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Our history is no more
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than a series of incredible events.
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Every one of us can influence its course.
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(moderate rock music)
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The most infinitesimal of our decisions
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can influence the future of humanity.
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To know the past is to foresee the future.
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January 26, 1988.
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New Quebec, Republic of Australia.
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In the great concert hall of the Eiffel Opera House,
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President Jean-Francois Pemmemoi
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begins the festivities for the bicentennial
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of Captain de Laperouse's arrival on the island.
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Just after the disappearance of the Cook expedition in 1770,
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the kingdom of France
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surpassed England's exploration of the Pacific.
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In the image of their former Canadian colony,
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the French quickly develops trading posts,
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while increasing peaceful exchanges
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with the Aboriginal tribes.
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During the centuries that followed,
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the small French colony in Australia
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became a great independent nation,
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led by a president of Franco-Aboriginal origins.
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But, none of that ever happened.
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In 1770, a small grain of sand
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decided the fate of Captain Cook's expedition.
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Australia was destined to become British.
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November 1520.
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The explorer Ferdinand Magellan
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opens passage to the Southwest,
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and discovers the Pacific Ocean.
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June 11th, 1770.
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Stuck on the Great Barrier Reef,
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James Cook's ship is about to sink.
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January 26, 1788.
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11 ships land at Botany Bay,
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establishing the first English penal colony in Australia.
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These three inextricably linked events
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are key moments during the European expeditions
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throughout the Pacific Ocean.
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(dramatic cinematic music)
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November 1520, somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Having left for Spain a year ago,
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the once audacious fleet only has three ships left.
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After confronting storms, mutinies, and sickness,
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haunted by the fear of falling off the edge of the world
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that some still believe to be flat,
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the crews are forced to trust their captain,
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Fernando de Magalhaes, Magellan.
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Serving the crown of Spain, this Portuguese captain
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is convinced that he can discover the Western route,
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a hypothetical passage
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to the south of the American continent,
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which would provide access to Asia
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while circumventing Africa.
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November 27th, 1520.
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This strait, which will one day be named in his honor,
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reveals a vast, seemingly calm ocean
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which he christens the Pacific Ocean.
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The 16th century is an extraordinary period for Europe.
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The voyage of Christopher Columbus changes everything.
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The discovery of a new immense continent
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opens up great prospects.
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Riding the wave of Magellan,
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intrepid explorers brave dangers
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to push the limits of the known world.
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Discovering new lands to be possessed,
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and new colonies to be formed.
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In the first half of the 16th century,
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the Spaniards conquer most
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of the Pacific Coast of South America.
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For their part, the Portuguese open up a new spice route
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that circumvents Africa and passes by the Cape of Good Hope.
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Asia is within reach.
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Heavy and powerful Hispanic galleons
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criss-cross the waters of the New World.
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Hulls full of wealth head to Europe.
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At the beginning of the 17th century,
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Portuguese exploration
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is gradually surpassed by Dutch expansion.
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This small country with big ambitions
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is sending its captains into the conquest of the unknown.
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In 1642, one of them, Abel Tasman, discovers an island
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which will later take his name, Tasmania.
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He sails along the shores of New Zealand.
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Then, he maps the northern coast of Australia
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that is called New Holland.
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But, these expeditions remain extremely dangerous.
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Ships do not fare well during the long trips.
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Navigation and observation instruments are rudimentary,
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and the catastrophic sanitary conditions wipe out the crews.
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[Computerized Woman] Welcome to the memory of humanity.
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Every historical event, regardless of how small,
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is recorded and connected.
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You only need to change one to upset all of the others.
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Here, we are able to control time,
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analyze and compare billions of events
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in order to rewrite history in infinite ways.
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For example, let's hop aboard a 17th century boat.
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The maneuvers require large crews.
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All of these men, confined in tiny spaces,
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share their lives, their bunks, and their germs.
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Epidemics are commonplace,
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and more highly feared than pirates.
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During long voyages,
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stagnant water and dry biscuits are the norm.
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The absence of preservation options for fresh food
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causes serious diseases and deficiencies amongst seafarers.
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The most prevalent among them is scurvy,
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a Vitamin C deficiency that can be fatal.
