Original subtitles

Narrator: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA DAY REMEMBERED FOR THE WORST TERRORIST ATROCITY

IN LIVING MEMORY.

\h\h\hHIJACKERS FLY PLANES INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS.

BEFORE THE DAY IS OVER,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTWO QUESTIONS RING OUT AROUND THE WORLD--

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND WHY DID THESE TWO HUGE BUILDINGS

COLLAPSE THE WAY THEY DID?

\hTHE FIRST QUESTION HAS LONG BEEN SOLVED,

\h\hBUT THE SECOND REFUSES TO GO AWAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUILT TO SURVIVE A DIRECT IMPACT BY AN AIRLINER,

COULD OFFICE FIRES REALLY CAUSE

\h\h\h\h\hTWO OF THE WORLD’S MOST SOPHISTICATED BUILDINGS

TO COLLAPSE?

Man: I’M JUST SHOCKED, \h\h\h\h\h\hHORRIFIED.

\h\h\h\hI SAY TO MYSELF, "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?"

Narrator: THE OFFICIAL REPORT \h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THE COLLAPSE

LEAVES MANY UNSATISFIED.

\h\h\hTHE QUESTION HAS SPAWNED A THOUSAND CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

Man: MANY ARCHITECTS \h\h\hAND ENGINEERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTECHNICAL AND BUILDING PROFESSIONALS,

HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE

\h\h\h\hFOR EXPLOSIVE, CONTROLLED DEMOLITION.

Narrator: NOW A NEW THEORY \h\hDEVELOPED INDEPENDENTLY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY TWO SCIENTISTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC

DISCOVERS MISSING EVIDENCE

\hTHAT COULD SIGNAL THE END TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAN EXPLANATION FOUND NOT IN THE FABRIC OF THE TOWERS,

BUT IN THE AIRPLANES THEMSELVES.

Man: THERE WAS A BOMB \h\hIN THE BUILDING,

AND IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE THE WHOLE THING BLEW UP \h\h\hAND DOWN COME THE TOWERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUILT IN THE EARLY 1970s,

AT THE TIME, THE TWIN TOWERS

WERE THE TALLEST BUILDINGS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE WORLD.

BRASH, BOLD, AND ICONIC,

THEY WERE A MARVEL OF DESIGN \h\h\h\h\h\hAND ARCHITECTURE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA SYMBOL OF AMERICA’S GLOBAL POWER.

BUT THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUCTURES

\h\h\h\hWERE ABOUT MORE THAN JUST THEIR LOOKS.

CONSTRUCTED FROM 200,000 TONS \h\h\h\hOF REINFORCED STEEL,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY WERE BUILT TO WITHSTAND HURRICANES,

AND EVEN A COLLISION \h\h\hFROM A 707 JET.

\h\hYET WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE TERRORIST ATTACK,

BOTH HAD COLLAPSED.

TODAY ALL THAT REMAINS \h\hOF THE TWIN TOWERS,

\h\hTHE MOST FAMOUS BUILDINGS THAT ONCE STOOD IN NEW YORK,

ARE TWO GIANT FOOTPRINTS.

OF THE 2,700 VICTIMS NAMED HERE,

MOST DIED NOT WHEN THE PLANES \h\h\h\h\h\hHIT THE BUILDING,

BUT AS THE TOWERS COLLAPSED.

FOR MANY NEW YORKERS,

\hTHE FREEDOM TOWER ACTS AS A SYMBOL OF RESILIENCE

FOR A CITY THAT LOST SO MUCH,

\h\h\h\hAND FOR BOBBY McGUIRE, A FIREFIGHTER FROM LONG ISLAND,

IT HAS A VERY SPECIAL \h\h\h\hSIGNIFICANCE.

\h\hBobby McGuire: YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE 343 FIREFIGHTERS WE LOST,

I LOST MANY, MANY FRIENDS, \h\h\hAND I LOST MY NEPHEW.

\hHE WAS A PROBY, WHICH MEANS LESS THAN A YEAR ON THE JOB,

AND IT WAS HIS VERY FIRST FIRE.

\h\h\h\hHIS UNIT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO RESPOND,

AND HE WAS IN THE NORTH TOWER \h\h\h\h\hWHEN IT COLLAPSED.

\h\h\h\h\hI GOTTA THINK HE WAS PRETTY HIGH UP.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BOBBY ARRIVED ON THE SCENE

JUST AS THE SECOND TOWER \h\h\h\hWAS COMING DOWN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMcGuire: IT WAS COMPLETE CHAOS,

AND THEN YOU HAD THOUSANDS \h\hAND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES \h\hIN EVERY DIRECTION,

NOT REALLY KNOWING WHERE TO GO.

REPORTS OF MORE PLANES COMING IN ADDED TO THE CONFUSION.

\h\hI’VE NEVER SEEN A BUILDING COLLAPSE LIKE THAT BEFORE, NO.

IT WAS LIKE A PANCAKE EFFECT.

I DON’T REMEMBER HAVING \hANY TYPE OF BUILDING,

CERTAINLY NOTHING THAT SIZE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOLLAPSE.

\hNarrator: THE 110-STORY WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS

WERE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE IMPACT OF A COMMERCIAL JETLINER,

\h\h\h\h\hYET WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE ATTACKS, BOTH COLLAPSE,

SO WHY DID THE TWIN TOWERS FAIL SO DISASTROUSLY AND SO QUICKLY?

UNDER PUBLIC PRESSURE,

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS \h\hA $16 MILLION INVESTIGATION

FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN

THE STRUCTURAL FAILURES \h\h\h\hOF THE TOWERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY EXAMINE THE DEBRIS FROM THE DISASTER,

\h\h\h\h\h\hRUN HUNDREDS OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS,

AND CONDUCT EXTENSIVE LAB TESTS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hIN OCTOBER OF 2005, THEY PUBLISH THEIR CONCLUSIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT,

\h\h\h\hTHE BUILDINGS COLLAPSED BECAUSE WHEN THE AIRCRAFTS HIT,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE IMPACT DISLODGED THE FIREPROOFING

\h\h\hAROUND THE BUILDING’S STRUCTURAL STEEL SKELETON.

UNPROTECTED FROM THE FIRES,

THE STEEL FRAME WEAKENED, AND THE TOWERS COLLAPSED.

Man: WE SAY HERE THE BUILDINGS \h\h\hWOULD NOT HAVE COLLAPSED

\h\hUNDER THE EFFECTS OF THE AIRPLANE IMPACT AND THE FUEL,

\hJET FUEL IGNITED MULTI-FLOOR FIRES.

THE REASON IT COLLAPSED

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS BECAUSE THE FIREPROOFING WAS DISLODGED.

Narrator: BUT THE NIST REPORT

\h\h\h\h\h\hIS RESTRICTED TO FINDING AN EXPLANATION

\h\hFOR THE COLLAPSE OF THE STEEL SUPPORTS

ON THE IMPACT FLOORS ALONE.

IT DOES NOT DEAL WITH

THE SUBSEQUENT DISINTEGRATION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE TOWERS,

AND THE DRAMATIC NATURE \h\h\hOF THEIR COLLAPSE

\h\h\h\h\hBECOMES AN OBSESSION FOR ONLINE CONSPIRACY WEBSITES.

\hONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT AND CONTROVERSIAL CONSPIRACY SITES

IS ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS \h\h\h\h\hFOR 9/11 TRUTH.

ITS FOUNDER IS RICHARD GAGE.

