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WILLIAM SHATNER:
Dogs that can detect deadly diseases.
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Birds that can escape disasters...
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days before they occur.
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And horses that
actually have the ability
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to read our minds.
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Are humans really
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the kings of the animal kingdom?
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We'd like to believe we are.
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After all, we have language,
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create art... music...
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and have invented
incredible technologies.
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But what about animals?
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Some of them have abilities that make us
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seem primitive by comparison.
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And not only don't we
possess those abilities,
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we don't even understand how they work.
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Well, that is...
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what we'll try and find out.
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? ?
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For centuries,
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mankind has had a unique
relationship with horses.
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A horse and its rider can
often form a unique bond...
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so strong that they eventually
become attuned
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to each other's wants and needs.
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And there are those, who like myself,
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spend so much time around horses
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that they start to ask themselves...
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can this animal
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actually read my mind?
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From the famed Mongol riders
of Genghis Khan...
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to the charging cavalries
of the American Civil War,
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horses have long been
a powerful force in combat.
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Horses have a unique combination
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of strength and speed
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that we don't see in other animals.
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Their muscles are massive.
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The bones of the spine, along the back,
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the upper leg bones are fairly strong,
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so their super structure
is pretty substantial.
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And the horse's heart
and the horse's lungs
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are relatively large
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compared to other animals.
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So they are doing things
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that no other animal can do,
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because no other animal is built
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as big with such fine tolerance.
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Horses, because they have these
precocious physical abilities,
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become the central part of so many
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different empires'
movement into history.
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In modern times, horses are associated
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with the Wild West frontier.
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They're associated with
the indigenous peoples,
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who were master horsemen.
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And this is a good example of how
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horses and humans bond endlessly.
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SHATNER:
But as people who train
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and ride horses will tell you,
it isn't only
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the horse's strength and speed
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that makes it so unique.
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It is their incredible ability
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to form an almost psychic connection...
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with humans.
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The United States Marines
unveil a statue
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dedicated to a Korean War hero
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who earned two Purple Hearts
for her service.
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But this was no ordinary hero.
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This hero...
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-was a horse.
-(applause and cheering)
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Sergeant Reckless was a Mongolian mare,
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who in the Korean War, became a legend.
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She would live in the infantry camp,
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and they would let her run free,
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and she would walk around.
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But then she became most notable
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because of the Battle of Outpost Vegas,
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where she made 51 unaccompanied trips
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to the front lines and back,
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carrying ammunition,
carrying wounded soldiers back.
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And not being led by people.
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One of the special qualities
she had was to become close
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to the men, and she took many chances
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alone, without humans.
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It's one of the finest examples
of the human-horse bond.
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She was very bonded to the
individuals whom she was
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working with and thus went
beyond the call of duty.
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And that is what makes her
one of the great,
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great horses in history.
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SHATNER:
A horse courageously charging into battle
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carrying wounded men on her back...
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by herself?
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And without a rider?
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Is it possible that Sergeant
Reckless knew what she was
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needed to do because she
could read the soldiers' minds?
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There are many horse owners
and trainers who believe
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the notion is not
as far-fetched as it sounds.
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A lot of people will say that
horses mirror the people
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that they're with and I
think there is a lot to that.
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Horses don't put themselves first.
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They put themselves
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as part of a group, as part of a...
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a group of horses
or a group of horse riders.
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If a horse has a bond to the human,
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the horse is constantly getting
communication from the human,
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whether it's our heartbeat racing,
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whether it's our facial expressions,
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whether it's our breath.
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They're very sensitive to their
environment and to verbal cues.
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And so that may be why people
thought it was telepathic
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at that time because they weren't aware
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of the sensitivity of a horse
to its environment.
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And in the sensitivity
of a horse to pick up
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on the cues that humans give off.
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SHATNER:
Was Sergeant Reckless guided by training?
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Instinct?
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Or some kind of strange telepathy?
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In her case, we may never know,
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as Reckless passed away in 1968.
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And although urbanization has
made interaction between horses
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and humans an increasingly
rare occurrence,
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there is at least one area
where the unique bond
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between the two species can
be more closely investigated...
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JOAN BLANK:
That's really good.
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SHATNER:
...equine therapy.
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You're very thorough.
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I love it.
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(laughs)
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I describe equine therapy as a way
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to use horses to help people
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that need physical
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or emotional assistance.
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There you go, perfect.
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When a human adult, for example,
is in a stress situation,
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horses know this.
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Horses are excellent
at securing our trust.
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And in a therapy situation,
that is ideal for letting
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the human begin to express
himself or herself
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-as much as possible.
-Now throw your leg over.
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And like a cowboy, perfect!
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SHATNER:
Today, 15% of United States military veterans
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return home with post-traumatic
stress disorder, known as PTSD.
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Symptoms may include everything
from insomnia to psychosis.
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Fortunately, organizations such
as Dream Catcher of Los Angeles
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have proven effective
at using equine therapy
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to ease a veteran's too often
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difficult transition
back to normal life.
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BLANK:
Bring your hands forward.
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There you go.
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-Walk on.
-BLANK: All right!
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So Dream Catcher got started
about 11 years ago.
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What I thought would be
maybe one or two horses
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became ten and at one point 12,
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and serving over 200 people a-a week.
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And with veterans that come to us
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with severe trauma, PTSD.
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Walk, walk on.
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BLANK:
There you go!
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The horrors of war never leave you.
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For me, it was a combat PTSD.
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I used to have really vivid nightmares.
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I had some substance abuses years ago.
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I was lost.
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ABBIE JOHNSON:
When I got out of the military,
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Dream Catcher was the first place I saw,
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and they welcomed me with open arms.
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It was probably one of the first times
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since I got out that I felt
like I could trust somebody,
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even if it was a thousand-pound horse.
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I started out with Tristan
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and he just understood me.
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We clicked.
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I think he knew that I could
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barely be outside by myself
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without looking behind my back.
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We started off brushing the
horses and cleaning them up and
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I feel more pleased around the horses.
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I feel like I can be
a little more relaxed,
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'cause apparently when you're
a little stressed about it,
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they tend to sense that
emotion and perhaps also be
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just as tense, if not more.
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Whoa!
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I feel like we've created
some type of little bond.
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Good job.
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Good boy.
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The thing about equine therapy horses
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that makes them so good at it,
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they're tremendous at picking up cues
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that we're not even aware of.
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Horses have a very wide range of vision,
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so they can pick up
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in a 270-degree field around them.
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But they'll also note how
that being is approaching them.
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If it's calm or if it's aggressive,
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if it's moving quick.
