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[Corey] What made this machine
one of the most
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00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,867
dangerous weapons
in the world?
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00:00:05,900 --> 00:00:09,433
The Germans were convinced
that they had created
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00:00:09,467 --> 00:00:12,267
the holy grail
of cryptography.
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00:00:12,300 --> 00:00:13,667
[Corey] How could there be
a carving
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00:00:13,700 --> 00:00:15,700
of a modern helicopter
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00:00:15,733 --> 00:00:18,633
on an ancient
Egyptian inscription?
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00:00:18,667 --> 00:00:21,100
[Rebecca] These shapes,
they're instantly recognizable
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00:00:21,133 --> 00:00:22,633
but they are ancient,
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00:00:22,667 --> 00:00:24,600
they are thousands
of years old.
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[Corey] And can this
800-year-old device
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00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,533
covered in strange sayings
really predict the future?
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00:00:31,567 --> 00:00:34,400
[Kevin] "In me are strange
and hidden things,
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I am the revealer
of secrets."
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[Corey]
These are the most remarkable
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00:00:41,867 --> 00:00:44,200
and mysterious objects
on Earth,
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00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:47,367
hidden away in museums,
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laboratories
and storage rooms.
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00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:53,933
Now, new research
and technology
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can get under their skin
like never before.
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We can rebuild them,
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pull them apart, and zoom in
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to reveal the unbelievable,
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the ancient,
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and the truly bizarre.
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These are the world's
Strangest Things.
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This unassuming
80-year-old device
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looks like a typewriter
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fitted into a plain
wooden box.
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But it is one of the greatest
secret weapons in history.
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[Sascha]
What we are looking at
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is one of the most successful
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and most powerful
codemaking machines.
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[Corey] Now using cutting edge
digital technology,
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we can bring it to life.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[Corey] And reveal
its mystifying inner workings
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like never before.
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This is the Enigma machine.
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Measuring just six inches tall
by eleven inches wide.
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Inside is a complex network
of wires
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connecting switches
and rotors.
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Each rotor and plug
can be set in a vast number
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of different combinations.
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It's a revolutionary
technology
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built on thousands of years
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of codemaking
and codebreaking.
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An encryption machine
considered uncrackable.
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[Andrew] There are
over 150 million,
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million, million combinations.
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What that means is that
if you could check one
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every second,
it would take over 300 times
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the age of the universe
to crack the code.
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[Corey] How does it work?
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What is its fatal flaw?
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What is the Enigma machine?
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At first glance,
it may not look like much.
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[Sascha] But looks
can be deceiving.
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This humble little device
was the Nazi secret weapon.
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[Corey] It's the end result
of an arms race
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that has been going on
for thousands of years.
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[Philip] The Enigma machine
uses a cipher
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and ciphers are
a very ancient device
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for encoding
and hiding information
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that you don't want
someone else to read.
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[Corey] Two and a half
thousands years ago,
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ciphers are already common.
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The scytale is a device
believed to have been used
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by the Spartans
as early as 400 BCE.
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[Tamar] They would wrap
a piece of fabric
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around the rod and then
write their message
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across the fabric so that
when the fabric was unrolled,
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it would just look like
a series of letters.
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[Corey] But it's got
a fatal flaw.
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If you had a rod
of the same size,
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you could then
wrap the fabric around
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and you'd be able to read
the coded message.
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[Corey]
Keeping messages secret
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becomes a never ending battle.
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[Sascha] You really get
the kind of arms race
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where one side or both sides
really are trying to develop
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increasingly
sophisticated codes,
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while their rivals
are trying to develop
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increasingly sophisticated
and effective forms
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of breaking those codes.
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[Corey]
Five hundred years later,
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Julius Caesar is using
a substitution cipher.
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[Philip] All the letters
throughout the message
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are just shifted
by the same amount
through the alphabet.
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Let's say they'd go
five letters on,
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so all the A's become E's
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or B's become the F's,
and so forth.
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[Corey] But it also
has a weakness.
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The letter substitution rule
is fixed.
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Once Caesar's enemies
figure out the rule,
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they can break every message.
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For 2000 years,
the battle rages
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00:05:05,867 --> 00:05:08,667
between codemakers
and codebreakers,
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until the 1920s,
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when this strange
and complex device appears.
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[Sascha] The Germans
were convinced
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that they had created
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the holy grail
of cryptography,
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an unbreakable code.
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[Corey] The key to its success
is its simple operation.
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[Andrew] You type a letter
on the keyboard,
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and then above it
there's a panel of lights
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also with every letter
of the alphabet on them.
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And when you press a letter
on the keyboard,
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a different letter lights up
on that panel of lights.
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[Corey] Inside Enigma,
each letter on the keyboard
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is connected electronically
to the lightboard
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via three rotors.
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Within the rotors
are a jumble of tiny wires
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that transpose one letter
into another.
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This circuit passes
through every rotor
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on the way to the lightboard.
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What makes Enigma unique
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is that every time a letter
is pressed,
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the first rotor advances
by one space.
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When it has been
all the way around,
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the next rotor advances by one
and the process begins again.
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[Andrew] As those rotors
keep on moving,
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it changes,
randomizes the code.
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If I pressed A,
I might get a Q.
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If I pressed A again,
I might get an S.
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Press A again,
I might get a T.
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And that pattern
of apparently random letters
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makes it very,
very hard to decode.
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[Corey] An electrical
plugboard on the front
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adds more ways
to scramble the connections.
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Yet despite this complexity,
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decoding messages
is child's play.
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All you need
is another Enigma machine
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set up the same way.
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[Andrew] All you have to do
is type it
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into your Enigma machine
configured appropriately
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and then the plaintext
should appear
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flashing on those lights.
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00:07:09,233 --> 00:07:11,167
You can decode it
one letter at a time.
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And you can tell
your superior officer
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the coded message
that's been sent.
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[Corey] It's the greatest
encryption device
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the world has ever seen.
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The Germans are convinced
it's uncrackable.
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Why have they gone
to so much trouble?
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Using weak codes
had pretty much
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cost the Germans
the First World War.
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In January 1917,
German Secretary of State,
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Arthur Zimmerman,
sends an encrypted telegram
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to the German Embassy
in Mexico.
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[Sascha] The content
of the telegram
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was basically an offer
to Mexico
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to get on the right side
of the war
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while they had the chance
and as a reward,
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after the inevitable
German victory,
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Mexico would be given
New Mexico
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and other territorial parts
of the United States.
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[Corey]
But British codebreakers
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intercept the message.
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Unknown to the Germans,
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they have already broken
the old code
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used in the telegram.
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They pass the message
to the Americans.
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Outraged,
the US joins the fight
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and the war turns
against Germany.
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[explosion]
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[Sascha] It's a huge
intelligence failure
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and a diplomatic disaster
for the Germans.
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So as the war ends,
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the Germans felt
highly motivated
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to develop
a new coding system
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and that's where
the Enigma machine comes in.
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[Corey] The first people
to spot the arrival of Enigma
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are Polish intelligence.
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They've been keeping
a close eye on Germany
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with very good reason.
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[Sascha]
The Treaty of Versailles
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that had recreated
the nation of Poland,
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part of that was built
on former territory
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of the German Empire.
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So they were
literally sitting
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on what many Germans
considered German land.
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[Corey] But eight years
after the end of the war,
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Polish eavesdropping
runs into trouble.