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The best ways to avoid this is to bring lemons on board
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or to make numerous stops
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to replenish the stock of fresh products.
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During the long voyages,
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many captains also tried to find a miracle cure;
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however, without refrigeration on board,
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keeping the crew strong and in good health
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remains a real challenge, and a matter of survival.
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The 17th century
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is one of conquests and commerce.
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A true culture of secrecy prevails.
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Each captain jealously keeps his discoveries to himself,
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like a treasure map, fearing that others
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might get richer in his stead.
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But, in the second half of the 18th century,
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things begin to evolve.
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A new wind blows towards Europe.
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Everywhere, scholarly societies
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and astronomical observatories are flourishing.
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Europe is thirsty for knowledge.
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For the States, greatness is not only found
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in military or economic power,
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but also in scientific glory.
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And the rivalry among states is fierce,
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particularly between the Kingdom of France and England,
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which are often at war with each other.
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In 1763, France has lost the Seven Years' War.
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At the end of the conflict, it is forced to give up
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a large number of its possessions overseas.
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The rivalry with its sworn enemy pushes the kingdom
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to search for new economic opportunities,
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so Louis XV commissions an ambitious expedition.
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Under the guise of a diplomatic mission,
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Louis Antoine of Bougainville
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receives the honor of setting sail to Asia
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to develop trade and discover new lands.
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But that isn't all he will do.
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In the 18th century, France bathes in the light
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of philosophers and encyclopedists.
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Passionate about the sciences, Bougainville brings
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an astronomer, a naturalist, and a cartographer aboard.
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They will make observations and establish records
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which will glorify science and the Kingdom of France.
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The scientists are always quick
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to go ashore and make observations
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while the sailors prefer the security
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and speed found on the water.
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Cohabitation on the ship is not easy.
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April 2nd, 1768.
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The expedition arrives near an elevated and steep land,
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which is made up of two mountains
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connected by a narrow isthmus: Tahiti.
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The captain struggles desperately to control his men
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who are captivated by the beauty of the Tahitian women
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and the idyllic life on the island.
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Bougainville's description of this arrival,
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written in his diary, is inspiring.
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He speaks of paradise on Earth, the Garden of Eden,
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yet, things are more complicated than they appear.
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Oceania contained numerous
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culturally-rich and diverse societies.
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The Melanesians and Micronesians in the west,
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the Polynesians in the east,
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and the Aborigines in Australia.
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The settlement of this immense space,
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occupying a third of the world's surface,
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has progressed from Asia, millennia after millennia.
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Aboard boats like the outrigger canoe,
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these impressive sailors colonized the islands and atolls,
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sometimes thousands of miles away,
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well before the first Europeans arrived.
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In successive stages, these populations spread their culture
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to almost every island in the ocean.
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Isolated from one another, each group evolved independently,
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creating a culture specific to each island.
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A dusting of islands scattered across
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the largest ocean on the planet.
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[Computerized Woman] Know your position.
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To establish their bearings,
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cartographists traced a grid on the surface of the globe.
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The vertical lines, called meridians;
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the horizontal ones are called parallels.
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We call latitude any point
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that is situated along the meridian,
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while longitude is a position on the parallel.
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A longitude value, when connected to a latitude,
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gives us a precise and unique point on the Earth's surface.
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These are what we call coordinates.
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You can determine your exact latitude
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by observing the sun and the stars,
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but measuring longitude is another story.
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First, you must determine the meridian
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you are using as a reference point.
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Next, there are two opposing techniques.
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The astronomy method, used with success
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during the voyage of Bougainville,
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and the second method, which requires the development
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of an extremely precise and reliable chronometer.
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This latter method was used by James Cook
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for his second expedition.
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Today, both techniques have been replaced
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by the use of satellites and the GPS system.
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18th century.
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Great Britain dominates
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almost all the seas around the globe.
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British marine officers,
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promoted on merit without consideration of social standing,
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are excellent sailors.
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James Cook is one of them.
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First, hired as a ship boy on merchant vessel,
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he joins the Royal Navy in 1755,
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and methodically climbs up the ranks.
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After two years of service, he becomes a sailing master.
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Then, in June 1759, he participates in an expedition
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against the city of Quebec.
