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William shatner:
From the plagues of egypt
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to the black death,
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smallpox,
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cholera,
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and the spanish flu,
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humans have repeatedly faced
contagious diseases
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that have the power to change
the course of history.
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We like to think
that modern medicine
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can protect us against
almost everything, but...
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Is that really true?
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Or are we destined
to face a future
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of ever more potent illnesses
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that attack without warning
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and can bring civilization
to its knees?
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Well...
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(sucks air through teeth)
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...That is what
we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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shatner:
News reports surface that a new,
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highly contagious disease first
discovered in wuhan, china,
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is spreading like wildfire.
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In a matter of weeks,
the lethal virus--
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known as "coronavirus"
or "covid-19"--
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sweeps the globe.
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On March 11,
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as the number
of infections and deaths
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continue to climb,
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the world health organization
declares
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that the outbreak has become
a worldwide pandemic.
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Raj dasgupta:
What separates, clinically,
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coronavirus from other
common viruses such as influenza
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is that it knows
how to hide itself.
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It has what we call a period
where you could be asymptomatic.
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That means without symptoms.
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That's a chance to pass
that virus to other people,
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keeping the disease going on
and spreading.
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Most of the time, when you wait
for these symptoms,
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you've already missed it.
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Shatner:
In the wake
of the harrowing effects
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of the coronavirus outbreak,
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scientists have been compelled
to reexamine
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the nature
of viruses themselves.
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Viruses are very mysterious,
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because you can't see them.
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You need
a very powerful microscope
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to be able to see them.
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And we didn't even know
that they were around
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until relatively recently.
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Kirsten fisher:
A virus is essentially a bit
of nucleic acid,
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either dna or rna,
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encapsulated
in some sort of coating. Right?
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So it needs to-- it needs
to get into another organism
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and then essentially hijack that
organism's cellular machinery
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to make more copies of itself.
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Dasgupta:
It needs to
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actually take over
another living cell.
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And whether that's
the living cell of a human,
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animal,
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plant or even a bacteria,
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it needs that.
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It's making more
and more viruses
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till that cell
is not needed anymore.
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Fisher:
A virus relies on either
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direct transmission
through sneezing or coughing
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or touching, um,
a viral particle
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from a person who's expelled it.
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Or they rely on a mosquito
or some other organism
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to be transmitted
between people.
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And so the density of people
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will facilitate
quicker spread of viruses,
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especially if it's, um,
relatively contagious
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and-and easy to-to transfer
from one person to another.
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Shatner:
According to experts,
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the origins of many viruses
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remain shrouded in mystery.
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Dasgupta:
It's so difficult
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to determine
the origin of viruses because,
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when you want to study
that virus,
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you have to separate what is the
natural history of that cell.
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So one of the important things
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that epidemiologists
are looking at right now is,
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what did we learn from the past?
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What should we be looking at?
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Where should we be looking?
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Some of the earliest records
of plagues
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are found in ancient india,
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china, the middle east,
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and they talk
about plagues occurring
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before the very first
civilization,
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around 3200 bc.
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Shatner:
Throughout human history,
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there have been accounts
of devastating afflictions
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that defied understanding
at the time they happened.
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But perhaps a closer examination
of these plagues
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will provide some lessons
about infectious diseases
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and how they begin.
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(gull calling)
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emperor justinian
sits atop a powerful throne.
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But lurking in the shadows
is a hidden enemy
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about to consume his kingdom.
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A plague
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started by a bacteria
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comes out of the east
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and infects.
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This simple bacteria
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ended up killing
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almost one half the population
of the entire old empire.
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With that type of death toll,
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the economic
and social ramifications
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were catastrophic.
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Everything
that justinian had tried
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was now collapsing.
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His military collapsed,
his economy collapsed.
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And everything
that he tried to do
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was of no avail.
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(coughing)
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fisher:
Justinian plague
is caused by a bacterium,
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yersinia pestis.
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It can either enter humans
directly, um, through--
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from saliva or-or coughing.
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It usually manifests itself
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in terms of swelling
of the lymph nodes.
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The skin turns black
and basically dies.
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And then there's
a progression of fever
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and chills and eventual death.
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Tzadok:
As justinian's empire
was collapsing and breaking
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and his military strength
was waning--
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because the science of medicine
in those days
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was far more primitive
than we have today.
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People cry out, "why?
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Why is this happening?"
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shatner:
The plague of justinian,
as it became known,
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ultimately killed
an estimated 50 million people.
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The vast byzantine empire
was crippled
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not by an invading army
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but by an enemy they could
not see and did not understand.
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At the time,
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since the existence
of bacteria and viruses
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had not yet been discovered,
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many believed that the invisible
force that caused the plague
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was god himself.
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It was a belief
that was widely accepted,
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because people would read
in the bible
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about how pestilence
from the past
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had been created
by the hand of god.
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Whenever humanity is infected
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by something greater
and beyond human understanding,
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it has always been
psychologically understood
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to be an expression
of the wrath of god.
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We have in the book of exodus
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the famous ten plagues of egypt.
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Moses had come back
after seeing god on the mountain
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to free the hebrews
from slavery.
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He went before the pharaoh
and asked to let his people go.
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Of course, the pharaoh said no.
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Therefore, the hebrew god sent a
number of plagues through egypt.
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Tzadok:
The bible stories are clear.
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The order of the plagues are
well-documented in the bible.
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We know, of course,
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that there was the turning
of the nile into blood.
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There were the frogs,
the lice,
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the pestilence and, of course,
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the great plagues
of the three days of darkness
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and, of course,
the death of the firstborn.
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Bidmead:
The biblical writer
who is writing what happens
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and is inspired by god
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does say that the plague stopped
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after the hebrews
were finally free.
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So, perhaps there was some
divine intervention from god.
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But we'll never know,
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because miracles
are very difficult to prove.
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Shatner:
Was there a higher power
involved
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that both started and ended
the plagues of egypt
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and the plague of justinian?
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Perhaps more clues as to what
causes devastating plagues
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can be found by examining
the disease responsible
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for claiming more lives
than any other.
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Officials from the california
odepartment of public health
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alert residents
that a woman has tested positive
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for a dangerous
and quite unexpected disease.
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The bubonic plague,
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otherwise known
as the black death.
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Dasgupta:
Does the bubonic plague
still exist?
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The answer is... Yes.
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And it's amazing
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how, many centuries later,
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you could say this
with a calm voice.
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What is the difference?
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The answer is antibiotics.
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We know that if you have
symptoms early
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that antibiotics
can save your life.
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Fisher:
While it's not as prevalent
anymore,
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the plague is certainly still
in circulation.
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In the united states, right,
in more rural areas,
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where people come into contact
with-with rodents
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that might be infected with it,
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it's still known to, like,
crop up here and there.
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The worst case of the bubonic
plague that there was
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was known as the black death,
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in the middle of the 1300s.
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And that wiped out
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60% of all
of europe's population.
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Shatner:
12 trade ships arrive
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from the black sea
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and drift into the port
of messina to unload freight.
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As dockworkers
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approach the vessels,
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they discover
a disturbing scene.