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[Sascha] All of a sudden,
in 1926,
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it's like a wall comes down.
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They simply can't decipher
the codes
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that the Germans
are using anymore.
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[Corey] Enigma has arrived.
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For two years,
the Polish are deaf
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to everything
the German military is saying.
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In 1928, they finally
catch a break.
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The Warsaw customs office
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receives a package labeled
radio parts.
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They get an urgent phone call
from the Germans saying,
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00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:03,033
"Oh, this was sent to you
by accident,
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00:10:03,067 --> 00:10:04,800
we need it back immediately."
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00:10:04,833 --> 00:10:07,233
It was really the urgency
of the calls
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00:10:07,267 --> 00:10:09,900
that alerted them to the fact
that they had something
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00:10:09,933 --> 00:10:13,400
much more important
than merely radio parts.
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00:10:13,433 --> 00:10:17,133
[Corey] The package contains
a civilian version of Enigma.
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00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,367
[Sascha] This finally
gives them the opportunity
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00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,900
to look
at the interior workings
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00:10:23,933 --> 00:10:25,400
of this codemaking device
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00:10:25,433 --> 00:10:27,867
that has been confounding
their best efforts
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00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:30,300
at decryption for so long.
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[Corey] The question is,
can they break the code?
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00:10:42,233 --> 00:10:44,233
[Corey] The Enigma machine,
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00:10:44,267 --> 00:10:47,033
Germany believes
it's unbreakable.
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That doesn't stop
Polish intelligence
from trying.
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In 1932, using a captured
civilian Enigma
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00:10:54,700 --> 00:10:56,333
and other scavenged data,
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00:10:56,367 --> 00:10:58,867
mathematician Marian Rejewski
figures out
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00:10:58,900 --> 00:11:01,967
how the military versions
are wired.
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00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:07,900
The Poles can once again
listen in
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00:11:07,933 --> 00:11:09,733
on everything the Germans say.
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00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,467
But they are chasing
a moving target.
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00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:17,100
Enigma is evolving.
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00:11:17,133 --> 00:11:18,667
[Sascha]
The Germans continue
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00:11:18,700 --> 00:11:20,367
to adapt
their Enigma machines.
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00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,967
They add new rotors,
they wire it differently.
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00:11:23,067 --> 00:11:25,700
They basically make the code
more and more complex,
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00:11:25,733 --> 00:11:28,233
more and more difficult
to break.
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00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,967
[Corey] In response, Rejewski
devises his own machine
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00:11:33,067 --> 00:11:35,533
to fight Enigma.
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00:11:35,567 --> 00:11:38,633
He calls it
the cryptological bomb
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00:11:38,667 --> 00:11:42,067
or bomba in Polish.
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00:11:42,067 --> 00:11:43,967
[Sascha]
It's assembled from bits
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00:11:44,067 --> 00:11:46,667
of the Enigma machine
as they understand it.
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00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:51,167
And it's a device
that is able to over time
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00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,833
run through the different
possible permutations
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00:11:53,867 --> 00:11:56,600
that the Enigma machine
is spitting out.
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00:11:56,633 --> 00:11:58,900
[Corey]
But in September 1939,
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00:11:58,933 --> 00:12:01,800
Rejewski's attack on Enigma
is cut short.
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00:12:03,233 --> 00:12:06,067
Hitler invades Poland.
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00:12:06,067 --> 00:12:07,300
[explosion]
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00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,333
[Sascha] The Polish
codebreakers do manage
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00:12:11,367 --> 00:12:14,367
to escape the invasion
and they turn over
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00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:15,967
a lot of the notes
they had collected
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00:12:16,067 --> 00:12:18,467
as well as much
of their equipment
242
00:12:18,500 --> 00:12:21,900
to Bletchley Park,
which is now gonna become
243
00:12:21,933 --> 00:12:24,167
the center of the British
codebreaking efforts.
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00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:28,933
[Corey] The Germans continue
to evolve Enigma.
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00:12:28,967 --> 00:12:31,967
It grows increasingly complex.
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00:12:32,067 --> 00:12:34,133
British efforts failed
to break it fast enough
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00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:35,700
to be useful.
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00:12:38,833 --> 00:12:42,400
Meanwhile, German U-boats
are decimating allied ships
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00:12:42,433 --> 00:12:44,933
carrying vital supplies
from America.
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00:12:44,967 --> 00:12:47,567
[explosion]
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00:12:50,267 --> 00:12:52,667
The Germans really have
the advantage.
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00:12:52,700 --> 00:12:56,767
They have the perfect weapon
for stopping those convoys
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00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,267
and for choking off
this vital supply line.
254
00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:02,300
The Unterseeboot, the U-boat,
255
00:13:02,333 --> 00:13:07,067
an invisible, implacable,
deadly enemy.
256
00:13:09,067 --> 00:13:11,067
[Corey] They have to break
the Enigma messages
257
00:13:11,067 --> 00:13:12,600
sent to the U-boats
258
00:13:12,633 --> 00:13:14,800
before the Atlantic
supply line is cut off
259
00:13:14,833 --> 00:13:17,633
and the war is lost.
260
00:13:17,667 --> 00:13:20,067
One man thinks he knows how.
261
00:13:21,833 --> 00:13:25,100
[dramatic music playing]
262
00:13:25,133 --> 00:13:27,933
[Sascha] Alan Turing
is really one of the great
263
00:13:27,967 --> 00:13:31,600
mathematical geniuses
of the age.
264
00:13:31,633 --> 00:13:33,767
He is a Cambridge graduate.
265
00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,867
Absolutely brilliant guy,
very eccentric,
266
00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:39,867
and it is into his hands
267
00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:42,333
that this
all important mission
268
00:13:42,367 --> 00:13:45,067
of cracking
the Enigma code falls.
269
00:13:47,633 --> 00:13:50,200
[Corey] Turing supersizes
as the Polish ideas
270
00:13:50,233 --> 00:13:52,067
and builds a mega bomba.
271
00:13:54,233 --> 00:13:55,633
[Andrew]
This was an absolutely
272
00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:57,200
incredible
computing machine,
273
00:13:57,233 --> 00:14:00,067
rotating drums,
miles of wire,
274
00:14:00,067 --> 00:14:02,700
and able to crunch
through far more combinations
275
00:14:02,733 --> 00:14:04,733
of Enigma codes
than any individual human
276
00:14:04,767 --> 00:14:06,900
could possibly manage.
277
00:14:06,933 --> 00:14:09,300
[Corey] Turing knows
that even his huge bombs
278
00:14:09,333 --> 00:14:12,133
can't crack Enigma
fast enough.
279
00:14:12,167 --> 00:14:14,233
His genius is to combine them
280
00:14:14,267 --> 00:14:16,967
with the crucial flaw
he spotted.
281
00:14:17,067 --> 00:14:19,667
Not in the machine
but in the operators.
282
00:14:21,500 --> 00:14:23,067
[Andrew]
The human flaw was that
283
00:14:23,067 --> 00:14:24,867
humans sent
predictable messages.
284
00:14:24,900 --> 00:14:26,867
For example, one of the most
common types of message
285
00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:28,367
was a weather report.
286
00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,700
And that means
if you get a message
287
00:14:29,733 --> 00:14:31,433
you think might be
a weather report,
288
00:14:31,467 --> 00:14:33,267
you've got a word that
you can look for inside it,
289
00:14:33,300 --> 00:14:35,733
at a very minimum "wetter",
the German word for weather.
