1
00:00:01,340 --> 00:00:06,970
Meteors, bombarding the Earth from space.
2
00:00:07,090 --> 00:00:09,090
Material from other bodies
in our solar system
3
00:00:09,220 --> 00:00:12,850
is continually raining down
on the planet Earth.
4
00:00:12,970 --> 00:00:14,890
NARRATOR:
And with that are billions
5
00:00:15,020 --> 00:00:17,810
of microscopic alien life-forms.
6
00:00:19,230 --> 00:00:21,900
800 million viruses
7
00:00:22,020 --> 00:00:23,570
are falling from the skies
8
00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:26,240
every single day.
9
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,280
NARRATOR:
Is our planet properly prepared
10
00:00:29,410 --> 00:00:32,910
for an extraterrestrial
invasion... of disease?
11
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,750
BILL BIRNES:
What if the terrible plagues
12
00:00:34,870 --> 00:00:37,330
that ravaged the Earth
were the result
13
00:00:37,460 --> 00:00:39,420
of alien viruses
14
00:00:39,540 --> 00:00:42,380
that are constantly
bombarding the planet?
15
00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:44,880
NARRATOR:
But are these alien viruses
16
00:00:45,010 --> 00:00:48,340
meant to harm us...
or change us
17
00:00:48,470 --> 00:00:51,430
in ways we can hardly imagine?
18
00:00:51,550 --> 00:00:53,510
ANDREW COLLINS:
Sometimes, viruses help
19
00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,640
human evolution.
20
00:00:55,770 --> 00:00:57,520
GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
It is a deliberate
21
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,770
artificial change of our DNA.
22
00:01:04,020 --> 00:01:06,150
NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
23
00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,570
in the universe.
24
00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:12,620
Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
25
00:01:12,740 --> 00:01:15,540
It demands
we question everything
26
00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:18,120
we have ever been taught.
27
00:01:18,250 --> 00:01:21,580
The evidence is all around us.
28
00:01:21,710 --> 00:01:25,340
The future is
right before our eyes.
29
00:01:25,460 --> 00:01:27,840
We are not alone.
30
00:01:27,970 --> 00:01:31,260
We have never been alone.
31
00:01:44,730 --> 00:01:46,780
NARRATOR:
A Stanford University study
32
00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:49,150
published in the journal eLife,
33
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,360
reveals a remarkable finding
that dramatically changes
34
00:01:52,490 --> 00:01:56,200
our understanding
of human evolution.
35
00:01:56,330 --> 00:02:00,960
The study reports that since
modern humans first emerged
36
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,040
from earlier primates,
roughly one third
37
00:02:04,170 --> 00:02:06,840
of their evolutionary
adaptations have been caused
38
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,880
not by means of natural
selection, but by viruses.
39
00:02:12,970 --> 00:02:14,510
KIRSTEN FISHER:
We have genes in our own genome
40
00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:17,350
that were derived
from a retrovirus
41
00:02:17,470 --> 00:02:18,850
at some point in our history.
42
00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,850
And some actually have
important functions
43
00:02:22,980 --> 00:02:25,190
for our development as humans.
44
00:02:25,310 --> 00:02:28,570
This suggests that
there has been some kind
45
00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:32,740
of symbiotic relationship
with viruses
46
00:02:32,860 --> 00:02:36,240
since the beginning
of life itself.
47
00:02:36,370 --> 00:02:42,330
Sometimes, viruses
help human evolution.
48
00:02:42,460 --> 00:02:44,630
NARRATOR:
According to another study,
49
00:02:44,750 --> 00:02:47,920
one important human adaptation
that resulted from a virus
50
00:02:48,050 --> 00:02:50,710
is a special layer
of the human placenta
51
00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,010
that prevents the fetus
from being rejected
52
00:02:53,130 --> 00:02:55,720
by the mother's body.
53
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,930
The genes that create this
tissue are called syncytins
54
00:03:00,060 --> 00:03:03,190
and they were not originally
found in human ancestors.
55
00:03:04,940 --> 00:03:06,440
FISHER:
They were acquired at
56
00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,400
a couple different points
in our history,
57
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,190
about 25 and 40 million
years ago.
58
00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,400
And they're important
for the connection
59
00:03:12,530 --> 00:03:14,490
between the mother
and the fetus.
60
00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,160
NARRATOR:
Some scientists now believe
61
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,540
that viral genes like this
were as important
62
00:03:21,660 --> 00:03:24,330
for human evolution
as natural selection.
63
00:03:24,460 --> 00:03:27,880
HOOVER: I think
that horizontal gene transfer
64
00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,840
being carried out
by viruses or phages
65
00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:36,300
was probably the primary
mechanism whereby changes
66
00:03:36,430 --> 00:03:41,060
in species and major changes
within a species occurred.
67
00:03:41,180 --> 00:03:43,480
NARRATOR:
Was it by pure chance
68
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,730
that viruses helped
to create a species
69
00:03:45,850 --> 00:03:48,110
as sophisticated as humans?
70
00:03:48,230 --> 00:03:51,860
Or might this viral evolution
have been intelligently
71
00:03:51,980 --> 00:03:56,950
directed by beings
from outer space?
72
00:03:57,070 --> 00:04:01,660
Anthropologists are telling us that humans evolved
Anthropologists are telling us that humans evolved
73
00:04:01,790 --> 00:04:05,660
over time out of Africa
and that we had certain,
74
00:04:05,790 --> 00:04:07,710
uh, genetic leaps...
75
00:04:11,550 --> 00:04:15,670
uh, became greater
and so these genetic leaps
76
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,640
throughout evolutionary history
might have just been
77
00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:24,100
a natural thing, but they could
have been engineered as well.
78
00:04:24,220 --> 00:04:26,890
TSOUKALOS:
There is no doubt in my mind
79
00:04:27,020 --> 00:04:31,360
that viruses that have
originated from space
80
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,570
somehow had to do with our
development here on Earth.
81
00:04:35,690 --> 00:04:38,700
However, it is very clear
82
00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:41,700
that the ancient astronaut
theory proposes
83
00:04:41,830 --> 00:04:45,870
that the one reason
why we became humans
84
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,460
as we are today
is not due to an accident
85
00:04:49,580 --> 00:04:52,420
by some natural virus
from outer space,
86
00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:57,630
but a deliberate, artificial
change of our DNA.
87
00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,890
NARRATOR:
Could humans be the subject
88
00:05:01,010 --> 00:05:04,260
of a bioengineering project
by extraterrestrials
89
00:05:04,390 --> 00:05:08,440
who use viruses from space
to alter our evolution?
90
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,690
And if so, could those viruses
91
00:05:11,810 --> 00:05:13,570
have been delivered
to Earth in comets?
92
00:05:13,690 --> 00:05:19,110
Ancient astronaut theorists
point to a curious event
93
00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,570
in our evolutionary history:
94
00:05:21,700 --> 00:05:24,790
The moment humans
almost went extinct.
95
00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:32,330
Around 75,000 years ago,
there was a bottleneck
96
00:05:32,460 --> 00:05:34,210
in human evolution.
97
00:05:36,050 --> 00:05:39,470
It's suggested
that the human population
98
00:05:39,590 --> 00:05:43,430
actually went down from millions
99
00:05:43,550 --> 00:05:46,470
down to just a few thousand.
100
00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,850
This is certainly something
that genetics backs up.
101
00:05:50,980 --> 00:05:55,480
And we have to ask ourselves
what was going on at this time.
