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A city where the forecast
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calls for blood rain.
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A lake where lightning strikes
for days on end.
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And a cave filled with
giant crystals
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that are as beautiful
as they are deadly.
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All around us
are stunning displays of
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natural phenomena
that are so spectacular
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and at times so strange
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they defy conventional wisdom.
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Can science explain
Earth's mysteries?
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Or does our knowledge
of the world we inhabit
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only scratch the surface?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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This body of water,
near the mouth
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of the Catatumbo
River, has been called
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the lightning
capital of the world.
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Because almost every
night it's a place where
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the lightning never stops.
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Three hundred days out of a year
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we see this lightning, it's
called Catatumbo lightning.
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It's like sheets of
lightning constantly
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for hours and hours and
hours and it goes on and on,
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and it lights up
everything around it.
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And it's not like
any other lightning
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anywhere else on the planet.
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It's amazing. You have
to wonder why is there
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not lightning like this
everywhere else in the world?
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There's an old
expression that says lightning
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doesn't strike twice
in the same place.
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But at Lake Maracaibo,
not only does it strike
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at the same place, it
does so over and over.
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But why?
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There are some areas
of the Earth which seem to
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be like lightning valleys.
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Areas that are just
inundated with lightning bolts
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on a given storm, and why?
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Well, we're not sure.
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When you look at Venezuela,
you can take some guesses
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as to what's going on.
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Maybe it's the water.
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But it also could be things like
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the altitude or the general
atmospheric conditions.
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So it's very hard to pin
down exactly what's going on
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in that place, and why
that place is special.
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There's a thing called chaos
theory, and in chaos theory
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there are these places
that are called attractors.
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They are regions that
just occur sort of randomly
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that cause a vortex.
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Things occur there.
Things collect there.
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Perhaps the Earth has
an attractor over this lake
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in Venezuela that's causing
the Catatumbo lightning.
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One thing about
lightning is there is
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a tremendous amount
of energy involved,
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but that's not the
most exciting piece.
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It's the power.
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It's how quickly the
energy is released.
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Lightning represents
one of the most powerful,
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high-power phenomena in nature.
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So lightning's really
exciting because
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there's pieces we do understand,
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but there's still a lot of
pieces we don't understand.
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For example,
recently it was revealed
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that the energy of a lightning
bolt is so great that even
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antimatter can be formed.
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To create antimatter you need
a particle accelerator, you need
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an atom smasher to create
antimatter in the laboratory.
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But it turns out an ordinary
lightning bolt will also create
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minute quantities of
this exotic form of matter.
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The lightning in Lake Maracaibo
is an interesting case of
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scientists trying to figure
out an unusual phenomenon.
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This region had been
identified for many years
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as a hotspot of lightning,
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and it turns out, with
a detailed NASA study,
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it is indeed the greatest
lightning hotspot in the world.
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Lightning hotspots?
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Are there really places on
Earth that act like lightning rods?
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Perhaps further clues
can be found by examining
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not only places that are
repeatedly struck by lightning
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but the story of one woman
who has been struck twice
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and has lived to tell the tale.
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Army specialist Beth Peterson
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is working at an
ammunition point
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when storm clouds begin
to gather over the base.
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I saw lightning strike
and hit the concertina wire
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on the fence going around
the ammunition point.
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And then I watched lightning
strike a tree across from me.
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And next thing you know,
lightning struck again.
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It entered my feet,
it exited my mouth,
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it grounded on top of my head.
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It felt like my body exploded.
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And it just lifted me
as it launched me.
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And everything
just felt, like, burnt.
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I felt like it took my head off.
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Beth was rushed to the infirmary
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and incredibly, she survived.
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But after months of recovery,
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Beth realized that
something was different.
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She had been changed.
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Not enough people get
hit by lightning and survive,
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like the strike that I
survived the first time.
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00:06:00,083 --> 00:06:03,250
And so there isn't a lot
of research for my doctors
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to understand,
to be able to say,
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"You've been hit by lightning
and this is the end result."
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In my case, they say,
"You've been hit by lightning
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"and we have to help
you figure out a way
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to cope with it."
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Because there are
things that happen
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that are unexplained.
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I really believe in the electro-
magnetic changes in the body.
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Because the first ten years
of having, with my children,
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having the Christmas tree up
and putting maybe tinsel on it.
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The tinsel would jump six feet
off the Christmas tree onto me.
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I couldn't get it
to stay on the tree.
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Turning on lights,
touching things,
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I'm very staticky, my
hair likes to get very floaty.
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I can feel it in my body.
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After such a harrowing
experience, Beth took solace
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both in the fact that
she had survived
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and that her near-fatal
encounter with lightning
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was over.
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Or was it?
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July 19th of 1993,
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I was struck by lightning again.
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I had a psychologist tell
me that I was a soldier,
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I needed to get over it,
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I needed to carry
on and soldier on,
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and that I should go
home and watch the storm.
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And that's what I told
myself as I drove home
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and took off my boots and
opened the French doors
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and was struck again.
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It threw me approximately
eight to nine feet
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back into the house.
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No one has ever come forward
and told me why this has happened.
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I have had a team
of incredible doctors,
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and they have tried
and tried and tried
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through the years to medically
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have some explanation.
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Because when a
person's going through
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what I've gone through,
you want a answer.
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And the answer just
always keeps coming back
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to "You've been
struck by lightning."
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Was it merely a coincidence
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that Beth was
struck a second time
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or could there have been
something larger at play?
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Is it possible that,
like Lake Maracaibo,
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some people attract lightning?
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They say that being
hit by a lightning bolt
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is similar to
winning the lottery.
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And yet some people are hit by
lightning bolts more than once.
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And what's the reason?
Is it just bad luck?
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As people, we do
have a certain composition
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and we're mostly water.
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And water is a great
conductor of electricity.
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But the exact details and
specifics of how each person
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is set up is gonna vary enough,
so you can imagine some
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people are greater or
lesser lightning rods.
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So if you think about the
whole electrical system
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and how they fit into
the electrical system of
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the Earth and the atmosphere,
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some people are more likely
to be hit by lightning than others.
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I always have
a heightened awareness.
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I know where the
storms are coming.
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I can feel it by the hair
on my arms standing up,
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the hair on the back
of my neck, my static in
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my own hair... it floats.
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I can tell when the changes
in the weather are happening
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by the response of
what I feel in my body.