290
00:14:35,767 --> 00:14:37,800
[Corey] These known
or probable words
291
00:14:37,833 --> 00:14:40,300
are called cribs.
292
00:14:40,333 --> 00:14:43,633
Turing combines them
with a second flaw,
293
00:14:43,667 --> 00:14:45,633
and this one
is in the supposedly
294
00:14:45,667 --> 00:14:49,300
unbreakable
Enigma machine itself.
295
00:14:49,333 --> 00:14:52,333
A letter can never be
encrypted to itself.
296
00:14:52,367 --> 00:14:53,900
So I press the letter A,
297
00:14:53,933 --> 00:14:55,567
it goes through this
whole tangle of wires
298
00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,633
because the A has to be
connected to something,
299
00:14:57,667 --> 00:14:59,167
it can never actually
come back
300
00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,833
and become a letter A
in the ciphertext.
301
00:15:01,867 --> 00:15:04,900
[Corey] Turing can now
narrow the search
for solutions,
302
00:15:04,933 --> 00:15:07,967
using the cribs as a guide.
303
00:15:08,067 --> 00:15:09,567
[Andrew] So you're looking
for the word wetter,
304
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,367
you can slide
through your text.
305
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,100
And if you find
any of the letters
306
00:15:13,133 --> 00:15:14,867
in the right place,
you know that isn't your word
307
00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:16,800
and so you can keep
on looking.
308
00:15:16,833 --> 00:15:18,767
And once you found this tiny
little chink in the armor,
309
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,100
you can use this to decode
the rest of the message.
310
00:15:21,133 --> 00:15:23,200
[intense music playing]
311
00:15:23,233 --> 00:15:24,767
[Corey]
Now that Turing's bombs
312
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,600
don't have to test
every possible solution,
313
00:15:29,367 --> 00:15:33,067
they quickly churn through
the remaining possibilities.
314
00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:37,267
Enigma is broken.
315
00:15:43,967 --> 00:15:46,133
Some experts claim
that cracking Enigma
316
00:15:46,167 --> 00:15:48,900
shortens the war
by up to two years.
317
00:15:49,967 --> 00:15:52,367
[intense music playing]
318
00:15:57,567 --> 00:15:59,133
[Corey]
Germany fails to produce
319
00:15:59,167 --> 00:16:01,067
an unbreakable code.
320
00:16:02,533 --> 00:16:04,933
But Enigma
starts something big.
321
00:16:06,933 --> 00:16:10,267
[Sascha] In many ways,
the Enigma contest,
322
00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:12,067
the contest
between the codemakers
323
00:16:12,067 --> 00:16:13,600
and the codebreakers
324
00:16:13,633 --> 00:16:15,767
is the beginning
of the information age.
325
00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,967
It's the first time
that intelligence
326
00:16:18,067 --> 00:16:22,567
and access to intelligence
have become the absolute focus
327
00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,067
of a major military effort.
328
00:16:27,133 --> 00:16:28,933
[Corey] Even 80 years later,
329
00:16:28,967 --> 00:16:31,567
the lessons of Enigma
still apply.
330
00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,600
The German military
added more rotors
331
00:16:36,633 --> 00:16:39,733
to multiply the complexity
in Enigma.
332
00:16:39,767 --> 00:16:43,067
Technology today
still does the same thing.
333
00:16:44,533 --> 00:16:46,600
[Andrew] The modern analog
of that is the 128
334
00:16:46,633 --> 00:16:48,900
or 256 bit encryption.
335
00:16:48,933 --> 00:16:50,300
Every time you add
an extra bit,
336
00:16:50,333 --> 00:16:51,700
you add twice as many patterns
337
00:16:51,733 --> 00:16:54,667
that have to be
searched through.
338
00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:56,833
[Corey] But as Turing
shows with Enigma,
339
00:16:56,867 --> 00:17:00,367
there's still one flaw
no one can avoid...
340
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,233
humans.
341
00:17:02,267 --> 00:17:04,067
[Andrew] All it takes
is one person in your company
342
00:17:04,067 --> 00:17:06,067
to click on a dodgy link
or open a dodgy attachment
343
00:17:06,067 --> 00:17:08,067
and enter their password
and suddenly
344
00:17:08,100 --> 00:17:09,800
hackers can now have access
to your network.
345
00:17:09,833 --> 00:17:12,300
It's the human beings
who are an inescapable part
346
00:17:12,333 --> 00:17:15,800
of the equation that mean
the codes get cracked.
347
00:17:15,833 --> 00:17:18,100
[Corey] So the incredible
Enigma machine
348
00:17:18,133 --> 00:17:20,833
and the battle to break it
is still teaching us
349
00:17:20,867 --> 00:17:24,067
vital lessons
in the modern world.
350
00:17:24,067 --> 00:17:27,733
Even if the computers
have gotten a tiny bit faster.
351
00:17:31,067 --> 00:17:34,067
[intense music playing]
352
00:17:34,067 --> 00:17:37,600
[Corey] This is the ancient
Egyptian city of Abydos,
353
00:17:37,633 --> 00:17:40,467
almost 300 miles south
of Cairo.
354
00:17:42,433 --> 00:17:45,067
Here in the ruins
of a 3,000-year-old temple
355
00:17:45,067 --> 00:17:49,533
to the god Osiris
stands a stone door lintel,
356
00:17:51,233 --> 00:17:54,700
carved into its surface
is an impossible image.
357
00:17:56,467 --> 00:17:59,067
A helicopter.
358
00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:01,333
What's going on?
359
00:18:01,367 --> 00:18:04,100
Now using the latest
imaging technology,
360
00:18:04,133 --> 00:18:06,767
we're reconstructing
this bizarre artifact
361
00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:08,767
in minute detail.
362
00:18:11,233 --> 00:18:14,233
[intense music playing]
363
00:18:17,067 --> 00:18:19,233
[Corey] The lintel
is around six feet long
364
00:18:19,267 --> 00:18:20,933
and two feet high.
365
00:18:23,833 --> 00:18:25,700
Its sandstone surface
is carved
366
00:18:25,733 --> 00:18:27,467
with cryptic hieroglyphs,
367
00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:30,933
celebrating the reign
of the mighty Pharaoh Seti I.
368
00:18:32,767 --> 00:18:34,467
But amongst them
is what clearly
369
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:37,133
looks like a modern
attack helicopter,
370
00:18:37,167 --> 00:18:41,733
with rotor blades,
a slick body, and a tail boom.
371
00:18:41,767 --> 00:18:45,200
And even stranger,
it's not unique.
372
00:18:47,700 --> 00:18:50,067
Sixty miles away
in the Temple of Hathor
373
00:18:50,067 --> 00:18:53,467
at Dendera is a carving
that looks strikingly similar
374
00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,367
to an electric light bulb.
375
00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,967
It has a glass globe,
a filament,
376
00:18:59,067 --> 00:19:01,700
and even a set
of electrical cables.
377
00:19:04,333 --> 00:19:07,067
There are no shortage
of extraordinary theories
378
00:19:07,067 --> 00:19:09,400
which believe that these
really represent
379
00:19:09,433 --> 00:19:11,067
advanced technology.