102
00:05:55,610 --> 00:05:59,400
PHILIP IMBROGNO: Originally,
geologists believed that
103
00:05:59,530 --> 00:06:02,240
that bottleneck
of humanity was caused
104
00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,780
by the supervolcano in,
uh, Sumatra exploding.
105
00:06:05,910 --> 00:06:10,910
Now, recent finds have indicated
that's not the case
106
00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,420
and they're leaning more towards
107
00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:17,920
a virus, a plague,
that was genetically
108
00:06:18,050 --> 00:06:19,300
programmed for early humans.
109
00:06:19,420 --> 00:06:22,340
Wiped them out.
110
00:06:22,470 --> 00:06:25,140
NARRATOR:
One controversial theory
111
00:06:25,260 --> 00:06:27,720
is that the cause
of this bottleneck event
112
00:06:27,850 --> 00:06:30,270
was not just a virus,
but a virus
113
00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:34,400
that was brought to Earth
on a comet.
114
00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:38,030
According to this theory,
a comet slammed into the planet
115
00:06:38,150 --> 00:06:41,030
with such devastating force,
that it created
116
00:06:41,150 --> 00:06:43,280
a nuclear winter...
117
00:06:43,410 --> 00:06:47,450
killing almost all
human life on Earth.
118
00:06:47,580 --> 00:06:50,450
Almost. Because those
that could survive
119
00:06:50,580 --> 00:06:53,420
both the nuclear winter
and the alien virus
120
00:06:53,540 --> 00:06:58,050
emerged as a profoundly altered
and improved species.
121
00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,340
It was immediately
following this event
122
00:07:02,470 --> 00:07:04,930
that humans first began
to leave evidence
123
00:07:05,050 --> 00:07:09,390
of symbolic thinking, art, music
and advanced language.
124
00:07:09,510 --> 00:07:12,020
Somehow, human beings
125
00:07:12,140 --> 00:07:15,060
reached another stage
of evolution.
126
00:07:15,190 --> 00:07:20,030
It was the transformation
of the human brain.
127
00:07:20,150 --> 00:07:24,530
Could it be,
and we believe it did happen,
128
00:07:24,660 --> 00:07:28,370
that alien viruses infected
Planet Earth
129
00:07:28,490 --> 00:07:30,330
at this inflection point
130
00:07:30,450 --> 00:07:33,120
of the extinction
of the human species.
131
00:07:33,250 --> 00:07:36,790
They implanted viruses
in the human species
132
00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,340
that changed the brain.
133
00:07:39,460 --> 00:07:42,510
NARRATOR:
But could viruses really survive
134
00:07:42,630 --> 00:07:45,470
in the frozen vacuum of space?
135
00:07:45,590 --> 00:07:48,180
And if so, could they
have come here
136
00:07:48,300 --> 00:07:50,680
not by accident,
but as some kind
137
00:07:50,810 --> 00:07:53,230
of extraterrestrial invasion?
138
00:07:55,060 --> 00:07:58,560
Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes and suggest
139
00:07:58,690 --> 00:08:01,900
further clues might be found
by examining a controversial
140
00:08:02,030 --> 00:08:05,530
theory that comets,
far from being lifeless,
141
00:08:05,650 --> 00:08:09,160
are brimming with alien microbes
142
00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,040
and they are headed our way.
143
00:08:20,630 --> 00:08:22,300
NARRATOR:
Boston, Massachusetts.
144
00:08:22,420 --> 00:08:26,220
August 27, 1918.
145
00:08:26,340 --> 00:08:30,010
Two sailors visit the sick bay
at a seaside pier
146
00:08:30,140 --> 00:08:32,060
with frightening symptoms.
147
00:08:32,180 --> 00:08:35,980
Their bodies are literally
covered with dark splotches,
148
00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:38,900
they suffer from severe bleeding
149
00:08:39,020 --> 00:08:41,440
and they are foaming
at the mouth.
150
00:08:41,570 --> 00:08:47,240
The next day, eight more arrive
with the same symptoms.
151
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,950
And, in just a few weeks,
thousands die,
152
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,950
as Boston falls into the grip
of one of the deadliest
153
00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,540
viral outbreaks of all time,
the Spanish flu.
154
00:09:00,670 --> 00:09:03,500
FISHER:
The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic
155
00:09:03,630 --> 00:09:08,010
is probably the worst epidemic
in recorded human history.
156
00:09:09,550 --> 00:09:10,840
Medical historians estimate
157
00:09:10,970 --> 00:09:12,300
that up to 20 million
158
00:09:12,430 --> 00:09:14,720
people, uh, died
during that epidemic.
159
00:09:14,850 --> 00:09:16,980
BIRNES:
It didn't just focus
160
00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:19,140
on one group of people.
161
00:09:19,270 --> 00:09:22,020
People from the very top
echelon of society
162
00:09:22,150 --> 00:09:24,360
all the way to the working poor
163
00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,150
were struck down
by the Spanish flu.
164
00:09:31,780 --> 00:09:33,870
NARRATOR:
Half a world away, the same
165
00:09:33,990 --> 00:09:37,830
influenza epidemic ravages
populations across India.
166
00:09:37,950 --> 00:09:42,210
Its starting point is traced
back to the city of Bombay.
167
00:09:42,330 --> 00:09:46,590
And there's a strange connection
between these two outbreaks:
168
00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:51,010
They began on the same day.
169
00:09:51,130 --> 00:09:53,760
One of the things that's not
often discussed
170
00:09:53,890 --> 00:09:56,430
is that the great flu
epidemic began
171
00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:59,600
on the same day
in two different places:
172
00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:04,440
In Boston and on the other side
of the world in Bombay.
173
00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:06,480
Now, those are
two spots on the Earth
174
00:10:06,610 --> 00:10:08,530
that are virtually
on opposite ends
175
00:10:08,650 --> 00:10:11,950
and you have to wonder
how that is possible because
176
00:10:12,070 --> 00:10:17,700
you can't travel, within a day,
by ship from Boston to India.
177
00:10:17,830 --> 00:10:20,830
And air travel, at the time,
didn't exist.
178
00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,500
IMBROGNO:
How does an outbreak occur
179
00:10:23,630 --> 00:10:26,340
of the same virus on places
180
00:10:26,460 --> 00:10:29,260
so spread apart
181
00:10:29,380 --> 00:10:33,340
in 1918 in less than 24 hours?
182
00:10:33,470 --> 00:10:39,390
The answer is that the virus
probably fell from space.
183
00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:45,020
Perhaps the Earth was grazed
by the tail of a comet...
184
00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:50,490
and so that's why we had
the outbreak of the epidemic
185
00:10:50,610 --> 00:10:52,610
on two sides of the planet.
186
00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,160
NARRATOR:
Until recently,
187
00:10:56,280 --> 00:11:00,000
it was believed that radiation,
extreme temperatures
188
00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,080
and the vacuum of space...
189
00:11:02,210 --> 00:11:04,620
That is to say,
the absence of any oxygen...
190
00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:08,040
Would kill any life-form.
191
00:11:08,170 --> 00:11:10,010
- ASTRONAUT: Pressurization, go Atlas.
- ASTRONAUT 2: Go Centaur.
192
00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:13,010
NARRATOR: But ever since humans
first ventured into space,
193
00:11:13,130 --> 00:11:17,760
scientists have been finding
evidence to the contrary.