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They'll hear, they'll listen.
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They'll turn their ears
towards whatever it is
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to try to pick up sounds.
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Thank you for letting me ride you.
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I appreciate you.
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Did you want to kiss me?
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You want to get close?
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PAGE:
We've been shot at, blown up,
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screamed at.
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Seen dying brothers and sisters.
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I've seen horses take
chances on some veterans
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that I knew were in some
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very questionable
psychological states...
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Josie, how you doing?
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PAGE:
...so I have to say that might be
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God's divinity on how He allows
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these animals to interact with us.
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WALDAU:
They read our body language,
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and often know what
we're feeling before we do.
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They know when we're tense,
they know when we're relaxing,
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they know when we're
breathing differently.
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So in a colloquial sense we'd say,
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"Yes, they can read our mind."
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SHATNER:
Horses...
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reading our minds?
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Anticipating our needs
by sensing our emotions?
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Could such a profound notion
even be possible?
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Perhaps the answer can be found
in examining how one animal
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in particular can possess
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the ability to know when a human
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is dangerously ill...
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before they do.
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SHATNER:
47-year-old Stephanie Herfel
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experiences a sharp pain
in her lower abdomen.
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She rushes to the hospital,
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where doctors perform
a series of emergency tests.
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A few anxious hours later,
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Stephanie receives her diagnosis.
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She has a cyst on her ovaries.
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According to the doctors,
it is completely harmless.
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She's sent home with a prescription
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for pain medication and told to rest.
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But unbeknownst to both
Stephanie and her doctors
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is a disturbing fact:
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her condition is far
more serious than anyone knows.
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I thought, I'll be back to
normal, living my normal life,
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and that just was not the case.
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-(Sierra sniffing)
-My Siberian husky Sierra
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put her nose on my belly very intently,
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-and I scolded her.
-(Sierra whines)
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And she went and hid in the back closet.
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And just the expression on her
face really touched at my heart.
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There was some sort of connection
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between the two of us that was
happening in that moment.
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And I thought,
"Well, maybe I need to follow up
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with a doctor just to make sure
everything's okay with me."
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SHATNER:
It was a decision that would save Stephanie's life,
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because after she underwent more tests,
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it was determined
that what was originally thought
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to be a benign cyst
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was actually stage 3 ovarian cancer.
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It was just a kind of
a numbing particular moment
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in my life and very, very dark.
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And I just kept thinking
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about what Sierra had just done for me.
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DAVID KUSHNER:
Unfortunately, with ovarian cancer,
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the symptoms are really subtle,
and they go on for months.
261
00:12:45,315 --> 00:12:46,185
So, oftentimes, people will go
from doctor to doctor
262
00:12:46,285 --> 00:12:49,255
to doctor and not get this diagnosed.
263
00:12:49,354 --> 00:12:52,057
In her case, that was really
shortened by the fact
264
00:12:52,157 --> 00:12:55,393
that her dog had noticed
something wrong.
265
00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:56,469
SHATNER:
Stephanie immediately
266
00:12:56,500 --> 00:12:58,169
began lifesaving treatment
267
00:12:58,269 --> 00:13:00,338
that put her cancer into remission.
268
00:13:00,438 --> 00:13:02,139
But how was it
269
00:13:02,238 --> 00:13:05,608
that Sierra was able
to detect Stephanie's cancer
270
00:13:05,709 --> 00:13:08,845
when experienced doctors
using sophisticated labs
271
00:13:08,945 --> 00:13:11,949
and advanced equipment missed it?
272
00:13:14,017 --> 00:13:17,888
Dogs have an incredible sense
of smell, far beyond the human.
273
00:13:17,988 --> 00:13:21,324
They can detect down
to parts per trillion.
274
00:13:21,425 --> 00:13:23,294
So what's parts per trillion?
275
00:13:23,395 --> 00:13:25,630
If us humans can detect
a spoonful of sugar
276
00:13:25,729 --> 00:13:28,865
in a cup of tea, a dog would be
able to detect the equivalent
277
00:13:28,966 --> 00:13:31,002
in the volume of water held
278
00:13:31,102 --> 00:13:33,299
in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
279
00:13:33,300 --> 00:13:36,069
Over the last ten to 15 years,
we've understood more
280
00:13:36,170 --> 00:13:38,906
and more about cancer,
and the fact that it has
281
00:13:39,006 --> 00:13:41,708
its own unique smell of disease.
282
00:13:41,808 --> 00:13:43,678
So what we believe and understand
283
00:13:43,778 --> 00:13:45,346
is that dogs are finding
284
00:13:45,447 --> 00:13:48,482
different volatile
organic compounds-- VOCs--
285
00:13:48,582 --> 00:13:51,351
that are associated
with these disease changes.
286
00:13:51,452 --> 00:13:53,922
TRAVIS TAYLOR:
Volatile organic compounds,
287
00:13:54,021 --> 00:13:56,756
often called VOC-- V.O.C.--
288
00:13:56,856 --> 00:14:00,126
are organic molecules that,
in a gaseous form, can make you
289
00:14:00,226 --> 00:14:01,730
pass out or make you sick.
290
00:14:01,830 --> 00:14:04,499
It could even be deadly,
depending on which VOC it is.
291
00:14:04,598 --> 00:14:07,334
And a pet could certainly smell that.
292
00:14:07,434 --> 00:14:09,971
SHATNER:
For Stephanie, it didn't matter
293
00:14:10,072 --> 00:14:13,374
where Sierra's cancer-detecting
ability came from.
294
00:14:13,473 --> 00:14:15,399
She was just grateful that it worked.
295
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:16,834
RUPERT SHELDRAKE:
It's hard to understand
296
00:14:16,934 --> 00:14:20,138
how Sierra could have done this, because
297
00:14:20,238 --> 00:14:22,538
you can train dogs to detect cancer,
298
00:14:22,539 --> 00:14:24,775
but you have to tell them
what cancer smells like
299
00:14:24,876 --> 00:14:26,278
in the first place.
300
00:14:26,377 --> 00:14:28,845
And how Sierra could have known
that this
301
00:14:28,947 --> 00:14:31,583
was cancer, compared
with all the other smells
302
00:14:31,683 --> 00:14:35,721
that every human body emits
is very hard to know.
303
00:14:35,820 --> 00:14:38,622
There's another level of things
we don't understand,
304
00:14:38,723 --> 00:14:41,826
and I think that Sierra is
tapping into that.
305
00:14:41,927 --> 00:14:44,763
-I love you.
-(whines)
306
00:14:44,862 --> 00:14:46,597
I love you.