380
00:19:12,933 --> 00:19:15,967
Ancient Egypt is, uh, often
a magnet for fringe ideas
381
00:19:16,067 --> 00:19:18,933
and people who, uh, attribute
the origin
382
00:19:18,967 --> 00:19:21,967
of these ancient objects
to someone else.
383
00:19:22,067 --> 00:19:24,600
[Corey] Aliens and time travel
feature prominently
384
00:19:24,633 --> 00:19:26,600
in such wild theories.
385
00:19:28,333 --> 00:19:31,133
But despite appearances,
experts are certain
386
00:19:31,167 --> 00:19:35,267
these do not represent
modern technologies.
387
00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:38,433
[Rebecca] These shapes look
instantly recognizable to us
388
00:19:38,467 --> 00:19:39,967
as modern viewers.
389
00:19:40,067 --> 00:19:41,867
But in fact, they are ancient,
390
00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:44,467
they are thousands
of years older.
391
00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:48,300
So the question really
becomes what could they be?
392
00:19:48,333 --> 00:19:51,900
[Corey] What do these
bizarre carvings mean?
393
00:19:51,933 --> 00:19:53,367
Who made them?
394
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,133
Why is there a modern aircraft
395
00:19:55,167 --> 00:19:58,267
on a 3,000-year-old
temple wall?
396
00:20:06,667 --> 00:20:08,067
[Corey] An image
carved in the wall
397
00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:09,833
of an ancient Egyptian temple
398
00:20:09,867 --> 00:20:12,833
appears to show
a modern helicopter.
399
00:20:15,167 --> 00:20:17,233
This temple
was the mortuary temple
400
00:20:17,267 --> 00:20:19,500
of the pharaoh Seti I.
401
00:20:19,533 --> 00:20:21,567
Seti I may not be
a household name
402
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,067
in the same way
that Tutankhamun is,
403
00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:26,933
nevertheless he achieved
a huge amount.
404
00:20:26,967 --> 00:20:29,933
He really stabilized
the country after a period
405
00:20:29,967 --> 00:20:32,733
of fragmentation
and difficulty.
406
00:20:34,867 --> 00:20:38,033
He achieved a number
of military victories
407
00:20:38,067 --> 00:20:40,400
which he then carved
on his amazing temples
408
00:20:40,433 --> 00:20:42,967
up and down Egypt.
409
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,500
[Corey] Despite the apparent
evidence in the carving,
410
00:20:45,533 --> 00:20:47,500
experts are confident
that helicopters
411
00:20:47,533 --> 00:20:49,867
are not one of his tools
of war.
412
00:20:51,933 --> 00:20:53,800
The problem for them is that
413
00:20:53,833 --> 00:20:57,533
you can't simply conjure up
a helicopter out of thin air.
414
00:20:57,567 --> 00:21:00,900
[Tim] A helicopter requires
a number of innovations
415
00:21:00,933 --> 00:21:02,833
in order to literally
get off the ground,
416
00:21:02,867 --> 00:21:06,367
understanding the aerodynamics
for building the rotor.
417
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,600
You need to have
an energy source
418
00:21:08,633 --> 00:21:11,167
that can provide
enough power.
419
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,467
You also need
some notion of control.
420
00:21:15,067 --> 00:21:17,800
[Corey] And evidence of
other essential technologies
421
00:21:17,833 --> 00:21:20,733
from precision metal
engineering to lubricants,
422
00:21:20,767 --> 00:21:24,433
gears and engines are notable
in Egyptian archeology
423
00:21:24,467 --> 00:21:26,467
only by their absence.
424
00:21:28,667 --> 00:21:31,167
A light bulb is no easier.
425
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,533
You need to generate
electricity,
426
00:21:33,567 --> 00:21:36,467
you need cables.
427
00:21:36,500 --> 00:21:40,900
And to make the bulb,
you require a key skill,
428
00:21:40,933 --> 00:21:44,433
glass blowing,
which is a problem.
429
00:21:44,467 --> 00:21:47,567
[Anna] The ancient Egyptians
didn't do glass blowing,
430
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,533
that was a technology
that was invented
431
00:21:49,567 --> 00:21:52,067
by the Romans.
432
00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:54,267
[Corey] But if this
isn't a light bulb
433
00:21:54,300 --> 00:21:56,300
and this isn't a helicopter,
434
00:21:56,333 --> 00:21:58,467
then what on Earth are they?
435
00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:00,933
[upbeat music playing]
436
00:22:00,967 --> 00:22:02,400
[Corey]
Solving the mystery means
437
00:22:02,433 --> 00:22:04,233
diving into
the dog-eat-dog world
438
00:22:04,267 --> 00:22:06,067
of the ancient pharaohs.
439
00:22:07,333 --> 00:22:09,733
The so called
helicopter inscription
440
00:22:09,767 --> 00:22:13,600
appears at the temple
of Osiris in Abydos.
441
00:22:13,633 --> 00:22:15,400
This temple
was the mortuary temple
442
00:22:15,433 --> 00:22:17,867
of the pharaoh called Seti I,
443
00:22:17,900 --> 00:22:20,767
that's where everything
about this pharaoh
444
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,633
was meant to be immortalized,
written for the ages
445
00:22:23,667 --> 00:22:26,067
in the most
perfect way possible.
446
00:22:27,467 --> 00:22:29,067
[Corey] The carvings
in the temple
447
00:22:29,067 --> 00:22:31,267
tell a story of Seti
as a mighty
448
00:22:31,300 --> 00:22:33,400
all conquering king.
449
00:22:36,467 --> 00:22:38,367
The helicopter carving
starts life
450
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,067
as one of these
gushing inscriptions.
451
00:22:44,067 --> 00:22:46,967
[Rebecca] It reads,
he who renews the births,
452
00:22:47,067 --> 00:22:50,633
strong with the sword
who subjugates the nine bows,
453
00:22:50,667 --> 00:22:53,600
and the nine bows
was a sort of shorthand
454
00:22:53,633 --> 00:22:56,333
to refer to Egypt's enemies.
455
00:22:56,367 --> 00:22:57,900
[Corey]
The inscription celebrates
456
00:22:57,933 --> 00:23:01,867
Seti's great achievements
for eternity.
457
00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:04,600
At least it does
until he dies.
458
00:23:04,633 --> 00:23:07,600
And then his son Ramesses II
comes along.
459
00:23:10,133 --> 00:23:13,500
Ramesses II is known
as Ramesses the Great.
460
00:23:13,533 --> 00:23:17,567
He's a huge deal when it comes
to new kingdom pharaohs.
461
00:23:18,967 --> 00:23:20,800
And certainly
at this point in time,
462
00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:22,567
he is second to none.
463
00:23:24,933 --> 00:23:27,267
[Corey] But along with
Ramesses' undoubted ability
464
00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:29,700
comes a sizeable ego.
465
00:23:31,733 --> 00:23:33,700
He decides
that all the dedications
466
00:23:33,733 --> 00:23:36,600
to his father's greatness
will look much better
467
00:23:36,633 --> 00:23:38,867
with his name on them instead.
468
00:23:40,700 --> 00:23:43,533
[Rebecca] So what Ramesses II
does is that he comes in,
469
00:23:43,567 --> 00:23:46,367
he fills in the name
of his father Seti I
470
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:51,067
with plaster and then
carves in his own name.
