1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,208 - Tonight on The Proof Is Out There. 2 00:00:03,333 --> 00:00:04,542 What's that lurking in the water? 3 00:00:04,667 --> 00:00:06,833 Does the Loch Ness Monster have a cousin? 4 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,667 - What's exciting is that I can't readily identify 5 00:00:09,833 --> 00:00:11,375 what type of animal this is. 6 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:14,000 - [Tony] Summoners claim to commune with UFOs. 7 00:00:14,167 --> 00:00:15,500 Is this their proof? 8 00:00:15,667 --> 00:00:19,167 - It was just shimmering super bright and it was just quiet. 9 00:00:19,292 --> 00:00:20,625 - [Tony] The ground is breathing 10 00:00:20,750 --> 00:00:22,750 and the forest might be thinking. 11 00:00:22,875 --> 00:00:25,792 - Is it possible that the forest is working collectively 12 00:00:25,917 --> 00:00:27,750 in response to some kind of threat? 13 00:00:27,875 --> 00:00:29,500 - [Tony] And the secrets of the star disk. 14 00:00:29,583 --> 00:00:32,458 Did an otherworldly intelligence leave us a message? 15 00:00:32,542 --> 00:00:36,458 - This artifact has a lot more to say than you'd think. 16 00:00:36,542 --> 00:00:39,250 (exciting music) 17 00:00:41,542 --> 00:00:43,208 - [Tony] Around the globe are videos. 18 00:00:43,333 --> 00:00:45,000 - [Witness] What the heck is this? 19 00:00:45,125 --> 00:00:46,625 - [Witness] It's moving. 20 00:00:46,708 --> 00:00:49,667 - [Tony] Photos and sounds that defy explanation. 21 00:00:49,792 --> 00:00:51,667 (electric buzzing) 22 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:55,333 (dramatic music) 23 00:00:55,458 --> 00:00:57,750 - [Marc] Is it some kind of unidentified object? 24 00:00:57,875 --> 00:00:59,667 What's exciting is nobody really knows. 25 00:01:00,750 --> 00:01:01,500 - [Tony] What are they? 26 00:01:01,625 --> 00:01:03,667 - [MJ] Some sort of bizarre mutation. 27 00:01:03,792 --> 00:01:07,042 - Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof. 28 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,000 - I'm Tony Harris, 29 00:01:10,125 --> 00:01:12,125 and as a journalist for more than 30 years, 30 00:01:12,250 --> 00:01:14,625 I've followed the facts where they take me. 31 00:01:14,750 --> 00:01:17,542 Now I'm bringing that spirit of investigation 32 00:01:17,667 --> 00:01:20,625 to the world's strangest sounds and images. 33 00:01:20,708 --> 00:01:24,167 We'll analyze each one with top experts. 34 00:01:24,333 --> 00:01:27,333 - It's a credible case, it's a credible video. 35 00:01:27,417 --> 00:01:30,042 - [Tony] And pass a verdict on what it is. 36 00:01:30,208 --> 00:01:32,083 - This video is clearly faked. 37 00:01:32,208 --> 00:01:34,000 - The proof starts now. 38 00:01:34,167 --> 00:01:37,042 (dramatic theme music) 39 00:01:42,125 --> 00:01:44,833 Good evening and welcome to The Proof Is Out There. 40 00:01:44,958 --> 00:01:46,333 Legends about sea monsters 41 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,375 have fascinated mankind for centuries. 42 00:01:49,542 --> 00:01:52,167 Many such creatures are thought to be holdovers 43 00:01:52,333 --> 00:01:55,625 from the prehistoric era that somehow survived extinction. 44 00:01:55,708 --> 00:01:58,917 But what if some of those so-called monsters 45 00:01:59,042 --> 00:02:02,125 originated on another planet altogether? 46 00:02:02,250 --> 00:02:05,083 August 10th, 2019 in Tynemouth, United Kingdom, 47 00:02:05,208 --> 00:02:07,792 a small seaside town in Northeast England. 48 00:02:07,875 --> 00:02:09,667 A local man enjoys a morning coffee 49 00:02:09,833 --> 00:02:12,625 on a pier overlooking the water when he spots this. 50 00:02:14,833 --> 00:02:16,667 We see a creature in the water, 51 00:02:16,750 --> 00:02:20,042 dark, skinny and wiry, of indeterminate length. 52 00:02:20,208 --> 00:02:23,375 It lurks just beneath the surface in the shallows, 53 00:02:23,542 --> 00:02:26,375 hovering in place and almost submerged, 54 00:02:26,542 --> 00:02:28,292 but then it breaks the surface 55 00:02:28,417 --> 00:02:32,125 and reveals a long, smooth body. 56 00:02:32,250 --> 00:02:34,000 Its shape is reminiscent of a snake, 57 00:02:34,167 --> 00:02:37,667 and then it goes back under and disappears. 58 00:02:37,792 --> 00:02:39,000 Field researcher Ken Gerhard 59 00:02:39,125 --> 00:02:41,042 helps make sense of what we just saw. 60 00:02:41,208 --> 00:02:44,125 - What's exciting is that I can't readily identify 61 00:02:44,208 --> 00:02:45,958 what type of animal this is. 62 00:02:46,042 --> 00:02:50,000 One intriguing possibility is that there could be a form of 63 00:02:50,125 --> 00:02:52,500 quote, unquote, "underwater alien", 64 00:02:52,625 --> 00:02:56,167 and this is born by an ex-OceanX researcher 65 00:02:56,292 --> 00:02:57,875 who does an underwater exploration 66 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,042 who claims to have encountered alien-like creatures 67 00:03:01,208 --> 00:03:05,292 in the ocean that he described as hyper advanced. 68 00:03:05,375 --> 00:03:08,083 But physiologically speaking, he said that 69 00:03:08,208 --> 00:03:11,333 they somewhat resembled stingrays or manta rays 70 00:03:11,458 --> 00:03:13,167 with wing-like appendages. 71 00:03:13,333 --> 00:03:15,208 - [Tony] Next, Gerhard wonders if this might be 72 00:03:15,333 --> 00:03:18,333 a saltwater cousin of a local freshwater legend. 73 00:03:18,458 --> 00:03:20,292 - Still, others have hypothesized 74 00:03:20,417 --> 00:03:22,667 that this could be Bownessie, 75 00:03:22,792 --> 00:03:26,583 which is England's most famous aquatic denizen. 76 00:03:26,708 --> 00:03:29,708 Bownessie has been reported from Lake Windermere, 77 00:03:29,833 --> 00:03:31,500 the largest lake in England. 78 00:03:31,583 --> 00:03:34,875 It's described like a serpentine animal, but very large. 79 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:40,000 Reports of Bownessie only date back to about 2010 or so 80 00:03:40,083 --> 00:03:42,750 when it was first observed by a reporter, 81 00:03:42,875 --> 00:03:45,667 and since that time, there have only been about 10 sightings 82 00:03:45,750 --> 00:03:46,875 or accounts of Bownessie, 83 00:03:47,042 --> 00:03:51,458 but still we have to recognize that there is a long history 84 00:03:51,583 --> 00:03:55,250 of lake monsters throughout the British Isles. 85 00:03:55,375 --> 00:03:56,833 - [Tony] Bownessie, like its legendary cousin 86 00:03:56,958 --> 00:03:58,208 the Loch Ness Monster, 87 00:03:58,333 --> 00:04:00,500 is thought by many to be a plesiosaurus, 88 00:04:00,583 --> 00:04:03,000 which were believed to live exclusively in the oceans, 89 00:04:03,125 --> 00:04:05,417 until July 28th, 2022, 90 00:04:05,542 --> 00:04:07,208 when an international team of researchers 91 00:04:07,375 --> 00:04:09,542 discovered plesiosaur fossils 92 00:04:09,667 --> 00:04:11,917 in ancient freshwater riverbeds in Morocco. 93 00:04:12,042 --> 00:04:14,417 So is it possible that a plesiosaur could be making 94 00:04:14,542 --> 00:04:16,833 its way from Lake Windermere to the ocean? 95 00:04:18,958 --> 00:04:21,708 In addition to aliens that resemble stingrays, 96 00:04:21,833 --> 00:04:24,500 underwater photographer Luis Lamar 97 00:04:24,625 --> 00:04:27,500 has described giant underwater spiders 98 00:04:27,583 --> 00:04:31,583 and poison deep water sea snakes with bright yellow heads. 99 00:04:31,708 --> 00:04:34,167 Such figures are referred to as USOs, 100 00:04:34,333 --> 00:04:36,667 or unidentified submerged objects. 101 00:04:36,750 --> 00:04:39,167 Could this be one of the alien creatures 102 00:04:39,292 --> 00:04:41,000 from Lamar's accounts? 103 00:04:41,167 --> 00:04:43,042 Let's ask our experts. 104 00:04:43,167 --> 00:04:45,542 (tense music) 105 00:04:46,875 --> 00:04:48,333 Wildlife biologist Stephanie Schuttler 106 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:50,125 weighs the possibility that we're looking at 107 00:04:50,250 --> 00:04:52,333 one of Britain's famed water monsters. 108 00:04:52,458 --> 00:04:54,500 - People think that this is Bownessie 109 00:04:54,667 --> 00:04:57,958 or some type of lake monster by the way that it's moving. 110 00:04:58,083 --> 00:05:01,000 It seems to be going in and out of the water, 111 00:05:01,125 --> 00:05:05,708 and these things fit what a lake monster would look like. 112 00:05:05,833 --> 00:05:07,000 - [Tony] But Schuttler is more skeptical. 113 00:05:07,083 --> 00:05:10,958 - I wouldn't say it's really characteristic of an animal. 114 00:05:11,083 --> 00:05:15,375 Usually animals move faster, especially at the end. 115 00:05:15,542 --> 00:05:18,625 They don't bob up and down like that. 116 00:05:18,708 --> 00:05:22,333 When the end parts of it come up and down, 117 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:24,125 they look like 90 degree edges, 118 00:05:24,208 --> 00:05:28,875 and I can't think of any animal that fits that description. 