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Dasgupta:
The port master goes on board
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to see the crew,
and, to their surprise,
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it was almost like
there were zombies on the ship.
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Gangrene fingers.
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Big boils.
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And if I saw
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a crew that had black fingers
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and boils, let's be honest:
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It sounds like
a zombie apocalypse.
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The black death
seemed to have been introduced
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via the silk road,
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which is a major trading route
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in the early medieval period
from central asia
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where the bubonic plague
regularly pops up.
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Europe seems to have been
largely unprepared
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for this devastating event.
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This is in the 1300s.
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It went for quite a few years,
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and whole villages and areas
were wiped out.
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And like many plagues, uh,
people wondered why.
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Dasgupta:
These cities
would get the plague,
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and no one knew why.
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And then we always have
the advantage
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of looking back on history
and tracing.
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Historians could look back
and say, "wait a minute.
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"all the cities with ports
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"that do a lot of trading
were infected.
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And what were going
to all these ports? Ships."
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phillips:
The black death
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was spread by fleas
that lived on rats.
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And wherever these rats went,
the fleas went,
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and they bit people.
That's what made them ill.
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Christine colby:
The flea would actually
vomit the bacteria
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onto the person's skin
while biting them.
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The disease spreads
to the body's lymph nodes
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and causes buboes,
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which are infected sores
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which get to be
about the size of an egg.
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And they eventually burst
and expel bloody pus.
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The body goes through
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such horrific
and gruesome transformations
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that from the time you contract
the bubonic plague until death
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can sometimes only be
a matter of days.
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Shatner:
During the middle ages,
many believed
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00:12:46,308 --> 00:12:49,601
that demons were responsible
for the black death.
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00:12:49,686 --> 00:12:51,936
-(coughs)
-and people who were deemed
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to be wicked or unworthy
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00:12:54,941 --> 00:12:56,274
were punished
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00:12:56,318 --> 00:12:59,736
in hopes
of driving the demons away.
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Tzadok:
Many people believed
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00:13:04,868 --> 00:13:08,495
that the source of this plague
260
00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:10,830
was caused by evil spirits,
261
00:13:10,916 --> 00:13:13,792
witchcraft and the like.
262
00:13:15,295 --> 00:13:17,003
The powers of the occult.
263
00:13:17,088 --> 00:13:20,089
And this led many people
264
00:13:20,175 --> 00:13:23,510
to seek out
any type of expressions
265
00:13:23,595 --> 00:13:26,763
of the occult,
witchcraft and the like...
266
00:13:28,391 --> 00:13:29,974
...And to root it out
267
00:13:30,060 --> 00:13:33,436
in the attempt to placate god.
268
00:13:33,522 --> 00:13:35,146
(screams)
269
00:13:37,692 --> 00:13:39,776
shatner:
Some were so convinced
that the black death
270
00:13:39,820 --> 00:13:42,487
was a scourge
brought by evil spirits,
271
00:13:42,572 --> 00:13:47,784
they were willing
to scourge themselves.
272
00:13:49,079 --> 00:13:51,371
One common occurrence during
the time of the black death
273
00:13:51,456 --> 00:13:55,542
was to see, uh, people that were
called flagellants, which...
274
00:13:55,627 --> 00:13:57,585
They were under the belief
that they were being punished
275
00:13:57,671 --> 00:14:00,797
by god for their sins,
so they would publicly atone,
276
00:14:00,882 --> 00:14:03,299
and they would March
through the town square,
277
00:14:03,385 --> 00:14:06,177
flogging themselves
in the name of god.
278
00:14:06,263 --> 00:14:08,304
(groaning)
279
00:14:11,101 --> 00:14:13,643
thompson:
This flagellation movement
really exploded.
280
00:14:13,728 --> 00:14:16,187
Whole towns
flagellating themselves.
281
00:14:16,231 --> 00:14:18,565
Those that didn't were accused
of being with the devil.
282
00:14:19,568 --> 00:14:23,903
Phillips:
Something else that came
from the black death was
283
00:14:23,989 --> 00:14:27,448
the practice
of selling holy relics.
284
00:14:27,534 --> 00:14:31,786
When the black death
was decimating europe,
285
00:14:31,872 --> 00:14:34,372
the church were saying,
286
00:14:34,416 --> 00:14:35,915
"come to us,
287
00:14:36,001 --> 00:14:38,543
and we can cure you."
288
00:14:38,587 --> 00:14:40,295
the bones of a saint
289
00:14:40,380 --> 00:14:43,047
or something that had
once belonged to a saint
290
00:14:43,091 --> 00:14:45,383
kept in these churches.
They were called relics.
291
00:14:45,427 --> 00:14:47,427
And people believed
that if they went there
292
00:14:47,512 --> 00:14:49,095
or close to such relics,
293
00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:51,222
prayed, that god may intervene
294
00:14:51,266 --> 00:14:53,266
and protect them
from the plague.
295
00:14:53,351 --> 00:14:55,727
Now, they weren't curing anyone,
296
00:14:55,812 --> 00:14:59,397
but people were still flocking
to the churches
297
00:14:59,441 --> 00:15:02,567
just on the hope
that they could be cured.
298
00:15:03,570 --> 00:15:06,237
Dasgupta:
So, when we talk
about the many lives
299
00:15:06,281 --> 00:15:08,698
that were lost
during the black death,
300
00:15:08,742 --> 00:15:10,325
I think about a horror movie.
301
00:15:11,286 --> 00:15:13,745
Shatner:
Historians estimate
that the black death
302
00:15:13,788 --> 00:15:17,540
wiped out anywhere
from 50 to 200 million people,
303
00:15:17,626 --> 00:15:20,209
at least a third
of europe's population.
304
00:15:20,253 --> 00:15:22,253
So it's little wonder
305
00:15:22,297 --> 00:15:24,756
that most people thought
that something so destructive
306
00:15:24,841 --> 00:15:28,259
must have been some kind
of punishment from god.
307
00:15:28,303 --> 00:15:31,679
But today, we have
a much different understanding
308
00:15:31,765 --> 00:15:33,431
of this disease.
309
00:15:33,475 --> 00:15:35,266
Gronvall:
We call it the black death,
310
00:15:35,352 --> 00:15:38,436
but it's-it's a bacteria
called yersinia pestis.
311
00:15:38,521 --> 00:15:42,482
But it's not as dangerous
as it was then.
312
00:15:42,567 --> 00:15:45,151
Now we have antibiotics.
313
00:15:45,236 --> 00:15:46,945
We can detect it.
314
00:15:47,030 --> 00:15:48,905
You know, you can treat it.
315
00:15:50,867 --> 00:15:52,575
In any case,
316
00:15:52,661 --> 00:15:56,079
yersinia pestis
is still around today,
317
00:15:56,122 --> 00:15:58,706
which begs the question,
318
00:15:58,792 --> 00:16:00,249
is it possible
319
00:16:00,335 --> 00:16:02,961
to actually kill off
a fatal disease
320
00:16:03,004 --> 00:16:04,295
once and for all?