471
00:23:51,067 --> 00:23:53,500
[Corey] On the helicopter
lintel, it no longer proclaims
472
00:23:53,533 --> 00:23:56,967
Seti as the great leader
that crushes Egypt's enemies
473
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,233
but Ramesses.
474
00:24:04,067 --> 00:24:06,133
But the 3,000 years
since then
475
00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:09,900
has taken its toll
on Ramesses' updates.
476
00:24:09,933 --> 00:24:11,333
Some plaster has fallen out
477
00:24:11,367 --> 00:24:14,500
of one of the pieces
of writing.
478
00:24:14,533 --> 00:24:16,667
[Corey] What we see today
is a combination
479
00:24:16,700 --> 00:24:19,633
of one hieroglyph
carved on top of another.
480
00:24:22,433 --> 00:24:24,633
[Rebecca] So together,
they look like a helicopter,
481
00:24:24,667 --> 00:24:27,633
when apart, actually
they look quite distinct.
482
00:24:28,867 --> 00:24:30,800
[Corey]
So this astonishing carving
483
00:24:30,833 --> 00:24:33,833
has a very human origin.
484
00:24:33,867 --> 00:24:36,567
[Rebecca] These symbols
are not in fact evidence
485
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,067
of advanced technologies
years before we realized
486
00:24:40,067 --> 00:24:43,733
or alien cultures coming down
and building the pyramids.
487
00:24:43,767 --> 00:24:45,667
If anything these symbols
488
00:24:45,700 --> 00:24:48,600
are evidence of the ego
of pharaoh.
489
00:24:49,933 --> 00:24:52,367
[Corey]
That's one mystery solved.
490
00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,167
But the carving at Dendera
is in its original state
491
00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,067
with no alterations
after it is first carved.
492
00:25:00,067 --> 00:25:03,800
So if it's not a light bulb,
what exactly is it?
493
00:25:10,133 --> 00:25:12,233
[suspenseful music playing]
494
00:25:12,267 --> 00:25:15,533
[Corey] Despite appearances,
Egyptologists are confident
495
00:25:15,567 --> 00:25:18,267
this incredible carving
in the Temple of Hathor
496
00:25:18,300 --> 00:25:20,467
is not an electric light.
497
00:25:22,133 --> 00:25:24,300
Because they've
seen it before.
498
00:25:25,733 --> 00:25:27,400
[Rebecca]
Ancient Egyptian people
499
00:25:27,433 --> 00:25:29,833
of the upper classes certainly
would have been able
500
00:25:29,867 --> 00:25:32,333
to look at these images
and understand instantly
501
00:25:32,367 --> 00:25:33,967
what they were about.
502
00:25:34,067 --> 00:25:36,600
This is actually
a very traditional
503
00:25:36,633 --> 00:25:40,500
and, um, central motif
to ancient Egyptian religion.
504
00:25:42,933 --> 00:25:45,267
The filament
is actually a snake
505
00:25:45,300 --> 00:25:48,467
which we think represents
the god Atum.
506
00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:51,067
The socket is actually
a lotus flower
507
00:25:51,067 --> 00:25:53,700
which stands for rebirth.
508
00:25:53,733 --> 00:25:56,900
The glass bulb itself
seems to be representative
509
00:25:56,933 --> 00:26:00,733
of the air bubble
that is the sky.
510
00:26:00,767 --> 00:26:02,567
And finally at the bottom,
511
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,867
there is actually something
that looks like a cable
512
00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:06,533
but it's actually a barque
513
00:26:06,567 --> 00:26:08,200
and this is representative
of the barque
514
00:26:08,233 --> 00:26:10,400
that would have carried
the sun across the sky.
515
00:26:11,867 --> 00:26:13,800
So you put all
of these elements together,
516
00:26:13,833 --> 00:26:16,300
surprise, surprise,
the set of carvings
517
00:26:16,333 --> 00:26:18,933
is not actually a light bulb
518
00:26:18,967 --> 00:26:20,933
but it actually tells us
a huge amount
519
00:26:20,967 --> 00:26:23,267
about ancient
Egyptian theology.
520
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,067
[Corey] So why is it
that we can convince ourselves
521
00:26:28,067 --> 00:26:29,733
we see things
in these carvings
522
00:26:29,767 --> 00:26:32,533
that just aren't there?
523
00:26:32,567 --> 00:26:36,233
It's not even limited
to monumental Egyptian works.
524
00:26:36,267 --> 00:26:38,833
We see strange things
everywhere.
525
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,967
We see Jesus
in a slice of toast,
526
00:26:44,067 --> 00:26:45,867
faces on rocks,
527
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,067
ducks in clouds.
528
00:26:51,067 --> 00:26:54,100
Even faces on the surface
of Mars.
529
00:26:55,967 --> 00:26:59,333
We just keep seeing stuff
that isn't there.
530
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,433
What's going on?
531
00:27:03,467 --> 00:27:05,500
[intense music playing]
532
00:27:05,533 --> 00:27:07,833
[Corey] To find out,
scientists have used
533
00:27:07,867 --> 00:27:10,633
Magnetoencephalography
to directly measure
534
00:27:10,667 --> 00:27:13,233
electrical activity
in our brains.
535
00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:16,867
They've discovered
that we often
536
00:27:16,900 --> 00:27:19,500
identify these images
before we're even conscious
537
00:27:19,533 --> 00:27:22,233
of what we're looking at.
538
00:27:22,267 --> 00:27:26,433
So we recognize the face
before the slice of toast
539
00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:31,800
or the helicopter
before the ancient carving.
540
00:27:34,067 --> 00:27:35,967
The technical term
for this ability
541
00:27:36,067 --> 00:27:38,667
to conjure up images
that aren't there
542
00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:40,400
is pareidolia.
543
00:27:41,867 --> 00:27:45,533
[Tim] Pareidolia is a way
our brain operates
544
00:27:45,567 --> 00:27:48,400
to efficiently come up
with patterns
545
00:27:48,433 --> 00:27:50,067
and recognize patterns.
546
00:27:50,067 --> 00:27:51,967
But at the same time,
547
00:27:52,067 --> 00:27:54,067
it can end up creating flaws,
and we'll see patterns
548
00:27:54,067 --> 00:27:56,667
where they don't
necessarily exist.
549
00:27:56,700 --> 00:27:58,200
[Corey]
But this strange effect
550
00:27:58,233 --> 00:28:00,300
actually keeps us alive.
551
00:28:03,167 --> 00:28:06,067
[Dr. Boll] Part of this
is about sheer survival.
552
00:28:06,067 --> 00:28:09,567
Because if we see
some ambiguous shape
553
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,600
or shadow amongst the leaves
554
00:28:11,633 --> 00:28:14,100
and we think
that's the head of a tiger,
555
00:28:14,133 --> 00:28:15,767
then we run.
556
00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:17,767
If we're wrong
in that interpretation,
557
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,333
we haven't really
lost anything.
558
00:28:19,367 --> 00:28:21,067
But if we didn't make it
559
00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:23,600
and it really was a tiger
then we're done for.
560
00:28:25,867 --> 00:28:28,233
[Corey] Pareidolia
relies on spotting things
561
00:28:28,267 --> 00:28:32,067
that are familiar to us,
which explains a lot.
562
00:28:33,833 --> 00:28:36,900
Nobody bats an eyelid
over the carvings at Dendera
563
00:28:36,933 --> 00:28:38,333
until after the invention
564
00:28:38,367 --> 00:28:41,733
of the electrical light
in 1878.
