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Hidden from human eyes.
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Mysterious tombs,
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where mourners could speak
directly to the dead.
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And caves filled
with giant crystals
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that are as beautiful
as they are deadly.
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For centuries,
mankind has wondered,
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what lies deep beneath our feet?
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Is there a subterranean world
filled with mystery and danger?
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Or one that hides untold riches?
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Perhaps even the secrets
of the universe?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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? ?
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Bordered by the Black Sea
to the north
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and by the Taurus Mountains
to the south,
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lies the craggy regions
of Cappadocia.
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Here, wind, water, and time
have sculpted the volcanic rocks
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into bizarre
and almost surreal shapes.
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But believe it or not,
the most unusual thing
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that was ever discovered
in this otherworldly landscape
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was found not above ground,
but far below.
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In 1963, during a simple
home renovation
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in the town of Derinkuyu,
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a cave wall was punctured,
revealing a passageway
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to what appeared to be
an intricate underground city,
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thousands of years old
and more than 280 feet deep.
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Derinkuyu is
a pretty amazing story,
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'cause just imagine
that you're working
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in your basement one day.
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You knock a hole in the wall,
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and what you find
is a city that is,
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it's sort of the size
of a-a really large castle,
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but it's actually underground.
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Uh, and it was done in a time
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before there was really
any mechanical means
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to provide water or ventilation,
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or any of those things.
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ANDREW COLLINS:
The only thing on the surface that you can see
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are what appear to be wells.
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As you approach Derinkuyu,
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you would certainly not be aware
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that you were walking
over the position
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of an underground city.
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It would have been the home
for thousands of people
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at a time at some point
in the distant past.
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SHATNER: Home to thousands?
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It seems hard to believe
that an entire city
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could actually
exist underground.
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And yet, experts claim
that Derinkuyu housed
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an estimated 20,000 men,
women, and children
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and included religious centers,
storerooms, and living rooms.
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But how?
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MICHAEL DENNIN: Derinkuyu
appears to be a combination of
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leveraging natural cave systems,
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and then building in
human technology to connect it.
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And one of the things
that's fascinating about this
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is the ventilation system,
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because here you're really just
worried about getting air in,
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and waste like CO2 and air out.
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You're gonna be able
to store water.
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If you think about
how much fresh water
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is already
naturally underground,
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we're constantly digging down
to get to wells,
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but if you're
already underground,
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the wells are right there.
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So you have the possibility
of great fresh water sources.
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SHATNER:
Many archeologists and scholars
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claim that Derinkuyu
was most likely built
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around 800 BC by the Phrygians,
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a Bronze Age people
related to the Trojans,
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and was intended to serve
as a temporary shelter
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from invasion.
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But others believe it was built
by the Hittites,
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a warrior people
mentioned in the Bible,
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who flourished
a few hundred years before that.
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BURROWS:
This is in a place that's had multiple wars.
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There's conflict taking place
all the time.
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And when you're above ground,
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people can see you for miles.
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You know, each night
you're lighting fires
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to get some light
inside the space.
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And so, that can be seen
from 20 miles or more.
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Once they go below ground,
they're invisible.
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JOHN BRANDENBERG:
It has, uh, massive stones that can be lowered
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to block passageways
that human beings
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can only go through
in single file,
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making it very easy to defend.
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There are also rumors
that it is connected
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by a vast tunnel system
going many, many kilometers
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to other underground cities
in the neighborhood.
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So, it had emergency
escape routes.
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So the whole thing
was a quite remarkable
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subterranean fortress.
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SHATNER:
While there is evidence to suggest
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that several different cultures
have used Derinkuyu
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as a fortified sanctuary
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in the centuries
that have passed
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since its initial construction,
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some researchers have theorized
that it is much, much older
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than mainstream
archeologists think.
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And that its original architects
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had an even bigger threat
in mind when they built it.
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COLLINS:
The curator of Derinkuyu in Cappadocia,
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Omer Demir, had found
the evidence suggesting
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that each of the different
stories or levels
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would seem
to have been constructed
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by different cultures
at different times.
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And what he found
was incredible.
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For he discovered
that there were tools,
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stone tools here,
that dated back
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to Paleolithic times.
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The implications
of this are enormous,
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because what this suggests
is that Derinkuyu goes back
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at least 12,000 years,
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and was present at the end
of the last Ice Age;
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and may well have been a place
where our ancestors
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sought refuge at the time
of a cataclysm,
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a cataclysm that may well
have devastated
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large parts of the Earth
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at the very end
of the Paleolithic era.
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SHATNER: A cataclysm?
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Could it be that
the original inhabitants
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of Derinkuyu built it
as a shelter to protect them
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during the Earth's
last great Ice Age?
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A time when the Earth's climate
was estimated to be
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more than 10 degrees colder
than it is now?
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So cold that hardly anything
could grow,
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or even survive, above ground?
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DENNIN:
When you build your city underground,
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you get two major
off-the-top advantages,
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one sort of environmental.
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You're gonna have
great thermal properties.
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It's gonna be cool
when you need it to be cool,
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but it won't get too cold,
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so it'll be kind of warm enough
when you need it to be warm.
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Thinking about when this
was built and inhabited
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really remains this exciting,
mysterious, open question.
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Even this idea of
other cities underground,
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like, how common was that
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for humans to build
their homes underground,
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versus on the surface
of the ground?
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Derinkuyu was rediscovered
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during the 1960s by accident.
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And there are still areas of it
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that have not been explored
to this day.
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So the implications of this
are incredible.
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It does feel like
we've just really
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scratched the surface
of what could be below us.
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There could be much more.
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There could be many more of
these cave systems in Turkey.
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So there's mysteries
still to be found
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deep within the Earth.
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SHATNER:
The truth is, we may never know for sure why,
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or even how these ancient
underground cities were built.
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And that's especially true
in the case of Derinkuyu;
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because the secrets
of its construction techniques
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seem to have disappeared,
along with whoever built it.
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BURROWS:
Even today, with all of the modern technology
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that we have, it would be
incredibly complicated
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and a massive undertaking
to do something like that.
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And sometimes, we look at these
ancient marvels,
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and we try and figure out,
could we build that today,
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to that level of accuracy,
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that sort of quality
of construction
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in that amount of time?
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And the answer's no,
which is pretty amazing
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that several thousand years
later, they're better than us.
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SHATNER:
Is it possible the builders of Derinkuyu
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knew something we don't?
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Not merely about
constructing cities
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deep within the Earth,
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but about humanity's need
for such refuges
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in order to survive?
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It's a fascinating, and perhaps,
slightly unnerving prospect.
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Not unlike another
underground structure,
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one that exists in order
to maintain communication
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after the end
of civilization itself.