119 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,333 - [Tony] Next, marine biologist Shea Conger 120 00:05:31,417 --> 00:05:32,458 discusses the possibility 121 00:05:32,542 --> 00:05:35,333 that this is a creature from another planet. 122 00:05:35,458 --> 00:05:37,667 - It's been conjectured based on some witnesses 123 00:05:37,792 --> 00:05:41,333 that this might be an extraterrestrial. 124 00:05:41,458 --> 00:05:45,042 This to me looks like a really normal object. 125 00:05:45,208 --> 00:05:46,750 It's in pretty shallow water, 126 00:05:46,875 --> 00:05:48,625 so it doesn't seem like there's anything 127 00:05:48,708 --> 00:05:51,708 particularly mysterious about it. 128 00:05:51,875 --> 00:05:54,458 It does seem like it's moving pretty dynamically 129 00:05:54,542 --> 00:05:57,458 in the water, and that could either point to the fact 130 00:05:57,583 --> 00:05:59,542 that this is something that's alive, 131 00:05:59,667 --> 00:06:03,083 or it's just something that's really flexible 132 00:06:03,208 --> 00:06:06,708 and catching the incoming tide and currents as they come in. 133 00:06:06,833 --> 00:06:09,625 Based on the fact that this object 134 00:06:09,708 --> 00:06:13,167 is not really making any advanced or directed movements, 135 00:06:13,333 --> 00:06:17,333 I can pretty much rule out that this is some kind of alien 136 00:06:17,458 --> 00:06:19,792 or extraterrestrial creature. 137 00:06:19,875 --> 00:06:21,000 - [Tony] But even though she doesn't believe 138 00:06:21,167 --> 00:06:23,667 this figure's an alien, Conger still thinks the evidence 139 00:06:23,792 --> 00:06:26,542 points towards something strange and unexpected. 140 00:06:26,667 --> 00:06:28,583 - It's not navigating its environment. 141 00:06:28,708 --> 00:06:31,417 It's just waving a lot. 142 00:06:31,542 --> 00:06:33,667 Hydrologically, if this were an animal, 143 00:06:33,750 --> 00:06:36,458 you would see something like a wake or disturbance 144 00:06:36,542 --> 00:06:38,125 at the surface. 145 00:06:38,250 --> 00:06:40,000 So because of that, 146 00:06:40,083 --> 00:06:43,958 I don't think this is a living, self-propelled item. 147 00:06:44,083 --> 00:06:46,667 I believe this is probably some sort of plastic 148 00:06:46,750 --> 00:06:47,750 or other type of debris 149 00:06:47,875 --> 00:06:50,833 that's being moved around in the water. 150 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,333 - Conger points out that more than 10 million tons 151 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:55,667 of plastic waste enter the oceans each year, 152 00:06:55,792 --> 00:06:57,875 and between the angular shape of the object, 153 00:06:58,042 --> 00:07:01,083 the lack of a wake and its dark, reflective nature, 154 00:07:01,208 --> 00:07:04,000 all signs point to this being a large piece of plastic 155 00:07:04,167 --> 00:07:05,458 floating in the current. 156 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:08,708 (tense music) 157 00:07:10,375 --> 00:07:11,583 The verdict? 158 00:07:11,708 --> 00:07:13,625 This is just some floating debris. 159 00:07:13,708 --> 00:07:15,833 We didn't spot Bownessie this time, 160 00:07:15,958 --> 00:07:18,333 but rest assured we will keep a keen eye out 161 00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:20,750 for more sightings in Tynemouth. 162 00:07:22,042 --> 00:07:25,042 For a while now, we've been covering a worldwide movement, 163 00:07:25,208 --> 00:07:28,500 a subculture really, within the broader search for UFOs. 164 00:07:28,583 --> 00:07:30,708 It's a group of people who not only believe 165 00:07:30,875 --> 00:07:33,875 extraterrestrial visitors have been coming to the planet, 166 00:07:34,042 --> 00:07:37,000 but that we humans have the power to summon them 167 00:07:37,083 --> 00:07:41,500 and spot them with infrared binoculars like these, 168 00:07:41,667 --> 00:07:44,625 and they say there's video to prove it. 169 00:07:45,708 --> 00:07:48,750 October 2021, it's a clear and cool evening 170 00:07:48,875 --> 00:07:51,375 in the quiet town of Meriden, Connecticut. 171 00:07:51,542 --> 00:07:53,500 Bruce Waterbury is out on his back deck 172 00:07:53,667 --> 00:07:55,083 with a pair of infrared binoculars 173 00:07:55,208 --> 00:07:57,667 looking for signs of extraterrestrial activity, 174 00:07:57,750 --> 00:07:59,500 when suddenly he sees this. 175 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:02,917 A large, bright light moves in the sky 176 00:08:03,042 --> 00:08:04,542 across a field of stars. 177 00:08:04,708 --> 00:08:05,750 Take a closer look. 178 00:08:05,875 --> 00:08:08,292 Its shape appears to be solid 179 00:08:08,417 --> 00:08:10,250 and close to a near-perfect circle. 180 00:08:10,375 --> 00:08:12,000 There are no blinking lights, 181 00:08:12,125 --> 00:08:15,000 and it doesn't appear to expel any exhaust 182 00:08:15,125 --> 00:08:17,000 or have visible means of propulsion. 183 00:08:18,292 --> 00:08:23,125 - It was shimmering, just shimmering and super bright, 184 00:08:23,208 --> 00:08:24,333 and it was just quiet. 185 00:08:24,458 --> 00:08:27,208 The adrenaline was rushing through my arms and everything, 186 00:08:27,333 --> 00:08:29,167 so it was a little shaky. 187 00:08:29,333 --> 00:08:31,500 - [Tony] Then after Bruce circles a laser pointer 188 00:08:31,583 --> 00:08:33,708 around the orb, it appears to shrink in size, 189 00:08:33,875 --> 00:08:35,708 and then suddenly disappears. 190 00:08:36,750 --> 00:08:38,375 But Bruce doesn't believe this UFO sighting 191 00:08:38,500 --> 00:08:40,542 was some random occurrence. 192 00:08:40,667 --> 00:08:42,875 - [Bruce] I believe there's alien life. 193 00:08:43,042 --> 00:08:45,750 I'm not an expert, but I try to follow the steps 194 00:08:45,875 --> 00:08:48,333 to make contact with extraterrestrials. 195 00:08:49,417 --> 00:08:50,542 - [Tony] Writer Amy Teitel explains, 196 00:08:50,667 --> 00:08:53,167 the process is part of a new trend in UFO circles 197 00:08:53,292 --> 00:08:55,208 called CE-5. 198 00:08:55,375 --> 00:08:58,958 - CE-5 is a UFO summoning group. 199 00:08:59,083 --> 00:09:02,667 The people who are involved with CE-5 use a special app, 200 00:09:02,750 --> 00:09:06,667 certain frequencies and meditation to try to summon UFOs 201 00:09:06,833 --> 00:09:08,292 so they can see them. 202 00:09:08,375 --> 00:09:09,375 - [Tony] Sound strange? 203 00:09:09,542 --> 00:09:11,500 Well, the idea of contacting aliens 204 00:09:11,625 --> 00:09:13,333 isn't as radical as you might think. 205 00:09:13,458 --> 00:09:14,708 In fact, a group called METI, 206 00:09:14,833 --> 00:09:17,667 which stands for Messaging ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, 207 00:09:17,833 --> 00:09:21,333 was formed in 2015 to establish a scientific protocol 208 00:09:21,458 --> 00:09:23,083 for contacting aliens, 209 00:09:23,208 --> 00:09:26,833 albeit in a higher tech way than CE-5 summoners. 210 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,917 - METI is a group that transmits 211 00:09:29,042 --> 00:09:32,000 interstellar messages via radio telescope, 212 00:09:32,083 --> 00:09:34,333 basically putting messages out into space 213 00:09:34,417 --> 00:09:37,625 in the hopes that someone will receive and hear them. 214 00:09:37,750 --> 00:09:40,375 In 2017, METI sent a message 215 00:09:40,542 --> 00:09:44,000 of scientific and mathematical equations to Luyten's Star, 216 00:09:44,125 --> 00:09:46,625 which sits 12 light years from the Earth. 217 00:09:48,708 --> 00:09:51,375 - Now, Luyten's Star was chosen because of a planet 218 00:09:51,542 --> 00:09:55,083 in its solar system, GJ 273B, 219 00:09:55,208 --> 00:09:57,500 which has been called a super Earth. 220 00:09:57,583 --> 00:09:59,542 It's nearly three times as large as Earth 221 00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:01,167 and thought to be a good candidate 222 00:10:01,292 --> 00:10:03,208 for extraterrestrial life. 223 00:10:03,333 --> 00:10:06,917 But can UFOs be summoned from there or anywhere else? 224 00:10:07,042 --> 00:10:09,417 Let's see what our experts think. 225 00:10:09,542 --> 00:10:11,750 (tense music) 226 00:10:13,333 --> 00:10:15,417 We begin with astronomer and video effects designer, 227 00:10:15,542 --> 00:10:17,208 Marc D'Antonio, to see if this might be 228 00:10:17,375 --> 00:10:19,000 some sort of aircraft. 229 00:10:19,083 --> 00:10:22,500 - Aircraft have red lights, they have green lights, 230 00:10:22,583 --> 00:10:24,000 they have a bottom strobe. 231 00:10:24,125 --> 00:10:27,417 So we can immediately say it's not an airplane, 232 00:10:27,542 --> 00:10:29,250 and it's not a drone in my view 233 00:10:29,375 --> 00:10:31,500 because you'd have to have a very, very bright light, 234 00:10:31,667 --> 00:10:33,458 which wouldn't make any sense. 