All language subtitles for Butterfly.Effect.S03E04_English

- [Narrator] Our
history is no more

than a series of
incredible events.

Every one of us can
influence its course.

(moderate rock music)

The most infinitesimal
of our decisions

can influence the
future of humanity.

To know the past is
to foresee the future.

January 26, 1988.

New Quebec, Republic
of Australia.

In the great concert hall
of the Eiffel Opera House,

President Jean-Francois Pemmemoi

begins the festivities
for the bicentennial

of Captain de Laperouse's
arrival on the island.

Just after the disappearance
of the Cook expedition in
1770,

the kingdom of France

surpassed England's
exploration of the Pacific.

In the image of their
former Canadian colony,

the French quickly
develops trading posts,

while increasing
peaceful exchanges

with the Aboriginal tribes.

During the centuries
that followed,

the small French
colony in Australia

became a great
independent nation,

led by a president of
Franco-Aboriginal origins.

But, none of that ever happened.

In 1770, a small grain of sand

decided the fate of
Captain Cook's expedition.

Australia was destined
to become British.

November 1520.

The explorer Ferdinand Magellan

opens passage to the Southwest,

and discovers the Pacific Ocean.

June 11th, 1770.

Stuck on the Great Barrier Reef,

James Cook's ship
is about to sink.

January 26, 1788.

11 ships land at Botany Bay,

establishing the first
English
penal colony in Australia.

These three inextricably
linked events

are key moments during
the European expeditions

throughout the Pacific Ocean.

(dramatic cinematic music)

November 1520, somewhere
in the Southern Hemisphere.

Having left for
Spain a year ago,

the once audacious fleet
only has three ships left.

After confronting storms,
mutinies, and sickness,

haunted by the fear of
falling
off the edge of the world

that some still
believe to be flat,

the crews are forced
to trust their captain,

Fernando de Magalhaes, Magellan.

Serving the crown of Spain,
this Portuguese captain

is convinced that he can
discover the Western route,

a hypothetical passage

to the south of the
American continent,

which would provide
access to Asia

while circumventing Africa.

November 27th, 1520.

This strait, which will one
day be named in his honor,

reveals a vast,
seemingly calm ocean

which he christens
the Pacific Ocean.

The 16th century is an
extraordinary period for
Europe.

The voyage of Christopher
Columbus changes everything.

The discovery of a
new immense continent

opens up great prospects.

Riding the wave of Magellan,

intrepid explorers brave dangers

to push the limits
of the known world.

Discovering new lands
to be possessed,

and new colonies to be formed.

In the first half
of the 16th century,

the Spaniards conquer most

of the Pacific Coast
of South America.

For their part, the Portuguese
open up a new spice route

that circumvents Africa and
passes by the Cape of Good Hope.

Asia is within reach.

Heavy and powerful
Hispanic galleons

criss-cross the waters
of the New World.

Hulls full of wealth
head to Europe.

At the beginning of
the 17th century,

Portuguese exploration

is gradually surpassed
by Dutch expansion.

This small country
with big ambitions

is sending its captains into
the conquest of the unknown.

In 1642, one of them, Abel
Tasman, discovers an island

which will later take
his name, Tasmania.

He sails along the
shores of New Zealand.

Then, he maps the northern
coast of Australia

that is called New Holland.

But, these expeditions
remain extremely dangerous.

Ships do not fare well
during the long trips.

Navigation and observation
instruments are rudimentary,

and the catastrophic sanitary
conditions wipe out the crews.

- [Computerized Woman]
Welcome
to the memory of humanity.

Every historical event,
regardless of how small,

is recorded and connected.

You only need to change one
to upset all of the others.

Here, we are able
to control time,

analyze and compare
billions of events

in order to rewrite
history in infinite ways.

For example, let's hop
aboard a 17th century boat.

The maneuvers
require large crews.

All of these men,
confined in tiny spaces,

share their lives, their
bunks, and their germs.

Epidemics are commonplace,

and more highly
feared than pirates.

During long voyages,

stagnant water and dry
biscuits are the norm.

The absence of preservation
options for fresh food

causes serious diseases and
deficiencies amongst
seafarers.

The most prevalent
among them is scurvy,

a Vitamin C deficiency
that can be fatal.

