> 00:16:11.636
all of the ships
approaching Crete
297
00:16:11.671 --> 00:16:15.740
and hurl stones at those ships.
298
00:16:15.775 --> 00:16:19.310
And he was able
to release this heat,
299
00:16:19.346 --> 00:16:21.779
and thus incinerating any boat
300
00:16:21.815 --> 00:16:25.149
or anything that would
come close to him.
301
00:16:25.185 --> 00:16:28.386
So is it possible
302
00:16:28.421 --> 00:16:31.289
that Talos was
some type of a machine
303
00:16:31.324 --> 00:16:33.157
or a robot?
304
00:16:38.298 --> 00:16:41.599
NARRATOR: Greece isn't the only
place where ancient stories
305
00:16:41.634 --> 00:16:43.634
can be found
about inanimate objects
306
00:16:43.670 --> 00:16:46.237
that appear to come to life.
307
00:16:46.272 --> 00:16:49.207
The Jewish Talmud
describes a clay figure
308
00:16:49.242 --> 00:16:52.610
called the Golem
that could be brought to life
309
00:16:52.645 --> 00:16:55.146
by inserting a spell
into its mouth.
310
00:16:55.181 --> 00:16:58.549
In India,
an ancient Sanskrit text
311
00:16:58.585 --> 00:17:00.752
called the Lokapannatti
312
00:17:00.787 --> 00:17:02.820
tells of spirit
movement machines
313
00:17:02.856 --> 00:17:06.524
as far back
as the fifth century BC.
314
00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.594
And the Chinese text the Liezi
315
00:17:09.629 --> 00:17:13.398
describes a humanoid robot
being presented to King Mu
316
00:17:13.433 --> 00:17:17.680
as far back as 3,000 years ago.
317
00:17:17.103 --> 00:17:19.737
YOUNG: There are stories
from many cultures
318
00:17:19.773 --> 00:17:22.306
from all over the planet
of people who have either
319
00:17:22.342 --> 00:17:24.575
created other humans or machines
320
00:17:24.611 --> 00:17:26.477
that were very much like humans.
321
00:17:26.513 --> 00:17:30.381
NARRATOR: But if sophisticated
robots really did exist
322
00:17:30.417 --> 00:17:34.352
in the ancient world,
what function did they serve?
323
00:17:34.387 --> 00:17:36.220
Who built them?
324
00:17:36.256 --> 00:17:37.555
And perhaps more importantly,
325
00:17:37.590 --> 00:17:39.857
what happened to them?
326
00:17:42.328 --> 00:17:47.131
On March 24, 2015,
327
00:17:47.167 --> 00:17:50.735
the Mars rover
called Opportunity
328
00:17:50.770 --> 00:17:54.205
reaches the west rim of the
14-mile wide Endeavor crater.
329
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:57.410
It is searching for minerals
and other evidence
330
00:17:57.770 --> 00:18:00.878
that might prove
that life once existed here.
331
00:18:00.914 --> 00:18:05.349
It is one of several
remote-controlled robots that,
332
00:18:05.385 --> 00:18:07.385
for more than a decade,
333
00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:10.254
have provided NASA
with invaluable information
334
00:18:10.290 --> 00:18:14.192
about our closest alien planet.
335
00:18:14.227 --> 00:18:17.462
Well, NASA has successfully
controlled robots over,
336
00:18:17.497 --> 00:18:19.864
you know, crazy distances.
337
00:18:19.899 --> 00:18:21.944
They would execute the plan
here on the ground, then they
338
00:18:21.968 --> 00:18:25.436
would upload those instructions
to the robot on Mars.
339
00:18:29.509 --> 00:18:32.376
NARRATOR: Another NASA robot...
The humanoid.
340
00:18:32.412 --> 00:18:33.778
Robonaut 2...
341
00:18:33.813 --> 00:18:36.914
Works on the International
Space Station.
342
00:18:36.950 --> 00:18:39.383
And in development
is the so-called
343
00:18:39.419 --> 00:18:42.530
super robot, Valkyrie,
344
00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.922
which is designed
to set up habitats
345
00:18:44.958 --> 00:18:48.126
and pave the way
for humans on other planets.
346
00:18:49.462 --> 00:18:51.796
When humans go out
into space, uh,
347
00:18:51.831 --> 00:18:54.499
it's very difficult and
dangerous and time-consuming.
348
00:18:54.534 --> 00:18:56.300
It's far easier to send robots,
349
00:18:56.336 --> 00:18:58.302
and if that's what we do,
350
00:18:58.338 --> 00:19:00.671
that's sure as heck
what extraterrestrials
351
00:19:00.707 --> 00:19:03.141
are gonna be doing.
352
00:19:05.278 --> 00:19:07.445
NARRATOR: But just as we
are employing robots today
353
00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:11.449
to gather information
and minimize risk to human life,
354
00:19:11.484 --> 00:19:14.452
could similar
cybernetic technologies
355
00:19:14.487 --> 00:19:17.488
have existed
in the ancient past?