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Blessed with extraordinary cartography skills,
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he helps the British fleet sail safely
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up the Saint Lawrence River.
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At the end of the war,
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after catching the attention of the Royal Society,
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he is chosen to head a new type of expedition:
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traveling to the other side of the world
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to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun,
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an event which occurs once a century.
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The king authorizes this mission
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under the condition that the explorer uses this opportunity
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to find, and take possession of,
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the mythical Southern Continent.
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This legendary land, said to exist in the South Pacific,
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feeds everyone's fantasies.
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It is a kind of new New World.
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Chartered for the occasion, the HMS Endeavour,
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a robust, shallow-draft merchant ship,
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has been adjusted to welcome additional passengers,
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a scientific team, including famed naturalist Joseph Banks,
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and all their equipment.
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Cook personally examines all the details.
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He even brings his secret weapon against scurvy:
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three tons of sauerkraut and lemon juice.
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August 26th, 1768.
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The Endeavour sets sail for Cape Horn.
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April 13th, 1769, it docks in Tahiti.
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Cook sets up a small observatory
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to study the eclipse of Venus.
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With the first mission accomplished,
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he lifts the anchor for the second part of his voyage:
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the search for the Southern Continent.
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But, the mythical utopia is hidden
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under the bow of The Endeavour.
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Continuing his journey, Cook arrives in New Zealand.
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Here, he maps its coastline with precision.
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Then, on March 31st, 1770,
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he heads west to present-day Tasmania.
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Opposing winds then push him to an unknown land.
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The explorer accidentally falls
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on the southeast coast of Australia.
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On April 29th, the crew goes ashore.
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This fjord will later be named Botany Bay
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because of the countless plant species
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discovered by the expedition's botanists.
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Cook resumes his journey along the coast to the north,
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meticulously mapping each cliff, each bay.
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But, unknowingly, Cook is entering a death trap.
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There are no maps of the Great Barrier Reef,
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and on June 11th, the crew is paralyzed by a sinister creek.
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The Endeavour has just run aground.
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In panic, they unload the ship
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and fight against the water that is rising in the hull.
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The ship is about to sink, and all its crew with it.
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For the entire day, the men will struggle
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to free the ship from the coral trap.
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Everyone takes turns at the pumps.
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Now The Endeavour is an arm's length away from sinking.
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Suddenly, one of them has an ingenious idea.
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Stretch a sail under the hull to temporarily plug the leak.
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After a week on the edge of the abyss,
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the damaged boat manages to reach the land.
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The crew is exhausted, but the expedition is saved.
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[Computerized Woman] We have arrived
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at a point of divergence.
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A point of divergence is a key moment,
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a crossroads in our history where our world can swing
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from one side to the other.
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James Cook and his crew have just avoided a shipwreck
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which would have certainly been fatal.
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If the expedition had failed,
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England would not have discovered
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or taken possession of Australia.
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A few years later,
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the expedition of Jean-Francois de Laperouse
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would have been first to draw a map
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of the island continent and form a colony there.
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Inspired by the enlightenment,
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the first French colonists would have been able
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to create trading posts, and make peaceful trades
307
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with the Aboriginal peoples, exactly as they did in Canada.
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The Aboriginal peoples,
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considered legitimate inhabitants of Australia,
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might have known less oppression
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and been able to conserve their ancestral grounds.
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Today, Australia would still be a cosmopolitan country,
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but francophone.
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July 13th, 1771, England.
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The expedition has returned.
316
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Once they finish up some makeshift repairs,
317
00:17:23,330 --> 00:17:25,270
the crew is able to leave Australia
318
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and return home after a three-year absence.
319
00:17:29,370 --> 00:17:30,600
The Endeavour brings with it
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more than a thousand species of plants,
321
00:17:33,140 --> 00:17:35,860
hundreds of stuffed insects and animals,
322
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mineralogical samples,
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and thousands of observational drawings.
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Cook is the author of nautical charts so precise
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that they continue to inspire awe even today.
326
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It is an undeniable success.
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The Royal Society quickly orders him
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to return to the Southern Hemisphere on a new expedition.
329
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The goal is still the same: discover the Southern Continent.