321
00:16:04,339 --> 00:16:05,630
Perhaps the answer can be found
322
00:16:05,674 --> 00:16:07,924
by examining a deadly plague
323
00:16:07,968 --> 00:16:09,634
that, believe it or not,
324
00:16:09,678 --> 00:16:12,470
has been infecting humankind
325
00:16:12,514 --> 00:16:15,974
for more than 10,000 years.
326
00:16:22,857 --> 00:16:24,816
Shatner:
The valley of mexico.
327
00:16:29,531 --> 00:16:33,241
Spanish conquistadors
led by hernán cortés
328
00:16:33,326 --> 00:16:36,911
arrive at tenochtitlán,
the capital of the aztec empire,
329
00:16:36,997 --> 00:16:39,455
bearing dreams of conquest
330
00:16:39,541 --> 00:16:42,166
and an insatiable desire
for gold.
331
00:16:42,252 --> 00:16:47,338
But they also brought with them
a lethal, infectious disease.
332
00:16:47,382 --> 00:16:49,465
Thompson:
Smallpox is introduced
333
00:16:49,551 --> 00:16:53,011
into the americas
very dramatically
334
00:16:53,054 --> 00:16:54,095
at a specific point in time
335
00:16:54,139 --> 00:16:56,556
and alongside
the european invasion.
336
00:16:56,641 --> 00:17:00,685
This is a tremendous
sort of clash of civilizations,
337
00:17:00,729 --> 00:17:03,479
the likes of which
the world had never seen before
338
00:17:03,565 --> 00:17:04,731
and will never see again.
339
00:17:04,816 --> 00:17:08,860
The single most deciding factor
340
00:17:08,903 --> 00:17:13,072
as to why native american
civilizations fell so rapidly
341
00:17:13,158 --> 00:17:14,699
was the introduction
of smallpox.
342
00:17:17,871 --> 00:17:20,371
Fisher:
So, smallpox is a virus.
343
00:17:20,415 --> 00:17:24,250
It causes these
sort of irregularly spaced,
344
00:17:24,335 --> 00:17:26,878
pustule-y skin lesions
345
00:17:26,921 --> 00:17:28,379
and had a devastating effect
346
00:17:28,465 --> 00:17:31,841
on-on native americans,
um, in the new world.
347
00:17:32,802 --> 00:17:37,055
Gronvall:
In europe, most people
had experienced smallpox.
348
00:17:37,098 --> 00:17:38,723
They had the scars,
349
00:17:38,767 --> 00:17:40,183
or they had it as children.
350
00:17:40,268 --> 00:17:43,519
But there was no immunity
in the new world.
351
00:17:43,563 --> 00:17:45,688
There was no immunity
among kids.
352
00:17:45,774 --> 00:17:47,899
There was no immunity
among adults.
353
00:17:47,942 --> 00:17:51,027
And so,
when this new disease came,
354
00:17:51,112 --> 00:17:53,696
everybody was vulnerable.
355
00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:56,115
And so
it spread like wildfire.
356
00:17:57,410 --> 00:18:00,203
Shatner:
Although the exact numbers
will never be known,
357
00:18:00,246 --> 00:18:02,163
many experts estimate
358
00:18:02,248 --> 00:18:05,666
that a staggering 95%
of the indigenous population
359
00:18:05,752 --> 00:18:08,878
would eventually die
from smallpox.
360
00:18:08,922 --> 00:18:11,214
But what's even more chilling
361
00:18:11,257 --> 00:18:13,883
is the fact
that smallpox ran rampant
362
00:18:13,968 --> 00:18:16,260
for thousands of years.
363
00:18:16,304 --> 00:18:19,806
Gronvall:
I am astounded
364
00:18:19,891 --> 00:18:23,059
by how far back smallpox goes.
365
00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:25,937
For most
of human recorded history,
366
00:18:25,980 --> 00:18:27,772
we believe it's the same strain
367
00:18:27,857 --> 00:18:30,149
that was infecting
one person after another,
368
00:18:30,235 --> 00:18:32,527
this human chain of infection.
369
00:18:32,612 --> 00:18:38,908
The egyptian pharaoh ramses v
had scarring on his face
370
00:18:38,993 --> 00:18:41,744
that's consistent with
smallpox.
371
00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:47,416
Shatner:
It is estimated that smallpox
has killed
372
00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:49,961
between 300 and 500
million people
373
00:18:50,046 --> 00:18:53,840
in its more than
10,000-year existence.
374
00:18:53,925 --> 00:18:57,802
Which begs the question:
How did we finally beat it?
375
00:19:00,682 --> 00:19:03,349
Well, it just so happens
that the cure for smallpox
376
00:19:03,434 --> 00:19:08,479
was discovered in a small
english village in the 1790s.
377
00:19:08,523 --> 00:19:12,358
Gronvall:
In the late 1700s,
doctors were noticing
378
00:19:12,443 --> 00:19:16,612
that milkmaids did not seem
to be affected by smallpox,
379
00:19:16,698 --> 00:19:21,325
and their complexions remained
unscarred.
380
00:19:21,411 --> 00:19:25,413
And people were starting
to make that connection
381
00:19:25,498 --> 00:19:29,000
that there might be immunity
from catching
382
00:19:29,043 --> 00:19:33,171
a different kind of pox virus,
cow pox.
383
00:19:33,214 --> 00:19:37,133
So milkmaids were exposed
to the cow pox virus,
384
00:19:37,177 --> 00:19:39,218
probably got infected,
385
00:19:39,304 --> 00:19:42,180
and were then immune
to smallpox.
386
00:19:44,017 --> 00:19:45,850
Edward jenner was
an english physician,
387
00:19:45,935 --> 00:19:49,520
and decided to test
this observation,
388
00:19:49,606 --> 00:19:52,815
and took a piece of an ulcer
from a cow
389
00:19:52,859 --> 00:19:55,026
that was infected by cow pox,
390
00:19:55,069 --> 00:19:58,696
and gave it to
an eight-year-old boy.
391
00:19:58,781 --> 00:20:01,657
And then, a little bit later,
392
00:20:01,743 --> 00:20:05,703
gave this little boy
a dose of smallpox.
393
00:20:05,788 --> 00:20:10,374
Fortunately, the eight-year-old
boy did not develop smallpox
394
00:20:10,418 --> 00:20:13,502
and was actually protected.
395
00:20:13,546 --> 00:20:16,130
Because it wasn't, like,
a direct viral intake,
396
00:20:16,216 --> 00:20:19,967
you would get, like, a slightly
lesser version of the disease.
397
00:20:20,053 --> 00:20:22,094
But because you had been
exposed to it,
398
00:20:22,180 --> 00:20:24,722
you would, of course,
then have immunity.
399
00:20:24,766 --> 00:20:26,641
So it was probably
the first instance
400
00:20:26,726 --> 00:20:29,060
of a crude version
of vaccination.
401
00:20:30,438 --> 00:20:33,689
Shatner:
As it turns out, edward jenner's
revolutionary experiment
402
00:20:33,775 --> 00:20:36,651
is remembered today
for its inspiration,
403
00:20:36,736 --> 00:20:39,570
its sheer audacity
404
00:20:39,614 --> 00:20:42,073
and because it provided
a new defense
405
00:20:42,116 --> 00:20:43,699
against infectious disease,
406
00:20:43,743 --> 00:20:48,913
which we now refer to as
"the vaccine."