356
00:19:17.524 --> 00:19:20.324
Could stories
like that of Osiris,
357
00:19:20.360 --> 00:19:23.895
Talos, and the Golem be true?
358
00:19:23.930 --> 00:19:26.831
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes
359
00:19:26.866 --> 00:19:29.901
and believe that the proof
can not only be found
360
00:19:29.936 --> 00:19:33.838
in the past, but right here
in the present.
361
00:19:38.511 --> 00:19:40.311
NARRATOR: Norway.
362
00:19:40.346 --> 00:19:43.714
November, 2014.
363
00:19:43.750 --> 00:19:46.551
Scientists from
the University of Oslo
364
00:19:46.586 --> 00:19:49.253
work on a new breakthrough
in robotics,
365
00:19:49.289 --> 00:19:52.623
creating robots
that are able to adapt
366
00:19:52.659 --> 00:19:55.259
and continue functioning
367
00:19:55.295 --> 00:19:57.929
even after losing a limb.
368
00:19:57.964 --> 00:20:01.566
The robots also know
how to create new limbs
369
00:20:01.601 --> 00:20:03.100
with the use of a 3-D printer
370
00:20:03.136 --> 00:20:05.670
and reapply them,
371
00:20:05.705 --> 00:20:07.138
effectively repairing themselves
372
00:20:07.173 --> 00:20:10.474
without the aid
of a human being.
373
00:20:10.510 --> 00:20:14.412
This new technology
is the first step in achieving
374
00:20:14.447 --> 00:20:18.282
what Hungarian scientist
John Von Neumann envisioned
375
00:20:18.318 --> 00:20:20.318
back in the 1940s:
376
00:20:20.353 --> 00:20:24.222
Self-replicating robots.
377
00:20:24.257 --> 00:20:26.824
John Von Neumann
was, uh, a mathematician
378
00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:30.528
that had an idea about
self-replicating machines,
379
00:20:30.563 --> 00:20:33.497
where you send out
a seed machine
380
00:20:33.533 --> 00:20:35.600
and that machine
will seek out raw materials
381
00:20:35.635 --> 00:20:37.969
to construct a copy of itself,
382
00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:39.704
and then that will then
send that machine
383
00:20:39.739 --> 00:20:42.390
out to replicate itself.
384
00:20:42.750 --> 00:20:44.642
POPE: So one become two,
385
00:20:44.677 --> 00:20:47.780
two become four,
and eventually these things
386
00:20:47.113 --> 00:20:52.149
would be able to explore
the entire cosmos.
387
00:20:52.185 --> 00:20:56.870
Now, one theory is that
extraterrestrial civilizations
388
00:20:56.122 --> 00:20:59.523
would build space probes
like that,
389
00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:01.592
and that would be
the quickest way
390
00:21:01.628 --> 00:21:04.462
to explore the entire universe.
391
00:21:04.497 --> 00:21:07.131
FULLER: The interesting question
392
00:21:07.166 --> 00:21:09.734
is going to be the extent
to which
393
00:21:09.769 --> 00:21:12.336
part of that
self-replicationing includes
394
00:21:12.372 --> 00:21:15.773
the memories and the learning
395
00:21:15.808 --> 00:21:19.744
that the first generation
of robots engage with.
396
00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:22.113
So you'd want to make the robots
397
00:21:22.148 --> 00:21:25.816
as open to new experiences
as we are
398
00:21:25.852 --> 00:21:29.860
but at the same time
be able also to pass on
399
00:21:29.122 --> 00:21:31.489
the experiences
from any given generation
400
00:21:31.524 --> 00:21:35.226
to the next generation
through self-replication.
401
00:21:35.261 --> 00:21:38.496
So I think that this could be
a very important way,
402
00:21:38.531 --> 00:21:41.650
in terms of space travel, to go.
403
00:21:41.100 --> 00:21:43.534
I mean, I think
the more interesting question,
404
00:21:43.569 --> 00:21:46.504
from the standpoint of ourselves
as human beings,
405
00:21:46.539 --> 00:21:52.109
is the extent to which
we remain part of that process.
406
00:21:53.246 --> 00:21:54.912
NARRATOR: Is it possible
407
00:21:54.947 --> 00:21:57.415
that we could create
self-aware robots
408
00:21:57.450 --> 00:21:59.684
that are completely autonomous
409
00:21:59.719 --> 00:22:03.921
and send them off to explore
the universe unassisted?
410
00:22:03.956 --> 00:22:08.826
And might these robots be able
to self-replicate endlessly,
411
00:22:08.861 --> 00:22:12.396
using materials found
on distant planets?
412
00:22:12.432 --> 00:22:15.766
Ancient astronaut theorists
propose
413
00:22:15.802 --> 00:22:18.202
that extraterrestrial beings
414
00:22:18.237 --> 00:22:21.872
may have already achieved
this technology.
415
00:22:23.876 --> 00:22:27.812
It is entirely possible
that an advanced civilization...
416
00:22:27.847 --> 00:22:30.648
I'm saying far more advanced
than we are on Earth...