\h\h\hRichard Gage: WE NOW HAVE 2,200 ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

DEMANDING A NEW INVESTIGATION

\h\h\h\h\h\hOF WHAT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COMPLEX

ON 9/11.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: \hDESPITE GAGE’S OPINIONS BEING OFFENSIVE TO MANY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHE’S ATTEMPTING TO GAIN MAINSTREAM ACCEPTABILITY

\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH A COMBINATION OF PSEUDOSCIENCE AND CONJECTURE

TO EXPLOIT WHAT MANY SEE

AS A MAJOR SHORTCOMING IN THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

Gage: THE OFFICIAL REPORT \h\h\h\hDOES NOT ACCOUNT

FOR THE HUNDREDS OF EYEWITNESS \h\h\hTESTIMONY OF EXPLOSIONS.

Jimmy Grillo: THERE WAS A HEAVY-DUTY EXPLOSION.

\h\hTyrone Johnston: THE THIRD EXPLOSION,

THE WHOLE LOBBY COLLAPSED ON US.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IN ALL, OVER 118 NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS

CLAIM THEY HEARD EXPLOSIONS

JUST BEFORE THE COLLAPSE \h\h\h\h\hOF BOTH TOWERS,

YET THEIR TESTIMONY \hIS NOT ADDRESSED

IN THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

Gage: THIS EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY

THAT WAS NOT RELEASED UNTIL AUGUST OF 2005,

IT WAS BEING HELD BY THE CITY,

BUT THE NEW YORK COURT STATE OF APPEALS FORCED THE OVERTURNING.

\h\h\hNarrator: FOR GAGE, THE WITHHOLDING OF THIS TESTIMONY

\h\h\h\hIS NO OVERSIGHT, IT’S PART OF A COVER-UP.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHE CLAIMS THAT THE EXPLOSIONS ARE EVIDENCE

\hTHAT BEFORE THE AIRPLANES WERE FLOWN INTO THE TOWERS,

\hBOMBS WERE PLANTED INSIDE, GUARANTEEING THEIR COLLAPSE.

Gage: SO MANY ARCHITECTS \h\h\h\h\hAND ENGINEERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTECHNICAL AND BUILDING PROFESSIONALS,

HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE

\h\h\h\hFOR EXPLOSIVE, CONTROLLED DEMOLITION.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: FOR THESE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS,

ONLY CONTROLLED DEMOLITIONS

\h\h\h\h\hCOULD HAVE BROUGHT DOWN THE TOWERS IN THE MANNER WE SEE.

\h\h\h\hGage: WHAT WE HAVE IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS

IS MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS,

RECORDED BY FIRST RESPONDERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTRAVELING DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING,

\h\h\hCOMPLETELY DESTROYING THE STRUCTURAL STEEL FRAME

IN 12 SECONDS.

Narrator: GAGE’S CLAIMS ARE HIGHLY IMPLAUSIBLE.

AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACK \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN 1993,

THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS

WERE AMONG THE MOST SECURE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN NEW YORK.

IF GAGE WAS RIGHT,

\h\h\hEXPLOSIVES WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE SMUGGLED INTO BOTH TOWERS

\hAND THEIR DETONATION PRECISELY COORDINATED.

FOR MANY OF THOSE DIRECTLY \hAFFECTED BY THE DISASTER,

CLAIMS OF GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT ARE DEEPLY OFFENSIVE.

McGuire: WE’VE ALL HEARD THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES,

AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,

\h\h\h\h\h\hI DON’T KNOW OF ONE SINGLE FIREFIGHTER

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT PUTS ANY, YOU KNOW, HEED INTO THAT.

I KINDA THINK ANYONE

THAT THINKS OUR OWN GOVERNMENT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD DO THAT

IS KIND OF OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.

I CERTAINLY DON’T BELIEVE IT.

\hI THINK WE ALL KNOW WHO DID THIS AND WHY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: FOR DR. FRANK GREENING,

A NUCLEAR RESEARCH CHEMIST \h\h\h\h\hOF OVER 20 YEARS,

\h\hTHE QUESTION OF GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY WAS NEVER AN OPTION,

\h\h\hBUT THERE WERE STILL MANY ASPECTS OF THE OFFICIAL INQUIRY

THAT TROUBLED HIM,

\hAND UNTIL THEY WERE EXPLAINED COMPLETELY,

\hTHERE WOULD ALWAYS BE FERTILE GROUND FOR CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

WHAT GREENING DISCOVERED \h\h\hWAS SO REMARKABLE,

IT NOT ONLY ANSWERED

THE OUTLANDISH CLAIMS \h\hOF THE THEORISTS,

\hIT WOULD CHANGE OUR UNDERSTANDING

OF THE DISASTER FOREVER.

THE OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT REPORT \hINTO THE TWIN TOWERS TRAGEDY

\h\h\h\h\hONLY TACKLED EVENTS ON THE INITIAL IMPACT FLOORS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNOT THE PHYSICS BEHIND THE SUBSEQUENT COLLAPSE.

IT LEFT THE FIELD WIDE OPEN \hFOR CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

WHO POINT TO THE UNEXPECTEDLY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hRAPID COLLAPSE,

AMID REPORTS OF EXPLOSIONS.

\h\hNUCLEAR CHEMIST DR. FRANK GREENING

\h\h\h\h\hWAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT THE TOWERS COLLAPSED SO QUICKLY.

\h\h\h\h\h\hFrank Greening: I WATCHED THIS WHOLE THING

UNFOLD LIKE EVERYBODY DID,

\h\h\hAND THEN, OF COURSE, THE SOUTH TOWER COLLAPSES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE TOP SECTION JUST CRUSHES THE LOWER SECTION.

A LITTLE LATER THE NORTH TOWER \h\h\h\h\hDOES THE SAME THING,

AND I’M JUST SHOCKED, HORRIFIED,

\h\hAND I SAY TO MYSELF, "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?"

\hNarrator: GREENING FELT THAT UNTIL THE MECHANICS

\h\h\h\h\hOF THE COLLAPSE WERE PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD,

\h\hTHE FANATICAL RUMORS WOULD SIMPLY NOT GO AWAY.

HE DECIDED TO CALCULATE WHETHER \h\h\hTHE TOWERS WOULD COLLAPSE

\h\h\h\h\hUNDER THEIR OWN WEIGHT, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR EXPLOSIVES.

\h\hGreening : THE FIRST THING I FELT NEEDED TO BE CLEARED UP

WAS COULD THE BUILDING COLLAPSE \h\h\h\hTHE WAY THAT WE SAW IT,

OR DID IT ACTUALLY NEED HELP

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM EXPLOSIVES, AS SOME PEOPLE WERE SUGGESTING.

I REALLY THREW MYSELF \hINTO 9/11 RESEARCH,

\h\hAND I DECIDED I WANTED TO APPLY SCIENCE, PHYSICS,

TO STUDYING THIS PROBLEM.

I SET UP A COMPUTER PROGRAM, \hBASED ON MOMENTUM TRANSFER,

TO LOOK AT EACH IMPACT \h\h\h\hOF EACH FLOOR.

\h\hNarrator: GREENING’S MOMENTUM TRANSFER PROGRAM

CALCULATED THE WEIGHT \h\hOF THE BUILDINGS

ABOVE THE IMPACT FLOORS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hHE DISCOVERED THAT IF ONE FLOOR FAILED,

THE WEIGHT OF THE HIGHER FLOORS

WOULD CAUSE EACH FLOOR BELOW TO GIVE WAY EXACTLY AS SEEN.

\h\h\h\h\hAS THE IMPACTS WERE ON DIFFERENT FLOORS,

\h\h\hTHE SIMULATION WOULD NEED TO ACCOUNT

FOR THE DIFFERING MASS \h\h\h\h\h\hABOVE EACH

THERE WERE 15 FLOORS ABOVE THE IMPACT POINT IN THE NORTH TOWER

\h\h\h\h\hAND 22 FLOORS ABOVE THE SOUTH TOWER.