565
00:28:41,767 --> 00:28:45,067
Only then do visitors
spot the similarities.
566
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,500
Which also explains why
no one notices the helicopter
567
00:28:50,533 --> 00:28:52,533
until the 1980s.
568
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,533
Someday we may see something
even more extraordinary
569
00:28:57,567 --> 00:29:00,067
in these hieroglyphs.
570
00:29:00,100 --> 00:29:02,533
We just haven't
invented it yet.
571
00:29:08,633 --> 00:29:12,300
Locked away in a glass cabinet
in the British Museum
572
00:29:12,333 --> 00:29:14,933
is a mysterious
metal mechanism
573
00:29:14,967 --> 00:29:17,933
covered in strange sayings.
574
00:29:17,967 --> 00:29:20,633
[Kevin] "I am the revealer
of secrets,
575
00:29:20,667 --> 00:29:23,067
in me are marvels of wisdom
576
00:29:23,067 --> 00:29:25,967
and strange
and hidden things."
577
00:29:26,067 --> 00:29:28,633
[Corey] This is a machine
from the past
578
00:29:28,667 --> 00:29:31,600
created to tell the future.
579
00:29:31,633 --> 00:29:34,467
Now using cutting edge
technology...
580
00:29:38,333 --> 00:29:40,900
we can examine
this mysterious device
581
00:29:40,933 --> 00:29:43,067
with forensic precision...
582
00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:47,300
the Geomancy machine.
583
00:29:49,633 --> 00:29:51,567
In all of human civilization,
584
00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,133
there is nothing even vaguely
similar to this.
585
00:29:55,167 --> 00:29:56,900
There isn't
a single reference to it
586
00:29:56,933 --> 00:29:59,800
in any book or manuscript.
587
00:29:59,833 --> 00:30:02,167
It's roughly twice the size
of an iPad
588
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,533
and strikingly beautiful.
589
00:30:04,567 --> 00:30:06,233
[Mark] It has this
intricate metalwork
590
00:30:06,267 --> 00:30:08,833
with inlays of gold
and silver.
591
00:30:08,867 --> 00:30:12,800
[Kevin] This complex item
features a range of sliders
592
00:30:12,833 --> 00:30:16,500
and dials and Arabic writing.
593
00:30:16,533 --> 00:30:18,067
[Corey]
This extraordinary object
594
00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:20,700
is nearly 800 years old.
595
00:30:20,733 --> 00:30:24,500
It holds the key
to mysteries lost to the ages.
596
00:30:26,867 --> 00:30:29,733
What secrets is it hiding?
597
00:30:29,767 --> 00:30:32,100
How does it work?
598
00:30:32,133 --> 00:30:34,633
What exactly is it?
599
00:30:41,967 --> 00:30:43,733
[dramatic music playing]
600
00:30:43,767 --> 00:30:45,567
[Corey] This strange
medieval device
601
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:47,500
is 800 years old.
602
00:30:48,767 --> 00:30:51,167
But what is it?
603
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,700
Written on its front
is an Arabic inscription
604
00:30:53,733 --> 00:30:57,900
describing it,
but it reads like a riddle.
605
00:30:57,933 --> 00:31:00,133
[Kevin] "The possessor
of eloquence
606
00:31:00,167 --> 00:31:02,100
and the silent speaker
607
00:31:02,133 --> 00:31:06,833
and through my speech
arise desires and fears.
608
00:31:06,867 --> 00:31:10,333
The judicious one
hides their secret thoughts,
609
00:31:10,367 --> 00:31:12,867
but I reveal them."
610
00:31:12,900 --> 00:31:15,067
[Corey]
What does it all mean?
611
00:31:17,067 --> 00:31:19,400
The inscriptions
may be obscure,
612
00:31:19,433 --> 00:31:21,633
but there are other markings
on the face of the machine
613
00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:24,067
that do offer clues.
614
00:31:26,133 --> 00:31:27,467
[Kevin] On the sliders
and dials,
615
00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:29,933
we find matrices of dots,
616
00:31:29,967 --> 00:31:34,767
which correspond
to similar matrices of dots,
617
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,500
which we see in books
about divination.
618
00:31:39,733 --> 00:31:42,333
[Corey] These patterns of dots
appear in texts
619
00:31:42,367 --> 00:31:44,300
from Spain, Africa,
and England
620
00:31:44,333 --> 00:31:46,967
as far back
as the 12th century.
621
00:31:47,067 --> 00:31:48,933
All of them are about
an ancient practice
622
00:31:48,967 --> 00:31:50,867
called geomancy.
623
00:31:53,567 --> 00:31:55,800
[Kevin]
The practice of geomancy
624
00:31:55,833 --> 00:31:58,400
is the prediction of fate
or the future
625
00:31:58,433 --> 00:32:01,900
from the study
of the casting of objects
626
00:32:01,933 --> 00:32:04,967
onto the ground
and looking at how they fall.
627
00:32:06,833 --> 00:32:09,067
[Corey] So this
is a geomancy device
628
00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:11,733
for telling the future.
629
00:32:11,767 --> 00:32:14,567
But how on Earth
does it all work?
630
00:32:16,867 --> 00:32:18,200
[Kevin] If we look
at the origins
631
00:32:18,233 --> 00:32:19,967
of the term geomancy,
632
00:32:20,067 --> 00:32:21,967
it comes from the Greek.
633
00:32:22,067 --> 00:32:25,433
Gaia for Earth,
Manteia for prophecy.
634
00:32:27,700 --> 00:32:30,767
[Corey] Geomancy
is a form of divination,
635
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,300
that's fortune telling
or prophecy derived
636
00:32:33,333 --> 00:32:36,633
from natural phenomena
or objects.
637
00:32:36,667 --> 00:32:38,233
[Kevin] There is pyromancy,
638
00:32:38,267 --> 00:32:40,500
the study of the patterns
of flames
639
00:32:40,533 --> 00:32:43,233
to foretell the future,
or hydromancy,
640
00:32:43,267 --> 00:32:46,467
looking at patterns
on still bodies of water,
641
00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:50,067
or even crystalmancy,
the looking into crystal balls
642
00:32:50,100 --> 00:32:52,967
to tell the future.
643
00:32:53,067 --> 00:32:55,600
[dramatic music playing]
644
00:32:55,633 --> 00:33:00,900
[Corey] Geomancy uses sand
or soil for the same purpose.
645
00:33:00,933 --> 00:33:03,900
[Mark] Geomancy was practiced
throughout the Islamic world.
646
00:33:03,933 --> 00:33:06,533
They had a name for it,
which was ilm al-raml,
647
00:33:06,567 --> 00:33:08,533
basically literally
the science of sand
648
00:33:08,567 --> 00:33:11,533
or the knowledge of sand
to tell the future.
649
00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:15,067
[Kevin] With the expansion
of Islam,
650
00:33:15,067 --> 00:33:18,933
this form of geomancy reaches
into the European world.
651
00:33:18,967 --> 00:33:21,833
Richard II had a text
on geomancy.
652
00:33:23,733 --> 00:33:25,467
[Corey] And he isn't alone.
653
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:27,067
Several European monarchs
654
00:33:27,067 --> 00:33:30,533
have books on geomancy
in their libraries.
