1 00:00:01,958 --> 00:00:03,583 - Tonight, on The Proof Is Out There. 2 00:00:03,583 --> 00:00:05,625 A reconnaissance plane captures an image 3 00:00:05,625 --> 00:00:07,542 that makes UFO history. 4 00:00:07,542 --> 00:00:11,875 - Some people have called this the best UFO photo of all time. 5 00:00:11,875 --> 00:00:14,292 - [Tony] Was a deaf nun miraculously cured 6 00:00:14,292 --> 00:00:16,208 by this weeping statue? 7 00:00:16,208 --> 00:00:18,750 - The Our Lady of Akita statue has been puzzling us 8 00:00:18,750 --> 00:00:20,292 for more than half a century. 9 00:00:20,292 --> 00:00:21,917 - [Tony] Look out above. 10 00:00:21,917 --> 00:00:24,417 Are aliens targeting SpaceX missions? 11 00:00:24,417 --> 00:00:28,208 - This could be an explicit declaration of war. 12 00:00:28,208 --> 00:00:31,958 - [Tony] And there's no way this video is real, right? 13 00:00:31,958 --> 00:00:35,708 - The thing is missing its head, but there it is swimming around. 14 00:00:35,708 --> 00:00:38,167 Like, how could that be true? 15 00:00:38,167 --> 00:00:40,458 [dramatic music] 16 00:00:42,250 --> 00:00:44,375 - [Tony] Around the globe are videos. 17 00:00:44,375 --> 00:00:45,958 - [Witness] What are those things? 18 00:00:45,958 --> 00:00:47,333 - [Witness] It's moving. 19 00:00:47,333 --> 00:00:50,625 - [Tony] Photos and sounds that defy explanation. 20 00:00:50,625 --> 00:00:52,625 [electric whirring] 21 00:00:56,125 --> 00:00:58,083 - [Kathy] We don't know where they come from, 22 00:00:58,083 --> 00:00:59,708 who made them, or how they operate. 23 00:00:59,708 --> 00:01:00,917 - [Tony] What are they? 24 00:01:00,917 --> 00:01:02,667 - [MJ] Some sort of bizarre mutation. 25 00:01:02,667 --> 00:01:04,542 - [Marc] What's exciting is nobody really knows. 26 00:01:04,542 --> 00:01:08,167 - Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof. 27 00:01:09,625 --> 00:01:11,000 - I'm Tony Harris 28 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,208 and as a journalist for more than 30 years, 29 00:01:13,208 --> 00:01:16,083 I've followed the facts where they take me. 30 00:01:16,083 --> 00:01:18,500 Now, I'm bringing that spirit of investigation 31 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:21,125 to the world's strangest sounds and images. 32 00:01:22,208 --> 00:01:25,083 We'll analyze each one with top experts. 33 00:01:25,083 --> 00:01:28,208 - It's a credible case, it's a credible video. 34 00:01:28,208 --> 00:01:30,958 - [Tony] And pass a verdict on what it is. 35 00:01:30,958 --> 00:01:33,000 - This video was clearly faked. 36 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,958 - The proof starts now. 37 00:01:34,958 --> 00:01:37,250 [dramatic music] 38 00:01:42,542 --> 00:01:46,125 - Good evening and welcome to The Proof Is Out There. 39 00:01:46,125 --> 00:01:49,750 Our first story tonight takes us back to 1979 40 00:01:49,750 --> 00:01:51,375 when Jimmy Carter was president, 41 00:01:51,375 --> 00:01:53,708 disco ruled the pop charts, 42 00:01:53,708 --> 00:01:55,333 and I had hair. 43 00:01:55,333 --> 00:01:56,833 It was in that same year 44 00:01:56,833 --> 00:02:00,417 that one of Italy's most famous UFO incidents took place, 45 00:02:00,417 --> 00:02:02,958 and more than four decades later, 46 00:02:02,958 --> 00:02:04,542 we're still talking about it. 47 00:02:04,542 --> 00:02:06,208 [ominous music] 48 00:02:06,208 --> 00:02:09,333 It's June 18th, 1979. 49 00:02:09,333 --> 00:02:12,208 Pilot Marshall Giancarlo Cecconi 50 00:02:12,208 --> 00:02:16,083 is flying his Fiat G.91 reconnaissance aircraft 51 00:02:17,042 --> 00:02:19,292 outfitted with four cameras. 52 00:02:19,292 --> 00:02:21,708 They're about to come in handy. 53 00:02:21,708 --> 00:02:23,250 Around 11:30 a.m., 54 00:02:23,250 --> 00:02:25,667 Cecconi receives a radio transmission 55 00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:29,375 indicating the radar crew at Istrana Airfield 56 00:02:29,375 --> 00:02:32,625 has detected an unidentified object at low altitude. 57 00:02:33,583 --> 00:02:35,833 When Cecconi encounters the object, 58 00:02:35,833 --> 00:02:37,833 he uses the aircraft's cameras 59 00:02:37,833 --> 00:02:41,792 to capture some of the most puzzling UFO photos ever taken. 60 00:02:44,375 --> 00:02:48,500 - It's this strange, cylindrical-shaped object. 61 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:52,708 He says it sort of looks like a semi-squashed cigar. 62 00:02:52,708 --> 00:02:54,167 The sides of it are black. 63 00:02:54,167 --> 00:02:55,875 However, the middle section and the top 64 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:57,375 are a slightly lighter color 65 00:02:57,375 --> 00:03:00,458 and it seems to just be floating in the air. 66 00:03:00,458 --> 00:03:04,208 - [Tony] Now, this object is reportedly 20 to 25 feet long 67 00:03:04,208 --> 00:03:08,292 and around 10 feet wide with a dull, dark surface. 68 00:03:08,292 --> 00:03:10,542 And importantly, the alleged craft 69 00:03:10,542 --> 00:03:13,375 seems completely unaffected by the turbulence thrown 70 00:03:13,375 --> 00:03:15,958 from the plane's formidable jet wash. 71 00:03:15,958 --> 00:03:18,958 When the object begins climbing, Cecconi pursues, 72 00:03:18,958 --> 00:03:22,417 speeding past it as he sets up another photo run. 73 00:03:22,417 --> 00:03:25,708 But when he returns, the object has vanished into thin air. 74 00:03:27,292 --> 00:03:31,042 Strange, sure, but this is nothing new for Italy. 75 00:03:31,042 --> 00:03:34,542 - Italy has a long history of UFO reports. 76 00:03:34,542 --> 00:03:36,458 - [Tony] Pentagon whistleblower David Grusch 77 00:03:36,458 --> 00:03:39,042 has recently reiterated Italian claims 78 00:03:39,042 --> 00:03:42,292 that Mussolini had a secret UFO program 79 00:03:42,292 --> 00:03:44,875 which recovered at least one downed craft. 80 00:03:44,875 --> 00:03:47,667 Grusch says that when the Axis fell to Allied forces, 81 00:03:47,667 --> 00:03:49,917 the Allies confiscated the alien craft 82 00:03:49,917 --> 00:03:51,708 and shipped it stateside. 83 00:03:51,708 --> 00:03:54,375 Sound incredible? How about another incident 84 00:03:54,375 --> 00:03:56,958 with a few thousand eyewitnesses? 85 00:03:56,958 --> 00:03:59,875 - One of the most famous cases in Italian UFO history 86 00:03:59,875 --> 00:04:01,458 occurred in 1954. 87 00:04:01,458 --> 00:04:03,625 There was a big soccer match in Florence 88 00:04:03,625 --> 00:04:06,042 and a crowd of 10,000 people looked up 89 00:04:06,042 --> 00:04:09,500 and saw these strange objects flying over the stadium. 90 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:11,417 - [Tony] Some accounts claimed the objects dropped 91 00:04:11,417 --> 00:04:12,958 a glitter-like substance 92 00:04:12,958 --> 00:04:15,500 and others describe the objects as looking like, 93 00:04:15,500 --> 00:04:17,625 you guessed it, a Cuban cigar. 94 00:04:18,542 --> 00:04:20,375 But as MJ Banias points out, 95 00:04:20,375 --> 00:04:24,042 this cigar-shaped sighting has something others may lack. 96 00:04:24,042 --> 00:04:26,667 - This case has a lot going for it 97 00:04:26,667 --> 00:04:28,375 from a credibility perspective. 98 00:04:28,375 --> 00:04:33,208 One, you have a fighter pilot who knows the sky. 99 00:04:33,208 --> 00:04:35,625 He knows what should and shouldn't be up there. 100 00:04:37,125 --> 00:04:40,458 - All pilots are trained to be aware of their surroundings 101 00:04:40,458 --> 00:04:43,500 and to be on the lookout for something unusual. 102 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:48,292 Plus, the pilots who flew the Fiat G.91 reconnaissance plane 103 00:04:48,292 --> 00:04:49,750 had very specialized training 104 00:04:49,750 --> 00:04:53,667 to observe, record, and report with critical detail. 105 00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:55,875 Could we have a better witness? 106 00:04:55,875 --> 00:04:58,375 Let's see how our experts do with this one. 107 00:04:58,375 --> 00:05:00,750 [tense music] 108 00:05:01,792 --> 00:05:04,750 Rich Hoffman of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies 109 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:07,708 begins his evaluation of Cecconi's sighting. 110 00:05:07,708 --> 00:05:10,458 - Nobody's had craft that are cylindrical like this 111 00:05:10,458 --> 00:05:13,500 without wings, without any typical structures 112 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:15,250 that we normally see on aircraft. 