1 00:00:01,958 --> 00:00:03,958 - Tonight on "The Proof Is Out There." 2 00:00:04,083 --> 00:00:07,250 This man says he recorded a UFO and its pilots. 3 00:00:10,458 --> 00:00:12,500 - [Tony] Strange lights spotted in North Carolina 4 00:00:12,625 --> 00:00:14,125 since before the Civil War, 5 00:00:14,250 --> 00:00:15,833 and no one can explain them. 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,458 - Soldiers from the Civil War 7 00:00:17,583 --> 00:00:20,125 were killed during a battle near the mountains 8 00:00:20,250 --> 00:00:22,500 and what we see are their ghosts. 9 00:00:22,667 --> 00:00:25,708 - [Tony] Don't step on that. It might be an alien corpse. 10 00:00:25,875 --> 00:00:27,042 - Talk about weird. 11 00:00:27,167 --> 00:00:30,583 This is one of the strangest things I've ever seen. 12 00:00:30,708 --> 00:00:33,708 - [Tony] And who or what turned these animals to stone? 13 00:00:33,875 --> 00:00:35,292 - It seemed like they were frozen 14 00:00:35,375 --> 00:00:37,333 in mid-motion of living their lives. 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:40,750 (dramatic music) 16 00:00:40,875 --> 00:00:42,750 - [Tony] Around the globe are videos. 17 00:00:42,875 --> 00:00:44,083 - [Witness] What the heck is this? 18 00:00:44,208 --> 00:00:45,958 - [Witness] It's moving. 19 00:00:46,042 --> 00:00:48,833 - [Tony] Photos and sounds that defy explanation. 20 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,750 (electric whirring) 21 00:00:54,667 --> 00:00:56,917 - [Marc] Is it some kind of unidentified object? 22 00:00:57,042 --> 00:00:58,792 What's exciting is nobody really knows. 23 00:00:59,917 --> 00:01:00,833 - [Tony] What are they? 24 00:01:00,958 --> 00:01:02,917 - [MJ] Some sort of bizarre mutation. 25 00:01:03,042 --> 00:01:06,167 - Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof. 26 00:01:08,125 --> 00:01:09,125 - I'm Tony Harris, 27 00:01:09,250 --> 00:01:11,500 and as a journalist for more than 30 years, 28 00:01:11,625 --> 00:01:14,458 I've followed the facts where they take me. 29 00:01:14,542 --> 00:01:17,292 Now I'm bringing that spirit of investigation to the world's 30 00:01:17,375 --> 00:01:19,667 strangest sounds and images. 31 00:01:20,542 --> 00:01:23,083 We'll analyze each one with top experts. 32 00:01:23,208 --> 00:01:26,458 - It's a credible case. It's a credible video. 33 00:01:26,542 --> 00:01:29,167 - [Tony] And pass a verdict on what it is. 34 00:01:29,333 --> 00:01:31,292 - This video was clearly faked. 35 00:01:31,375 --> 00:01:33,583 - The proof starts now. 36 00:01:33,708 --> 00:01:36,417 (dramatic theme music) 37 00:01:41,875 --> 00:01:44,875 Good evening and welcome to "The Proof Is Out There." 38 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,292 Our first story tonight is being called 39 00:01:47,375 --> 00:01:51,375 a critical turning point in UFO studies in the Middle East. 40 00:01:51,542 --> 00:01:55,500 For millennia, Turkey has been a bridge between cultures, 41 00:01:55,583 --> 00:01:58,083 a crossroads between Europe and Asia. 42 00:01:58,208 --> 00:01:59,167 But as you're about to see, 43 00:01:59,250 --> 00:02:01,500 it might also have been the meeting point 44 00:02:01,583 --> 00:02:05,542 between human civilization and extraterrestrial life. 45 00:02:07,208 --> 00:02:10,333 It's May 13th, 2009, 46 00:02:10,417 --> 00:02:12,875 and night owl Yalcin Yalman is stargazing 47 00:02:13,042 --> 00:02:15,042 in the suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey. 48 00:02:15,208 --> 00:02:16,208 Shortly after 3:00 a.m., 49 00:02:16,333 --> 00:02:18,542 something strange appears in the sky over 50 00:02:18,708 --> 00:02:20,167 the Sea of Marmara. 51 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:23,000 Yalcin immediately grabs his Canon MiniDV camera, 52 00:02:23,083 --> 00:02:25,417 a videotape, and records this. 53 00:02:26,583 --> 00:02:29,042 It appears to be some sort of saucer-shaped craft. 54 00:02:29,167 --> 00:02:31,042 It's hovering silently for half an hour, 55 00:02:31,208 --> 00:02:34,292 about a mile away and 500 feet above the sea. 56 00:02:34,375 --> 00:02:37,042 But watch what happens when Yalcin zooms in. 57 00:02:37,167 --> 00:02:39,042 Do you see that? 58 00:02:39,167 --> 00:02:41,208 Now take a look at the footage when we zoomed in 59 00:02:41,375 --> 00:02:43,500 and cleaned it up for you to get a better look. 60 00:02:43,625 --> 00:02:46,167 Yalcin says that what you are seeing here 61 00:02:46,333 --> 00:02:47,958 is a cockpit window. 62 00:02:48,042 --> 00:02:49,875 And there inside the alleged craft, 63 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,667 he's saying you can see two aliens piloting this thing. 64 00:02:53,750 --> 00:02:56,833 Right here and right here. 65 00:02:56,917 --> 00:02:59,042 Yalcin is sure he's made contact. 66 00:02:59,208 --> 00:03:02,208 In fact, he claims it's been happening for years. 67 00:03:19,333 --> 00:03:21,083 - [Tony] For millennia, strange things 68 00:03:21,208 --> 00:03:23,250 have been reported in the skies over Turkey. 69 00:03:23,375 --> 00:03:26,417 In 74 BC during a battle between Greek and Roman armies, 70 00:03:26,542 --> 00:03:28,333 thousands of soldiers witnessed 71 00:03:28,458 --> 00:03:32,208 a flaming object of molten silver shaped like a wine jar 72 00:03:32,333 --> 00:03:34,208 flying above them. 73 00:03:34,333 --> 00:03:36,833 And according to Cydonia Institute director George Haas, 74 00:03:36,917 --> 00:03:40,417 Yalcin's video is just one of many recent sightings. 75 00:03:40,542 --> 00:03:43,708 - In 2016, Turkish air pilots reported that 76 00:03:43,833 --> 00:03:47,667 they saw a UFO go over their plane with green lights. 77 00:03:47,792 --> 00:03:51,542 The pilots say they saw this UFO about 17,000 feet, 78 00:03:51,667 --> 00:03:53,875 but the airport authorities reported that 79 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,792 they had no evidence on their radar of any of the sightings 80 00:03:56,917 --> 00:03:57,958 that the pilots saw. 81 00:03:58,083 --> 00:04:00,833 - [Tony] Now we've never seen a window on a UFO before. 82 00:04:00,958 --> 00:04:04,458 Yalcin's cockpit aliens appear to be a unique phenomenon 83 00:04:04,583 --> 00:04:07,167 and one the Turkish government has taken very seriously. 84 00:04:07,292 --> 00:04:08,500 - [George] The Turkish government came back 85 00:04:08,625 --> 00:04:10,292 and said that this is authentic 86 00:04:10,417 --> 00:04:12,667 and this spacecraft is nothing to do with 87 00:04:12,792 --> 00:04:14,458 any military programs or anything. 88 00:04:14,542 --> 00:04:16,458 So this could be extraterrestrial. 89 00:04:18,375 --> 00:04:21,667 - UFOs are such a hot topic in Turkey that in 2001, 90 00:04:21,833 --> 00:04:25,833 a museum opened in Istanbul containing various photos, 91 00:04:25,958 --> 00:04:28,292 videos, reports, models, 92 00:04:28,417 --> 00:04:33,292 and even a library about UFOs and extraterrestrial life. 93 00:04:33,375 --> 00:04:36,625 But are we ready to add this video to the collection? 94 00:04:36,750 --> 00:04:39,833 Our experts take a deeper dive into the footage. 95 00:04:39,917 --> 00:04:42,250 (tense music) 96 00:04:43,542 --> 00:04:46,208 We begin with forensic video investigator Michael Primeau. 97 00:04:46,333 --> 00:04:47,833 - We always look to the metadata first. 98 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,000 And this block-like pixelation, 99 00:04:50,125 --> 00:04:51,667 this is an indication that 100 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:53,833 excessive amounts of compression were applied 101 00:04:53,958 --> 00:04:54,833 to these pixel areas. 102 00:04:54,958 --> 00:04:57,833 But I don't detect any evidence of this program 103 00:04:57,917 --> 00:05:00,333 interacting with something that would introduce CGI. 104 00:05:00,458 --> 00:05:01,542 There's no indication that 105 00:05:01,667 --> 00:05:03,875 they were trying to deceive or mislead. 106 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,458 - [Tony] So if it doesn't appear we have a doctored video, 107 00:05:06,542 --> 00:05:08,667 has Yalcin really been dealing with aliens? 108 00:05:08,833 --> 00:05:10,333 We take that question to astronomer 109 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:12,500 and video effects designer Marc D'Antonio. 110 00:05:12,625 --> 00:05:15,750 - Back in 2009, we didn't have the cameras we have today. 111 00:05:15,875 --> 00:05:17,667 He's zooming in on it all the way. 112 00:05:17,750 --> 00:05:18,833 And in my view, 113 00:05:18,958 --> 00:05:22,250 I don't think that you're gonna be able to see anybody 114 00:05:22,375 --> 00:05:24,458 in a craft like that. 115 00:05:24,542 --> 00:05:27,375 That's like saying if you zoom in on an airliner going by, 116 00:05:27,542 --> 00:05:29,250 can you see people looking out of the windows? 117 00:05:29,375 --> 00:05:32,083 And the answer is no, 118 00:05:32,208 --> 00:05:34,125 'cause the windows are still too small. 