194
00:11:26,350 --> 00:11:28,320
NASA's unmanned
Surveyor 3 lander
195
00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,400
touches down on the Moon
196
00:11:31,530 --> 00:11:33,780
and begins its mission
collecting soil
197
00:11:33,900 --> 00:11:36,570
from the lunar surface.
198
00:11:36,700 --> 00:11:39,200
Two years later,
199
00:11:39,330 --> 00:11:41,700
astronauts
on the Apollo 12 mission
200
00:11:41,830 --> 00:11:46,500
recover parts of Surveyor 3
and return them to Earth.
201
00:11:46,630 --> 00:11:50,250
To the astonishment
of scientists,
202
00:11:50,380 --> 00:11:54,220
living strep bacteria
is found on the probe.
203
00:11:54,340 --> 00:11:58,890
But this is only the first
of many cases of microorganisms
204
00:11:59,010 --> 00:12:01,260
surviving space travel.
205
00:12:03,850 --> 00:12:05,140
HOOVER:
There have been experiments
206
00:12:05,270 --> 00:12:08,100
in which microorganisms
have been flown
207
00:12:08,230 --> 00:12:10,270
to the International
Space Station
208
00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,940
and exposed to the hard vacuum
and the radiation
209
00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:16,950
and the temperature changes
of deep space.
210
00:12:17,070 --> 00:12:19,320
And many
of those organisms survived.
211
00:12:20,870 --> 00:12:22,870
NARRATOR:
Incredibly,
212
00:12:22,990 --> 00:12:26,120
several types of bacteria
have thrived back on Earth
213
00:12:26,250 --> 00:12:28,290
after spending up to two years
214
00:12:28,420 --> 00:12:31,210
outside
the International Space Station.
215
00:12:31,340 --> 00:12:35,470
But even more surprisingly,
this durability isn't reserved
216
00:12:35,590 --> 00:12:38,340
for single-celled organisms
alone.
217
00:12:38,470 --> 00:12:43,350
In September 2007,
a Russian Soyuz rocket
218
00:12:43,470 --> 00:12:46,980
carried tiny animals
called tardigrades into space
219
00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:48,650
to test their legendary ability
220
00:12:48,770 --> 00:12:52,730
to thrive
in extreme environments.
221
00:12:52,860 --> 00:12:55,190
HOOVER: Tardigrades
are called water bears.
222
00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,200
Uh, they're found in the polar
regions on mosses and so forth,
223
00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,200
and they're beautiful
little animals.
224
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,740
They have a very unusual
life history,
225
00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:07,830
and there were experiments in
which tardigrades were carried
226
00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:09,870
to the International
Space Station,
227
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,630
and they were found
to survive exposure
228
00:13:12,750 --> 00:13:15,050
to the deep space environment.
229
00:13:15,170 --> 00:13:17,220
And after they were
brought back,
230
00:13:17,340 --> 00:13:18,930
there were several
of the tardigrades
231
00:13:19,050 --> 00:13:21,930
that were still alive.
232
00:13:22,050 --> 00:13:26,930
Now, in the last 20 years,
it was shown beyond any doubt
233
00:13:27,060 --> 00:13:30,600
that microbes are essentially
born space travelers.
234
00:13:30,730 --> 00:13:34,980
They can survive almost any of
the rigors that you can think of
235
00:13:35,110 --> 00:13:36,940
that would greet them in space.
236
00:13:37,070 --> 00:13:38,400
High temperatures,
237
00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:40,490
high radiation,
238
00:13:40,610 --> 00:13:41,990
intense cooling
239
00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,780
and even intense heating.
240
00:13:44,910 --> 00:13:48,750
It's also well established
that microorganisms can
241
00:13:48,870 --> 00:13:52,630
very easily survive
in bodies like comets
242
00:13:52,750 --> 00:13:57,420
and could well live in bodies
like Europa and Enceladus
243
00:13:57,550 --> 00:14:02,010
because there is ice there,
there is liquid water oceans
244
00:14:02,140 --> 00:14:05,350
underneath the icy crust.
245
00:14:05,470 --> 00:14:08,350
NARRATOR: In recent years,
astronomers are identifying
246
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,690
more and more planets that could
potentially harbor life.
247
00:14:12,810 --> 00:14:15,820
Some believe that microbial life
248
00:14:15,940 --> 00:14:18,940
first evolved on one
of these distant planets.
249
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:25,870
Eons later, meteor impacts
blasted some of them into space,
250
00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:29,000
where they took root in comets.
251
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,750
But even if true,
252
00:14:30,870 --> 00:14:33,830
how could they descend to Earth
and infect humans?
253
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,670
HOOVER: We know for a fact
that material from other bodies
254
00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,260
in our solar system
is continually raining down
255
00:14:41,380 --> 00:14:43,340
on the surface
of the planet Earth,
256
00:14:43,470 --> 00:14:46,550
and it could well be
bringing with it dead
257
00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,810
and possibly even living
microorganisms
258
00:14:49,930 --> 00:14:53,310
as it enters the Earth's
atmosphere and then lands
259
00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,690
in oceans or lakes
or streams of the planet.
260
00:14:56,820 --> 00:14:59,980
NARRATOR: Could this
explain many of the plagues
261
00:15:00,110 --> 00:15:02,950
that sickened and killed
millions throughout history?
262
00:15:03,070 --> 00:15:08,330
In 2007, an international team
of researchers set up
263
00:15:08,450 --> 00:15:12,160
a research facility in the
Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain
264
00:15:12,290 --> 00:15:15,960
to collect data on microbes
falling to Earth from the sky.
265
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,300
What they discovered
remains controversial.
266
00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:23,260
The total amount of viruses
267
00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:26,470
that were falling down
on the Earth
268
00:15:26,590 --> 00:15:31,720
was something like
800 million individual viruses
269
00:15:31,850 --> 00:15:35,190
per square meter of the Earth.
270
00:15:35,310 --> 00:15:37,150
The conclusion they came to,
of course, was that
271
00:15:37,270 --> 00:15:40,280
this was essentially viruses
that were lofted
272
00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,490
from the surface of the Earth,
273
00:15:42,610 --> 00:15:46,030
taken up to the clouds
and brought back.
274
00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,370
Now, I think some would have
been recirculated in this way,
275
00:15:50,490 --> 00:15:52,410
but not all,
276
00:15:52,540 --> 00:15:55,540
and I feel that this is
277
00:15:55,670 --> 00:16:00,710
one of the most striking
examples of science
278
00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:05,680
being essentially dishonest
in its conclusions.
279
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:10,890
These 800 million viruses
per square meter
280
00:16:11,010 --> 00:16:15,020
falling on the Earth
must include viruses
281
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:17,190
that are coming from outside.
282
00:16:19,770 --> 00:16:21,690
NARRATOR:
Although some scientists believe
283
00:16:21,820 --> 00:16:24,110
that life on Earth
actually originated
284
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,110
with microbes
that rained down from comets,
285
00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,080
a theory known as panspermia,
286
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,370
an even more
controversial theory
287
00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:35,830
called directed panspermia
288
00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:41,290
proposes that these comets
were sent here not by accident,
289
00:16:41,420 --> 00:16:44,010
but deliberately.
290
00:16:45,260 --> 00:16:48,470
If I'm an alien species,
291
00:16:48,590 --> 00:16:52,640
and I want to start a colony
on a different planet,
292
00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:54,600
think of what we're doing now.
293
00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,600
We want to send human beings
back to the Moon.
294
00:16:59,730 --> 00:17:02,770
We want to send
human beings to Mars.
295
00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:05,690
What if that's not
what they did?