113 00:05:15,250 --> 00:05:17,583 But it has positive lift. 114 00:05:17,583 --> 00:05:19,917 There's no propulsion system on it 115 00:05:19,917 --> 00:05:21,708 and yet, it's up in the air. 116 00:05:21,708 --> 00:05:23,458 - [Tony] And as astrophotographer 117 00:05:23,458 --> 00:05:24,958 Andrew McCarthy points out, 118 00:05:24,958 --> 00:05:27,375 it did manage quite a disappearing act. 119 00:05:28,375 --> 00:05:30,417 - One of the most peculiar things about this object, 120 00:05:30,417 --> 00:05:32,208 it went from being stationary in midair 121 00:05:32,208 --> 00:05:33,917 to vanishing without a trace. 122 00:05:33,917 --> 00:05:37,500 In order to accelerate out of this area that quickly, 123 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:39,208 it would've to have some kind of propulsion 124 00:05:39,208 --> 00:05:41,000 that didn't exist in 1979 125 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,417 and certainly doesn't still exist today. 126 00:05:43,417 --> 00:05:44,833 - [Tony] Some have speculated 127 00:05:44,833 --> 00:05:47,625 it could be a secret military test craft, 128 00:05:47,625 --> 00:05:49,792 but McCarthy doesn't see the logic. 129 00:05:49,792 --> 00:05:51,958 - You would think if this was some secret military craft, 130 00:05:51,958 --> 00:05:53,250 they would've known what it was 131 00:05:53,250 --> 00:05:55,292 and not sent a fighter pilot to go document it. 132 00:05:55,292 --> 00:05:56,792 - [Tony] So we turn to another theory, 133 00:05:56,792 --> 00:05:59,417 that this object was a solar balloon. 134 00:05:59,417 --> 00:06:01,042 - [Andrew] This actually really closely resembles 135 00:06:01,042 --> 00:06:02,375 a solar balloon. 136 00:06:02,375 --> 00:06:04,875 Solar balloons are made with black materials 137 00:06:04,875 --> 00:06:06,875 so that they can absorb the sun's energy 138 00:06:06,875 --> 00:06:09,125 so that they heat up the air and begin to float. 139 00:06:09,125 --> 00:06:10,542 - [Tony] As Hoffman points out, 140 00:06:10,542 --> 00:06:12,958 the balloon theory does also explain 141 00:06:12,958 --> 00:06:14,417 the sudden disappearing act. 142 00:06:14,417 --> 00:06:16,458 - When it disappeared off radar, 143 00:06:16,458 --> 00:06:20,583 was that because the balloon blew up and disintegrated? 144 00:06:20,583 --> 00:06:22,917 - [Tony] But one piece of the balloon puzzle 145 00:06:22,917 --> 00:06:24,167 just doesn't fit. 146 00:06:24,167 --> 00:06:25,625 The object's stability 147 00:06:25,625 --> 00:06:28,208 in the face of Cecconi's roaring jet wash. 148 00:06:28,208 --> 00:06:30,875 - In order to not be affected by the aircraft's turbulence, 149 00:06:30,875 --> 00:06:32,375 this object would've had to be tethered 150 00:06:32,375 --> 00:06:34,875 from at least three different locations. 151 00:06:34,875 --> 00:06:37,333 That way, it would be stationary in the sky 152 00:06:37,333 --> 00:06:38,750 and not move at all. 153 00:06:38,750 --> 00:06:40,667 Despite being photographed from multiple angles, 154 00:06:40,667 --> 00:06:42,917 not a single tether is visible 155 00:06:42,917 --> 00:06:44,833 in these photographs of this object. 156 00:06:44,833 --> 00:06:46,875 It's really hard to say for sure. 157 00:06:46,875 --> 00:06:49,042 [tense music] 158 00:06:50,250 --> 00:06:53,250 - Our verdict? Genuine UFO. 159 00:06:53,250 --> 00:06:56,750 At first glance, everything about these pictures indicates 160 00:06:56,750 --> 00:07:00,333 we are looking at some kind of massive balloon. 161 00:07:00,333 --> 00:07:01,875 But the pilot's testimony 162 00:07:01,875 --> 00:07:04,875 about the object's bizarre stability in the jet wash 163 00:07:04,875 --> 00:07:07,917 poses far more questions than we have answers for. 164 00:07:09,542 --> 00:07:13,458 Now, let's move from the sky to heaven. 165 00:07:13,458 --> 00:07:16,125 Statues of the Virgin Mary that appear to cry 166 00:07:16,125 --> 00:07:19,708 have become pilgrimage sites for true believers. 167 00:07:19,708 --> 00:07:23,750 Are these real acts of God or underhanded hoaxes? 168 00:07:23,750 --> 00:07:25,542 When it comes to our next story, 169 00:07:25,542 --> 00:07:28,167 even official investigators have been left befuddled. 170 00:07:29,792 --> 00:07:34,042 It's the summer of 1973 in the outskirts of Akita, Japan. 171 00:07:35,375 --> 00:07:38,375 42-year-old novice nun Sister Agnes Sasagawa 172 00:07:38,375 --> 00:07:40,750 has just joined a Catholic convent. 173 00:07:40,750 --> 00:07:44,208 When she arrives, the former Buddhist is totally deaf. 174 00:07:45,583 --> 00:07:47,792 That June, she reportedly sees brilliant lights 175 00:07:47,792 --> 00:07:49,583 suddenly coming from the tabernacle 176 00:07:49,583 --> 00:07:51,833 where the chapel's Eucharist is stored. 177 00:07:52,875 --> 00:07:56,542 - A couple of weeks later, a cross-shaped wound showed up 178 00:07:56,542 --> 00:08:00,000 on the inside left palm of her hand, 179 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,708 bleeding profusely and causing her a lot of pain. 180 00:08:02,708 --> 00:08:05,458 Then, on July 6th, she actually heard a voice 181 00:08:05,458 --> 00:08:07,875 coming from the Virgin Mary statue. 182 00:08:07,875 --> 00:08:09,792 [choir singing] 183 00:08:09,792 --> 00:08:11,458 And how she heard it was profound. 184 00:08:11,458 --> 00:08:13,750 The voice said, "Be patient. 185 00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:16,542 Your deafness will soon be healed." 186 00:08:16,542 --> 00:08:19,000 - [Tony] Later, on the same day that Sister Agnes 187 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,833 miraculously hears the voice with her deaf ears, 188 00:08:22,833 --> 00:08:24,958 the nuns notice what they believe to be blood 189 00:08:24,958 --> 00:08:28,083 flowing from a wound on this three-foot-tall statue 190 00:08:28,083 --> 00:08:29,750 of the Virgin Mary. 191 00:08:29,750 --> 00:08:31,542 - On four different occasions, 192 00:08:31,542 --> 00:08:33,875 the act of blood flow repeated itself 193 00:08:33,875 --> 00:08:36,542 from the Virgin Mary statue's right hand. 194 00:08:37,875 --> 00:08:40,333 On September 29th, the day that the blood disappeared, 195 00:08:40,333 --> 00:08:44,500 what the sisters then noticed was sweat that started to emerge 196 00:08:44,500 --> 00:08:46,542 from the forehead and neck of the statue. 197 00:08:46,542 --> 00:08:52,042 It also began to give off this scent of sweet roses. 198 00:08:52,042 --> 00:08:53,417 - [Tony] In Catholicism, 199 00:08:53,417 --> 00:08:55,708 red roses represent Christ's passion 200 00:08:55,708 --> 00:08:58,875 and white roses symbolize the Virgin Mary's purity. 201 00:08:58,875 --> 00:09:02,417 More than a year later, in January 1975, 202 00:09:02,417 --> 00:09:04,625 is when the statue begins to weep. 203 00:09:04,625 --> 00:09:07,333 It's seen crying around 100 times 204 00:09:07,333 --> 00:09:09,500 over the next 6.5 years. 205 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:11,875 - Many Catholics across the world believe 206 00:09:11,875 --> 00:09:14,208 that the tears that come from the Virgin Mary 207 00:09:14,208 --> 00:09:17,958 are said to be crying over the sins of the world. 208 00:09:17,958 --> 00:09:21,250 This is Mary's way of having empathy 209 00:09:21,250 --> 00:09:23,542 for the sins and the sinners. 210 00:09:25,083 --> 00:09:28,125 - As Our Lady of Akita had promised, 211 00:09:28,125 --> 00:09:31,667 in 1982, Sister Agnes suddenly and permanently 212 00:09:31,667 --> 00:09:33,875 was cured of her deafness. 213 00:09:33,875 --> 00:09:37,708 What's more, after eight years of in-depth investigations, 214 00:09:37,708 --> 00:09:40,708 the local bishop recognized the supernatural character 215 00:09:40,708 --> 00:09:43,625 of the mysterious events that happened at the shrine. 216 00:09:43,625 --> 00:09:47,375 The entire diocese now venerates the statue. 217 00:09:47,375 --> 00:09:51,042 So, was this all truly an act of God, 218 00:09:51,042 --> 00:09:54,625 or was this something else entirely? 219 00:09:54,625 --> 00:09:56,917 [tense music] 220 00:09:58,375 --> 00:10:01,208 Dr. Ed Hope considers that these strange incidents 221 00:10:01,208 --> 00:10:04,833 could have a natural, biological explanation. 222 00:10:04,833 --> 00:10:07,833 - There have been findings that crying Virgin Mary statues 223 00:10:07,833 --> 00:10:09,917 are happening through natural 224 00:10:09,917 --> 00:10:13,042 rather than supernatural events. 225 00:10:13,042 --> 00:10:15,875 Like the materials used to create these statues 226 00:10:15,875 --> 00:10:18,083 may build up condensation 227 00:10:18,083 --> 00:10:22,750 which might cool and then look like tears or even sweat. 228 00:10:22,750 --> 00:10:25,542 There's also been instances of fraud 229 00:10:25,542 --> 00:10:27,625 where people would actually put tears 230 00:10:27,625 --> 00:10:29,792 or blood on themselves. 