119 00:05:34,250 --> 00:05:37,042 - [Tony] So what does aviation expert Tim McMillan think? 120 00:05:37,167 --> 00:05:38,292 Turkey is a NATO member 121 00:05:38,417 --> 00:05:40,958 and has the second largest army in the organization. 122 00:05:41,083 --> 00:05:44,125 So is it possible this could be an experimental aircraft? 123 00:05:44,250 --> 00:05:46,083 - This is a particular area where 124 00:05:46,208 --> 00:05:47,833 you do have military drills. 125 00:05:47,958 --> 00:05:51,083 And in fact, NATO holds different annual drills 126 00:05:51,208 --> 00:05:53,542 that simulating wartime environments. 127 00:05:53,708 --> 00:05:56,958 However, all of the telltale signs of aircraft, 128 00:05:57,042 --> 00:05:58,167 as we know them, 129 00:05:58,292 --> 00:05:59,625 are really kind of thrown out of the window. 130 00:05:59,750 --> 00:06:04,208 We definitely don't have any aircraft that are lenticular 131 00:06:04,333 --> 00:06:05,625 or saucer shape. 132 00:06:05,708 --> 00:06:07,458 Beyond that, if it's gonna be an aircraft, 133 00:06:07,542 --> 00:06:08,375 you're gonna hear something. 134 00:06:08,542 --> 00:06:10,458 Whether it's the jet engines of a plane 135 00:06:10,583 --> 00:06:13,417 or that rotor or thunder of a helicopter. 136 00:06:13,542 --> 00:06:15,250 And in this case, 137 00:06:15,375 --> 00:06:17,292 the individual said he didn't hear anything 138 00:06:17,375 --> 00:06:18,750 while filming it. 139 00:06:18,875 --> 00:06:22,000 - [Tony] So what else could this be? McMillan has a theory. 140 00:06:22,167 --> 00:06:23,667 - Whenever you're filming something over water, 141 00:06:23,792 --> 00:06:25,167 especially at a great distance, 142 00:06:25,292 --> 00:06:26,833 there can be some weird illusions 143 00:06:26,958 --> 00:06:30,167 that can make things look extremely unusual, 144 00:06:30,250 --> 00:06:34,042 including ships that appear to float on the horizon and air, 145 00:06:34,167 --> 00:06:35,833 which is just an optical illusion. 146 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,083 And so could we be looking at fishing vessels 147 00:06:39,208 --> 00:06:40,500 that are on the horizon, 148 00:06:40,625 --> 00:06:44,500 forming the top half of our dome-shaped craft? 149 00:06:44,625 --> 00:06:46,833 And the reflection of the lights in those vessels 150 00:06:46,958 --> 00:06:50,667 coming in onto the water surface at the horizon, 151 00:06:50,833 --> 00:06:53,667 suddenly makes that nice saucer shape. 152 00:06:53,833 --> 00:06:54,833 And in fact, 153 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,667 can it deceptively make it appear like it's in the sky? 154 00:06:57,792 --> 00:06:58,833 - [Tony] Here's the problem though. 155 00:06:58,917 --> 00:07:01,750 Those optical illusions, often known as Fata Morgana, 156 00:07:01,875 --> 00:07:04,333 are typically seen lower over the horizon 157 00:07:04,417 --> 00:07:06,792 than where Yalcin was pointing his camera. 158 00:07:06,875 --> 00:07:09,167 - It's a case that's been around for a long time. 159 00:07:09,250 --> 00:07:10,500 That doesn't mean it's true, 160 00:07:10,625 --> 00:07:12,208 it just means it's not solved yet. 161 00:07:13,333 --> 00:07:15,583 (tense music) 162 00:07:17,042 --> 00:07:17,958 - Our verdict? 163 00:07:18,042 --> 00:07:21,500 We're going to classify it as a genuine UFO. 164 00:07:21,625 --> 00:07:23,833 Our experts make good points 165 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,333 and we'll agree that those images in the windows 166 00:07:26,458 --> 00:07:29,208 probably aren't alien space pilots. 167 00:07:29,333 --> 00:07:30,708 But that doesn't mean we can identify 168 00:07:30,833 --> 00:07:32,792 what this thing actually is 169 00:07:32,917 --> 00:07:35,167 until we get more definitive evidence. 170 00:07:36,542 --> 00:07:39,500 Now from the ancient world to the modern world. 171 00:07:39,625 --> 00:07:40,667 For more than a century, 172 00:07:40,750 --> 00:07:43,417 people have reported seeing mysterious lights 173 00:07:43,542 --> 00:07:45,667 over North Carolina's Brown Mountain. 174 00:07:45,833 --> 00:07:47,583 But despite thousands of sightings 175 00:07:47,708 --> 00:07:51,000 and at least a dozen theories on the possible cause, 176 00:07:51,125 --> 00:07:54,250 to this day, no one has figured out what they are 177 00:07:54,375 --> 00:07:56,042 or if they're even real. 178 00:07:56,208 --> 00:07:58,333 Our next video may finally provide the proof 179 00:07:58,458 --> 00:07:59,750 we've been seeking. 180 00:08:00,792 --> 00:08:03,667 It's July 2016 in the Pisgah National Forest 181 00:08:03,792 --> 00:08:05,333 in Western North Carolina. 182 00:08:06,375 --> 00:08:08,667 Two astronomy grade cameras have been installed by 183 00:08:08,833 --> 00:08:12,750 Appalachian State University astrophysicist Dr. Dan Caton 184 00:08:12,875 --> 00:08:15,792 to observe the Brown Mountain ridge every night. 185 00:08:15,917 --> 00:08:18,792 And now they seem to have captured something inexplicable. 186 00:08:23,292 --> 00:08:24,958 Anomalous white lights blink on 187 00:08:25,083 --> 00:08:27,458 sporadically in the night sky high above the ridge 188 00:08:27,542 --> 00:08:30,292 and over the street lights down in the town. 189 00:08:30,417 --> 00:08:31,833 In the span of about 20 minutes, 190 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,833 they appear at least four times. 191 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,333 Dan says when he played back this footage, he was amazed. 192 00:08:38,417 --> 00:08:40,042 - This video stood out in that 193 00:08:40,167 --> 00:08:42,375 it had something that was obviously different, 194 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:45,792 but we had a light here that persisted over 20 minutes, 195 00:08:45,917 --> 00:08:49,458 came and went, had no lateral motion sideways, 196 00:08:49,542 --> 00:08:51,208 had no up-down motion. 197 00:08:51,333 --> 00:08:55,833 These claims of paranormal, they deserve investigation. 198 00:08:55,958 --> 00:08:57,458 - [Tony] Although accounts of the mysterious lights 199 00:08:57,583 --> 00:08:58,500 go back many years, 200 00:08:58,625 --> 00:09:00,333 the first published article about them 201 00:09:00,458 --> 00:09:02,250 only came out in 1912. 202 00:09:02,375 --> 00:09:04,875 Around this time there were frequent reports of sightings 203 00:09:05,042 --> 00:09:07,417 from a spot near a local hotel in the mountains. 204 00:09:07,542 --> 00:09:08,667 Journalist MJ Banias says, 205 00:09:08,833 --> 00:09:11,958 "The reports had reached such a fever pitch by 1922 206 00:09:12,083 --> 00:09:15,250 that the US Geological Survey decided to investigate." 207 00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:19,500 - People claim that what we're seeing here is 208 00:09:19,625 --> 00:09:22,333 a phenomenon known as ball lightning. 209 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:23,542 You have static electricity, 210 00:09:23,708 --> 00:09:25,833 just like you do with a regular lightning strike, 211 00:09:25,958 --> 00:09:29,292 except instead of it arcing into a sort of line, 212 00:09:29,375 --> 00:09:32,833 it balls up and and it sort of hovers temporarily. 213 00:09:33,750 --> 00:09:35,000 - [Tony] Others though, 214 00:09:35,125 --> 00:09:38,000 believe the Brown Mountain lights have a spookier source. 215 00:09:38,083 --> 00:09:38,917 - There's a school of belief that 216 00:09:39,042 --> 00:09:41,542 the Brown Mountain lights are actually 217 00:09:41,708 --> 00:09:45,000 some sort of manifestation of spirits or ghosts. 218 00:09:45,125 --> 00:09:47,833 There's claims that soldiers from the Civil War 219 00:09:47,917 --> 00:09:51,167 were killed during a battle near the mountains 220 00:09:51,292 --> 00:09:54,333 and what we see are their ghosts carrying lanterns at night. 221 00:09:57,375 --> 00:10:01,083 - Another theory that's been floated is train headlights. 222 00:10:01,208 --> 00:10:04,167 In 1913, a USGS investigator found that 223 00:10:04,292 --> 00:10:07,667 Southern Railway trains could be seen from Brown Mountain 224 00:10:07,792 --> 00:10:09,500 and that many reported sightings 225 00:10:09,583 --> 00:10:11,667 lined up with the train schedule. 226 00:10:11,792 --> 00:10:13,292 But this idea was flushed out 227 00:10:13,417 --> 00:10:17,208 after the tracks washed away in a 1916 flood 228 00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:19,042 and the sightings continued. 229 00:10:19,167 --> 00:10:21,333 So will our experts finally be the ones 230 00:10:21,458 --> 00:10:25,000 to get to the bottom of this centuries-old mystery? 231 00:10:25,083 --> 00:10:27,208 (tense music) 232 00:10:28,042 --> 00:10:30,000 Physicist Dr. Matthew Szydagis 233 00:10:30,125 --> 00:10:32,875 explores the ball lightning hypothesis. 234 00:10:33,042 --> 00:10:36,458 - We don't understand from a scientific perspective 235 00:10:36,583 --> 00:10:38,125 how ball lightning could form. 236 00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:40,500 We have a series of equations in physics 237 00:10:40,667 --> 00:10:42,167 known as Maxwell's Equations. 