307
00:14:46,698 --> 00:14:49,367
If it wasn't for what she did,
I wouldn't be here today.
308
00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,068
SHATNER:
What allowed an untrained dog
309
00:14:51,168 --> 00:14:56,206
like Sierra to detect
potentially fatal cancers?
310
00:14:56,307 --> 00:15:00,644
Was it her sense of smell,
as many scientists believe?
311
00:15:00,745 --> 00:15:03,047
Or could it have been
an even more powerful
312
00:15:03,148 --> 00:15:06,384
and mysterious sixth sense,
313
00:15:06,484 --> 00:15:09,586
something humans
don't currently understand?
314
00:15:09,687 --> 00:15:12,557
Perhaps the answer can be found
in the extraordinary way
315
00:15:12,657 --> 00:15:16,461
a dog remained psychically
connected to its owner
316
00:15:16,561 --> 00:15:19,730
long after its owner's death.
317
00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,471
SHATNER:
For the past six years, John Gray has patrolled
318
00:15:29,571 --> 00:15:34,109
the city's cold, lamplit streets
as a night watchman.
319
00:15:34,210 --> 00:15:36,679
And every night, on his rounds,
he's been joined
320
00:15:36,778 --> 00:15:38,681
by an extraordinarily faithful
companion:
321
00:15:38,781 --> 00:15:42,917
-a Skye terrier named "Bobby."
-(barking)
322
00:15:43,018 --> 00:15:45,988
TONY BROONFORD:
Round about 1856,
323
00:15:46,088 --> 00:15:49,091
John Gray, or as he was
affectionally known in town,
324
00:15:49,191 --> 00:15:51,761
"Auld Jock," uh,
must have got a little dog,
325
00:15:51,860 --> 00:15:54,029
a Skye terrier which would
accompany him round about,
326
00:15:54,129 --> 00:15:56,932
on his beat, so to speak,
as he walked about town.
327
00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,436
ROGER EDWARDS:
And over the years,
328
00:15:59,536 --> 00:16:01,772
they became inseparable companions,
329
00:16:01,871 --> 00:16:03,440
devoted to each other.
330
00:16:03,541 --> 00:16:07,344
After a few years, sadly,
John Gray died,
331
00:16:07,443 --> 00:16:09,946
and he was buried
in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
332
00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:12,982
BROONFORD:
Now Bobby was a very
333
00:16:13,082 --> 00:16:15,052
loyal dog, and Bobby
334
00:16:15,152 --> 00:16:17,153
decided to stay at his master's grave
335
00:16:17,254 --> 00:16:18,956
here in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
336
00:16:19,056 --> 00:16:21,791
The groundskeepers were
quite annoyed by this,
337
00:16:21,892 --> 00:16:23,861
and they did try
to chase him away a few times.
338
00:16:23,961 --> 00:16:27,196
However, he was a determined
little dog and stayed here.
339
00:16:27,297 --> 00:16:29,466
Bobby became very famous in town.
340
00:16:29,566 --> 00:16:31,502
People used to come
and try and watch him,
341
00:16:31,601 --> 00:16:34,605
nicknaming him "Greyfriars Bobby,"
342
00:16:34,705 --> 00:16:36,840
and Bobby stayed at his master's grave
343
00:16:36,940 --> 00:16:40,244
for 14 years, until eventually,
he passed away,
344
00:16:40,344 --> 00:16:42,913
and is now buried
in this very graveyard.
345
00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:45,637
EDWARDS:
What was the bond
346
00:16:45,737 --> 00:16:47,671
between John Gray and Bobby
347
00:16:47,772 --> 00:16:50,775
that made this dog sit
on the grave for so long?
348
00:16:50,874 --> 00:16:52,443
You would think that a dog
349
00:16:52,544 --> 00:16:54,679
that lost its master might actually,
350
00:16:54,778 --> 00:16:56,847
after a few days,
maybe after a few weeks,
351
00:16:56,948 --> 00:16:59,151
run off and find somewhere else to live.
352
00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:03,921
But something drew Bobby
back to his master's grave.
353
00:17:05,690 --> 00:17:07,959
They always say that dogs
are incredibly perceptive,
354
00:17:08,058 --> 00:17:10,627
and they can see and hear things
that humans can't.
355
00:17:10,729 --> 00:17:14,065
I actually like to think
that Greyfriars Bobby,
356
00:17:14,164 --> 00:17:17,101
when he sat on the grave,
could actually see
357
00:17:17,201 --> 00:17:19,804
maybe the spiritual form of his master.
358
00:17:19,903 --> 00:17:21,705
And that was what was keeping him there
359
00:17:21,806 --> 00:17:22,299
on the grave for so many years.
360
00:17:22,300 --> 00:17:24,168
CHARMAIN LEITCH:
When I first heard the story
361
00:17:24,269 --> 00:17:26,471
of Greyfriars Bobby,
I was really touched by it.
362
00:17:26,571 --> 00:17:30,007
I think I saw Greyfriars Bobby
as a member of the family.
363
00:17:30,108 --> 00:17:31,676
It was quite a heartwarming story
364
00:17:31,775 --> 00:17:34,077
that the dog was still loyal
to its owner
365
00:17:34,177 --> 00:17:36,581
even though the owner had passed away.
366
00:17:37,982 --> 00:17:40,151
SHATNER:
If dogs are able
367
00:17:40,251 --> 00:17:43,054
to smell cancer and see the dead,
368
00:17:43,154 --> 00:17:45,723
could they also have other senses
369
00:17:45,822 --> 00:17:48,658
that we're only just beginning
to discover?
370
00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,563
There are both dog owners
and scientists alike
371
00:17:51,663 --> 00:17:54,599
who believe the answer is "yes."
372
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,968
And they also insist
that we are surrounded
373
00:17:57,069 --> 00:18:00,138
by animals who possess abilities
374
00:18:00,238 --> 00:18:04,242
that are even more incredible.
375
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,569
SHATNER:
Marine biologist Nan Hauser
376
00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:28,372
is diving in an area
377
00:18:28,471 --> 00:18:31,374
filled with migrating groups
of humpback whales.
378
00:18:31,475 --> 00:18:34,044
-(whale vocalizes)
-She's in the middle
379
00:18:34,144 --> 00:18:37,949
of collecting routine data
about these whales
380
00:18:38,048 --> 00:18:41,318
when an enormous shape swims
toward her from the depths.
381
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,603
HAUSER:
It was just another day out on the water.
382
00:18:45,703 --> 00:18:48,638
I saw the two whales, and one of them,
383
00:18:48,738 --> 00:18:51,408
I started to swim towards a little bit,
384
00:18:51,509 --> 00:18:54,478
and he started to swim
towards me, which was fine.