The best ways to avoid this
is to bring lemons on board

or to make numerous stops

to replenish the stock
of fresh products.

During the long voyages,

many captains also tried
to find a miracle cure;

however, without
refrigeration on board,

keeping the crew strong
and in good health

remains a real challenge,
and a matter of survival.

- [Narrator] The 17th century

is one of conquests
and commerce.

A true culture of
secrecy prevails.

Each captain jealously keeps
his discoveries to himself,

like a treasure map,
fearing that others

might get richer in his stead.

But, in the second half
of the 18th century,

things begin to evolve.

A new wind blows towards Europe.

Everywhere, scholarly societies

and astronomical
observatories are flourishing.

Europe is thirsty for knowledge.

For the States, greatness
is not only found

in military or economic power,

but also in scientific glory.

And the rivalry among
states is fierce,

particularly between the
Kingdom of France and England,

which are often at
war with each other.

In 1763, France has lost
the Seven Years' War.

At the end of the conflict,
it is forced to give up

a large number of its
possessions overseas.

The rivalry with its sworn
enemy pushes the kingdom

to search for new
economic opportunities,

so Louis XV commissions
an ambitious expedition.

Under the guise of a
diplomatic mission,

Louis Antoine of Bougainville

receives the honor of
setting sail to Asia

to develop trade and
discover new lands.

But that isn't all he will do.

In the 18th century,
France bathes in the light

of philosophers
and encyclopedists.

Passionate about the
sciences, Bougainville brings

an astronomer, a naturalist,
and a cartographer aboard.

They will make observations
and establish records

which will glorify science
and the Kingdom of France.

The scientists are always quick

to go ashore and
make observations

while the sailors
prefer the security

and speed found on the water.

Cohabitation on the
ship is not easy.

April 2nd, 1768.

The expedition arrives near
an elevated and steep land,

which is made up
of two mountains

connected by a narrow
isthmus: Tahiti.

The captain struggles
desperately to control his men

who are captivated by the
beauty of the Tahitian women

and the idyllic
life on the island.

Bougainville's description
of this arrival,

written in his
diary, is inspiring.

He speaks of paradise on
Earth, the Garden of Eden,

yet, things are more
complicated than they appear.

Oceania contained numerous

culturally-rich and
diverse societies.

The Melanesians and
Micronesians in the west,

the Polynesians in the east,

and the Aborigines in Australia.

The settlement of
this immense space,

occupying a third of
the world's surface,

has progressed from Asia,
millennia after millennia.

Aboard boats like
the outrigger canoe,

these impressive
sailors colonized the
islands and atolls,

sometimes thousands
of miles away,

well before the first
Europeans arrived.

In successive stages, these
populations spread their
culture

to almost every
island in the ocean.

Isolated from one another,
each
group evolved independently,

creating a culture
specific to each island.

A dusting of islands
scattered across

the largest ocean on the planet.

- [Computerized Woman]
Know your position.

To establish their bearings,

cartographists traced a grid
on the surface of the globe.

The vertical lines,
called meridians;

the horizontal ones
are called parallels.

We call latitude any point

that is situated
along the meridian,

while longitude is a
position on the parallel.

A longitude value, when
connected to a latitude,

gives us a precise and unique
point on the Earth's surface.

These are what we
call coordinates.

You can determine
your exact latitude

by observing the
sun and the stars,

but measuring longitude
is another story.

First, you must
determine the meridian

you are using as
a reference point.

Next, there are two
opposing techniques.

The astronomy method,
used with success

during the voyage
of Bougainville,

and the second method, which
requires the development

of an extremely precise
and reliable chronometer.

This latter method
was used by James Cook

for his second expedition.

Today, both techniques
have been replaced

by the use of satellites
and the GPS system.

- [Narrator] 18th century.

Great Britain dominates

almost all the seas
around the globe.

British marine officers,

promoted on merit
without consideration
of social standing,

are excellent sailors.

James Cook is one of them.

First, hired as a ship
boy on merchant vessel,

he joins the Royal Navy in 1755,

and methodically
climbs up the ranks.

After two years of service,
he becomes a sailing master.

Then, in June 1759, he
participates in an expedition

against the city of Quebec.

Blessed with extraordinary
cartography skills,

he helps the British
fleet sail safely

up the Saint Lawrence River.