238 00:10:42,333 --> 00:10:45,833 Maxwell's Equations tell us how to make predictions 239 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,000 for how electrical phenomena behave. 240 00:10:49,167 --> 00:10:52,750 Unfortunately, Maxwell's equations don't give us 241 00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:55,000 something that look like ball lightning. 242 00:10:55,125 --> 00:10:56,208 - [Tony] These four complex equations 243 00:10:56,375 --> 00:10:59,125 are named after Scottish physicist and mathematician, 244 00:10:59,250 --> 00:11:00,333 James Clerk Maxwell, 245 00:11:00,500 --> 00:11:04,292 who came up with an early version of them in the 1860s. 246 00:11:04,375 --> 00:11:05,250 Based on the equations, 247 00:11:05,375 --> 00:11:07,833 the size of ball lightning's electric charge 248 00:11:07,958 --> 00:11:10,958 would be too great for it to move as observed here. 249 00:11:11,083 --> 00:11:13,292 So could the lights just be coming from a plane? 250 00:11:13,375 --> 00:11:14,333 - When the light shows up, 251 00:11:14,417 --> 00:11:16,625 it looks sort of like a floating, hovering ball. 252 00:11:16,708 --> 00:11:18,542 You know it's not a plane. 253 00:11:18,708 --> 00:11:20,000 A plane that has blinking lights, 254 00:11:20,125 --> 00:11:21,000 is traveling through the frame, 255 00:11:21,125 --> 00:11:23,958 is gonna make a long drawn out line. 256 00:11:24,083 --> 00:11:25,333 - [Tony] But what if it could be 257 00:11:25,458 --> 00:11:26,625 a reflection of a light on the ground, 258 00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:30,042 as we discussed before in the case of the Turkish UFO? 259 00:11:30,167 --> 00:11:32,458 Since we keep mentioning the Fata Morgana phenomenon, 260 00:11:32,583 --> 00:11:33,417 here's how it works. 261 00:11:33,542 --> 00:11:35,083 It occurs when the temperature of the air 262 00:11:35,208 --> 00:11:38,625 below the line of sight is colder than the air above. 263 00:11:38,708 --> 00:11:41,500 This causes light rays passing through to bend down, 264 00:11:41,667 --> 00:11:44,083 making the image of the object appear higher 265 00:11:44,208 --> 00:11:45,917 than the actual object. 266 00:11:46,042 --> 00:11:49,167 - This is an illusion that occurs near the horizon 267 00:11:49,292 --> 00:11:53,292 and we see lights that are significantly above the horizon. 268 00:11:54,042 --> 00:11:56,292 (tense music) 269 00:11:57,958 --> 00:12:00,500 - The high altitude of the lights 270 00:12:00,583 --> 00:12:03,917 doesn't seem to make much sense for the Fata Morgana theory 271 00:12:04,042 --> 00:12:05,792 and the conditions need to be just right 272 00:12:05,875 --> 00:12:07,750 to create such an illusion. 273 00:12:07,875 --> 00:12:09,542 This is seen with such frequency, 274 00:12:09,708 --> 00:12:12,667 we're going to rule that explanation out. 275 00:12:12,792 --> 00:12:14,333 Therefore, our verdict is that 276 00:12:14,417 --> 00:12:17,292 the Brown Mountain lights remain unexplained. 277 00:12:17,417 --> 00:12:19,250 Hopefully, with continuing research, 278 00:12:19,375 --> 00:12:20,708 we will someday crack the code. 279 00:12:24,458 --> 00:12:26,833 - Imagine you're driving down a country road 280 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,083 when off to your right-hand side, 281 00:12:29,208 --> 00:12:31,625 what looks like a giant snow globe suddenly appears. 282 00:12:31,708 --> 00:12:34,333 Well, our next video certainly had one driver 283 00:12:34,417 --> 00:12:37,167 baffled by this winter wonderland. 284 00:12:37,292 --> 00:12:41,000 It's winter 2017 in Russia's Leningrad Oblast. 285 00:12:41,083 --> 00:12:43,167 A local man is driving through the snowy landscape 286 00:12:43,250 --> 00:12:45,042 when something strange catches his eye. 287 00:12:45,208 --> 00:12:46,625 He quickly takes out his cell phone 288 00:12:46,750 --> 00:12:47,875 while navigating the icy roads 289 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,292 and captures a sight that sends the internet into a tizzy. 290 00:12:52,458 --> 00:12:53,875 His footage shows glimpses through the trees of 291 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,542 a far off orb glowing in the middle of a snow-covered field. 292 00:12:57,667 --> 00:12:59,833 From a distance, the luminous ball looks enormous 293 00:12:59,917 --> 00:13:03,167 and seems to be changing colors from light blue to pink. 294 00:13:03,292 --> 00:13:06,958 Cyrillic writing scrolls across its translucent surface. 295 00:13:07,083 --> 00:13:08,292 When he drives away a few moments later, 296 00:13:08,417 --> 00:13:11,750 you can see him pass a mile marker on the side of the road. 297 00:13:11,875 --> 00:13:13,042 Science writer Amy Teitel says 298 00:13:13,167 --> 00:13:15,833 the location of this object is rather surprising. 299 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,208 - What's really weird about it is that 300 00:13:17,333 --> 00:13:18,792 there's nothing else around. 301 00:13:18,875 --> 00:13:20,000 You can't see a village. 302 00:13:20,125 --> 00:13:21,292 It doesn't look like 303 00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:24,833 this is some kind of observatory or something. 304 00:13:24,958 --> 00:13:27,333 It looks like there's nothing near it 305 00:13:27,458 --> 00:13:29,875 but this giant glowing orb. 306 00:13:30,042 --> 00:13:31,250 - [Tony] Since the days of the Cold War, 307 00:13:31,375 --> 00:13:33,167 new weapons systems have often been tested 308 00:13:33,292 --> 00:13:34,542 in remote locations 309 00:13:34,708 --> 00:13:37,333 to keep secret advancements in technology from prying eyes. 310 00:13:37,417 --> 00:13:40,583 So Teitel says we may be witnessing a covert arms test. 311 00:13:40,708 --> 00:13:43,042 - The Russians developed a host of new technologies 312 00:13:43,167 --> 00:13:44,125 during the Cold War, 313 00:13:44,208 --> 00:13:46,375 many of which were extremely futuristic 314 00:13:46,542 --> 00:13:48,292 and far-fetched feeling at the time. 315 00:13:48,417 --> 00:13:51,458 Things like ape men or two-headed dogs. 316 00:13:51,542 --> 00:13:53,292 So some people wonder if this isn't 317 00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:56,250 some kind of new-fangled Russian experiment 318 00:13:56,375 --> 00:13:58,500 that's just too big to be in a lab. 319 00:13:58,625 --> 00:14:00,667 - [Tony] Some speculate this video could even be evidence 320 00:14:00,750 --> 00:14:03,500 that Russia or some other unknown group is developing 321 00:14:03,583 --> 00:14:06,542 one of the most dangerous theoretical technologies of all, 322 00:14:06,708 --> 00:14:08,042 the Dyson sphere. 323 00:14:08,208 --> 00:14:10,958 - A Dyson sphere is a theoretical way of 324 00:14:11,083 --> 00:14:13,000 gaining power from a star. 325 00:14:13,125 --> 00:14:15,333 The idea of finding a Dyson sphere is 326 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:19,375 theoretically finding an alien life form or an alien race 327 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:23,167 that's using the power from a star to generate itself. 328 00:14:23,292 --> 00:14:25,333 So some people wonder if this isn't 329 00:14:25,417 --> 00:14:27,208 some kind of man-made Dyson sphere 330 00:14:27,375 --> 00:14:31,333 and around it is this swarm of Russian-made craft 331 00:14:31,458 --> 00:14:35,125 that is using that energy source as power. 332 00:14:37,042 --> 00:14:38,958 - So some suggest this glowing orb 333 00:14:39,042 --> 00:14:43,458 could be the secret prototype of a Dyson sphere-like technology. 334 00:14:43,583 --> 00:14:45,333 But the fact that we see Russian writing 335 00:14:45,458 --> 00:14:47,625 and other imagery flashing across its surface 336 00:14:47,708 --> 00:14:50,458 does seem to be a bit suspicious. 337 00:14:50,583 --> 00:14:52,333 It's a truly bizarre object that 338 00:14:52,417 --> 00:14:54,500 the driver doesn't seem to recognize. 339 00:14:54,625 --> 00:14:58,333 So what exactly is this and where did it come from? 340 00:14:58,458 --> 00:15:00,458 Let's let our experts investigate. 341 00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:02,667 (tense music) 342 00:15:03,625 --> 00:15:06,375 Forensic video analyst Mick West examines whether 343 00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:10,000 this video could just be a full-blown fake made with CGI. 344 00:15:10,125 --> 00:15:11,750 - If you go through frame by frame, 345 00:15:11,875 --> 00:15:13,833 whenever the scene moves, 346 00:15:13,917 --> 00:15:16,292 the object seems to move in the exact same way. 347 00:15:16,417 --> 00:15:19,458 When they zoom in, it seems to be the same size 348 00:15:19,542 --> 00:15:22,583 or the same rate as the foreground and the background. 