\h\hFRANK’S CALCULATIONS WOULD ALSO NEED TO PROVE

\h\h\h\hTHAT THE FLOORS BELOW EACH IMPACT POINT

WOULD DISINTEGRATE IN A MANNER

\h\h\h\hTHAT LOOKS SIMILAR TO A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION.

Greening: I RAN THE PROGRAM,

AND IT SHOWED THAT THE, \h\h\hUH, THE BUILDINGS

WOULD INDEED COME DOWN.

EVEN MORE INTERESTING WAS,

\h\hTHE, THE COMPUTER PROGRAM PREDICTED THE COLLAPSE TIMES.

Narrator: THE NORTH TOWER

FALLS IN 13 SECONDS,

\h\h\hBUT WITH A GREATER NUMBER OF FLOORS ABOVE THE IMPACT SITE

\h\h\hOF THE SOUTH TOWER, IT TAKES ONLY 11 SECONDS.

Greening: ONCE THE BUILDING \h\h\hSTARTED TO COLLAPSE,

IT WAS NO STOPPING IT.

IT WAS A JUGGERNAUT.

THE MASS OF THE UPPER BLOCK \h\h\h\hIN THE NORTH TOWER

\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS EQUIVALENT TO THE MASS OF THE TITANIC.

IT WAS ABOUT 38,000 TONS.

Narrator: IN 2008, FRANK’S WORK

IS PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL \hOF ENGINEERING MECHANICS.

\h\hIT DISMISSES THE IDEA OF CONTROLLED EXPLOSIONS

BUT HIS INVESTIGATION LEADS HIM \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO QUESTION

\h\hFUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

\hGreening: TOWERS WERE BURNING AWAY FURIOUSLY.

\h\hTHEN THE FIRES SUBSIDED SOMEWHAT,

AND THEN SUDDENLY OUT OF THE BLUE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE NORTH TOWER AND THE SOUTH TOWER JUST COLLAPSED.

THE QUESTION IS WHY. \hWHAT STARTED THAT?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ALTHOUGH HE HAS DISPELLED

THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS’ IDEAS \hABOUT CONTROLLED DEMOLITION,

\hTHERE IS STILL THE NAGGING QUESTION ABOUT THE EXPLOSIONS

HEARD BY FIREFIGHTERS BEFORE THE COLLAPSE,

BUT CENTRAL TO HIS CONCERN

\hWAS THE CONCLUSION THAT THE OFFICE FIRES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE CAPABLE OF WEAKENING SUFFICIENT NUMBERS

OF THE STRUCTURAL STEEL GIRDERS \h\h\h\h\hTO TRIGGER COLLAPSE.

AROUND THE WORLD,

SUPER-TALL SKYSCRAPERS \hDOMINATE OUR SKYLINE.

THE PINNACLE OF DESIGN \h\h\hAND ENGINEERING,

THESE TOWERS ARE BUILT TO LAST, AND JUST LIKE THE TWIN TOWERS,

THE KEY TO THEIR STRENGTH

\hIS THAT THEY ARE CONSTRUCTED AROUND A STRONG STEEL SKELETON.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER ROMA AGRAWAL

HELPED BUILD EUROPE’S TALLEST \hSKYSCRAPER, LONDON’S SHARD.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hRoma Agrawal: THE TWIN TOWERS HAD TWO TUBES,

\hONE INSIDE THE OTHER, TO FORM THE STRUCTURE.

\h\h\hTHE INNER TUBE WAS CALLED THE CORE,

\hAND IT HAD VERTICAL STEEL COLUMNS IN IT.

\h\h\hTHE OUTER TUBE ALSO HAD VERTICAL STEEL COLUMNS IN IT,

AND THE HORIZONTAL BEAMS GOING AROUND THE BUILDING

FORMED A LATTICE WITH THOSE COLUMNS, TO KEEP IT STABLE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THIS TUBE LATTICE DESIGN

\h\hMEANT THE TOWERS INITIALLY STOOD FIRM.

Agrawal: WHEN THE BUILDING WAS IMPACTED BY THE PLANE,

\h\hA NUMBER OF THE COLUMNS AND THE BEAMS WERE SEVERED,

BUT BECAUSE OF THIS TUBE \h\h\h\h\hLATTICE SYSTEM,

THE WEIGHT OF THE BUILDING COULD ACTUALLY FIND A DIFFERENT WAY

TO GO AROUND THE HOLE,

SO THE IMPACT BY ITSELF

\hWOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE CAUSED THE TOWER TO COLLAPSE.

\h\hNarrator: BY REDISTRIBUTING THE LOADS OF THE HIGHER FLOORS

AROUND THE DAMAGED STRUCTURES,

\h\h\hTHE BUILDINGS SURVIVED THE PLANE’S INITIAL IMPACTS,

BUT THEY DO COLLAPSE,

\h\h\h\hONE AFTER 56 MINUTES, THE OTHER AFTER 103 MINUTES.

SOMETHING CAUSED THE SURVIVING \h\h\hSTRUCTURAL STEEL COLUMNS

TO FAIL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAgrawal: THE OFFICIAL REPORT EXPLAINED

\h\h\h\hTHAT THE TEMPERATURES OF THE FIRES WERE HIGH ENOUGH

\hTO CAUSE THE STEEL TO LOSE ITS STRENGTH

AND TO COMPROMISE ITS INTEGRITY,

AND THIS IS WHAT ULTIMATELY BROUGHT THE BUILDINGS DOWN.

Gage: NO SKYSCRAPER HAS EVER COLLAPSED

DUE TO FIRE PRIOR TO 9/11.

Narrator: 9/11 TRUTH MOVEMENT \h\h\h\hFOUNDER RICHARD GAGE

DOESN’T BELIEVE THE FIRES

\hCOULD HAVE WEAKENED THE STEEL STRUCTURE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGage: THE EXTERIOR PERIMETER STRUCTURE

OF THESE TOWERS WAS MASSIVE, \h\h\h\h\h\hAS WAS THE CORE--

\h\h\h\h\h\h47 COLUMNS, 52 INCHES BY 22 INCHES.

IT’S SOLID STEEL.

THERE’S NO EVIDENCE

\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR TEMPERATURES REACHING THE STRUCTURAL STEEL

\h\h\h\hTHAT COULD EVEN CAUSE THE WEAKENING OF THAT STEEL.

Greening: FOR THE SKEPTICS,

\h\h\hIT WAS THE FIRES WERE NOT THAT INTENSE.

THEY WERE KIND OF PATCHY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT BEST,

\h\h\h\hAND THEY ARGUED THAT INSUFFICIENT HEAT

WAS BEING SUPPLIED \h\hTO THE COLUMNS,

AND THEREFORE THERE WAS NO WAY A FIRE COULD WEAKEN THE STEEL.

Narrator: STEEL HAS BEEN USED

IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY \h\h\h\h\hFOR OVER A CENTURY.

WITHOUT IT, HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

\h\hTHAT DOMINATE OUR CITIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

\h\hA MANMADE ALLOY OF IRON AND CARBON,

STEEL OFFERS UNRIVALED STRENGTH \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND FLEXIBILITY.

\h\h\h\hMANUFACTURED TO BE FIRE-RESISTANT,

STEEL RETAINS ITS STRENGTH

\h\h\h\hIN HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME,

AND AROUND THE WORLD,

HIGH-RISE STEEL BUILDINGS \hHAVE REMAINED STANDING

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDESPITE THE MOST INTENSE FIRE DAMAGE,

SO WHY DID THE STEEL FRAME \hOF THE TWIN TOWERS FAIL?

\h\h\h\hTHE 9/11 HIJACKERS CHOSE LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS

BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE FUEL LOADS INSIDE THE JETS

\h\hWERE AT A MAXIMUM, AROUND 10,000 GALLONS,

\h\hYET MOST OF THE FUEL BURNED OFF WITHIN SECONDS

AND ALL WITHIN A FEW MINUTES.