407
00:20:48,998 --> 00:20:52,416
the word "vaccine" comes from
the virus name "vaccinia,"
408
00:20:52,502 --> 00:20:57,421
which was the virus that was
the cow pox-derived virus
409
00:20:57,465 --> 00:21:00,716
that left people
immune to smallpox.
410
00:21:00,802 --> 00:21:04,220
Vaccines prevent disease,
411
00:21:04,305 --> 00:21:07,265
and some vaccines
can last for decades,
412
00:21:07,308 --> 00:21:11,602
and some vaccines need to be
given every year.
413
00:21:11,646 --> 00:21:15,648
For smallpox, people had to
get vaccinated every ten years.
414
00:21:16,943 --> 00:21:20,361
Shatner:
Vaccines are humanity's
single greatest weapon
415
00:21:20,446 --> 00:21:22,280
against plagues.
416
00:21:22,365 --> 00:21:25,116
Rooted in science
and not superstition,
417
00:21:25,159 --> 00:21:28,995
they provide a powerful way
to fight outbreaks.
418
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,497
Gronvall:
The last naturally occurring
case of smallpox
419
00:21:31,582 --> 00:21:35,626
was identified in 1979,
and in 1980,
420
00:21:35,712 --> 00:21:37,503
the world health organization
declared
421
00:21:37,588 --> 00:21:39,630
that smallpox was eradicated.
422
00:21:39,674 --> 00:21:43,009
So no longer spreading
from person to person.
423
00:21:43,094 --> 00:21:47,346
Eradicating smallpox was the
biggest public health victory
424
00:21:47,432 --> 00:21:50,433
in the history
of the human race.
425
00:21:51,561 --> 00:21:54,645
Shatner:
The eradication of smallpox
is the most famous use
426
00:21:54,731 --> 00:21:57,231
of a highly-effective vaccine,
427
00:21:57,317 --> 00:22:01,777
but there are some diseases
that are harder to cure.
428
00:22:01,821 --> 00:22:03,988
Michio kaku:
There are viruses
429
00:22:04,032 --> 00:22:06,157
for which we have
no vaccines at all,
430
00:22:06,242 --> 00:22:08,200
because they mutate too rapidly.
431
00:22:08,286 --> 00:22:11,454
And so, because viruses mutate,
432
00:22:11,539 --> 00:22:15,333
there's a certain limitation to
what you can do with vaccines.
433
00:22:17,211 --> 00:22:19,420
Dasgupta: The minute
you get too confident,
434
00:22:19,505 --> 00:22:22,131
and you think that
we defeated mother nature,
435
00:22:22,216 --> 00:22:25,176
somehow, it always
finds a way to come back.
436
00:22:25,261 --> 00:22:27,553
Shatner:
Vaccines are one of mankind's
437
00:22:27,638 --> 00:22:29,805
greatest scientific triumphs.
438
00:22:29,849 --> 00:22:32,058
But not all medical recoveries
439
00:22:32,143 --> 00:22:34,143
can be easily
explained by science.
440
00:22:34,187 --> 00:22:37,188
Sometimes, the body's reaction
441
00:22:37,273 --> 00:22:40,858
to an infection is so bizarre
and so inexplicable
442
00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:44,362
that it can only be
described as...
443
00:22:44,405 --> 00:22:50,201
Miraculous.
444
00:22:50,286 --> 00:22:52,787
Shatner:
July 4, 1863.
445
00:22:52,872 --> 00:22:55,247
Gettysburg, pennsylvania.
446
00:22:55,333 --> 00:22:57,083
On the morning after
the bloodiest battle
447
00:22:57,168 --> 00:22:58,542
of the civil war,
448
00:22:58,628 --> 00:23:01,712
thousands of dead
soldiers lay strewn
449
00:23:01,798 --> 00:23:04,006
across the blood-soaked
farmland.
450
00:23:04,092 --> 00:23:08,677
But while the brutality of the
civil war is well-documented,
451
00:23:08,763 --> 00:23:11,430
approximately two-thirds
of the more
452
00:23:11,516 --> 00:23:13,766
than 600,000 deaths in the war
453
00:23:13,851 --> 00:23:17,812
weren't caused by injuries
sustained on the battlefield,
454
00:23:17,897 --> 00:23:20,898
but rather... By disease.
455
00:23:23,569 --> 00:23:25,528
Fisher:
The civil war represents
456
00:23:25,571 --> 00:23:30,074
the last major conflict that,
um, that humans experienced
457
00:23:30,159 --> 00:23:33,035
um, before the,
sort of, the inception
458
00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:34,703
or the origins of germ theory.
459
00:23:34,747 --> 00:23:37,415
You can imagine the conditions
460
00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:40,543
that soldiers live in,
crowded together,
461
00:23:40,628 --> 00:23:42,503
substandard sanitation.
462
00:23:42,588 --> 00:23:44,588
In some cases,
463
00:23:44,632 --> 00:23:47,258
open wounds that aren't
being treated correctly.
464
00:23:47,301 --> 00:23:49,260
Wynn:
It's really gross.
465
00:23:49,303 --> 00:23:51,053
Everything smells terrible.
466
00:23:51,097 --> 00:23:53,597
Uh, these doctors aren't
washing their aprons.
467
00:23:53,683 --> 00:23:57,601
They can't explain where they're
getting these diseases from,
468
00:23:57,687 --> 00:23:59,478
how they may be spreading it.
469
00:23:59,564 --> 00:24:02,857
Shatner:
As uncontrollable
infections ravaged
470
00:24:02,942 --> 00:24:05,943
both union and
confederate encampments,
471
00:24:05,987 --> 00:24:09,405
soldiers and their doctors
debated the cause
472
00:24:09,449 --> 00:24:11,115
of their afflictions.
473
00:24:11,159 --> 00:24:17,121
Many came to believe that
the air itself was poisoned.
474
00:24:17,165 --> 00:24:19,123
Dasgupta:
When we talk about
475
00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:22,084
some of the deadliest viruses
that we know,
476
00:24:22,170 --> 00:24:27,131
some of them get transmitted by
respiratory droplets, the air.
477
00:24:27,175 --> 00:24:32,136
When you cough, when you sneeze,
just by talking.
478
00:24:32,180 --> 00:24:36,307
So maybe they weren't too off
by saying the air is bad.
479
00:24:37,226 --> 00:24:39,810
Shatner:
In the mid-nineteenth century,
480
00:24:39,896 --> 00:24:41,979
little was known
about disease control
481
00:24:42,064 --> 00:24:45,316
or preventing
the spread of germs.
482
00:24:45,401 --> 00:24:48,611
But as the scope
of the war widened
483
00:24:48,696 --> 00:24:51,947
and the ferocity
of infectious outbreaks resulted
484
00:24:51,991 --> 00:24:54,450
in even more
horrific causalities,
485
00:24:54,494 --> 00:24:58,996
doctors were forced to expand
their knowledge of diseases
486
00:24:59,081 --> 00:25:01,081
and how to contain them.