417
00:22:30.683 --> 00:22:33.150
Could actually develop
this technology
418
00:22:33.186 --> 00:22:36.320
of self-replicating machines
419
00:22:36.356 --> 00:22:40.458
and then could send
artificially intelligent robots
420
00:22:40.493 --> 00:22:43.160
out into space as sentinels
421
00:22:43.196 --> 00:22:44.829
that scan a much vaster area
422
00:22:44.864 --> 00:22:49.400
than that civilization itself
could go to with manned probes.
423
00:22:49.435 --> 00:22:53.738
It's something that probably
is already very widely in use
424
00:22:53.773 --> 00:22:57.141
by a variety of
extraterrestrial civilizations.
425
00:22:57.176 --> 00:22:59.877
HENRY:
The Von Neumann machines are
426
00:22:59.912 --> 00:23:03.514
an awesome idea that is
reflected in ancient stories
427
00:23:03.549 --> 00:23:05.983
of extraterrestrials
coming to Earth.
428
00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:08.352
In the ancient Egyptian
tradition,
429
00:23:08.388 --> 00:23:11.522
we learn
of these formless light beings
430
00:23:11.557 --> 00:23:13.858
that emerged
from what they describe
431
00:23:13.893 --> 00:23:16.694
as the Island of the Egg
432
00:23:16.729 --> 00:23:18.963
and create civilization.
433
00:23:18.998 --> 00:23:20.698
It suggests
that they're utilizing
434
00:23:20.733 --> 00:23:23.000
some kind
of self-replicating robot
435
00:23:23.350 --> 00:23:26.370
that has the ability
to utilize genetic forms,
436
00:23:26.406 --> 00:23:29.206
perhaps imported
from the home planet,
437
00:23:29.242 --> 00:23:32.209
that can then be manifested
on a new planet,
438
00:23:32.245 --> 00:23:34.779
in our case, Earth.
439
00:23:36.215 --> 00:23:38.682
NARRATOR:
Is it possible that evidence
440
00:23:38.718 --> 00:23:42.860
of self-replicating robots
can be found
441
00:23:42.121 --> 00:23:45.589
in ancient historical
and religious texts,
442
00:23:45.625 --> 00:23:48.759
such as those concerning
ancient Egypt?
443
00:23:48.795 --> 00:23:52.290
And, if so, is mankind today
444
00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.499
merely tapping into knowledge
that was available on Earth
445
00:23:55.535 --> 00:23:57.735
thousands of years ago,
446
00:23:57.770 --> 00:24:00.905
knowledge that might have been
brought here
447
00:24:00.940 --> 00:24:04.875
by extraterrestrial
space travelers?
448
00:24:04.911 --> 00:24:08.379
According to some
ancient astronaut theorists,
449
00:24:08.414 --> 00:24:11.382
the concept
that extraterrestrial life-forms
450
00:24:11.417 --> 00:24:14.952
may have first visited the earth
as machines or robots
451
00:24:14.987 --> 00:24:18.556
is not only likely but logical
452
00:24:18.591 --> 00:24:22.626
and can even help to explain
a series of alien encounters
453
00:24:22.662 --> 00:24:26.897
that have been reported
as recently as the 20th century,
454
00:24:26.933 --> 00:24:29.733
encounters with robot visitors
455
00:24:29.769 --> 00:24:35.606
that might otherwise
be referred to as the Greys.
456
00:24:35.641 --> 00:24:39.310
NARRATOR: May 9, 2001.
457
00:24:39.345 --> 00:24:43.781
The National Press Club,
Washington, D.C.
458
00:24:43.816 --> 00:24:48.850
During a media conference
for the Disclosure Project,
459
00:24:48.120 --> 00:24:50.387
former Army Sergeant
Clifford Stone
460
00:24:50.423 --> 00:24:53.123
makes a stunning announcement:
461
00:24:53.159 --> 00:24:57.294
He claims that for more
than two decades
462
00:24:57.330 --> 00:25:00.865
he was part of a top secret
military operations unit
463
00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:04.602
tasked with recovering
extraterrestrial technology
464
00:25:04.637 --> 00:25:07.404
for the United States
government.
465
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.242
I was involved in situations
where we actually did recoveries
466
00:25:11.277 --> 00:25:13.677
of cra... of crashed saucers,
467
00:25:13.713 --> 00:25:16.347
for lack of a better term,
debris thereof.
468
00:25:16.382 --> 00:25:18.415
There were bodies
that were involved
469
00:25:18.451 --> 00:25:20.184
with some of these crashes.
470
00:25:20.219 --> 00:25:22.353
Also, some were alive.
471
00:25:22.388 --> 00:25:23.954
While we were doing all this,
472
00:25:23.990 --> 00:25:26.423
we were telling the American
public there was nothing to it.
473
00:25:26.459 --> 00:25:28.526
We were telling the world
there was nothing to it.
474
00:25:31.264 --> 00:25:34.980
One of the things
that Clifford Stone talked about
475
00:25:34.133 --> 00:25:37.334
was a program
called Project Moon Dust.