\h\h\h\h\hAFTER THAT, THE FIRES THAT SPREAD OVER SEVERAL FLOORS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE SUSTAINED BY THE CONTENTS OF THE OFFICES.

Agrawal: THERE WAS A LOT

\h\h\hOF WHAT ENGINEERS CALL "FIRE LOAD" IN THE BUILDING,

SO MATERIALS LIKE WOOD,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHICH WOULD-- MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE FLOORING,

AND THE FURNITURE AND SO ON,

PROVIDE A LOT OF FUEL \h\h\hTO THESE FIRES,

SO EVEN AFTER THE JET FUEL \h\h\h\hMAY HAVE BURNT OUT,

\h\h\hTHERE’S LOTS OF OTHER STUFF THAT CAN CAUSE THE FIRE TO BURN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT WERE THE FIRES HOT ENOUGH

TO SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKEN THE STEEL

\h\h\h\hIN JUST THE SHORT TIME IT TOOK THE TOWERS TO COLLAPSE?

\h\h\h\hTHE QUESTION IS ONE OF COMPLEX THERMODYNAMICS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAgrawal: THE OFFICIAL REPORT EXPLAINS

THAT ONCE THE STEEL GETS TO

\h\h\h\h\h\hABOVE ABOUT 600 DEGREES CENTIGRADE,

WHICH IS OVER 1,000 FAHRENHEIT,

THAT IT STARTS TO LOSE

A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION \h\h\h\hOF ITS STRENGTH.

\h\h\h\hTHE KEY QUESTION IS HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE,

SO THE FIRES MIGHT GET THERE \h\h\h\h\hVERY, VERY QUICKLY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THE STEEL MIGHT TAKE A BIT LONGER,

AND THERE’S A BIT OF A TIME LAG \h\h\h\hFROM ONE TO THE OTHER.

\hTHAT TIME LAG DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH PROTECTION

THERE IS ON THE STEEL.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE IMPORTANT STEEL GIRDERS INSIDE THE TOWERS

WERE TREATED WITH A SPRAY-ON \h\h\hHEAT-RETARDANT CONCRETE

\h\hTHAT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE PROTECTED THE STEEL

FROM THE FIRES.

NIST, THE ORGANIZATION CARRYING OUT THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION,

\h\hRECREATED THE CONDITIONS INSIDE THE BURNING BUILDINGS

TO CHECK WHAT IMPACT THE FIRES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD HAVE HAD

ON THE PROTECTED STEEL.

THE RESULTS WERE SURPRISING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAgrawal: AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION,

A NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTS WERE DONE TO UNDERSTAND

\h\h\hHOW QUICKLY STEEL GETS TO THAT CRITICAL TEMPERATURE,

\h\h\h\hWHERE IT LOSES A LOT OF ITS STRENGTH,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THIS WAS DONE WHEN THE STEEL WAS PROTECTED

WITH THIS SPRAYED-ON INSULATION, AND IT TOOK OVER TEN HOURS.

Narrator: YET WITHIN TWO HOURS,

\hBOTH TOWERS HAD COLLAPSED, LONG BEFORE THEY SHOULD HAVE.

TO EXPLAIN THE DISCREPANCY,

NIST REMOVED THE FIRE PROTECTION AND REPEATED THE TESTS.

Agrawal: WHEN THE SAME \h\hEXPERIMENT WAS DONE

WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION \hON THE STEEL AT ALL,

IT TOOK A MERE 13 MINUTES.

Narrator: THE CONCLUSION DRAWN BY THE NIST REPORT

LIES AT THE HEART OF THE DEBATE.

THEY CONCLUDED THAT BECAUSE THE STEEL GIRDERS GAVE WAY,

SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS MUST HAVE \h\hLOST THEIR FIREPROOFING.

BUT HOW?

THE REPORT ASSUMED

\h\hTHAT FIREPROOFING HAD BEEN KNOCKED OFF

BY THE INITIAL IMPACT \hFROM THE AIRCRAFT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE CONCLUSION OF THE ENTIRE OFFICIAL REPORT

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHINGES ON THIS CRITICAL ASSUMPTION.

WITHOUT IT, THERE IS SIMPLY \h\h\hNO WAY OF EXPLAINING

HOW THE STEEL STRUCTURES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGAVE WAY.

\hAgrawal: THE FINDINGS OF THE OFFICIAL REPORT

REALLY REST ON THE QUESTION

OF WHETHER THE STEEL WAS PROTECTED OR NOT

AND WHETHER THAT FIRE PROTECTION

\hHAD BEEN DISLODGED OR NOT AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACTS.

\hNarrator: THERE ARE MANY RESPECTED INDUSTRY EXPERTS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINCLUDING THE STRUCTURAL FIRE GROUP

IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST \h\h\h\h\h\hENGINEERING FIRMS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND PROFESSOR OF FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND,

\hWHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE FIREPROOFING

COULD HAVE BEEN DISLODGED,

\h\hTHROWING THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE REPORT INTO SERIOUS DOUBT.

IF THE FIREPROOFING WAS NOT DISLODGED,

THE NIST REPORT OFFERS \hNO OTHER EXPLANATION

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR THE EVENT THAT TRIGGERED THE COLLAPSE

AND CAUSED THE DEATHS \hOF SO MANY PEOPLE.

\h\hNUCLEAR CHEMIST DR. FRANK GREENING

SCOURS THE 10,000-PAGE REPORT

\hLOOKING FOR CLUES THAT MIGHT SUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE ANSWER,

\h\h\hWHEN ONE PASSAGE CATCHES HIS ATTENTION.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT,

\h\h\h\h\hJUST SEVEN MINUTES BEFORE THE SOUTH TOWER FELL,

THERE WERE SIGNS OF EXPLOSIVE \h\hACTIVITY WITHIN THE TOWER

AND A GLOWING LIQUID

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBEGAN TO POUR FROM ONE OF THE IMPACT FLOORS.

THE LIQUID CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN \h\h\h\hON THIS VIDEO FOOTAGE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGreening: ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING CLIPS

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT PEOPLE DISCUSS AT GREAT LENGTH

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCONCERNING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COLLAPSE

\h\hIS THIS FOOTAGE OF THE SOUTH TOWER,

AND JUST BEFORE THE COLLAPSE,

\h\h\hWE SEE A GOLDEN STREAM OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE A MOLTEN METAL

POURING FROM ONE OF THE WINDOWS.

Narrator: THE OFFICIAL REPORT \hCONCLUDED THE MOLTEN METAL

PLAYED NO PART IN THE COLLAPSE, \h\h\h\hBUT TO FRANK GREENING,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE CASCADE WAS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT.

IT WAS THE MISSING EVIDENCE \hHE’D BEEN SEARCHING FOR.

\h\h\h\h\h\hGreening: I CAME WITH A CHEMIST’S PERSPECTIVE.

I SEE THE CHEMISTRY AS THE KEY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND I THINK THAT’S WHAT IS, IS THE PROBABLE REASON

WHY NIST FAILED TO CONSIDER \h\hTHE ROLE OF CHEMISTRY.

BASICALLY THEY’RE NOT CHEMISTS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: FRANK SUSPECTS THAT THE METAL

SEEN POURING FROM THE WINDOW

IS A MATERIAL WITH A FAR LOWER \h\h\hMELTING POINT THAN STEEL,

\h\h\h\hA METAL PRESENT IN HUGE QUANTITIES ON THE BURNING FLOOR

AND A METAL EXTENSIVELY USED

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AIRCRAFT--

ALUMINUM.

AND TO FRANK’S DISBELIEF,

\h\h\hHE FINDS THAT ALUMINUM AIRCRAFT PARTS FORMED NO PART

OF THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION’S \h\h\h\h\hEXTENSIVE FIRE TESTS.