487
00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:03,083
Wynn:
They realize that
488
00:25:03,169 --> 00:25:06,170
maybe a barn isn't
the best place to be doing
489
00:25:06,214 --> 00:25:09,298
amputations and open surgeries.
490
00:25:09,383 --> 00:25:11,842
So, as the war goes on,
491
00:25:11,928 --> 00:25:13,677
there's beginning
to be an understanding
492
00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:15,346
of what medicine should be.
493
00:25:15,389 --> 00:25:16,972
Things like triage,
494
00:25:17,058 --> 00:25:20,601
things like an ambulance system,
hospitals--
495
00:25:20,686 --> 00:25:22,478
these are all established
during the civil war
496
00:25:22,563 --> 00:25:24,313
in the united states
for the first time.
497
00:25:24,398 --> 00:25:27,191
Shatner:
In many ways, the civil war
marked the beginning
498
00:25:27,276 --> 00:25:28,984
of medical science as we know it
499
00:25:29,028 --> 00:25:31,362
and the end of mankind's
500
00:25:31,405 --> 00:25:34,573
superstitious attitude
towards disease.
501
00:25:34,659 --> 00:25:37,368
But there is one event
on the battlefield
502
00:25:37,453 --> 00:25:40,996
that medical historians still
struggle to explain to this day,
503
00:25:41,082 --> 00:25:44,375
because it simply
defies understanding.
504
00:25:48,214 --> 00:25:52,550
April 7, 1862,
hardin county, tennessee.
505
00:25:52,593 --> 00:25:56,053
Union and confederate forces
square off
506
00:25:56,138 --> 00:25:58,055
in one of the bloodiest
confrontations
507
00:25:58,140 --> 00:26:01,225
of the civil war--
the battle of shiloh.
508
00:26:03,187 --> 00:26:06,063
After two days
of vicious fighting...
509
00:26:06,107 --> 00:26:08,315
(yelling)
510
00:26:08,401 --> 00:26:13,529
...More than 20,000 men
lie dead or dying.
511
00:26:14,657 --> 00:26:17,199
Wynn:
So, ulysses s. Grant
is the commander
512
00:26:17,285 --> 00:26:18,534
of the union army
at this battle.
513
00:26:18,578 --> 00:26:20,619
He went out, and looked
over the battlefield,
514
00:26:20,705 --> 00:26:24,415
and he could see that there were
so many soldiers who had been
515
00:26:24,458 --> 00:26:27,418
wounded and killed that he could
have walked across one side
516
00:26:27,461 --> 00:26:28,877
of the battlefield to the other
517
00:26:28,963 --> 00:26:30,337
without ever
touching the ground,
518
00:26:30,423 --> 00:26:33,424
walking from body
to body to body.
519
00:26:33,467 --> 00:26:37,136
Shatner:
As night falls
over the battlefield,
520
00:26:37,221 --> 00:26:40,222
many injured soldiers
lie helpless,
521
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:43,601
hoping to be rescued before
their wounds become infected.
522
00:26:43,686 --> 00:26:47,730
What happens next is one
of the enduring mysteries
523
00:26:47,815 --> 00:26:49,607
of the civil war.
524
00:26:49,650 --> 00:26:52,735
Wynn:
Soldiers are out
between the lines,
525
00:26:52,820 --> 00:26:54,778
wounded during the course
of the battle.
526
00:26:54,822 --> 00:26:57,072
It's cold at night.
They're out there shivering.
527
00:26:57,116 --> 00:27:01,368
And they happen to look down
at their shattered arm or leg,
528
00:27:01,454 --> 00:27:06,540
and they notice this soft,
faint, bluish-greenish glow
529
00:27:06,626 --> 00:27:09,001
seeming to come off
their wounds in the darkness.
530
00:27:09,086 --> 00:27:12,546
There was a connection that was
being made amongst the soldiers
531
00:27:12,632 --> 00:27:16,592
that those who experienced
this glowing wound effect
532
00:27:16,636 --> 00:27:19,303
seemed to have better outcomes
533
00:27:19,347 --> 00:27:21,722
when they went back to the
field hospital, and it seemed
534
00:27:21,807 --> 00:27:25,309
as though their wounds may not
have been as infected.
535
00:27:25,353 --> 00:27:29,938
Bidmead:
They termed
this bluish-green glow
536
00:27:29,982 --> 00:27:32,441
angel's glow.
Why?
537
00:27:32,526 --> 00:27:35,611
Because, to them,
it looked like a halo.
538
00:27:35,655 --> 00:27:38,322
Mystical light surrounding them.
539
00:27:38,366 --> 00:27:40,491
So, it was a way
of them thinking that god
540
00:27:40,534 --> 00:27:43,494
or the angels were protecting
these particular soldiers.
541
00:27:43,579 --> 00:27:46,872
Shatner:
Was the so-called angel's glow
542
00:27:46,957 --> 00:27:49,041
a type of divine intervention
543
00:27:49,126 --> 00:27:53,253
that somehow protected certain
soldiers from deadly infections?
544
00:27:53,339 --> 00:27:57,466
Perhaps. But recently,
a new theory has surfaced--
545
00:27:57,551 --> 00:27:59,802
one that suggests
this phenomenon
546
00:27:59,845 --> 00:28:05,099
may have had a more
conventional explanation.
547
00:28:05,184 --> 00:28:08,268
It wasn't until many years,
like 150 years later,
548
00:28:08,354 --> 00:28:12,523
that a 17-year-old high
school student visited shiloh,
549
00:28:12,608 --> 00:28:14,983
and he decided
for his science project
550
00:28:15,027 --> 00:28:17,861
to research bacterium
that glows.
551
00:28:17,947 --> 00:28:21,699
And they were able to find out
that there was a bacteria
552
00:28:21,784 --> 00:28:24,702
that would emit some sort
of parasitic worm.
553
00:28:24,745 --> 00:28:27,663
It would get into the veins,
and then it would glow.
554
00:28:27,748 --> 00:28:30,874
Shatner:
Could the angel's glow
555
00:28:30,918 --> 00:28:33,544
really have been a sign
of a type of bacteria,
556
00:28:33,587 --> 00:28:36,004
rather than guardian angels?
557
00:28:36,090 --> 00:28:39,842
And if so, could this bacteria
have actually been responsible
558
00:28:39,927 --> 00:28:43,971
for saving the lives
of the wounded soldiers?
559
00:28:44,056 --> 00:28:46,181
Presumably, what happened
with those soldiers
560
00:28:46,225 --> 00:28:47,891
with the angel's glow
561
00:28:47,935 --> 00:28:51,228
is that those bacteria were
actually infecting their wounds.
562
00:28:51,272 --> 00:28:54,857
And because those bacteria
exude a lot of antibacterial
563
00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:58,235
and antimicrobial compounds,
they actually reduce the level
564
00:28:58,279 --> 00:28:59,695
of infection in the soldiers
565
00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:02,448
that they, that they,
uh, colonized.
566
00:29:03,284 --> 00:29:04,450
Shatner:
The bacteria theory
567
00:29:04,493 --> 00:29:07,578
is the best scientific
explanation we have
568
00:29:07,663 --> 00:29:11,039
for what caused
the angel's glow.