235 00:10:33,583 --> 00:10:34,917 And when you get UFO reports, 236 00:10:35,042 --> 00:10:37,250 you hear the object move through the sky 237 00:10:37,375 --> 00:10:39,042 at an unbelievable speed 238 00:10:39,167 --> 00:10:41,833 and then did a 90 degree turn to the left or right, 239 00:10:41,958 --> 00:10:45,833 but in this particular case, we don't see any of that. 240 00:10:45,958 --> 00:10:47,500 - [Tony] So if it's not a UFO, 241 00:10:47,667 --> 00:10:49,250 is it something more down to Earth, 242 00:10:49,375 --> 00:10:52,000 an animal seen among the stars almost every evening? 243 00:10:52,167 --> 00:10:53,833 - I have seen some night vision imagery 244 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,875 of things that fly across the sky, 245 00:10:57,042 --> 00:10:59,333 but usually they're objects like bats, 246 00:10:59,500 --> 00:11:03,125 and creatures like bats have a very erratic flight pattern. 247 00:11:03,250 --> 00:11:05,833 - [Tony] Instead, D'Antonio points to the smooth motion 248 00:11:05,958 --> 00:11:08,750 and path of the object as a defining clue. 249 00:11:08,875 --> 00:11:11,833 - If you look in the night sky any night of the year, 250 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,500 you can see upwards of anywhere 251 00:11:13,625 --> 00:11:17,458 from five to 10 satellites an hour. 252 00:11:17,542 --> 00:11:18,500 - [Tony] But if it's a satellite, 253 00:11:18,583 --> 00:11:21,125 why does it look like a glowing ball of light? 254 00:11:21,208 --> 00:11:23,167 D'Antonio thinks he has the answer. 255 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:24,958 - A satellite could have been high enough up 256 00:11:25,083 --> 00:11:27,333 in the atmosphere where the sunlight was hitting it 257 00:11:27,458 --> 00:11:29,833 and illuminating it and it was reflecting the sunlight, 258 00:11:29,958 --> 00:11:32,500 and it was dimming because it was going over 259 00:11:32,625 --> 00:11:35,292 the Earth's terminator into the Earth's shadow, 260 00:11:35,375 --> 00:11:38,833 and so it saw less and less sun until it saw none. 261 00:11:38,917 --> 00:11:41,000 - [Tony] But based on the size of the object, 262 00:11:41,125 --> 00:11:43,667 Rich Hoffman of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies 263 00:11:43,750 --> 00:11:45,417 respectfully disagrees. 264 00:11:45,542 --> 00:11:47,833 - It looks relatively large compared to the stars, 265 00:11:47,958 --> 00:11:49,000 which would tell you 266 00:11:49,125 --> 00:11:50,958 that it is relatively close to the observer, 267 00:11:51,083 --> 00:11:54,000 and so in that context you would would be saying 268 00:11:54,125 --> 00:11:56,958 that possibly that's the Earth light phenomenon, 269 00:11:57,083 --> 00:12:00,000 which are basically balls of gas. 270 00:12:00,167 --> 00:12:02,333 They're a bubble moving across the sky 271 00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:05,167 and they emit a light, different colors. 272 00:12:05,333 --> 00:12:07,083 They tend to be near ground 273 00:12:07,208 --> 00:12:09,667 and getting up to maybe about 2,000 feet altitude 274 00:12:09,750 --> 00:12:12,167 and moving in a straight line. 275 00:12:13,375 --> 00:12:15,542 - [Tony] Hoffman says one theory is that Earth lights 276 00:12:15,667 --> 00:12:16,667 are generated by tectonic strains 277 00:12:16,833 --> 00:12:20,000 within the Earth's crust that create an electric charge 278 00:12:20,167 --> 00:12:23,125 which ignites gases released within the ground. 279 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:25,458 - It's the closest match that I can come up with, 280 00:12:25,542 --> 00:12:29,375 but can I conclusively say that that's what it is? 281 00:12:29,542 --> 00:12:33,042 No, so it would fall into the category 282 00:12:33,208 --> 00:12:35,833 of being an unidentified aerial phenomena 283 00:12:35,958 --> 00:12:38,125 until it's proven otherwise, 284 00:12:38,208 --> 00:12:40,458 because even when you want to call it something else, 285 00:12:40,583 --> 00:12:43,458 you need to really have that convincing evidence 286 00:12:43,542 --> 00:12:46,542 that supports the fact that that's what it really would be. 287 00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:50,042 (tense music) 288 00:12:51,667 --> 00:12:52,250 - Our verdict? 289 00:12:52,375 --> 00:12:54,875 We're going with genuine UFO. 290 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,333 Although both our experts have good arguments, 291 00:12:57,458 --> 00:13:00,500 as Hoffman says, until we can get more definitive proof, 292 00:13:00,625 --> 00:13:03,042 we feel we can't say exactly what this is. 293 00:13:03,167 --> 00:13:05,500 But one thing we do want to make clear, 294 00:13:05,625 --> 00:13:07,667 using a laser pointer in the night sky 295 00:13:07,792 --> 00:13:11,333 is not only dangerous to pilots and aircraft, but illegal. 296 00:13:11,458 --> 00:13:14,833 So if you want to do any pointing at UFOs, 297 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,417 use your finger instead. 298 00:13:20,167 --> 00:13:22,167 - Burial sites, storage containers, 299 00:13:22,292 --> 00:13:24,417 or drinking goblets for giants? 300 00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:27,000 All have been offered as explanations 301 00:13:27,125 --> 00:13:29,667 for these next odd structures. 302 00:13:29,792 --> 00:13:32,167 The problem is, trying to find the correct answer 303 00:13:32,250 --> 00:13:34,292 could kill you. 304 00:13:34,375 --> 00:13:36,917 It's March 2014 in the Xiang Khouang Plain 305 00:13:37,042 --> 00:13:38,292 in Laos Highlands. 306 00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:41,667 Amateur archeologist Alexander Kerekes 307 00:13:41,792 --> 00:13:43,958 sets out to capture a mysterious sight on film 308 00:13:44,083 --> 00:13:45,458 for one of the first times ever. 309 00:13:45,542 --> 00:13:47,667 His footage shows thousands of large stone jars 310 00:13:47,792 --> 00:13:51,125 scattered a few feet apart throughout the field. 311 00:13:51,208 --> 00:13:53,000 These huge, hollow jars are different sizes 312 00:13:53,125 --> 00:13:54,833 and look almost like they grew 313 00:13:54,958 --> 00:13:56,208 out of the vegetation around them. 314 00:13:56,333 --> 00:13:59,375 - The fascinating thing is some of these jars are humongous. 315 00:13:59,542 --> 00:14:02,000 You ask yourself, how did they get here? 316 00:14:02,167 --> 00:14:03,875 How did the people transport them there? 317 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:05,708 How were they built? 318 00:14:05,875 --> 00:14:08,167 - [Tony] Writer Eric Grundhauser says these stone jars 319 00:14:08,292 --> 00:14:09,500 have baffled scientists and locals 320 00:14:09,625 --> 00:14:13,625 since French archeologists first studied them in the 1930s. 321 00:14:13,708 --> 00:14:19,333 - These giant, stone jars date back almost 3,000 years. 322 00:14:19,458 --> 00:14:23,042 They have these nearly perfectly round apertures at the top. 323 00:14:23,167 --> 00:14:25,500 They stand anywhere from three to 10 feet high. 324 00:14:25,625 --> 00:14:28,292 Some of them weigh as much as 14 tons. 325 00:14:28,375 --> 00:14:29,667 - [Tony] There is no written history 326 00:14:29,833 --> 00:14:30,958 about the origin of these jars, 327 00:14:31,042 --> 00:14:34,542 but local legend points to an ancient king of the giants. 328 00:14:34,708 --> 00:14:39,583 - The story goes that Khun Cheung won a decisive battle, 329 00:14:39,708 --> 00:14:44,000 and to celebrate, he wanted to create a feast 330 00:14:44,083 --> 00:14:47,167 with this local Lao-Lao rice wine, 331 00:14:47,250 --> 00:14:49,750 and so he created all of these giant cups 332 00:14:49,875 --> 00:14:52,333 for his giant army. 333 00:14:52,417 --> 00:14:54,167 - [Tony] Others have speculated that these artifacts 334 00:14:54,250 --> 00:14:55,500 may have had a more practical use 335 00:14:55,625 --> 00:14:58,208 for travelers of the ancient world. 336 00:14:58,333 --> 00:14:59,625 - One theory is that these jars 337 00:14:59,708 --> 00:15:02,667 were placed along an ancient trade route, 338 00:15:02,750 --> 00:15:06,000 and that they acted sort of as storage containers. 339 00:15:06,125 --> 00:15:08,583 So as travelers passed through the area, 340 00:15:08,708 --> 00:15:12,375 they could come here, leave the goods in one of these jars, 341 00:15:12,500 --> 00:15:14,417 and then another traveler could come pick them up, 342 00:15:14,542 --> 00:15:17,333 almost like an ancient drop box. 343 00:15:17,458 --> 00:15:19,292 - [Tony] Yet another theory is that these weren't used 344 00:15:19,375 --> 00:15:20,458 for sustenance in life, 345 00:15:20,542 --> 00:15:23,042 but instead were part of a ritual of death. 