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I do not necessarily
think it was
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a coincidence that I
was struck a second time.
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I think the changes in my
body made it more attractive.
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Why are certain places
and certain people
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repeatedly struck by lightning?
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Is it possible that
what we perceive
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as random weather
events are actually
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not so random after all,
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like in the case of a
devastating tornado
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that leveled
everything in its path,
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yet somehow left a
single house untouched?
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Scientists
at Florida State University
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publish the results
of a study on
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the destructive
power of tornadoes.
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Tornadoes,
which are already capable of
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generating
200-miles-per-hour winds,
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are getting five percent
more powerful every year.
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And there doesn't appear
to be a limit as to how strong
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they will become in the future.
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Tornadoes have so
much energy in them.
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The energy in a large
tornado, like an EF4 or 5
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is more energy than
is in a nuclear weapon.
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The base of these
things are sometimes
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a mile wide and they go all
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the way up to 30, 40,
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50,000 feet high.
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This is a very large structure.
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A skyscraper is teeny-tiny
in comparison to a tornado.
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If scientists are
correct, and tornadoes are getting
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even stronger, how
are we supposed to
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keep ourselves safe from
their awesome power?
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Especially considering
we still have no idea how
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to predict when and
where they'll appear.
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The thing that's
hardest to explain about tornadoes
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is why the tornado forms
and when is it triggered
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to come to the surface?
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The problem with
tracking tornadoes is
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they're only for just
a very few minutes.
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They form, a warning goes out.
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Only 13 minutes elapses
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before, most times, the
tornado was on the ground.
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So, we don't have a
whole lot of research
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as far as looking at those.
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There is
almost an infinite number
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of moving parts in a tornado.
There's atmospheric turbulence,
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there's moisture,
there's pressure changes.
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00:12:01,042 --> 00:12:02,458
There's electromagnetic
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discharges and
charging going on.
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There's so many
phenomena that you can't even
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make the list complete.
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When we think
of the laws of physics,
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we think of firing a bullet.
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Moves in a straight
line, never deviates.
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But the weather... What
a headache for a physicist.
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Remember the butterfly effect?
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That is, even the flapping of
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the wings of a butterfly
can cause a ripple effect,
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which will lead to a tipping
point initiating a thunderstorm.
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00:12:35,667 --> 00:12:38,833
So even small
vibrations here can cause
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massive distortions to
the weather over there.
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That's why predicting
the path of a tornado
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is virtually impossible.
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After a long,
hard week, the Coffelt family
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is looking forward
to spending a Sunday
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relaxing in the
comfort of their home.
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00:13:02,875 --> 00:13:05,000
But it isn't long
before they realize
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their plans are going
to be interrupted.
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We, uh,
started getting all these notifications
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on our phones, like,
"tornado warning."
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00:13:13,875 --> 00:13:15,833
And then we started getting
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00:13:15,917 --> 00:13:18,208
a little bit concerned.
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00:13:18,375 --> 00:13:22,167
We looked outside, see the
weather's getting kind of bad.
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00:13:24,625 --> 00:13:26,167
It was like dark clouds.
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00:13:26,292 --> 00:13:28,309
It's-it's hard to describe
because it was just, like,
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coming toward the house.
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00:13:30,792 --> 00:13:33,125
It was, it was
getting really dark.
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I started walking towards
the door and it just
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00:13:36,875 --> 00:13:38,375
almost went pitch black.
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00:13:40,583 --> 00:13:45,500
My wife yelled, "Go to the
bathroom, go to the bathroom!"
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00:13:45,667 --> 00:13:48,875
All of us, my wife and two
daughters, went in the bathroom.
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00:13:51,125 --> 00:13:55,208
A minute or two went by, and
you heard the tornado coming in.
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It started with a small whistle,
and it got louder and louder.
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00:13:59,792 --> 00:14:01,500
And then it kind of sounded like
251
00:14:01,667 --> 00:14:04,125
a train coming in, like...
252
00:14:05,833 --> 00:14:09,333
And it just... Boom,
hit the house.
253
00:14:11,375 --> 00:14:14,125
When we were in there, it
was so confusing because
254
00:14:14,250 --> 00:14:16,167
you didn't know what
was gonna happen.
255
00:14:16,292 --> 00:14:19,000
Especially when we started
hearing stuff happen around us
256
00:14:19,125 --> 00:14:22,500
and, you know, we're
all just in that tight space.
257
00:14:22,625 --> 00:14:25,583
And I was screaming.
258
00:14:25,708 --> 00:14:27,833
Everything started shaking.
259
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,208
You could hear the little
snaps going on outside.
260
00:14:32,375 --> 00:14:33,500
And then it stopped.
261
00:14:37,583 --> 00:14:40,458
And then it happened again.
262
00:14:41,542 --> 00:14:43,833
When the violent
shaking finally subsides,
263
00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:47,750
the frightened family
cautiously leaves the safety of
264
00:14:47,875 --> 00:14:51,083
the bathroom to assess
the damage to their house.
265
00:14:52,042 --> 00:14:57,042
But to their shock and
disbelief, there's none.
266
00:14:58,042 --> 00:15:00,458
We came out, we
walked out the front door
267
00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:03,667
and looked and saw everything.
268
00:15:03,792 --> 00:15:05,125
It was overwhelming.
269
00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:14,167
F4 tornado comes across
and destroys everything
270
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:16,292
around you, except
for your house and
271
00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:17,934
you and your family
still, still standing.
272
00:15:17,958 --> 00:15:20,000
We were just
completely overwhelmed,
273
00:15:20,167 --> 00:15:23,625
we could barely breathe
and just couldn't believe
274
00:15:23,750 --> 00:15:25,110
the destruction
that was out there.
275
00:15:25,208 --> 00:15:29,125
It was just breathtaking.
It can't be explained.
276
00:15:29,250 --> 00:15:32,667
The emotions and the
feelings that go through,
277
00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:34,417
it's really just, uh...
278
00:15:36,125 --> 00:15:37,542
it's mind-blowing.
279
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,792
Despite sitting
directly in the tornado's savage path,
280
00:15:42,917 --> 00:15:45,083
the Coffelt house
was somehow spared
281
00:15:45,208 --> 00:15:48,042
when nearly everything
else in sight was leveled.
282
00:15:49,958 --> 00:15:52,208
Aside from some minor
superficial damage,
283
00:15:52,333 --> 00:15:56,333
barely a shingle had
been knocked out of place.