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Early December 1772, the expedition sets sail blindly
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in a thick fog on an ocean of ice.
332
00:18:13,070 --> 00:18:16,320
January 17th, 1773,
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the expedition crosses the Arctic Circle.
334
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One year later, Cook reaches 71 degrees, 10 seconds South,
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an absolute record.
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But a wall of ice forces him to turn back.
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After crossing 60,000 nautical miles,
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or three times the circumference of the Earth,
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the explorer returns to England.
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He has just proven
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that the Southern Continent does not exist.
342
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But the admiralty refuses to stop there.
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In 1776, at almost 50, Cook leads a third expedition,
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this time to find the Northwest Passage
345
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between the Atlantic and the Pacific,
346
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,653
beyond the Bering Strait.
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The only maps available turn out to be completely wrong.
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The expedition, surrounded by ice,
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must turn back in August 1778, and head south to Hawaii.
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His arrival coincides with the season
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dedicated to the god of peace, Lono.
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The Hawaiian priests give the captain
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a welcome worthy of a god.
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February 4th, 1779, the ship sets sail,
355
00:19:32,620 --> 00:19:35,690
but shortly afterwards, the foremast snaps.
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00:19:35,690 --> 00:19:38,083
Cook is forced to return to Hawaii.
357
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But the context has changed there.
358
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Hawaii is now in the season of the war god, Ku,
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and for the Hawaiians,
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00:19:48,140 --> 00:19:51,073
the return of Cook upsets the cosmic order.
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The situation quickly deteriorates.
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Several conflicts arise
363
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,180
between the English and the Hawaiians.
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During a punitive raid, Cook and 10 of his men
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find themselves surrounded by angry warriors.
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The captain does not assess the situation correctly.
367
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He is the first to shoot.
368
00:20:09,270 --> 00:20:12,763
Overtaken, and hit on the head, he collapses on the beach.
369
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,250
From the ship, his men, unable to assist,
370
00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:19,340
watch the terrible scene.
371
00:20:19,340 --> 00:20:22,253
The Hawaiian warriors massacre their captain.
372
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James Cook, captain of the British crown,
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has been felled on the explorer's field of honor.
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[Computerized Woman] The stuff of heroes.
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Captain James Cook enters the pantheon of explorers.
376
00:20:46,940 --> 00:20:48,810
Several centuries later,
377
00:20:48,810 --> 00:20:53,060
NASA baptizes two of its spaceships Endeavor and Discovery
378
00:20:53,060 --> 00:20:55,083
as homage to Cook's ships.
379
00:20:58,650 --> 00:21:00,740
The symbolism is strong.
380
00:21:00,740 --> 00:21:03,470
Astronauts are our explorers of modern times,
381
00:21:03,470 --> 00:21:06,173
continuing the paths of Cook and Bougainville.
382
00:21:08,940 --> 00:21:12,943
Even though the frontiers have changed, the risks have not.
383
00:21:14,970 --> 00:21:19,710
January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger explodes,
384
00:21:19,710 --> 00:21:22,753
just after takeoff, with seven crew members aboard.
385
00:21:25,140 --> 00:21:27,950
In 2003, Columbia disintegrates
386
00:21:27,950 --> 00:21:30,420
while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
387
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Venturing out to discover the unknown is perilous business,
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but the courage of a handful of fearless pioneers
389
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has allowed all mankind to explore the Earth,
390
00:21:41,270 --> 00:21:43,373
the seas, and the stars.
391
00:21:50,380 --> 00:21:52,393
His heritage is monumental.
392
00:21:53,510 --> 00:21:54,490
His contribution
393
00:21:54,490 --> 00:21:57,930
to the inventory of the world is immeasurable.
394
00:21:57,930 --> 00:21:59,690
This cartographer-explorer
395
00:21:59,690 --> 00:22:02,883
spent 12 years of his life on the Pacific Ocean.
396
00:22:04,170 --> 00:22:07,050
He did not see the birth of many of his children,
397
00:22:07,050 --> 00:22:10,320
all of whom grew up in the absence of their father.
398
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,780
His wife even buried four of their children all by herself,
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00:22:14,780 --> 00:22:16,593
the price one must pay.