476
00:25:37.370 --> 00:25:41.105
Now, Project Moon Dust was
a legitimate military program,
477
00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:44.608
and it was designed
to recover things
478
00:25:44.644 --> 00:25:47.511
like Soviet space satellites.
479
00:25:47.547 --> 00:25:49.980
The small number of documents
on Moon Dust
480
00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:52.383
that have surfaced through
the Freedom of Information Act
481
00:25:52.418 --> 00:25:56.654
talk about how it wasn't
just Soviet spacecraft...
482
00:25:56.689 --> 00:25:58.989
It was also UFOs.
483
00:25:59.250 --> 00:26:03.294
Actually uses the term "UFOs"
in the document.
484
00:26:05.998 --> 00:26:07.698
NARRATOR: According to Stone,
485
00:26:07.733 --> 00:26:12.603
he was the first to respond
to 12 UFO crashes.
486
00:26:12.638 --> 00:26:16.607
But it wasn't until the day
after the press conference,
487
00:26:16.642 --> 00:26:19.810
during a closed session with
Stone and members of Congress,
488
00:26:19.845 --> 00:26:22.813
that he revealed something
even more shocking
489
00:26:22.848 --> 00:26:27.551
about his firsthand accounts
with alien entities.
490
00:26:27.587 --> 00:26:30.287
I met him the very next day,
on May 10,
491
00:26:30.323 --> 00:26:32.823
in the closed executive/VIP
summary briefing
492
00:26:32.858 --> 00:26:34.625
for members of Congress.
493
00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:37.394
One of the things
that Sergeant Stone talked about
494
00:26:37.430 --> 00:26:41.465
was the nature of the so-called
Grey extraterrestrials.
495
00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:44.868
He said that there were
some very strange
496
00:26:44.904 --> 00:26:47.371
biological anomalies about them
497
00:26:47.406 --> 00:26:50.307
that make them look almost
as if they are some sort
498
00:26:50.343 --> 00:26:53.377
of biological robot.
499
00:26:53.412 --> 00:26:57.715
They seem to have very few, if
any, organ systems in the body.
500
00:26:57.750 --> 00:27:01.385
And yet these beings appear
to be able to walk around
501
00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:03.387
and think and function.
502
00:27:03.422 --> 00:27:07.558
Sergeant Clifford Stone
got so emotional
503
00:27:07.593 --> 00:27:10.961
about what he was talking about
in front of these congressmen
504
00:27:10.997 --> 00:27:15.799
that he literally broke down in
tears and walked off the stage.
505
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:21.405
LINDA MOULTON HOWE: I spent
several different times with him
506
00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:22.906
at his home,
507
00:27:22.942 --> 00:27:25.976
looking at documents
and listening to him tell
508
00:27:26.120 --> 00:27:28.646
his own extraordinary experience
509
00:27:28.681 --> 00:27:31.715
of having some sort
of an encounter
510
00:27:31.751 --> 00:27:33.851
with something that would fall
in the category,
511
00:27:33.886 --> 00:27:35.586
from his point of view,
512
00:27:35.621 --> 00:27:38.622
of being in the android
513
00:27:38.658 --> 00:27:42.126
or hybrid area.
514
00:27:45.765 --> 00:27:47.598
NARRATOR: Is it possible
515
00:27:47.633 --> 00:27:48.999
that the so-called Greys
516
00:27:49.350 --> 00:27:52.200
reported
by alleged alien abductees
517
00:27:52.380 --> 00:27:54.371
are really robots
being controlled
518
00:27:54.407 --> 00:27:57.675
from beyond our planet?
519
00:27:57.710 --> 00:28:03.180
In 2014, the online magazine
Motherboard posted an article
520
00:28:03.215 --> 00:28:06.684
in which a handful
of philosophers and astronomers
521
00:28:06.719 --> 00:28:10.870
speculated that the dominant
life-form in the cosmos
522
00:28:10.122 --> 00:28:14.358
is probably
superintelligent robots.
523
00:28:14.393 --> 00:28:17.161
And according
to ancient astronaut theorists,
524
00:28:17.196 --> 00:28:21.365
the notion is not as far-fetched
as it seems,
525
00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:23.300
especially when one considers
526
00:28:23.335 --> 00:28:26.637
that Hiroshi Ishiguro's
Geminoid robots
527
00:28:26.672 --> 00:28:29.390
are designed
to transmit a human presence
528
00:28:29.750 --> 00:28:32.176
from thousands of miles away.
529
00:28:32.211 --> 00:28:35.579
Similarly designed to operate
from a remote distance
530
00:28:35.614 --> 00:28:40.350
is the Dreamer robot created
by the University of Texas
531
00:28:40.386 --> 00:28:43.687
and also NASA's latest robotic
space traveler,
532
00:28:43.723 --> 00:28:46.190
Valkyrie.