346 00:15:23,167 --> 00:15:24,375 - The concept that these jars 347 00:15:24,542 --> 00:15:25,583 would have been used as burial urns 348 00:15:25,708 --> 00:15:29,167 is backed up by the findings of some archeologists 349 00:15:29,292 --> 00:15:32,583 who in a nearby cave found some human remains 350 00:15:32,708 --> 00:15:35,000 and some ashes. 351 00:15:36,875 --> 00:15:39,667 - The simple fact that these jars have survived 352 00:15:39,833 --> 00:15:40,792 is an anomaly. 353 00:15:40,875 --> 00:15:43,667 They lie on the site of the Secret War in Laos, 354 00:15:43,792 --> 00:15:46,375 where the US government dropped more bombs on the country 355 00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:48,375 in the 1960s and '70s 356 00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:51,167 than they used in Germany and Japan combined 357 00:15:51,333 --> 00:15:53,083 during World War II. 358 00:15:53,208 --> 00:15:54,833 The area is off-limits to most, 359 00:15:54,917 --> 00:15:58,167 since the region is littered with mines and active bombs, 360 00:15:58,292 --> 00:16:00,833 making it too dangerous to study properly. 361 00:16:00,958 --> 00:16:03,292 But let's see what our experts can uncover. 362 00:16:03,417 --> 00:16:05,583 (tense music) 363 00:16:07,042 --> 00:16:08,500 Archeologist Dr. Ed Barnhart 364 00:16:08,625 --> 00:16:10,167 explores whether there's any credence 365 00:16:10,250 --> 00:16:11,958 to the legend of the giant king. 366 00:16:12,042 --> 00:16:16,500 - Giants are in virtually every folklore around the planet. 367 00:16:16,583 --> 00:16:21,042 It might be something to do with finding dinosaur 368 00:16:21,208 --> 00:16:22,833 or mammoth bones. 369 00:16:22,958 --> 00:16:27,250 Mammoth skulls were the origin of cyclopses, 370 00:16:27,375 --> 00:16:32,292 but archeology has yet to produce a single skeleton 371 00:16:32,375 --> 00:16:37,500 of a giant humanoid creature, so I can rule out 372 00:16:37,625 --> 00:16:42,208 that these jars are made by and for giants. 373 00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:44,875 - [Tony] Then could these containers have been used 374 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,208 as part of an ancient form of drop box, 375 00:16:47,333 --> 00:16:48,833 as Grundhauser suggested? 376 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,667 - These jars are leading up towards Northern India, 377 00:16:53,792 --> 00:16:56,458 and that would lead one towards the conclusion 378 00:16:56,542 --> 00:16:59,458 that they are part of a trade route. 379 00:16:59,583 --> 00:17:04,000 People had to have access to food and water. 380 00:17:04,167 --> 00:17:05,292 They may have also needed places 381 00:17:05,417 --> 00:17:10,208 to temporarily store the things that they were transporting 382 00:17:10,375 --> 00:17:12,000 and trade to secure them. 383 00:17:12,167 --> 00:17:14,167 - [Tony] And Barnhart believes a recent discovery 384 00:17:14,292 --> 00:17:15,500 supports this theory. 385 00:17:15,625 --> 00:17:17,667 - In a region called Assam, 386 00:17:17,792 --> 00:17:21,167 they found another 65 of these jars. 387 00:17:21,292 --> 00:17:22,833 The more we find of these jars 388 00:17:22,958 --> 00:17:27,667 and see that there is a linear pattern they're following, 389 00:17:27,792 --> 00:17:29,833 the stronger the hypothesis 390 00:17:29,958 --> 00:17:32,583 that they represent a trade route 391 00:17:32,708 --> 00:17:36,333 between India and Southeast Asia. 392 00:17:36,458 --> 00:17:37,750 - [Tony] Anthropologist Kathy Strain 393 00:17:37,875 --> 00:17:39,583 thinks these jars had another use 394 00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:41,667 that may have been tied to a death ritual. 395 00:17:41,792 --> 00:17:45,167 - I believe that these jars represent a burial practice 396 00:17:45,292 --> 00:17:48,583 that was very common in that area at the time. 397 00:17:48,708 --> 00:17:52,500 There is a cave nearby that has what is now a chimney 398 00:17:52,667 --> 00:17:55,000 drilled into it and black soot. 399 00:17:55,125 --> 00:17:58,375 We now realize that those were for cremations. 400 00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:00,375 Then they would remove the bones 401 00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:02,667 and then put them in a secondary burial 402 00:18:02,792 --> 00:18:05,833 and then put the ashes into one of the jars, 403 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,167 and we know this because some of the jars 404 00:18:08,250 --> 00:18:12,583 that have been opened had human remains in them. 405 00:18:12,708 --> 00:18:13,500 - [Tony] But scientists believe 406 00:18:13,625 --> 00:18:14,917 the human remains found in the jars 407 00:18:15,042 --> 00:18:17,667 were placed there long after the jars were created, 408 00:18:17,792 --> 00:18:20,500 so the containers might have been repurposed at some point. 409 00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:22,958 (tense music) 410 00:18:24,542 --> 00:18:25,625 Our verdict? 411 00:18:25,750 --> 00:18:28,958 We like Barnhart's trade route storage theory. 412 00:18:29,042 --> 00:18:31,292 The discovery of those similar jars in India 413 00:18:31,375 --> 00:18:32,542 is pretty convincing. 414 00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:35,292 We know that ships have traveled back and forth 415 00:18:35,375 --> 00:18:38,375 between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia 416 00:18:38,542 --> 00:18:41,375 since prehistoric times, carrying spices, 417 00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:43,667 aromatic roots, and resins. 418 00:18:43,792 --> 00:18:45,833 Still, the lack of written records 419 00:18:45,958 --> 00:18:48,000 and the fact that the dangerous landscape 420 00:18:48,167 --> 00:18:49,542 inhibits further study 421 00:18:49,667 --> 00:18:52,583 means we may never have a definitive answer. 422 00:18:56,208 --> 00:18:57,667 - Forests are often called the lungs of the Earth, 423 00:18:57,833 --> 00:18:59,333 and with good reason. 424 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:03,000 They supply roughly one third of the planet's oxygen. 425 00:19:03,125 --> 00:19:05,542 But as beautiful as that metaphor is, 426 00:19:05,708 --> 00:19:10,250 trees don't actually breathe in the common sense of the word. 427 00:19:10,375 --> 00:19:12,167 Or do they? 428 00:19:12,333 --> 00:19:14,208 October 16th, 2018. 429 00:19:14,375 --> 00:19:16,708 A hiker is winding his way through a dense forest 430 00:19:16,875 --> 00:19:19,333 in Sacré-Coeur, Canada 431 00:19:19,417 --> 00:19:22,500 when his trek through the woods takes a shocking turn, 432 00:19:22,583 --> 00:19:25,458 so he takes out his camera and records this. 433 00:19:25,583 --> 00:19:27,375 The land begins shaking before him. 434 00:19:28,708 --> 00:19:31,000 The ground seems to inflate and then deflate. 435 00:19:32,042 --> 00:19:35,292 It's almost as if the Earth is breathing. 436 00:19:35,417 --> 00:19:37,000 So could the forest be alive? 437 00:19:38,833 --> 00:19:40,042 According to journalist Erin McCarthy, 438 00:19:40,167 --> 00:19:42,792 one theory suggests it just may be. 439 00:19:42,875 --> 00:19:44,667 - The theory is that this is all possible 440 00:19:44,750 --> 00:19:46,375 through mycorrhizal networks, 441 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:48,208 which are essentially fungal filaments 442 00:19:48,333 --> 00:19:50,292 that link up with the tree roots 443 00:19:50,375 --> 00:19:52,500 in a symbiotic relationship. 444 00:19:52,583 --> 00:19:54,375 Say for example there's a plant over here 445 00:19:54,542 --> 00:19:56,333 that's being eaten by insects. 446 00:19:56,458 --> 00:20:00,833 It will emit chemicals called volatile organic compounds 447 00:20:00,917 --> 00:20:03,167 that will actually warn nearby plants 448 00:20:03,292 --> 00:20:05,750 that it is being attacked, and then those plants 449 00:20:05,875 --> 00:20:07,208 will also emit their own chemical 450 00:20:07,375 --> 00:20:11,167 that makes them not so palatable to any insects. 451 00:20:11,292 --> 00:20:13,625 - [Tony] Could that mycorrhizal network warning system 452 00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:15,458 be so powerful that it would cause the ground 453 00:20:15,542 --> 00:20:16,792 to suddenly move, 454 00:20:16,917 --> 00:20:19,292 or are we looking at a different kind of phenomenon? 455 00:20:21,292 --> 00:20:23,333 McCarthy says another kind of mysterious force 456 00:20:23,417 --> 00:20:24,208 may be at work. 457 00:20:24,333 --> 00:20:26,875 It's a phenomenon known as a fairy trap. 458 00:20:27,042 --> 00:20:29,000 Researchers have documented multiple reports 459 00:20:29,083 --> 00:20:31,708 nearby from the island of Newfoundland, Canada. 460 00:20:32,667 --> 00:20:34,583 The idea was travelers on long journeys 461 00:20:34,708 --> 00:20:37,458 would leave gifts and offerings to fairies for good weather 462 00:20:37,583 --> 00:20:39,667 or safe passage, but those who did not 463 00:20:39,792 --> 00:20:41,750 could be tricked and trapped. 