349 00:15:22,708 --> 00:15:24,667 Other than it being low resolution, 350 00:15:24,792 --> 00:15:27,125 there's no actual indications that it's fake. 351 00:15:27,250 --> 00:15:28,833 - [Tony] So since this video is authentic, 352 00:15:28,958 --> 00:15:31,500 could it actually be revealing some powerful new technology 353 00:15:31,583 --> 00:15:33,417 or Dyson sphere-like weapon? 354 00:15:33,542 --> 00:15:37,375 - By definition, a Dyson sphere is something that is 355 00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:42,000 hundreds of millions of miles across. 356 00:15:42,125 --> 00:15:44,125 The only energy source I can think of 357 00:15:44,208 --> 00:15:45,208 that would be worth putting 358 00:15:45,333 --> 00:15:48,333 a sphere around at this small of a scale is 359 00:15:48,500 --> 00:15:50,500 a small scale black hole. 360 00:15:50,667 --> 00:15:52,042 - [Tony] Black holes can theoretically 361 00:15:52,167 --> 00:15:53,333 be created on Earth, 362 00:15:53,458 --> 00:15:55,500 though most scientists think we'll never have the tech 363 00:15:55,667 --> 00:15:56,917 to achieve this. 364 00:15:57,042 --> 00:15:58,167 And there's a hitch. 365 00:15:58,333 --> 00:16:01,167 - A black hole that would be the size necessary 366 00:16:01,250 --> 00:16:04,125 to make this sphere so small would be harmless 367 00:16:04,208 --> 00:16:05,833 because it would just evaporate 368 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,000 through a process known as Hawking radiation. 369 00:16:09,083 --> 00:16:10,333 - [Tony] Hawking radiation is 370 00:16:10,417 --> 00:16:13,167 a theoretical thermal radiation emitted by a black hole 371 00:16:13,292 --> 00:16:15,000 that reduces the mass and energy 372 00:16:15,083 --> 00:16:16,833 at which the black hole rotates. 373 00:16:16,958 --> 00:16:18,042 The smaller the black hole, 374 00:16:18,167 --> 00:16:20,958 the hotter it glows and the more radiation it releases. 375 00:16:21,708 --> 00:16:22,833 So if we eliminate that theory, 376 00:16:22,917 --> 00:16:25,750 could this be some other sort of weapon system? 377 00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:27,958 - If this was some kind of testing ground 378 00:16:28,042 --> 00:16:28,917 for secret military weapons, 379 00:16:29,042 --> 00:16:31,708 you wouldn't expect to see an empty field. 380 00:16:31,833 --> 00:16:34,125 You would see things like towers. 381 00:16:34,250 --> 00:16:35,375 You would see security. 382 00:16:35,500 --> 00:16:36,708 You would see fences. 383 00:16:36,833 --> 00:16:40,167 No one's going to be testing secret military technology 384 00:16:40,292 --> 00:16:41,167 by the side of the road, 385 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:43,292 where anybody driving by can see it. 386 00:16:43,375 --> 00:16:44,625 - [Tony] So it seems this isn't 387 00:16:44,708 --> 00:16:46,500 some sort of covert weapons test. 388 00:16:46,667 --> 00:16:49,250 Then could this simply be an elaborate art installation? 389 00:16:49,375 --> 00:16:50,583 We've seen those before. 390 00:16:50,708 --> 00:16:53,167 Remember the so-called alien monolith we investigated? 391 00:16:53,292 --> 00:16:56,625 - It could be that someone had just built a work of art 392 00:16:56,750 --> 00:16:58,667 and they thought, "Oh, I'll stick it in this field." 393 00:16:58,750 --> 00:17:02,292 But when he zooms in, we see some kind of text. 394 00:17:02,417 --> 00:17:04,500 It's in Cyrillic, it's in Russian. 395 00:17:04,625 --> 00:17:08,458 We see it says bank. 396 00:17:08,583 --> 00:17:11,458 So this is actually the Bank of Russia. 397 00:17:11,583 --> 00:17:12,708 What we're looking at here is 398 00:17:12,875 --> 00:17:15,042 actually not an art installation, 399 00:17:15,208 --> 00:17:17,250 but a commercial installation. 400 00:17:17,375 --> 00:17:19,042 - This appears to be a billboard. 401 00:17:19,208 --> 00:17:24,500 However, what we see here is the sign on the road, 402 00:17:24,625 --> 00:17:26,667 which tells us that 403 00:17:26,792 --> 00:17:30,417 the individual is 54 kilometers from St. Petersburg. 404 00:17:30,542 --> 00:17:31,875 Guess what happens to be 405 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,917 54 kilometers from St. Petersburg? 406 00:17:35,042 --> 00:17:36,958 The Igora Sports Complex, 407 00:17:37,042 --> 00:17:40,833 which just so happens to be a giant glowing ball. 408 00:17:40,958 --> 00:17:45,833 This is a sports complex primarily for car racing. 409 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,125 (tense music) 410 00:17:51,333 --> 00:17:52,375 - Our verdict? 411 00:17:52,542 --> 00:17:55,542 This is a manmade multimedia sphere project 412 00:17:55,667 --> 00:17:58,417 at the Igora Resort outside St. Petersburg. 413 00:17:58,542 --> 00:17:59,833 Further research reveals 414 00:17:59,917 --> 00:18:02,958 it was installed by a Chinese facade lighting company 415 00:18:03,042 --> 00:18:04,833 in September 2016, 416 00:18:04,958 --> 00:18:08,125 and features 100,000 LED pixel lights. 417 00:18:11,917 --> 00:18:13,500 - You probably wouldn't think it, 418 00:18:13,583 --> 00:18:14,958 but Norway is quickly becoming a hotspot 419 00:18:15,083 --> 00:18:17,333 when it comes to unexplained phenomena. 420 00:18:17,458 --> 00:18:18,667 In an earlier episode, 421 00:18:18,833 --> 00:18:22,667 we showed you the unsolved mystery of the Hessdalen Lights. 422 00:18:22,792 --> 00:18:24,417 But now another strange anomaly 423 00:18:24,542 --> 00:18:27,042 has been spotted in Norwegian skies. 424 00:18:27,208 --> 00:18:29,417 Wait until you see this. 425 00:18:29,542 --> 00:18:33,083 February 2022, Alta, Norway. 426 00:18:33,208 --> 00:18:35,375 It's a clear afternoon in this quiet town, 427 00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:38,167 240 miles north of the Arctic Circle. 428 00:18:38,250 --> 00:18:39,333 A man is sitting in his car 429 00:18:39,417 --> 00:18:41,417 when he spots something unusual moving on the horizon 430 00:18:41,542 --> 00:18:43,083 and decides to record it. 431 00:18:44,875 --> 00:18:47,708 A bright white object is streaking across the sky. 432 00:18:47,875 --> 00:18:48,708 But take a closer look. 433 00:18:48,833 --> 00:18:50,792 It appears to be circular on one end 434 00:18:50,875 --> 00:18:52,792 with a small pointed tail on the other. 435 00:18:52,875 --> 00:18:54,708 Then just a few miles away, 436 00:18:54,833 --> 00:18:58,333 a car dash cam also captured the strange white anomaly. 437 00:18:58,458 --> 00:19:00,500 While some may believe this is a UFO, 438 00:19:00,625 --> 00:19:02,542 according to journalist MJ Banias, 439 00:19:02,708 --> 00:19:04,833 this sighting has the hallmarks of an unusual 440 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,125 50 year old event known as the Great Daylight Fireball. 441 00:19:08,208 --> 00:19:11,917 - In August of 1972, people reported seeing 442 00:19:12,042 --> 00:19:16,208 a very large bright fireball in the sky. 443 00:19:16,333 --> 00:19:19,583 Many speculated that it was some sort of comet 444 00:19:19,708 --> 00:19:22,500 or meteorite or perhaps a piece of space debris 445 00:19:22,583 --> 00:19:24,625 that entered Earth's atmosphere. 446 00:19:25,708 --> 00:19:27,833 - [Tony] But Banias also notes a key difference. 447 00:19:27,958 --> 00:19:30,167 - [Banias] The fireball in the Utah incident 448 00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:32,792 left a long contrail. 449 00:19:32,875 --> 00:19:35,708 The tail of whatever this object is is quite short. 450 00:19:35,833 --> 00:19:38,417 It doesn't leave a line of smoke behind it. 451 00:19:38,542 --> 00:19:40,833 - [Tony] And that clue has led observers to another theory. 452 00:19:40,958 --> 00:19:43,792 - Norway is home to the Andoya Test Center, 453 00:19:43,917 --> 00:19:45,833 which is used by multiple countries 454 00:19:45,958 --> 00:19:49,458 to launch and test various new weapons 455 00:19:49,583 --> 00:19:51,458 and missiles that are in development. 456 00:19:51,542 --> 00:19:52,667 - [Tony] But some fear it's a test 457 00:19:52,750 --> 00:19:54,583 from a far more hostile actor. 458 00:19:54,708 --> 00:19:56,583 - [Banias] The Russians have made the claim that 459 00:19:56,708 --> 00:19:58,333 they actually used a hypersonic missile 460 00:19:58,458 --> 00:20:02,958 to take out a Ukrainian arms depot in March 2022. 461 00:20:03,042 --> 00:20:06,458 But there's no verifiable intelligence that confirms it. 462 00:20:06,542 --> 00:20:08,833 - [Tony] Hypersonic missiles are a breakthrough technology 463 00:20:08,958 --> 00:20:10,792 that travel very fast and very low, 464 00:20:10,875 --> 00:20:13,125 making them nearly impossible to detect 465 00:20:13,250 --> 00:20:15,167 until they're about to hit their targets. 466 00:20:15,250 --> 00:20:17,792 Might the Russians have been testing one nearby? 467 00:20:19,875 --> 00:20:22,750 Now, supersonic means faster than the speed of sound, 468 00:20:22,875 --> 00:20:26,417 which is 761 miles per hour at sea level. 469 00:20:26,542 --> 00:20:27,792 But hypersonic? 