296
00:17:05,820 --> 00:17:11,660
What if the ancient aliens
didn't send complete life-forms,
297
00:17:11,780 --> 00:17:17,290
but sent
submicroscopic life-forms?
298
00:17:17,410 --> 00:17:20,670
NARRATOR: Mainstream
scientists remain skeptical
299
00:17:20,790 --> 00:17:23,670
that microbes can survive
for thousands of years
300
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:28,880
inside icy comets, much less
that they might be sent to Earth
301
00:17:29,010 --> 00:17:31,590
deliberately
to alter human evolution.
302
00:17:33,350 --> 00:17:35,390
But others argue that the proof
303
00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,810
can be found
right here on Earth,
304
00:17:37,930 --> 00:17:40,850
in the closest environment
we have to comets:
305
00:17:40,980 --> 00:17:44,520
The icy depths of glaciers.
306
00:17:51,030 --> 00:17:55,120
TSOUKALOS:
April 17, 2019..
307
00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,040
Ancient astronaut theorist
Giorgio Tsoukalos
308
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,420
and retired NASA scientist
Dr. Richard Hoover
309
00:18:02,540 --> 00:18:05,710
are about to board a helicopter
bound for a massive ice cave
310
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,300
in the Canadian wilderness.
311
00:18:07,420 --> 00:18:08,880
All right, you ready for this?
312
00:18:09,010 --> 00:18:11,180
- Yes, absolutely.
- All right.
313
00:18:11,300 --> 00:18:14,970
NARRATOR: Dr. Hoover spent most
of his career studying fossils
314
00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:18,350
for signs of extraterrestrial
microscopic life,
315
00:18:18,470 --> 00:18:21,190
and is a leading proponent
of panspermia,
316
00:18:21,310 --> 00:18:24,480
the idea that life on Earth
originally rained down
317
00:18:24,610 --> 00:18:26,690
from comets in outer space.
318
00:18:30,110 --> 00:18:32,240
He has invited Giorgio
to accompany him
319
00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:34,530
while he investigates
the Whistler ice cave...
320
00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:36,330
I always love this.
321
00:18:36,450 --> 00:18:38,160
NARRATOR: Where he is
confident they will find
322
00:18:38,290 --> 00:18:40,160
the glacial ice
teeming with microbial
323
00:18:40,290 --> 00:18:44,670
and perhaps even more
sophisticated life-forms.
324
00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:48,000
Life-forms that may be
thousands of years old.
325
00:18:48,130 --> 00:18:50,010
HOOVER:
Oh, this is just...
326
00:18:50,130 --> 00:18:53,180
- absolutely magnificent.
- It really is.
327
00:18:53,300 --> 00:18:55,470
NARRATOR: If alien viruses
are reaching Earth,
328
00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,970
Dr. Hoover suggests that those
that don't find a host
329
00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:01,480
could survive
within such an environment
330
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,270
for long periods of time.
331
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:05,980
Today, he'll examine the glacier
332
00:19:06,110 --> 00:19:09,900
for the perfect samples
to analyze in his laboratory.
333
00:19:10,030 --> 00:19:12,320
So, Richard,
how excited are you to be here
334
00:19:12,450 --> 00:19:14,410
to conduct this experiment?
335
00:19:14,530 --> 00:19:16,660
(chuckles):
Well, I'm tremendously excited.
336
00:19:16,780 --> 00:19:20,160
- This-this is absolutely a-a marvelous opportunity...
- Yeah.
337
00:19:20,290 --> 00:19:23,080
To do more studies
of life in ice.
338
00:19:23,210 --> 00:19:26,960
NARRATOR: After a 20-minute
helicopter ride, the team arrives
339
00:19:27,090 --> 00:19:30,130
at the Whistler ice cave
in the Pemberton glacier.
340
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,590
TSOUKALOS:
Wow.
341
00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,390
- This is incredible.
- HOOVER: Yeah, amazing.
342
00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:40,310
HOOVER:
Look at that.
343
00:19:40,430 --> 00:19:43,770
There must be a thousand shades
of blue in this ice cave.
344
00:19:43,890 --> 00:19:45,940
Just absolutely fantastic.
345
00:19:48,230 --> 00:19:51,690
And here we see all of these
magnificent shades of blue,
346
00:19:51,820 --> 00:19:55,150
and up there you see
big streaks of black.
347
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,780
Glaciers like to eat rocks,
and as they eat rocks,
348
00:19:58,910 --> 00:20:02,370
the rocks gather inside,
and when the sun shines
349
00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:04,290
through the ice
and hits the rocks,
350
00:20:04,410 --> 00:20:08,080
it can cause it to melt and form
nice little pools of water,
351
00:20:08,210 --> 00:20:11,710
and then when bacteria
and algae grow in there
352
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,590
and respire and produce their...
their photosynthetic products,
353
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,010
they make their own atmosphere.
354
00:20:17,140 --> 00:20:18,590
So, around every tiny rock
355
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,930
in this glacier,
there is a tiny planetary system
356
00:20:22,060 --> 00:20:25,060
with its own biology,
its own atmosphere,
357
00:20:25,180 --> 00:20:29,150
its own soil, in effect.
And its own oceans.
358
00:20:29,270 --> 00:20:32,190
NARRATOR: The ice here is tens
of thousands of years old.
359
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,820
But Dr. Hoover believes
it is teeming with life.
360
00:20:35,950 --> 00:20:37,700
Wow. I mean,
this is, uh, spectacular.
361
00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:40,870
So, you just described,
basically, our environment
362
00:20:40,990 --> 00:20:43,370
- on a microscopic level.
- Exactly.
363
00:20:43,490 --> 00:20:47,250
HOOVER: There is an enormous
amount of biology above us
364
00:20:47,370 --> 00:20:50,460
and throughout
this wonderful glacier.
365
00:20:54,340 --> 00:20:57,300
What we're about to do
is take a core sample
366
00:20:57,430 --> 00:20:58,930
of this beautiful blue ice.
367
00:21:00,850 --> 00:21:02,470
TSOUKALOS: So,
what are you looking for specifically
368
00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,470
- right now?
- What I want to do first is
369
00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,940
chop away an outer layer
and get into the inner ice.
370
00:21:08,060 --> 00:21:11,940
We'll be looking inside of the
ice for the ice microorganisms.
371
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,240
Now we know there
can't possibly be
372
00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:18,780
any contamination,
373
00:21:18,910 --> 00:21:22,070
because this ice has been
in the glacier
374
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,240
and now is only freshly exposed.
375
00:21:25,370 --> 00:21:27,660
And now we take the core.
376
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:33,540
Now we're into the ice.
377
00:21:33,670 --> 00:21:37,510
I'll pull the ice core out.
378
00:21:46,270 --> 00:21:47,430
- It's okay?
- Mm-hmm.
379
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:48,810
And that's enough, right?
380
00:21:48,940 --> 00:21:49,980
- That's enough. Yeah.
- Okay, great.
381
00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:51,270
For that first sample.
382
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,650
- Yeah, cap that.
- Okay.
383
00:21:53,770 --> 00:21:55,940
All the microorganisms
that grow in ice
384
00:21:56,070 --> 00:21:58,490
typically grow
very, very slowly.
385
00:21:58,610 --> 00:22:01,030
So... In fact, there are
some microorganisms
386
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,120
that only reproduce once
every half a century,
387
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:04,660
- or once a century.
- Mm-hmm.
388
00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:06,910
So the microbes that are
found in here,
389
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,210
are they in suspended animation,
or are they moving around?