385
00:18:54,578 --> 00:18:56,981
I thought he was just going
to go past me.
386
00:18:58,415 --> 00:19:00,184
But he didn't go past me.
387
00:19:00,283 --> 00:19:02,820
He came right up against me.
388
00:19:05,455 --> 00:19:08,359
Right up to the point
where I put my hand out,
389
00:19:08,458 --> 00:19:10,126
not to touch him,
390
00:19:10,226 --> 00:19:13,930
but to push myself away from him.
391
00:19:15,700 --> 00:19:17,401
SHATNER:
The gigantic humpback--
392
00:19:17,502 --> 00:19:19,805
estimated to be around 50 feet long--
393
00:19:19,905 --> 00:19:22,541
began to nudge Hauser
394
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,109
with its nose.
395
00:19:24,209 --> 00:19:27,278
It pushed her
with its enormous pectoral fins,
396
00:19:27,379 --> 00:19:29,781
and even rolled her on its belly,
397
00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,486
before finally turning over
to bring Hauser to the surface.
398
00:19:34,587 --> 00:19:38,190
(Hauser laughs)
399
00:19:38,290 --> 00:19:40,959
HAUSER:
Next thing I know, I'm sitting on his head.
400
00:19:41,059 --> 00:19:43,161
I'm thinking,
"Okay, what's he gonna do?"
401
00:19:43,262 --> 00:19:45,097
If he goes like that, I'm dead.
402
00:19:45,196 --> 00:19:47,832
If he takes his pec fin,
if he takes his tail fluke.
403
00:19:47,933 --> 00:19:49,334
(water gurgling)
404
00:19:49,434 --> 00:19:51,437
And you have to remember, we're talking
405
00:19:51,536 --> 00:19:54,472
about an animal
that's the size of a school bus.
406
00:19:56,908 --> 00:19:59,043
I sort of, just gently
tried to get away,
407
00:19:59,143 --> 00:20:00,678
but he won't let me get away.
408
00:20:00,779 --> 00:20:02,314
So I'm on his head,
409
00:20:02,414 --> 00:20:05,017
and he flips over, and
at this point, I'm on his chin.
410
00:20:05,117 --> 00:20:08,000
And, um, I'm thinking
I'm gonna get away, but he...
411
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,534
Nope, he turns right around,
412
00:20:09,634 --> 00:20:12,771
and he keeps trying to tuck me
under his pectoral fin.
413
00:20:16,273 --> 00:20:19,878
He had his eye next to me
414
00:20:19,977 --> 00:20:22,046
over and over and over again.
415
00:20:22,147 --> 00:20:26,451
That was the most intense part
of the entire encounter.
416
00:20:26,551 --> 00:20:29,920
There's a word in the English
417
00:20:30,021 --> 00:20:31,623
language called "opia,"
418
00:20:31,724 --> 00:20:34,525
and it's when you stare
into someone's eye,
419
00:20:34,627 --> 00:20:38,196
and you feel an emotion
that's very strong.
420
00:20:38,295 --> 00:20:40,599
Well, this was an emotion
421
00:20:40,698 --> 00:20:45,403
of curiosity and love, and...
422
00:20:45,503 --> 00:20:47,872
it looked like he was trying
to tell me something.
423
00:20:49,574 --> 00:20:51,575
SHATNER:
After about ten minutes,
424
00:20:51,676 --> 00:20:54,946
the whale swam off, allowing
Hauser to return to her boat.
425
00:20:55,045 --> 00:20:59,250
And that's when Hauser realized
why the humpback may have taken
426
00:20:59,350 --> 00:21:01,020
such a strong interest in her.
427
00:21:03,687 --> 00:21:05,756
WOMAN:
Well, come on the boat.
428
00:21:05,857 --> 00:21:08,226
It never occurred to me
that he was pushing me away
429
00:21:08,327 --> 00:21:09,528
from potential danger.
430
00:21:09,628 --> 00:21:10,599
SHATNER:
Growing to nearly 20 feet
431
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,302
and weighing as much as a ton,
432
00:21:12,403 --> 00:21:15,473
tiger sharks are one of the most
feared predators in the ocean,
433
00:21:15,572 --> 00:21:17,175
and for good reason.
434
00:21:17,274 --> 00:21:18,843
Since 2010,
435
00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:20,912
experts believe tiger sharks
have been responsible
436
00:21:21,012 --> 00:21:23,782
for nearly two dozen human attacks,
437
00:21:23,881 --> 00:21:26,349
ten of which were fatal.
438
00:21:26,451 --> 00:21:29,954
Is it possible
the presence of a tiger shark
439
00:21:30,054 --> 00:21:33,690
motivated the whale's
interaction with Hauser?
440
00:21:33,791 --> 00:21:37,628
Was it trying to save her life?
441
00:21:37,728 --> 00:21:39,730
She was tail slapping,
442
00:21:39,830 --> 00:21:42,900
and I looked, and it was undoubtedly
443
00:21:43,001 --> 00:21:45,036
a big, fat tiger shark
444
00:21:45,136 --> 00:21:47,004
coming right for me.
445
00:21:47,105 --> 00:21:49,206
(excited chatter)
446
00:21:49,307 --> 00:21:51,476
(laughter)
447
00:21:51,576 --> 00:21:54,412
I'm sorry. I love you, too.
448
00:21:54,512 --> 00:21:56,880
I love you, too. I do.
449
00:21:56,981 --> 00:21:58,399
I love you.
450
00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:59,635
Humpback whales have
451
00:21:59,735 --> 00:22:02,339
a very strong antipredator response
452
00:22:02,438 --> 00:22:06,041
in which they try to protect
their young from predators.
453
00:22:06,141 --> 00:22:09,844
And there have been a number
of documented cases
454
00:22:09,945 --> 00:22:11,146
all around the world
455
00:22:11,246 --> 00:22:13,883
of humpbacks not only trying to protect
456
00:22:13,983 --> 00:22:15,184
their own young
457
00:22:15,283 --> 00:22:18,286
but actually protecting other species.
458
00:22:18,387 --> 00:22:21,523
There's many cases
where whales and dolphins
459
00:22:21,624 --> 00:22:24,527
will actually rescue humans
from shark attacks and drownings
460
00:22:24,627 --> 00:22:25,962
and other things like that.
461
00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:27,569
There's an interesting story
in New Zealand
462
00:22:27,670 --> 00:22:29,438
where a group of lifeguards
463
00:22:29,537 --> 00:22:33,008
were actually approached
by a great white shark.
