1
00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:03,240
Super strength...
2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,400
Just a normal guy
becomes incredibly powerful.
3
00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:08,160
Super speed...
4
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,000
He had very advanced capabilities.
5
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,720
And supernatural abilities...
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Suddenly, he's a god, with godlike powers.
7
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Throughout history,
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00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,920
humans have told tales
of beings with incredible powers.
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00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,800
But could these ancient stories
that continue to be retold today...
10
00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,880
...have extraterrestrial origins?
11
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,680
There's an intuitive knowing
that these stories are true,
12
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,080
that beings did come from other planets
to save humankind.
13
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,590
Millions of people
around the world believe...
14
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,360
...we have been visited in the past
by extraterrestrial beings.
15
00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:49,720
What if it were true?
16
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,400
Did ancient aliens really help
to shape our history?
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00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:01,520
And if so, could there be a connection
between aliens and today's superheroes?
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00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,320
X-ray vision.
19
00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,250
Incredible strength.
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The power of flight.
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These are just a few
of the super human abilities...
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00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,650
...of modern-day comic book heroes.
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00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,990
But stories of beings
with extraordinary powers...
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...have been told throughout history,
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dating way back to ancient times.
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00:01:57,420 --> 00:02:00,309
The most famous
are those involving the Greek gods...
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...known as the Olympians.
28
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These powerful beings
could create earthquakes...
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become invisible,
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and even harness lightning.
31
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,780
But there is an important difference
between the Olympians...
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00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,530
...and the fictional superheroes of today.
33
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,560
The ancient Greeks believed
that the Olympians were real.
34
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,390
A huge difference between
the ancient world and the modern world...
35
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,670
...is we have developed
this very strict sense...
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00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,240
...of real and not real.
37
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Which really didn't matter so much
back then.
38
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The ancients believed that
these heroes had been there,
39
00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:45,840
that they were real people.
40
00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,520
We're always looking at mythology
as a basis for our storytelling.
41
00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:53,960
A character like Wonder Woman...
42
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,400
...is immediately established
in Greek mythology.
43
00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:01,830
She's built on the story of the Amazons,
there's Hercules, there's Zeus,
44
00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,640
the Olympian gods play
every aspect of who she is.
45
00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,790
Could it be that today's superheroes
trace their origins...
46
00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,850
...back to the ancient gods?
47
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,080
And if the people who worshipped
these gods believed them to be real,
48
00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,760
is it possible they actually were?
49
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:21,840
Perhaps the answer can be found...
50
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,440
...by more closely examining the stories
of gods and heroes in the ancient world.
51
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,560
The Dikteon Cave
on the Greek Island of Crete...
52
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:35,640
...is believed by some scholars...
53
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,880
...to fit the location
and description given...
54
00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,800
...by the 8th century BC poet Hesiod...
55
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,280
...for the childhood home of Zeus,
the leader of the Olympians.
56
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,360
Archeologists have found remains
of religious offerings here...
57
00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,000
...that date back 4,000 years...
58
00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,240
...to the exact period when the stories
of the Olympians took place.
59
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,240
But could the ancient Greeks have left
these offerings to a powerful being...
60
00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,000
...they actually witnessed
with their own eyes?
61
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,270
We have these stories of these gods...
62
00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,680
...that had these supernatural,
magical powers.
63
00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:14,440
Let's be honest,
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00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,120
magical-supernatural powers
don't really exist.
65
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,000
So, what was it that was described?
66
00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,520
In my opinion, it was people
who had access to advanced technology.
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00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,800
There's an old saying, "one man's magic
is another man's engineering."
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00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,830
Magic is just some knowledge
we don't understand.
69
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,190
It is therefore super
or above our understanding.
70
00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:45,480
It is transcendent,
that's what super implies.
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00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,800
Ancient astronaut theorists
believe the notion...
72
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,000
...that our ancestors actually witnessed
advanced technology...
73
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:58,080
...is supported by the fact
that similar stories of god-like beings...
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00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,160
...can be found on every continent.
75
00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,390
Historian and author Joseph Campbell
found that even cultures...
76
00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,280
...that had never had contact
with the outside world...
77
00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,800
...developed similar hero stories.
78
00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,320
So, the fact that we have
all these similar hero stories...
79
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,800
...from all around the world,
from different types of ancient cultures,
80
00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:30,200
to me suggests that they were visited
by the same teachers.
81
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,200
The myths came from ancient oral culture.
82
00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:36,910
We don't know when,
83
00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,080
but you can see almost identical gods
showing up in ancient India,
84
00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,080
ancient Greece and ancient Norway.
85
00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,320
So it was a long time ago
before these people started to spread out.
86
00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:51,920
The power of flight,
87
00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:54,870
magical objects...
88
00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,400
...which allow the superhero
to always be victorious.
89
00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:03,120
Talismans that allow the superhero
to change from an ordinary human being...
90
00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,080
...to somebody who can access
those magical powers.