390
00:22:10,330 --> 00:22:11,370
Probably both.
391
00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,500
So, essentially,
what you're saying
392
00:22:13,630 --> 00:22:15,840
is that this entire cave
393
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,550
- is filled with life.
- Yes.
394
00:22:18,670 --> 00:22:20,170
But not just that.
395
00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:23,470
This entire ice cap
is filled with life.
396
00:22:23,590 --> 00:22:27,560
There is this enormous amount
of microorganisms
397
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,600
that live and thrive
and love to live
398
00:22:30,730 --> 00:22:32,730
in these low temperatures
of the...
399
00:22:32,850 --> 00:22:35,230
of the ice cave
that we have here,
400
00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,440
and ice caves
and icy, uh, glaciers
401
00:22:37,570 --> 00:22:39,070
all over the planet Earth.
402
00:22:39,190 --> 00:22:42,320
And probably all over
icy regions
403
00:22:42,450 --> 00:22:44,780
within our entire solar system,
and maybe...
404
00:22:44,910 --> 00:22:47,830
maybe widely distributed
throughout the entire universe.
405
00:22:47,950 --> 00:22:53,080
Are we essentially inside
the interior of a... of a comet?
406
00:22:53,210 --> 00:22:54,630
- Is this what it looks like?
- Well...
407
00:22:54,750 --> 00:22:58,300
Yes. Microorganisms
can live in ice,
408
00:22:58,420 --> 00:23:02,130
and ice is the dominant
component of comets.
409
00:23:02,260 --> 00:23:05,220
Organisms can remain alive
and protected by
410
00:23:05,340 --> 00:23:07,640
the icy material of the comet
411
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,680
until it arrives into
another solar system
412
00:23:10,810 --> 00:23:14,440
and blows off chunks of material
that can find a planet
413
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,230
that it can consider
a wonderful home.
414
00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:20,780
And so, this basically ties in
to the whole idea of panspermia.
415
00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:23,990
Water is a wonderful
radiation shield.
416
00:23:24,110 --> 00:23:26,870
And when you have
a comet that is
417
00:23:26,990 --> 00:23:29,450
a few miles in diameter,
418
00:23:29,580 --> 00:23:32,200
on the inside
of that cometary crust,
419
00:23:32,330 --> 00:23:34,870
there is all of this
magnificent ice that has been
420
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,540
frozen, and then reworked
with material going in and out.
421
00:23:38,670 --> 00:23:40,420
So comets are not just
422
00:23:40,550 --> 00:23:43,170
a magnificent place
for panspermia.
423
00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:45,840
I am convinced that comets are
an absolutely wonderful place
424
00:23:45,970 --> 00:23:47,390
for the origin of life.
425
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,810
NARRATOR: Incredibly, Giorgio
and Dr. Hoover discover
426
00:23:53,940 --> 00:23:57,480
that the glacier isn't home
to just microscopic life.
427
00:23:57,610 --> 00:24:00,270
This is magnificent.
Look, these ice worms.
428
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,230
This one has just
crawled out of the glacier.
429
00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:04,740
- Oh, wow.
- He's deep in the ice. Look at this.
430
00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:08,700
Over here, two more ice worms.
431
00:24:08,820 --> 00:24:10,830
They're all in here.
432
00:24:10,950 --> 00:24:11,990
TSOUKALOS: He's clearly
looking for something.
433
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:14,120
HOOVER:
Yeah, he's hunting.
434
00:24:14,250 --> 00:24:17,120
We discovered life in the most
inhospitable of environments.
435
00:24:17,250 --> 00:24:20,170
NARRATOR:
Amazingly, Dr. Hoover has found
436
00:24:20,290 --> 00:24:22,840
some of the rarest animals
on Earth.
437
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,300
Ice worms only exist
in a handful of locations
438
00:24:26,430 --> 00:24:28,050
in North America.
439
00:24:28,180 --> 00:24:30,430
But how can animals
live and thrive
440
00:24:30,550 --> 00:24:32,560
in frozen blocks of ice?
441
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,270
So, how have these
ice worms come about?
442
00:24:35,390 --> 00:24:38,900
HOOVER: This is an incredible
evolutionary phenomenon.
443
00:24:39,020 --> 00:24:41,690
They have apparently evolved
to be able to
444
00:24:41,820 --> 00:24:44,650
live and grow and feed
and reproduce
445
00:24:44,780 --> 00:24:47,030
inside of glacial ice and snow.
446
00:24:47,150 --> 00:24:51,410
They are feeding on algae,
cyanobacteria
447
00:24:51,530 --> 00:24:54,200
and other bacteria
that live in the ice,
448
00:24:54,330 --> 00:24:56,540
and they can make burrows
through the ice,
449
00:24:56,660 --> 00:24:59,500
just like an earthworm
makes burrows through the soil.
450
00:24:59,630 --> 00:25:02,550
And we may see
similar kinds of organisms
451
00:25:02,670 --> 00:25:06,510
on the polar cap of Mars,
or perhaps even in
452
00:25:06,630 --> 00:25:09,300
craters on the moon,
or perhaps the icy moons
453
00:25:09,430 --> 00:25:12,640
of our solar system,
like Europa and Enceladus.
454
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,100
You know, it's kind of
incredible, because we came here
455
00:25:15,220 --> 00:25:17,690
in the hopes of finding
microbial life,
456
00:25:17,810 --> 00:25:19,810
and here we are
looking at ice worms,
457
00:25:19,940 --> 00:25:21,270
which are actual animals.
458
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,610
So this is more
than what we'd hoped for.
459
00:25:23,730 --> 00:25:25,030
It-it's incredible.
460
00:25:25,150 --> 00:25:27,490
NARRATOR:
As Giorgio and Dr. Hoover
461
00:25:27,610 --> 00:25:30,450
take their samples to a lab
to be analyzed,
462
00:25:30,570 --> 00:25:33,660
what kind of life-forms
might they find
463
00:25:33,780 --> 00:25:36,080
within the Pemberton glacier?
464
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,830
Could it support the theory
that life on comets
465
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,710
is more common than
we ever thought possible?
466
00:25:41,830 --> 00:25:45,340
And if so, is it just
the random byproduct
467
00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:49,300
of a universe that is teeming
with various forms of life?
468
00:25:49,430 --> 00:25:53,470
Or is it part of
a more strategic plan?
469
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:58,850
A plan deliberately designed
to alter human evolution?
470
00:26:05,070 --> 00:26:08,360
NARRATOR: Ancient astronaut theorist Giorgio Tsoukalos
- TSOUKALOS: See anything? -HOOVER: Oh, yes, yes.
471
00:26:08,490 --> 00:26:11,910
And retired NASA scientist
Dr. Richard Hoover
472
00:26:12,030 --> 00:26:13,950
have just collected
deep ice core samples
473
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,990
from the Pemberton glacier
in Whistler, Canada.
474
00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,040
First sample that we got.
475
00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,540
NARRATOR: Now back in the
lab, they are hoping
476
00:26:22,670 --> 00:26:25,590
to observe microorganisms
that remain dormant
477
00:26:25,710 --> 00:26:26,920
within the glacial ice
478
00:26:27,050 --> 00:26:28,960
and are just now
returning to life
479
00:26:29,090 --> 00:26:32,130
for the first time
in thousands of years.
480
00:26:32,260 --> 00:26:33,840
- See anything?
- Oh, yes. Oh, yes, yes.
481
00:26:33,970 --> 00:26:36,220
We've got bacteria.