284
00:15:56,458 --> 00:15:57,917
But how?
285
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,208
There's so many
variables with a tornado,
286
00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:04,875
and why it hits this
house and not that one,
287
00:16:05,042 --> 00:16:06,375
it's really hard to say.
288
00:16:06,542 --> 00:16:08,583
There could be little
pockets of pressure,
289
00:16:08,708 --> 00:16:11,667
little pockets of temperature,
little pockets of moisture.
290
00:16:11,792 --> 00:16:13,167
Who knows what it is.
291
00:16:13,292 --> 00:16:16,667
But it could be little
pockets that change
292
00:16:16,833 --> 00:16:20,500
the statistics of
the debris field
293
00:16:20,667 --> 00:16:23,083
such that it just
happens to miss that spot.
294
00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:28,667
Tornadoes never
travel in very straight, regular paths.
295
00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:30,125
When you picture the video,
296
00:16:30,208 --> 00:16:33,333
it's an interesting path
to avoid the house.
297
00:16:33,458 --> 00:16:37,542
But you could imagine a
tornado circling back on itself.
298
00:16:37,708 --> 00:16:39,667
That is not inconceivable.
299
00:16:39,750 --> 00:16:41,790
This house could have
been lucky to have the tornado
300
00:16:41,875 --> 00:16:45,083
come down the right side,
turn around, destroy the forest
301
00:16:45,208 --> 00:16:48,500
on the other side, turn
around again and then go off.
302
00:16:50,875 --> 00:16:53,833
Could it be that
the Coffelts and their house
303
00:16:53,958 --> 00:16:56,833
survived simply because of luck?
304
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,833
Or was it the result
of some kind of
305
00:16:59,958 --> 00:17:01,458
deliberate intervention?
306
00:17:01,583 --> 00:17:04,750
After all, from Zeus,
the Greek god of thunder,
307
00:17:04,875 --> 00:17:09,625
to Set, the Egyptian god
of storms, ancient cultures
308
00:17:09,708 --> 00:17:12,833
believed weather was not
a random force of nature
309
00:17:12,958 --> 00:17:16,708
but a power wielded by the gods.
310
00:17:17,958 --> 00:17:21,833
Major ancient cultures
saw the Earth itself
311
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,250
as a god, more
accurately a goddess.
312
00:17:26,292 --> 00:17:30,333
Gaia.
The ancient Hindu tradition also
313
00:17:30,458 --> 00:17:33,167
saw the planet as
a feminine divinity,
314
00:17:33,333 --> 00:17:36,500
so we are in relationship
with the planet.
315
00:17:36,625 --> 00:17:39,583
There are weather
patterns that are caused
316
00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:41,958
by planetary energies.
317
00:17:42,083 --> 00:17:45,458
And this is a living
relationship which can
318
00:17:45,542 --> 00:17:48,250
help our way of looking
at our relationship
319
00:17:48,375 --> 00:17:50,250
to the ground we live on,
320
00:17:50,375 --> 00:17:54,667
all stemming back to some of
the most ancient cultures and
321
00:17:54,833 --> 00:17:58,250
religious practices that have
been with us on this planet.
322
00:18:00,042 --> 00:18:02,667
A living, conscious planet?
323
00:18:02,750 --> 00:18:05,625
If this is true, does it mean
that the Coffelt's house
324
00:18:05,708 --> 00:18:10,292
was deliberately spared
by some act of divine mercy?
325
00:18:10,417 --> 00:18:13,875
Or was it left standing
to serve as a warning
326
00:18:14,042 --> 00:18:16,333
that nature must be respected?
327
00:18:16,458 --> 00:18:18,792
As far as the Coffelts
are concerned,
328
00:18:18,917 --> 00:18:21,500
the answers hardly matter.
329
00:18:21,625 --> 00:18:25,000
If there is some
miracle about all this...
330
00:18:25,083 --> 00:18:26,750
'Cause it's not a miracle.
331
00:18:26,875 --> 00:18:30,125
'Cause getting hit by a
tornado... that... that sucks.
332
00:18:31,208 --> 00:18:34,292
And I probably shouldn't
be sitting here today.
333
00:18:36,875 --> 00:18:39,500
I definitely do have a new
respect for the weather.
334
00:18:39,625 --> 00:18:43,833
It really can, it
can take everything
335
00:18:43,958 --> 00:18:45,417
away from you in
a blink of an eye.
336
00:18:48,208 --> 00:18:50,250
Even with all the technology
337
00:18:50,375 --> 00:18:52,542
we use to track
weather patterns,
338
00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:57,083
when it comes to predicting
the path of a tornado,
339
00:18:57,208 --> 00:18:59,458
scientists are simply baffled.
340
00:18:59,583 --> 00:19:04,500
And that was also the case
when a city in India was besieged
341
00:19:04,625 --> 00:19:08,875
for months by a bizarre
phenomenon that is known as
342
00:19:09,042 --> 00:19:17,042
blood rain.
343
00:19:19,625 --> 00:19:22,000
In the skies
above this forested region of
344
00:19:22,125 --> 00:19:24,083
rolling hills in the
southwestern state
345
00:19:24,208 --> 00:19:28,333
of Kerala, storm
clouds begin to gather.
346
00:19:29,208 --> 00:19:32,458
Not so unusual in
this part of the country.
347
00:19:34,250 --> 00:19:37,208
But when the rain starts,
no one is prepared for
348
00:19:37,375 --> 00:19:40,000
what falls from the sky.
349
00:19:40,167 --> 00:19:44,583
Something that
appears to be blood.
350
00:19:44,708 --> 00:19:50,167
And it lasts not for hours
or days or even weeks,
351
00:19:50,292 --> 00:19:52,333
but for months.
352
00:19:53,500 --> 00:19:56,500
If I put myself in the shoes of
these people that experienced
353
00:19:56,625 --> 00:20:00,167
this blood rain coming from
the sky, I can only imagine
354
00:20:00,250 --> 00:20:03,417
how terrifying that must
be, and how that must make
355
00:20:03,542 --> 00:20:05,667
those people question
their own existence,
356
00:20:05,750 --> 00:20:08,958
question the forces of nature
that are at work in the world.
357
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,500
That must be earth-shattering
for these people.
358
00:20:14,958 --> 00:20:17,458
You have to think that
that's sent from the heavens.