231 00:10:30,667 --> 00:10:32,083 - [Tony] And Hope adds, 232 00:10:32,083 --> 00:10:34,417 there's also another, more sophisticated way 233 00:10:34,417 --> 00:10:36,083 to pull off a hoax. 234 00:10:36,083 --> 00:10:37,833 - One of the other methods to fake this 235 00:10:37,833 --> 00:10:40,833 would be to make a duct system behind 236 00:10:40,833 --> 00:10:43,417 where fluid would be drawn through. 237 00:10:43,417 --> 00:10:45,667 And by making a small incision 238 00:10:45,667 --> 00:10:47,667 near where the tear duct would open up, 239 00:10:47,667 --> 00:10:49,042 it gives the impression 240 00:10:49,042 --> 00:10:51,542 that the tears are coming from the eyes. 241 00:10:51,542 --> 00:10:54,208 - [Tony] But Catholic miracle researcher Michael O'Neill 242 00:10:54,208 --> 00:10:57,208 says a thorough investigation of Our Lady of Akita 243 00:10:57,208 --> 00:10:59,375 has eliminated some of these fraudulent 244 00:10:59,375 --> 00:11:01,250 or accidental explanations. 245 00:11:01,250 --> 00:11:03,417 - When investigators looked at this statute, 246 00:11:03,417 --> 00:11:06,708 they tried to rule out internal duct work or a leaky pipe 247 00:11:06,708 --> 00:11:09,042 or somebody sneaking in with an eye dropper 248 00:11:09,042 --> 00:11:11,542 and dropping these tears on the statue. 249 00:11:11,542 --> 00:11:13,167 But this tear started and stopped 250 00:11:13,167 --> 00:11:14,958 with witnesses from the very beginning 251 00:11:14,958 --> 00:11:17,000 at the end of these occurrences. 252 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,208 - [Tony] In addition, the sculptor has confirmed 253 00:11:19,208 --> 00:11:23,333 the statue was made from one solid piece of dry hard wood, 254 00:11:23,333 --> 00:11:26,583 so there are no joints where piping could be added. 255 00:11:26,583 --> 00:11:28,458 O'Neill says scientists also did 256 00:11:28,458 --> 00:11:30,583 a thorough examination of the statue. 257 00:11:30,583 --> 00:11:32,750 - Here's a closeup of this weeping statue 258 00:11:32,750 --> 00:11:34,250 of the Virgin Mary. 259 00:11:34,250 --> 00:11:37,542 Scientists have validated as them being human tears 260 00:11:37,542 --> 00:11:39,042 coming from this wooden statue. 261 00:11:39,042 --> 00:11:41,542 - [Tony] O'Neill adds that the other fluids 262 00:11:41,542 --> 00:11:42,875 have also been tested. 263 00:11:42,875 --> 00:11:45,375 - They tested the tears, the blood, and the sweat 264 00:11:45,375 --> 00:11:46,958 emanating from the statue. 265 00:11:46,958 --> 00:11:50,417 They found that it was from group AB, group B, and group O. 266 00:11:50,417 --> 00:11:54,875 And in doing so they also identified that it didn't match 267 00:11:54,875 --> 00:11:57,417 that of Sister Agnes Sasagawa, 268 00:11:57,417 --> 00:11:59,958 the mystic who was claiming these experiences. 269 00:11:59,958 --> 00:12:03,917 - [Tony] O'Neill believes it only leads to one conclusion. 270 00:12:03,917 --> 00:12:07,000 - I personally consider the supernatural events 271 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,208 that are claimed with Our Lady of Akita in Japan 272 00:12:10,208 --> 00:12:13,042 to be perhaps one of the greatest instances of miracles 273 00:12:13,042 --> 00:12:16,167 that the Catholic Church has ever examined. 274 00:12:16,167 --> 00:12:18,292 [tense music] 275 00:12:20,042 --> 00:12:24,750 - Our verdict? We are going to call this a possible miracle. 276 00:12:24,750 --> 00:12:27,708 The obvious explanations have been eliminated. 277 00:12:27,708 --> 00:12:30,125 The local bishop and the estimated 2,000 people 278 00:12:30,125 --> 00:12:33,042 who witnessed the Lady of Akita's tears 279 00:12:33,042 --> 00:12:35,667 certainly think God is involved here. 280 00:12:35,667 --> 00:12:36,375 What about you? 281 00:12:40,250 --> 00:12:42,792 - Since its first rocket achieved orbit in 2008, 282 00:12:42,792 --> 00:12:45,458 SpaceX has continued to innovate 283 00:12:45,458 --> 00:12:48,375 and push the boundary of space exploration. 284 00:12:48,375 --> 00:12:51,875 And while CEO Elon Musk hopes to bring humans to Mars 285 00:12:51,875 --> 00:12:54,000 as soon as 2029, 286 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,375 video from one SpaceX mission has raised concerns 287 00:12:57,375 --> 00:13:01,667 about what might await us in the final frontier. 288 00:13:01,667 --> 00:13:04,625 - [Announcer] Eject and liftoff. 289 00:13:04,625 --> 00:13:07,167 - [Tony] It's April 23rd, 2021. 290 00:13:07,167 --> 00:13:10,042 SpaceX's spacecraft Endeavour 291 00:13:10,042 --> 00:13:12,833 is on its way to the International Space Station. 292 00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:14,083 12 minutes after liftoff, 293 00:13:14,083 --> 00:13:16,208 the capsule containing four astronauts 294 00:13:16,208 --> 00:13:18,625 separates from the rocket's second stage. 295 00:13:18,625 --> 00:13:20,208 But as the crew back at NASA 296 00:13:20,208 --> 00:13:22,542 applauds the successful uncoupling, 297 00:13:22,542 --> 00:13:26,875 the livestream camera captures something truly shocking. 298 00:13:26,875 --> 00:13:29,958 A foreign object can be seen floating through the gap, 299 00:13:29,958 --> 00:13:32,000 missing the craft by mere seconds. 300 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,208 The object is round, though not a perfect sphere, 301 00:13:35,208 --> 00:13:36,958 and it appears to be black in color 302 00:13:36,958 --> 00:13:39,833 but its details are shrouded in shadow. 303 00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:41,875 - It looks like if they hadn't separated 304 00:13:41,875 --> 00:13:45,417 in the nick of time, it would've impacted the spacecraft. 305 00:13:45,417 --> 00:13:46,917 And no one knows what it is. 306 00:13:46,917 --> 00:13:49,750 It's not an object anyone was tracking in orbit, 307 00:13:49,750 --> 00:13:51,875 so no one knew that it was going to be there. 308 00:13:51,875 --> 00:13:53,875 - [Tony] One theory that gains traction 309 00:13:53,875 --> 00:13:57,000 is that the object is some sort of scout UFO 310 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,875 that originally came from a larger UFO. 311 00:13:59,875 --> 00:14:02,583 - Basically, the idea is that alien craft 312 00:14:02,583 --> 00:14:04,375 are exploring our planet 313 00:14:04,375 --> 00:14:07,042 and instead of landing with the mothership, 314 00:14:07,042 --> 00:14:09,958 they're launching these small reconnaissance vehicles, 315 00:14:09,958 --> 00:14:11,250 which is not that dissimilar 316 00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:14,250 to how we've explored our own solar system. 317 00:14:14,250 --> 00:14:16,167 - [Tony] Think that's too out there? 318 00:14:16,167 --> 00:14:18,125 Consider that Sean Kirkpatrick, 319 00:14:18,125 --> 00:14:20,625 former Head of the Pentagon's UFO Office, 320 00:14:20,625 --> 00:14:23,292 and Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb 321 00:14:23,292 --> 00:14:25,542 wrote a paper to support the theory. 322 00:14:25,542 --> 00:14:28,375 But what could be drawing the interstellar attention? 323 00:14:28,375 --> 00:14:31,708 - Our use of space used to be just scientific exploration, 324 00:14:31,708 --> 00:14:33,500 but now we've got space tourism, 325 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:35,500 we've got early militarization. 326 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:41,000 - [Tony] In fact, 2022 saw a record 180 rocket launches. 327 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,542 - Some might wonder 328 00:14:42,542 --> 00:14:44,583 whether extraterrestrials are getting concerned 329 00:14:44,583 --> 00:14:47,958 that we're starting to really encroach on their territory. 330 00:14:50,583 --> 00:14:53,000 - SpaceX is reportedly involved 331 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,000 in over half of all near misses in space. 332 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,792 Many of all SpaceX's Starlink project, 333 00:14:58,792 --> 00:15:01,708 an unmanned satellite internet network. 334 00:15:01,708 --> 00:15:04,167 But a near miss with a spacecraft 335 00:15:04,167 --> 00:15:06,208 carrying four astronauts? 336 00:15:06,208 --> 00:15:08,875 Now we're talking about human lives. 337 00:15:08,875 --> 00:15:11,542 So is something targeting our spacecraft? 338 00:15:11,542 --> 00:15:14,958 Our experts are on a collision course with the truth. 339 00:15:14,958 --> 00:15:17,292 [tense music] 340 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:23,292 Before we embrace an exotic theory like alien space probes, 341 00:15:23,292 --> 00:15:26,792 we first ask Tim McMillan if this could be a hostile act 342 00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:28,958 from a rival human military. 