Greening: THEY DID GREAT TESTS \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR AN OFFICE FIRE,

AND THAT’S A HUGE OMISSION \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THEIR WORK,

AND I FEEL UNTIL THOSE TESTS ARE REPEATED WITH AN AIRCRAFT

INCLUDED IN THE OFFICE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hUH, THEIR RESULTS ARE ESSENTIALLY MEANINGLESS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: COULD THE PRESENCE OF ALUMINUM

\h\h\h\hHAVE PROVIDED THE TRIGGER THAT LED

TO THE INITIAL COLLAPSE \h\h\hOF THE BUILDINGS?

\hFRANK SHARES HIS CONCERNS IN A RESEARCH PAPER ONLINE.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hANOTHER SCIENTIST

SPOTS THE SAME OVERSIGHT \hIN THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

\h\h\h\h\h\hCHRISTIAN SIMENSEN IS A SENIOR METALLURGIST AT SINTEF,

ONE OF EUROPE’S

\hLARGEST INDEPENDENT RESEARCH LABORATORIES

\h\h\h\hSPECIALIZING IN MATERIALS SCIENCE.

\h\hHE’S ONE OF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST EXPERTS IN METALS

\hAND ALSO PUBLISHED A PAPER IN THE JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING

THAT MIRRORED FRANK’S CONCERN \h\h\h\h\hOVER THE SHORT TIME

IT TOOK FOR THE STEEL STRUCTURES TO GIVE WAY.

\h\h\h\hChristian Simensen: WHEN I READ THAT 300 PAGES,

\h\h\h\h\hIT ONLY HAD, UH, THEORY ABOUT THE BUILDING,

AND HOW THE BUILDING OVERHEATED, AND THAT IT STARTED TO CRUMPLE.

I DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT \h\h\hFOR ONE MINUTE

\h\hBECAUSE ONE HOUR IS NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE STEEL TO HEAT UP.

IT TAKE MUCH LONGER TIME.

Narrator: WORKING INDEPENDENTLY,

BOTH SCIENTISTS ARRIVE AT THE SAME CONCLUSION.

Simensen: THE OFFICIAL REPORT \h\h\h\h\h\hWAS CONCENTRATING

\h\h\hON THE STEEL BARS, BUT THE MISSING ELEMENT IS THE AIRCRAFT.

Greening: THE MISSING EVIDENCE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hQUITE SIMPLY

IS THERE WAS A HUGE AIRCRAFT SITTING INSIDE THE BUILDING.

Narrator: THE OFFICIAL REPORT

\hASSUMES THE AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATED ON IMPACT

\h\h\hAND THE DEBRIS SCATTERED HARMLESSLY

ACROSS SEVERAL FLOORS,

SO THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY FIRE TESTS.

THIS OMISSION IS ALSO QUESTIONED

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY EXPERTS FROM THE AVIATION INDUSTRY.

\h\hGuy Gratton: I THINK IT IS A LITTLE SURPRISING

\hTHAT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING FROM THE AIRCRAFT

\hIN THEIR ESTIMATES OF THE FIRE BEHAVIOR.

\h\hNarrator: DR. GUY GRATTON IS AN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER.

\h\h\hHAVING STUDIED THE OFFICIAL REPORT,

\h\h\h\h\h\hHE REJECTS THE IDEA THAT THE PLANES DISINTEGRATED.

Gratton: WHEN THE AIRPLANE \h\h\hFLEW INTO THE TOWER,

IT WOULD HAVE HIT

THE METAL AND CONCRETE STRUCTURE OF THE TOWER,

WOULD HAVE BROKEN UP \hINTO SMALLER PIECES

WHICH WOULD HAVE COME IN TO REST.

Narrator: GRATTON BELIEVES \h\hTHAT DURING THE IMPACT,

\h\h\hAS THE PLANES SLICED THROUGH THE STEEL COLUMNS,

SUBSTANTIAL CHUNKS OF METAL \h\hWOULD HAVE COME TO REST

IN THE VERY CENTER \hOF THE BUILDING.

BY EXCLUDING THE AIRCRAFT \hFROM ITS CALCULATIONS,

THE OFFICIAL REPORT \h\hHAS OVERLOOKED

POTENTIALLY CRUCIAL EVIDENCE.

\h\h\h\h\hIF THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE BURNING BUILDINGS

\h\h\hGOT HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE WRECKAGE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE RESULTS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY

HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC,

\h\h\h\hAND THAT’S BECAUSE, UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS,

MOLTEN ALUMINUM CAN BE ONE

OF THE MOST EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES IN THE WORLD.

WORKING ON EITHER SIDE \h\h\hOF THE ATLANTIC,

TWO RENOWNED SCIENTISTS,

\h\h\h\hFRANK GREENING AND CHRISTIAN SIMENSEN,

\h\h\h\h\hARE CHALLENGING THE OFFICIAL 9/11 REPORT

\hINTO THE COLLAPSE OF THE TWIN TOWERS.

THEY BELIEVE THAT BY IGNORING

\h\h\h\hTHE PRESENCE OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE

IN THE FIRES, THE REPORT \h\h\h\h\hIS INCOMPLETE.

THE PRESENCE OF AIRCRAFT DEBRIS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE FIRES

COULD PROVIDE A SOLUTION

\h\h\h\hTO THE MANY OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS OVER THE DISASTER...

LIKE WHY SO MANY PEOPLE

\h\h\hHEARD EXPLOSIONS PRIOR TO THE COLLAPSE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSimensen: WHEN I READ ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT,

IT WAS MADE BY 30-TON ALUMINUM,

SOMETHING OF THE SAME ORDER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH STEEL,

AND THEN SOME CARBONITE \h\h\h\h\h\hAND SO ON,

ALL KINDS OF MATERIALS,

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THESE MATERIALS WERE ALUMINUM.

Narrator: ALUMINUM IS THE MOST \hABUNDANT METAL ON THE PLANET.

\h\hSOFTER, LIGHTER, AND MORE FLEXIBLE THAN IRON AND STEEL,

IT IS THE IDEAL MATERIAL \hFOR BUILDING AIRCRAFT.

Gratton: BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS \h\h\h\hOF COMMERCIAL AVIATION,

AIRCRAFT WERE MANUFACTURED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM WOOD.

BY WORLD WAR II, THEY STARTED \h\h\hTO PRESSURIZE AIRCRAFT

\h\hAND ALSO CARRY A LOT MORE PAYLOAD.

WOOD JUST WASN’T UP TO IT,

\h\h\hAND ALUMINUM AND STEEL, PARTICULARLY ALUMINUM ALLOYS,

BECAME THE MAIN MATERIALS \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WE USED.

\h\h\hFOR THE LARGER AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES,

THE FUSELAGE, THE WINGS,

WHAT YOU NEED IS THE ABILITY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO MAKE VERY LARGE, VERY LIGHTWEIGHT COMPLEX SHAPES,

SO THAT’S WHY ALUMINUM ALLOYS \h\h\h\h\hARE PRIMARILY USED

FOR THOSE PARTS OF AN AIRPLANE.

THIS IS A TYPICAL ALUMINUM \h\h\h\hAIRCRAFT STRUCTURE,

\hSO YOU’VE GOT THIS SKIN A FEW MILLIMETERS THICK.

THAT TAKES THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE AT ALTITUDE.

IT ALSO TAKES THE BENDING

\hAND THE BASIC LOAD OF ALL OF THIS STRUCTURE THAT’S IN HERE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS,

THIS INCREDIBLY FLEXIBLE \h\h\hAND VERSATILE METAL

\h\h\h\h\h\hIS ENTIRELY SAFE, BUT IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES,

\hALUMINUM CAN BECOME INCREDIBLY VOLATILE.