91
00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,030
Those are part of a number
of different stories of superheroes...
92
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,440
...that really span time and culture.
93
00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,760
But what ancient astronaut theorists
find most intriguing...
94
00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,320
...is how remarkably similar
the tales of ancient heroes are...
95
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,080
...to the superheroes stories of today.
96
00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,480
It's fascinating to me
when you look at the Superman stories...
97
00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,120
...and how Superman has come
from this other planet,
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00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,560
one that exploded.
99
00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,480
He comes here with super powers.
He can fly through the air.
100
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,790
And it's very much like
the ancient Sumerian stories...
101
00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:44,960
...and Hindu stories...
102
00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,280
...of these extraterrestrial gods
coming from other planets to Earth...
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00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,600
...in order to help us
and move our planet forward.
104
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,760
Even the iconic S on Superman's chest...
105
00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,200
...seems to have been adapted
from legends told thousands of years ago.
106
00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:12,200
Heroes and gods from ancient Greek,
Buddhist and Christian religions...
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00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,800
...are portrayed
with symbols near their heart.
108
00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:16,946
In Christian art,
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00:07:17,037 --> 00:07:20,640
you will see Jesus wearing a glowing robe
with a glowing heart.
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00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:27,150
So, we see this correspondence here
of this imagery of an archetypal figure...
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00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,160
...or a saviour figure.
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00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,240
Today, almost every superhero
has an icon on his chest.
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00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,390
Could this be inspired
by some piece of technology...
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00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,450
...our ancestors witnessed
on an alien being?
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00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,000
Like the Arc Reactor on Iron Man's chest
that powers his suit?
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00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,640
And might these similarities
mean the stories of Superman,
117
00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:55,970
Batman and Spider-Man...
118
00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,480
...are based on our ancestors' experiences
with extraterrestrials?
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00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,390
These are things that are common
and symbolic throughout these stories.
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00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,100
And they, to me, imply...
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00:08:06,191 --> 00:08:09,270
...that we're talking about
similar figures or figures...
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00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,030
...that are here for the same reason.
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And that is to advance us forward.
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00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:15,330
What we may be seeing is the reason...
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00:08:15,420 --> 00:08:17,390
...why Superman may resonate so much
with us...
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00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,189
...is not just because we've heard
the story before in other forms,
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00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,200
but because our ancient ancestors
actually experienced this story...
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00:08:24,448 --> 00:08:25,990
...in a very, very real way.
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In a very, very ancient time.
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Is it possible that the reason we continue
to be fascinated by superheroes today...
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00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,390
is that we're trying to
re-connect with similar beings...
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...that lived among us
thousands of years ago?
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It is possible some deep part of us,
perhaps in our DNA or genetic memory,
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is remembering that there was a time
in which the gods, the extraterrestrials,
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00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:56,880
did interact with us...
136
00:08:57,089 --> 00:08:59,970
...and that may be because, in the past,
137
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there were beings who were more advanced
than we here on Earth were...
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00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,560
...who were protecting us from others
who were very dangerous and harmful.
139
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,720
There's an intuitive knowing
that these stories are true,
140
00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,910
that these events actually happen,
141
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,720
that beings did come from other planets,
other worlds to save humankind.
142
00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:25,390
Could our modern stories of superheroes
really be inspired...
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00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,920
...by encounters that early humans had
with extraterrestrial beings?
144
00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:35,520
Perhaps further clues can be found
by examining mankind's earliest stories,
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00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,345
in which super beings waged war,
146
00:09:38,436 --> 00:09:42,210
not against humans,
but against super villains.
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00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:53,080
May 4, 2012, the "Avengers" opens
in theatres across America.
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00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,865
This blockbuster film chronicles
six superheroes who band together...
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00:09:58,956 --> 00:10:01,600
...to battle extraterrestrial forces
of evil.
150
00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:09,310
Powerful superheroes have been popular
in comic books and movies...
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00:10:09,401 --> 00:10:11,170
...for over half a century.
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And nearly all have one very dark
and forbidding feature in common.
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Super villains.
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The arch nemesis really defines the hero.
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You can see
how whatever is most interesting...
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00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,400
or powerful about the hero,
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00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,880
the best villains are the opposite.
158
00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,989
The arch villain
is psychologically very powerful...
159
00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,640
...because there's an echo
of that archetype...
160
00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,510
that's not just me
versus danger and chaos,
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00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:44,800
but sort of us versus them.
162
00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,550
Stories of superheroes
fighting super villains...
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00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:52,320
...with the fate of the world at stake...
164
00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:56,040
...are common across
many different cultures and time periods.
165
00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,360
In the modern Avengers Pantheon,
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00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,560
Thor does battle
with his evil adoptive brother, Loki...
167
00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,240
...to prevent Loki
from taking over the universe.
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00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,120
The story is inspired
by ancient Norse mythology,
169
00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,280
where Thor engages
in a similar battle with Loki...
170
00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,280
...and his children at Ragnarok.