482
00:26:36,350 --> 00:26:38,310
This is fantastic.
I mean,
483
00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:40,520
look at this one
spinning right here.
484
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,440
This one just moved
straight across the screen.
485
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,730
And this one is tumbling.
486
00:26:44,860 --> 00:26:46,610
And notice there's a cell
that has just undergone
487
00:26:46,730 --> 00:26:48,780
cell division.
Here's another one that's
488
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:50,490
- just undergone cell division.
- Okay.
489
00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,530
The quest for
extraterrestrial life, to me,
490
00:26:55,660 --> 00:26:59,250
has been a lifelong one,
as it has been with you.
491
00:26:59,370 --> 00:27:01,960
So I've traveled around
the world, climbing pyramids.
492
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,080
I've looked at statues, I've
been to hundreds of museums.
493
00:27:05,210 --> 00:27:07,290
I've read countless
ancient texts.
494
00:27:07,420 --> 00:27:10,300
And here, we are looking
at something
495
00:27:10,420 --> 00:27:14,800
that shows extraterrestrial life
that may have come here
496
00:27:14,930 --> 00:27:16,550
millions of years ago.
497
00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:20,640
The fascinating thing is
that a far more
498
00:27:20,770 --> 00:27:23,230
extraordinary hypothesis
than the existence
499
00:27:23,350 --> 00:27:25,060
of extraterrestrial life
500
00:27:25,190 --> 00:27:28,360
is the hypothesis that
life exists on the planet Earth
501
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,320
and nowhere else
in the universe.
502
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,900
If that were to turn out to be
what really is the case,
503
00:27:34,030 --> 00:27:36,990
then we would be
completely unique,
504
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:39,290
and we would be different
from everywhere else
505
00:27:39,410 --> 00:27:40,870
in the universe.
506
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,910
And that would be
an amazing discovery.
507
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:45,500
Much more amazing
508
00:27:45,620 --> 00:27:48,750
than finding out that bacteria
or ice worms
509
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,760
are crawling around on
the surface of Europa today.
510
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:53,880
This is incredibly fascinating,
you know.
511
00:27:54,010 --> 00:27:57,970
And it's also refreshing
to hear an actual NASA scientist
512
00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:00,310
telling me these things.
513
00:28:00,430 --> 00:28:03,980
NARRATOR: If,
as Dr. Hoover's research indicates,
514
00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:08,020
icy comets are ideal incubators
for extraterrestrial life,
515
00:28:08,150 --> 00:28:10,980
and if microorganisms are
incredibly common
516
00:28:11,110 --> 00:28:15,200
in the universe, is the Earth
being regularly bombarded
517
00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,820
by tiny alien life-forms?
518
00:28:17,950 --> 00:28:21,790
Life-forms that could
not only grow and mutate,
519
00:28:21,910 --> 00:28:25,920
but could also pose
a deadly threat to mankind?
520
00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:34,470
Sussex, England, 1992.
521
00:28:34,590 --> 00:28:37,300
Cattle are slaughtered
by the thousands
522
00:28:37,430 --> 00:28:39,970
as government officials
try to prevent the spread
523
00:28:40,100 --> 00:28:42,890
of the most frightening
new disease on Earth
524
00:28:43,020 --> 00:28:45,230
called "mad cow disease."
525
00:28:45,350 --> 00:28:47,770
It is an entirely new kind
of illness
526
00:28:47,900 --> 00:28:51,150
caused by bizarre proteins
called prions.
527
00:28:51,270 --> 00:28:53,480
FISHER: So, mad cow really
sort of challenged our,
528
00:28:53,610 --> 00:28:56,650
uh, traditional concepts
of disease causation
529
00:28:56,780 --> 00:29:00,160
in the sense that it wasn't
a bacterium, wasn't a virus.
530
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,240
It's actually sort of like
rogue proteins
531
00:29:02,370 --> 00:29:04,080
that don't fold correctly
532
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,710
and sort of pass on that
information to other proteins,
533
00:29:07,830 --> 00:29:09,880
and that sort of makes them
dysfunctional as well.
534
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,880
NARRATOR: Some of the microbes
found in cometary debris
535
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,760
contain chemical structures
very similar to prions.
536
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,010
HOOVER: They could have
been introduced from space
537
00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:22,260
because of the fact that
mad cow disease
538
00:29:22,390 --> 00:29:24,640
seemed to have appeared
rather abruptly
539
00:29:24,770 --> 00:29:28,020
and been transferred
rather widely.
540
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:30,940
NARRATOR: According to
ancient astronaut theorists,
541
00:29:31,060 --> 00:29:33,070
the sudden appearance
of mad cow disease
542
00:29:33,190 --> 00:29:36,190
raises an intriguing question.
543
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,240
Could many of history's
worst epidemics
544
00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:39,990
have come from space?
545
00:29:40,110 --> 00:29:44,700
And if so, did they come here
purely by chance,
546
00:29:44,830 --> 00:29:47,750
or were they sent here
on purpose?
547
00:29:47,870 --> 00:29:51,130
BIRNES: What if the terrible
plagues that ravaged the Earth
548
00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:54,710
were the result of alien viruses
549
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,300
that are constantly
bombarding the planet?
550
00:29:57,420 --> 00:30:01,760
NARRATOR:
August 26, 1976.
551
00:30:01,890 --> 00:30:05,100
The small village of Yambuku
in Zaire
552
00:30:05,220 --> 00:30:08,430
is struck by a deadly disease
that causes victims
553
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,480
to ooze blood
from every orifice.
554
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,860
The name of the disease: Ebola.
555
00:30:14,980 --> 00:30:18,190
Ebola is a viral
hemorrhagic fever
556
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,200
of humans and other primates,
557
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,570
so it causes, like,
massive internal bleeding
558
00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:25,830
and often death in, like,
over 50% of cases.
559
00:30:28,540 --> 00:30:31,920
NARRATOR: Initially thought
to be a new disease,
560
00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,210
alert historians recognized
the symptoms of Ebola
561
00:30:35,340 --> 00:30:38,380
as being identical to those
of an epidemic
562
00:30:38,510 --> 00:30:42,300
that ravaged the Roman Empire
nearly 2,000 years ago.
563
00:30:42,430 --> 00:30:46,350
In 250 AD, the Plague of Cyprian
564
00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:49,600
struck the city of Carthage
in North Africa.
565
00:30:49,730 --> 00:30:53,900
Incredibly contagious,
it caused infected victims
566
00:30:54,020 --> 00:30:56,150
to ooze blood
from every orifice,
567
00:30:56,270 --> 00:30:58,730
just like Ebola virus,
568
00:30:58,860 --> 00:31:01,740
and killed off
half the population.
569
00:31:03,660 --> 00:31:07,280
But just as quickly
as it appeared,
570
00:31:07,410 --> 00:31:11,910
the plague seemed to disappear
completely from the planet.
571
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:16,750
If Ebola is present on Earth
in the third century,
572
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:21,380
then disappears all the way
through to the 1970s,
573
00:31:21,510 --> 00:31:24,260
if it isn't somewhere
hiding on Earth,
574
00:31:24,390 --> 00:31:27,350
is it possible that it was
out in space itself?
575
00:31:27,470 --> 00:31:29,640
Perhaps on a comet?
576
00:31:29,770 --> 00:31:33,270
And that this is the reason
why it returned
577
00:31:33,390 --> 00:31:38,940
on a comet itself to rain down
more misery on humanity?