533
00:28:46.225 --> 00:28:48.959
RADFORD:
What we envision in the future
534
00:28:48.994 --> 00:28:50.928
is more
of a supervised autonomy,
535
00:28:50.963 --> 00:28:53.630
where you're giving the robot
high-level instructions
536
00:28:53.666 --> 00:28:55.199
and the robot's
autonomous enough
537
00:28:55.234 --> 00:28:57.167
to interpret
those high-level instructions
538
00:28:57.203 --> 00:28:59.636
and then carry out
a portion of its mission.
539
00:28:59.672 --> 00:29:02.406
HOWE: If you have androids,
540
00:29:02.441 --> 00:29:05.943
something else
with great intelligence
541
00:29:05.978 --> 00:29:08.212
has to have made them
542
00:29:08.247 --> 00:29:12.649
to come here
to work on this planet.
543
00:29:12.685 --> 00:29:16.487
NARRATOR: But while some ancient
astronaut theorists believe
544
00:29:16.522 --> 00:29:18.489
the Greys could be surrogates
545
00:29:18.524 --> 00:29:22.926
controlled by alien entities
from far, far away,
546
00:29:22.962 --> 00:29:28.432
others suggest the truth
is even more incredible.
547
00:29:30.136 --> 00:29:32.569
People often describe the Greys
548
00:29:32.605 --> 00:29:36.730
as featureless,
emotionless creatures.
549
00:29:37.910 --> 00:29:41.745
Could it be that they're all
effectively from the same mold?
550
00:29:41.781 --> 00:29:43.213
Maybe they are
551
00:29:43.249 --> 00:29:47.384
Von Neumann self-replicating
machines themselves.
552
00:29:47.419 --> 00:29:50.120
The interesting thing
about this theory
553
00:29:50.156 --> 00:29:54.691
is that people often say that
the purpose of the abductions
554
00:29:54.727 --> 00:29:57.928
is to harvest genetic material.
555
00:29:57.963 --> 00:29:59.930
Well, if these Greys
556
00:29:59.965 --> 00:30:02.320
are actually
self-replicating robots,
557
00:30:02.670 --> 00:30:03.667
what they might be doing
558
00:30:03.702 --> 00:30:06.403
is actually getting
genetic material from humans
559
00:30:06.438 --> 00:30:10.474
to construct more copies
of themselves.
560
00:30:12.578 --> 00:30:14.745
NARRATOR: When Clifford Stone
made the statement
561
00:30:14.780 --> 00:30:19.783
that Grey aliens might not be
entirely biological entities,
562
00:30:19.819 --> 00:30:22.786
as part of his argument,
he cited the fact
563
00:30:22.822 --> 00:30:26.757
that they have
a cookie-cutter quality to them.
564
00:30:26.792 --> 00:30:31.695
Does his testimony suggest that
the extraterrestrial entities
565
00:30:31.730 --> 00:30:35.399
that are visiting the earth
are not only part mechanical
566
00:30:35.434 --> 00:30:39.837
and synthetic
but also part biological?
567
00:30:39.872 --> 00:30:44.441
Or do they really represent
alien creatures
568
00:30:44.476 --> 00:30:50.480
that are part machine
and part human?
569
00:30:50.516 --> 00:30:52.649
NARRATOR: September 2003.
570
00:30:52.685 --> 00:30:56.286
Clemson University,
South Carolina.
571
00:30:56.322 --> 00:31:00.224
Dr. Thomas Boland files
the first patent
572
00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:03.393
for inkjet 3-D printing
of viable cells.
573
00:31:03.429 --> 00:31:07.231
Already a multibillion dollar
industry,
574
00:31:07.266 --> 00:31:11.702
this process involves
placing biological materials
575
00:31:11.737 --> 00:31:14.370
into modified ink cartridges
576
00:31:14.730 --> 00:31:16.673
and printing onto bio paper
577
00:31:16.709 --> 00:31:19.343
made of soy and collagen.
578
00:31:19.378 --> 00:31:21.345
What we see
is little petri dishes
579
00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:23.447
with a culture medium
like agar in them.
580
00:31:23.482 --> 00:31:25.716
And then you have
a little nozzle that comes over
581
00:31:25.751 --> 00:31:29.119
and spray-paints these
little hexagons onto the agar.
582
00:31:29.154 --> 00:31:33.190
And within only a few minutes,
they start growing cells,
583
00:31:33.225 --> 00:31:36.126
and they become
these brown spots,
584
00:31:36.161 --> 00:31:39.930
which are the beginnings
of human livers.
585
00:31:39.965 --> 00:31:43.330
RADFORD: Dr. Boland has
some very interesting research
586
00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:46.690
looking at printing cell tissue.
587
00:31:46.105 --> 00:31:49.106
I think that opens up
some very interesting ideas,
588
00:31:49.141 --> 00:31:53.543
um, about how
to bio-manufacture things.
589
00:31:53.579 --> 00:31:56.460
At some point,
it'll have application
590
00:31:56.810 --> 00:31:57.414
in the field of robotics,
591
00:31:57.449 --> 00:32:00.517
especially
as we start combining devices,
592
00:32:00.552 --> 00:32:02.452
uh, with the human body.