171
00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,520
The Greeks had their own
epic battle of the gods,
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00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,400
which they believed
created the world as we know it.
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The Titanomachy was a conflict
between the Titans who ruled the world...
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00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,760
...and an upstart group of gods
called the Olympians.
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00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,706
Psychologists say these tales
of good facing off against evil...
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00:11:45,797 --> 00:11:47,370
...have always been popular...
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00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,670
...because they allow people
to project their hopes and fears...
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00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,680
...onto fictional characters
in make-believe worlds.
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00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,200
But could there be another reason...
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00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:02,160
...that these stories are told
again and again around the world?
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00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,430
Joseph Campbell concluded
that somehow these hero myths...
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00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,880
...had pervaded all cultures.
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00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:11,910
And you have to wonder...
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00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,090
...if this isn't because extraterrestrials
came here to our planet...
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00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,550
...and were heroes all over the world,
186
00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,160
and so, the same story
was repeated over and over again.
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00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,400
Is it possible
that some of our ancient hero myths...
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00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:28,110
...recount specific events...
189
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,720
...involving extraterrestrial visitors
in the distant past?
190
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,960
Ancient astronaut theorists say yes,
191
00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,910
and as evidence, cite a Sanskrit epic...
192
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:45,160
that describes an enormous war
between gods that came from the stars.
193
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,240
In old India, we have a clear description
in the "Mahabharata,"
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00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,120
which is the fifth book,
the so-called "Mausala Parva,"
195
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,080
a clear description of a war in heaven.
196
00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,310
I mean, it reads
like modern day science fiction,
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00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,000
this incredible battle between the gods.
198
00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,800
Gigantic cities were said
to have orbited the Earth.
199
00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,030
And when they came together
at the firmament,
200
00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:11,680
they were battling each other.
201
00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:17,000
The city, Dvaraka,
was right at the edge of the Arabian Sea.
202
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:21,560
Some of the explosion split the city
and then half of the city fell in the sea.
203
00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,960
And it is described
how two of these cities were destroyed,
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00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:29,640
cities on heaven.
205
00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:31,520
And for the people on Earth,
206
00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,720
it looked as if 10,000 of little stars
would fall down.
207
00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,990
They are describing
what are extraterrestrial gods...
208
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:47,080
...with super powers,
with airships, with weapons.
209
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,710
And it would seem
that these ancient epic stories...
210
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:56,080
...are the same as these superhero stories
that we're hearing today.
211
00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,470
Could it be that modern stories,
212
00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:04,360
in which superheroes battle arch-villains
for dominance over the Earth,
213
00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:09,400
are actually based on ancient wars
between extraterrestrial forces?
214
00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,360
Perhaps further clues can be found...
215
00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,640
...in the Babylonian
and Sumerian origin myths.
216
00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,740
According to modern interpretations
of the cuneiform writing,
217
00:14:21,831 --> 00:14:23,029
the "Enuma Elish,"
218
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,880
describes a celestial battle
some 5,000 years ago...
219
00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,110
...between two groups of gods...
220
00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:30,800
...that may have actually resulted...
221
00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,840
...in the destruction of a planet
in our solar system.
222
00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,270
Sumerian texts
make mysterious references...
223
00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,760
...to these other planets
called Marduk and Tiamat.
224
00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,070
And within our solar system,
225
00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,240
there was some destruction here
where one of them blew up.
226
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:56,360
And this would be the theoretical planet
that was between Mars and Jupiter.
227
00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:00,160
Astronomers have often said
that there should be a planet there...
228
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,680
...but instead, we have the asteroid belt.
229
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,430
Could the asteroid belt
that circles the sun...
230
00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,080
...between Mars and Jupiter...
231
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,360
...really be the remnants of a planet
that existed in the distant past?
232
00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:17,000
A planet that was destroyed
in an alien war?
233
00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,520
And if so,
are these ancient events echoed today...
234
00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,480
...in the plots
of modern superhero stories?
235
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,949
In many ways, these stories
which are so familiar to us...
236
00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,510
...in TV and movies and comic books...
237
00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,350
...are really coming to us...
238
00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,526
...from these ancient Sumerian
and Hindu texts...
239
00:15:37,617 --> 00:15:39,280
...that are thousands of years old.
240
00:15:41,860 --> 00:15:46,570
Good versus evil is a long-standing theme
that we see in many ancient cultures...
241
00:15:46,660 --> 00:15:49,480
...in which supernatural
or extraterrestrial beings...
242
00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,370
...are coming to our aide
and helping us...
243
00:15:52,460 --> 00:15:55,000
...against the greatest evil
the world has ever known.
244
00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,960
Modern stories
of superheroes fighting super villains,
245
00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,270
based on real extraterrestrial battles
that took place above the Earth...
246
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,210
...thousands of years ago.
247
00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:09,200
Could it be true?
248
00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:13,080
Ancient astronaut theorists believe
the answer may be found...