578
00:31:39,070 --> 00:31:42,240
NARRATOR: Was the virus
that we know as Ebola
579
00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,320
really dormant
for nearly 20 centuries?
580
00:31:45,450 --> 00:31:51,370
Or was it deliberately sent
to Earth not once but twice?
581
00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:54,710
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
582
00:31:54,830 --> 00:31:57,500
the answer is obvious.
583
00:31:57,630 --> 00:32:00,340
And as proof, they point
to accounts concerning
584
00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:03,380
another of history's
worst plagues:
585
00:32:03,510 --> 00:32:05,630
The Black Death.
586
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:07,930
TSOUKALOS: What's interesting
about these accounts
587
00:32:08,050 --> 00:32:11,310
is that they seem to
have originated
588
00:32:11,430 --> 00:32:14,640
after something strange
was seen up in the sky.
589
00:32:14,770 --> 00:32:18,900
For example,
they saw this black shield
590
00:32:19,020 --> 00:32:22,400
travel across,
and then it is also described
591
00:32:22,530 --> 00:32:24,900
that this black dust
592
00:32:25,030 --> 00:32:28,820
came off that particular object.
593
00:32:28,950 --> 00:32:31,290
IMBROGNO:
Also, in the wheat fields,
594
00:32:31,410 --> 00:32:33,450
they reported these
strange figures
595
00:32:33,580 --> 00:32:36,540
holding some type of device,
like a sickle.
596
00:32:36,670 --> 00:32:38,670
Some people feel today
these reports were
597
00:32:38,790 --> 00:32:42,880
some types of extraterrestrials
causing the disease.
598
00:32:44,090 --> 00:32:45,130
NARRATOR:
Ironically,
599
00:32:45,260 --> 00:32:47,260
with half the population gone,
600
00:32:47,380 --> 00:32:49,050
those who survived the plague
601
00:32:49,180 --> 00:32:51,390
enjoyed twice the wealth
and natural resources
602
00:32:51,510 --> 00:32:53,600
of the previous generation.
603
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,480
They also had much stronger
immune systems.
604
00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,520
So, could this have been part
605
00:32:58,650 --> 00:33:01,860
of some deliberate
extraterrestrial plan?
606
00:33:01,980 --> 00:33:04,110
Ancient astronaut
theorists believe
607
00:33:04,230 --> 00:33:07,530
that such an audacious notion
is possible.
608
00:33:07,650 --> 00:33:09,910
If you're an alien culture
609
00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:14,330
and you're seeing Earth
overpopulating
610
00:33:14,450 --> 00:33:19,000
to the point where the planet
can't sustain the population,
611
00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,540
- what do we do with animals in the wild?
- (gunshot)
612
00:33:21,670 --> 00:33:23,420
We cull them.
613
00:33:23,550 --> 00:33:29,050
What if these plagues
were alien cultures culling us?
614
00:33:29,180 --> 00:33:32,010
BARA: Well, these could
actually be designer viruses,
615
00:33:32,140 --> 00:33:34,310
designer bacteria
that are sent here
616
00:33:34,430 --> 00:33:36,930
to kill people with specific
genetic weaknesses
617
00:33:37,060 --> 00:33:40,060
and make the rest of the
gene pool that much stronger.
618
00:33:40,190 --> 00:33:44,400
NARRATOR: But if extraterrestrials
are trying to cull our population
619
00:33:44,530 --> 00:33:46,570
or strengthen our genetic makeup
620
00:33:46,690 --> 00:33:50,200
through the introduction
of microbes, why?
621
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,490
Some ancient astronaut
theorists suspect
622
00:33:53,620 --> 00:33:57,660
that the ultimate objective
is to make us more like them.
623
00:34:05,460 --> 00:34:09,300
July 2013.
624
00:34:11,090 --> 00:34:12,840
Scientists announce
the discovery
625
00:34:12,970 --> 00:34:14,760
of an entirely new class
626
00:34:14,890 --> 00:34:18,350
of extremely large microbes
called Pandoraviruses.
627
00:34:20,310 --> 00:34:23,520
Up to 94%
of the Pandoravirus genome
628
00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:27,110
has nothing in common with
any other life-form on Earth.
629
00:34:27,230 --> 00:34:30,900
FISHER: These very large
viruses, the Pandoraviruses,
630
00:34:31,030 --> 00:34:34,410
they have a very high frequency
of genes that basically don't
631
00:34:34,530 --> 00:34:36,120
correspond to any other genes
632
00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:38,040
in-in other organisms
that we know of.
633
00:34:39,750 --> 00:34:41,790
NARRATOR:
While seemingly alien,
634
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:44,380
Pandoraviruses do share
one thing in common
635
00:34:44,500 --> 00:34:49,170
with all life on Earth: DNA.
636
00:34:49,300 --> 00:34:51,470
Those who endorse panspermia say
that this supports
637
00:34:51,590 --> 00:34:54,010
a key part of their hypothesis.
638
00:34:54,140 --> 00:34:59,350
Namely, that all life in
the universe is based on DNA,
639
00:34:59,470 --> 00:35:01,270
and therefore,
that life on Earth
640
00:35:01,390 --> 00:35:04,940
is closely related
to life everywhere.
641
00:35:05,060 --> 00:35:10,490
If DNA is present
throughout space
642
00:35:10,610 --> 00:35:13,570
and we are a product of that DNA
643
00:35:13,700 --> 00:35:18,240
and the other species elsewhere
in the galaxy
644
00:35:18,370 --> 00:35:22,500
are also the result
of the same DNA,
645
00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:25,630
then very clearly
there's some kind of
646
00:35:25,750 --> 00:35:29,670
symbiotic relationship
between all of us.
647
00:35:31,260 --> 00:35:32,840
NARRATOR:
If all life in the universe
648
00:35:32,970 --> 00:35:34,840
is based on DNA,
649
00:35:34,970 --> 00:35:38,010
then aliens would be
closely related to humans.
650
00:35:40,390 --> 00:35:42,930
Is this why so many
abductees report
651
00:35:43,060 --> 00:35:45,310
that their alien abductors
are so interested
652
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,440
in human genetic material?
653
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,740
Many abductees have talked about
654
00:35:51,860 --> 00:35:54,820
how they were taken
on board UFOs
655
00:35:54,950 --> 00:35:58,870
and subjected
to medical experimentation.
656
00:35:58,990 --> 00:36:04,540
Witnesses talk about blood,
sperm, eggs
657
00:36:04,670 --> 00:36:06,580
being removed from their bodies.
658
00:36:08,340 --> 00:36:10,920
IMBROGNO: It's very possible
that an alien intelligence
659
00:36:11,050 --> 00:36:13,010
is tinkering with our DNA
660
00:36:13,130 --> 00:36:16,430
to try to make us
more compatible to them.
661
00:36:16,550 --> 00:36:20,560
And that perhaps one day,
the two species will unite.
662
00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,480
And they will no longer
be our gods,
663
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,440
but we will be their equals.
664
00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,940
BARA: If aliens are
using these microbes
665
00:36:29,060 --> 00:36:31,650
to make us more like them,
then obviously we're gonna start
666
00:36:31,780 --> 00:36:35,650
to show signs of that sort of
genetic physical evolution.
667
00:36:35,780 --> 00:36:38,410
In other words, our testosterone
levels should go down,
668
00:36:38,530 --> 00:36:41,790
we're going to become
more frail,
669
00:36:41,910 --> 00:36:45,000
we're probably going
to become more androgynous.