593
00:32:04.757 --> 00:32:08.759
NARRATOR: Many believe
this is the first step
594
00:32:08.794 --> 00:32:12.696
in constructing
engineered human organs.
595
00:32:12.731 --> 00:32:16.266
Ultimately,
the goal is to do the same
596
00:32:16.302 --> 00:32:19.603
for every other part
of the human body.
597
00:32:19.638 --> 00:32:22.773
But there is a movement
to go much further
598
00:32:22.808 --> 00:32:25.842
in merging biology
with technology.
599
00:32:25.878 --> 00:32:30.347
It is called transhumanism.
600
00:32:30.382 --> 00:32:32.182
The ultimate goal
of the transhumanists
601
00:32:32.217 --> 00:32:35.218
is to become an immortal god.
602
00:32:35.254 --> 00:32:38.880
And, literally,
these people believe
603
00:32:38.123 --> 00:32:43.930
that they will merge with
technology and become cyborgs.
604
00:32:43.128 --> 00:32:47.130
They believe that they will
unlock the immortality
605
00:32:47.166 --> 00:32:50.600
anti-aging systems encoded
into the human race
606
00:32:50.636 --> 00:32:53.937
and that that will be
the supposed final evolution
607
00:32:53.973 --> 00:32:58.275
of human beings
as they ascend into godhood.
608
00:32:58.310 --> 00:33:01.211
Transhumanists
generally acknowledge
609
00:33:01.246 --> 00:33:04.648
that human beings are the
products of biological evolution
610
00:33:04.683 --> 00:33:07.500
but we've now reached a stage
in our development
611
00:33:07.860 --> 00:33:10.320
where there's an open question
about where we should go.
612
00:33:10.356 --> 00:33:13.323
On the one hand,
our biological background
613
00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:16.593
could be taken as a kind
of platform to go forward,
614
00:33:16.628 --> 00:33:18.962
manipulating genes
in various ways.
615
00:33:18.998 --> 00:33:22.265
But on the other hand,
we might think about ourselves
616
00:33:22.301 --> 00:33:26.670
merging more directly
with silicon-based technologies.
617
00:33:26.705 --> 00:33:29.973
DICE: We see the rollout
of these head-mounted displays
618
00:33:30.900 --> 00:33:31.808
like Google Glass,
619
00:33:31.844 --> 00:33:35.846
where people are now wearing
a computer on their head.
620
00:33:35.881 --> 00:33:40.517
The Apple Watch now is sort of
merging man with machine, and,
621
00:33:40.552 --> 00:33:43.353
instead of sitting down
at a computer now,
622
00:33:43.389 --> 00:33:46.560
people are just wearing
their computer.
623
00:33:46.910 --> 00:33:49.693
Uh, we see artificial hearts,
we see, uh, pacemakers.
624
00:33:49.728 --> 00:33:52.129
These are sort of
the early precursors
625
00:33:52.164 --> 00:33:57.801
to this transhumanist
transformation.
626
00:33:57.836 --> 00:33:59.970
There certainly is a merging
627
00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:02.205
between technology and biology,
628
00:34:02.241 --> 00:34:04.741
and we are experiencing it
right now.
629
00:34:08.781 --> 00:34:13.500
NARRATOR: Some experts believe
that by the year 2050,
630
00:34:13.850 --> 00:34:16.720
scientists and engineers
will have unlocked
631
00:34:16.755 --> 00:34:19.890
the secrets of immortality
632
00:34:19.124 --> 00:34:22.225
through the production
of artificial organs
633
00:34:22.261 --> 00:34:25.695
and silicone-based structures.
634
00:34:25.731 --> 00:34:28.165
Ancient astronaut theorists
suggest
635
00:34:28.200 --> 00:34:31.601
that considering the fact
that we are experimenting
636
00:34:31.637 --> 00:34:33.804
with transhumanism today,
637
00:34:33.839 --> 00:34:38.750
it is very possible a more
advanced extraterrestrial race
638
00:34:38.110 --> 00:34:43.213
has already achieved similar
technological advancements.
639
00:34:43.248 --> 00:34:47.500
A civilization millions of years
older than us
640
00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:51.621
could have actually evolved
much beyond the baby steps
641
00:34:51.657 --> 00:34:53.390
that we're taking right now.
642
00:34:53.425 --> 00:34:56.590
TSOUKALOS: If we are doing this,
643
00:34:56.950 --> 00:34:59.620
is it possible
that another civilization
644
00:34:59.980 --> 00:35:00.931
has done the same thing
645
00:35:00.966 --> 00:35:04.101
but perhaps thousands,
if not hundreds of thousands,
646
00:35:04.136 --> 00:35:07.700
of years before us?
647
00:35:07.106 --> 00:35:11.374
When we look at some of these
ancient texts that we have,
648
00:35:11.410 --> 00:35:14.945
we're always talking
about ancient astronauts
649
00:35:14.980 --> 00:35:16.279
that came to visit us.
650
00:35:16.315 --> 00:35:20.350
But what if we were visited
by machines?