464 00:20:43,208 --> 00:20:45,083 (tree thudding) 465 00:20:46,042 --> 00:20:48,292 - Some areas of the Canadian wilderness 466 00:20:48,417 --> 00:20:50,667 are said to be fairy hotspots. 467 00:20:50,833 --> 00:20:52,417 According to one tale, 468 00:20:52,542 --> 00:20:55,375 there was a man who was wandering through the forest 469 00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:57,167 who encountered a stand of trees 470 00:20:57,292 --> 00:20:59,833 that he had never seen on that path before. 471 00:20:59,958 --> 00:21:01,833 This obviously freaked him out quite a bit, 472 00:21:01,958 --> 00:21:05,792 and so he walked the path back and forth about three times, 473 00:21:05,917 --> 00:21:08,500 and on the third time, the trees disappeared 474 00:21:08,625 --> 00:21:11,042 and everything was back to normal. 475 00:21:11,167 --> 00:21:15,083 Could we possibly be looking at a fairy trap here? 476 00:21:16,375 --> 00:21:18,000 - So what do we have here? 477 00:21:18,083 --> 00:21:21,333 Trees communicating and reacting to an oncoming threat? 478 00:21:21,417 --> 00:21:23,417 Fairies at work? 479 00:21:23,542 --> 00:21:27,958 It's estimated Canada is home to almost 318 billion trees, 480 00:21:28,042 --> 00:21:32,083 which represents 30% of the whole world's forests. 481 00:21:32,208 --> 00:21:35,333 But what do our experts think we have here? 482 00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:39,500 Let's make sure they don't miss the forest for the trees. 483 00:21:39,583 --> 00:21:41,875 (tense music) 484 00:21:43,333 --> 00:21:45,667 First, we talk to meteorologist Juan Hernandez. 485 00:21:45,833 --> 00:21:47,333 With the ground moving so violently, 486 00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:48,250 is the answer obvious? 487 00:21:48,375 --> 00:21:50,167 Could this be some kind of earthquake? 488 00:21:50,292 --> 00:21:53,542 - Seismographs are located everywhere across the globe, 489 00:21:53,667 --> 00:21:55,292 and if it was an earthquake, 490 00:21:55,417 --> 00:21:58,333 we would have seen a jolt in the seismograph, 491 00:21:58,458 --> 00:22:00,042 at least a couple of waves. 492 00:22:00,167 --> 00:22:02,708 We did not pick that up from here. 493 00:22:02,833 --> 00:22:03,833 - [Tony] So it may not be a quake, 494 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,667 but Hernandez is convinced that Mother Nature 495 00:22:05,792 --> 00:22:07,833 is definitely playing a role. 496 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,583 - If we look at the wind gusts that specific day 497 00:22:10,708 --> 00:22:15,583 on October 16th, they were approaching 61 miles an hour. 498 00:22:15,708 --> 00:22:18,625 Now you would expect a significant amount of movement 499 00:22:18,708 --> 00:22:19,917 in the trees. 500 00:22:20,042 --> 00:22:21,583 Taking a look at the entire month, 501 00:22:21,708 --> 00:22:23,542 this was the windiest day. 502 00:22:23,708 --> 00:22:26,125 - [Tony] Okay, so high winds might obviously sway trees, 503 00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:28,333 but actually move the Earth like that? 504 00:22:28,458 --> 00:22:31,375 We don't even see that during a hurricane. 505 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:35,125 But what about the idea that trees are communicating? 506 00:22:35,250 --> 00:22:38,250 Could the trees be connected as part of a wood wide web, 507 00:22:38,375 --> 00:22:40,542 sending signals and speaking to each other 508 00:22:40,708 --> 00:22:42,917 through the mycorrhizal network? 509 00:22:43,042 --> 00:22:45,583 NASA geologist Bob Anderson can't say for sure. 510 00:22:45,708 --> 00:22:47,458 Instead, he sees clues in the video 511 00:22:47,542 --> 00:22:48,958 to explain what's happening. 512 00:22:49,083 --> 00:22:50,417 Check out the moss. 513 00:22:51,542 --> 00:22:53,542 - Well, the first thing you could notice in this area 514 00:22:53,708 --> 00:22:56,167 is these big boulders. 515 00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:59,333 These boulders are laying all over the place, which tells me 516 00:22:59,458 --> 00:23:02,000 that those boulders are also under the ground, 517 00:23:02,083 --> 00:23:04,958 and so there's not a lot of soil under there. 518 00:23:05,083 --> 00:23:08,083 My second clue is this green that you see here. 519 00:23:08,208 --> 00:23:11,458 It's a layer of moss that grows all around it. 520 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:13,417 - [Tony] While the moss may look like solid ground, 521 00:23:13,542 --> 00:23:15,958 it's in fact more like a doormat covering the rocks, 522 00:23:16,042 --> 00:23:17,167 and very thin. 523 00:23:17,292 --> 00:23:21,375 - So what you have here is a rocky type of soil 524 00:23:21,542 --> 00:23:24,667 with a tree on top with roots that are very weak 525 00:23:24,792 --> 00:23:25,917 and then covered with the moss. 526 00:23:26,042 --> 00:23:28,333 That's a very unstable tree system. 527 00:23:28,417 --> 00:23:30,958 - [Tony] So both Anderson and Hernandez say it's ultimately 528 00:23:31,083 --> 00:23:33,083 a combination of factors led by the weather, 529 00:23:33,208 --> 00:23:35,625 a strong, heavy wind getting under a loosely connected layer 530 00:23:35,750 --> 00:23:37,042 of moss and earth. 531 00:23:38,875 --> 00:23:40,333 - It's probably what we call a microburst, 532 00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:43,000 where you get a tremendous amount of air 533 00:23:43,083 --> 00:23:44,833 driven down to the ground. 534 00:23:44,917 --> 00:23:49,333 It's literally pulling up that layer of moss with its roots, 535 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:51,125 causing trees to move 536 00:23:51,250 --> 00:23:53,917 and making it look like something breathing. 537 00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:56,333 (tense music) 538 00:23:57,708 --> 00:23:58,625 - Our verdict? 539 00:23:58,708 --> 00:24:01,583 We're going with loose soil and strong winds. 540 00:24:01,708 --> 00:24:05,000 We think Anderson's analysis of mossy topsoil 541 00:24:05,167 --> 00:24:08,125 coupled with a possible microburst that day 542 00:24:08,250 --> 00:24:10,167 are ultimately responsible. 543 00:24:10,333 --> 00:24:12,875 But while these trees are not necessarily breathing 544 00:24:13,042 --> 00:24:16,083 so to speak, they do help humans, too. 545 00:24:16,208 --> 00:24:17,833 On average, one tree produces 546 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,208 nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. 547 00:24:21,333 --> 00:24:24,667 Two mature trees can provide enough for a family of four. 548 00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:31,125 - We have seen a wide variety of UFOs over the years. 549 00:24:31,208 --> 00:24:35,042 Bright orbs, triangles, tic tacs, saucers. 550 00:24:35,208 --> 00:24:38,250 But what about one that's all of the above? 551 00:24:38,375 --> 00:24:40,458 Think it is impossible? 552 00:24:40,542 --> 00:24:42,333 Well, this next video from down under 553 00:24:42,417 --> 00:24:44,292 just might change your mind. 554 00:24:45,250 --> 00:24:47,417 March 30th, 2022. 555 00:24:47,542 --> 00:24:49,792 It's a partly cloudy day in Melbourne, Australia 556 00:24:49,875 --> 00:24:51,000 when a man notices something in the sky 557 00:24:51,167 --> 00:24:52,917 that's not so white and fluffy. 558 00:24:53,042 --> 00:24:55,125 In fact, the site is so surprising 559 00:24:55,250 --> 00:24:57,167 he breaks the law to pick up his phone while driving 560 00:24:57,292 --> 00:24:59,375 and captures this. 561 00:25:02,500 --> 00:25:05,292 Three gray-colored objects streak across the sky. 562 00:25:08,625 --> 00:25:10,333 - [Tony] The crafts appear to be cylinders 563 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:12,917 flying in formation, but let's zoom in 564 00:25:13,042 --> 00:25:14,958 as the camera follows them across the sky. 565 00:25:15,042 --> 00:25:17,292 Have they changed shape? 566 00:25:19,208 --> 00:25:20,458 According to journalist MJ Banias, 567 00:25:20,542 --> 00:25:23,833 if these are UFOs, Banias says it wouldn't be the first time 568 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,833 they've made headlines in Melbourne. 569 00:25:25,917 --> 00:25:27,833 - The Westall UFO incident 570 00:25:27,958 --> 00:25:30,833 is probably one of the most famous 571 00:25:30,958 --> 00:25:32,583 UFO cases out of Australia. 572 00:25:32,708 --> 00:25:35,667 It occurred in 1966, where several hundred school children 573 00:25:35,792 --> 00:25:38,667 saw what looked to be like a flying saucer 574 00:25:38,792 --> 00:25:42,042 literally hovering outside their school building. 575 00:25:42,167 --> 00:25:43,417 In fact, several teachers on site 576 00:25:43,542 --> 00:25:46,333 said they also saw this object. 