670
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,380
Our intelligence
is gonna be spiked.
671
00:36:48,500 --> 00:36:52,420
NARRATOR: Some point out that these
changes are happening already.
672
00:36:52,550 --> 00:36:54,550
BIRNES: There are
trends in the evolution
673
00:36:54,670 --> 00:36:56,130
of human beings right now.
674
00:36:56,260 --> 00:36:57,970
Sperm counts are going down.
675
00:36:58,090 --> 00:37:01,390
Sperm counts are
going down, by the way,
676
00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:04,560
as the world's population
is crashing
677
00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,230
through eight billion
to ten billion.
678
00:37:09,230 --> 00:37:11,400
BARA: Maybe we'll become
more like the aliens,
679
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,690
and perhaps that means that
we're actually more compatible
680
00:37:13,820 --> 00:37:15,280
with them genetically,
681
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,280
if that path is the one
that's laid out.
682
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,610
So, you could actually look
at the development
683
00:37:19,740 --> 00:37:21,700
of higher intelligence
as, again,
684
00:37:21,830 --> 00:37:23,290
kind of a genetic Trojan horse
685
00:37:23,410 --> 00:37:25,250
that eventually leads us
to a point
686
00:37:25,370 --> 00:37:28,580
where it's far easier for us
to be crossed genetically
687
00:37:28,710 --> 00:37:30,790
with alien species.
688
00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,630
NARRATOR: Could human
beings be the subjects
689
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,970
of an ingenious
bioengineering project
690
00:37:38,090 --> 00:37:40,970
conducted by extraterrestrials?
691
00:37:41,090 --> 00:37:43,310
Ancient astronaut
theorists believe
692
00:37:43,430 --> 00:37:45,970
that not only is the answer yes,
693
00:37:46,100 --> 00:37:49,600
but that this process,
while at times painful,
694
00:37:49,730 --> 00:37:52,770
will ultimately
benefit humanity.
695
00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:55,730
But they also warn
that the extraterrestrials
696
00:37:55,860 --> 00:37:58,280
may have another agenda,
697
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,570
one that doesn't benefit us,
but them.
698
00:38:13,380 --> 00:38:15,670
NARRATOR: The scientific
journal Current Biology
699
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,800
reports that biologists
at the University of Rochester
700
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,760
have solved the mystery
of the pea aphid,
701
00:38:21,890 --> 00:38:25,850
a tiny sap-sucking insect
that is normally wingless
702
00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:28,430
but periodically develops wings
703
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:31,190
when it needs to seek out
new plants to colonize.
704
00:38:31,310 --> 00:38:33,770
What they found
is that the genes
705
00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:37,940
that form the on/off switch
for wings belong to a virus,
706
00:38:38,070 --> 00:38:40,570
the genome of which
has become fully incorporated
707
00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:42,280
into that of its host.
708
00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:47,830
The researchers suggest
that while this is beneficial
709
00:38:47,950 --> 00:38:50,620
to the aphid,
it is actually the virus
710
00:38:50,750 --> 00:38:52,290
that induces wing development
711
00:38:52,420 --> 00:38:54,460
in order to spread
itself around.
712
00:38:56,550 --> 00:39:00,090
NARRATOR: Similarly,
it was also found in 2019
713
00:39:00,220 --> 00:39:03,720
that many wasps carry a virus
that increases their longevity,
714
00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:07,220
enabling the virus
to be spread further.
715
00:39:07,350 --> 00:39:09,930
FISHER: Viruses sort of
straddle our concepts
716
00:39:10,060 --> 00:39:12,140
of living or nonliving
717
00:39:12,270 --> 00:39:14,730
because they require a host
718
00:39:14,860 --> 00:39:17,440
in order to reproduce themselves
719
00:39:17,570 --> 00:39:20,820
and also to carry out
any life function.
720
00:39:20,940 --> 00:39:24,410
So they can't metabolize
or utilize their own energy.
721
00:39:24,530 --> 00:39:26,700
They have to rely
on a host cell to do that
722
00:39:26,830 --> 00:39:29,410
and to make copies
of themselves as well.
723
00:39:29,540 --> 00:39:32,370
NARRATOR:
On its own, a virus is inert.
724
00:39:32,500 --> 00:39:35,080
It only comes to life
and is able to reproduce
725
00:39:35,210 --> 00:39:38,130
once it comes in contact
with a host.
726
00:39:38,250 --> 00:39:41,670
Like the viruses themselves,
if extraterrestrials
727
00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,010
are altering humans,
is it perhaps
728
00:39:44,130 --> 00:39:47,430
to further their own species?
729
00:39:47,550 --> 00:39:49,260
Are they slowly transforming us
730
00:39:49,390 --> 00:39:51,810
into new incarnations
of themselves,
731
00:39:51,930 --> 00:39:55,600
not to advance humankind,
but their own kind?
732
00:39:55,730 --> 00:39:57,860
Perhaps.
733
00:39:57,980 --> 00:40:00,610
But some ancient astronaut
theorists suggest
734
00:40:00,730 --> 00:40:02,530
that, as is the case
with the aphid
735
00:40:02,650 --> 00:40:04,320
and also the wasp,
736
00:40:04,450 --> 00:40:08,280
this process might be
mutually beneficial.
737
00:40:08,410 --> 00:40:10,990
POPE:
One theory is that these
738
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:12,660
extraterrestrial visitors,
739
00:40:12,790 --> 00:40:15,370
they are a dying race,
740
00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:20,550
and that they are injecting
new genetic material
741
00:40:20,670 --> 00:40:23,340
which will help save them.
742
00:40:23,470 --> 00:40:28,300
Another related theory is...
Let's take human DNA,
743
00:40:28,430 --> 00:40:33,430
let's take alien DNA, and let's
create something even better.
744
00:40:36,190 --> 00:40:38,100
TSOUKALOS:
I think that humankind
745
00:40:38,230 --> 00:40:42,980
has been part of a...
eternal experiment,
746
00:40:43,110 --> 00:40:46,110
something that's begun
a long, long time ago,
747
00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:49,950
and I think that this is
an ongoing process.
748
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:53,870
Now, figuring out
what the change is,
749
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,120
is... your guess
is as good as mine.
750
00:40:56,250 --> 00:41:00,250
COLLINS:
If we find that viruses
751
00:41:00,380 --> 00:41:03,840
do come from space, then we know
752
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:08,550
that because there is
a relationship between viruses
753
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,300
and evolution,
that this is something
754
00:41:11,430 --> 00:41:14,180
that must be universal.
755
00:41:14,310 --> 00:41:17,440
It's something that connects us
756
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,770
with every other
possible life source
757
00:41:20,900 --> 00:41:23,440
everywhere out there
in the universe.
758
00:41:28,110 --> 00:41:31,410
NARRATOR: Is it possible that the
history of disease on our planet
759
00:41:31,530 --> 00:41:33,790
is not only a human story,
760
00:41:33,910 --> 00:41:36,120
but an extraterrestrial one?
761
00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:40,290
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
762
00:41:40,420 --> 00:41:43,290
the answer is a profound "yes."
763
00:41:43,420 --> 00:41:46,800
And if such a notion is true,
they insist that
764
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:48,880
these so-called
"alien infections"
765
00:41:49,010 --> 00:41:52,600
are not meant to destroy us,
but to serve as a kind
766
00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:56,140
of inoculation,
a preparation for the day
767
00:41:56,270 --> 00:42:01,190
when mankind comes face-to-face
with its alien relatives.