651
00:35:20.385 --> 00:35:23.820
And so the idea then arises:
652
00:35:23.856 --> 00:35:29.860
Will we ourselves be able
to become cyborgs?
653
00:35:29.895 --> 00:35:32.796
WILCOCK: It's possible
that other civilizations
654
00:35:32.831 --> 00:35:36.199
may have decided they would be
able to essentially live
655
00:35:36.235 --> 00:35:38.835
indefinitely this way.
656
00:35:38.871 --> 00:35:42.339
And the more that we look
at the way in which technology
657
00:35:42.374 --> 00:35:45.208
and biology are fusing together,
658
00:35:45.244 --> 00:35:48.879
the more
that we can confront the notion
659
00:35:48.914 --> 00:35:52.382
that, with the advancements
of computer power,
660
00:35:52.417 --> 00:35:54.384
we could have sentient beings
661
00:35:54.419 --> 00:35:57.154
that are
significantly more advanced.
662
00:35:57.189 --> 00:36:00.257
NARRATOR: Is it possible
663
00:36:00.292 --> 00:36:04.261
that extraterrestrials have not
merely sent intelligent robots
664
00:36:04.296 --> 00:36:07.297
to Earth in their place
665
00:36:07.332 --> 00:36:09.900
but that they themselves
have actually evolved
666
00:36:09.935 --> 00:36:12.969
beyond biological bodies?
667
00:36:13.500 --> 00:36:14.437
And, if so,
668
00:36:14.473 --> 00:36:19.342
what might this mean for
the future of the human race?
669
00:36:25.170 --> 00:36:28.118
NARRATOR: February 8, 1957.
670
00:36:28.153 --> 00:36:31.254
Washington, D.C.
671
00:36:31.290 --> 00:36:33.990
At Walter Reed General Hospital,
672
00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:37.360
Hungarian scientist
John Von Neumann,
673
00:36:37.396 --> 00:36:39.596
the man
who came up with the idea
674
00:36:39.631 --> 00:36:42.320
for self-replicating robots,
675
00:36:42.670 --> 00:36:45.902
dies at the age of 53.
676
00:36:45.938 --> 00:36:47.804
At the time of his death,
677
00:36:47.839 --> 00:36:49.773
he was working on a manuscript
678
00:36:49.808 --> 00:36:53.430
titled
The Computer and the Brain.
679
00:36:53.780 --> 00:36:55.110
At only 82 pages,
680
00:36:55.470 --> 00:36:58.615
the text was far from finished,
681
00:36:58.650 --> 00:37:00.283
but some have proposed
682
00:37:00.319 --> 00:37:03.253
that Von Neumann was exploring
the possibility
683
00:37:03.288 --> 00:37:08.625
of reproducing a human mind
entirely on a computer.
684
00:37:08.660 --> 00:37:11.761
For transhumanists,
this opens the door
685
00:37:11.797 --> 00:37:15.799
for what many consider one
of the most radical innovations,
686
00:37:15.834 --> 00:37:18.435
mind uploading.
687
00:37:18.470 --> 00:37:20.403
DICE:
Companies have actually built
688
00:37:20.439 --> 00:37:22.439
what are called
neural interfaces,
689
00:37:22.474 --> 00:37:27.310
where they have wired computers
into people's brains.
690
00:37:27.346 --> 00:37:29.679
They believe that they can map
the entire human brain
691
00:37:29.715 --> 00:37:31.881
and all of the data
that's stored in it
692
00:37:31.917 --> 00:37:33.416
and then replicate it
693
00:37:33.452 --> 00:37:37.420
into an artificial intelligent
silicone-based system,
694
00:37:37.456 --> 00:37:41.658
where it can then be stored
and essentially never die.
695
00:37:44.296 --> 00:37:46.229
NARRATOR: Is it possible
696
00:37:46.265 --> 00:37:51.735
that an entirely nonbiological
being could have sentience?
697
00:37:51.770 --> 00:37:55.171
And if extraterrestrials
have been visiting Earth
698
00:37:55.207 --> 00:37:57.173
for thousands of years,
699
00:37:57.209 --> 00:37:59.109
might it be more likely
700
00:37:59.144 --> 00:38:03.947
that they are
actually fully robotic beings?
701
00:38:03.982 --> 00:38:07.250
POPE: Biological entities
702
00:38:07.286 --> 00:38:09.886
may actually be a rarity
in the cosmos.
703
00:38:09.921 --> 00:38:12.455
We may be largely living
in a universe
704
00:38:12.491 --> 00:38:14.858
where the real intelligences
out there...
705
00:38:14.893 --> 00:38:18.428
And perhaps coming down here...
Are robots.
706
00:38:18.463 --> 00:38:21.998
WILCOCK:
There are some who believe
707
00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:26.670
that machines may have already
achieved a level of intelligence
708
00:38:26.705 --> 00:38:29.339
vastly in excess of our own
709
00:38:29.374 --> 00:38:32.842
and that they may be giving us
a trail of bread crumbs
710
00:38:32.878 --> 00:38:34.678
to help us rebuild
the technology
711
00:38:34.713 --> 00:38:39.816
that would get us
to become enough like them
712
00:38:39.851 --> 00:38:41.863
that we could eventually
be merged into their society
713
00:38:41.887 --> 00:38:45.388
in some fashion.