464
00:22:34,576 --> 00:22:36,944
And a pod of dolphins
465
00:22:37,045 --> 00:22:39,515
came in and actually formed
a protective ring
466
00:22:39,614 --> 00:22:42,785
around the lifeguards to protect them.
467
00:22:42,884 --> 00:22:45,587
The question is why would they
be motivated to do this?
468
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,401
ABRAHMS
We don't know why that behavior exists,
469
00:22:48,503 --> 00:22:50,605
but there are a number
of different hypotheses.
470
00:22:50,705 --> 00:22:55,243
One of those hypotheses
is that it's altruism.
471
00:22:57,245 --> 00:22:59,881
SHATNER:
Altruism? Could that be
472
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:03,850
what compels whales,
dolphins and other sea creatures
473
00:23:03,950 --> 00:23:06,755
to come to the aid of humans?
474
00:23:06,854 --> 00:23:08,489
If true,
475
00:23:08,590 --> 00:23:13,461
it almost sounds like
something a human would do.
476
00:23:13,561 --> 00:23:17,999
This animal was telling me
by the look in his eye
477
00:23:18,099 --> 00:23:21,068
to let him protect me.
478
00:23:21,168 --> 00:23:23,871
This animal pushed me back to the boat
479
00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:26,208
and made sure I was on board.
480
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,536
WHITEHEAD:
The interesting thing about whales
481
00:23:32,635 --> 00:23:34,270
is that they're highly intelligent,
482
00:23:34,371 --> 00:23:36,407
and there's a lot of commonality
483
00:23:36,507 --> 00:23:38,608
being demonstrated in modern research
484
00:23:38,708 --> 00:23:40,811
between whales and humans.
485
00:23:40,911 --> 00:23:42,746
Could it be
that we should start thinking
486
00:23:42,845 --> 00:23:46,116
about these animals as a level
487
00:23:46,217 --> 00:23:50,054
of personhood in a way
that could be given to them?
488
00:23:51,650 --> 00:23:53,686
TOK THOMPSON:
If you do something nice,
489
00:23:53,786 --> 00:23:55,353
it's a humane thing to do.
490
00:23:55,453 --> 00:23:58,123
Uh, but what happens when
a dolphin does something nice?
491
00:23:58,224 --> 00:23:59,258
Is it still a humane thing to do?
492
00:23:59,357 --> 00:24:00,892
Is that a word we should use?
493
00:24:00,993 --> 00:24:02,799
Or is it more of a dolphin thing to do?
494
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,568
ABRAHMS:
There was a really interesting study
495
00:24:04,668 --> 00:24:05,968
that was done a few years ago
496
00:24:06,069 --> 00:24:07,803
that demonstrated that killer whales
497
00:24:07,903 --> 00:24:10,573
learned to vocalize
with bottlenose dolphins
498
00:24:10,673 --> 00:24:14,243
in order to interact with them,
which suggests that some animals
499
00:24:14,343 --> 00:24:17,546
can learn to develop
the language of other species
500
00:24:17,647 --> 00:24:20,451
in order to facilitate
social interactions.
501
00:24:20,551 --> 00:24:23,986
THOMPSON:
The idea of learning another species' language
502
00:24:24,086 --> 00:24:26,722
is just cutting-edge
in academic thought.
503
00:24:26,823 --> 00:24:28,824
And yet other species
have been doing this
504
00:24:28,925 --> 00:24:30,494
for presumably millions of years.
505
00:24:30,593 --> 00:24:32,696
Science is becoming aware
506
00:24:32,795 --> 00:24:36,131
that animals are much more thoughtful,
507
00:24:36,232 --> 00:24:38,669
inventive and have much more
of an inner life
508
00:24:38,768 --> 00:24:41,804
than we ever gave them credit for.
509
00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:44,537
SHATNER:
We humans have always perceived ourselves
510
00:24:44,636 --> 00:24:47,940
to be separate from the rest
of the animal kingdom.
511
00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:50,174
We like to think we are intelligent,
512
00:24:50,275 --> 00:24:52,945
noble, righteous and moral
513
00:24:53,045 --> 00:24:56,148
in ways that animals are not.
514
00:24:56,248 --> 00:24:57,549
(Hauser laughs)
515
00:24:57,650 --> 00:25:00,386
And yet does the story
of Nan Hauser's encounter
516
00:25:00,486 --> 00:25:04,323
with a humpback whale
indicate otherwise?
517
00:25:04,422 --> 00:25:08,326
Perhaps a clue can be found
by examining an animal
518
00:25:08,426 --> 00:25:10,761
that not only has
an incredible homing sense
519
00:25:10,863 --> 00:25:15,067
but also has the ability
to anticipate disaster
520
00:25:15,166 --> 00:25:18,303
before it happens.
521
00:25:35,100 --> 00:25:36,367
In many cultures,
522
00:25:36,467 --> 00:25:37,869
the appearance of a certain type of bird
523
00:25:37,969 --> 00:25:39,537
at a specific time
524
00:25:39,638 --> 00:25:43,041
can signify either good
or bad things to come.
525
00:25:43,141 --> 00:25:45,243
And while this may seem like
a far-fetched noon
526
00:25:45,343 --> 00:25:47,979
that belongs in the realm of folklore,
527
00:25:48,079 --> 00:25:50,214
one group of scientists
recently discovered
528
00:25:50,315 --> 00:25:52,417
that some birds
actually have the ability
529
00:25:52,517 --> 00:25:57,022
to warn us of natural disasters
before they happen.
530
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,204
University of Toledo biologist
Dr. Henry Streby and his team
531
00:26:07,305 --> 00:26:08,939
are studying a species of songbird
532
00:26:09,039 --> 00:26:11,509
called golden-winged warblers.
533
00:26:12,510 --> 00:26:15,645
It's well-known that the tiny birds,
534
00:26:15,745 --> 00:26:17,213
small as your thumb,
535
00:26:17,314 --> 00:26:18,649
migrate thousands of miles
536
00:26:18,749 --> 00:26:22,318
to the Tennessee forests
every year to mate.
537
00:26:22,418 --> 00:26:25,889
But no one could figure out
where they went afterward.
538
00:26:25,990 --> 00:26:29,793
So the scientists devise a way
539
00:26:29,893 --> 00:26:31,261
to track them.
540
00:26:31,362 --> 00:26:33,831
STREBY:
We were trying to determine
541
00:26:33,931 --> 00:26:36,334
why these birds had to move.
542
00:26:36,433 --> 00:26:39,270
But when you have an animal
that's only nine grams,
543
00:26:39,369 --> 00:26:41,138
a GPS unit is too heavy.