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NICK REDFERN:
In the event of an attack, it's believed the United States
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it's not difficult to believe
the United States government
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has a closet full of secrets.
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But what could be so secret
that they feel the need
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to keep it hidden
so far underground?
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Area 51 is the world's
most secret installation.
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Historically, we know
that it was used
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for the testing
of early spy planes,
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like the U-2
and the SR-71 Blackbird.
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A number of whistleblowers
have come forward
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claiming to have seen levels
up to about
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seven or eight levels,
um, deep below the desert,
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protecting whatever's
really going on at Area 51.
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TAYLOR:
If there are these large tunnels and pathways under Area 51,
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so many people would have
to cooperate in building it
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that'd be difficult keeping
it a secret.
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But you could also
ask the question,
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when was the last time
you paid any attention
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to a new subway tunnel
being, uh, constructed
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under the city
in which you live?
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You probably never paid
attention to it.
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So, it could be built
right under your nose
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and you would never know it--
or care, for that matter.
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SHATNER:
Deep beneath these snowy peaks,
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encased within thousands of tons
of solid granite,
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lies the most sophisticated
and impenetrable
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military installation
in the world.
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The Cheyenne Mountain Complex
was built, uh, in the '60s
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and was operational in 1967.
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And the idea was that you have
all of your information
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for our national missile defense
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and offense capabilities
to be operated from there.
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So it had to be able
to withstand major natural
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and man-made disasters
such as a nuclear attack.
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So, the Air Force
and Army and Navy,
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all of the services,
they were in there.
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Basically, it was the nexus
of our Cold War defense center.
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REDFERN:
The Cold War was at its height, and for that reason,
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it demonstrated
why we had the need
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to have these kind of facilities
deeply below ground,
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to allow them to hopefully
survive a nuclear attack
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00:12:03,006 --> 00:12:06,009
if the worst scenario
ever happened.
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SHATNER:
Originally built for a staggering cost
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of almost $150 million,
or over one billion today,
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00:12:15,101 --> 00:12:19,981
the Cheyenne Mountain Complex
spans an incredible five acres
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and contains
13 three-story buildings
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capable of housing
up to 2,000 personnel,
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00:12:26,404 --> 00:12:30,116
independent power,
heating and cooling systems,
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00:12:30,158 --> 00:12:33,244
a lake that serves
as a reservoir
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and 25-ton blast doors capable
of withstanding the force
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of a 30-megaton
nuclear explosion.
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00:12:41,628 --> 00:12:44,756
TAYLOR:
If there was a nuclear attack, a direct hit,
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Cheyenne Mountain
was deep enough
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that you would not be
dry-roasted.
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You would survive the heat.
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Then you got gamma rays
and radioactive fallout,
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but the best protection
is material.
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Dirt, earth, rocks.
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00:13:00,647 --> 00:13:03,274
All these things are gonna
protect you from that.
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SHATNER:
The Cheyenne Mountain Complex
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was so central
238
00:13:08,029 --> 00:13:09,948
to the United States
government's survival plans
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00:13:10,031 --> 00:13:12,033
that they eventually realized
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it may not actually be a good
idea for it to be so isolated.
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00:13:16,913 --> 00:13:19,666
Let's say,
in a worst-case scenario,
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that Washington D. C. gets
taken out by a nuclear weapon.
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00:13:24,421 --> 00:13:27,757
Well, one of the theories
is that the president and all
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00:13:27,799 --> 00:13:33,263
of his staff would quickly
be taken to the Denver Airport.
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The Denver Airport not being
too far from Cheyenne Mountain,
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00:13:38,518 --> 00:13:43,106
it would make great sense
to have a tunnel rail system
247
00:13:43,189 --> 00:13:47,318
deep below the nation
which potentially could go
248
00:13:47,402 --> 00:13:51,948
from Cheyenne Mountain straight
through to the Denver Airport.
249
00:13:51,990 --> 00:13:53,783
When they were building
that airport,
250
00:13:53,867 --> 00:13:55,118
there was this massive--
251
00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,829
and I mean massive--
hole in the ground.
252
00:13:57,912 --> 00:14:00,123
And buildings
were going up in there.
253
00:14:00,206 --> 00:14:02,542
Buildings that,
all of a sudden, you know,
254
00:14:02,625 --> 00:14:05,044
you-you didn't see them
when the airport was finished.
255
00:14:05,128 --> 00:14:07,255
And their answer
to that was, "Well,
256
00:14:07,338 --> 00:14:09,924
"the buildings were incorrect,
and we had such a big hole,
257
00:14:09,966 --> 00:14:12,594
we just covered them over
and kept building."
258
00:14:12,677 --> 00:14:14,345
W-Who would buy that?
259
00:14:14,429 --> 00:14:20,351
REDFERN:
When the airport was being constructed in 1995,
260
00:14:20,435 --> 00:14:25,648
some of the staff who were
working on the facility itself,
261
00:14:25,732 --> 00:14:27,984
construction staff, engineers,
262
00:14:28,067 --> 00:14:31,237
they claimed to have seen
what appeared to be
263
00:14:31,321 --> 00:14:35,950
large tunneling devices,
and also, large tunnels,
264
00:14:36,034 --> 00:14:39,162
which shouldn't
really have been there.
265
00:14:39,245 --> 00:14:44,334
A lot of people theorize that
there is something to this deal
266
00:14:44,417 --> 00:14:47,253
about Denver Airport
because an airport
267
00:14:47,295 --> 00:14:51,174
is an extremely secure location
on the surface.
268
00:14:51,257 --> 00:14:53,843
You can't just walk in
and go anywhere you want.
269
00:14:53,927 --> 00:14:57,472
That's good if you're hiding
stuff underground.
270
00:14:59,224 --> 00:15:02,268
SHATNER:
Could the United States government actually be operating
271
00:15:02,310 --> 00:15:06,272
a top-secret tunnel system
whose epicenter is beneath
272
00:15:06,356 --> 00:15:07,982
one of the largest
transportation hubs
273
00:15:08,066 --> 00:15:09,442
in the country?
274
00:15:09,484 --> 00:15:13,738
According to some experts,
the answer is yes.
275
00:15:13,821 --> 00:15:18,576
And that may only be the tip
of the proverbial iceberg.
276
00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:23,039
REDFERN:
For strategic means, it's believed the United States
277
00:15:23,122 --> 00:15:27,085
has numerous
underground facilities
278
00:15:27,126 --> 00:15:29,420
which, essentially,
have been bored out
279
00:15:29,462 --> 00:15:33,591
with these gigantic boring
machines to create tunnels
280
00:15:33,633 --> 00:15:38,680
to essentially take people
all across the United States
281
00:15:38,763 --> 00:15:41,140
in the event of an attack.