359
00:20:17,583 --> 00:20:20,250
For some reason,
some mystical reason
360
00:20:20,375 --> 00:20:22,792
this happened because
it's sent from the gods.
361
00:20:22,917 --> 00:20:27,667
It's sending out a signal or
a message for some reason.
362
00:20:28,958 --> 00:20:32,208
After months of
wondering whether the apocalypse
363
00:20:32,375 --> 00:20:34,583
was at hand,
residents sighed in relief
364
00:20:34,708 --> 00:20:38,833
as, suddenly, the
scarlet deluge stopped.
365
00:20:38,958 --> 00:20:43,542
And just like every other time
this strange phenomenon happened
366
00:20:43,667 --> 00:20:48,125
throughout history, the
skies returned to normal.
367
00:20:48,208 --> 00:20:52,042
Similar stories of red
rain have essentially
368
00:20:52,208 --> 00:20:56,500
spanned history over
thousands of years.
369
00:20:56,583 --> 00:20:59,500
It's been repeatedly
reported, first in mythology,
370
00:20:59,583 --> 00:21:02,042
and then in historical accounts.
371
00:21:02,167 --> 00:21:06,792
It goes back maybe
to the sixth century B.C.
372
00:21:06,875 --> 00:21:09,417
We have stories in
our theology and mythologies
373
00:21:09,542 --> 00:21:11,500
that see this phenomenon
happening, so it must be
374
00:21:11,667 --> 00:21:14,167
one of the signs of
the coming apocalypse.
375
00:21:14,292 --> 00:21:17,083
But it's a phenomenon
that occurs in weather
376
00:21:17,208 --> 00:21:20,833
around the planet all the time.
377
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,250
You never know
where red rain is going to occur,
378
00:21:23,375 --> 00:21:25,167
it's all depending
on weather systems.
379
00:21:25,333 --> 00:21:26,333
All over the world
380
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:27,518
there's been rain like this,
381
00:21:27,542 --> 00:21:29,333
even in the United States.
382
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:32,750
Even in the Ukraine and
Russia, this has taken place.
383
00:21:36,875 --> 00:21:40,167
It's not surprising
that ancient people regarded blood
384
00:21:40,333 --> 00:21:44,625
falling from the sky as a
sign of impending doom.
385
00:21:44,708 --> 00:21:47,250
But today, we
tend not to believe
386
00:21:47,375 --> 00:21:49,333
in such far-fetched nonsense.
387
00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:53,000
Especially because, as I'm
sure you'll be relieved to know,
388
00:21:53,125 --> 00:21:57,292
blood rain isn't
actually made of blood.
389
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,958
Scientists did analysis of
this red rain and did not find
390
00:22:03,083 --> 00:22:06,417
things like copper or iron,
things that we think of as red,
391
00:22:06,542 --> 00:22:09,125
that would cause
this water to be red.
392
00:22:09,250 --> 00:22:11,500
So why was it red?
393
00:22:11,625 --> 00:22:13,292
What else could
have been in the water
394
00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:16,500
that made a blood red rain?
395
00:22:16,667 --> 00:22:20,583
What scientists thought
is that it is caused by spores
396
00:22:20,708 --> 00:22:24,542
that are on trees,
grassy areas, rocks,
397
00:22:24,708 --> 00:22:26,500
all over the terrain
there in India.
398
00:22:26,583 --> 00:22:31,208
And those spores blast all
of that into the atmosphere.
399
00:22:31,375 --> 00:22:33,000
And that's carried
up into the clouds,
400
00:22:33,167 --> 00:22:34,625
and it kind of hangs there.
401
00:22:34,708 --> 00:22:37,417
Oftentimes spores are
produced prolifically, you know,
402
00:22:37,542 --> 00:22:40,000
billions of millions of spores,
right, go all over the place.
403
00:22:40,083 --> 00:22:42,667
And so you can imagine
that it would be transported
404
00:22:42,750 --> 00:22:45,000
up in the atmosphere,
associate with rain and then
405
00:22:45,125 --> 00:22:47,833
come down as a
red color as well.
406
00:22:49,875 --> 00:22:53,833
The theory that red
algae spores can and do create red rain
407
00:22:53,958 --> 00:22:57,333
is believed by most
scientists to be a sound one.
408
00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:01,292
But believe it or not,
there's another theory.
409
00:23:01,375 --> 00:23:05,500
One which proposes
that blood rain is caused
410
00:23:05,583 --> 00:23:08,625
by something extraterrestrial.
411
00:23:09,542 --> 00:23:12,583
If you look at the red
rain under the microscope,
412
00:23:12,708 --> 00:23:15,667
what we found was
absolutely staggering,
413
00:23:15,833 --> 00:23:20,250
because we found that there
were red living cells dispersed
414
00:23:20,375 --> 00:23:24,542
in the rain that was the cause
of the red color in the rain.
415
00:23:24,708 --> 00:23:27,333
And these cells
were in the process
416
00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:29,375
of actually reproducing.
417
00:23:30,583 --> 00:23:34,833
And when examined under
the highest magnification,
418
00:23:34,917 --> 00:23:38,375
these cells didn't look like
anything that we had seen
419
00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:40,042
on the Earth.
420
00:23:42,833 --> 00:23:45,500
Life unlike any on Earth?
421
00:23:45,625 --> 00:23:49,833
Could it be that the real
cause of blood rain is far more
422
00:23:49,958 --> 00:23:52,625
profound than
previously thought?
423
00:23:55,208 --> 00:23:58,917
Coincidentally, there was also
a meteor explosion in the area.
424
00:23:59,042 --> 00:24:02,458
So the question is, could
those two events be linked?
425
00:24:04,042 --> 00:24:07,458
What I think
happened was that a fragment of a comet
426
00:24:07,583 --> 00:24:12,333
exploded in the
high stratosphere,
427
00:24:12,458 --> 00:24:14,292
and this comet
had living entities,
428
00:24:14,375 --> 00:24:17,167
alien life in the form
of these red cells.
429
00:24:17,292 --> 00:24:20,083
And they became the seeds,
430
00:24:20,208 --> 00:24:22,000
the nuclei of raindrops.
431
00:24:23,750 --> 00:24:26,083
We found plankton organisms
432
00:24:26,208 --> 00:24:29,167
on the solar panels of the
International Space Station.
433
00:24:29,292 --> 00:24:31,625
So it's possible
that this meteor
434
00:24:31,750 --> 00:24:34,750
that exploded over
India had some sort of
435
00:24:34,875 --> 00:24:38,542
red organic material in
it that came from space.