343 00:15:28,958 --> 00:15:30,375 As Sci-Fi as it sounds, 344 00:15:30,375 --> 00:15:32,500 he says multiple countries have considered 345 00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:33,875 placing weapons in space. 346 00:15:33,875 --> 00:15:35,875 - In the late 1970s, 347 00:15:35,875 --> 00:15:38,042 the Soviet Union did a experiment 348 00:15:38,042 --> 00:15:39,875 with something called the Almaz, 349 00:15:39,875 --> 00:15:43,375 which was putting a 23-millimeter cannon 350 00:15:43,375 --> 00:15:45,750 on one of their satellite systems 351 00:15:45,750 --> 00:15:48,542 to give it an offensive capability. 352 00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:50,000 And in the 1980s, 353 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,625 as part of President Reagan's Star Wars initiative, 354 00:15:53,625 --> 00:15:56,667 was a classified program called Brilliant Pebbles 355 00:15:56,667 --> 00:15:58,000 and the idea behind it was 356 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,500 to place various missile systems in orbit 357 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:04,583 as a defensive and offensive capability. 358 00:16:05,750 --> 00:16:07,292 - [Tony] But McMillan doesn't think 359 00:16:07,292 --> 00:16:09,375 this foreign object is from a foreign power. 360 00:16:09,375 --> 00:16:12,333 - If someone had fired a weapon at the capsule, 361 00:16:12,333 --> 00:16:13,375 we would know, 362 00:16:13,375 --> 00:16:16,292 because a satellite system that's firing 363 00:16:16,292 --> 00:16:19,083 some type of projectiles would certainly be noticeable 364 00:16:19,083 --> 00:16:21,875 to the other space-based sensor systems 365 00:16:21,875 --> 00:16:23,375 that are already in place. 366 00:16:23,375 --> 00:16:26,250 - [Tony] What about another manmade object, a satellite? 367 00:16:26,250 --> 00:16:28,500 - It's got none of the physical characteristics 368 00:16:28,500 --> 00:16:32,042 of a satellite, like the large solar sail, 369 00:16:32,042 --> 00:16:34,292 in addition to the fact that satellite systems 370 00:16:34,292 --> 00:16:36,875 are on known trajectory paths 371 00:16:36,875 --> 00:16:39,042 and you certainly wouldn't have run the risk 372 00:16:39,042 --> 00:16:40,708 of an impact from a satellite. 373 00:16:40,708 --> 00:16:42,875 So it's definitely not a satellite. 374 00:16:42,875 --> 00:16:44,125 - [Tony] Taking into consideration 375 00:16:44,125 --> 00:16:45,708 this object's organic shape, 376 00:16:45,708 --> 00:16:49,292 we ask astronomer Marc D'Antonio if it could be a meteor. 377 00:16:49,292 --> 00:16:52,292 - This might actually be about the right size for a meteor. 378 00:16:52,292 --> 00:16:55,208 The only problem is that meteors hit the Earth 379 00:16:55,208 --> 00:16:58,792 at thousands and thousands of miles per hour, 380 00:16:58,792 --> 00:17:02,125 and this thing is just lazily floating through the view, 381 00:17:02,125 --> 00:17:03,958 so that wouldn't be the case. 382 00:17:03,958 --> 00:17:06,583 - [Tony] Then could it simply be space junk? 383 00:17:06,583 --> 00:17:09,042 Scientists estimate orbiting the Earth 384 00:17:09,042 --> 00:17:11,292 are about 13,000 pieces of debris 385 00:17:11,292 --> 00:17:12,750 bigger than a soft softball, 386 00:17:12,750 --> 00:17:15,792 100,000 bigger than a penny, 387 00:17:15,792 --> 00:17:19,208 and tens of millions of pieces even smaller than that. 388 00:17:19,208 --> 00:17:20,750 - Space is cluttered. 389 00:17:20,750 --> 00:17:24,417 There could come a time when it will be very dangerous 390 00:17:24,417 --> 00:17:26,667 for us to try and leave our planet. 391 00:17:26,667 --> 00:17:31,208 But in this particular case, probably not space junk, 392 00:17:31,208 --> 00:17:33,375 and the reason comes down to the fact that 393 00:17:33,375 --> 00:17:35,417 you can see it passing in front of this, 394 00:17:35,417 --> 00:17:38,208 which is part of the rocket itself. 395 00:17:38,208 --> 00:17:42,417 Phew, that means this is a small, tiny object 396 00:17:42,417 --> 00:17:45,042 that got loose, probably from the inside of the rocket 397 00:17:45,042 --> 00:17:46,375 during the staging process, 398 00:17:46,375 --> 00:17:49,375 where this stage moves away from this stage. 399 00:17:49,375 --> 00:17:51,750 - [Tony] And McMillan says this would explain 400 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:53,208 the radar omission. 401 00:17:53,208 --> 00:17:55,750 - That's one reason that you wouldn't have picked it up 402 00:17:55,750 --> 00:17:57,458 as any type of space junk 403 00:17:57,458 --> 00:18:02,167 is because it actually traveled with the rocket into space. 404 00:18:05,125 --> 00:18:07,417 [tense music] 405 00:18:08,542 --> 00:18:12,000 - Our verdict? We are leaning toward rocket debris 406 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,917 that broke off from the second stage, 407 00:18:13,917 --> 00:18:15,208 though we can't say for certain 408 00:18:15,208 --> 00:18:17,333 which piece of the rocket it was. 409 00:18:17,333 --> 00:18:19,083 It's sad to hear that pollution 410 00:18:19,083 --> 00:18:22,167 is becoming a problem in space like it is on Earth. 411 00:18:22,167 --> 00:18:25,250 Thankfully, NASA is well equipped to help spacecraft 412 00:18:25,250 --> 00:18:27,375 dodge most of the debris 413 00:18:27,375 --> 00:18:30,917 with a meticulous catalog of 27,000 objects 414 00:18:30,917 --> 00:18:32,208 in Earth's orbit. 415 00:18:36,042 --> 00:18:36,458 - We have all heard the expression, 416 00:18:37,458 --> 00:18:39,583 "running around like a chicken with its head cut off." 417 00:18:39,583 --> 00:18:43,875 But what about swimming around like a fish with no head? 418 00:18:43,875 --> 00:18:45,292 Haven't heard that one? 419 00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:48,417 Well, it might catch on after our next video. 420 00:18:48,417 --> 00:18:52,292 November 2021, Oxbow Lake, Bangladesh. 421 00:18:52,292 --> 00:18:53,875 Recent college grad Rayyan Rafat 422 00:18:53,875 --> 00:18:54,875 Recent college grad Rayyan Rafat 423 00:18:55,042 --> 00:18:56,708 is getting ready to go fishing with his family 424 00:18:56,708 --> 00:19:00,042 when he spots something horrifyingly strange 425 00:19:00,042 --> 00:19:01,375 swimming towards him. 426 00:19:01,375 --> 00:19:04,500 He pulls out his camera and records this. 427 00:19:06,583 --> 00:19:09,167 A fish swimming gracefully in the water 428 00:19:09,167 --> 00:19:11,792 completely devoid of its head. 429 00:19:11,792 --> 00:19:14,042 Surprisingly, the creature's acting naturally 430 00:19:14,042 --> 00:19:16,208 and seems to be perfectly fine, 431 00:19:16,208 --> 00:19:19,375 other than the fact that it's been decapitated. 432 00:19:19,375 --> 00:19:21,292 - It was quite shocking because we never saw 433 00:19:21,292 --> 00:19:23,667 a headless fish ever in our lives. 434 00:19:23,667 --> 00:19:25,167 Neither did the locals. 435 00:19:25,167 --> 00:19:26,917 How is this fish still alive? 436 00:19:26,917 --> 00:19:29,375 This absolutely creeped us out. 437 00:19:29,375 --> 00:19:30,917 - [Tony] Field researcher Cliff Barackman 438 00:19:30,917 --> 00:19:32,583 takes a look at this baffling footage 439 00:19:32,583 --> 00:19:35,208 that's been viewed over three million times 440 00:19:35,208 --> 00:19:36,583 on social media. 441 00:19:36,583 --> 00:19:38,375 - So people would automatically wonder, like, 442 00:19:38,375 --> 00:19:40,917 is this some sort of strange mutant fish 443 00:19:40,917 --> 00:19:42,792 that can live without its head? 444 00:19:42,792 --> 00:19:45,208 There are a lot of different fish in the world 445 00:19:45,208 --> 00:19:47,083 and a lot of these species of fish 446 00:19:47,083 --> 00:19:49,375 can do some pretty amazing things. 447 00:19:49,375 --> 00:19:51,667 The Antarctic toothfish, for example, 448 00:19:51,667 --> 00:19:54,833 can swim through freezing cold water and not die 449 00:19:54,833 --> 00:19:57,708 because they have some sort of natural antifreeze 450 00:19:57,708 --> 00:19:59,417 in their blood. 451 00:19:59,417 --> 00:20:03,000 And the black swallower can actually swallow prey 452 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,000 10 times their size. 453 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,167 - [Tony] So could this be some kind of amazing, undead fish 454 00:20:09,167 --> 00:20:11,250 that can function without a head? 455 00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:13,792 Chickens, cockroaches, snakes, and even turtles 456 00:20:13,792 --> 00:20:18,208 have all been documented to live moments past decapitation. 