470 00:20:27,917 --> 00:20:32,792 That is five times faster. Over 3,800 miles per hour. 471 00:20:32,875 --> 00:20:34,667 What could be traveling that fast? 472 00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:36,167 Are we seeing leftovers 473 00:20:36,292 --> 00:20:38,583 from the formation of our solar system 474 00:20:38,708 --> 00:20:41,167 or possibly the latest game-changing 475 00:20:41,292 --> 00:20:42,875 military technology? 476 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,125 Let's see what our experts have to say. 477 00:20:45,250 --> 00:20:47,250 (tense music) 478 00:20:48,500 --> 00:20:50,875 We begin with video forensic analyst Michael Primeau. 479 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,958 Is this video even legit? 480 00:20:53,083 --> 00:20:56,625 - When authenticating evidence, the most reliable approach is to 481 00:20:56,708 --> 00:20:58,167 collect a known sample from the device 482 00:20:58,292 --> 00:21:00,667 and perform what's called a CRP test 483 00:21:00,792 --> 00:21:03,125 to make determinations about whether or not 484 00:21:03,250 --> 00:21:06,375 that particular video came from that particular device. 485 00:21:06,542 --> 00:21:09,750 I requested a reference sample be provided from the operator 486 00:21:09,875 --> 00:21:11,167 and we were able to verify that 487 00:21:11,333 --> 00:21:13,125 the video can be considered authentic. 488 00:21:13,250 --> 00:21:15,375 - [Tony] If it's real, then what could it be? 489 00:21:15,542 --> 00:21:18,375 - I think we're not looking at any kind of aircraft, 490 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:22,333 whether it be commercial or any type of passenger aircraft 491 00:21:22,458 --> 00:21:25,333 or drone or military. 492 00:21:25,458 --> 00:21:26,375 It's traveling too fast, 493 00:21:26,542 --> 00:21:29,667 but also there's obviously no discernible features. 494 00:21:29,833 --> 00:21:32,708 There's no wings, there's no tail section. 495 00:21:32,833 --> 00:21:34,500 - [Tony] So if it's not a terrestrial craft, 496 00:21:34,625 --> 00:21:35,875 is it from space? 497 00:21:36,792 --> 00:21:38,833 - If let's say there was a satellite 498 00:21:38,958 --> 00:21:41,000 reentering the Earth's atmosphere 499 00:21:41,125 --> 00:21:44,667 because it was defunct and no longer operational, 500 00:21:44,792 --> 00:21:46,875 you might see a breakup. 501 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,500 - [Tony] Today there are about 5,000 satellites 502 00:21:49,625 --> 00:21:50,625 orbiting the Earth, 503 00:21:50,750 --> 00:21:53,000 and it's estimated about 300 objects in orbit 504 00:21:53,167 --> 00:21:55,333 fall back to Earth and burn up each year. 505 00:21:55,458 --> 00:21:58,667 But D'Antonio doesn't see one telltale sign in the video. 506 00:21:58,833 --> 00:22:00,333 - There's so many appendages. 507 00:22:00,417 --> 00:22:03,333 Solar panels, a satellite would be basically 508 00:22:03,458 --> 00:22:07,708 leaving parts behind through the entire process of reentry. 509 00:22:07,833 --> 00:22:11,333 You would see a long trail of debris 510 00:22:11,417 --> 00:22:13,458 as it was reentering the Earth's atmosphere. 511 00:22:13,583 --> 00:22:15,250 - [Tony] But satellites aren't the only things 512 00:22:15,375 --> 00:22:16,000 that fall to Earth. 513 00:22:16,125 --> 00:22:17,833 Could we be seeing an event like 514 00:22:17,917 --> 00:22:19,708 the Great Daylight Fireball in 1972? 515 00:22:19,875 --> 00:22:22,333 - It's a very flat trajectory. 516 00:22:22,458 --> 00:22:26,625 That to me is consistent with a hypersonic missile. 517 00:22:26,708 --> 00:22:28,667 In particular the speed, 518 00:22:28,792 --> 00:22:31,417 the fact that it is moving within the Earth's atmosphere, 519 00:22:31,542 --> 00:22:33,500 is traveling in a straight line, 520 00:22:33,583 --> 00:22:35,917 all consistent with a hypersonic missile. 521 00:22:36,042 --> 00:22:38,625 - [Tony] There are two main types of hypersonic missiles, 522 00:22:38,708 --> 00:22:39,792 hypersonic cruise missiles, 523 00:22:39,875 --> 00:22:42,500 which are boosted by a rocket to hypersonic speed 524 00:22:42,625 --> 00:22:45,708 and then use an air breathing engine called a scram jet 525 00:22:45,833 --> 00:22:46,875 to sustain that speed. 526 00:22:47,042 --> 00:22:49,500 And hypersonic gliding vehicles, 527 00:22:49,583 --> 00:22:50,792 which are launched from a rocket 528 00:22:50,875 --> 00:22:52,875 but then glide into their target. 529 00:22:53,042 --> 00:22:53,958 If that's what this is, 530 00:22:54,083 --> 00:22:56,500 it's a rare video of a new and deadly weapon. 531 00:22:56,583 --> 00:22:58,875 - Another clue is towards the end of the video 532 00:22:59,042 --> 00:23:01,167 when you see that separation, 533 00:23:01,250 --> 00:23:02,958 it appears to be using a booster 534 00:23:03,042 --> 00:23:05,500 to make it travel extremely fast. 535 00:23:05,625 --> 00:23:10,208 But I did searches and was unable to find any recognized 536 00:23:10,333 --> 00:23:12,792 or declared hypersonic missile test 537 00:23:12,875 --> 00:23:15,333 or frankly any missile test in the area. 538 00:23:15,458 --> 00:23:18,208 So if we're looking at a missile test, 539 00:23:18,375 --> 00:23:21,417 we're looking at something that was done in secret. 540 00:23:21,542 --> 00:23:23,667 (tense music) 541 00:23:25,708 --> 00:23:26,667 - Our verdict? 542 00:23:26,792 --> 00:23:29,875 We're going with hypersonic missile test. 543 00:23:30,042 --> 00:23:32,333 We think McMillan's observations are a close match 544 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:34,417 to what we see in the visual evidence. 545 00:23:34,542 --> 00:23:36,708 But for sure there are some lingering questions 546 00:23:36,833 --> 00:23:38,125 that need answering. 547 00:23:38,208 --> 00:23:41,875 Like, who fired it? Us or them? 548 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,833 With the political situation in the world today, 549 00:23:43,958 --> 00:23:45,250 there doesn't seem to be any doubt 550 00:23:45,375 --> 00:23:47,917 this is something we're going to be seeing a lot more of. 551 00:23:51,708 --> 00:23:54,167 - We brought you stories of strange creatures 552 00:23:54,250 --> 00:23:56,500 suspected of being alien corpses before. 553 00:23:56,667 --> 00:23:59,083 They've turned up in Charleston, South Carolina, 554 00:23:59,208 --> 00:24:01,833 Russia's Alma region and elsewhere. 555 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,000 So when we saw evidence of another mysterious case, 556 00:24:05,083 --> 00:24:07,083 this time from down under, 557 00:24:07,208 --> 00:24:09,333 we felt it was our duty to investigate. 558 00:24:10,708 --> 00:24:12,292 March 2nd, 2022, 559 00:24:12,417 --> 00:24:14,542 it's morning in the suburb of Marrickville, 560 00:24:14,708 --> 00:24:16,667 just outside Sydney, Australia. 561 00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:18,000 After days of intense rainstorms, 562 00:24:18,167 --> 00:24:20,958 a jogger is enjoying a break in the weather to take a run 563 00:24:21,083 --> 00:24:22,583 when something unusual on the ground 564 00:24:22,708 --> 00:24:24,083 suddenly catches his eye. 565 00:24:25,208 --> 00:24:27,042 It appears to be an oval-shaped creature, 566 00:24:27,208 --> 00:24:28,792 perhaps two inches long. 567 00:24:28,917 --> 00:24:30,083 Take a closer look. 568 00:24:31,875 --> 00:24:33,875 Is that an eye and a tail? 569 00:24:34,042 --> 00:24:36,083 Whatever it is, it not only surprised the jogger, 570 00:24:36,208 --> 00:24:38,458 but researcher Ken Gerhard as well. 571 00:24:38,542 --> 00:24:40,208 - I don't see any scales. 572 00:24:40,375 --> 00:24:41,958 I certainly don't see any hair. 573 00:24:42,083 --> 00:24:45,000 It almost has kind of a gelatinous look to it. 574 00:24:45,167 --> 00:24:49,917 It's kind of slimy, kind of pale gray or silver. 575 00:24:50,042 --> 00:24:52,000 - [Tony] In fact, as farfetched as it seems, 576 00:24:52,167 --> 00:24:54,667 the gray nature and fetal form of this creature 577 00:24:54,792 --> 00:24:56,333 has some on social media theorizing 578 00:24:56,500 --> 00:24:59,375 this could be the remains of a developing alien life form. 579 00:25:00,833 --> 00:25:02,000 - Perhaps the last time 580 00:25:02,125 --> 00:25:06,792 an alleged alien baby made news headlines was in 1996 581 00:25:06,917 --> 00:25:09,667 in the Ural Mountains of Russia. 582 00:25:09,792 --> 00:25:11,833 Referred to as the Kyshtym Dwarf, 583 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,000 there was a strange humanoid creature 584 00:25:14,125 --> 00:25:15,667 that was found by a local woman, 585 00:25:15,833 --> 00:25:17,417 was only about 10 inches long. 586 00:25:17,542 --> 00:25:19,583 To this day, many of the villagers 587 00:25:19,708 --> 00:25:21,333 in this particular region 588 00:25:21,458 --> 00:25:23,833 still wonder whether it was in fact 589 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,375 some type of alien creature. 