436
00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:43,375
If the source of
blood rain is, in fact, extraterrestrial,
437
00:24:43,542 --> 00:24:45,000
might it help explain
438
00:24:45,083 --> 00:24:49,083
how life could have
started here on Earth?
439
00:24:51,875 --> 00:24:55,083
One theory of how life can
propagate from one planet
440
00:24:55,208 --> 00:24:58,208
to another and even one star
system to another is panspermia.
441
00:25:00,667 --> 00:25:04,167
Panspermia is the
idea that life on the Earth
442
00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:06,042
started in outer space.
443
00:25:06,208 --> 00:25:09,500
And sure enough, when
we look at meteorites
444
00:25:09,667 --> 00:25:12,667
on the Earth, we
find some from Mars,
445
00:25:12,750 --> 00:25:16,458
some from the Moon and
maybe even some from Venus.
446
00:25:16,583 --> 00:25:18,708
And so if meteors can go back
447
00:25:18,833 --> 00:25:22,667
and forth, why not DNA?
448
00:25:24,208 --> 00:25:27,583
We tend to think of ourselves
as something that grew out of some
449
00:25:27,708 --> 00:25:31,000
primordial soup from a random
one-time accident that took
450
00:25:31,167 --> 00:25:33,417
place on this planet millions
and millions of years ago.
451
00:25:33,542 --> 00:25:38,167
But could it be that
we actually, us humans,
452
00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:40,875
are the aliens on this planet?
453
00:25:42,833 --> 00:25:46,167
Blood rain. It's a weather
phenomenon so unusual
454
00:25:46,292 --> 00:25:48,059
that it calls into question
everything we know
455
00:25:48,083 --> 00:25:50,167
about our planet,
456
00:25:50,292 --> 00:25:54,250
as well as what might be
coming to Earth from outer space.
457
00:25:54,375 --> 00:25:58,958
Just like a curious natural
rock formation located
458
00:25:59,042 --> 00:26:02,542
in the plains of Wyoming
that, according to experts,
459
00:26:02,708 --> 00:26:10,708
has no Earthly
reason for being there.
460
00:26:11,292 --> 00:26:14,625
It rises from
the Earth like a giant fist
461
00:26:14,708 --> 00:26:18,417
stretching out
to strike the sky.
462
00:26:18,542 --> 00:26:22,542
A colossal 900-foot
shaft of rugged rock.
463
00:26:22,667 --> 00:26:26,208
One whose very
name conjures notions
464
00:26:26,375 --> 00:26:29,500
of both awe and dread:
465
00:26:29,667 --> 00:26:32,083
Devils Tower.
466
00:26:34,042 --> 00:26:36,333
Devils Tower is
remarkable because you can
467
00:26:36,417 --> 00:26:38,917
drive across the
sedimentary plains,
468
00:26:39,042 --> 00:26:42,708
see nothing but flat
ground for miles and miles.
469
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,083
And then this tall,
dark tower emerges
470
00:26:47,208 --> 00:26:48,792
as you drive towards it.
471
00:26:48,917 --> 00:26:52,625
There is nothing like it
in the surrounding area.
472
00:26:52,708 --> 00:26:56,333
The rock has a grayish,
even a greenish-gray color.
473
00:26:56,458 --> 00:27:00,917
And so, as you approach
Devils Tower, it's a distinct,
474
00:27:01,042 --> 00:27:04,000
stark contrast to
the sort of tans and
475
00:27:04,083 --> 00:27:08,125
browns of the surrounding
sedimentary rocks.
476
00:27:11,167 --> 00:27:13,583
Located in northeastern Wyoming,
477
00:27:13,708 --> 00:27:15,250
Devils Tower was declared
478
00:27:15,375 --> 00:27:19,417
America's very first
National Monument in 1906
479
00:27:19,542 --> 00:27:22,042
by President Theodore
Roosevelt, who sought to protect it
480
00:27:22,167 --> 00:27:25,708
it as an object of
scientific interest.
481
00:27:26,875 --> 00:27:29,792
Since then, many have
asked what could have caused
482
00:27:29,875 --> 00:27:33,125
this massive tower to form?
483
00:27:34,375 --> 00:27:38,542
There are many theories about
it, but there's no agreement on
484
00:27:38,667 --> 00:27:40,875
what it was that produced
this miracle of nature.
485
00:27:43,167 --> 00:27:45,583
And it's made of
volcanic-type materials,
486
00:27:45,708 --> 00:27:47,958
but there's no other
volcanic activity around it.
487
00:27:48,042 --> 00:27:50,667
So, what caused this thing?
488
00:27:50,792 --> 00:27:52,667
We don't know the
answer to that question.
489
00:27:52,750 --> 00:27:55,292
It's a really
interesting conundrum.
490
00:27:57,250 --> 00:28:00,750
Is Devils Tower
really a miracle of nature?
491
00:28:00,875 --> 00:28:03,250
Something that simply
cannot be explained
492
00:28:03,375 --> 00:28:06,333
by natural and scientific laws?
493
00:28:06,417 --> 00:28:10,458
Sorry but that explanation
is simply not good enough.
494
00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:13,792
As much as we like to walk
around with the confidence
495
00:28:13,875 --> 00:28:15,958
that we know this planet
496
00:28:16,083 --> 00:28:18,000
and we understand
the planet we live on,
497
00:28:18,167 --> 00:28:23,000
there seems to be nothing
but mystery on this planet.
498
00:28:23,125 --> 00:28:26,750
We don't understand
how to predict earthquakes.
499
00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:31,000
We don't understand
how lightning travels.
500
00:28:31,083 --> 00:28:33,250
There's so many
questions that we have
501
00:28:33,375 --> 00:28:36,208
about what produces
the forces of nature.
502
00:28:37,708 --> 00:28:41,042
Some have suggested
that the key to understanding Devils Tower
503
00:28:41,167 --> 00:28:44,833
is to think of it the way
many Native Americans do.
504
00:28:44,958 --> 00:28:47,792
Not as a natural formation,
505
00:28:47,875 --> 00:28:52,000
but as an unnatural one.
506
00:28:52,125 --> 00:28:54,667
The Native peoples of
the area have worshiped
507
00:28:54,792 --> 00:28:57,208
this tower as an altar of sorts,
508
00:28:57,333 --> 00:29:00,875
and many feel like they can
climb to the top of this place
509
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,333
and get divine inspiration,
become empowered.