577 00:25:46,417 --> 00:25:48,000 - [Tony] But unlike the Westall incident, 578 00:25:48,125 --> 00:25:50,333 these UFOs appear to be shapeshifting. 579 00:25:50,458 --> 00:25:52,167 We've brought you stories of mysterious 580 00:25:52,250 --> 00:25:54,542 shapeshifting UFOs before, 581 00:25:54,667 --> 00:25:57,917 like this video from Salento, Italy in 2017. 582 00:25:58,042 --> 00:25:59,833 Is that possible? 583 00:26:01,042 --> 00:26:03,083 Scientists have experimented using substances 584 00:26:03,208 --> 00:26:04,167 similar to Silly Putty 585 00:26:04,292 --> 00:26:06,375 that can behave as both liquid and solids. 586 00:26:08,292 --> 00:26:10,000 We seem to be seeing that kind of technology 587 00:26:10,125 --> 00:26:12,333 on display here, but is it alien? 588 00:26:13,875 --> 00:26:15,875 - We often view this idea of shapeshifting 589 00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:17,333 as being something from science fiction, 590 00:26:17,458 --> 00:26:19,208 but in the case of this video, 591 00:26:19,375 --> 00:26:22,375 there's definitely a belief out there that it could be. 592 00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:26,167 - So are we looking at a shapeshifting UFO here, 593 00:26:26,333 --> 00:26:29,208 or could it be some kind of secret craft 594 00:26:29,333 --> 00:26:31,500 developed by a nation here on Earth? 595 00:26:31,625 --> 00:26:33,917 Well, if you are looking for information 596 00:26:34,042 --> 00:26:36,917 from the Australian government, you are out of luck. 597 00:26:37,042 --> 00:26:40,708 Despite recent UFO disclosures from the US military, 598 00:26:40,833 --> 00:26:43,833 in 2011, the Australian Department of Defense 599 00:26:43,958 --> 00:26:48,500 said all of their UFO files were either lost or purged. 600 00:26:48,583 --> 00:26:51,167 So in order to find out what this really is, 601 00:26:51,292 --> 00:26:53,833 we'll have to ask our experts. 602 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,292 (tense music) 603 00:26:58,125 --> 00:27:01,208 So is this video real or an elaborate CGI hoax? 604 00:27:01,333 --> 00:27:03,458 We take that question to forensic video analyst 605 00:27:03,583 --> 00:27:04,667 Michael Primeau. 606 00:27:04,750 --> 00:27:07,125 - No fragments or information about the original device 607 00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:08,792 were detected. 608 00:27:08,917 --> 00:27:09,708 It appears to be something 609 00:27:09,833 --> 00:27:11,833 that's actually traveling in the sky. 610 00:27:11,958 --> 00:27:14,125 However, because of the high level of compression 611 00:27:14,208 --> 00:27:16,542 and the lack of digital integrity, 612 00:27:16,708 --> 00:27:19,333 they can't be verified as an authentic piece of evidence, 613 00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:21,708 in which case the result is inconclusive. 614 00:27:23,792 --> 00:27:26,292 - [Tony] Next, we check in with Rich Hoffman. 615 00:27:27,583 --> 00:27:30,458 If this video is real, does he think it could be a UFO? 616 00:27:31,458 --> 00:27:35,417 - UFOs don't do what you see and hear, 617 00:27:35,542 --> 00:27:39,667 which is where they change one minute into, from a disc shape 618 00:27:39,792 --> 00:27:42,167 over into something that's relatively long. 619 00:27:42,292 --> 00:27:43,792 Morphing like that 620 00:27:43,917 --> 00:27:47,667 is just not characteristic of the phenomena. 621 00:27:47,792 --> 00:27:50,375 - [Tony] Aviation expert Tim McMillan agrees. 622 00:27:50,542 --> 00:27:53,458 - We just don't see any behavior, 623 00:27:53,542 --> 00:27:56,667 we don't see any movement, any abrupt changes in speed. 624 00:27:56,792 --> 00:28:00,167 It is traveling fast, which makes it unusual, 625 00:28:00,250 --> 00:28:01,708 but not so fast that I don't think 626 00:28:01,875 --> 00:28:05,208 that there could be conventional explanations for. 627 00:28:05,333 --> 00:28:06,458 - [Tony] If it's not a UFO, 628 00:28:06,542 --> 00:28:09,042 then are we looking at secret military technology? 629 00:28:09,167 --> 00:28:12,500 - I'm unaware of anything that has been developed 630 00:28:12,583 --> 00:28:14,708 by the military that combines 631 00:28:14,833 --> 00:28:18,333 some sort of shapeshifting technology 632 00:28:18,458 --> 00:28:20,375 that would be operational and flying. 633 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:22,750 - [Tony] So if it's not a UFO or secret technology, 634 00:28:22,875 --> 00:28:23,500 what is it? 635 00:28:23,583 --> 00:28:25,458 McMillan says he sees a clue. 636 00:28:26,542 --> 00:28:29,125 - When the objects start passing over a building, 637 00:28:29,208 --> 00:28:30,583 I can't see wings. 638 00:28:30,708 --> 00:28:32,375 You can start to see the vague hint 639 00:28:32,542 --> 00:28:35,500 of a rear tail stabilizer. 640 00:28:35,583 --> 00:28:37,833 That would would start leading me into the area 641 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,667 that we may be looking at three aircraft. 642 00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:43,167 - [Tony] Aircraft without wings? 643 00:28:43,292 --> 00:28:44,792 How is that possible? 644 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:47,333 Hoffman explains it's an optical illusion 645 00:28:47,458 --> 00:28:49,417 based on the position of the camera. 646 00:28:49,542 --> 00:28:51,875 - You see things depending upon your perspective. 647 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,458 For example, if I'm at the bottom of a disc-shaped object 648 00:28:56,542 --> 00:28:58,583 or a circular object, 649 00:28:58,708 --> 00:29:00,583 I would obviously see and say well, it's round. 650 00:29:00,708 --> 00:29:03,167 If I were off at an angle, 651 00:29:03,333 --> 00:29:04,333 I might be saying well, wait a minute. 652 00:29:04,458 --> 00:29:08,375 From this perspective it looks like it's oval. 653 00:29:08,542 --> 00:29:10,000 - [Tony] McMillan agrees the placement of the camera 654 00:29:10,125 --> 00:29:12,167 not only hides the markings of an aircraft 655 00:29:12,292 --> 00:29:15,208 but also explains the shapeshifting. 656 00:29:15,375 --> 00:29:17,333 - Where it appears to be changing shape, 657 00:29:17,458 --> 00:29:18,667 really just has to do with the angle 658 00:29:18,792 --> 00:29:20,708 of where they're being filmed. 659 00:29:20,833 --> 00:29:22,750 So those wings are obscured, 660 00:29:22,875 --> 00:29:26,333 and they're flying in such a close formation. 661 00:29:26,458 --> 00:29:27,333 What we're looking at here 662 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,625 is going to be three distinct aircraft 663 00:29:30,708 --> 00:29:32,667 that just happened to look like one 664 00:29:32,750 --> 00:29:34,375 based on the angle of the camera. 665 00:29:35,375 --> 00:29:37,667 - [Tony] But why would three airplanes be so low in the sky 666 00:29:37,792 --> 00:29:39,708 and dangerously close to each other? 667 00:29:40,667 --> 00:29:43,083 - I think we could possibly be looking at 668 00:29:43,208 --> 00:29:44,750 three stunt aircraft, 669 00:29:44,875 --> 00:29:47,458 aircraft that are specifically designed 670 00:29:47,542 --> 00:29:49,250 for acrobatic flight. 671 00:29:49,375 --> 00:29:52,208 That theory would explain why you would have three aircraft 672 00:29:52,375 --> 00:29:54,708 flying in such close proximity. 673 00:29:54,833 --> 00:29:56,500 - [Tony] The best stunt pilots in tight formation 674 00:29:56,625 --> 00:29:58,875 have been known to fly a mere three feet apart. 675 00:30:00,583 --> 00:30:03,333 - They're flying in such a close formation 676 00:30:03,458 --> 00:30:05,167 that the angle that it's being filmed 677 00:30:05,250 --> 00:30:09,250 has made it appear like this is a shapeshifting aircraft. 678 00:30:13,167 --> 00:30:15,167 (tense music) 679 00:30:16,583 --> 00:30:17,833 - Our verdict? 680 00:30:17,917 --> 00:30:20,958 We're going with airplane aerobatic demonstration, 681 00:30:21,083 --> 00:30:23,542 and when we did a little digging of our own, 682 00:30:23,708 --> 00:30:25,875 turns out McMillan is correct. 683 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,500 It just so happens that on March 30th, 2022, 684 00:30:29,625 --> 00:30:31,833 the Royal Australian Air Force 685 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,667 dedicated a new memorial at Point Cook, 686 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:38,333 a suburb less than 10 miles from where the video was taken. 687 00:30:38,417 --> 00:30:42,000 The dedication included an aerobatic plane performance, 688 00:30:42,083 --> 00:30:44,250 and according to public flight data, 689 00:30:44,375 --> 00:30:46,167 the direction the driver is facing 690 00:30:46,250 --> 00:30:48,792 is exactly where these planes would have been. 691 00:30:52,583 --> 00:30:53,708 - We know that the legendary Bigfoot 692 00:30:53,875 --> 00:30:55,167 is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, 693 00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:58,458 but it is far from the only enigmatic hominid 694 00:30:58,542 --> 00:31:00,250 said to walk the Earth. 