At the end of the war,

after catching the attention
of the Royal Society,

he is chosen to head a
new type of expedition:

traveling to the other
side of the world

to observe the transit
of Venus across the Sun,

an event which occurs
once a century.

The king authorizes this mission

under the condition that the
explorer uses this opportunity

to find, and take possession of,

the mythical Southern Continent.

This legendary land, said to
exist in the South Pacific,

feeds everyone's fantasies.

It is a kind of new New World.

Chartered for the occasion,
the HMS Endeavour,

a robust, shallow-draft
merchant ship,

has been adjusted to welcome
additional passengers,

a scientific team, including
famed naturalist Joseph Banks,

and all their equipment.

Cook personally examines
all the details.

He even brings his secret
weapon against scurvy:

three tons of sauerkraut
and lemon juice.

August 26th, 1768.

The Endeavour sets
sail for Cape Horn.

April 13th, 1769,
it docks in Tahiti.

Cook sets up a small observatory

to study the eclipse of Venus.

With the first
mission accomplished,

he lifts the anchor for the
second part of his voyage:

the search for the
Southern Continent.

But, the mythical
utopia is hidden

under the bow of The Endeavour.

Continuing his journey,
Cook arrives in New Zealand.

Here, he maps its
coastline with precision.

Then, on March 31st, 1770,

he heads west to
present-day Tasmania.

Opposing winds then push
him to an unknown land.

The explorer accidentally falls

on the southeast
coast of Australia.

On April 29th, the
crew goes ashore.

This fjord will later
be named Botany Bay

because of the
countless plant species

discovered by the
expedition's botanists.

Cook resumes his journey
along the coast to the north,

meticulously mapping
each cliff, each bay.

But, unknowingly, Cook
is entering a death trap.

There are no maps of
the Great Barrier Reef,

and on June 11th, the crew is
paralyzed by a sinister creek.

The Endeavour has
just run aground.

In panic, they unload the ship

and fight against the water
that is rising in the hull.

The ship is about to sink,
and all its crew with it.

For the entire day,
the men will struggle

to free the ship
from the coral trap.

Everyone takes
turns at the pumps.

Now The Endeavour is an arm's
length away from sinking.

Suddenly, one of them
has an ingenious idea.

Stretch a sail under the hull
to temporarily plug the leak.

After a week on the
edge of the abyss,

the damaged boat manages
to reach the land.

The crew is exhausted, but
the expedition is saved.

- [Computerized
Woman] We have arrived

at a point of divergence.

A point of divergence
is a key moment,

a crossroads in our history
where our world can swing

from one side to the other.

James Cook and his crew have
just avoided a shipwreck

which would have
certainly been fatal.

If the expedition had failed,

England would not
have discovered

or taken possession
of Australia.

A few years later,

the expedition of
Jean-Francois de Laperouse

would have been
first to draw a map

of the island continent
and form a colony there.

Inspired by the enlightenment,

the first French colonists
would have been able

to create trading posts,
and make peaceful trades

with the Aboriginal peoples,
exactly as they did in Canada.

The Aboriginal peoples,

considered legitimate
inhabitants of Australia,

might have known less oppression

and been able to conserve
their ancestral grounds.

Today, Australia would still
be a cosmopolitan country,

but francophone.

- [Narrator] July
13th, 1771, England.

The expedition has returned.

Once they finish up
some makeshift repairs,

the crew is able
to leave Australia

and return home after
a three-year absence.

The Endeavour brings with it

more than a thousand
species of plants,

hundreds of stuffed
insects and animals,

mineralogical samples,

and thousands of
observational drawings.

Cook is the author of
nautical charts so precise

that they continue to
inspire awe even today.

It is an undeniable success.

The Royal Society
quickly orders him

to return to the Southern
Hemisphere on a new expedition.

The goal is still the same:
discover the Southern
Continent.

Early December 1772, the
expedition sets sail blindly

in a thick fog on
an ocean of ice.

January 17th, 1773,

the expedition crosses
the Arctic Circle.

One year later, Cook reaches
71 degrees, 10 seconds South,

an absolute record.

But a wall of ice
forces him to turn back.

After crossing 60,000
nautical miles,

or three times the
circumference of the Earth,

the explorer returns to England.

He has just proven

that the Southern
Continent does not exist.