CHRISTIAN IS ON HIS WAY

TO AN ALUMINUM RECYCLING PLANT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNEAR OSLO.

\hTHE ALUMINUM PLANTS HAVE LONG BEEN AWARE

OF THE EXTREME DANGERS \h\h\h\h\hOF THE METAL.

Simensen: AFTER THE EARLY 1970s,

\h\hWITH A FEW ACCIDENTS WITH ALUMINUM, PEOPLE BECAME AWARE

OF HOW DANGEROUS ALUMINUM CAN BE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ONE OF THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES

IS WHEN THE METAL IS MOLTEN,

\h\hAND WORKERS AT THIS PLANT KNOW THE DANGERS FIRST-HAND.

Terje Lofthus: WE HAVE HAD ONE EXPLOSION 15 YEARS AGO,

WHICH WAS QUITE SEVERE.

LUCKILY NOBODY WAS HURT \h\h\h\h\h\hOR INJURED.

\h\hNarrator: MOLTEN ALUMINUM IS SAFE UNTIL IT COMES INTO CONTACT

\hWITH ONE OF MOST COMMON MOLECULES ON THE PLANET,

CAUSING A HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE \h\h\hEXOTHERMIC REACTION.

THAT ABUNDANT SUBSTANCE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS WATER.

WHEN WATER COMES INTO CONTACT \h\h\h\hWITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM,

THE WATER MOLECULES RECOMBINE,

PRODUCING ALUMINUM OXIDE \h\h\h\h\h\hAND HYDROGEN,

RELEASING AN EXPLOSIVE AMOUNT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF ENERGY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLofthus: IF YOU HAVE A CLOSED CONTAINER \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCONTAINING WATER

\h\h\h\h\h\hCOMING TOGETHER WITH LIQUID ALUMINUM IN YOUR FURNACE,

YOU CAN HAVE A SEVERE EXPLOSION.

Narrator: IN 2007, THIS ALUMINUM FACTORY IN MANCHESTER, GEORGIA,

WAS PARTLY DEMOLISHED WHEN WATER SEEPED INTO THE CASTING PROCESS.

Man: IT’S VERY, VERY APPARENT \hTHAT MOISTURE GOT, GOT IN.

\hMan: HEARD JUST A LOUD BOOM, AND WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan: I MEAN, I’VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING

\h\h\h\h\h\hLIKE IT IN MY LIFE AND HOPE I NEVER HEAR IT AGAIN.

Narrator: EXPLOSIONS LIKE THESE \h\h\h\hARE FAR FROM ISOLATED.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSimensen: IF YOU ARE A METALLURGIST

WHO IS DEALING WITH ALUMINUM,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE TAKING PLACE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h250 EXPLOSIONS IN ALUMINUM CASTHOUSE SINCE 1980.

THE WORST EXPLOSION IS PROBABLY \hTHE ONE IN SHANDONG IN 2007,

WHERE 16 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, \h\h\h61 PEOPLE WERE INJURED,

AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE FACTORY.

Narrator: POUND FOR POUND,

MOLTEN ALUMINUM IS THREE TIMES \h\h\h\hMORE POWERFUL THAN TNT.

EACH ONE OF THESE INGOTS

\h\h\h\h\hCONTAINS THE SAME POTENTIAL EXPLOSIVE ENERGY

AS 50 POUNDS OF DYNAMITE.

FRANK AND CHRISTIAN BELIEVE

THAT THE EXPLOSIVE PROPERTIES \h\h\h\h\hOF MOLTEN ALUMINUM

ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE

FOR THE RAPID COLLAPSE \h\hOF THE TWIN TOWERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSimensen: THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFTS

WERE ABOUT HUNDRED TONS.

\h30 TONS OF THAT WERE OF ALUMINUM,

AND THOSE WERE SITUATED ALL OVER THE AIRCRAFT.

\hTHEY WERE ON THE OUTSIDE. THEY WERE INSIDE THE WINGS.

THEY WERE EVERYWHERE.

\h\h\h\h\hYOU HAD SOME PARTS WHICH WERE MADE OF ALUMINUM.

\h\hNarrator: THEIR NEW THEORY STATES THAT AFTER THE IMPACTS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hANYTHING UP TO 30 TONS OF ALUMINUM

\h\hLAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BURNING FLOORS OF THE TOWERS,

AND ONCE IT BECAME MOLTEN,

IT HAD THE POTENTIAL EXPLOSIVE \h\h\hFORCE OF 90 TONS OF TNT.

Greening: BEHIND THAT WALL THERE

\h\h\hIS THE FUSELAGE OF A LARGE BOEING 767

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHICH CONTAINS ABOUT 30 TONS OF ALUMINUM,

\h\h\hAND I BELIEVE IT STARTED TO MELT,

\h\hAND IT’S POURING OUT OF THE BUILDING.

Narrator: IF THEY’RE RIGHT,

THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM INSIDE THE BUILDING

PROVIDED THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE TOWERS.

Greening: THERE WAS A BOMB \h\h\h\h\hIN THE BUILDING,

BUT IT WAS NOT MANMADE.

IT WAS MADE BY THE COMBINATION

\h\hOF ALL THE INGREDIENTS THAT WERE BEING COOKED UP,

AND IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE THE WHOLE THING BLEW UP \h\h\hAND DOWN COME THE TOWERS.

\h\h\hNarrator: THE THEORY COULD EXPLAIN SEVERAL OF THE QUESTIONS

\h\h\h\h\h\hUNANSWERED BY THE OFFICIAL REPORT,

INCLUDING THE EXPLOSIONS \h\hHEARD BY 118 FIREMEN.

IF ENOUGH ALUMINUM REACTED \h\h\h\hIN A SINGLE EVENT,

IT WOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH FORCE TO DAMAGE THE STEEL SUPPORTS

\hSUFFICIENTLY TO WEAKEN THEM WITH OR WITHOUT FIREPROOFING.

THE FIRES IN THE BUILDING

WERE CERTAINLY HOT ENOUGH \h\hTO MELT THE ALUMINUM.

\h\h\h\hACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL REPORT, 15 MINUTES AFTER IMPACT,

AROUND 40 PERCENT OF THE FIRE

HAD REACHED TEMPERATURES \h\hOF OVER 700 DEGREES.

\h\h\h\h\hGratton: THE MAIN ALLOY USED IN THE BOEING 767 WAS 2024.

\h\h\hIT’S GOT A MELTING POINT AROUND 550 DEGREES CENTIGRADE,

\h\hSLIGHTLY LOWER THAN PURE ALUMINUM.

Narrator: BUT THE SHOWERING \h\h\hMETAL IN THE FOOTAGE

IS GLOWING BRIGHT YELLOW,

\h\h\h\h\hAND ALUMINUM ONLY REACHES THAT COLOR

\h\h\h\hIF IT’S HEATED TO WELL OVER 1,000 DEGREES CENTIGRADE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGreening: SO I STARTED TO QUESTION,

"WELL, COULD IT GET HOT ENOUGH \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO GLOW YELLOW?"

WE NEED REALLY HOT ALUMINUM

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO BE CONVINCED THAT THIS REALLY IS ALUMINUM.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE QUESTION IS CRITICAL.

UNLESS THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE TOWERS WERE HIGH ENOUGH,

FRANK’S THEORY COULD FALL APART.

METALLURGIST CHRISTIAN BELIEVES

THAT THE TEMPERATURE \h\hINSIDE THE TOWER

\h\h\h\hCOULD HAVE REACHED THOSE INSIDE THIS SMELTER.

Simensen: MY EXPERIENCE WITH ALUMINUM SMELTERS,

WITH MOLTEN METAL AND BURNERS, \h\h\h\hTHAT THAT IS VERY CLOSE

TO WHAT’S HAPPENED IN THE TWIN TOWERS.