510
00:29:04,458 --> 00:29:07,333
And the question is is
there some truth to this
511
00:29:07,458 --> 00:29:09,875
Native legend... that this
place is a sacred place
512
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,333
on the planet, and
it is a sort of altar
513
00:29:12,458 --> 00:29:16,000
that allows humans to
communicate to the spirits
514
00:29:16,083 --> 00:29:19,500
or to the universe or to the
gods that they believe in?
515
00:29:20,458 --> 00:29:23,458
To view Devils Tower, if
you want to call it that...
516
00:29:23,542 --> 00:29:27,167
Mato Thipila is what we
call it... it's a sacred place.
517
00:29:27,292 --> 00:29:31,833
And when you see it from a
certain distance, even then
518
00:29:31,958 --> 00:29:35,542
you start to feel
the wonder of it,
519
00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:37,208
the sacredness of it.
520
00:29:37,333 --> 00:29:41,500
And as you get closer
and closer, the positive,
521
00:29:41,625 --> 00:29:44,958
sacred energy starts to
build, and you feel it even more
522
00:29:45,042 --> 00:29:48,917
when you get to the
base of the tower.
523
00:29:49,875 --> 00:29:53,542
I think in the case of Devils
Tower, it is so unusual,
524
00:29:53,667 --> 00:29:57,375
it is so anomalous
that it is easy
525
00:29:57,542 --> 00:30:02,083
to ascribe a mystical
or spiritual attribute to it.
526
00:30:02,208 --> 00:30:04,500
It's not surprising that
Hollywood directors
527
00:30:04,583 --> 00:30:06,833
would choose this as the place
528
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,417
that aliens would
land from outer space.
529
00:30:10,542 --> 00:30:12,833
In the mid 1970s,
530
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,417
one of the most important
events in history of
531
00:30:15,542 --> 00:30:18,000
Devils Tower took place,
and that was the filming of
532
00:30:18,125 --> 00:30:20,292
the movie Close
Encounters of the Third Kind.
533
00:30:22,042 --> 00:30:25,958
In that movie by Steven
Spielberg, the tower
534
00:30:26,083 --> 00:30:29,833
is a spot that many
people are drawn to,
535
00:30:29,917 --> 00:30:32,792
and they don't know
why they're drawn to it.
536
00:30:32,917 --> 00:30:34,684
They're drawn to it
from all over the country.
537
00:30:34,708 --> 00:30:37,833
It turns out, as the movie
goes on, that they're drawn here
538
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,000
because they'd been
abducted sometime
539
00:30:40,083 --> 00:30:41,792
during their life by aliens.
540
00:30:43,292 --> 00:30:47,125
A UFO lands on top of the tower
541
00:30:47,208 --> 00:30:51,958
and Richard Dreyfuss and several
other people climb into the UFO
542
00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:55,167
and fly off into space.
543
00:30:56,375 --> 00:30:59,708
The number of visitors that
came to the tower doubled
544
00:30:59,833 --> 00:31:01,292
the year after that
movie came out,
545
00:31:01,417 --> 00:31:05,083
and it stayed at that level
every year ever since.
546
00:31:06,167 --> 00:31:09,042
I don't know if it's a
landing site for UFOs,
547
00:31:09,167 --> 00:31:12,833
as Spielberg had in his
movie, or what it might be.
548
00:31:12,958 --> 00:31:15,667
I mean, the more we look
at it, the more baffled we are.
549
00:31:15,750 --> 00:31:20,167
We are going to find things
as we continue to observe
550
00:31:20,250 --> 00:31:22,917
and search and study the
Earth that we had no idea
551
00:31:23,042 --> 00:31:26,083
how they got there, what
type of physical process
552
00:31:26,208 --> 00:31:30,250
created them, and we're gonna
learn new things all the time.
553
00:31:31,750 --> 00:31:35,458
Is Devils Tower
really an anomaly?
554
00:31:35,583 --> 00:31:39,458
Or is it yet another
example of how little we know
555
00:31:39,542 --> 00:31:41,125
about Earth's evolution?
556
00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:45,042
Perhaps the answer can be
found by examining another
557
00:31:45,208 --> 00:31:48,917
natural formation that
is even more perplexing.
558
00:31:49,042 --> 00:31:51,625
It's a magnificent cavern,
559
00:31:51,750 --> 00:31:54,708
located in Northern
Mexico, that is
560
00:31:54,875 --> 00:31:56,500
full of giant crystals.
561
00:31:56,583 --> 00:31:59,000
Crystals that are both beautiful
562
00:31:59,958 --> 00:32:07,958
and deadly.
563
00:32:09,167 --> 00:32:11,958
In the
mineral-rich town of Naica,
564
00:32:12,042 --> 00:32:14,958
more than 1,000 feet below
the surface of the earth,
565
00:32:15,042 --> 00:32:17,083
a group of miners drilling
566
00:32:17,208 --> 00:32:20,750
through a cave wall, make
a remarkable discovery.
567
00:32:20,875 --> 00:32:23,500
Not of precious metals,
568
00:32:23,625 --> 00:32:27,250
but something far more
wonderous and mysterious.
569
00:32:29,583 --> 00:32:34,292
A glittering cavern, untouched
for half a million years,
570
00:32:34,375 --> 00:32:37,458
filled with the largest
crystals ever found.
571
00:32:37,542 --> 00:32:41,833
It's amazing. There
are crystals that are
572
00:32:41,958 --> 00:32:44,792
huge, so big you can
actually walk across them.
573
00:32:44,917 --> 00:32:46,458
And for these
crystals to have gotten
574
00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:48,958
as big as they are, they
had to have been growing
575
00:32:49,083 --> 00:32:51,208
for hundreds of
thousands of years.
576
00:32:51,917 --> 00:32:55,875
It's a fascinating location.
577
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,333
This is something you
would think would only
578
00:32:58,417 --> 00:33:03,042
exist in the world of
science fiction and fantasy,
579
00:33:03,167 --> 00:33:07,083
but the fact is
it's all too real.
580
00:33:08,875 --> 00:33:12,500
Measuring up to
an astonishing 40 feet in length
581
00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:17,333
and weighing as much
as 55 tons, the giant beams
582
00:33:17,458 --> 00:33:21,958
are the purest form of
selenite crystal in the world.