249
00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,000
...not with the stories
of the gods themselves,
250
00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:18,760
but with their technology.
251
00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,720
Lemnos in Greece, 3000 BC.
252
00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:33,400
This island in the Aegean Sea
is said to be the home of Hephaestus,
253
00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,520
the Greek god of technology.
254
00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,440
The son of Zeus and Hera,
king and queen of the gods,
255
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,600
Hephaestus grew up on Mount Olympus,
256
00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,960
but he was a small
and physically deformed child.
257
00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,960
Unhappy with her son's physical problems,
258
00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,920
one Greek legend says
Hera threw him off the mountain.
259
00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,360
He fell for nine days and nine nights
and landed in the ocean.
260
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,840
There, he was rescued by sea nymphs
who took him to the island of Lemnos.
261
00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,070
Hephaestus became the blacksmith
of the gods.
262
00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,040
And he set up his forge
on the island of Lemnos...
263
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,280
...and volcanoes were said to be entrances
to his forge.
264
00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,480
Working underneath an active volcano,
265
00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:26,240
Hephaestus is said to have forged
magical objects.
266
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,270
He eventually created the armour, weapons,
267
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:35,240
and other technology
used by the Greek gods and heroes.
268
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,360
Hephaestus is the god of the great forge
and he is the builder.
269
00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,030
He creates the armour that is
impenetrable for Achilles.
270
00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:48,600
He creates chariots.
271
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,520
Magical spears,
magical breastplates and so forth.
272
00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,440
Which gave the gods
all sorts of miraculous powers.
273
00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,340
He's even said to have made the chariot...
274
00:17:59,460 --> 00:18:05,000
...that the god Helios,
the god of the sun, rode across the skies.
275
00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,920
Some myths describe Hephaestus
creating even more fantastic devices...
276
00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,640
...including a bronze bull
that breathed fire,
277
00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,000
and is said to have had voices
coming out of its nostrils...
278
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,520
...and a powerful robot named Talus
that defended the island of Crete.
279
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,440
He made all these wondrous creations.
280
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,550
And when we look back
at those stories, we have to ask,
281
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,680
is it possible that Hephaestus
was an extraterrestrial being...
282
00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,800
...who brought some advanced
extraterrestrial technology to Earth?
283
00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,840
Our ancestors had no experience
with advanced technology.
284
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,139
So they would have described
alien visitors...
285
00:18:51,230 --> 00:18:53,280
...as having super human powers...
286
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,530
...because of their frame of reference.
287
00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,160
If they saw an extraterrestrial
with access to incredible powers,
288
00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,200
which are due to advanced science,
289
00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,440
they interpreted that as witnessing God.
290
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,000
And that was never the case.
291
00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:15,360
Magical weapons have been a key feature
of heroic myths for thousands of years,
292
00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:20,520
but they play an even larger role
in the stories of modern superheroes.
293
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,360
1939.
294
00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:29,720
With new "Superman" comic books
flying off store shelves,
295
00:19:30,420 --> 00:19:35,040
publishers rush to develop more heroes
to satisfy the public's demand.
296
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,200
The one that makes the biggest impression
is a hero of modern technology,
297
00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:42,680
Batman.
298
00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,560
Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger,
299
00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,280
the Caped Crusader leaps
onto the comic book page...
300
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,760
...and immediately,
into the pantheon of pop culture gods.
301
00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:58,360
The idea of Batman
is that he is a normal person.
302
00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:00,560
Nothing has given him super strength.
303
00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,640
But he's a normal person
who depends on his technology.
304
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,760
He has a utility belt
with all kinds of modern gadgets.
305
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,560
And he has a Batmobile,
and he has a Batcopter.
306
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,280
So he is a technological superhero
in that sense.
307
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:17,792
Batman, for us,
308
00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:20,190
is probably one of the most identifiable
characters we have...
309
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,600
...with all of our fans,
with all of our audience.
310
00:20:22,691 --> 00:20:23,729
Because he's a human.
311
00:20:23,820 --> 00:20:26,190
He doesn't do something
that pushes the imagination...
312
00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:30,240
...beyond something that we don't believe
people can actually do.
313
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:39,200
In 1963, the comics gave birth
to another iconic character...
314
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,120
...that is completely dependent on science
for his super powers,
315
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:45,770
Iron Man.
316
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,710
In the Iron Man's story,
there's this incredible suit...
317
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,166
...that can make him
virtually into a Superman...
318
00:20:51,257 --> 00:20:52,540
...even though he's a mortal.
319
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:58,190
This is a great melding
of the human-machine interface.
320
00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,800
This is how we use technology
to do extraordinary things.
321
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:10,510
Are Batman and Iron Man
modern representations...
322
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:15,480
...of what ancient astronaut theorists
believe the ancient gods really were?
323
00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,640
Mortal beings with advanced technology?
324
00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:23,990
We see a similarity
with modern day superheroes...
325
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,310
...in some of the ancient texts
of a god...