282
00:15:41,224 --> 00:15:44,727
We're talking about trains
deep under the surface
283
00:15:44,811 --> 00:15:48,189
to essentially go from
the east coast to the west coast
284
00:15:48,273 --> 00:15:50,066
to the north to the south
285
00:15:50,149 --> 00:15:56,281
to hide from the attacks
that might be going on.
286
00:15:56,364 --> 00:15:59,117
There has been a great advance,
just in civilian
287
00:15:59,158 --> 00:16:02,912
and openly-known abilities
to dig tunnels.
288
00:16:02,996 --> 00:16:05,957
This is being taken advantage of
by Elon Musk
289
00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,168
and his Hyperloop concept,
that we can create
290
00:16:09,252 --> 00:16:13,631
long-distance underground
transportation systems.
291
00:16:13,715 --> 00:16:17,051
So we can only imagine
what has been accomplished
292
00:16:17,135 --> 00:16:21,389
in the secretive world
of the U. S. military.
293
00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:25,935
SHATNER:
But as profound and disturbing as is the notion
294
00:16:25,977 --> 00:16:30,648
of a vast network of underground
bases and secret tunnels,
295
00:16:30,732 --> 00:16:33,276
there are some underground
worlds that are formed
296
00:16:33,359 --> 00:16:37,196
not by man but by nature.
297
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,116
And in at least one case,
298
00:16:40,158 --> 00:16:43,411
the formation is so beautiful
299
00:16:43,494 --> 00:16:47,206
that it's easy to forget
that, just like mankind,
300
00:16:47,290 --> 00:16:51,586
Mother Nature
can also be deadly.
301
00:17:01,137 --> 00:17:04,098
TAYLOR:
Fin the mineral-rich towne gotten aof Naica, they are,
302
00:17:04,182 --> 00:17:07,185
more than 1,000 feet below
the surface of the Earth,
303
00:17:07,268 --> 00:17:10,063
a group of miners drilling
through a cave wall
304
00:17:10,146 --> 00:17:13,066
make a remarkable discovery.
305
00:17:13,149 --> 00:17:15,401
Not of precious metals,
306
00:17:15,485 --> 00:17:19,489
but something far more wonderous
and mysterious.
307
00:17:21,491 --> 00:17:26,412
A glittering cavern, untouched
for half a million years,
308
00:17:26,496 --> 00:17:29,332
filled with the largest crystals
ever found.
309
00:17:29,415 --> 00:17:31,334
TAYLOR: It's amazing.
310
00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:34,587
There are crystals
that are huge.
311
00:17:34,629 --> 00:17:36,547
So big you can actually walk
across them.
312
00:17:36,631 --> 00:17:40,093
And for these crystals to have
gotten as big as they are,
313
00:17:40,176 --> 00:17:41,403
they had to have been
growing for hundreds
314
00:17:41,427 --> 00:17:44,222
of thousands of years.
315
00:17:44,305 --> 00:17:46,808
It's a fascinating location.
316
00:17:46,933 --> 00:17:51,270
This is something you would
think would only exist
317
00:17:51,312 --> 00:17:54,941
in the world of science fiction
and fantasy,
318
00:17:55,024 --> 00:17:59,362
but the fact is,
it's all too real.
319
00:18:00,863 --> 00:18:04,659
SHATNER:
Measuring up to an astonishing 40 feet in length
320
00:18:04,742 --> 00:18:09,122
and weighing as much as 55 tons,
the giant beams
321
00:18:09,247 --> 00:18:13,793
are the purest form of selenite
crystal in the world.
322
00:18:13,876 --> 00:18:17,922
Crystals are the most
orderly structure in nature,
323
00:18:17,964 --> 00:18:23,010
and they have the ability
to absorb frequency and energy
324
00:18:23,094 --> 00:18:25,263
from objects around them.
325
00:18:25,388 --> 00:18:32,186
Now, it is my theory that these
giant pylons have the ability
326
00:18:32,311 --> 00:18:36,441
to transmit and receive
information and light.
327
00:18:36,566 --> 00:18:42,071
SHATNER:
Only a few months after its discovery, a team of scientists
328
00:18:42,155 --> 00:18:46,409
was sent in to study
this geological anomaly.
329
00:18:46,492 --> 00:18:50,121
They soon learned
that Naica's Crystal Cave may be
330
00:18:50,204 --> 00:18:54,083
not only beautiful but deadly.
331
00:18:54,167 --> 00:18:59,338
TAYLOR:
It's 90% to 100% relative humidity inside this cave.
332
00:18:59,464 --> 00:19:02,842
And it's always over
113 degrees Fahrenheit.
333
00:19:02,925 --> 00:19:05,261
You might think, "Well,
113 degrees isn't that bad.
334
00:19:05,344 --> 00:19:06,929
"It gets 140 degrees
335
00:19:07,013 --> 00:19:10,183
in the deserts in Iraq all
the time and people live there,"
336
00:19:10,266 --> 00:19:14,061
but the relative humidity
in those deserts is 10%.
337
00:19:14,145 --> 00:19:17,190
In this cave,
there's so much humidity,
338
00:19:17,273 --> 00:19:20,693
you can't sweat
and cool your body off.
339
00:19:22,111 --> 00:19:24,906
HUTCHISON:
I received an invitation to go
340
00:19:24,989 --> 00:19:29,660
on an expedition and exploration
of these giant crystals.
341
00:19:29,744 --> 00:19:33,331
I was aware
of the heat and humidity,
342
00:19:33,414 --> 00:19:35,208
but nothing prepared me
343
00:19:35,291 --> 00:19:39,003
for what hit me
when I entered those caves.
344
00:19:39,128 --> 00:19:42,799
I felt like I was hit
by a tsunami
345
00:19:42,882 --> 00:19:46,969
of tremendous heat and humidity.
346
00:19:47,053 --> 00:19:50,473
I started shaking, I was scared.
347
00:19:50,556 --> 00:19:53,434
These are near-fatal conditions.
348
00:19:53,518 --> 00:19:57,355
SHATNER:
Due to the Crystal Cave's lethal atmosphere,
349
00:19:57,438 --> 00:19:59,398
the research team was restricted
350
00:19:59,482 --> 00:20:03,069
to ten-minute exposures
to avoid being cooked alive.
351
00:20:03,152 --> 00:20:07,573
For gemologist Leela Hutchinson,
the most unexpected discovery
352
00:20:07,657 --> 00:20:12,453
wasn't something she saw
but something she heard.
353
00:20:12,537 --> 00:20:17,667
HUTCHISON:
One of the things that I realized as I had to focus
354
00:20:17,750 --> 00:20:22,380
so intensely
to keep my wits about me,
355
00:20:22,463 --> 00:20:27,051
was this ability
to hear a low hum.