544
00:26:41,239 --> 00:26:44,040
So we needed a very tiny tracking device
545
00:26:44,142 --> 00:26:45,976
called a light-level geolocator
546
00:26:46,076 --> 00:26:47,411
that these golden-winged warblers
547
00:26:47,510 --> 00:26:49,212
can carry throughout
their entire migration
548
00:26:49,312 --> 00:26:51,014
for a year.
549
00:26:51,115 --> 00:26:55,919
All they are is a computer chip
and a battery and a light sensor
550
00:26:56,019 --> 00:26:59,390
that can estimate approximately
where you are on the Earth.
551
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,002
SHATNER:
Dr. Streby and his team
552
00:27:02,103 --> 00:27:04,904
started tracking the birds
when they arrived in Tennessee
553
00:27:05,004 --> 00:27:06,940
at the beginning of their mating season,
554
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,977
which is supposed to last
for at least a month.
555
00:27:11,077 --> 00:27:14,382
But when they analyzed
the birds' location data,
556
00:27:14,481 --> 00:27:16,399
they realized that
something strange had happened.
557
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:17,668
STREBY:
These birds were settling
558
00:27:17,768 --> 00:27:19,337
into their breeding season
559
00:27:19,436 --> 00:27:21,906
for two weeks and then just left.
560
00:27:23,039 --> 00:27:25,742
That was unheard of.
561
00:27:25,843 --> 00:27:27,712
And then the question was why?
562
00:27:27,811 --> 00:27:29,746
We noticed this pattern
563
00:27:29,847 --> 00:27:31,816
where it seemed
as if they had backtracked
564
00:27:31,915 --> 00:27:34,985
to the Gulf Coast and even on to Cuba.
565
00:27:35,086 --> 00:27:37,722
And being good, skeptical scientists,
566
00:27:37,821 --> 00:27:39,991
we thought,
"Okay, how did we mess up?"
567
00:27:40,090 --> 00:27:41,458
So we started ruling out
568
00:27:41,558 --> 00:27:43,827
all these possible errors
in our analysis.
569
00:27:43,927 --> 00:27:45,962
We went through and meticulously checked
570
00:27:46,062 --> 00:27:47,564
each data point,
571
00:27:47,665 --> 00:27:52,302
and we couldn't find
anything that explained
572
00:27:52,403 --> 00:27:53,771
why these birds seem to have moved.
573
00:27:53,872 --> 00:27:57,575
SHATNER:
The warblers had mysteriously interrupted
574
00:27:57,674 --> 00:27:59,199
their mating season after only two weeks
575
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,036
to make a quick trip
almost a thousand miles south,
576
00:28:02,135 --> 00:28:05,038
only to return five days later
577
00:28:05,139 --> 00:28:07,241
as if nothing had happened.
578
00:28:07,341 --> 00:28:10,745
Dr. Streby and his team
were dumbfounded.
579
00:28:10,844 --> 00:28:12,113
Until they discovered
580
00:28:12,212 --> 00:28:15,782
that the birds knew something
that they didn't.
581
00:28:15,883 --> 00:28:17,684
We remembered that during that time,
582
00:28:17,785 --> 00:28:19,754
roughly in the middle
of when the birds were gone,
583
00:28:19,854 --> 00:28:22,189
a massive storm system
584
00:28:22,288 --> 00:28:24,758
from off the coast of the Carolinas
585
00:28:24,858 --> 00:28:26,993
blew through Central United States.
586
00:28:27,094 --> 00:28:28,828
And that's when we realized,
587
00:28:28,929 --> 00:28:30,331
aha, that's why they did this.
588
00:28:32,366 --> 00:28:36,099
SHATNER:
On April 27, a massive storm system
589
00:28:36,100 --> 00:28:39,037
swept through Tennessee
and the surrounding states.
590
00:28:39,137 --> 00:28:43,408
More than 80 tornadoes
touched down in the region,
591
00:28:43,509 --> 00:28:46,245
killing 35 people and causing
592
00:28:46,345 --> 00:28:48,948
$1 billion in damage.
593
00:28:50,081 --> 00:28:51,583
But amazingly,
594
00:28:51,684 --> 00:28:54,453
the golden warblers
were already on their way south,
595
00:28:54,552 --> 00:28:56,155
having left two days before the storms
596
00:28:56,254 --> 00:28:57,589
hit their mating area.
597
00:28:57,689 --> 00:29:00,291
And, as if that
wasn't incredible enough,
598
00:29:00,391 --> 00:29:02,460
when the warblers fled,
599
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,496
meteorologists
hadn't even identified yet
600
00:29:05,597 --> 00:29:06,599
the oncoming storm.
601
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,767
Now, the storm system has yet to form.
602
00:29:08,868 --> 00:29:10,870
The atmospheric pressure hasn't changed.
603
00:29:10,970 --> 00:29:12,471
The temperature hasn't changed.
604
00:29:12,572 --> 00:29:16,176
So what is occurring
that tells these birds
605
00:29:16,275 --> 00:29:18,144
that they shouldn't be there?
606
00:29:19,978 --> 00:29:22,649
We've done a lot of research,
but one thing we know for sure
607
00:29:22,748 --> 00:29:24,483
is that there's far more
that we don't know
608
00:29:24,583 --> 00:29:26,152
than there is that we do know.
609
00:29:26,253 --> 00:29:30,924
Birds see in a much different
wavelength than we do.
610
00:29:31,024 --> 00:29:33,560
They see all of our visual wavelengths,
611
00:29:33,660 --> 00:29:35,662
and they also see
in a tetrahedral color space,
612
00:29:35,763 --> 00:29:38,063
which is impossible to show a human,
613
00:29:38,163 --> 00:29:41,267
but it's sort of
a fourth dimension of color.
614
00:29:41,368 --> 00:29:45,105
Birds seem to have evolved
to see better than us
615
00:29:45,205 --> 00:29:47,140
and hear better than us.
616
00:29:47,239 --> 00:29:49,642
All of this adding up
to this incredible ability
617
00:29:49,743 --> 00:29:52,512
to navigate the planet.
618
00:29:52,611 --> 00:29:54,399
SHATNER:
As the storm started gathering
619
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:55,901
thousands of miles away,
620
00:29:56,002 --> 00:29:58,338
according to one theory, the birds
621
00:29:58,437 --> 00:30:00,706
may have literally been listening in
622
00:30:00,807 --> 00:30:02,408
by detecting what is known
623
00:30:02,507 --> 00:30:04,643
as infrasound.
624
00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:06,469
MICHAEL DENNIN:
Infrasound is fairly simple to understand.