But the admiralty
refuses to stop there.

In 1776, at almost 50, Cook
leads a third expedition,

this time to find
the Northwest Passage

between the Atlantic
and the Pacific,

beyond the Bering Strait.

The only maps available turn
out to be completely wrong.

The expedition,
surrounded by ice,

must turn back in August 1778,
and head south to Hawaii.

His arrival coincides
with the season

dedicated to the
god of peace, Lono.

The Hawaiian priests
give the captain

a welcome worthy of a god.

February 4th, 1779,
the ship sets sail,

but shortly afterwards,
the foremast snaps.

Cook is forced to
return to Hawaii.

But the context
has changed there.

Hawaii is now in the
season of the war god, Ku,

and for the Hawaiians,

the return of Cook
upsets the cosmic order.

The situation
quickly deteriorates.

Several conflicts arise

between the English
and the Hawaiians.

During a punitive raid,
Cook and 10 of his men

find themselves surrounded
by angry warriors.

The captain does not assess
the situation correctly.

He is the first to shoot.

Overtaken, and hit on the
head,
he collapses on the beach.

From the ship, his
men, unable to assist,

watch the terrible scene.

The Hawaiian warriors
massacre their captain.

James Cook, captain
of the British crown,

has been felled on the
explorer's field of honor.

- [Computerized Woman]
The stuff of heroes.

Captain James Cook enters
the pantheon of explorers.

Several centuries later,

NASA baptizes two
of its spaceships
Endeavor and Discovery

as homage to Cook's ships.

The symbolism is strong.

Astronauts are our
explorers of modern times,

continuing the paths of
Cook and Bougainville.

Even though the frontiers have
changed, the risks have not.

January 28, 1986, the space
shuttle Challenger explodes,

just after takeoff, with
seven crew members aboard.

In 2003, Columbia disintegrates

while re-entering the
Earth's atmosphere.

Venturing out to discover the
unknown is perilous business,

but the courage of a
handful of fearless pioneers

has allowed all mankind
to explore the Earth,

the seas, and the stars.

- [Narrator] His
heritage is monumental.

His contribution

to the inventory of the
world is immeasurable.

This cartographer-explorer

spent 12 years of his
life on the Pacific Ocean.

He did not see the birth
of many of his children,

all of whom grew up in the
absence of their father.

His wife even buried four of
their children all by
herself,

the price one must pay.

The Age of Enlightenment
sheds new light

on native populations.

After the colonization of
the American continent,

which was disastrous
for the locals,

the philosophers
of the 18th century

realized that each society
is a fragile ecosystem,

and that unfortunate choices
can destroy them forever.

Happily, the diversity
of the Pacific cultures

has not been destroyed
by the passage of time

as was the case, unfortunately,

for the largest island
in the world, Australia.

In August 1770, during
his first voyage,

Cook took possession of the
East Coast of the island,

deliberately ignoring the fact

that this land was
already populated.

This illegitimate claim
opened up the path

for colonization on
the island continent.

January 26th, 1788
near Botany Bay,

a penal colony is founded,
populated by convicts

that England no longer
wants on its lands.

In one century, Great Britain
exiles 160,000 prisoners

to the other side of the world.

Under the combined
pressures of disease,

settlers, and alcohol,
the Aboriginal people,

present on these lands
since the dawn of time,

watch as its population
declines dramatically.

Today, the Aborigines
represent less

than 3% of the
Australian population.

But that is another story.

- [Computerized Woman]
Pushing the limits.

In the 18th century,

mankind embarked on a
scientific
exploration of the world.

The goal was to learn more

about the limits
of the continents,

and to develop a list
of living organisms

from the smallest mushroom
to the largest mammals.

In the course of these voyages,

an impressive
quantity of specimens

were assembled and cataloged
in encyclopedias and museums.

This colossal task helped
push the limits of ignorance.

Today, what is left
for us to discover?

Are there still
borders to be pushed?

From a geographical viewpoint
of Earth, not really.

But what about space,

with its infinitely large
and nano-sized worlds?

What do we really
know about black holes

and how our brains work?

At a time when the first
map of the human genome

has just been published,

in front of the
astronomical progress

of artificial intelligence,

and Mars colonization projects,

it would seem that
we are at the dawn

of a new wave of explorations.

(dramatic cinematic music)