457 00:20:18,208 --> 00:20:19,667 Well, as crazy as it sounds, 458 00:20:19,667 --> 00:20:21,917 Barackman says the idea that we are looking 459 00:20:21,917 --> 00:20:23,542 at some type of zombie fish 460 00:20:23,542 --> 00:20:26,458 has gained significant popularity online. 461 00:20:26,458 --> 00:20:29,292 - Zombies have just really infiltrated our culture 462 00:20:29,292 --> 00:20:30,917 in a lot of ways. 463 00:20:30,917 --> 00:20:33,542 Anything that lives beyond its seeming death, 464 00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:34,625 of course, nowadays, we would say, 465 00:20:34,625 --> 00:20:36,208 "Oh, that's very zombie-like." 466 00:20:36,208 --> 00:20:37,708 - [Tony] According to Barackman, 467 00:20:37,708 --> 00:20:40,667 the fantastical concept that a zombie could be created 468 00:20:40,667 --> 00:20:43,042 by a virus that animates dead flesh 469 00:20:43,042 --> 00:20:44,875 has some roots in reality. 470 00:20:44,875 --> 00:20:47,667 He points to one specific zombie-inducing parasite 471 00:20:47,667 --> 00:20:50,708 that starts its possession cycle in the water. 472 00:20:50,708 --> 00:20:54,833 - Euhaplorchis californiensis is a saltwater parasite 473 00:20:54,833 --> 00:20:56,208 that lives in marshes. 474 00:20:56,208 --> 00:20:59,292 It finds a fish and it goes into the brain 475 00:20:59,292 --> 00:21:00,708 and then changes its behavior 476 00:21:00,708 --> 00:21:03,875 to make it swim more erratically. 477 00:21:03,875 --> 00:21:06,750 - [Tony] The fish, which is now under the physical control 478 00:21:06,750 --> 00:21:09,208 of the parasite, makes these erratic movements 479 00:21:09,208 --> 00:21:11,833 in the hope that it will attract a hungry bird 480 00:21:11,833 --> 00:21:13,417 and be swallowed up, 481 00:21:13,417 --> 00:21:16,417 a necessary step for the parasite to spread. 482 00:21:16,417 --> 00:21:19,583 - And now the parasite is living inside the bird. 483 00:21:19,583 --> 00:21:21,458 The bird will eventually poop 484 00:21:21,458 --> 00:21:24,542 and the poop will be eaten by snails, 485 00:21:24,542 --> 00:21:27,417 a new host in which to breed. 486 00:21:27,417 --> 00:21:30,833 The snails' offspring finds another fish, 487 00:21:30,833 --> 00:21:33,375 and that is how these animals live. 488 00:21:36,250 --> 00:21:37,625 - On a previous episode, 489 00:21:37,625 --> 00:21:40,167 we took a look at a fish's severed head 490 00:21:40,167 --> 00:21:42,125 that was still actively biting 491 00:21:42,125 --> 00:21:44,958 long after it was separated from its body. 492 00:21:44,958 --> 00:21:49,083 Could we be looking at a similar phenomenon but in reverse? 493 00:21:49,083 --> 00:21:53,042 Let's see what's swimming around in our experts' heads. 494 00:21:53,042 --> 00:21:55,292 [tense music] 495 00:21:57,167 --> 00:21:58,583 We first checked in 496 00:21:58,583 --> 00:22:00,333 with our video forensic analyst, Michael Primeau, 497 00:22:00,333 --> 00:22:03,542 to make sure what we're looking at here is real. 498 00:22:03,542 --> 00:22:06,500 - We weren't able to identify any particular tool 499 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:07,708 that had manipulated it 500 00:22:07,708 --> 00:22:09,667 or any evidence that it was manipulated. 501 00:22:09,667 --> 00:22:12,417 From a general point of view, this file appears to be genuine. 502 00:22:12,417 --> 00:22:16,250 There are no inconsistencies or evidence of CGI 503 00:22:16,250 --> 00:22:17,833 that I'm alarmed with. 504 00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:22,250 - [Tony] According to Primeau, whatever this is, it's real. 505 00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:25,167 So we went to biologist Floyd Hayes to see if he thought 506 00:22:25,167 --> 00:22:29,375 we could be looking at some parasite-controlled zombie fish. 507 00:22:29,375 --> 00:22:31,750 - This cannot be an example of a parasitic infection 508 00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:35,167 because there's no head for a parasite to infect. 509 00:22:35,167 --> 00:22:39,125 What I think happened is the head was severed by a predator, 510 00:22:39,125 --> 00:22:42,583 or by the propeller blade of a boat, 511 00:22:42,583 --> 00:22:46,583 and it's still able to swim for a while before it dies. 512 00:22:47,917 --> 00:22:50,500 - [Tony] Marine biologist Shea Steingass agrees with Hayes 513 00:22:50,500 --> 00:22:53,250 that this fish definitely encountered some mishap. 514 00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:56,417 But there might be a little more here than meets the eye, 515 00:22:56,417 --> 00:22:58,417 or in this case, eyes. 516 00:22:58,417 --> 00:23:01,458 - It appears to be a plecostomus. 517 00:23:01,458 --> 00:23:05,750 Plecostomus, or plecos, are very tough. 518 00:23:06,958 --> 00:23:09,125 We can actually see what appear to be 519 00:23:09,125 --> 00:23:11,042 the eye sockets of this fish. 520 00:23:11,042 --> 00:23:14,875 The brainstem of these animals is actually located 521 00:23:14,875 --> 00:23:16,250 behind the eye sockets, 522 00:23:16,250 --> 00:23:19,708 so as long as it has basic parts of its brain 523 00:23:19,708 --> 00:23:22,292 and central nervous system in place, 524 00:23:22,292 --> 00:23:25,167 it can survive for quite a period of time 525 00:23:25,167 --> 00:23:29,458 until it essentially runs out of calories from eating. 526 00:23:29,458 --> 00:23:31,875 And it still has gills and it still has muscles, 527 00:23:31,875 --> 00:23:34,417 but it probably won't live too much longer 528 00:23:34,417 --> 00:23:36,000 based on what I'm seeing here. 529 00:23:38,542 --> 00:23:40,792 [tense music] 530 00:23:42,292 --> 00:23:45,167 - Our verdict? Natural phenomenon, 531 00:23:45,167 --> 00:23:47,708 although a rather macabre one. 532 00:23:47,708 --> 00:23:50,375 Thanks to an intact brainstem, 533 00:23:50,375 --> 00:23:52,542 this fish is still able to swim normally 534 00:23:52,542 --> 00:23:55,042 for a finite amount of time. 535 00:23:55,042 --> 00:23:56,292 And while our friend here 536 00:23:56,292 --> 00:23:58,875 may have become a viral internet star, 537 00:23:58,875 --> 00:24:00,542 it doesn't look like he'll be getting 538 00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:03,542 ahead in life anytime soon. 539 00:24:07,250 --> 00:24:08,083 - In July of 2023, 540 00:24:08,708 --> 00:24:11,542 a former military officer testified to Congress 541 00:24:11,542 --> 00:24:13,333 that the US has long had 542 00:24:13,333 --> 00:24:16,667 a secret UFO crash retrieval program. 543 00:24:16,667 --> 00:24:19,542 If true, it means that aliens exist 544 00:24:19,542 --> 00:24:21,625 and that at least one country's military 545 00:24:21,625 --> 00:24:24,542 has access to their technology. 546 00:24:24,542 --> 00:24:27,750 Is there an alien tech arms race going on right now? 547 00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:31,542 Some people think this next video could be proof. 548 00:24:32,833 --> 00:24:34,625 June 12th, 2015. 549 00:24:34,625 --> 00:24:37,542 Quade Mott from Greenwood, Indiana 550 00:24:37,542 --> 00:24:39,833 is taking a leisurely afternoon bike ride. 551 00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:42,208 But when he looks up at the overcast sky, 552 00:24:42,208 --> 00:24:44,125 what he sees shocks him. 553 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,167 Emerging from the clouds is a strange beam of light 554 00:24:49,167 --> 00:24:51,542 that seems to shift erratically. 555 00:24:51,542 --> 00:24:52,958 Let's take a closer look. 556 00:24:52,958 --> 00:24:55,667 The beam doesn't seem to emanate from the ground. 557 00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:58,583 Instead, it seems to be coming from the sky. 558 00:24:58,583 --> 00:25:02,417 The beam ominously pulses and changes direction, 559 00:25:02,417 --> 00:25:04,375 leaving Quade unnerved. 560 00:25:04,375 --> 00:25:06,708 - I've never seen anything like it before 561 00:25:06,708 --> 00:25:08,667 and the way it kept moving back and forth, 562 00:25:08,667 --> 00:25:10,792 it looked like almost like a lightning, 563 00:25:10,792 --> 00:25:12,208 but it wouldn't go away, 564 00:25:12,208 --> 00:25:15,042 it just kept moving and stayed like in the same spot. 565 00:25:15,042 --> 00:25:16,583 - [Tony] After seeing the footage, 566 00:25:16,583 --> 00:25:18,542 author Jason MartelL says one theory 567 00:25:18,542 --> 00:25:21,542 is that it's some kind of advanced government tech. 568 00:25:21,542 --> 00:25:22,917 - Some people think what we're seeing here 569 00:25:22,917 --> 00:25:26,458 is some type of perhaps a directed energy weapon. 