Narrator: INSIDE THIS SMELTER,

\h\h\h\h\hIT TAKES 30 MINUTES TO MELT 50 TONS OF ALUMINUM.

THAT’S BECAUSE THE FURNACE

\h\h\hIS PERFECTLY ENGINEERED TO INTENSIFY THE TEMPERATURE.

Simensen: IN THIS FURNACE HERE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS ONE BURNER

WHICH IS HEATING UP \h\h\hTHE ALUMINUM,

\h\hAND IT’S SURROUNDED BY INSULATION MATERIAL.

Narrator: CHRISTIAN BELIEVES

THAT THE BUILDING RUBBLE \h\h\h\hINSIDE THE TOWERS

ACTED AS INSULATION,

RECREATING SIMILAR CONDITIONS \h\h\h\h\h\hTO THIS FURNACE,

ACCELERATING TEMPERATURES \h\h\h\hTO 1,000 DEGREES.

\hSimensen: IT’S VERY SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION IN NEW YORK.

YOU HAVE THE BURNERS \h\h\h\hIN THE CENTER

WITH ALL THE ALUMINUM \hFROM THE AIRCRAFT,

AND AROUND IT

IS ABOUT TEN CENTIMETERS \h\hINSULATION MATERIAL,

WHICH IS THE BUILDING MATERIAL.

\hNarrator: THE OFFICIAL REPORT APPEARS TO SUPPORT HIS THEORY,

SHOWING THAT IN SPECIFIC AREAS,

\hTHE TEMPERATURE REACHED A SURPRISING 900 DEGREES.

\h\hCHRISTIAN’S THEORY IS THAT AFTER CRASHING INTO THE TOWER,

THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE \h\h\h\hCAME TO REST

IN THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING.

\h\h\hON THE WAY, THE PLANE COLLECTED BUILDING RUBBLE,

\h\h\h\h\hIN PARTICULAR THE GYPSUM PLASTERBOARD

THAT FORMED THE INTERNAL WALLS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND PANELING.

THE PLASTERBOARD RUBBLE ACTED

\hLIKE THE INSULATING WALLS IN THE INDUSTRIAL SMELTER,

HEATING THE ALUMINUM \h\h\h\hSUFFICIENTLY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO CREATE THE BRIGHT YELLOW MOLTEN METAL

SEEN POURING DOWN THE BUILDING.

AND IF THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS CASCADING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING,

IT WOULD ALSO BE SEEPING \h\hTHROUGH THE FRACTURES

IN THE DAMAGED FLOOR BELOW.

\hTHE ONLY INGREDIENT NEEDED NOW WAS WATER.

BUT WAS THERE ENOUGH WATER \h\h\h\hIN THE TWIN TOWERS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO REACT WITH THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO CAUSE TWO CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSIONS?

NUCLEAR CHEMIST FRANK GREENING

\hAND METALLURGIST CHRISTIAN SIMENSEN

\h\hBELIEVE THEY HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS

\h\h\hLEFT UNEXPLAINED BY THE OFFICIAL REPORT

\hINTO THE COLLAPSE OF THE TWIN TOWERS.

\h\h\h\hTHEY SUSPECT NIST MAY HAVE MISSED

THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE--

ONE OF THE MOST POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE METALS ON EARTH,

ALUMINUM.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT MOLTEN ALUMINUM WON’T EXPLODE WITHOUT WATER,

\h\hAND CHRISTIAN BELIEVES THAT IN THE FLOORS BELOW THE FIRES,

THERE WAS WATER IN ABUNDANCE.

Simensen: THEY HAD SPRINKLER \h\h\h\hDEVICE IN EVERY ROOM,

SO THE SPRINKLER DEVICE \hWILL COME INTO ACTION

\h\h\hBECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING WRONG IN THOSE ROOMS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SPREAD THROUGHOUT EACH TOWER

WERE 30,000 GALLONS OF WATER.

\h\hIN THE EVENT OF FIRE, THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED

TO PUMP HUNDREDS OF GALLONS \hONTO THE BURNING FLOORS.

\hCOULD IT BE THAT THE SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PREVENT DISASTER

\h\h\h\hWAS THE VERY THING THAT DESTROYED THE TOWERS?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL REPORT,

THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ON THE CRASHED FLOORS

\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE DAMAGED BY THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHOWEVER, EYEWITNESS REPORTS CONFIRM

THAT ON THE FLOORS BELOW,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SYSTEM WAS PUMPING OUT GALLONS OF WATER,

AND AS FRANK POINTS OUT, \h\hTHE SPRINKLER SYSTEM

WASN’T THE ONLY AVAILABLE \h\h\h\hSOURCE OF WATER.

Greening: THERE’S THE WATER TO WASHROOMS, KITCHENETTES.

THERE’S WATER BOTTLES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHERE’S, UH, COKE MACHINES ALL BEING SMASHED.

THERE WAS PLENTY OF WATER.

\h\hNarrator: BUT WATER ISN’T THE ONLY DANGER.

\hTHERE ARE OTHER SUBSTANCES THAT CONTAIN THE COMPONENTS OF WATER,

OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN, THAT WILL ALSO REACT

WITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM.

\hAMONG THEM ARE LIME, IRON OXIDE, AND GYPSUM.

\h\h\h\hALL WERE PRESENT IN SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES

INSIDE THE TOWERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGreening: THOSE ARE PRECISELY THE ELEMENTS

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT ARE PRESENT IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

\hTHE GYPSUM IS GYPROCK, WALLBOARD, PLASTERBOARD.

THAT WAS ALL OVER THE BUILDING.

THERE’S IRON OXIDE ON THE STEEL BEAMS.

THEN YOU HAVE CONCRETE \h\h\h\h\hIN ABUNDANCE.

[SIREN]

\h\hNarrator: BOTH TOWERS WERE PACKED WITH MULTIPLE REACTANTS,

\hALL OR ANY ONE OF WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY TRIGGER

THE LARGEST MOLTEN ALUMINUM \h\h\hEXPLOSION IN HISTORY.

\hCHRISTIAN AND FRANK BELIEVE THIS ANSWERS

\h\h\h\h\hWHY AND HOW THE TOWERS COLLAPSED.

THEIR THEORY COULD EXPLAIN

THE MOLTEN METAL POURING \h\h\hFROM THE BUILDING,

AS WELL AS THE EXPLOSIONS \h\h\hHEARD BY WITNESSES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE MOMENTS BEFORE THE TOWERS COLLAPSED.

THE THEORY GOES LIKE THIS--

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON IMPACT, THE STEEL FRAME OF THE TOWERS

\h\hCUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO LARGE SECTIONS.

INSIDE THE BURNING FLOORS,

THE BUILDING DEBRIS COLLECTS \hTO FORM AN INSULATING WALL

AROUND THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, \h\h\h\h\hCREATING A FURNACE.

\hINSIDE, THE ALUMINUM REACHES 1,000 DEGREES.

\h\h\h\h\hAT 700 DEGREES ABOVE ITS MELTING POINT,

\h\h\h\hTHE ALUMINUM NOW FLOWS LIKE WATER.

FINDING CRACKS AND HOLES \h\hIN THE DAMAGED FLOOR,

\h\h\hTHE MOLTEN METAL LANDS IN POOLS OF WATER

FROM THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM \h\h\hON THE FLOOR BELOW.

\hSimensen: MOLTEN ALUMINUM WILL REACT WITH THE WATER UNDERNEATH,

AND YOU GET A HUGE EXPLOSION.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGreening: LIKE A BOMB GOING OFF.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAT THAT POINT, THE COLLAPSE IS INEVITABLE.