569
00:29:11,125 --> 00:29:13,167
If this incredible theory
is true,
570
00:29:13,252 --> 00:29:16,170
then it seems
that some forms of bacteria
571
00:29:16,255 --> 00:29:19,923
can actually help us
in the fight against disease.
572
00:29:19,967 --> 00:29:22,593
But the soldiers
whose lives were saved
573
00:29:22,636 --> 00:29:26,764
at the battle of shiloh
believed that what healed them
574
00:29:26,807 --> 00:29:30,100
could only have
been sent from heaven.
575
00:29:30,144 --> 00:29:31,769
Wynn:
We can't know what
those soldiers experienced
576
00:29:31,812 --> 00:29:35,105
out there on the battlefield
between the lines.
577
00:29:35,191 --> 00:29:37,775
They're in the dark,
they're suffering from shock.
578
00:29:37,818 --> 00:29:39,777
Who's to say that they didn't
experience that
579
00:29:39,820 --> 00:29:42,571
or that they did
experience that?
580
00:29:44,074 --> 00:29:47,743
Guardian angels,
reaching down to comfort
581
00:29:47,787 --> 00:29:52,247
and even cure dying soldiers
during the american civil war?
582
00:29:52,291 --> 00:29:55,417
To some it sounds
like pure fantasy.
583
00:29:55,503 --> 00:29:58,045
But to others, especially those
584
00:29:58,130 --> 00:30:01,381
who've had their own
close calls with death,
585
00:30:01,467 --> 00:30:05,969
there's no doubt that such
a notion is entirely plausible.
586
00:30:06,055 --> 00:30:08,639
Let's face it: When dealing
with deadly diseases,
587
00:30:08,724 --> 00:30:11,183
it's hard to be certain
of pretty much anything.
588
00:30:11,268 --> 00:30:15,103
Not only do we often
know very little
589
00:30:15,147 --> 00:30:17,105
about how to cure an illness,
590
00:30:17,191 --> 00:30:20,609
we know even less about
where an illness comes from.
591
00:30:20,653 --> 00:30:22,986
For instance, what if I told you
592
00:30:23,030 --> 00:30:26,782
that what we commonly refer to
as the spanish flu
593
00:30:26,867 --> 00:30:31,662
didn't come from Spain at all,
but from a remote army base...
594
00:30:33,374 --> 00:30:35,332
...In kansas?
595
00:30:46,554 --> 00:30:48,929
Shatner:
At the height of world war I,
596
00:30:49,014 --> 00:30:52,683
more than 50 years after the end
of the american civil war,
597
00:30:52,768 --> 00:30:56,645
soldiers from more
than 30 nations are engaged
598
00:30:56,689 --> 00:30:59,356
in trench warfare
all over europe...
599
00:31:00,776 --> 00:31:04,361
...And a new, unexpected enemy
emerges...
600
00:31:04,405 --> 00:31:07,364
-(coughing)
-...The spanish flu.
601
00:31:08,409 --> 00:31:09,658
Wynn:
Europe is awash
602
00:31:09,743 --> 00:31:12,452
in the influenza virus.
603
00:31:12,538 --> 00:31:16,540
They had a massive outbreak
of influenza,
604
00:31:16,584 --> 00:31:19,334
and these soldiers serving
at the front lines
605
00:31:19,420 --> 00:31:22,546
are directly impacted
on both sides of the conflict.
606
00:31:22,590 --> 00:31:25,966
-(coughing)
-the symptoms
were pretty horrific,
607
00:31:26,051 --> 00:31:27,885
and so these soldiers
were not capable of performing
608
00:31:27,970 --> 00:31:30,888
their duties, and many of them
actually die of the disease.
609
00:31:32,391 --> 00:31:35,642
Gronvall: We're used to the flu,
but the 1918 flu
610
00:31:35,728 --> 00:31:39,521
had more severe symptoms
and lingering effects.
611
00:31:40,774 --> 00:31:43,025
When the flu
first started spreading,
612
00:31:43,110 --> 00:31:46,236
their skin turned blue.
613
00:31:46,322 --> 00:31:49,239
They just had no oxygen
in their blood.
614
00:31:49,283 --> 00:31:52,910
It was not uncommon for people
to lose all their hair.
615
00:31:52,953 --> 00:31:57,247
It was not uncommon to have
neurological side effects.
616
00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:00,792
Wynn:
The 1918 influenza strain
617
00:32:00,878 --> 00:32:04,296
caused an incredibly high fever,
it caused coughing.
618
00:32:04,381 --> 00:32:08,216
In many cases, patients' lungs
would fill with fluid
619
00:32:08,302 --> 00:32:10,093
as this virus
is taking over their body.
620
00:32:10,179 --> 00:32:13,305
That would cause
an immune system overreaction
621
00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:15,265
and they would
essentially drown.
622
00:32:16,810 --> 00:32:18,143
Shatner:
Medics on the front lines,
623
00:32:18,228 --> 00:32:20,020
prepared for the ravages
of war,
624
00:32:20,105 --> 00:32:24,232
look on in horror
as young, healthy soldiers
625
00:32:24,318 --> 00:32:26,193
begin to die within days,
626
00:32:26,278 --> 00:32:29,905
or even hours of showing
symptoms.
627
00:32:29,949 --> 00:32:34,743
The spanish flu was caused by,
um, an h1n1 influenza virus.
628
00:32:34,828 --> 00:32:37,871
And the particular strain
of the h1n1 virus
629
00:32:37,957 --> 00:32:40,624
was a little unusual
amongst influenza viruses
630
00:32:40,668 --> 00:32:43,961
in that it was much more
contagious, it was much easier
631
00:32:44,004 --> 00:32:46,088
to expel and spread
between people.
632
00:32:46,131 --> 00:32:49,049
In 1918, we still really were
633
00:32:49,134 --> 00:32:51,635
sort of incapable
of stopping its spread.
634
00:32:51,679 --> 00:32:54,221
This was right at the end
of world war I,
635
00:32:54,306 --> 00:32:57,516
and so soldiers were, of course,
kept in close quarters
636
00:32:57,601 --> 00:32:59,059
and barracks together.
637
00:32:59,103 --> 00:33:02,479
And then, also, people were
sort of moving around the world
638
00:33:02,523 --> 00:33:04,147
more than they probably normally
would have been
639
00:33:04,191 --> 00:33:05,649
sort of traveling.
640
00:33:05,734 --> 00:33:08,652
Um, and so those were some
of the factors
641
00:33:08,696 --> 00:33:10,821
that caused it to spread
really rapidly.
642
00:33:10,864 --> 00:33:14,408
Shatner:
Since finding a cure
for a mysterious virus
643
00:33:14,493 --> 00:33:17,452
in the midst of a world war
is a difficult,
644
00:33:17,496 --> 00:33:19,496
if not impossible undertaking,
645
00:33:19,581 --> 00:33:23,417
both the central powers
and the allied powers
646
00:33:23,502 --> 00:33:25,335
decided the best course
of action
647
00:33:25,379 --> 00:33:29,798
was to downplay the threat posed
by the disease.