625
00:30:06,569 --> 00:30:08,238
It's just sound
that has a lower frequency
626
00:30:08,338 --> 00:30:09,838
than we as humans can hear.
627
00:30:09,938 --> 00:30:12,774
But there's no reason
to assume that birds
628
00:30:12,876 --> 00:30:15,511
wouldn't be able to detect it
in various ways.
629
00:30:15,611 --> 00:30:20,015
It's such a low vibration,
they might just simply detect it
630
00:30:20,116 --> 00:30:21,651
literally in their body.
631
00:30:21,752 --> 00:30:24,252
KIRSTEN FISHER:
Infrasound waves can travel
632
00:30:24,352 --> 00:30:25,821
very far distances,
633
00:30:25,922 --> 00:30:28,858
so the vortices of
strong tornadoes would generate
634
00:30:28,958 --> 00:30:30,659
these very low frequency sound waves
635
00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,729
that animals could detect
and potentially respond to.
636
00:30:33,829 --> 00:30:37,032
TAYLOR:
We have instruments that can detect infrasound,
637
00:30:37,134 --> 00:30:39,568
and we haven't seen
this infrasound phenomena
638
00:30:39,667 --> 00:30:41,503
two days before a tornado.
639
00:30:41,604 --> 00:30:44,340
I think there's something else
at play here
640
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,676
that is, as of yet, unexplained.
641
00:30:47,180 --> 00:30:50,450
SHATNER:
While it's possible that infrasound
642
00:30:50,551 --> 00:30:51,885
might have alerted the birds,
643
00:30:51,985 --> 00:30:53,588
other scientists have suggested
644
00:30:53,687 --> 00:30:56,322
that they were listening
to something else entirely:
645
00:30:56,423 --> 00:30:59,227
nature itself.
646
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:00,734
FISHER:
Within the last probably 20 years or so,
647
00:31:00,835 --> 00:31:04,005
we've really opened up
a whole new understanding
648
00:31:04,105 --> 00:31:05,240
of the way that plants communicate
649
00:31:05,339 --> 00:31:06,273
with their neighbors.
650
00:31:06,374 --> 00:31:07,709
So, a plant that's being eaten
651
00:31:07,808 --> 00:31:10,243
by an herbivore-- say, a caterpillar--
652
00:31:10,344 --> 00:31:13,047
will actually emit
chemical signals into the air
653
00:31:13,146 --> 00:31:15,081
that warn other plants in the vicinity
654
00:31:15,182 --> 00:31:17,184
to beef up their defenses.
655
00:31:17,285 --> 00:31:19,354
And it also sends chemical signals
656
00:31:19,453 --> 00:31:22,022
to wasps or other predators
657
00:31:22,123 --> 00:31:24,558
to come and attack the caterpillars.
658
00:31:24,658 --> 00:31:26,360
And presumably, those messages
659
00:31:26,461 --> 00:31:29,931
might be propagated
across plants for some distance.
660
00:31:30,030 --> 00:31:34,269
So there's a lot of intricate
communication webs going on.
661
00:31:35,300 --> 00:31:37,035
STREBY:
It seems very unlikely
662
00:31:37,136 --> 00:31:39,271
that it was just a coincidence,
and these birds
663
00:31:39,371 --> 00:31:40,873
moved out of the way and got lucky.
664
00:31:40,973 --> 00:31:45,479
So it isn't completely
impossible to think
665
00:31:45,578 --> 00:31:49,749
the plants could be receiving
some signal from far away,
666
00:31:49,848 --> 00:31:52,918
and their response to that is picked up
667
00:31:53,019 --> 00:31:55,288
by the birds as kind of
a passive communication.
668
00:31:55,387 --> 00:32:00,627
But until we can ask the birds
themselves,
669
00:32:00,726 --> 00:32:03,729
parts of this are just going
to remain unexplained.
670
00:32:03,829 --> 00:32:06,532
SHATNER:
If the golden-winged warblers
671
00:32:06,633 --> 00:32:11,037
are any indication, perhaps
we should pay closer attention
672
00:32:11,136 --> 00:32:14,740
when a flock of birds
is headed towards the horizon.
673
00:32:14,839 --> 00:32:19,846
Or when encountering an animal
that most of us assume is just
674
00:32:19,945 --> 00:32:22,548
a playful and cuddly feline,
675
00:32:22,647 --> 00:32:24,951
but who some believe
676
00:32:25,051 --> 00:32:29,088
is the most intelligent
and cunning of all.
677
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,168
SHATNER:
They lurk in the shadows,
678
00:32:50,269 --> 00:32:52,170
waiting to strike.
679
00:32:52,271 --> 00:32:54,373
(growling)
680
00:32:54,473 --> 00:32:57,376
Creatures so mysterious,
681
00:32:57,475 --> 00:32:59,411
they were once worshipped
682
00:32:59,512 --> 00:33:01,813
as gods.
683
00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:05,002
Across history, you can see
a certain series of patterns
684
00:33:05,104 --> 00:33:07,072
with regard to human attitude
towards cats.
685
00:33:07,172 --> 00:33:11,977
By far, the most distinctive
example is Ancient Egypt,
686
00:33:12,077 --> 00:33:14,646
which started early and
continued for thousands of years
687
00:33:14,746 --> 00:33:18,082
to foreground the importance of cats.
688
00:33:18,183 --> 00:33:20,986
The initial push of cats
as domestic creatures did seem
689
00:33:21,086 --> 00:33:23,889
to spread out of Egypt
and the Middle East.
690
00:33:23,989 --> 00:33:26,525
And so, throughout the world today,
691
00:33:26,625 --> 00:33:28,594
all cats, even if they have
different genetics
692
00:33:28,694 --> 00:33:30,796
of wild cats
in different areas of the world,
693
00:33:30,896 --> 00:33:33,632
they also share that genetic commonality
694
00:33:33,732 --> 00:33:36,702
that traces right back
to ancient Egyptian cats
695
00:33:36,801 --> 00:33:40,606
that were represented to the
Egyptians as the goddess Bastet.
696
00:33:40,705 --> 00:33:43,574
WALDAU:
Bastet was an ancient god,
697
00:33:43,675 --> 00:33:45,778
but as always happens
with images of God,
698
00:33:45,877 --> 00:33:47,780
Bastet's image is going to change.
699
00:33:47,879 --> 00:33:51,599
Bastet starts out as a fierce lioness,
700
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,603
later becomes the protector of the king,
701
00:33:54,704 --> 00:33:58,441
later becomes the guide
in the afterlife.