570 00:25:26,458 --> 00:25:28,042 Directed energy weapons are usually 571 00:25:28,042 --> 00:25:30,208 some type of a high-powered system 572 00:25:30,208 --> 00:25:31,833 that allows for sets of energy 573 00:25:31,833 --> 00:25:33,875 to be focused on their target, 574 00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:35,875 completely destroying the target 575 00:25:35,875 --> 00:25:38,333 that it focuses its energy on. 576 00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:39,708 - [Tony] There are three main types 577 00:25:39,708 --> 00:25:41,667 of directed energy weapon systems. 578 00:25:41,667 --> 00:25:44,208 Laser-based, which date back to the 1960s, 579 00:25:44,208 --> 00:25:47,375 radio frequencies such as high-powered microwaves, 580 00:25:47,375 --> 00:25:50,708 and particle beams, which are still in development. 581 00:25:50,708 --> 00:25:53,583 What they all have in common is an ability to attack 582 00:25:53,583 --> 00:25:55,208 with nothing but energy. 583 00:25:55,208 --> 00:25:57,833 However, others have speculated that what we're seeing 584 00:25:57,833 --> 00:25:59,583 is actually extraterrestrials 585 00:25:59,583 --> 00:26:01,083 attempting to communicate with us 586 00:26:01,083 --> 00:26:03,292 using the pulses of the light beam 587 00:26:03,292 --> 00:26:05,625 as a sort of interstellar Morse code. 588 00:26:05,625 --> 00:26:08,708 - An author from NASA by the name of Douglas Vakoch 589 00:26:08,708 --> 00:26:10,833 theorized that our first encounter 590 00:26:10,833 --> 00:26:13,292 with some type of an extraterrestrial civilization 591 00:26:13,292 --> 00:26:16,375 would be utilizing some type of a messaging system. 592 00:26:16,375 --> 00:26:19,583 Even Albert Einstein suggested that light rays might be used 593 00:26:19,583 --> 00:26:21,542 as some easily controllable method 594 00:26:21,542 --> 00:26:23,583 to communicate with some type of a non-human 595 00:26:23,583 --> 00:26:25,625 or extraterrestrial intelligence. 596 00:26:26,917 --> 00:26:30,208 - These aren't the first strange energy pulses 597 00:26:30,208 --> 00:26:33,167 to have been recorded emerging from cloud cover. 598 00:26:33,167 --> 00:26:36,292 Check out this 2011 video from Singapore. 599 00:26:36,292 --> 00:26:38,708 Watch these pulses here. 600 00:26:38,708 --> 00:26:40,958 Are they random and erratic, 601 00:26:40,958 --> 00:26:43,500 or is it proof of something intentional? 602 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:46,625 Is this some new terrifying military tech, 603 00:26:46,625 --> 00:26:48,708 or a signal from above? 604 00:26:48,708 --> 00:26:51,667 Let's see what signals our experts sent us. 605 00:26:51,667 --> 00:26:53,917 [tense music] 606 00:26:55,708 --> 00:26:58,375 But first, astronomer and VFX artist Marc D'Antonio 607 00:26:58,375 --> 00:26:59,792 investigates the theory 608 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,708 that we're looking at a powerful directed energy weapon. 609 00:27:02,708 --> 00:27:05,292 - A directed energy weapon shoots a beam of particles 610 00:27:05,292 --> 00:27:06,708 in one direction. 611 00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:09,750 They won't necessarily make a beam like you see here. 612 00:27:09,750 --> 00:27:11,083 - [Tony] This is because 613 00:27:11,083 --> 00:27:13,792 the pulses created by directed energy weapons, 614 00:27:13,792 --> 00:27:15,750 like radio frequency systems, 615 00:27:15,750 --> 00:27:20,208 use non-visible types of energy such as microwaves. 616 00:27:20,208 --> 00:27:23,500 - You'd see a source and then a result down at the bottom. 617 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:25,375 You may not see anything in between 618 00:27:25,375 --> 00:27:27,125 of a directed energy weapon. 619 00:27:27,125 --> 00:27:30,375 So this doesn't have the characteristics 620 00:27:30,375 --> 00:27:33,167 of one of those directed weapons. 621 00:27:33,167 --> 00:27:35,958 - [Tony] Some speculate that this could be a searchlight, 622 00:27:35,958 --> 00:27:39,625 like the high-powered spotlights found on police helicopters. 623 00:27:39,625 --> 00:27:42,083 But D'Antonio isn't so sure. 624 00:27:42,083 --> 00:27:44,833 - Where would the source of the searchlight be? 625 00:27:44,833 --> 00:27:49,000 It'd be here in the middle of a thundercloud. 626 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,417 If you're flying your helicopter in a thundercloud, 627 00:27:51,417 --> 00:27:53,375 you risk getting your license pulled 628 00:27:53,375 --> 00:27:57,042 because that's a dangerous, irresponsible act. 629 00:27:57,042 --> 00:27:59,542 - [Tony] According to our meteorologist Juan Hernandez, 630 00:27:59,542 --> 00:28:01,958 inside the thundercloud is exactly 631 00:28:01,958 --> 00:28:05,042 where we need to search for answers. 632 00:28:05,042 --> 00:28:08,083 - Anytime there is a change in the electrical charges 633 00:28:08,083 --> 00:28:11,000 in the storm, particles of ice that are on top 634 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,917 of the storm are switching back and forth, 635 00:28:12,917 --> 00:28:14,708 causing the light being reflected 636 00:28:14,708 --> 00:28:16,625 to change direction as well. 637 00:28:16,625 --> 00:28:19,125 What we're looking at here is a crown flash. 638 00:28:19,125 --> 00:28:22,375 It's a meteorological optical illusion. 639 00:28:22,375 --> 00:28:25,458 - [Tony] Think of it as a meteorological disco ball. 640 00:28:25,458 --> 00:28:29,417 As the reflective ice moves, so does the reflected light. 641 00:28:29,417 --> 00:28:31,500 - [Juan] The reason we see it wiggling back and forth 642 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:35,792 is because those ice platelets that are on top of the storm 643 00:28:35,792 --> 00:28:38,000 are changing quite rapidly in direction. 644 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,875 Now, if they shift one way or the other, 645 00:28:40,875 --> 00:28:43,042 the light beam is gonna change direction. 646 00:28:43,042 --> 00:28:45,208 - [Tony] Hernandez looks at the weather in Indiana 647 00:28:45,208 --> 00:28:48,708 from that day and confirms the conditions were perfect 648 00:28:48,708 --> 00:28:50,250 to create a crown flash. 649 00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:52,083 - It was a hot, humid day, 650 00:28:52,083 --> 00:28:54,833 which was perfect for thunderstorm development. 651 00:28:54,833 --> 00:28:56,958 Taking a look at the satellite view, we see 652 00:28:56,958 --> 00:28:59,708 those strong thunderstorms across southern Indiana. 653 00:28:59,708 --> 00:29:01,208 Now, all these thunderstorms 654 00:29:01,208 --> 00:29:04,708 likely have crown flashes ongoing. 655 00:29:04,708 --> 00:29:06,417 It's just a matter of whether somebody's there 656 00:29:06,417 --> 00:29:07,667 to see them or not. 657 00:29:07,667 --> 00:29:09,958 [tense music] 658 00:29:11,167 --> 00:29:14,750 - Our verdict? Gotta go with crown flash. 659 00:29:14,750 --> 00:29:17,917 No enemy military tech or alien overtures, 660 00:29:17,917 --> 00:29:20,875 just nature putting on an incredible show. 661 00:29:20,875 --> 00:29:23,125 But keep your eye on the skies. 662 00:29:23,125 --> 00:29:27,375 If we do get a pulsing instant message from another galaxy, 663 00:29:27,375 --> 00:29:28,875 we don't wanna miss it. 664 00:29:31,708 --> 00:29:34,500 If we do get a pulsing instant mesto the sounds of naturey, 665 00:29:34,500 --> 00:29:37,208 in order to calm down and relax, 666 00:29:37,208 --> 00:29:39,917 but I'm pretty confident the forest sounds in our next story 667 00:29:39,917 --> 00:29:42,750 will have quite the opposite effect. 668 00:29:44,417 --> 00:29:48,042 It's September 2018 in the Great Smoky Mountains. 669 00:29:48,042 --> 00:29:51,625 A bird enthusiast is making his way along the trail 670 00:29:51,625 --> 00:29:53,417 when he suddenly hears this. 671 00:29:54,667 --> 00:29:58,250 [screeching] 672 00:29:58,250 --> 00:30:01,417 At first, many listeners assume it's a buzz saw 673 00:30:01,417 --> 00:30:03,042 starting and stopping. 674 00:30:03,042 --> 00:30:05,583 However, there are no known logging operations 675 00:30:05,583 --> 00:30:06,875 happening in the area, 676 00:30:06,875 --> 00:30:09,042 so another theory emerges. 677 00:30:09,042 --> 00:30:11,792 Could it be the trees themselves? 678 00:30:11,792 --> 00:30:14,125 [screeching] 679 00:30:15,125 --> 00:30:19,208 - For centuries, stories of living or magical trees 680 00:30:19,208 --> 00:30:21,375 can be found all over the world. 681 00:30:21,375 --> 00:30:24,125 You can find examples in Greek mythology, 682 00:30:24,125 --> 00:30:26,875 where you have creatures like the dryads 683 00:30:26,875 --> 00:30:30,750 who are forest spirits that inhabit every tree. 684 00:30:30,750 --> 00:30:32,333 And even in Arab folklore, 685 00:30:32,333 --> 00:30:35,792 you can find examples of djinns living in trees. 