Narrator: DID THE FIREFIGHTERS \h\h\h\hACTUALLY HEAR A SERIES

OF ALUMINUM EXPLOSIONS \h\hINSIDE THE TOWERS?

WERE THOSE EXPLOSIONS \h\h\h\hLARGE ENOUGH

\h\h\h\hTO CAUSE THE BUILDING TO COLLAPSE SO UNEXPECTEDLY?

\h\hFRANK AND CHRISTIAN NEED PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

\h\h\h\h\h\hIF THEY ARE TO PROVE THEIR THEORY,

\h\h\hAND THAT IS LYING IN THE REMAINING RUBBLE

OF THE TWIN TOWERS.

UP UNTIL NOW,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFRANK AND CHRISTIAN HAVE COLLABORATED LONG DISTANCE.

NOW AT A MEMORIAL

\h\h\h\hFOR THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON 9/11,

THEY MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSimensen: THE VIEW IS BEAUTIFUL.

Greening: IT SURE IS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT’S SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE ABOUT MY AGE.

I WAS BORN IN 1947.

Simensen: MARIANNE SIMONE.

JENNIFER LYNN.

STEPHEN GERARD SILLER.

Greening: TO ME, THE AMAZING \h\hTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED

\h\hIN THE COLLAPSE OF THE TWIN TOWERS

\h\h\h\h\hWAS YOU HAD ALL THESE INGREDIENTS

\h\h\hTHAT WERE THROWN TOGETHER, THAT HAD A TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCE.

YOU HAD ALUMINUM THAT WAS-- \h\h\h\h\h\hBECAME MOLTEN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU HAD WATER, AND THEN YOU HAD THE CATALYSTS.

YOU HAD IRON OXIDE. \h\hYOU HAD GYPSUM.

YOU HAD CRUSHED CONCRETE.

THOSE ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS \h\hFOR A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.

Narrator: PROOF FOR THEIR CLAIMS CAN ONLY LIE

\hIN THE REMAINING RUBBLE OF THE COLLAPSED TOWERS,

BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE DEBRIS \h\h\h\hWAS PUT INTO LANDFILL.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHAT REMAINS IS NOW IN THE POSSESSION

OF THE NEW YORK PORT AUTHORITY.

\h\h\h\h\hIF THERE WAS AN ALUMINUM EXPLOSION,

THEN THE DEBRIS WILL CONTAIN

\h\hTHE TELL-TALE DROPLETS OF EXPLODED ALUMINUM OXIDE.

\h\h\h\h\h"MISSING EVIDENCE" APPROACHED THE PORT AUTHORITY

\h\h\h\h\hWITH A REQUEST TO SEARCH FOR THE ALLOY,

BUT THE AUTHORITY REFUSED ACCESS TO ANY MATERIAL FROM THE SITE.

\h\h\hSOMEDAY FRANK AND CHRISTIAN HOPE TO FULLY TEST THEIR THEORY,

BUT UNTIL THE PORT AUTHORITY

\h\h\h\h\h\hGIVES ACCESS TO THE REMAINING DEBRIS,

THE TRUTH MAY NEVER BE KNOWN.

\h"MISSING EVIDENCE" ALSO APPROACHED NIST,

\h\hTHE BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OFFICIAL REPORT,

\h\hTO COMMENT ON FRANK AND CHRISTIAN’S THEORY.

NIST STOOD BY THEIR CLAIMS

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD DISINTEGRATED ON IMPACT.

ANY MOLTEN ALUMINUM, THEY SAID,

WOULD HAVE FLOWED DOWNWARD AND QUICKLY RE-SOLIDIFIED.

AT THE TIME OF THE COLLAPSE, \h\h\h\h\hNO LIQUID ALUMINUM

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO REACT WITH WATER.

FRANK IS DISAPPOINTED WITH NIST’S RESPONSE.

VIDEO EVIDENCE CLEARLY SHOWS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA MOLTEN METAL

POURING FROM THE SOUTH TOWER MOMENTS BEFORE THE COLLAPSE.

\h\h\hGreening: JUST BEHIND THIS STREAM IN THE BUILDING

IS, IS THE AIRCRAFT,

AND IT’S SITTING RIGHT IN THE FIRE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY HOT,

AND THERE’S CERTAINLY ENOUGH \hHEAT TO MELT THE ALUMINUM.

\h\h\hNarrator: NIST’S RESPONSE CONTRADICTS THE VISUAL EVIDENCE

\hAND THE CONCLUSIONS OF THEIR OWN REPORT.

IN A CRUCIAL PARAGRAPH,

THEY STATE THAT THE LIKELY SOURCE OF THE MOLTEN METAL

SEEN IN THE SEVEN MINUTES \h\h\hBEFORE THE COLLAPSE

WAS ALUMINUM FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

Greening: I AGREE WITH NIST

THAT THIS IS MOST PROBABLY \h\h\h\h\hMOLTEN ALUMINUM.

WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THAT NIST \h\h\hJUST SAY, "THERE IT IS,"

AND SEE NO FURTHER SIGNIFICANCE.

\h\h\h\h\hI SAY THIS IS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT.

\h\h\hNarrator: FRANK BELIEVES THAT THE FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE

\h\hTHE ROLE OF MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN THE COLLAPSE OF BOTH TOWERS

IS A CRITICAL FAILURE \h\h\hOF THE REPORT,

ONE WHICH HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO OUTLANDISH CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

ONLY THE PRESENCE OF ALUMINUM \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEXPLAINS

THE MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS HEARD BEFORE THE TOWERS COLLAPSED.

\h\h\hGrillo: THERE WAS A HEAVY-DUTY EXPLOSION.

\hJohnston: THE THIRD EXPLOSION, THE WHOLE LOBBY COLLAPSED ON US.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGrillo: THIS GUY’S STILL TRAPPED.

WE COULDN’T GET TO HIM.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: UNTIL SAMPLES OF THE AIRCRAFT

ARE IDENTIFIED AND ANALYZED, \hFRANK AND CHRISTIAN BELIEVE

THAT THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS \h\h\h\h\hWILL NEVER GO AWAY.

Greening: THERE WAS 60 TONS \h\h\hOF AIRCRAFT MISSING.

\h\h\hWITHOUT THAT, YOU’RE NEVER GONNA,

\h\h\h\h\h\hUH, REACH, UH, A DEFINITIVE ANSWER

AS TO WHAT CAUSED THOSE TOWERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO COLLAPSE.

Narrator: THOSE WHO LOST \h\h\hFRIENDS AND FAMILY

\h\h\hDESERVE TO KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMcGuire: OUT OF THE 343 FIREFIGHTERS WE LOST,

\hOVER 40 OF THEM WERE PERSONAL FRIENDS, AND ONE WAS MY NEPHEW.

I THINK IF THEY DID HAVE \h\h\h\h\hAN INQUIRY, UM,

REGARDING WHAT REALLY HAPPENED \hAND WHAT CAUSED THE COLLAPSE,

I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT,

ESPECIALLY IF IT WOULD SHUT UP \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHESE IMBECILES

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT BELIEVE IN A CONSPIRACY THEORY.

\h\h\h\h\hGreening: IN SCIENCE, THERE’S A VERY USEFUL PRINCIPLE

CALLED OCCAM’S RAZOR, WHICH SAYS

THAT IN DEVELOPING A THEORY, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hKEEP IT SIMPLE.

I BELIEVE THAT IN THE CASE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER,

WE HAD MOLTEN ALUMINUM, \h\h\h\hWE HAD A FIRE,

\h\hWE HAD EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO CREATE A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION

AND BRING DOWN THE BUILDINGS.

THAT’S THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND I BELIEVE IT’S THE CORRECT SOLUTION.

YOU WILL NEVER SORT OUT \h\h\h\h\hWHAT HAPPENED

\hUNTIL YOU INCLUDE MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN YOUR ANALYSIS.