356
00:20:27,134 --> 00:20:29,262
(low hum sounding)
357
00:20:32,306 --> 00:20:34,559
And I thought
that was very strange.
358
00:20:34,642 --> 00:20:36,435
I didn't know
if it was the machinery
359
00:20:36,561 --> 00:20:38,646
that were in the tunnels
360
00:20:38,729 --> 00:20:42,859
or if it was something that
might be in the cave itself.
361
00:20:44,318 --> 00:20:48,197
And later I realized,
could this have been
362
00:20:48,281 --> 00:20:52,285
extremely low-frequency
resonating in there?
363
00:20:52,410 --> 00:20:55,288
Nikola Tesla was quoted
as once saying
364
00:20:55,371 --> 00:20:58,666
that "we may not understand
the growth of a crystal,
365
00:20:58,749 --> 00:21:03,754
but nonetheless,
it is a living being."
366
00:21:04,964 --> 00:21:09,594
SHATNER:
Energy from living, giant crystals?
367
00:21:09,719 --> 00:21:12,430
In an attempt to navigate
the unusual properties
368
00:21:12,555 --> 00:21:15,349
of the crystals
within the Naica cave,
369
00:21:15,474 --> 00:21:18,144
NASA developed
special cooling equipment
370
00:21:18,227 --> 00:21:21,814
allowing scientists to withstand
the cave's lethal conditions
371
00:21:21,898 --> 00:21:24,692
for as much as 30 minutes
at a time.
372
00:21:24,775 --> 00:21:30,031
And according to their research,
the hum emanating
373
00:21:30,114 --> 00:21:32,992
from the Crystal Cave
may not be because its crystals
374
00:21:33,075 --> 00:21:36,287
are storing energy,
but because they're harboring
375
00:21:36,412 --> 00:21:40,750
something even more unexpected:
life.
376
00:21:40,875 --> 00:21:45,129
HUTCHINSON:
In the 2008 expedition, the NASA scientists
377
00:21:45,212 --> 00:21:49,342
went into the caves
and drew out fluid inclusions
378
00:21:49,425 --> 00:21:51,510
in the largest crystals,
379
00:21:51,636 --> 00:21:57,475
and found microbes that are
considered to be extremophiles.
380
00:21:57,558 --> 00:22:00,853
Microbes that are
living organisms.
381
00:22:00,937 --> 00:22:05,274
They're single-celled,
and they have the ability
382
00:22:05,358 --> 00:22:09,612
to survive and thrive
in extreme environments.
383
00:22:09,695 --> 00:22:14,784
One of the interesting things
about the extremophiles was
384
00:22:14,909 --> 00:22:17,036
there is nothing
in our genetic database
385
00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:22,041
that comes close to what
these extremophiles are.
386
00:22:23,834 --> 00:22:27,880
SHATNER:
Microbes unlike anything seen on Earth.
387
00:22:27,964 --> 00:22:32,259
NASA's astrobiology report
suggests these extremophiles
388
00:22:32,301 --> 00:22:34,637
are up to 50,000 years old,
389
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,056
and could survive
on other planets.
390
00:22:37,139 --> 00:22:40,601
But many wonder: is there a risk
involved in handling
391
00:22:40,685 --> 00:22:44,063
these never-before-seen
organisms?
392
00:22:44,146 --> 00:22:48,025
The Cave of the Crystals
can be a dangerous place.
393
00:22:49,568 --> 00:22:51,946
For example,
not long after it was found,
394
00:22:52,029 --> 00:22:56,409
one of the workers actually
snuck back into the cave.
395
00:22:56,492 --> 00:23:00,663
Not surprisingly,
he passed out and died.
396
00:23:01,956 --> 00:23:06,085
Now, it's unclear if he died
from the air quality,
397
00:23:06,168 --> 00:23:07,586
the heat, the humidity.
398
00:23:07,670 --> 00:23:10,423
Or could it have been the
extremophile microorganisms
399
00:23:10,464 --> 00:23:12,675
that were in there?
400
00:23:14,427 --> 00:23:17,054
Will we ever find out
whether the giant crystals
401
00:23:17,138 --> 00:23:20,933
in the Naica cave
hold the key to understanding
402
00:23:20,975 --> 00:23:23,602
the origins of life?
403
00:23:23,728 --> 00:23:27,231
Or is this one underground
mystery that is simply
404
00:23:27,314 --> 00:23:31,777
too dangerous for us
to investigate?
405
00:23:31,861 --> 00:23:33,863
Perhaps.
406
00:23:33,988 --> 00:23:37,575
But not all underground worlds
are meant to help us understand
407
00:23:37,658 --> 00:23:39,368
the mysteries of life.
408
00:23:39,452 --> 00:23:42,455
Some actually appear
to be constructed
409
00:23:42,580 --> 00:23:45,750
to bring us closer...
410
00:23:45,791 --> 00:23:49,712
to what happens to us
after we die.
411
00:23:57,470 --> 00:23:59,614
SHATNER:
While excavating an area LINDA ENEIX:
412
00:23:59,638 --> 00:24:01,891
For a new housing development
413
00:24:01,974 --> 00:24:05,186
just off the eastern coast of
this tiny Mediterranean island,
414
00:24:05,269 --> 00:24:09,065
construction workers encounter
something unexpected
415
00:24:09,148 --> 00:24:11,942
and quite unusual
beneath their work site.
416
00:24:12,026 --> 00:24:17,782
A prehistoric structure,
hewn from solid limestone,
417
00:24:17,865 --> 00:24:21,619
dating back more than
5,000 years.
418
00:24:21,702 --> 00:24:25,748
Upon further inspection,
archaeologists soon realize
419
00:24:25,831 --> 00:24:28,709
that what the unwitting workers
have unearthed
420
00:24:28,793 --> 00:24:31,420
isn't merely a lost
underground temple
421
00:24:31,504 --> 00:24:32,922
or ancient sanctuary,
422
00:24:33,005 --> 00:24:37,760
but a massive subterranean
necropolis.
423
00:24:37,843 --> 00:24:43,599
The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni.
424
00:24:43,682 --> 00:24:46,685
The Malta Hypogeum is
an architectural wonder
425
00:24:46,769 --> 00:24:48,229
of the ancient world.
426
00:24:48,312 --> 00:24:52,775
It was carved using primarily
stone and bone tools
427
00:24:52,858 --> 00:24:55,111
by an ancient population
that lived on Malta
428
00:24:55,194 --> 00:24:56,946
thousands of years ago.
429
00:24:56,987 --> 00:25:03,494
So, it's actually older than the
pyramids of Egypt or Stonehenge.
430
00:25:03,577 --> 00:25:05,704
"Hypogeum" is basically
a word that comes
431
00:25:05,788 --> 00:25:10,084
from the Greek terms for
"cavity" or "space underground."