590 00:25:26,500 --> 00:25:28,083 - [Tony] We analyzed the Kyshtym footage 591 00:25:28,208 --> 00:25:29,458 in an earlier episode, 592 00:25:29,583 --> 00:25:31,792 and now with this strange life form, 593 00:25:31,917 --> 00:25:34,292 could there be a link between these mysterious creatures 594 00:25:34,417 --> 00:25:37,167 appearing around the world? 595 00:25:38,208 --> 00:25:42,333 In 1961, astronomer and physicist Frank Drake 596 00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:45,500 proposed what's been called the Drake Equation 597 00:25:45,625 --> 00:25:48,375 as a way to come up with a mathematical formula to estimate 598 00:25:48,542 --> 00:25:51,792 how many other alien civilizations are out there. 599 00:25:51,875 --> 00:25:53,167 Looking at this, 600 00:25:53,292 --> 00:25:55,167 I don't think there's any question that it appears to be 601 00:25:55,250 --> 00:25:57,833 some sort of early stage life form. 602 00:25:57,917 --> 00:26:00,500 But what and is it alien? 603 00:26:00,625 --> 00:26:01,833 Let's ask the experts. 604 00:26:01,917 --> 00:26:04,250 (tense music) 605 00:26:05,375 --> 00:26:08,167 We begin with marine biologist, Dr. Shea Conger. 606 00:26:08,292 --> 00:26:10,750 - People might think this looks a bit alien 607 00:26:10,875 --> 00:26:12,583 because it's kind of gray, 608 00:26:12,708 --> 00:26:15,667 it doesn't look like it has skin or scales, 609 00:26:15,792 --> 00:26:18,167 but I don't think that's what we're seeing here. 610 00:26:18,292 --> 00:26:20,125 It looks like it almost might be 611 00:26:20,208 --> 00:26:24,000 something like a squid or octopus. 612 00:26:24,167 --> 00:26:25,917 - [Tony] Okay, so Dr. Conger thinks we've got 613 00:26:26,042 --> 00:26:27,667 an earthly organism here, 614 00:26:27,792 --> 00:26:28,792 but wait a minute, 615 00:26:28,875 --> 00:26:31,333 why would a fetal squid or octopus be on the road? 616 00:26:31,458 --> 00:26:33,958 It could be a phenomenon called animal rain. 617 00:26:34,958 --> 00:26:37,958 - These animal rains tend to happen in coastal environments 618 00:26:38,042 --> 00:26:40,292 where there's a lot of dynamic weather. 619 00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:41,833 - [Tony] How would that even be possible? 620 00:26:41,917 --> 00:26:45,000 We take that question to meteorologist Juan Hernandez. 621 00:26:45,125 --> 00:26:47,583 - The weather conditions across Australia 622 00:26:47,708 --> 00:26:50,875 were very rare for this time of the year. 623 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,458 That led to above normal rainfall. 624 00:26:53,542 --> 00:26:57,000 In addition to tropical cyclones across the region. 625 00:26:57,125 --> 00:26:58,250 - [Tony] Hernandez explains that 626 00:26:58,375 --> 00:27:00,375 the severe weather could have led to a cyclone effect 627 00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:02,000 known as a water spout. 628 00:27:02,167 --> 00:27:05,333 - The updraft speeds of water spouts 629 00:27:05,458 --> 00:27:08,250 oftentimes exceeds 20 miles an hour. 630 00:27:08,375 --> 00:27:13,250 Given the radar data that we have from that day in Sydney, 631 00:27:13,375 --> 00:27:17,083 it is possible that this organism was picked up 632 00:27:17,208 --> 00:27:20,167 and deposited somewhere else due to water spouts. 633 00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:23,667 But another explanation is birds. 634 00:27:23,750 --> 00:27:25,000 Birds have come around, 635 00:27:25,167 --> 00:27:27,333 picked up the animal from the water, 636 00:27:27,458 --> 00:27:30,167 and as they're flying, drop the animal somewhere else. 637 00:27:30,292 --> 00:27:33,208 But since there is no obvious injury to this creature, 638 00:27:33,375 --> 00:27:36,000 it more than likely did not come from 639 00:27:36,125 --> 00:27:37,667 a high distance in the sky. 640 00:27:37,792 --> 00:27:39,667 - [Tony] And on closer examination, 641 00:27:39,792 --> 00:27:41,875 Conger makes an important discovery. 642 00:27:42,042 --> 00:27:43,375 She believes whatever this is, 643 00:27:43,542 --> 00:27:45,583 it didn't come from the ocean. 644 00:27:45,708 --> 00:27:46,625 - I can tell that 645 00:27:46,750 --> 00:27:49,375 this long tail-like appendage is actually likely 646 00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:50,583 an embryonic notochord. 647 00:27:50,708 --> 00:27:54,000 The notochord is the predecessor to the spine. 648 00:27:54,167 --> 00:27:55,875 We all have this in the womb. 649 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,833 In addition, these kind of ridges that we see here 650 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,667 to me look a lot like gill slits, 651 00:28:01,792 --> 00:28:05,458 and that's another interesting aspect of mammal evolution. 652 00:28:05,542 --> 00:28:09,333 Mammals in the womb as embryos actually have gill slits 653 00:28:09,500 --> 00:28:14,333 as a remnant of our history beginning as aquatic fish. 654 00:28:14,417 --> 00:28:18,500 So I think this is actually a terrestrial organism, 655 00:28:18,667 --> 00:28:21,333 it's just at a very early stage of development. 656 00:28:21,458 --> 00:28:22,500 If I had to guess, 657 00:28:22,625 --> 00:28:25,958 I would say this is probably a marsupial embryo, 658 00:28:26,083 --> 00:28:27,792 maybe something like a possum, 659 00:28:27,875 --> 00:28:30,333 especially because this is in Australia, 660 00:28:30,417 --> 00:28:33,583 which really is the land of marsupials. 661 00:28:33,708 --> 00:28:36,917 Marsupials don't develop fully in the womb. 662 00:28:37,042 --> 00:28:41,000 At some point, they actually migrate from the womb 663 00:28:41,167 --> 00:28:44,042 to the maternal pouch of the mother 664 00:28:44,208 --> 00:28:46,167 and continue development there. 665 00:28:46,333 --> 00:28:48,917 So it's biologically possible that 666 00:28:49,042 --> 00:28:50,667 something could have gone wrong 667 00:28:50,792 --> 00:28:53,708 during the early development of this animal. 668 00:28:53,833 --> 00:28:57,333 So instead of ending up in the marsupial pouch, for example, 669 00:28:57,500 --> 00:29:01,167 it ended up in an unnatural environment. 670 00:29:01,333 --> 00:29:02,333 - [Tony] But how did it get here? 671 00:29:02,458 --> 00:29:04,542 Hernandez may discount the animal rain theory, 672 00:29:04,667 --> 00:29:07,167 but he still believes Mother Nature played a role. 673 00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:08,917 - The atypical weather conditions 674 00:29:09,042 --> 00:29:10,625 that we saw around Sydney 675 00:29:10,708 --> 00:29:13,333 contributed to significant flash flooding. 676 00:29:13,458 --> 00:29:16,792 And it's possible that this particular organism 677 00:29:16,917 --> 00:29:19,500 lived somewhere far away from Sydney 678 00:29:19,583 --> 00:29:23,333 and was deposited in the Sydney area due to flash flooding. 679 00:29:23,417 --> 00:29:25,750 (tense music) 680 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:27,667 - Our verdict? 681 00:29:27,792 --> 00:29:30,667 We're going with a possum embryo. 682 00:29:30,792 --> 00:29:32,792 It seems to us both Hernandez 683 00:29:32,875 --> 00:29:36,917 and Congers takes on what it is and how it got there add up. 684 00:29:37,042 --> 00:29:39,792 And unfortunately, due to climate change, 685 00:29:39,875 --> 00:29:42,208 it also seems that Australia will see more 686 00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:43,667 and more intense weather events 687 00:29:43,750 --> 00:29:46,167 like the one that likely washed this creature 688 00:29:46,250 --> 00:29:47,125 into the streets. 689 00:29:50,833 --> 00:29:51,875 - Everyone is familiar with 690 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,042 the 5,000 year old marvel in Southern England 691 00:29:54,167 --> 00:29:55,583 known as Stonehenge. 692 00:29:55,708 --> 00:29:57,333 But would you believe there's another 693 00:29:57,417 --> 00:29:59,792 even older megalithic site 694 00:29:59,875 --> 00:30:02,500 that most people have never heard of? 695 00:30:02,583 --> 00:30:04,875 And it's every bit as mysterious. 696 00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:10,583 It's February 2022 outside the city of Evora in Portugal. 697 00:30:10,708 --> 00:30:13,167 A man who's from out of town sightseeing 698 00:30:13,292 --> 00:30:15,375 sets out to explore the area from a bird's eye view 699 00:30:15,542 --> 00:30:17,000 with his drone. 700 00:30:17,125 --> 00:30:19,708 His aerial video show a grouping of large gray boulders 701 00:30:19,833 --> 00:30:21,792 in a clearing surrounded by trees. 702 00:30:21,875 --> 00:30:24,000 The stones are arranged several rows thick 703 00:30:24,125 --> 00:30:26,000 in an oblong oval shape. 704 00:30:26,125 --> 00:30:27,750 Closer up photos from the ground show that 705 00:30:27,875 --> 00:30:30,417 the boulders stand on end at various heights. 706 00:30:31,583 --> 00:30:32,750 Journalist Eric Grundhauser says 707 00:30:32,875 --> 00:30:36,333 this strange site is known as the Almendres Cromlech. 708 00:30:36,458 --> 00:30:38,375 Cromlech means circles of stone, 709 00:30:38,542 --> 00:30:41,000 and Almendres from the Portuguese word for almond, 710 00:30:41,167 --> 00:30:42,958 referring to the stone's shape. 