326
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,950
...who wears a special ring
or holds a certain staff...
327
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:33,320
and can magically become a creature
of flight or can fly a magic carpet.
328
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:39,080
Many of the superheroes that we have today
are just normal human beings.
329
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,710
But when they strap on their technology
like Batman in his super suit...
330
00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,080
...or Iron Man in his flying capabilities,
331
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,750
well, these are just normal mortals
that are using advanced technology...
332
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,280
...and become super human or god-like.
333
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,240
Could modern day superheroes
like Batman and Iron Man...
334
00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,480
...be the true realization
of what our ancestors were describing...
335
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,480
...when they wrote
about powerful gods and heroes?
336
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:10,080
Was Hercules' great strength
the result of a robotic exoskeleton?
337
00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,910
Could Hermes power of flight
have been inspired by something...
338
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,040
...like a modern jet pack or gliding suit?
339
00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:23,310
And could Zeus' lightning bolts
have used electrical coils...
340
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,480
...to generate
extraordinarily large voltages?
341
00:22:27,860 --> 00:22:31,066
The ancient people simply used
the vernacular of the time...
342
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:32,990
...to express what they were seeing.
343
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:34,440
And as far as they were concerned,
344
00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,040
this could only be the work
of a supreme being.
345
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,040
Super humans using advanced technology,
346
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:45,240
gods at war,
347
00:22:46,380 --> 00:22:49,640
and extraterrestrials
coming from the heavens.
348
00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:52,910
Could these ancient tales
really be evidence...
349
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,640
...of an otherworldly presence on Earth?
350
00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,560
Perhaps further clues can be found...
351
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:03,920
...in the stories of superheroes
hiding in plain sight.
352
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,680
July 3rd, 2007.
353
00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:15,470
After spending decades
as larger-than-life toys...
354
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,520
...and animated television characters,
355
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,760
"The Transformers" hit the big screen...
356
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,410
...with the American premier
of their first feature film.
357
00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,360
The extraterrestrial storyline
is a familiar one.
358
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,800
"The Transformers," in a way,
are mechanical versions of Superman.
359
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:37,640
They come from another planet.
360
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,080
They can adapt to being here.
361
00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,950
And then, as in a lot of Superman stories,
the enemy is from that planet.
362
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,750
There's some evil that follows them
that chases them down.
363
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,390
And so, they're having this ancient battle
from their homeland,
364
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,040
but they're having it here.
365
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:57,920
Unlike Batman or Iron Man,
366
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,320
The Transformers aren't humanoids
that use technology.
367
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,680
They actually are the technology.
368
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,640
But the most remarkable power
the Transformers use against their foes...
369
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,000
...is one of the most important
in all of heroic myth,
370
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:16,890
the ability to change from ordinary beings
into superheroes...
371
00:24:16,980 --> 00:24:18,480
...when evil threatens.
372
00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:24,280
It's the archetype of metamorphosis
or transformation,
373
00:24:26,180 --> 00:24:27,840
shape shifting, if you will.
374
00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,120
This comes down to us
from the ancient mythologies.
375
00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:36,190
Shape shifting allows gods
to interact with humans...
376
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,120
...in a way that they would not otherwise
be recognized.
377
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:40,680
In fact, often times,
378
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,710
the god or goddess cannot appear
to the mortal in their full splendour...
379
00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,440
...because such a thing
would actually kill the mortal.
380
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:54,550
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest...
381
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:58,720
...that stories of gods living anonymously
among us are common...
382
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,600
...because they describe a time
when extraterrestrials did just that.
383
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,680
As evidence,
they cite an ancient story they believe...
384
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,040
...bears an uncanny resemblance
to the Transformers' shape-shifting myth,
385
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,680
a story about the Mayan god Kukulkan,
386
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,480
who is portrayed
both as a flying serpent and a man.
387
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:26,640
We have descriptions of a winged serpent
that flew over our ancestors' heads.
388
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:27,924
But at the same time,
389
00:25:28,015 --> 00:25:30,310
we also know that Kukulkan
was also someone...
390
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:35,000
...that gave instructions to the people
in pretty much humanoid form.
391
00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,640
So, does that mean that Kukulkan
was in fact a shape shifter?
392
00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:45,840
Ancient astronaut theorists
propose another possibility.
393
00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:49,000
They contend that perhaps
the ancient people,
394
00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:51,640
being unfamiliar with advanced technology,
395
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,880
witnessed an alien being in a spacecraft.
396
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,800
Imagine for a moment a craft lands,
397
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:01,970
a hatch opens,
398
00:26:02,061 --> 00:26:05,440
and then the pilot walks out
and gives instruction.
399
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,920
There isn't really a differentiation
between the machine...
400
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:10,760
...and the person coming out of it,
401
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:16,920
because they didn't understand
the technological concept behind it.
402
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,280
The instructor then went back
into the craft and took off.