655
00:33:30,567 --> 00:33:32,100
[Mark] European politics
in the medieval period
656
00:33:32,133 --> 00:33:33,667
was quite volatile,
so they certainly wanted
657
00:33:33,700 --> 00:33:35,200
to read the future
and determine
658
00:33:35,233 --> 00:33:37,333
what their fate might be
including their kingdom.
659
00:33:39,667 --> 00:33:41,400
[Corey]
It probably makes sense
660
00:33:41,433 --> 00:33:44,433
to the rulers of the land
to incorporate the land itself
661
00:33:44,467 --> 00:33:47,167
in predicting the future.
662
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:48,700
But the basic method
of geomancy
663
00:33:48,733 --> 00:33:50,733
can be practiced by anyone,
664
00:33:51,767 --> 00:33:54,833
from a prince to a pauper.
665
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,200
[Andrew]
You start by casting,
666
00:34:00,233 --> 00:34:03,100
you draw a seemingly
random collection of dots
667
00:34:03,133 --> 00:34:04,933
whilst holding an idea
in your mind
668
00:34:04,967 --> 00:34:06,867
the question
that you want to ask.
669
00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:09,500
You eventually come up
with all these dots.
670
00:34:09,533 --> 00:34:11,133
[Corey] After each cast,
671
00:34:11,167 --> 00:34:14,467
you add up the total number
of dots produced.
672
00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:15,933
[Andrew] And if it comes out
as an odd number,
673
00:34:15,967 --> 00:34:17,567
you just draw one dot,
674
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:19,533
and if it's an even number,
you draw two dots.
675
00:34:19,567 --> 00:34:21,567
[Corey] It takes four casts
to produce
676
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:25,633
one geomantic column,
called a mother.
677
00:34:25,667 --> 00:34:30,100
Each row contains either one
or two dots.
678
00:34:30,133 --> 00:34:33,800
Then you repeat this
entire process three times.
679
00:34:33,833 --> 00:34:36,867
You end up
with four mother patterns.
680
00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:38,667
[Andrew] It's a lot like
binary mathematics,
681
00:34:38,700 --> 00:34:41,167
but instead of one and zero,
you're using odd and even,
682
00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,500
and you just carry on
through those calculations
683
00:34:43,533 --> 00:34:45,100
using those
two different states
684
00:34:45,133 --> 00:34:48,133
to generate a whole load
of new states.
685
00:34:48,167 --> 00:34:49,933
[Corey] Next,
you take the pattern of dots
686
00:34:49,967 --> 00:34:51,633
from the top row of mothers
687
00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:55,100
and from this,
you generate a daughter.
688
00:34:55,133 --> 00:34:58,067
Each row of mother dots
produces another daughter
689
00:34:58,067 --> 00:35:00,300
for a total of four patterns.
690
00:35:02,067 --> 00:35:04,533
Then from each pair
of mothers and daughters,
691
00:35:04,567 --> 00:35:06,833
you create nieces.
692
00:35:06,867 --> 00:35:08,600
[Andrew]
You move across those rows
693
00:35:08,633 --> 00:35:11,067
and if you got an even number,
you put a two-dot symbol.
694
00:35:11,067 --> 00:35:14,267
If you got an odd number,
you just put a single dot.
695
00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:17,067
[Corey] You end up
with 16 characters.
696
00:35:17,067 --> 00:35:19,667
This is called
a geomantic tableau.
697
00:35:22,167 --> 00:35:24,133
It's the job of the geomancer
698
00:35:24,167 --> 00:35:27,400
to read the future
by interpreting it.
699
00:35:27,433 --> 00:35:29,567
Generating the tableau
is simple math
700
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:33,233
that looks much more complex
than it actually is,
701
00:35:33,267 --> 00:35:35,600
perhaps intentionally.
702
00:35:35,633 --> 00:35:38,433
[Andrew] Sixteen times sixteen
times sixteen times sixteen,
703
00:35:38,467 --> 00:35:40,167
means you've got
sixty-five thousand
704
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,367
five hundred and thirty-six
combinations in total.
705
00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:46,833
[Corey] It seems like
an enormously complex task
706
00:35:46,867 --> 00:35:49,500
for a device
built almost 700 years
707
00:35:49,533 --> 00:35:51,800
before the first computer.
708
00:35:51,833 --> 00:35:54,867
So how does
the Geomancy machine work?
709
00:36:00,733 --> 00:36:02,700
[dramatic music playing]
710
00:36:02,733 --> 00:36:06,433
[Corey] This bizarre object
is the Geomancy machine.
711
00:36:06,467 --> 00:36:08,933
How does it work?
712
00:36:08,967 --> 00:36:12,833
The answer lies behind its
highly decorated back cover.
713
00:36:15,433 --> 00:36:17,167
Now, all the individual knobs
714
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,600
and sliders of the mechanism
are visible.
715
00:36:20,867 --> 00:36:23,600
And one thing
is immediately clear,
716
00:36:23,633 --> 00:36:25,967
none of them are connected
to each other.
717
00:36:28,267 --> 00:36:30,567
Turning one setting
has no effect
718
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,967
on any of the others.
719
00:36:33,067 --> 00:36:35,500
[Kevin] The Geomancy machine
is in some senses,
720
00:36:35,533 --> 00:36:37,200
not a machine at all.
721
00:36:37,233 --> 00:36:39,800
What it is is a set
of disconnected dials
722
00:36:39,833 --> 00:36:42,600
and levers which are there
to act as a kind of
723
00:36:42,633 --> 00:36:45,167
object of reference
or aide memoire.
724
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,133
[Corey] The Geomancy machine
725
00:36:49,167 --> 00:36:51,600
doesn't calculate
your fortune.
726
00:36:51,633 --> 00:36:53,200
It's just a fancy upgrade
727
00:36:53,233 --> 00:36:54,833
to scratching marks
in the ground
728
00:36:54,867 --> 00:36:57,633
based on your casts.
729
00:36:57,667 --> 00:37:00,500
Not that it matters
because it's how you interpret
730
00:37:00,533 --> 00:37:03,200
the tableau
that really counts.
731
00:37:03,233 --> 00:37:05,600
[Andrew] It's not
as though they have a really
standard interpretation,
732
00:37:05,633 --> 00:37:07,667
you go away,
and there are literally books
733
00:37:07,700 --> 00:37:09,900
and books of information
about how to interpret
734
00:37:09,933 --> 00:37:12,367
every possible outcome.
735
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,133
[Corey]
It's the geomancer's job
736
00:37:14,167 --> 00:37:17,067
to produce a prediction
from the calculated symbols.
737
00:37:20,667 --> 00:37:22,300
[Andrew] The problem
with this process is although
738
00:37:22,333 --> 00:37:24,567
it seems very mathematical
and rigorous,
739
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,300
it's actually just
a very elaborate way
740
00:37:26,333 --> 00:37:30,333
of generating one
of 65,536 random numbers
741
00:37:30,367 --> 00:37:33,833
and then assigning some
kind of deeper meaning to it.
742
00:37:33,867 --> 00:37:35,500
[Mark] The whole
combination allows you
743
00:37:35,533 --> 00:37:37,433
to have a wide range
of interpretations.
744
00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:40,433
The actual interpretation
effectively seems made up.
745
00:37:40,467 --> 00:37:42,200
It seems that
it could be anything.