695 00:31:00,375 --> 00:31:02,458 Australia's Yowie is also described 696 00:31:02,583 --> 00:31:04,625 as a hairy, ape-like creature. 697 00:31:04,708 --> 00:31:06,708 A team of researchers there say they recently shot 698 00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:10,208 some high-tech footage that proves it really exists. 699 00:31:12,042 --> 00:31:15,333 In May, 2021, Queensland based Yowie researcher 700 00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:18,500 Dean Harrison and his team are testing out infrared cameras 701 00:31:18,625 --> 00:31:20,958 at Springbrook National Park. 702 00:31:22,042 --> 00:31:23,208 They picked this spot because they believe 703 00:31:23,375 --> 00:31:26,750 they've seen traces of Yowie activity among the brush, 704 00:31:26,875 --> 00:31:30,000 and that night, they captured this mysterious footage. 705 00:31:31,208 --> 00:31:34,042 The thermal imagery seems to show a solitary figure 706 00:31:34,167 --> 00:31:37,292 hiding behind or even hugging a large tree trunk. 707 00:31:38,292 --> 00:31:40,167 - [Dean] Now, this is doing what the Yowies do. 708 00:31:40,333 --> 00:31:43,042 They hug a tree, pretend they're a part of a tree 709 00:31:43,208 --> 00:31:45,000 if there's a human in the area and they just blend, 710 00:31:45,125 --> 00:31:47,625 so you can see him just putting his head in. 711 00:31:47,708 --> 00:31:49,458 - [Tony] Minutes later, the image changes. 712 00:31:49,542 --> 00:31:51,333 Now it looks like there's a couple. 713 00:31:51,417 --> 00:31:54,667 - [Dean] Two giant creatures emerge from the foliage, 714 00:31:54,792 --> 00:31:57,208 and one is bending down to pick up something. 715 00:31:57,375 --> 00:31:59,167 - [Tony] As it bends over, you can also make out 716 00:31:59,333 --> 00:32:01,417 what looks like one of the creature's heads. 717 00:32:01,542 --> 00:32:03,000 It looks cone-shaped. 718 00:32:03,083 --> 00:32:05,167 The figures are large with wide shoulders 719 00:32:05,250 --> 00:32:07,333 and ape-like proportions. 720 00:32:07,500 --> 00:32:08,958 Field researcher Cliff Barackman, 721 00:32:09,083 --> 00:32:11,167 who has been to Australia to study the Yowie, 722 00:32:11,250 --> 00:32:13,667 says the footage aligns with descriptions 723 00:32:13,792 --> 00:32:16,625 from Indigenous peoples going back centuries. 724 00:32:16,708 --> 00:32:18,000 - All of the Aborigines down there 725 00:32:18,083 --> 00:32:22,000 have drawings on the walls of caves depicting these things. 726 00:32:22,125 --> 00:32:25,250 They're prevalent in their storytelling traditions as well. 727 00:32:25,375 --> 00:32:28,667 But then the settlers came in the late 1700s 728 00:32:28,750 --> 00:32:31,875 and they too started running into Yowies, 729 00:32:32,042 --> 00:32:34,542 which is another very strong indicator 730 00:32:34,708 --> 00:32:36,750 that they're a real, biological animal. 731 00:32:37,917 --> 00:32:40,500 - Now, Bigfoot-like creatures are part of folklore 732 00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:41,708 the world over. 733 00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:44,792 Nepal has the Yeti, Mongolia has the Alma. 734 00:32:44,917 --> 00:32:46,792 One theory is that they all descended 735 00:32:46,917 --> 00:32:48,750 from a single Asian ancestor, 736 00:32:48,875 --> 00:32:50,833 some of whom made it to Australia 737 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,833 while others crossed the Bering Land Bridge, 738 00:32:52,958 --> 00:32:56,167 came to North America and evolved into Bigfoot. 739 00:32:56,292 --> 00:32:59,292 If this video is real, it could help prove that theory, 740 00:32:59,417 --> 00:33:01,083 but that's a big if. 741 00:33:01,208 --> 00:33:03,292 (tense music) 742 00:33:05,917 --> 00:33:09,042 - There's some sort of subject, creature, 743 00:33:09,208 --> 00:33:10,167 person, if you will. 744 00:33:10,292 --> 00:33:13,167 It's something that's emitting a heat signature. 745 00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:16,708 As we go through different FLIR filter arrays, 746 00:33:16,875 --> 00:33:19,333 this object's movement is consistent. 747 00:33:19,458 --> 00:33:22,167 There is something happening in here that's moving around. 748 00:33:22,292 --> 00:33:24,000 - [Tony] Look at the footage with this filter. 749 00:33:24,167 --> 00:33:26,167 Now, the head comes into better view. 750 00:33:26,333 --> 00:33:29,167 It appears to have a pronounced sagittal crest, 751 00:33:29,333 --> 00:33:31,500 a ridge of bone along the top of the cranium. 752 00:33:31,625 --> 00:33:32,750 It's similar to what's seen 753 00:33:32,875 --> 00:33:35,833 in the skulls of the early hominid Australopithecus, 754 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,667 which some believe to be the common ancestor of Bigfoot, 755 00:33:38,750 --> 00:33:40,833 Yowie, and other similar creatures. 756 00:33:40,958 --> 00:33:42,208 But Primeau is cautious. 757 00:33:42,333 --> 00:33:44,167 - Although we have not found any evidence 758 00:33:44,333 --> 00:33:46,917 to support that the recording was fabricated, 759 00:33:47,042 --> 00:33:49,833 we have no idea what is being depicted here. 760 00:33:51,083 --> 00:33:53,042 - [Tony] Next, our zoologist Roxy Furman 761 00:33:53,208 --> 00:33:55,625 analyzes the anatomy of the figures. 762 00:33:55,750 --> 00:33:57,750 - What we can see clearly at one point 763 00:33:57,875 --> 00:34:00,583 is that there are two animals pictured. 764 00:34:00,708 --> 00:34:03,458 It also looks like it's a bipedal animal, 765 00:34:03,542 --> 00:34:05,667 which means it walks on two legs. 766 00:34:05,792 --> 00:34:07,417 - [Tony] That might have you thinking primate, 767 00:34:07,542 --> 00:34:08,917 but here's a key fact. 768 00:34:09,042 --> 00:34:12,042 There are no known primates native to Australia. 769 00:34:12,208 --> 00:34:15,333 In fact, the only bipedal animals are the cassowary 770 00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:18,125 and the kangaroo, which look nothing like this. 771 00:34:19,083 --> 00:34:21,167 So how do we explain the heat signatures 772 00:34:21,333 --> 00:34:22,875 and those head shapes? 773 00:34:23,042 --> 00:34:25,583 Furman thinks she may have the answer, 774 00:34:25,708 --> 00:34:27,167 people wearing headlamps. 775 00:34:28,042 --> 00:34:29,667 - That would explain why the head's 776 00:34:29,750 --> 00:34:31,875 a slightly strange shape. 777 00:34:32,042 --> 00:34:32,667 - [Tony] That would mean the people 778 00:34:32,792 --> 00:34:34,000 were either misidentified, 779 00:34:34,083 --> 00:34:36,417 or they're participants in an elaborate hoax, 780 00:34:36,542 --> 00:34:39,500 maybe Australia's version of the Patterson-Gimlin film, 781 00:34:39,625 --> 00:34:41,458 if that was a hoax, too. 782 00:34:41,542 --> 00:34:44,500 But anthropologist Kathy Strain says that in this case, 783 00:34:44,625 --> 00:34:45,875 size does matter. 784 00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:48,458 The research team went back to the spot in daylight 785 00:34:48,542 --> 00:34:50,875 and measured the tree matching the thermal footage 786 00:34:51,042 --> 00:34:53,875 as best they could to get a sense of the size of the figures 787 00:34:54,042 --> 00:34:55,708 in the infrared video. 788 00:34:55,875 --> 00:34:59,375 - Whatever it is, is more than eight feet tall. 789 00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:04,000 The possibility of them being human is highly unlikely. 790 00:35:04,125 --> 00:35:07,375 I came to the conclusion that what this video shows 791 00:35:07,542 --> 00:35:09,833 are two real Yowie. 792 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,500 I think it is one of the most significant films 793 00:35:12,667 --> 00:35:14,875 taken in at least 50 years. 794 00:35:15,750 --> 00:35:18,000 (tense music) 795 00:35:19,458 --> 00:35:23,000 - So yes, there's a possibility that this is a hoax, 796 00:35:23,125 --> 00:35:25,042 but based on Professor Strain's estimate 797 00:35:25,167 --> 00:35:26,167 of the creature's height, 798 00:35:26,292 --> 00:35:29,083 we're going to say these are possible Yowies. 799 00:35:32,833 --> 00:35:34,625 - People have been watching the skies 800 00:35:34,750 --> 00:35:36,000 since we first emerged as a species, 801 00:35:36,125 --> 00:35:38,333 but when humans first started recording 802 00:35:38,458 --> 00:35:41,542 their astronomical observations is up for debate. 803 00:35:41,667 --> 00:35:43,750 And now an accidental discovery 804 00:35:43,875 --> 00:35:46,500 could turn everything we know on its head. 805 00:35:48,125 --> 00:35:50,458 It's 1999 near Nebra, Germany. 