403
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:23,989
All of a sudden,
404
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:28,600
Kukulkan becomes this winged serpent
that flies across the sky.
405
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:33,230
Is it possible...
406
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,920
...that this scenario may have actually
played out in the distant past?
407
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,190
And if so, did it inspire
the shape-shifting myths...
408
00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,440
...that humans have told for millennia?
409
00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:49,800
We have the same stories,
the core of the stories,
410
00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,343
worldwide, in most of the mythologies.
411
00:26:52,434 --> 00:26:54,360
They are all linked together.
412
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:56,429
They had different names,
413
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,070
were different heroes,
different personalities,
414
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:03,000
but at the end,
it was all the same extraterrestrials...
415
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,240
...having contact with the humans
some thousands and thousands of years ago.
416
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:17,950
But could there be an even deeper meaning
behind the tales of otherworldly heroes,
417
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,800
like the Transformers and Kukulkan,
hiding among us?
418
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:24,680
Perhaps further clues can be found...
419
00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:27,550
...by examining the stories
of god-like beings...
420
00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,520
...disguising themselves
as ordinary humans.
421
00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,120
Superman hides his identity...
422
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,130
...by pretending to be mild-mannered
newspaper reporter Clark Kent.
423
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:42,080
Wonder Woman disguises herself
as a nurse named Diana Prince.
424
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,760
And Spider-Man's alter ego
is Peter Parker.
425
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,390
Virtually
every really popular superhero...
426
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:54,200
has a clear and recognizable
ordinary human identity.
427
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,550
It's an essential part
of the superhero archetype...
428
00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:00,350
...that they be able to look like us
and feel like us, and live like us,
429
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:05,200
but then be able to explode
into their super-powered self.
430
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,640
We have a deep inner longing
to have that story retold...
431
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:14,870
...perhaps through some sort
of genetic memory...
432
00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:16,560
...written right into our DNA.
433
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,400
We seem to be remembering
on some deep level...
434
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,120
...a part of us that can come in contact
with extraterrestrial capabilities...
435
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:27,760
...and actualize them...
436
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,360
...as we ourselves reach the next level
of human evolution.
437
00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,560
Or what may have been a level that we had
long ago...
438
00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:40,720
...and was deliberately turned off
in our DNA for some reason.
439
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:51,160
Is it really possible that we tell stories
of superheroes disguised as humans...
440
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,960
...because it is written
in our genetic memory...
441
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,560
...that we have special abilities
hidden within ourselves.
442
00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:02,440
And if so, what could be the source
of those abilities?
443
00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,240
We may not have originated on Earth.
444
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,510
We may have been seeded on Earth...
445
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,880
...by other humans
who are far older than we are...
446
00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,000
...and who are far more
genetically advanced than we are.
447
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,990
Perhaps some part of us remembers
that there is a way...
448
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,200
...in which we could be exposed
to certain technologies...
449
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,520
...that activate
this dormant DNA within us...
450
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:29,080
...that propel us to the next level
of what it means to be alive,
451
00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:30,920
...evolved human being.
452
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:39,550
Could it be that stories of superheroes
hiding among us are so popular...
453
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:43,490
...because extraterrestrials
have manipulated our DNA...
454
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,640
...hiding extraordinary powers
deep inside all of us?
455
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:54,160
Perhaps the answer can be found
by exploring the stories of heroes...
456
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,520
...whose powers are the result
of genetic mutation.
457
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:04,640
New York City.
458
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,160
1962.
459
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:13,680
Marvel comics editor Stan Lee
wants to create a new breed of superhero.
460
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,070
One of the masterminds...
461
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,760
...behind the "Fantastic Four"
and "The Avengers,"
462
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,400
Lee invents a character literally born
out of modern science...
463
00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:25,920
...Spider-Man.
464
00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,960
Radiation was very much in the news
at the time.
465
00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,720
And I figured, well, let's let him
get his power through radiation.
466
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,200
And I figured, the spider
would bite Peter Parker on the hand.
467
00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,640
Since the spider was radioactive,
I assumed that his little spider sting...
468
00:30:46,940 --> 00:30:51,000
...would insert some radioactivity
into Peter's bloodstream.
469
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,880
Now, having radioactivity in your blood,
470
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:58,120
especially
if it was spidery radioactivity,
471
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,720
that should give you
some of the qualities of a spider.
472
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:08,120
Spider-Man's just a normal teenager
until he's bitten by a radioactive spider.
473
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,160
Suddenly, he's a combination
of normal person...
474
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,520
...but also a god with god-like powers.
475
00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:21,640
I thought, he'll have
the proportionate strength of a spider.
476
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,830
In other words, if a spider
were as large as a human being,
477
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,040
that's how strong the spider would be,
478
00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:30,560
which made Peter Parker very strong.
479
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:36,160
I also figured he could stick to walls
like a spider or any insect.
480
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,760
Although exposure to radiation
scrambles Spider-Man's genetic material,
481
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,200
there's a precedent for it
in ancient mythology,
482
00:31:46,620 --> 00:31:51,240
genetic manipulation through the mixing
of mortal and immortal blood.