432
00:25:10,167 --> 00:25:12,878
It extends
on three different stories
433
00:25:12,962 --> 00:25:16,006
about seven-point-some meters
below ground.
434
00:25:16,090 --> 00:25:20,845
It covers an area
of about 5,400 square feet.
435
00:25:20,928 --> 00:25:24,598
Malta's Hypogeum is, you know,
one of those great examples
436
00:25:24,682 --> 00:25:28,602
of, uh, beautiful geometry,
uh, underground.
437
00:25:28,686 --> 00:25:31,105
So, the geometry
isn't by accident.
438
00:25:31,188 --> 00:25:34,108
It was done by somebody
who knows what they were doing.
439
00:25:34,191 --> 00:25:35,442
And it looks to me, like,
440
00:25:35,526 --> 00:25:37,361
you know, this was done
for a purpose.
441
00:25:38,487 --> 00:25:40,030
SHATNER: A purpose?
442
00:25:40,114 --> 00:25:42,616
Although no one knows
for certain who originally built
443
00:25:42,658 --> 00:25:45,244
the Malta Hypogeum or why,
444
00:25:45,327 --> 00:25:48,080
the bones of more
than 7,000 souls
445
00:25:48,122 --> 00:25:52,835
line its intricate labyrinth
of corridors and alcoves.
446
00:25:52,918 --> 00:25:55,880
So, according to logic,
447
00:25:55,963 --> 00:26:00,926
it is exactly what it appears
to be: an ancient burial site.
448
00:26:00,968 --> 00:26:07,057
But logic alone
may not be at play here.
449
00:26:07,141 --> 00:26:10,895
There is a very intriguing room
in the Hypogeum,
450
00:26:10,978 --> 00:26:12,605
which is in
the middle level, uh,
451
00:26:12,646 --> 00:26:14,190
that is called the Oracle Room.
452
00:26:14,273 --> 00:26:17,776
And this Oracle Room is
basically a resonance chamber.
453
00:26:17,860 --> 00:26:20,446
And it's designed,
so it would seem,
454
00:26:20,529 --> 00:26:24,450
to amplify
any acoustic sound waves.
455
00:26:24,533 --> 00:26:27,703
So, even by whispering,
for example,
456
00:26:27,786 --> 00:26:30,206
uh, the design of the room
amplifies this
457
00:26:30,289 --> 00:26:35,002
and-and makes it
into a very loud baritone sound.
458
00:26:35,085 --> 00:26:37,755
KREISBERG:
The Oracle chamber itself
459
00:26:37,796 --> 00:26:40,633
appears to have been
carved specifically
460
00:26:40,716 --> 00:26:43,928
to allow sound frequencies
to travel,
461
00:26:43,969 --> 00:26:48,057
and the ceiling
of the Oracle chamber
462
00:26:48,140 --> 00:26:51,310
actually appears to have been
carved to direct sound.
463
00:26:51,393 --> 00:26:53,103
There are also niches
that have been carved
464
00:26:53,187 --> 00:26:55,231
in the sides of
the Oracle chamber that seem
465
00:26:55,314 --> 00:27:00,778
to be a way to produce echoes
and were also created,
466
00:27:00,861 --> 00:27:03,530
in a way, to tune it
to the right frequency.
467
00:27:03,614 --> 00:27:05,658
So, there was
a sophistication there
468
00:27:05,741 --> 00:27:08,452
that, you know, is unexpected.
469
00:27:08,535 --> 00:27:12,248
SHATNER:
In 2014, while conducting a series of experiments
470
00:27:12,331 --> 00:27:15,125
in an attempt to understand
the design elements
471
00:27:15,209 --> 00:27:18,545
behind the Hypogeum's
unusual acoustics,
472
00:27:18,629 --> 00:27:20,089
scientists discovered
473
00:27:20,130 --> 00:27:24,468
an unexpected
and hair-raising phenomenon.
474
00:27:24,551 --> 00:27:28,097
KREISBERG:
We set up microphones and we used recording devices
475
00:27:28,180 --> 00:27:31,350
that were very sensitive,
and we carried out experiments
476
00:27:31,433 --> 00:27:36,647
using the human voice in that
110 to 112, uh, hertz range.
477
00:27:36,730 --> 00:27:40,150
So, these are very low,
guttural, bass sounds,
478
00:27:40,234 --> 00:27:45,072
and they reverberate in a very
strong way within these temples.
479
00:27:45,906 --> 00:27:48,117
(low-pitched,
resonant vocalizations)
480
00:28:12,683 --> 00:28:13,934
ENEIX: I-It's extraordinary.
481
00:28:14,018 --> 00:28:16,145
It's like being
inside of a bell.
482
00:28:16,228 --> 00:28:19,064
And those vibrations
are felt inside your body.
483
00:28:19,148 --> 00:28:22,109
You feel it in your tissue,
you feel it in your bones.
484
00:28:22,192 --> 00:28:25,112
It can raise the hair
off the back of your neck.
485
00:28:25,195 --> 00:28:29,742
Imagine going there to this dark
and spooky underground place
486
00:28:29,825 --> 00:28:33,412
5,000 years ago,
with this weird, eerie sound
487
00:28:33,454 --> 00:28:36,749
going on around you and-and
knowing that there are bones
488
00:28:36,790 --> 00:28:39,960
and-- the whole thing
is creepy now.
489
00:28:41,587 --> 00:28:45,966
PAUL DEVEREUX:
It clearly was-- some sort of ritual activity went on there.
490
00:28:46,050 --> 00:28:48,802
There is a niche
in the Oracle Room,
491
00:28:48,886 --> 00:28:50,846
that if you spoke into it,
it could resonate
492
00:28:50,929 --> 00:28:53,098
throughout the whole structure.
493
00:28:53,140 --> 00:28:56,143
And so, some thought
it was significant,
494
00:28:56,226 --> 00:28:59,188
that a priest might've
intoned into it a voice--
495
00:28:59,271 --> 00:29:02,399
that his booming voice would go
through the whole Hypogeum.
496
00:29:02,483 --> 00:29:04,777
Uh, like a god.
497
00:29:04,860 --> 00:29:09,656
SHATNER: The voice of a god?
498
00:29:09,740 --> 00:29:13,077
Those who have visited
the Malta Hypogeum
499
00:29:13,118 --> 00:29:17,247
describe it as feeling
like a descent
500
00:29:17,289 --> 00:29:19,500
into the underworld.
501
00:29:19,583 --> 00:29:21,335
As a result,
some experts believe
502
00:29:21,418 --> 00:29:24,755
this subterranean nightmare
was intentionally constructed
503
00:29:24,838 --> 00:29:30,386
to enable its visitors
to speak with the dead.