583
00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:25,333
Crystals are the most
orderly structure in nature,
584
00:33:25,458 --> 00:33:30,000
and they have the
ability to absorb frequency
585
00:33:30,167 --> 00:33:33,000
and energy from
objects around them.
586
00:33:33,167 --> 00:33:36,542
Now, it is my theory
587
00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:39,000
that these giant pylons
588
00:33:39,125 --> 00:33:41,000
have the ability to transmit
589
00:33:41,125 --> 00:33:44,333
and receive
information and light.
590
00:33:44,417 --> 00:33:48,042
Only a few
months after its discovery,
591
00:33:48,208 --> 00:33:50,833
a team of scientists was sent in
592
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,250
to study this
geological anomaly.
593
00:33:54,375 --> 00:33:57,042
They soon learned
that Naica's crystal cave
594
00:33:57,167 --> 00:34:00,375
may be not only beautiful
595
00:34:00,542 --> 00:34:02,292
but deadly.
596
00:34:03,292 --> 00:34:07,167
It's 90 to 100%
relative humidity inside this cave.
597
00:34:07,250 --> 00:34:10,667
And it's always over
113 degrees Fahrenheit.
598
00:34:10,750 --> 00:34:13,042
You might think, well,
113 degrees isn't that bad.
599
00:34:13,208 --> 00:34:15,042
It gets 140 degrees
600
00:34:15,167 --> 00:34:18,250
in the deserts in Iraq all the
time, and people live there.
601
00:34:18,375 --> 00:34:21,792
But the relative humidity in
those deserts is ten percent.
602
00:34:21,917 --> 00:34:25,000
In this cave, there's
so much humidity
603
00:34:25,083 --> 00:34:28,417
you can't sweat and
cool your body off.
604
00:34:30,250 --> 00:34:34,167
I received an
invitation to go on an expedition
605
00:34:34,292 --> 00:34:37,500
and exploration of
these giant crystals.
606
00:34:37,625 --> 00:34:42,333
I was aware of the heat
and humidity, but nothing
607
00:34:42,500 --> 00:34:46,708
prepared me for what hit me
when I entered those caves.
608
00:34:48,333 --> 00:34:50,667
I felt like I was
hit by a tsunami
609
00:34:50,833 --> 00:34:54,708
of tremendous heat and humidity.
610
00:34:54,875 --> 00:34:58,167
I started shaking, I was scared.
611
00:34:58,292 --> 00:35:01,333
These are near-fatal conditions.
612
00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,667
Due to the Crystal
Cave's lethal atmosphere,
613
00:35:05,750 --> 00:35:07,500
the research team was restricted
614
00:35:07,583 --> 00:35:11,000
to ten-minute exposures
to avoid being cooked alive.
615
00:35:11,167 --> 00:35:14,500
For gemologist Leela Hutchinson,
616
00:35:14,625 --> 00:35:16,208
the most unexpected
discovery wasn't
617
00:35:16,375 --> 00:35:20,500
something she saw,
but something she heard.
618
00:35:21,542 --> 00:35:25,167
One of the
things that I realized, as I had to
619
00:35:25,250 --> 00:35:30,250
focus so intensely to
keep my wits about me,
620
00:35:30,375 --> 00:35:35,083
was this ability
to hear a low hum.
621
00:35:40,375 --> 00:35:42,458
And I thought that
was very strange.
622
00:35:42,542 --> 00:35:46,500
Nikola Tesla was quoted as
once saying that we may not
623
00:35:46,625 --> 00:35:49,917
understand the
growth of a crystal,
624
00:35:50,042 --> 00:35:53,625
but nonetheless,
it is a living being.
625
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,750
Energy from living,
626
00:35:57,875 --> 00:35:59,583
giant crystals?
627
00:35:59,708 --> 00:36:03,000
In an attempt to navigate
the unusual properties
628
00:36:03,083 --> 00:36:04,958
of the crystals
within the Naica cave,
629
00:36:05,042 --> 00:36:08,208
NASA developed
special cooling equipment,
630
00:36:08,375 --> 00:36:10,417
allowing scientists to withstand
631
00:36:10,542 --> 00:36:14,833
the cave's lethal conditions for
as much as 30 minutes at a time.
632
00:36:15,708 --> 00:36:19,500
And according to
their research, the hum
633
00:36:19,625 --> 00:36:22,417
emanating from the
Crystal Cave may not be
634
00:36:22,542 --> 00:36:25,375
because its crystals
are storing energy
635
00:36:25,542 --> 00:36:29,500
but because they're harboring
something even more unexpected:
636
00:36:29,583 --> 00:36:30,917
life.
637
00:36:31,042 --> 00:36:33,542
In the 2008 expedition,
638
00:36:33,708 --> 00:36:36,167
the NASA scientists
went into caves
639
00:36:36,333 --> 00:36:39,708
and drew out fluid inclusions
640
00:36:39,833 --> 00:36:41,583
in the largest crystals
641
00:36:41,708 --> 00:36:44,583
and found microbes
642
00:36:44,708 --> 00:36:47,417
that are considered
to be extremophiles.
643
00:36:47,542 --> 00:36:51,042
Microbes that are
living organisms.
644
00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:55,167
They're single-celled,
and they have the ability
645
00:36:55,250 --> 00:36:59,667
to survive and thrive in
extreme environments.
646
00:36:59,750 --> 00:37:03,667
One of the interesting
things about the extremophiles
647
00:37:03,792 --> 00:37:07,333
was there is nothing
in our genetic database
648
00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:12,208
that comes close to what
these extremophiles are.
649
00:37:13,917 --> 00:37:17,833
Microbes unlike
anything seen on Earth?
650
00:37:17,917 --> 00:37:21,583
NASA's astrobiology
report suggests that these
651
00:37:21,708 --> 00:37:24,917
extremophiles are
up to 50,000 years old
652
00:37:25,042 --> 00:37:26,625
and could survive
on other planets.
653
00:37:26,750 --> 00:37:30,167
But many wonder is
there a risk involved
654
00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:34,125
in handling these
never-before-seen organisms?
655
00:37:34,250 --> 00:37:38,000
The Cave of the Crystals
can be a dangerous place.
656
00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:42,375
For example, not
long after it was found,
657
00:37:42,500 --> 00:37:46,333
one of the workers actually
snuck back into the cave.
658
00:37:46,458 --> 00:37:50,750
Not surprisingly, he
passed out and died.