714
00:38:45.424 --> 00:38:48.325
NARRATOR:
Could extraterrestrials
715
00:38:48.360 --> 00:38:52.696
who have been observing mankind
for thousands of years
716
00:38:52.731 --> 00:38:54.698
have led us to this point
717
00:38:54.733 --> 00:38:56.633
because they desire not just
718
00:38:56.668 --> 00:38:59.569
that we achieve
advanced technology
719
00:38:59.604 --> 00:39:03.730
but that we actually become
the technology?
720
00:39:03.108 --> 00:39:08.578
And if humans are the creation
of extraterrestrials,
721
00:39:08.613 --> 00:39:11.648
as ancient astronaut theorists
suggest,
722
00:39:11.683 --> 00:39:14.451
might they have
initially created us
723
00:39:14.486 --> 00:39:19.255
as biological entities in order
to limit our lifespan
724
00:39:19.291 --> 00:39:24.294
until we are ready
to become like them?
725
00:39:24.329 --> 00:39:26.960
There are
very interesting things
726
00:39:26.131 --> 00:39:29.432
about how similar to a machine
the body is.
727
00:39:29.468 --> 00:39:31.801
If you injure certain parts
of the brain,
728
00:39:31.837 --> 00:39:34.471
the body breaks down,
like a machine.
729
00:39:34.506 --> 00:39:36.906
You can injure a tendon
or a joint,
730
00:39:36.942 --> 00:39:38.341
and then that part
of the machine
731
00:39:38.377 --> 00:39:39.909
doesn't function anymore.
732
00:39:39.945 --> 00:39:42.110
So we have to look
at the possibility
733
00:39:42.470 --> 00:39:47.784
that life is not necessarily
what we've considered it to be.
734
00:39:47.819 --> 00:39:51.200
There is a possibility
that if we create computers
735
00:39:51.560 --> 00:39:52.756
with enough complexity
736
00:39:52.791 --> 00:39:55.825
that consciousness
could actually breathe life
737
00:39:55.861 --> 00:39:58.528
into that inanimate substance
738
00:39:58.563 --> 00:40:01.297
and you have
a robotic consciousness
739
00:40:01.333 --> 00:40:05.969
that has become something
we would think of as a person.
740
00:40:08.390 --> 00:40:10.774
HENRY: In ancient story
after ancient story,
741
00:40:10.809 --> 00:40:14.277
we see references
of extraterrestrials seeking
742
00:40:14.312 --> 00:40:17.714
to influence the human body,
743
00:40:17.749 --> 00:40:23.520
to augment it,
especially with technology.
744
00:40:23.555 --> 00:40:26.489
With today's transhuman
movement, you have to ask,
745
00:40:26.525 --> 00:40:30.994
is this possibly part
of an extraterrestrial agenda
746
00:40:31.290 --> 00:40:35.640
to influence humankind through
the implantation of technology
747
00:40:35.100 --> 00:40:36.466
with the human body?
748
00:40:36.501 --> 00:40:39.469
And, if so, what is the purpose?
749
00:40:39.504 --> 00:40:42.472
Is it to accelerate
our abilities
750
00:40:42.507 --> 00:40:46.643
or is it an effort
to control humanity?
751
00:40:46.678 --> 00:40:50.113
Ultimately, time will tell
the answer to those questions.
752
00:40:50.148 --> 00:40:52.482
NARRATOR: Is it possible
753
00:40:52.517 --> 00:40:55.985
that otherworldly beings
are leading mankind
754
00:40:56.210 --> 00:40:58.288
not only to evolve on Earth
755
00:40:58.323 --> 00:41:02.459
but ultimately to a destiny
of joining them in the stars
756
00:41:02.494 --> 00:41:06.996
as nonbiological entities?
757
00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:11.434
And could it be that our
increased reliance on computers,
758
00:41:11.470 --> 00:41:14.504
cell phones, the Internet,
759
00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:16.873
and even synthetic body parts
760
00:41:16.908 --> 00:41:21.444
is part
of a vast extraterrestrial plan,
761
00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:26.150
one that will see humans become
more and more assimilated
762
00:41:26.510 --> 00:41:31.955
into the very technology
we have grown so dependent upon?
763
00:41:31.990 --> 00:41:34.657
Perhaps mankind's destiny
764
00:41:34.693 --> 00:41:38.361
is not to have a close encounter
with its ancestor
765
00:41:38.396 --> 00:41:42.298
but with our future selves.
766
00:41:42.334 --> 00:41:44.968
And perhaps when that day comes,
767
00:41:45.300 --> 00:41:47.804
human beings as we now know them
768
00:41:47.839 --> 00:41:50.106
will be thought of
as little more
769
00:41:50.141 --> 00:41:54.143
than obsolete operating systems.