504
00:29:30,469 --> 00:29:35,766
STEAVU:
Overtone chanting is a common practice
505
00:29:35,849 --> 00:29:37,935
in many cultures
in, uh, East Asia,
506
00:29:38,018 --> 00:29:40,562
and, uh, North Asia
and South Asia as well.
507
00:29:40,646 --> 00:29:44,024
You do have this strong
connection between chanting
508
00:29:44,108 --> 00:29:48,153
and communication with
the divine or with the deceased.
509
00:29:48,237 --> 00:29:52,116
And I believe at the Hypogeum,
we may have a similar situation
510
00:29:52,199 --> 00:29:55,244
in which there seems to have
been an active ritual function
511
00:29:55,327 --> 00:30:00,290
of, uh, not only placing
the deceased or remains there,
512
00:30:00,374 --> 00:30:04,378
but where people would attempt
to establish communication
513
00:30:04,461 --> 00:30:06,255
with the dead.
514
00:30:08,132 --> 00:30:13,595
In the range of 110 to 112 hertz
is a frequency that, uh,
515
00:30:13,679 --> 00:30:15,639
has a specific effect
on our brain.
516
00:30:15,722 --> 00:30:20,018
It puts us in a sleep state and
has us producing alpha waves.
517
00:30:20,102 --> 00:30:23,063
What happens when the alpha
waves are produced
518
00:30:23,147 --> 00:30:26,942
is that it kind of quiets the,
um, language center of our brain
519
00:30:26,984 --> 00:30:31,029
and puts us in more of a
meditative or trance-like state.
520
00:30:31,113 --> 00:30:34,950
It's similar, in many regards,
to what happens, uh,
521
00:30:34,992 --> 00:30:38,537
when a shaman uses
the practice of ingesting
522
00:30:38,620 --> 00:30:41,748
psychoactive chemicals,
whether it's ayahuasca
523
00:30:41,790 --> 00:30:45,210
or whether it's, uh,
mushrooms of some type.
524
00:30:45,294 --> 00:30:47,421
STEAVU:
So, it stands to reason that, potentially,
525
00:30:47,504 --> 00:30:52,092
people could attain a different
level of consciousness
526
00:30:52,134 --> 00:30:56,096
in which they would be
susceptible to have experiences
527
00:30:56,138 --> 00:31:00,017
of communicating with the dead
or with the divine.
528
00:31:02,186 --> 00:31:03,812
SHATNER:
As far-fetched as the notion
529
00:31:03,896 --> 00:31:06,398
of communicating with the dead
may seem to us,
530
00:31:06,482 --> 00:31:09,610
some believe whoever built
the Hypogeum
531
00:31:09,651 --> 00:31:11,278
may have been on to something.
532
00:31:11,361 --> 00:31:15,699
Because it appears
they left behind instructions.
533
00:31:17,826 --> 00:31:21,079
DEVEREUX:
There is this spiralic painting
534
00:31:21,121 --> 00:31:24,541
on the ceiling
of the, uh, Oracle Room.
535
00:31:24,625 --> 00:31:29,254
And it's not unusual to use
spiralic shapes in prehistory
536
00:31:29,296 --> 00:31:34,927
and early times to represent--
visually, graphically--
537
00:31:35,010 --> 00:31:37,930
represent sound
in terms of spirals.
538
00:31:38,013 --> 00:31:40,557
So it was clearly
an intellectual connection.
539
00:31:40,641 --> 00:31:44,436
KREISBERG:
The clues may lie right before our eyes.
540
00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,023
Those sounds, those songs,
those tones, those frequencies
541
00:31:48,106 --> 00:31:50,484
that were played and heard
542
00:31:50,567 --> 00:31:53,028
were of the utmost
importance to them.
543
00:31:53,111 --> 00:31:55,239
We don't understand exactly why.
544
00:31:55,322 --> 00:31:59,993
But by studying them, hopefully,
we can shed some light
545
00:32:00,077 --> 00:32:02,204
on not only what
they were trying to do
546
00:32:02,287 --> 00:32:04,915
but how we could use
those same concepts,
547
00:32:04,957 --> 00:32:06,833
those same understandings,
548
00:32:06,917 --> 00:32:10,295
to perhaps benefit
our society today.
549
00:32:11,004 --> 00:32:15,592
An ancient necropolis
550
00:32:15,676 --> 00:32:17,761
constructed and designed
551
00:32:17,844 --> 00:32:19,763
to allow people to send messages
552
00:32:19,805 --> 00:32:22,015
into the afterlife?
553
00:32:22,099 --> 00:32:23,934
Fascinating...
554
00:32:24,017 --> 00:32:27,771
albeit a disturbing concept.
555
00:32:27,854 --> 00:32:31,108
Not unlike one of the most
persistent and bizarre theories
556
00:32:31,149 --> 00:32:32,943
about our planet.
557
00:32:33,026 --> 00:32:36,280
The notion that it could be...
558
00:32:36,363 --> 00:32:38,699
hollow.
559
00:32:47,416 --> 00:32:50,919
SHATNER:
Acclaimed novelist whJules Verne publishest.
560
00:32:50,961 --> 00:32:52,462
The science-fiction novel
561
00:32:52,546 --> 00:32:55,257
A Journey to the Center
of the Earth.
562
00:32:55,299 --> 00:32:58,135
The book--
which chronicles an adventure
563
00:32:58,218 --> 00:33:00,929
through a fantastical
subterranean world
564
00:33:00,971 --> 00:33:03,098
filled with mammoth creatures,
565
00:33:03,181 --> 00:33:04,600
underground oceans,
566
00:33:04,683 --> 00:33:09,438
and crystal caves--
is an instant success.
567
00:33:09,479 --> 00:33:13,817
But despite Jules Verne's
insistence that the story
568
00:33:13,900 --> 00:33:15,777
is nothing more
than a work of fantasy,
569
00:33:15,819 --> 00:33:18,113
many wondered...
570
00:33:18,155 --> 00:33:20,907
could some of what he wrote
571
00:33:20,991 --> 00:33:23,619
actually be true?
572
00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:28,081
We live on the surface
of planet Earth,
573
00:33:28,165 --> 00:33:33,003
but going back
many thousands of years,
574
00:33:33,086 --> 00:33:36,673
we have wondered
what is beneath our feet.
575
00:33:36,757 --> 00:33:38,884
Is it solid?
576
00:33:38,967 --> 00:33:41,970
Or is it possible
that it could be hollow?
577
00:33:42,054 --> 00:33:45,057
BRANDENBURG: One of the most
fascinating people
578
00:33:45,140 --> 00:33:47,768
in the history of science
is Edmond Halley,
579
00:33:47,851 --> 00:33:50,395
who Halley's Comet
is named after.