711 00:30:43,042 --> 00:30:46,250 - This collection of some 93 standing rocks 712 00:30:46,375 --> 00:30:52,167 is thought to predate Stonehenge by around 2,000 years. 713 00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:57,583 So this Portuguese formation is actually much older 714 00:30:57,708 --> 00:31:00,500 and much more mysterious. 715 00:31:00,625 --> 00:31:02,125 - [Tony] It's believed that the main design of 716 00:31:02,208 --> 00:31:05,833 the Almendres Cromlech was completed by about 5,000 BC. 717 00:31:05,958 --> 00:31:08,292 That makes it more than 1,000 years older than 718 00:31:08,375 --> 00:31:10,333 the Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, 719 00:31:10,458 --> 00:31:14,000 and the earliest known permanent urban settlements on Earth. 720 00:31:14,083 --> 00:31:16,875 Who could have built the structure and how? 721 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,958 - Without technology like the wheel, 722 00:31:20,042 --> 00:31:23,500 moving these stones would've been near impossible 723 00:31:23,583 --> 00:31:26,000 for normal humans. 724 00:31:26,125 --> 00:31:27,875 - [Tony] It's believed that the first wheeled vehicle 725 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,958 wasn't even invented till at least 3,500 BC in Mesopotamia. 726 00:31:32,083 --> 00:31:35,167 So the mystery about these stones deepens. 727 00:31:35,250 --> 00:31:38,667 - [Eric] They're so heavy that it's hard to believe that 728 00:31:38,792 --> 00:31:41,667 without some system involving wheels, pulleys, 729 00:31:41,792 --> 00:31:43,167 that these stones would've been able 730 00:31:43,250 --> 00:31:45,167 to be brought to standing. 731 00:31:45,292 --> 00:31:46,042 - [Tony] Another strange thing. 732 00:31:46,208 --> 00:31:48,500 The site had been forgotten for centuries. 733 00:31:48,625 --> 00:31:50,708 It was only discovered back in 1964, 734 00:31:50,875 --> 00:31:54,250 and there are no records to indicate what its purpose was. 735 00:31:54,375 --> 00:31:57,458 Some wonder if it has some celestial significance. 736 00:31:57,583 --> 00:32:00,833 - [Eric] These standing stones are arranged in such a way 737 00:32:00,958 --> 00:32:04,500 as to align with the Sun, the Moon, the stars. 738 00:32:04,667 --> 00:32:05,958 On the winter solstice, 739 00:32:06,042 --> 00:32:07,208 the shadows that they cast 740 00:32:07,333 --> 00:32:11,250 actually point directly to another standing stone 741 00:32:11,375 --> 00:32:13,958 some two kilometers away. 742 00:32:14,083 --> 00:32:16,417 - [Tony] Since some of the stones bear unusual carvings, 743 00:32:16,542 --> 00:32:17,583 others suggest the Cromlech 744 00:32:17,708 --> 00:32:19,750 might have served a more religious function. 745 00:32:19,875 --> 00:32:21,750 Could a large flat stone found in the middle 746 00:32:21,875 --> 00:32:25,083 have been used as an altar to carry out ritual sacrifices? 747 00:32:28,167 --> 00:32:30,958 Recently, another standing stone structure 748 00:32:31,042 --> 00:32:34,000 was discovered in Jordan that's thought to be even older 749 00:32:34,125 --> 00:32:36,792 at an estimated 9,000 years old. 750 00:32:36,875 --> 00:32:38,500 Believed to be a sacred site 751 00:32:38,583 --> 00:32:40,667 used by a neolithic hunting group, 752 00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:42,833 it doesn't have the astronomical precision of 753 00:32:42,958 --> 00:32:44,333 the Portuguese site. 754 00:32:44,458 --> 00:32:46,167 So is the Almendres Cromlech 755 00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:50,208 the oldest known application of astronomy in the world? 756 00:32:50,375 --> 00:32:51,417 If so, 757 00:32:51,542 --> 00:32:53,792 where could this knowledge of the stars have come from? 758 00:32:53,875 --> 00:32:55,417 Let's ask the experts. 759 00:32:55,542 --> 00:32:57,833 (tense music) 760 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:01,125 Anthropologist Kathy Strain says 761 00:33:01,208 --> 00:33:03,917 it's likely these neolithic people achieved this huge feat 762 00:33:04,042 --> 00:33:06,542 with some ingenuity and a lot of sheer willpower. 763 00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:12,000 - It is theorized that they would take logs, use rope. 764 00:33:12,167 --> 00:33:16,500 They've likely used their cattle to help pull the stones along. 765 00:33:16,625 --> 00:33:19,208 After it gets off one log, you run it up to the front 766 00:33:19,375 --> 00:33:21,875 to put it in front of that and so on. 767 00:33:22,958 --> 00:33:24,667 - [Tony] Yet how were these prehistoric people 768 00:33:24,833 --> 00:33:27,250 able to so precisely place these stones? 769 00:33:27,375 --> 00:33:29,333 Did they have some secret celestial 770 00:33:29,417 --> 00:33:30,875 or spiritual knowledge? 771 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,333 Most experts think 772 00:33:32,417 --> 00:33:35,042 the alleged sacrificial altar is just a knocked over boulder 773 00:33:35,167 --> 00:33:37,083 that's been chipped away at over time. 774 00:33:37,208 --> 00:33:40,083 But archeologist Dr. Ed Barnhart believes 775 00:33:40,208 --> 00:33:42,167 the stones could have had some ritual significance. 776 00:33:42,250 --> 00:33:45,000 - Perhaps it's astronomer priests 777 00:33:45,125 --> 00:33:50,542 who are watching the cycles of the heavens. 778 00:33:50,667 --> 00:33:52,833 They were putting them in the ground 779 00:33:52,958 --> 00:33:55,708 in an arrangement that was based on 780 00:33:55,875 --> 00:33:59,000 watching the Sun rise and set over a year. 781 00:34:00,042 --> 00:34:01,833 - [Tony] In addition to lining up with the solstice 782 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,167 on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, 783 00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:07,542 the Sun and Moon rise and set over exactly the same points 784 00:34:07,708 --> 00:34:09,625 on the monument's axis. 785 00:34:09,708 --> 00:34:11,583 And Barnhart says this configuration 786 00:34:11,708 --> 00:34:14,083 may have served a very practical purpose. 787 00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:17,792 - [Ed] Once you are a farmer, 788 00:34:17,875 --> 00:34:20,458 you've gotta know when to plant and when to harvest 789 00:34:20,542 --> 00:34:21,958 and when to do it again. 790 00:34:22,042 --> 00:34:23,375 That's that cycle. 791 00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:28,292 So these stones acknowledging the solar year 792 00:34:28,417 --> 00:34:32,000 are at least related to agriculture. 793 00:34:32,167 --> 00:34:33,833 - [Tony] Moving from a nomadic existence 794 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,042 to a more sedentary one 795 00:34:35,208 --> 00:34:38,500 allowed people to observe the cycles more precisely. 796 00:34:38,583 --> 00:34:39,417 And interestingly, 797 00:34:39,542 --> 00:34:42,042 it's one of several sites throughout Europe. 798 00:34:42,167 --> 00:34:44,542 And though Barnhart says they were probably for farming, 799 00:34:44,667 --> 00:34:46,833 they also might be early art. 800 00:34:46,958 --> 00:34:48,750 - They go from the Netherlands 801 00:34:48,875 --> 00:34:51,333 all the way down into the Mediterranean. 802 00:34:52,542 --> 00:34:54,417 I think that these stones 803 00:34:54,542 --> 00:34:59,000 are early man's attempt at immortality. 804 00:34:59,083 --> 00:35:03,167 People said, let's do something so amazing 805 00:35:03,292 --> 00:35:06,500 that people, well after we're dead, 806 00:35:06,625 --> 00:35:09,000 will remember it and admire it. 807 00:35:10,250 --> 00:35:13,250 But what they called themselves? It's hidden to history. 808 00:35:16,333 --> 00:35:18,292 (tense music) 809 00:35:19,708 --> 00:35:20,792 - Our verdict? 810 00:35:20,875 --> 00:35:24,042 These images likely show a celestial calendar, 811 00:35:24,167 --> 00:35:26,708 a sort of giant sundial for seasons 812 00:35:26,833 --> 00:35:29,000 rather than times of the day. 813 00:35:29,125 --> 00:35:32,667 Whether its purpose was astrological, agricultural, 814 00:35:32,792 --> 00:35:35,542 or simply artistic is lost to time. 815 00:35:39,208 --> 00:35:42,292 - We know that water sustains life. 816 00:35:42,375 --> 00:35:45,208 But can H2O also be a harbinger of death? 817 00:35:45,333 --> 00:35:46,917 One photographer seems to have found 818 00:35:47,042 --> 00:35:50,167 some compelling evidence that suggests it might. 819 00:35:51,375 --> 00:35:54,500 It's 2010 near Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania. 820 00:35:54,625 --> 00:35:56,500 A British photographer travels to the lake, 821 00:35:56,583 --> 00:35:57,583 with camera in hand, 822 00:35:57,708 --> 00:36:01,208 and is instantly taken aback by what he encounters. 823 00:36:01,333 --> 00:36:02,958 From his photos, you might think that 824 00:36:03,042 --> 00:36:03,958 these are pieces of artwork, 825 00:36:04,042 --> 00:36:06,333 maybe even wicker creations, 826 00:36:06,417 --> 00:36:09,500 but these are real animals seemingly petrified in place. 