483
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:57,240
Anjaneri in India.
484
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,040
Two miles outside this small village,
485
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:04,120
in a cave surrounded by forests
and mountains,
486
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:05,990
is where many believe...
487
00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,040
...one of Hindu mythology's
greatest heroes was born,
488
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:11,360
Hanuman.
489
00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:18,640
Hanuman was part god
because his father was the god of wind...
490
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,430
...and his mother is a mortal human being.
491
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:27,440
So, then obviously, he has the qualities,
the power of wind god...
492
00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:33,800
...and he's able to fly
and he is able to multiply in his size.
493
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,280
So, because of that,
he's definitely a demigod.
494
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:45,560
Hanuman is often depicted
as half-man and half-monkey,
495
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,120
which underlines his mixed bloodline.
496
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,350
Is it possible
that this is a non-scientific way...
497
00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,240
...of describing genetically engineered
super beings...
498
00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,800
...as ancient astronaut theorists contend?
499
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:02,670
One of the common themes
in ancient texts...
500
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,430
...is ancient gods or extraterrestrials
coming here...
501
00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:11,633
...and then manipulating our DNA
and changing us...
502
00:33:11,724 --> 00:33:15,360
...into more superior beings.
503
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:20,790
As evidence of the genetic experiments...
504
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,720
...they believe took place
in the prehistoric past,
505
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:28,019
ancient astronaut theorists
cite depictions of hybrid creatures...
506
00:33:28,110 --> 00:33:30,370
...found in cultures around the world.
507
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,640
Winged horses
in Assyrian and Sumerian myths.
508
00:33:35,220 --> 00:33:38,840
The elephant-headed deity Ganesha
in the Hindu pantheon.
509
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,040
And Khepri, the ancient Egyptian god
of the morning sun.
510
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:48,520
The Egyptian deity, Khepri,
is shown as either a beetle...
511
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,200
...or as a human
with the head of a beetle.
512
00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,430
And you have to ask, what are they trying
to tell us here about Khepri?
513
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,040
Could he have been half human,
half insect?
514
00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:03,120
Some ancient astronaut theorists believe
the hybrids depicted by the ancients...
515
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:07,230
may have been the result
of extraterrestrial genetic experiments...
516
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:08,720
...in the distant past.
517
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:11,390
These things aren't very far off...
518
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,890
...from what we have
in our ancient tales of creation.
519
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,080
In the Sumerian epic of creation,
520
00:34:16,240 --> 00:34:17,709
we hear about the Annunaki...
521
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:19,960
...literally putting
their genetic marker on us...
522
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,000
...and creating us in their image
and after their likeness.
523
00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,087
Could genetic experiments long ago...
524
00:34:28,340 --> 00:34:30,470
...have been part
of an ancient alien effort...
525
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,200
...to create the human race?
526
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,800
Some very strange things happened
in the course of human evolution.
527
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,520
We go from Neanderthals...
528
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,290
...with no apparent "missing link"
whatsoever...
529
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,920
...and all of a sudden,
our brain size doubles,
530
00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,680
our thumbs becomes more usable,
we can walk erect more easily.
531
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,160
There's a large number of changes
that take place in a very short time.
532
00:34:56,720 --> 00:34:59,880
Might the entire human species
have been created...
533
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,440
...by extraterrestrial genetic experiments
in the past?
534
00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,920
And could our genetic memory of this
be the reason...
535
00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:11,120
...we create
genetically altered superheroes today...
536
00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:16,080
...including mutants like the X-Men
and the Incredible Hulk...
537
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,240
...and hybrids like Hawkman,
Animal Man, and Spider-Man?
538
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,000
Is it possible that when we are seeing
superhero movies...
539
00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:29,960
that on some level, we are remembering
having been changed before?
540
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,680
That perhaps
we were like the Neanderthals before...
541
00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:36,680
...and this already happened,
542
00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,640
we already had some sort
of genetic upgrade...
543
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,240
...that brought us to the next level
of human evolution?
544
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,960
Are modern comic book stories
of hybrids and mutants...
545
00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:51,520
...actually inspired
by an ancient alien intervention...
546
00:35:51,660 --> 00:35:53,360
...thousands of years ago?
547
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,110
And might we create these stories...
548
00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:00,680
...because we are subconsciously aware
of something greater within ourselves?
549
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,280
Ancient astronaut theorists say yes,
550
00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:08,000
and believe that our own
recent technological advances...
551
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:12,960
...may be bringing us closer
to a reconnection with our alien past.
552
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:18,440
Livingston, New Jersey.
553
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,480
May 2001.
554
00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,640
Scientists at the Institute
for Reproductive Medicine...
555
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:28,950
...made headlines...
556
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,630
...when they revealed they had created...
557
00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:33,510
...the world's
first genetically modified baby.