580
00:33:50,479 --> 00:33:53,774
Based on his explorations,
581
00:33:53,815 --> 00:33:57,027
he discovered the Earth's
magnetic field was fluctuating,
582
00:33:57,110 --> 00:34:01,573
that it was not
a steady, uniform object.
583
00:34:02,824 --> 00:34:04,493
It was changing in time.
584
00:34:04,576 --> 00:34:06,328
It appeared
to be kind of rotating
585
00:34:06,411 --> 00:34:08,580
relative to the surface
of the Earth.
586
00:34:08,622 --> 00:34:12,084
So he came up with
a quite elaborate model
587
00:34:12,125 --> 00:34:14,503
to try to explain
what he was seeing
588
00:34:14,586 --> 00:34:17,047
in his measurements
of the Earth's magnetic field.
589
00:34:17,130 --> 00:34:20,342
And one of the interesting
theories he came up with
590
00:34:20,425 --> 00:34:23,095
was the idea of a hollow Earth.
591
00:34:23,136 --> 00:34:25,681
REDFERN: Edmond Halley
592
00:34:25,764 --> 00:34:28,642
believed there were
essentially three crusts--
593
00:34:28,725 --> 00:34:32,896
three rotating crusts
which surrounded this huge,
594
00:34:32,979 --> 00:34:36,733
hollowed-out portion
of planet Earth.
595
00:34:36,817 --> 00:34:39,152
SHATNER: A hollow Earth?
596
00:34:39,236 --> 00:34:42,572
Is it possible that there's
actually another world
597
00:34:42,656 --> 00:34:46,076
located deep
within the Earth's crust?
598
00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:50,288
Could Jules Verne's fantastical
notion of a subterranean world
599
00:34:50,372 --> 00:34:53,709
located deep underground
have been based
600
00:34:53,792 --> 00:34:56,211
not on mere imagination
601
00:34:56,294 --> 00:34:59,089
but on scientific fact?
602
00:34:59,172 --> 00:35:04,553
Well, if one legendary explorer
is to be believed,
603
00:35:04,636 --> 00:35:06,388
the answer is yes.
604
00:35:06,471 --> 00:35:11,935
And he claimed to have
even seen it firsthand.
605
00:35:11,977 --> 00:35:15,063
REDFERN:
Rear Admiral Richard Byrd,
606
00:35:15,147 --> 00:35:18,483
in essence,
was somebody who we could equate
607
00:35:18,567 --> 00:35:22,404
with, like,
a real-life Indiana Jones.
608
00:35:22,487 --> 00:35:23,947
He traveled around the world
609
00:35:24,030 --> 00:35:26,241
having expeditions
and adventures.
610
00:35:26,324 --> 00:35:30,078
He was someone who visited
611
00:35:30,162 --> 00:35:33,999
the polar areas,
which really fascinated him.
612
00:35:34,082 --> 00:35:36,960
And in 1926,
613
00:35:37,043 --> 00:35:39,463
while flying over the caps,
614
00:35:39,546 --> 00:35:41,840
he was able to see
what he described
615
00:35:41,923 --> 00:35:45,927
as like a large green valley.
616
00:35:46,011 --> 00:35:49,514
NEWMAN:
One of the ideas about this whole hollow Earth theory
617
00:35:49,598 --> 00:35:53,268
is that there were multiple
entrances all over the world.
618
00:35:53,310 --> 00:35:56,146
But most notably,
the North and South Poles
619
00:35:56,229 --> 00:35:58,523
are possibly
the entrance for these.
620
00:35:58,607 --> 00:36:01,318
REDFERN: According to the story,
621
00:36:01,401 --> 00:36:04,571
Byrd described
massive forest areas
622
00:36:04,654 --> 00:36:09,034
nurtured by some kind of sun
623
00:36:09,117 --> 00:36:11,453
deep inside the planet itself.
624
00:36:11,536 --> 00:36:14,414
And he claimed to have seen, uh,
625
00:36:14,498 --> 00:36:16,625
a fully grown woolly mammoth,
626
00:36:16,708 --> 00:36:21,254
which it would be amazing
if that was true.
627
00:36:21,296 --> 00:36:23,715
SHATNER: Underground rivers,
628
00:36:23,799 --> 00:36:28,428
extinct mammoths and a sun
deep inside the Earth?
629
00:36:28,512 --> 00:36:32,057
Could the incredible account
of Admiral Byrd--
630
00:36:32,140 --> 00:36:34,768
one of the world's
greatest explorers--
631
00:36:34,851 --> 00:36:36,686
actually be true?
632
00:36:36,770 --> 00:36:38,230
But if so,
633
00:36:38,313 --> 00:36:40,982
where's the evidence?
634
00:36:43,568 --> 00:36:46,530
There's water on the surface
in huge oceans.
635
00:36:46,613 --> 00:36:48,573
What if there's a hole
in the mantle
636
00:36:48,657 --> 00:36:50,408
that allows some of it
to drain somewhere?
637
00:36:50,492 --> 00:36:51,785
Did it get captured there
638
00:36:51,868 --> 00:36:54,246
when the Earth was created
in its formation?
639
00:36:54,329 --> 00:36:56,248
I'll give you an example.
640
00:36:56,289 --> 00:36:58,416
In Mammoth Cave in Kentucky,
641
00:36:58,500 --> 00:37:00,585
there were
the remains of a shark
642
00:37:00,669 --> 00:37:03,588
from 330 million years ago.
643
00:37:03,630 --> 00:37:07,092
An extinct creature
found in this cave,
644
00:37:07,175 --> 00:37:09,427
in a cave--
not in an ocean but in a cave.
645
00:37:09,511 --> 00:37:13,139
What if this cave was
part of an ocean system
646
00:37:13,223 --> 00:37:15,517
that went deeper underground?
647
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,144
BRANDENBURG: As a scientist,
648
00:37:18,228 --> 00:37:20,021
the first thing I will concede,
649
00:37:20,105 --> 00:37:23,733
is that we do know there are
vast caverns below us,
650
00:37:23,817 --> 00:37:26,319
and there are vast structures
that are dynamic
651
00:37:26,403 --> 00:37:28,113
under the Earth.
652
00:37:28,196 --> 00:37:31,074
And so it's certainly possible.
653
00:37:31,157 --> 00:37:35,912
The Earth is about 7,000
to 8,000 miles in diameter.
654
00:37:35,996 --> 00:37:37,998
That's pretty big.
655
00:37:38,081 --> 00:37:41,585
We've only ever drilled
to about eight miles deep.
656
00:37:41,626 --> 00:37:44,671
We have no idea what's
at the center of the Earth.