827 00:36:09,583 --> 00:36:11,542 A frozen flamingo floats on the water 828 00:36:11,667 --> 00:36:15,042 while a stock-still songbird perches on a branch. 829 00:36:15,208 --> 00:36:17,708 Author Heidi Hollis says these photos are so chilling 830 00:36:17,875 --> 00:36:19,958 that they became an internet sensation. 831 00:36:20,042 --> 00:36:21,333 - It seemed like they were frozen 832 00:36:21,417 --> 00:36:23,167 in mid-motion of living their lives. 833 00:36:23,292 --> 00:36:25,333 So it was really just disturbing 834 00:36:25,417 --> 00:36:28,250 and really heartbreaking to see. 835 00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:29,875 - [Tony] The animals in these photographs 836 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:31,375 definitely look like they could have encountered 837 00:36:31,542 --> 00:36:33,833 the ancient Greek monster Medusa, 838 00:36:33,917 --> 00:36:36,333 who turned all who gazed upon her to stone. 839 00:36:37,583 --> 00:36:40,042 But there's another theory that hits a bit closer to home. 840 00:36:40,208 --> 00:36:41,542 - In that area, 841 00:36:41,667 --> 00:36:44,167 there is the legend of Popobawa, 842 00:36:44,333 --> 00:36:47,833 which is a bat-like demonic creature that would come 843 00:36:47,958 --> 00:36:50,083 and paralyze people in their sleep. 844 00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:53,042 And there are many who are suspicious 845 00:36:53,167 --> 00:36:55,542 that Popobawa is responsible for 846 00:36:55,667 --> 00:36:59,333 killing the animals here at Lake Natron. 847 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:01,083 - [Tony] There's also a more natural theory about 848 00:37:01,208 --> 00:37:03,125 what brought these animals down. 849 00:37:03,208 --> 00:37:05,500 Some say the red color of the lake seen in some footage 850 00:37:05,583 --> 00:37:08,667 is evidence of toxic algae that is killing the creatures. 851 00:37:10,333 --> 00:37:12,917 What's most curious about Lake Natron is that 852 00:37:13,042 --> 00:37:15,667 it doesn't appear to be deadly to all animals. 853 00:37:15,792 --> 00:37:20,417 In fact, 75% of the world's population of lesser flamingos 854 00:37:20,542 --> 00:37:22,000 live in its lagoon. 855 00:37:22,125 --> 00:37:24,500 So who or what happened to these unlucky animals 856 00:37:24,583 --> 00:37:27,000 that seemingly froze them in place? 857 00:37:27,125 --> 00:37:30,208 Could it be the legendary Popobawa after all? 858 00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:32,833 We turn to our experts to investigate. 859 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,250 (tense music) 860 00:37:36,875 --> 00:37:38,458 Science writer Amy Teitel 861 00:37:38,583 --> 00:37:40,625 considers the famous legend of Popobawa. 862 00:37:40,750 --> 00:37:44,292 - According to legend, Popobawa only attack humans 863 00:37:44,375 --> 00:37:46,750 with the goal of inspiring fear 864 00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:48,667 spreading throughout humanity. 865 00:37:48,792 --> 00:37:52,583 So for this demon to hypothetically attack an animal 866 00:37:52,708 --> 00:37:54,667 is not how this myth goes. 867 00:37:55,708 --> 00:37:57,792 - [Tony] So let's rule out these mythological beings. 868 00:37:57,917 --> 00:37:59,500 Could there be a real life predator 869 00:37:59,583 --> 00:38:01,042 that's causing these animals to freeze 870 00:38:01,208 --> 00:38:02,583 at the moment of death? 871 00:38:02,708 --> 00:38:04,625 Wildlife biologist Dr. Stephanie Schuttler 872 00:38:04,750 --> 00:38:05,917 looks into this theory. 873 00:38:06,042 --> 00:38:10,667 - There are animals that can essentially freeze their prey 874 00:38:10,792 --> 00:38:12,333 by paralyzing them. 875 00:38:12,417 --> 00:38:14,708 Snakes do this with a venom. 876 00:38:14,833 --> 00:38:18,333 It breaks down different parts of the prey's body 877 00:38:18,458 --> 00:38:20,958 and they can't move. 878 00:38:21,042 --> 00:38:23,167 And there's the brown recluse spider. 879 00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:26,875 When it bites you, it breaks down tissue. 880 00:38:27,042 --> 00:38:28,542 But spiders and snakes, 881 00:38:28,667 --> 00:38:31,958 they consume the prey that they kill, 882 00:38:32,042 --> 00:38:33,917 so it's really strange that 883 00:38:34,042 --> 00:38:38,292 we see the bodies of these animals largely intact. 884 00:38:39,208 --> 00:38:40,667 - [Tony] So if it's not a predator, 885 00:38:40,833 --> 00:38:43,083 could toxic red algae have killed these creatures? 886 00:38:43,208 --> 00:38:45,375 Biologist Dr. Floyd Hayes investigates. 887 00:38:45,500 --> 00:38:48,292 - Red tides occur in areas that are rich in nutrients. 888 00:38:48,375 --> 00:38:52,042 They're caused by dinoflagellate algae, 889 00:38:52,167 --> 00:38:55,333 which produce toxins and can kill organisms. 890 00:38:55,417 --> 00:38:57,833 But organisms killed during red tides 891 00:38:57,917 --> 00:38:59,667 are not preserved like this. 892 00:38:59,750 --> 00:39:02,458 In fact, they quickly disintegrate. 893 00:39:02,542 --> 00:39:04,500 - [Tony] Yet NASA geologist Dr. Bob Anderson 894 00:39:04,583 --> 00:39:07,167 thinks the algal blooms may provide a clue. 895 00:39:07,333 --> 00:39:09,667 - This is a lake that's associated with volcanism. 896 00:39:09,750 --> 00:39:12,000 When you have these nearby volcanoes, 897 00:39:12,167 --> 00:39:15,542 a lot of times they have these toxic type of gases in there. 898 00:39:15,708 --> 00:39:17,667 These algaes are feeding off of the nutrients 899 00:39:17,792 --> 00:39:19,667 that are coming from the volcano. 900 00:39:19,792 --> 00:39:22,500 - [Tony] So toxins from volcanic gases or algal blooms 901 00:39:22,583 --> 00:39:24,458 may be what's causing these deaths. 902 00:39:24,583 --> 00:39:27,750 But then why aren't the animal remains decomposing? 903 00:39:27,875 --> 00:39:29,500 - There are a number of lakes that have 904 00:39:29,625 --> 00:39:32,417 high concentrations of natron in them 905 00:39:32,542 --> 00:39:36,208 that have formed when large amounts of volcanic ash 906 00:39:36,375 --> 00:39:37,333 cover the lake. 907 00:39:37,417 --> 00:39:39,417 And as the water evaporates, 908 00:39:39,542 --> 00:39:42,417 the sodium bicarbonate become concentrated. 909 00:39:42,542 --> 00:39:44,125 The lake is extremely alkaline. 910 00:39:44,208 --> 00:39:48,125 It has a pH of about 9 to 10.5. 911 00:39:48,250 --> 00:39:49,333 - [Tony] And Anderson says 912 00:39:49,500 --> 00:39:51,833 it's this high alkalinity that solves the mystery. 913 00:39:51,958 --> 00:39:54,083 - This animal looks like he's been exposed 914 00:39:54,208 --> 00:39:56,333 to this alkaline type of area. 915 00:39:56,458 --> 00:39:58,833 Somehow they get covered up quickly from the water, 916 00:39:58,958 --> 00:40:03,000 they're in the muds, and these muds are also very alkaline, 917 00:40:03,083 --> 00:40:05,167 and so they actually act as a coating 918 00:40:05,250 --> 00:40:07,458 and they mummified the thing. 919 00:40:07,542 --> 00:40:10,042 - [Tony] Anderson says what the animal's body goes through 920 00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:11,458 is also similar to petrification, 921 00:40:11,583 --> 00:40:14,333 which turns organic material into fossils. 922 00:40:14,458 --> 00:40:18,042 - What happens in this process is that water goes through 923 00:40:18,167 --> 00:40:19,500 and as water is carrying minerals, 924 00:40:19,625 --> 00:40:21,208 they take out an organic mineral 925 00:40:21,375 --> 00:40:23,375 and replace it with a mineral like quartz 926 00:40:23,500 --> 00:40:25,292 or something that's very hard. 927 00:40:25,875 --> 00:40:28,292 (tense music) 928 00:40:30,208 --> 00:40:31,000 - Our verdict? 929 00:40:31,083 --> 00:40:33,000 So this is really pretty cool. 930 00:40:33,125 --> 00:40:36,792 It turns out these animals are not actually petrified, 931 00:40:36,875 --> 00:40:37,958 they're mummified. 932 00:40:38,042 --> 00:40:41,125 The high alkalinity in the lake from sodium bicarbonate 933 00:40:41,208 --> 00:40:42,917 is what causes this process. 934 00:40:43,042 --> 00:40:44,042 But that still doesn't explain 935 00:40:44,167 --> 00:40:47,375 why the creatures are perfectly frozen in place. 936 00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:50,042 Well, we caught up with a photographer 937 00:40:50,167 --> 00:40:52,542 and he admits he found them on shore 938 00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:53,958 and then posed them like this 939 00:40:54,083 --> 00:40:57,708 to achieve that haunting look in his photos. 940 00:40:57,833 --> 00:40:58,958 And that's our show for tonight. 941 00:40:59,042 --> 00:41:00,500 Thank you so much for watching. 942 00:41:00,625 --> 00:41:03,750 Remember to keep those cameras rolling. 943 00:41:04,667 --> 00:41:07,500 (dramatic theme music)