648
00:33:29,883 --> 00:33:33,468
In fact, the 1918 flu
is called the spanish flu
649
00:33:33,554 --> 00:33:36,805
not because it came from Spain,
but because,
650
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:40,308
initially, Spain was
the only country willing
651
00:33:40,352 --> 00:33:42,352
to acknowledge its existence.
652
00:33:45,524 --> 00:33:47,691
Gronvall:
The reason we think of it
as the spanish flu
653
00:33:47,776 --> 00:33:50,652
is because Spain had
a free press at that time,
654
00:33:50,738 --> 00:33:54,031
and the rest of the world
did not.
655
00:33:54,074 --> 00:33:56,783
Spain was not involved
in world war I,
656
00:33:56,869 --> 00:34:00,370
and their king ended up getting
the 1918 flu.
657
00:34:00,456 --> 00:34:02,164
So it was a matter
of national interest,
658
00:34:02,249 --> 00:34:06,084
and most americans
learned of the flu
659
00:34:06,170 --> 00:34:08,211
from the spanish papers.
660
00:34:10,716 --> 00:34:14,384
Shatner:
The so-called spanish flu
is estimated to have infected
661
00:34:14,428 --> 00:34:17,721
one third of the world's
population at the time,
662
00:34:17,765 --> 00:34:19,723
roughly 500 million people.
663
00:34:19,808 --> 00:34:23,310
But while the press created
a lasting nickname
664
00:34:23,395 --> 00:34:24,811
for the 1918 flu,
665
00:34:24,897 --> 00:34:29,066
some researchers have suggested
that it actually originated
666
00:34:29,151 --> 00:34:32,569
in the heartland
of the united states.
667
00:34:36,658 --> 00:34:38,909
March 4, 1918.
668
00:34:38,994 --> 00:34:40,994
Fort riley, kansas.
669
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,416
Before the so-called spanish flu
outbreak was reported in europe,
670
00:34:46,502 --> 00:34:50,754
a private at this remote army
base in the united states
671
00:34:50,798 --> 00:34:54,925
starts to feel ill.
672
00:34:54,968 --> 00:34:58,428
Wynn:
In March of 1918, an army
private named albert gitchell--
673
00:34:58,472 --> 00:35:00,597
he's a cook with the army--
674
00:35:00,641 --> 00:35:02,682
he reports symptoms,
so he goes to the hospital.
675
00:35:02,768 --> 00:35:05,018
Uh, he's sick,
he's-he's not feeling well.
676
00:35:05,104 --> 00:35:06,770
He's got a bit of a cough,
bit of a fever.
677
00:35:06,855 --> 00:35:09,606
In the end, he ultimately
goes in to work,
678
00:35:09,691 --> 00:35:13,110
feeding all of these soldiers
in this army camp.
679
00:35:13,153 --> 00:35:17,030
In the weeks that follow,
the members of this camp
680
00:35:17,116 --> 00:35:20,742
come down with a pretty nasty
flu strain.
681
00:35:20,786 --> 00:35:24,704
And there are no other outbreaks
similar to this at this point,
682
00:35:24,790 --> 00:35:28,500
which suggests that
this outbreak is starting
683
00:35:28,585 --> 00:35:31,086
at that camp, and potentially
with that soldier.
684
00:35:32,381 --> 00:35:36,967
Colby:
There were 1,127 cases
just at fort riley itself,
685
00:35:37,010 --> 00:35:38,635
and 46 people died.
686
00:35:38,679 --> 00:35:40,470
So all these soldiers
at fort riley are thinking
687
00:35:40,514 --> 00:35:43,807
they just had a bad cold,
or maybe even a mild flu.
688
00:35:43,892 --> 00:35:46,434
They were eventually
all put on trains,
689
00:35:46,478 --> 00:35:47,936
which spread all over
the country
690
00:35:48,021 --> 00:35:49,187
going to various ports.
691
00:35:49,273 --> 00:35:50,647
And then they were all
shipped off to europe
692
00:35:50,691 --> 00:35:52,315
to fight in the war.
693
00:35:52,401 --> 00:35:56,319
Shatner:
Many scientist now believe that
army private albert gitchell
694
00:35:56,405 --> 00:36:00,490
was the first man
to contract the 1918 flu.
695
00:36:00,534 --> 00:36:02,951
Gitchell spread it
to his fellow servicemen
696
00:36:03,036 --> 00:36:04,619
when he served them food.
697
00:36:04,705 --> 00:36:06,788
And soldiers
then were sent overseas
698
00:36:06,874 --> 00:36:09,958
to fight in the war,
and they unwittingly
699
00:36:10,002 --> 00:36:12,002
spread the disease
around the globe.
700
00:36:12,087 --> 00:36:15,797
But of course that explanation
is only a theory.
701
00:36:15,883 --> 00:36:20,302
The situation
fits the epidemiology,
702
00:36:20,387 --> 00:36:22,846
the number of people
who got sick afterwards.
703
00:36:22,890 --> 00:36:26,016
But whether we will
ever know for sure
704
00:36:26,101 --> 00:36:28,351
who patient zero was,
705
00:36:28,395 --> 00:36:31,062
or whether it absolutely
came from kansas,
706
00:36:31,148 --> 00:36:33,356
it's hard to be absolutely sure.
707
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,026
It's really hard to learn
where any virus starts,
708
00:36:36,069 --> 00:36:39,821
where any pandemic starts,
because you're not recording
709
00:36:39,865 --> 00:36:41,865
everywhere all the time,
710
00:36:41,909 --> 00:36:43,491
and having the scientific tools
in place
711
00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:45,035
to be able to detect it.
712
00:36:47,122 --> 00:36:49,039
Wynn:
The great mystery
of any of these pandemics
713
00:36:49,124 --> 00:36:52,209
or public health crises
is where did it start?
714
00:36:52,252 --> 00:36:53,668
And, ultimately,
why did it start?
715
00:36:53,754 --> 00:36:57,005
And what were the circumstances
that allowed that to happen?
716
00:36:57,090 --> 00:36:59,883
It's the story of how
we interact with one another,
717
00:36:59,968 --> 00:37:02,844
and how we spread diseases
amongst each other.
718
00:37:02,930 --> 00:37:05,972
If you track that
and you find that out,
719
00:37:06,058 --> 00:37:09,226
we could prevent it
happening again in the future.
720
00:37:12,272 --> 00:37:15,815
Shatner:
The spanish flu outbreak
lasted for three long years
721
00:37:15,901 --> 00:37:19,653
and killed an estimated
50 million people
722
00:37:19,738 --> 00:37:24,157
before society finally developed
enough collective immunity
723
00:37:24,243 --> 00:37:26,952
for the virus to die out.
724
00:37:27,037 --> 00:37:30,914
History shows us that no matter
how lethal a disease may be,
725
00:37:30,958 --> 00:37:34,334
humankind has always found
a way to endure it,
726
00:37:34,419 --> 00:37:37,170
whether by employing
medical breakthroughs
727
00:37:37,256 --> 00:37:39,381
or sheer patience.
728
00:37:39,466 --> 00:37:42,801
But what kind of illnesses will
we have to face in the future?
729
00:37:42,886 --> 00:37:44,886
Could they be different than
730
00:37:44,930 --> 00:37:46,888
what we've experienced
in the past?