806 00:35:51,583 --> 00:35:53,917 Two German looters were ransacking the site 807 00:35:54,042 --> 00:35:57,000 of an archeological excavation in Middleburg Hill 808 00:35:57,083 --> 00:35:58,625 when they come across a treasure trove 809 00:35:58,708 --> 00:36:01,125 of Bronze Age artifacts. 810 00:36:01,208 --> 00:36:03,167 They quickly sell the goods on the black market, 811 00:36:03,292 --> 00:36:06,167 and in 2002, a police raid on an art collection 812 00:36:06,250 --> 00:36:09,125 brings to light a truly unique item from the stash. 813 00:36:10,583 --> 00:36:11,500 Take a good look. 814 00:36:11,583 --> 00:36:13,708 This photo taken after the loot was recovered 815 00:36:13,833 --> 00:36:15,667 shows a 10 inch circular object 816 00:36:15,750 --> 00:36:17,417 about the size of a vinyl record. 817 00:36:18,375 --> 00:36:22,042 It's adorned with 32 golden circles, a larger circle, 818 00:36:22,167 --> 00:36:25,500 a crescent shape, and an arc on its circumference. 819 00:36:25,583 --> 00:36:28,292 A smaller arc on the left side has gone missing. 820 00:36:29,917 --> 00:36:31,708 There's a smaller rainbow-shaped golden arch 821 00:36:31,833 --> 00:36:33,375 upside down near the bottom. 822 00:36:34,542 --> 00:36:37,167 Science journalist Amy Teitel says this now-famous object 823 00:36:37,292 --> 00:36:39,833 is known as the Nebra sky disc. 824 00:36:39,958 --> 00:36:42,208 - It's got a full circle and a crescent 825 00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:44,042 that looks like it's meant to be the sun 826 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:47,667 and a crescent moon, and there's these two sides 827 00:36:47,750 --> 00:36:51,875 that could be marking seasons or could be marking a horizon. 828 00:36:52,042 --> 00:36:56,250 These smaller circles could potentially be stars. 829 00:36:56,375 --> 00:36:58,083 - [Tony] Experts believe that it dates back 830 00:36:58,208 --> 00:37:01,500 to around 1800 BC, and if it does in fact 831 00:37:01,667 --> 00:37:03,000 show celestial symbols, 832 00:37:03,125 --> 00:37:05,250 it could be the oldest star map known to man. 833 00:37:05,375 --> 00:37:09,667 - Many wonder if this isn't showing an older civilization 834 00:37:09,792 --> 00:37:12,083 having settled earlier than expected. 835 00:37:12,208 --> 00:37:14,833 If you were to lay this disc down on an altar, 836 00:37:14,917 --> 00:37:17,250 the arcs on the side would line up to show you 837 00:37:17,375 --> 00:37:19,167 roughly the Equinox, which could tell you 838 00:37:19,292 --> 00:37:21,917 when you need to plant crops. 839 00:37:22,042 --> 00:37:24,167 One hypothesis about this disc 840 00:37:24,250 --> 00:37:26,042 is that it comes from a very advanced race 841 00:37:26,208 --> 00:37:27,833 living in the Bronze Age. 842 00:37:27,917 --> 00:37:30,000 For some, that leads to the question 843 00:37:30,125 --> 00:37:32,125 of whether or not they were somehow involved 844 00:37:32,208 --> 00:37:35,542 in alien technology, because these people were doing things 845 00:37:35,667 --> 00:37:38,208 that were far more advanced than any other cultures. 846 00:37:40,958 --> 00:37:42,417 - Others speculate that this disc 847 00:37:42,542 --> 00:37:45,000 has a connection to another mysterious source, 848 00:37:45,167 --> 00:37:47,125 a little-known Scandinavian sun cult 849 00:37:47,208 --> 00:37:49,333 whose name has been lost to history. 850 00:37:49,417 --> 00:37:52,167 Followers of this esoteric Nordic religion were 851 00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:55,708 sun worshipers who portrayed solar symbols frequently 852 00:37:55,833 --> 00:37:58,000 in rock carvings and other art. 853 00:37:58,167 --> 00:38:00,625 So let's see if our experts can shed some light 854 00:38:00,708 --> 00:38:01,875 on what, if anything, 855 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,958 their beliefs could have to do with this sky disc. 856 00:38:05,042 --> 00:38:07,375 (tense music) 857 00:38:08,708 --> 00:38:10,333 There's ample evidence that ancient humans 858 00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:13,042 had knowledge of astronomy, as seen in famous sights 859 00:38:13,167 --> 00:38:16,083 like Stonehenge, Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza. 860 00:38:16,208 --> 00:38:18,667 So they probably didn't need extraterrestrial help, 861 00:38:18,750 --> 00:38:21,458 but anthropologist Kathy Strain wonders if this artifact 862 00:38:21,542 --> 00:38:22,667 is connected to cultures known for 863 00:38:22,792 --> 00:38:25,958 their astronomical observations, could the Nebra sky disc 864 00:38:26,042 --> 00:38:28,500 actually be an accurate star map? 865 00:38:28,583 --> 00:38:31,750 - We have the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades right here, 866 00:38:31,875 --> 00:38:35,125 and it's an indicator that whenever the crescent moon 867 00:38:35,208 --> 00:38:38,625 was at this three quarters and you could see the Pleiades, 868 00:38:38,708 --> 00:38:43,208 that you needed to add on to your calendar a leap month 869 00:38:43,333 --> 00:38:46,333 so that you could keep your agriculture correct. 870 00:38:46,458 --> 00:38:49,000 - [Tony] But archeologist Dr. Ed Barnhart isn't quite sure 871 00:38:49,083 --> 00:38:50,500 that's what we're seeing here. 872 00:38:50,625 --> 00:38:53,375 - One of the things that distinguished the Pleiades 873 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:56,333 from some of the other stars is that they're less bright. 874 00:38:56,417 --> 00:38:59,667 If they were trying to depict a map of the sky, 875 00:38:59,792 --> 00:39:03,208 they would not make the Pleiades as bright and large 876 00:39:03,333 --> 00:39:05,167 as the other stars. 877 00:39:05,292 --> 00:39:07,542 Even just this sun and the moon here, 878 00:39:07,667 --> 00:39:10,792 it is physically impossible for this arrangement 879 00:39:10,917 --> 00:39:13,167 to be this close in a single view. 880 00:39:13,292 --> 00:39:15,833 It is not a map through which anyone 881 00:39:15,917 --> 00:39:19,125 could match it to the sky. 882 00:39:19,208 --> 00:39:20,833 - [Tony] But since some claim this disc 883 00:39:20,958 --> 00:39:23,000 was able to keep track of the equinoxes, 884 00:39:23,125 --> 00:39:25,500 could it have been some sort of ancient calendar? 885 00:39:25,625 --> 00:39:29,208 - The smaller you try to make a circle like this 886 00:39:29,333 --> 00:39:34,667 to observe the sun, the more exact position 887 00:39:34,750 --> 00:39:36,417 you have to be in. 888 00:39:36,542 --> 00:39:40,958 Something this small a scale can't really function 889 00:39:41,042 --> 00:39:43,417 as an observatory. 890 00:39:43,542 --> 00:39:45,208 - [Tony] Then is it possible this could simply be 891 00:39:45,375 --> 00:39:47,167 an elaborate piece of ancient artwork? 892 00:39:47,292 --> 00:39:50,917 - The fact that this is predominantly copper with bronze 893 00:39:51,042 --> 00:39:57,375 as kind of flare points towards it being an object of art. 894 00:39:57,500 --> 00:40:01,500 Copper is not good for making tools. 895 00:40:01,583 --> 00:40:07,292 If we look at all of the Bronze Age objects that we have, 896 00:40:07,417 --> 00:40:09,458 there are more pieces of art and jewelry 897 00:40:09,542 --> 00:40:12,167 than there are weapons and tools. 898 00:40:12,250 --> 00:40:14,167 - [Tony] But given the object's sketchy origins, 899 00:40:14,333 --> 00:40:16,958 is there a chance this could just all be a hoax? 900 00:40:17,042 --> 00:40:18,208 - There are people who have claimed 901 00:40:18,375 --> 00:40:21,833 that the looters themselves created this as a hoax 902 00:40:21,917 --> 00:40:23,667 in order to get more money. 903 00:40:23,750 --> 00:40:26,750 However, the soil adhering to the back of it 904 00:40:26,875 --> 00:40:30,250 match the exact location where the looters said they got it, 905 00:40:30,375 --> 00:40:34,458 and you cannot fake the patina that is on this bronze piece. 906 00:40:34,542 --> 00:40:36,333 We know it's very old based on that, 907 00:40:36,458 --> 00:40:40,208 so I personally don't believe that it is a hoax. 908 00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:42,667 (tense music) 909 00:40:44,042 --> 00:40:45,292 - Our verdict? 910 00:40:45,375 --> 00:40:48,708 This is almost certainly an authentic ancient artifact 911 00:40:48,833 --> 00:40:51,500 depicting astronomical bodies. 912 00:40:51,583 --> 00:40:53,167 However, it is still up for debate 913 00:40:53,250 --> 00:40:55,375 whether it is the world's oldest star map 914 00:40:55,500 --> 00:40:58,250 or just a piece of decorative art. 915 00:40:58,375 --> 00:40:59,583 And that's our show for tonight. 916 00:40:59,708 --> 00:41:03,125 Thank you so much for watching us and the stars, 917 00:41:03,208 --> 00:41:05,625 and remember to keep those cameras rolling. 918 00:41:05,708 --> 00:41:08,417 (dramatic theme music)