686 00:30:35,792 --> 00:30:37,417 - [Tony] Recent scientific discoveries 687 00:30:37,417 --> 00:30:40,625 have revealed that these legends of vocalizing trees 688 00:30:40,625 --> 00:30:44,083 may have some actual roots in reality. 689 00:30:44,083 --> 00:30:47,042 - Recent experiments in Tel Aviv have even shown 690 00:30:47,042 --> 00:30:50,250 that plants that are exposed to painful pressures, 691 00:30:50,250 --> 00:30:53,708 such as damage or dehydration, 692 00:30:53,708 --> 00:30:55,125 can emit sounds. 693 00:30:55,125 --> 00:30:56,750 The results of this experiment 694 00:30:56,750 --> 00:31:00,667 could alter the way that we think about the plant kingdom, 695 00:31:00,667 --> 00:31:05,500 which has, up until now, often been thought of as silent. 696 00:31:06,583 --> 00:31:09,208 [screeching] 697 00:31:09,208 --> 00:31:10,583 - [Tony] In the Smoky Mountains, 698 00:31:10,583 --> 00:31:14,458 hemlock trees are under attack from an invasive pest, 699 00:31:14,458 --> 00:31:16,500 the hemlock woolly adelgid. 700 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,375 Some suggest that perhaps out of desperation, 701 00:31:19,375 --> 00:31:21,875 these plants are attempting to create sounds 702 00:31:21,875 --> 00:31:23,667 for human attention. 703 00:31:23,667 --> 00:31:28,000 - Is it possible that this area is trying to communicate 704 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,500 and say, "Help"? 705 00:31:30,583 --> 00:31:33,000 [screeching] 706 00:31:35,250 --> 00:31:37,833 - Scientists believe the Smoky Mountains to be somewhere 707 00:31:37,833 --> 00:31:41,375 between 200 and 300 million years old. 708 00:31:41,375 --> 00:31:43,167 Some of the full-grown trees there 709 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,958 are older than half a millennium. 710 00:31:45,958 --> 00:31:48,542 I would imagine if a tree that old could talk, 711 00:31:48,542 --> 00:31:51,458 it would have some pretty fascinating things to say. 712 00:31:51,458 --> 00:31:54,792 But for now, let's listen to our experts. 713 00:31:54,792 --> 00:31:57,000 [tense music] 714 00:31:58,917 --> 00:32:01,250 NASA geologist Bob Anderson confirms 715 00:32:01,250 --> 00:32:03,458 that the hemlock trees in the Smoky Mountains 716 00:32:03,458 --> 00:32:06,208 may actually be screaming for help. 717 00:32:06,208 --> 00:32:07,708 - There's research going on 718 00:32:07,708 --> 00:32:09,542 that plants can actually make sound. 719 00:32:09,542 --> 00:32:12,208 The research recently happened in Tel Aviv University 720 00:32:12,208 --> 00:32:15,500 where they recorded a tomato plant 721 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:17,083 in ultrasonic frequencies. 722 00:32:17,083 --> 00:32:19,042 About up to 16 feet away, 723 00:32:19,042 --> 00:32:22,208 they were still hearing this clicking or popping sound. 724 00:32:22,208 --> 00:32:24,042 It's not a rhythmic sound. 725 00:32:24,042 --> 00:32:26,708 It usually happens when the plant is low on water 726 00:32:26,708 --> 00:32:29,083 or it has stem damage. 727 00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:30,708 - [Tony] Some scientists theorize 728 00:32:30,708 --> 00:32:33,292 that these sounds are being made by air bubbles 729 00:32:33,292 --> 00:32:36,542 forming and bursting in the plant's vascular systems. 730 00:32:36,542 --> 00:32:39,000 And while plants and certain other animals 731 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,833 may hear these sounds, unfortunately, humans can't. 732 00:32:42,833 --> 00:32:44,083 - Most plant sounds 733 00:32:44,083 --> 00:32:46,417 are into what we call the ultrasonic rage, 734 00:32:46,417 --> 00:32:49,542 which means that they're very, very high pitched. 735 00:32:49,542 --> 00:32:52,250 Humans cannot hear in the ultrasonic spectrum. 736 00:32:52,250 --> 00:32:55,125 And so if the trees or if any plants 737 00:32:55,125 --> 00:32:56,875 were making that kind of sound, 738 00:32:56,875 --> 00:32:59,958 humans would not be able to pick it up. 739 00:32:59,958 --> 00:33:02,375 [screeching] 740 00:33:02,375 --> 00:33:04,792 - [Tony] And as far as a mechanical sound 741 00:33:04,792 --> 00:33:06,583 such as a buzz saw, 742 00:33:06,583 --> 00:33:08,208 Anderson says no way. 743 00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:11,792 - With a manmade sound like a drill or construction, 744 00:33:11,792 --> 00:33:14,792 the sounds are much more consistent 745 00:33:14,792 --> 00:33:17,833 and have a very narrow frequency range. 746 00:33:17,833 --> 00:33:20,125 This sound starts, stops, 747 00:33:20,125 --> 00:33:22,042 goes up in pitch, it goes down in pitch. 748 00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:25,500 The most obvious thing would be that it is biological. 749 00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:28,417 - [Tony] And while Anderson is a geologist 750 00:33:28,417 --> 00:33:31,375 and not a wildlife biologist, 751 00:33:31,375 --> 00:33:33,875 he has an educated guess about which local creature 752 00:33:33,875 --> 00:33:35,500 might be making this noise. 753 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:40,375 - In the video, you can see what appears to be a female elk. 754 00:33:40,375 --> 00:33:44,167 Male elk can make a sound that's very deep and very hollow 755 00:33:44,167 --> 00:33:46,875 that comes out during the mating season. 756 00:33:46,875 --> 00:33:48,542 So I can almost come to the conclusion 757 00:33:48,542 --> 00:33:51,167 that there is a male elk in the area. 758 00:33:51,167 --> 00:33:54,208 - [Tony] Is it possible that this otherworldly sound 759 00:33:54,208 --> 00:33:56,583 is just a mating call from a male elk? 760 00:33:56,583 --> 00:34:00,042 We checked with forensic audio analyst professor Rob Maher. 761 00:34:00,042 --> 00:34:04,542 - When the male elk are trying to attract females, 762 00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:07,875 they emit a sound that's referred to as bugling, 763 00:34:07,875 --> 00:34:09,500 and here's an example. 764 00:34:09,500 --> 00:34:12,000 [elk bugling] 765 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,667 The frequency range of the most energy 766 00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:17,625 in these cases is very similar, 767 00:34:17,625 --> 00:34:20,917 and then the duration is very similar. 768 00:34:20,917 --> 00:34:23,250 [screeching] 769 00:34:25,458 --> 00:34:28,042 [elk bugling] 770 00:34:29,250 --> 00:34:31,208 And that leads me to the conclusion 771 00:34:31,208 --> 00:34:32,875 the unknown sound that we're hearing 772 00:34:32,875 --> 00:34:36,667 is actually a bull elk bugling. 773 00:34:36,667 --> 00:34:38,667 [elk bugling] 774 00:34:39,625 --> 00:34:42,292 Making this sound that they would make 775 00:34:42,292 --> 00:34:45,208 to attract the females in that season. 776 00:34:45,208 --> 00:34:47,458 [elk bugling] 777 00:34:48,542 --> 00:34:50,583 [tense music] 778 00:34:52,167 --> 00:34:55,708 - Our verdict? Bull elk mating cry. 779 00:34:55,708 --> 00:34:59,292 So no screaming trees desperate for help this time, 780 00:34:59,292 --> 00:35:03,708 just an obnoxiously loud male elk desperate for love. 781 00:35:06,042 --> 00:35:09,917 So no screaming trees desperate for help this time, i, 782 00:35:09,917 --> 00:35:12,875 "The eyes are the window of the soul." 783 00:35:12,875 --> 00:35:14,208 But there's a man in Turkey 784 00:35:14,208 --> 00:35:17,167 who's been challenging that notion since he was 12, 785 00:35:17,167 --> 00:35:20,000 and he just might be able to teach Leonardo 786 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,750 a thing or two about painting. 787 00:35:22,792 --> 00:35:26,250 March 2009, Ankara, Turkey. 788 00:35:26,250 --> 00:35:29,667 Artist Esref Armagan is at work in his studio. 789 00:35:29,667 --> 00:35:31,875 He may look like an ordinary painter, 790 00:35:31,875 --> 00:35:33,667 but as the camera films him working, 791 00:35:33,667 --> 00:35:36,083 Esref reveals something extraordinary 792 00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:37,208 about his background. 793 00:35:37,333 --> 00:35:39,208 - [speaking in Turkish] 794 00:35:45,583 --> 00:35:47,750 - [Tony] Astonishingly, Esref's work, 795 00:35:47,750 --> 00:35:51,208 which he's shown painting with his fingers on camera, 796 00:35:51,208 --> 00:35:53,458 seems to display an advanced understanding 797 00:35:53,458 --> 00:35:55,833 of depth and perspective using shading. 798 00:35:55,833 --> 00:35:58,625 He also uses an impressive array of vibrant colors 799 00:35:58,625 --> 00:36:01,042 as seen in these landscapes and still lives. 