731
00:37:46,974 --> 00:37:51,559
And might they come to our
planet from another world?
732
00:37:59,444 --> 00:38:01,444
Shatner:
British astronomer
sir fred hoyle
733
00:38:01,530 --> 00:38:05,573
publishes a book titled
astronomical origins of life:
734
00:38:05,659 --> 00:38:08,785
Steps towards panspermia.
735
00:38:08,829 --> 00:38:11,496
In it, hoyle investigates
the controversial theory
736
00:38:11,581 --> 00:38:14,082
of panspermia,
which suggests that
737
00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:17,961
life on earth
did not originate here
738
00:38:18,005 --> 00:38:20,505
but rather in space,
739
00:38:20,590 --> 00:38:23,091
and that asteroids
carried the microbial
740
00:38:23,176 --> 00:38:25,969
building blocks of dna
to our planet.
741
00:38:29,141 --> 00:38:30,974
Kaku:
You cannot dismiss
the possibility
742
00:38:31,059 --> 00:38:33,727
that maybe life
came from outer space.
743
00:38:33,812 --> 00:38:37,647
That we were seeded.
Seeded by asteroids or comets
744
00:38:37,733 --> 00:38:40,066
that then put
their organic materials
745
00:38:40,152 --> 00:38:42,485
onto the planet earth.
746
00:38:42,529 --> 00:38:45,280
And so there's a new theory
in astronomy that says that
747
00:38:45,365 --> 00:38:47,532
the solar system
is like a ping-pong game
748
00:38:47,617 --> 00:38:50,702
with meteorites carrying
microbial lifeforms,
749
00:38:50,787 --> 00:38:53,747
going back and forth
between venus, mars,
750
00:38:53,832 --> 00:38:55,957
the earth and the moon.
751
00:38:56,043 --> 00:38:59,002
This has given momentum
to the panspermia theory.
752
00:39:00,339 --> 00:39:02,630
Shatner:
Some scientists have suggested
that if the theory
753
00:39:02,674 --> 00:39:04,341
of panspermia is true,
754
00:39:04,426 --> 00:39:08,762
then it's possible that
extraterrestrial viruses
755
00:39:08,847 --> 00:39:12,640
could also travel here,
bringing with them diseases
756
00:39:12,726 --> 00:39:14,392
that would be much different
757
00:39:14,478 --> 00:39:17,520
from the ones
that exist on earth.
758
00:39:17,606 --> 00:39:19,272
Michael dennin: When you
think about the core elements
759
00:39:19,358 --> 00:39:22,484
of viral plagues-- those
are the four genetic codes,
760
00:39:22,569 --> 00:39:25,195
dna or rna within
a protein shell--
761
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,781
that's something that's
easier to imagine being stable
762
00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:29,532
deep inside an asteroid,
and safe.
763
00:39:29,618 --> 00:39:31,951
And so any sort of virus
or plague,
764
00:39:32,037 --> 00:39:33,953
you can imagine them
starting from
765
00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:36,623
one of these asteroid events.
766
00:39:36,708 --> 00:39:40,710
A space plague
is a leap into the unknown.
767
00:39:40,754 --> 00:39:43,713
We have no way of knowing
what kinds of dna,
768
00:39:43,799 --> 00:39:47,384
or maybe a modified dna version
exists in outer space.
769
00:39:48,678 --> 00:39:53,056
We have never seen other kinds
of viruses from outer space
770
00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:55,850
that can infect earthlings.
771
00:39:55,936 --> 00:39:58,186
So right now we simply
don't know the answer.
772
00:39:58,271 --> 00:40:01,439
Dennin:
I think if a plague
came from outer space,
773
00:40:01,525 --> 00:40:03,900
just like the way some
of the plagues we know
774
00:40:03,944 --> 00:40:06,403
jump from animals
to humans, suddenly,
775
00:40:06,446 --> 00:40:09,989
any sudden change
in the viruses
776
00:40:10,075 --> 00:40:12,409
or bacteria that are
attacking you as a human,
777
00:40:12,494 --> 00:40:15,745
your immune system will not
have a defense to, most likely.
778
00:40:15,789 --> 00:40:17,872
These dramatic events,
whether it's from space
779
00:40:17,958 --> 00:40:20,333
or a sudden jumping
from animals to humans,
780
00:40:20,419 --> 00:40:23,336
are the reason these plagues
can be so devastating.
781
00:40:23,422 --> 00:40:26,923
Shatner:
A plague from outer space?
782
00:40:27,008 --> 00:40:29,217
While that may seem
like a far-fetched notion,
783
00:40:29,302 --> 00:40:34,055
it's a possibility that
science must be prepared for.
784
00:40:34,141 --> 00:40:36,391
Wynn:
There are always
these viruses out there,
785
00:40:36,476 --> 00:40:37,809
these things that
we can't explain.
786
00:40:37,894 --> 00:40:41,312
It's important for us to
always be vigilant, to be aware
787
00:40:41,398 --> 00:40:43,231
and to have our public
health authorities
788
00:40:43,275 --> 00:40:44,732
always on the lookout.
789
00:40:44,818 --> 00:40:46,109
So we can never
put our guard down.
790
00:40:46,153 --> 00:40:48,319
Dennin:
Hopefully, the faster we are
791
00:40:48,405 --> 00:40:50,613
and the better we are
at bioengineering,
792
00:40:50,699 --> 00:40:53,741
the faster we can make vaccines
and countermeasures.
793
00:40:53,827 --> 00:40:56,619
It's key to have them so that
we can make ways
794
00:40:56,705 --> 00:40:58,037
to protect ourselves.
795
00:40:58,123 --> 00:41:01,207
Preparing for any disease
is complex,
796
00:41:01,293 --> 00:41:06,254
and it requires a lot of, um,
mobilization of government,
797
00:41:06,339 --> 00:41:09,841
public health, and the science
to be able to figure out
798
00:41:09,926 --> 00:41:13,052
what happened, and to prevent it
from happening again.
799
00:41:13,138 --> 00:41:17,265
To be able to halt transmission
of this disease, whatever it is.
800
00:41:17,350 --> 00:41:20,351
It becomes a detective story
as well.
801
00:41:20,437 --> 00:41:23,354
You need to figure out
where it came from
802
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:25,356
and how to attribute
the disease.
803
00:41:25,442 --> 00:41:29,194
It's a mystery that
our lives depend on,
804
00:41:29,279 --> 00:41:31,404
and we need people
to be working on that
805
00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:33,656
and thinking about that.
806
00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:37,660
Perhaps what makes
deadly diseases so frightening
807
00:41:37,704 --> 00:41:40,914
is that we never know when
they're going to strike next.
808
00:41:40,999 --> 00:41:44,334
And that uncertainty
is also what forces us
809
00:41:44,377 --> 00:41:48,296
to ask ourselves
are we really safe?
810
00:41:48,381 --> 00:41:52,217
Well, the truth is that
only time will tell.
811
00:41:52,302 --> 00:41:54,636
Which means that,
at least for now,
812
00:41:54,721 --> 00:41:59,265
these questions
will remain unexplained.
813
00:41:59,351 --> 00:42:02,185
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