659
00:37:51,875 --> 00:37:56,167
Now, it's unclear if he
died from the air quality,
660
00:37:56,292 --> 00:37:58,708
the heat, the humidity,
or could it have been
661
00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:02,333
the extremophile
micro-organisms that were in there?
662
00:38:03,208 --> 00:38:05,333
The Crystal Cave
is one of Earth's
663
00:38:05,417 --> 00:38:08,042
magnificent
mysteries that is simply
664
00:38:08,167 --> 00:38:09,667
too dangerous to explore.
665
00:38:09,833 --> 00:38:13,708
But there are other even
more dangerous places
666
00:38:13,875 --> 00:38:18,042
on this planet that require
a lot less effort to get to.
667
00:38:18,208 --> 00:38:22,167
For example, there's a geyser
in Yellowstone National Park
668
00:38:22,292 --> 00:38:24,458
known as Old Faithful.
669
00:38:24,583 --> 00:38:26,375
And it was only
recently that scientists
670
00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:28,708
discovered that Old Faithful
671
00:38:28,875 --> 00:38:31,708
is located on top of
a massive volcano
672
00:38:31,833 --> 00:38:39,833
that could wipe
out all of humanity.
673
00:38:44,167 --> 00:38:46,583
Each year, more
than four million people travel
674
00:38:46,708 --> 00:38:51,000
from all over the world
to experience its canyons,
675
00:38:51,125 --> 00:38:53,250
hot springs
676
00:38:53,375 --> 00:38:56,542
and other natural wonders.
677
00:38:56,708 --> 00:39:01,500
But the most wondrous sight
of all is a geyser that shoots
678
00:39:01,625 --> 00:39:05,333
a jet of superheated water
more than 150 feet into the air.
679
00:39:07,708 --> 00:39:10,458
And it does so at
such regular intervals
680
00:39:10,583 --> 00:39:13,708
that you can practically
set your watch by it.
681
00:39:13,833 --> 00:39:15,875
Which is why they
call this geyser
682
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,917
Old Faithful.
683
00:39:19,042 --> 00:39:21,625
If you visit Yellowstone,
it's spectacular.
684
00:39:21,708 --> 00:39:23,583
There are geysers
all over the place.
685
00:39:23,708 --> 00:39:26,458
Some erupt every few minutes.
686
00:39:28,042 --> 00:39:30,000
Some erupt every few hours.
687
00:39:30,833 --> 00:39:34,125
But what is remarkable
about Old Faithful
688
00:39:34,250 --> 00:39:37,458
is you can go there
with a stopwatch
689
00:39:37,542 --> 00:39:40,833
and you can time,
almost to the minute,
690
00:39:40,917 --> 00:39:45,125
when the next eruption
of Old Faithful will occur.
691
00:39:46,500 --> 00:39:49,542
Most of nature
is radical and unpredictable,
692
00:39:49,667 --> 00:39:52,500
but the really surprising
feature of Old Faithful
693
00:39:52,583 --> 00:39:55,583
is not that it's periodic and
regular, because that also
694
00:39:55,708 --> 00:39:57,500
happens in many
places in nature.
695
00:39:57,625 --> 00:40:00,500
It's that it's been periodic
and regular for so long.
696
00:40:00,625 --> 00:40:03,375
That is something that really
shows us there's a lot we don't
697
00:40:03,542 --> 00:40:06,875
understand about nature,
and a lot more we need to learn.
698
00:40:08,542 --> 00:40:09,917
Old Faithful.
699
00:40:10,042 --> 00:40:12,083
For centuries, we
have thought of it
700
00:40:12,208 --> 00:40:13,375
as a mere tourist attraction.
701
00:40:13,542 --> 00:40:15,458
A quaint example
of Mother Nature
702
00:40:15,542 --> 00:40:17,625
at her most punctual.
703
00:40:18,708 --> 00:40:21,125
But what if we're wrong?
704
00:40:21,208 --> 00:40:24,625
What if it is really providing
a geological countdown
705
00:40:24,750 --> 00:40:28,250
to mankind's
ultimate extinction?
706
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:32,875
Yellowstone is famous
for bears, it is famous for
707
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:37,500
magnificent geysers,
but underneath your feet
708
00:40:37,625 --> 00:40:40,417
is a super volcano,
709
00:40:40,542 --> 00:40:43,792
and it's at least
44 miles across.
710
00:40:43,917 --> 00:40:48,417
It's a whole network of
magma pools that could
711
00:40:48,542 --> 00:40:51,292
one day blow up
712
00:40:51,375 --> 00:40:55,000
and cause tremendous havoc.
713
00:40:55,125 --> 00:40:57,042
A super
volcano, if it were to erupt,
714
00:40:57,167 --> 00:41:00,667
is so massive amount of energy
being released that it would
715
00:41:00,792 --> 00:41:02,667
destroy half of the
continental United States.
716
00:41:02,792 --> 00:41:04,292
And it would be more devastating
717
00:41:04,375 --> 00:41:06,667
to the entire planet
than the asteroid
718
00:41:06,792 --> 00:41:09,125
that hit that we think
killed the dinosaurs.
719
00:41:11,833 --> 00:41:15,625
This gigantic eruption
has happened three times...
720
00:41:15,708 --> 00:41:17,458
Three times in the
recorded history...
721
00:41:17,542 --> 00:41:21,542
And we are due for another
one, who knows when?
722
00:41:21,667 --> 00:41:23,708
Maybe tomorrow. Maybe a hundred,
723
00:41:23,833 --> 00:41:26,000
maybe 200,000 years from now.
724
00:41:26,125 --> 00:41:27,750
But it will happen.
725
00:41:32,917 --> 00:41:36,167
Whether it's super volcanoes
that are hidden underground
726
00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:38,625
or never-ending lightning storms
727
00:41:38,750 --> 00:41:41,458
or caves full of
massive crystals,
728
00:41:41,583 --> 00:41:44,833
it seems that in spite of
everything we've learned,
729
00:41:44,958 --> 00:41:48,458
our planet is still
full of surprises.
730
00:41:48,583 --> 00:41:50,263
Perhaps we just have
to face the fact that,
731
00:41:50,333 --> 00:41:53,542
for the foreseeable future,
the natural forces on Earth
732
00:41:53,708 --> 00:41:57,333
will continue to be
unpredictable and...
733
00:41:57,458 --> 00:41:59,333
unexplained.
734
00:41:59,383 --> 00:42:03,933
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