800 00:36:01,042 --> 00:36:02,667 - [speaking in Turkish] 801 00:36:08,458 --> 00:36:10,625 - [Tony] Esref's many wondrous works of art 802 00:36:10,625 --> 00:36:11,708 raise the question, 803 00:36:11,708 --> 00:36:13,500 how can someone who was born without sight 804 00:36:13,500 --> 00:36:16,417 draw and paint objects they've never seen? 805 00:36:16,417 --> 00:36:18,917 Journalist Erin McCarthy says it has long been established 806 00:36:18,917 --> 00:36:21,500 that blind people can compensate for their lack of sight 807 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,917 with enhanced hearing, smell, taste, or touch. 808 00:36:24,917 --> 00:36:26,583 One example of sensory compensation 809 00:36:26,583 --> 00:36:30,375 is when blind individuals master the skill of echolocation. 810 00:36:30,375 --> 00:36:32,417 - There's a blind man named Brian Bushway 811 00:36:32,417 --> 00:36:34,458 who uses echolocation. 812 00:36:34,458 --> 00:36:36,208 He will make these clicking noises 813 00:36:36,208 --> 00:36:38,167 and then use the sound bouncing back 814 00:36:38,167 --> 00:36:40,417 to orient himself within space. 815 00:36:41,667 --> 00:36:44,792 Echolocation is used by animals like dolphins and bats, 816 00:36:44,792 --> 00:36:47,792 so the fact that a human can do this too is pretty cool. 817 00:36:47,792 --> 00:36:50,375 - [Tony] Another theory, could the theoretical third eye, 818 00:36:50,375 --> 00:36:54,208 also known as the mind's eye, be at play here? 819 00:36:54,208 --> 00:36:57,000 - The third eye is the sixth chakra 820 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,250 and it is said to be in the middle of the brow or forehead. 821 00:37:00,250 --> 00:37:01,792 - [Tony] In some Eastern religions 822 00:37:01,792 --> 00:37:03,333 like Buddhism and Hinduism, 823 00:37:03,333 --> 00:37:05,333 chakras are thought to be focal points 824 00:37:05,333 --> 00:37:07,708 for different types of energy throughout the body. 825 00:37:07,708 --> 00:37:10,042 The third eye chakra is sometimes referred to 826 00:37:10,042 --> 00:37:11,500 as our sixth sense 827 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,750 and is said to be linked to perception, awareness, 828 00:37:13,750 --> 00:37:15,917 and communication with the spirit world. 829 00:37:15,917 --> 00:37:18,917 - Opening up the third eye is said to increase intuition, 830 00:37:18,917 --> 00:37:21,375 spiritual perception, and universal connection, 831 00:37:21,375 --> 00:37:23,083 and helps you access information 832 00:37:23,083 --> 00:37:25,417 beyond what we see with our own eyes. 833 00:37:28,250 --> 00:37:29,833 - More than 300 years ago, 834 00:37:29,833 --> 00:37:34,083 philosopher William Molyneux pondered whether a blind person 835 00:37:34,083 --> 00:37:36,208 who was suddenly able to see 836 00:37:36,208 --> 00:37:39,167 would be able to visually identify objects 837 00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:42,208 which they previously knew only by touch. 838 00:37:42,208 --> 00:37:45,292 A study finally answered the question in 2011. 839 00:37:45,292 --> 00:37:48,083 No, blind patients who gained vision 840 00:37:48,083 --> 00:37:49,333 through cataract surgery 841 00:37:49,333 --> 00:37:53,417 could not identify such objects by sight. 842 00:37:53,417 --> 00:37:56,708 So, what can explain Esref's ability? 843 00:37:56,708 --> 00:37:59,042 Let's get our experts' perspective. 844 00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:01,375 [tense music] 845 00:38:02,708 --> 00:38:05,875 First up, Dr. Ed Hope explains why the third eye theory 846 00:38:05,875 --> 00:38:07,417 doesn't pass the test. 847 00:38:07,417 --> 00:38:10,542 - We all, in fact, have a third eye, 848 00:38:10,542 --> 00:38:14,208 and this is a small gland right in the center of your head 849 00:38:14,208 --> 00:38:15,583 called the pineal gland. 850 00:38:15,583 --> 00:38:17,292 And it's called the third eye 851 00:38:17,292 --> 00:38:19,542 because it actually has some cells in it 852 00:38:19,542 --> 00:38:22,333 that are very similar to the photoreceptors 853 00:38:22,333 --> 00:38:23,875 at the back of your eye. 854 00:38:23,875 --> 00:38:26,583 Now, the pineal gland's function has nothing to do 855 00:38:26,583 --> 00:38:28,583 with it being a sensory organ. 856 00:38:28,583 --> 00:38:30,375 In fact, it secretes melatonin 857 00:38:30,375 --> 00:38:32,833 to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. 858 00:38:32,833 --> 00:38:36,208 It has no sensory function within humans. 859 00:38:36,208 --> 00:38:37,708 - [Tony] This doesn't rule out 860 00:38:37,708 --> 00:38:40,458 that some people can activate a spiritual third eye. 861 00:38:40,458 --> 00:38:43,042 Yet, Hope believes Esref isn't employing 862 00:38:43,042 --> 00:38:44,500 any extra sensory abilities, 863 00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:46,750 but he's instead just using the senses 864 00:38:46,750 --> 00:38:50,458 that most humans are born with in exceptional ways. 865 00:38:50,458 --> 00:38:53,667 - The sensitivity of our touch sensors in our fingers 866 00:38:53,667 --> 00:38:56,500 are second only to our tongue and lips, 867 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:59,875 and he uses that to feel exactly what he's about to draw. 868 00:38:59,875 --> 00:39:03,042 And then he uses an ability called stereognosis, 869 00:39:03,042 --> 00:39:06,167 which is the idea that we can build pictures in our mind. 870 00:39:06,167 --> 00:39:09,583 And then he's able to translate that through the paint. 871 00:39:11,458 --> 00:39:14,417 - [Tony] In 2004, Harvard University scientists 872 00:39:14,417 --> 00:39:17,042 ran brain and eye scan tests on Esref. 873 00:39:17,042 --> 00:39:19,583 They discovered that his brain's visual cortex 874 00:39:19,583 --> 00:39:22,958 became activated whenever he began painting or drawing, 875 00:39:22,958 --> 00:39:26,458 which theoretical physicist, Dr. Michio Kaku, identifies 876 00:39:26,458 --> 00:39:30,417 as an astonishing example of human adaptation. 877 00:39:30,417 --> 00:39:33,042 - When I saw evidence of what this person can do, 878 00:39:33,042 --> 00:39:34,375 I said to myself, 879 00:39:34,375 --> 00:39:37,917 "It must be an example of neuroplasticity." 880 00:39:37,917 --> 00:39:40,708 The brain basically rearranges itself 881 00:39:40,708 --> 00:39:43,708 so the visual areas are being hijacked 882 00:39:43,708 --> 00:39:47,667 and the sensory areas of touch are expanding. 883 00:39:47,667 --> 00:39:51,167 So this person is using the sense of touch 884 00:39:51,167 --> 00:39:52,792 to compensate for the fact 885 00:39:52,792 --> 00:39:56,417 that the person has no visual instincts. 886 00:39:56,417 --> 00:39:58,083 - [Tony] But what about those realistic colors 887 00:39:58,083 --> 00:40:02,250 and his ability to use shading to portray depth perception? 888 00:40:02,250 --> 00:40:05,250 Kaku says practice makes perfect. 889 00:40:05,250 --> 00:40:07,250 - He has to be trained as a child 890 00:40:07,250 --> 00:40:10,792 to understand that the sky is blue and white with clouds. 891 00:40:10,792 --> 00:40:14,625 That this paint here represents yellow. 892 00:40:14,625 --> 00:40:17,750 Yellow in turn represents the color of the sun. 893 00:40:17,750 --> 00:40:22,583 Perspective requires your movement in the third dimension. 894 00:40:22,583 --> 00:40:26,333 For example, the farther you are away, the smaller you are. 895 00:40:26,333 --> 00:40:28,042 Somebody has to teach him that, 896 00:40:28,042 --> 00:40:29,750 and of course it takes time, 897 00:40:29,750 --> 00:40:33,208 but eventually he became a master of both. 898 00:40:33,208 --> 00:40:34,833 Colors are all correct 899 00:40:34,833 --> 00:40:38,375 and the perspectives are all in the right proportions, 900 00:40:38,375 --> 00:40:43,417 and that's how he's able to make these fantastic paintings. 901 00:40:44,333 --> 00:40:46,667 [tense music] 902 00:40:47,958 --> 00:40:50,875 - Our verdict? Esref's artistic ability 903 00:40:50,875 --> 00:40:54,500 seems to be the product of neuroplasticity. 904 00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:56,625 He has also managed to hone his skills 905 00:40:56,625 --> 00:40:59,833 with decades of trial and error and training. 906 00:40:59,833 --> 00:41:03,042 But even though he puts his hands on his paintings, 907 00:41:03,042 --> 00:41:05,708 if you ever see one, please don't touch. 908 00:41:05,708 --> 00:41:07,208 And that's our show for tonight. 909 00:41:07,208 --> 00:41:10,375 We always have so much fun putting these episodes together. 910 00:41:10,375 --> 00:41:12,458 Thank you so much for watching, 911 00:41:12,458 --> 00:41:14,375 and altogether now... 912 00:41:14,375 --> 00:41:17,042 - [All] Keep those cameras rolling! 913 00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:19,583 [applause] [dramatic music]