746
00:37:44,233 --> 00:37:46,967
[Corey] So, the machine
is just geomancy
747
00:37:47,067 --> 00:37:48,767
without getting
your hands dirty.
748
00:37:50,533 --> 00:37:54,100
It says as much
in its own inscriptions.
749
00:37:54,133 --> 00:37:56,567
[Kevin] "I have spread out
the surface of my face
750
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,267
out of humility,
and have prepared it
751
00:37:59,300 --> 00:38:02,233
as a substitute for earth."
752
00:38:02,267 --> 00:38:05,067
[Corey] Making this
the ultimate deluxe accessory
753
00:38:05,067 --> 00:38:07,633
for an A-list geomancer,
754
00:38:07,667 --> 00:38:10,733
the only one of its kind
in the world.
755
00:38:12,433 --> 00:38:14,267
So where does such a unique
756
00:38:14,300 --> 00:38:16,633
and extraordinary device
come from
757
00:38:16,667 --> 00:38:19,300
and who made it?
758
00:38:19,333 --> 00:38:21,067
[Mark] The creator
of the Geomancy machine
759
00:38:21,067 --> 00:38:23,733
is actually inscribed.
His name is given,
760
00:38:23,767 --> 00:38:25,867
Muhammad Khutlukh al-Mawsili.
761
00:38:25,900 --> 00:38:28,067
So, this is a person
actually telling us
762
00:38:28,067 --> 00:38:30,767
where he comes from.
763
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,567
[Corey] That name
translates as Muhammad
764
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,867
son of Khutlukh
from al-Mawsili
765
00:38:35,900 --> 00:38:40,067
or to use its modern name,
Mosul in what is now Iraq.
766
00:38:40,100 --> 00:38:41,900
[Kevin] In the 13th century,
Mosul was one
767
00:38:41,933 --> 00:38:44,933
of the great Islamic cities
of the world.
768
00:38:44,967 --> 00:38:46,967
It was a great
commercial center
769
00:38:47,067 --> 00:38:49,300
connected to the Silk Road,
770
00:38:49,333 --> 00:38:51,733
rich in its
commercial resources
771
00:38:51,767 --> 00:38:54,200
and also
an intellectual center.
772
00:38:54,233 --> 00:38:56,733
[Mark] So, it's a place that
we would expect craftsmen
773
00:38:56,767 --> 00:38:59,200
like Muhammad ibn Khutlukh
to have been located.
774
00:39:00,933 --> 00:39:03,233
[Corey] One of medieval
Mosul's signature trades
775
00:39:03,267 --> 00:39:07,233
is the skillful crafting
of one metal into another,
776
00:39:07,267 --> 00:39:11,067
exactly the techniques visible
on the Geomancy machine.
777
00:39:14,067 --> 00:39:15,767
[Mark] It's a very highly
developed piece
778
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,400
with multiple metals
mixed together
779
00:39:17,433 --> 00:39:18,600
and worked in high detail.
780
00:39:18,633 --> 00:39:20,367
So, clearly whoever made it
781
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,233
had a lot of expertise
and Mosul was a perfect place
782
00:39:23,267 --> 00:39:25,133
where such a device
could have been made.
783
00:39:26,967 --> 00:39:30,067
[Corey] But what inspires them
to produce a Geomancy machine
784
00:39:30,100 --> 00:39:32,667
instead of more
decorative vases?
785
00:39:34,167 --> 00:39:35,900
The device is really
trying to be showy.
786
00:39:35,933 --> 00:39:39,067
It's trying to elevate
geomancy practice
787
00:39:39,067 --> 00:39:40,467
to effectively take it
from a, kind of,
788
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:42,933
back alley practice
to a, kind of,
789
00:39:42,967 --> 00:39:45,500
scientific professional
practice.
790
00:39:47,933 --> 00:39:49,767
[Corey] And that
makes perfect sense
791
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:51,633
because 1,200 years ago,
792
00:39:51,667 --> 00:39:54,333
science is flourishing
in the Arabic world.
793
00:39:54,367 --> 00:39:56,067
[Kevin] The 8th
through the 13th centuries
794
00:39:56,067 --> 00:39:57,900
were the Islamic Golden Age,
795
00:40:00,333 --> 00:40:02,233
we see the invention
of the syringe,
796
00:40:02,267 --> 00:40:05,800
of forceps, of surgery
to remove cataracts,
797
00:40:05,833 --> 00:40:08,767
we see an enhancement
of knowledge in astronomy.
798
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:12,133
We see mathematic advances
including things like
799
00:40:12,167 --> 00:40:15,267
the decimal point
and more complex fractions,
800
00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:18,433
as well as
algebraic innovations.
801
00:40:18,467 --> 00:40:20,867
Algebra in fact
is an Arabic word.
802
00:40:20,900 --> 00:40:22,667
The word algorithm
is another word
803
00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:25,633
that we use today
that is also an Arabic word.
804
00:40:25,667 --> 00:40:27,200
And all these developed
805
00:40:27,233 --> 00:40:28,767
during the time
of the Islamic Golden Age.
806
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,133
[Kevin] This is the world
that gives birth
807
00:40:34,167 --> 00:40:36,133
to the Geomancy machine.
808
00:40:37,933 --> 00:40:39,667
[Corey] But given
the popularity of geomancy
809
00:40:39,700 --> 00:40:41,500
in the Arabic world,
810
00:40:41,533 --> 00:40:44,733
why has just one machine
ever been found?
811
00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,467
The clue may be in the date
of the machine's manufacture,
812
00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:55,200
engraved on it
is the Muslim years 639
813
00:40:55,233 --> 00:40:59,500
or 1241 to 1242
in the Christian calendar.
814
00:41:02,500 --> 00:41:05,867
Just 16 years later in 1258,
815
00:41:05,900 --> 00:41:09,833
the Golden Age of Islam
is snuffed out.
816
00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:12,367
[Mark] The real big blow
occurred with the invasion
817
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,200
of the Mongols to the East.
818
00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:19,733
[Kevin] The Mongol Hordes
led by the grandson
819
00:41:19,767 --> 00:41:22,067
of the great Genghis Khan
820
00:41:22,067 --> 00:41:25,267
destroyed the accumulated
knowledge of Baghdad.
821
00:41:25,300 --> 00:41:29,333
Mosques are destroyed,
hospitals are destroyed.
822
00:41:29,367 --> 00:41:31,500
They cast so many books
into the river.
823
00:41:31,533 --> 00:41:33,667
It was said to run black
with ink.
824
00:41:34,867 --> 00:41:36,633
[Corey] So,
this device is produced
825
00:41:36,667 --> 00:41:38,133
during the last hurrah
826
00:41:38,167 --> 00:41:40,667
of the great
Islamic Golden Age.
827
00:41:42,067 --> 00:41:45,067
Everything about it
is extraordinary,
828
00:41:45,067 --> 00:41:46,767
from its craftsmanship
829
00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,500
to its function
and its history.
830
00:41:49,533 --> 00:41:52,400
It's a window
into the incredible creativity
831
00:41:52,433 --> 00:41:55,367
and energy of the medieval
Islamic world.
832
00:41:56,867 --> 00:41:59,467
It's just a shame
it completely fails to predict
833
00:41:59,500 --> 00:42:02,167
the coming of the Mongols
that ends it all.
834
00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:05,200
[dramatic music playing]
64329
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