558
00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,240
Using a process
called cytoplasmic transfer,
559
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,880
they implanted mitochondrial DNA
from a second mother into an egg...
560
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,760
...to make it easier for it
to bond with sperm...
561
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:47,680
...and form a viable fetus.
562
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:54,480
When scientists performed genetic tests
on the babies born out of this process,
563
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,960
they detected genetic material
from a third parent.
564
00:36:59,220 --> 00:37:02,150
The reason the cytoplasmic transfer
is controversial...
565
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:06,690
...is because it's human manipulation
of the human germ cell line,
566
00:37:06,780 --> 00:37:11,120
in other words, the cell line
that is passed from parent to offspring.
567
00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,230
We typically just inherit
our genetic material...
568
00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:15,390
...from both of our parents,
569
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,200
so there there's a direct line of descent.
570
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,180
With the introduction
of cytoplasmic transfer,
571
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,870
suddenly you have humans manipulating
that germ line, that cell line,
572
00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,240
or DNA line passed on
from parent to offspring.
573
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:33,550
If perfected, genetic manipulation
could allow scientists to introduce DNA...
574
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,320
...from an unlimited number of people
into a fetus.
575
00:37:37,500 --> 00:37:40,720
This would allow them
to rid babies of genetic disease.
576
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,520
But it could also, theoretically,
let them tinker with natural traits...
577
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,320
...to create super humans...
578
00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,720
...that are much faster,
stronger and smarter...
579
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:53,680
...than those that have come before.
580
00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:57,350
You are altering the genetic future
of the human race...
581
00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:59,780
...based on your sort
of current preferences,
582
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:01,550
let's say for a person's traits.
583
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:06,589
It's sort of into perpetuity affecting
the genetic line of descent in humans.
584
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,880
And so, that's something very different
than had ever been performed before,
585
00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:11,760
and that's certainly controversial.
586
00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:15,880
The concept of altering genes,
587
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,640
whether these genes are in food,
animals or humans,
588
00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,320
has always created a firestorm of protest.
589
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,910
In this case, the controversy
forced an American moratorium...
590
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,770
...on cytoplasmic transfer.
591
00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:37,120
Even so, scientists say the technology
may eventually be developed...
592
00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:39,600
...that will allow us
to give super powers...
593
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,742
...including amazing strength,
eyesight and intelligence...
594
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,520
...to our children
while they're still in the womb.
595
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,760
Today, more than ever,
we're capable of playing god.
596
00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,750
We have incredible super powers
at our fingertips...
597
00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:55,480
...with genetic technology.
598
00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:57,110
And you have to ask,
599
00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:02,190
are we trying to duplicate what we saw
the gods possessing in the ancient world?
600
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,120
Are we hardwired or programmed
to develop these technologies...
601
00:39:06,340 --> 00:39:08,560
...so that we can equal our makers?
602
00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:13,630
Do we yearn
to become like the advanced beings...
603
00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:18,160
...that ancient astronaut theorists
believe created us thousands of years ago?
604
00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:23,720
And might this be why superhero stories
continue to fascinate us?
605
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,070
I think the reason why people
like these superhero stories...
606
00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,350
that literally go back
thousands of years...
607
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,920
is because they're possibly explaining
our actual human origins.
608
00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:37,600
Every culture around the world
talks about an intervention event...
609
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,640
...where beings from the heavens
came down and gave us knowledge.
610
00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:48,360
If we really are the product
of alien genetic experimentation,
611
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:50,720
as ancient astronaut theorists believe,
612
00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:55,560
might our own DNA resemble that
of otherworldly beings?
613
00:39:56,360 --> 00:40:00,190
And, if so, are we becoming
more and more like our makers...
614
00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,710
...through our own
technological breakthroughs...
615
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:04,680
...and genetic advances?
616
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:09,320
In many ways,
our society has come full circle...
617
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:11,720
...where in ancient times,
618
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,240
we had extraterrestrials here
manipulating our DNA,
619
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:19,880
and now, we're the ones
who are manipulating our own DNA...
620
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,560
...to also create
a more advanced human species.
621
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,080
Who knows what's possible?
It's a brave new world.
622
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:29,520
Everything changes...
623
00:40:29,660 --> 00:40:31,930
...and we have abilities
that are so different...
624
00:40:32,020 --> 00:40:35,800
...that it's as if a quantum shift
in human evolution has taken place.
625
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:42,400
Are ancient stories of heroes and gods
with mythological powers...
626
00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,960
...really based on encounters
with extraterrestrials?
627
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:53,200
And might modern day superheroes
be inspired by our desire to reconnect...
628
00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:55,560
...with these powerful beings?
629
00:40:57,240 --> 00:41:02,320
Could characters like Batman,
Spider-Man and Superman...
630
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:04,760
...be the humans of tomorrow?
631
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:09,120
Perhaps as our technology
continues to advance,
632
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:12,720
we are drawing closer
to coming face-to-face...
633
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:15,320
...with our alien ancestors.