657
00:37:44,754 --> 00:37:48,049
You know, we have theories that
there's this molten ball core,
658
00:37:48,133 --> 00:37:50,278
iron core spinning around,
it's magnetized or whatever,
659
00:37:50,302 --> 00:37:52,262
but we really don't know.
660
00:37:52,345 --> 00:37:54,681
There could be
a completely different world
661
00:37:54,764 --> 00:37:56,516
that we just don't
understand yet
662
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,435
because we've never been there
663
00:37:58,518 --> 00:38:00,186
to do experiments
and science on it
664
00:38:00,270 --> 00:38:01,897
and understand what's going on.
665
00:38:01,980 --> 00:38:05,942
SHATNER:
If another world does exist deep beneath our own,
666
00:38:06,026 --> 00:38:10,488
is it possible we might be
able to one day access it?
667
00:38:10,572 --> 00:38:14,826
There are those who believe
that not only is the answer yes,
668
00:38:14,910 --> 00:38:18,163
but that humanity's
very future may lie
669
00:38:18,246 --> 00:38:21,625
not above ground but down below.
670
00:38:21,708 --> 00:38:26,546
As proof,
they point to a village in China
671
00:38:26,630 --> 00:38:28,173
where thousands of people
672
00:38:28,256 --> 00:38:31,635
are already living
deep underground.
673
00:38:42,812 --> 00:38:45,607
In the rural region of Sanmenxia
674
00:38:45,690 --> 00:38:48,234
lies an ancient network
of villages
675
00:38:48,318 --> 00:38:50,570
that exists entirely
underground.
676
00:38:50,654 --> 00:38:53,615
Millions of people have
lived and worked here
677
00:38:53,657 --> 00:38:55,325
spending their entire lives
678
00:38:55,408 --> 00:38:57,619
beneath the surface
for generations.
679
00:38:57,702 --> 00:39:00,080
And not just
thousands of years ago,
680
00:39:00,163 --> 00:39:01,957
in the ancient past...
681
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,417
but to this very day.
682
00:39:04,501 --> 00:39:10,006
COLLINS:
Over the past 4,000 years
683
00:39:10,090 --> 00:39:12,425
there were tens,
684
00:39:12,509 --> 00:39:15,345
if not hundreds
of thousands of people
685
00:39:15,428 --> 00:39:17,764
living within these underground
686
00:39:17,806 --> 00:39:20,934
dwellings
in the northern part of China.
687
00:39:20,976 --> 00:39:24,854
And these places,
which are known generally
688
00:39:24,938 --> 00:39:26,356
as yaodongs,
689
00:39:26,439 --> 00:39:30,151
continue to be built
even to this day,
690
00:39:30,235 --> 00:39:32,612
and, in fact,
the modern examples
691
00:39:32,696 --> 00:39:34,864
created over
the last hundred years
692
00:39:34,948 --> 00:39:39,995
have got bathrooms,
they've got electricity.
693
00:39:40,078 --> 00:39:41,871
If you could imagine a sort of
694
00:39:41,955 --> 00:39:45,291
modern-day housing development
anywhere in the world,
695
00:39:45,375 --> 00:39:50,130
everybody had a basement and
you took all of the houses away,
696
00:39:50,213 --> 00:39:53,299
and all you were left with
was the basements...
697
00:39:53,383 --> 00:39:55,510
that's what
Sanmenxia looks like.
698
00:39:55,593 --> 00:39:58,304
It's these sort of rectangular
699
00:39:58,388 --> 00:40:00,640
holes in the ground,
like a chessboard,
700
00:40:00,724 --> 00:40:02,767
all over the place.
701
00:40:02,809 --> 00:40:05,687
SHATNER:
There are many living options
702
00:40:05,770 --> 00:40:08,314
in the underground dwellings
of Sanmenxia,
703
00:40:08,398 --> 00:40:11,484
ranging from simple
one-bedroom caves...
704
00:40:11,568 --> 00:40:14,279
to more elaborate
three-bedroom homes
705
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:16,656
with modern appliances
and plumbing.
706
00:40:16,740 --> 00:40:20,994
But why would anyone choose
to live below ground
707
00:40:21,077 --> 00:40:25,415
in a country with several
thriving cities to choose from?
708
00:40:25,498 --> 00:40:27,584
One of the benefits
of living underground,
709
00:40:27,625 --> 00:40:30,587
especially in very hot
and cold climates,
710
00:40:30,670 --> 00:40:33,757
is below the earth, the
temperature is more moderated,
711
00:40:33,798 --> 00:40:35,925
so you don't get
the extremes so much.
712
00:40:35,967 --> 00:40:37,552
You know,
it's probably pretty cool
713
00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:39,304
most of the time and so,
714
00:40:39,387 --> 00:40:41,890
you know, they're
not bad places to be.
715
00:40:41,973 --> 00:40:45,393
COLLINS:
It could well be that with the expansion
716
00:40:45,477 --> 00:40:49,647
of population
at the rate that it is today
717
00:40:49,731 --> 00:40:51,941
that going underground
718
00:40:51,983 --> 00:40:56,780
is something that we should
look towards in the future
719
00:40:56,821 --> 00:41:00,658
to solving the problems
of housing
720
00:41:01,534 --> 00:41:04,579
and creating new cities.
721
00:41:06,081 --> 00:41:09,167
You have to wonder,
is the day gonna come
722
00:41:09,250 --> 00:41:10,752
when the Earth itself,
723
00:41:10,835 --> 00:41:13,254
at least from the perspective
of the surface,
724
00:41:13,296 --> 00:41:15,298
that the Earth simply will not
725
00:41:15,381 --> 00:41:18,134
be able to stand
any more people.
726
00:41:18,218 --> 00:41:20,637
So what's the answer?
727
00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:24,641
Maybe the answer is
that we all move underground
728
00:41:24,724 --> 00:41:28,937
or possibly
a significant percentage
729
00:41:29,020 --> 00:41:33,274
of the population
choose to go underground.
730
00:41:33,316 --> 00:41:36,820
Given everything going on
in the world today,
731
00:41:36,903 --> 00:41:39,114
will we live to see the day
when our civilization
732
00:41:39,197 --> 00:41:41,449
goes back underground?
733
00:41:41,491 --> 00:41:43,535
It certainly seems safer.
734
00:41:43,618 --> 00:41:45,662
And if that comes to pass,
735
00:41:45,745 --> 00:41:48,790
will we then learn
about all the other secrets
736
00:41:48,873 --> 00:41:52,585
the Earth is hiding
beneath its surface?
737
00:41:52,669 --> 00:41:55,755
It seems that the answer
will be one
738
00:41:55,839 --> 00:41:59,092
that for now remains buried,
739
00:41:59,134 --> 00:42:01,094
and... unexplained.
740
00:42:01,136 --> 00:42:04,455
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741
00:42:04,505 --> 00:42:09,055
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