400
00:22:17,430 --> 00:22:19,810
The Age of Enlightenment sheds new light
401
00:22:19,810 --> 00:22:21,473
on native populations.
402
00:22:22,460 --> 00:22:25,170
After the colonization of the American continent,
403
00:22:25,170 --> 00:22:27,600
which was disastrous for the locals,
404
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,110
the philosophers of the 18th century
405
00:22:30,110 --> 00:22:33,470
realized that each society is a fragile ecosystem,
406
00:22:33,470 --> 00:22:36,773
and that unfortunate choices can destroy them forever.
407
00:22:38,050 --> 00:22:41,080
Happily, the diversity of the Pacific cultures
408
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,800
has not been destroyed by the passage of time
409
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:45,910
as was the case, unfortunately,
410
00:22:45,910 --> 00:22:49,073
for the largest island in the world, Australia.
411
00:22:49,970 --> 00:22:54,330
In August 1770, during his first voyage,
412
00:22:54,330 --> 00:22:57,180
Cook took possession of the East Coast of the island,
413
00:22:57,180 --> 00:22:58,950
deliberately ignoring the fact
414
00:22:58,950 --> 00:23:01,383
that this land was already populated.
415
00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:04,980
This illegitimate claim opened up the path
416
00:23:04,980 --> 00:23:07,463
for colonization on the island continent.
417
00:23:09,170 --> 00:23:13,210
January 26th, 1788 near Botany Bay,
418
00:23:13,210 --> 00:23:16,600
a penal colony is founded, populated by convicts
419
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,143
that England no longer wants on its lands.
420
00:23:20,860 --> 00:23:25,500
In one century, Great Britain exiles 160,000 prisoners
421
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:27,173
to the other side of the world.
422
00:23:28,330 --> 00:23:30,570
Under the combined pressures of disease,
423
00:23:30,570 --> 00:23:34,080
settlers, and alcohol, the Aboriginal people,
424
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,790
present on these lands since the dawn of time,
425
00:23:36,790 --> 00:23:40,730
watch as its population declines dramatically.
426
00:23:40,730 --> 00:23:43,570
Today, the Aborigines represent less
427
00:23:43,570 --> 00:23:46,940
than 3% of the Australian population.
428
00:23:46,940 --> 00:23:49,003
But that is another story.
429
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[Computerized Woman] Pushing the limits.
430
00:23:55,910 --> 00:23:57,720
In the 18th century,
431
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,843
mankind embarked on a scientific exploration of the world.
432
00:24:02,850 --> 00:24:04,650
The goal was to learn more
433
00:24:04,650 --> 00:24:06,550
about the limits of the continents,
434
00:24:06,550 --> 00:24:08,790
and to develop a list of living organisms
435
00:24:08,790 --> 00:24:12,440
from the smallest mushroom to the largest mammals.
436
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,570
In the course of these voyages,
437
00:24:14,570 --> 00:24:16,650
an impressive quantity of specimens
438
00:24:16,650 --> 00:24:21,510
were assembled and cataloged in encyclopedias and museums.
439
00:24:21,510 --> 00:24:25,603
This colossal task helped push the limits of ignorance.
440
00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:30,463
Today, what is left for us to discover?
441
00:24:32,340 --> 00:24:34,493
Are there still borders to be pushed?
442
00:24:37,460 --> 00:24:40,743
From a geographical viewpoint of Earth, not really.
443
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,640
But what about space,
444
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,143
with its infinitely large and nano-sized worlds?
445
00:24:48,460 --> 00:24:51,350
What do we really know about black holes
446
00:24:51,350 --> 00:24:52,753
and how our brains work?
447
00:24:54,490 --> 00:24:57,330
At a time when the first map of the human genome
448
00:24:57,330 --> 00:24:59,360
has just been published,
449
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:01,780
in front of the astronomical progress
450
00:25:01,780 --> 00:25:03,500
of artificial intelligence,
451
00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:05,883
and Mars colonization projects,
452
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,780
it would seem that we are at the dawn
453
00:25:09,780 --> 00:25:11,733
of a new wave of explorations.
454
00:25:12,740 --> 00:25:16,323
(dramatic cinematic music)
35943
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