702
00:33:58,541 --> 00:34:00,409
Moving forward into the Middle Ages,
703
00:34:00,510 --> 00:34:02,145
we shift that perspective
704
00:34:02,244 --> 00:34:04,947
to now being more associated
perhaps with devils,
705
00:34:05,048 --> 00:34:08,752
where there's an image more
of being a trickster,
706
00:34:08,851 --> 00:34:12,321
or some might even call
sort of a shape-shifter.
707
00:34:12,422 --> 00:34:14,023
Europe had associations of cats
708
00:34:14,123 --> 00:34:17,893
with many different kinds
of negative powers.
709
00:34:17,993 --> 00:34:19,294
(rain pouring)
710
00:34:19,395 --> 00:34:21,598
They were known to be secretive,
711
00:34:21,697 --> 00:34:23,366
or with people who had power thought
712
00:34:23,467 --> 00:34:27,003
to be used in a negative way for humans.
713
00:34:27,103 --> 00:34:28,471
So, for this reason,
714
00:34:28,572 --> 00:34:30,607
there were times
where churches condemned cats.
715
00:34:30,706 --> 00:34:32,040
There were times when people
716
00:34:32,141 --> 00:34:35,499
rebelled against cats
and massacred them.
717
00:34:35,500 --> 00:34:37,335
PACHEL:
When we see this attribution
718
00:34:37,434 --> 00:34:38,769
of shape-shifting, or their ability
719
00:34:38,869 --> 00:34:40,838
to be so incredibly secretive,
720
00:34:40,938 --> 00:34:44,275
my brain goes back
to those inherent qualities
721
00:34:44,376 --> 00:34:48,046
that allow cats to be successful
in their wild environment.
722
00:34:49,746 --> 00:34:52,182
Cats are incredible predators.
723
00:34:52,282 --> 00:34:54,452
The amount of muscle control
that they have
724
00:34:54,552 --> 00:34:56,286
and their ability
to move through a variety
725
00:34:56,387 --> 00:34:59,990
of environments with almost
a silence about them
726
00:35:00,092 --> 00:35:04,429
really is about them being able
to sneak up
727
00:35:04,529 --> 00:35:06,297
-in an undetected way.
-(pigeon coos)
728
00:35:06,396 --> 00:35:08,799
Either getting close enough
to launch an attack
729
00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:10,602
or to remain still enough
730
00:35:10,701 --> 00:35:14,171
that they're undetected
prior to that attack.
731
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:16,235
SHATNER:
Today, cats are thought of more
732
00:35:16,334 --> 00:35:18,837
as pampered pets than as primal hunters.
733
00:35:18,937 --> 00:35:22,674
Unlike dogs, they resist training,
734
00:35:22,776 --> 00:35:25,544
and behave more
as if they are not your pet,
735
00:35:25,645 --> 00:35:28,548
but that you are theirs.
736
00:35:28,647 --> 00:35:32,452
Nevertheless, the bond between
cats and humans has proven
737
00:35:32,551 --> 00:35:34,553
to be stronger and more astounding
738
00:35:34,653 --> 00:35:36,789
-than previously thought.
-(mews)
739
00:35:36,890 --> 00:35:40,593
Especially when examining
their eerie ability
740
00:35:40,692 --> 00:35:43,095
to track down their human owners
741
00:35:43,194 --> 00:35:45,064
across hundreds of miles.
742
00:35:48,433 --> 00:35:50,935
LOYD AUERBACH:
There was this case in 1949.
743
00:35:51,035 --> 00:35:52,937
The cat's name was
"Clementine Jones."
744
00:35:53,255 --> 00:35:57,124
The family moved
from Western New York to Denver.
745
00:35:57,224 --> 00:35:59,560
They couldn't take the cat with them.
746
00:35:59,660 --> 00:36:01,496
They left the cat with some friends,
747
00:36:01,597 --> 00:36:03,698
and they got a call a while later
748
00:36:03,798 --> 00:36:06,234
that the cat had disappeared.
749
00:36:06,755 --> 00:36:08,000
Four months later,
750
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,670
this cat showed up at their door.
751
00:36:10,770 --> 00:36:12,738
It was their cat.
752
00:36:12,839 --> 00:36:16,442
That's a 1,600-mile commute
for that cat.
753
00:36:18,100 --> 00:36:21,036
SHATNER:
1,600 miles in four months?
754
00:36:21,136 --> 00:36:23,973
It seems nothing short of miraculous.
755
00:36:24,073 --> 00:36:26,875
And yet, there have long been stories
756
00:36:26,975 --> 00:36:29,810
of cats traversing vast distances,
757
00:36:29,910 --> 00:36:32,580
and we don't know how they do it.
758
00:36:33,300 --> 00:36:34,936
PACHEL:
When I think of a story
759
00:36:35,035 --> 00:36:37,771
where a cat has traveled
an incredible distance,
760
00:36:37,872 --> 00:36:40,975
in order to go from point A to point B,
761
00:36:41,075 --> 00:36:44,245
lots of questions come to mind
for me as a scientist.
762
00:36:44,345 --> 00:36:46,513
Is there a scent trail, essentially,
763
00:36:46,613 --> 00:36:48,483
that they're following that allows them
764
00:36:48,582 --> 00:36:50,385
to navigate that space?
765
00:36:51,318 --> 00:36:53,454
And do they have that ability
766
00:36:53,553 --> 00:36:55,456
to create that mental map?
767
00:36:57,392 --> 00:36:59,860
FISHER:
We know cats potentially
768
00:36:59,961 --> 00:37:02,229
have other types
of navigational capacities, too,
769
00:37:02,329 --> 00:37:03,965
that we don't even know about
770
00:37:04,064 --> 00:37:07,135
that sort of hearken back
to their ancient ancestors who
771
00:37:07,235 --> 00:37:08,635
maybe need to roam great distances
772
00:37:08,736 --> 00:37:10,538
in order to hunt, for example,
773
00:37:10,637 --> 00:37:12,606
and home their way back to their den.
774
00:37:13,333 --> 00:37:15,769
DEBRA HORWITZ:
Some people posit
775
00:37:15,869 --> 00:37:19,038
that cats are somehow attuned
into the electromagnetic
776
00:37:19,137 --> 00:37:22,976
field of the Earth
that birds use for navigation.
777
00:37:23,076 --> 00:37:24,778
(birds singing)
778
00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:27,168
SHELDRAKE:
There are all sorts of theories.
779
00:37:27,269 --> 00:37:29,604
The magnetism one's the most popular,
780
00:37:29,704 --> 00:37:31,306
but that can't explain it.
781
00:37:33,843 --> 00:37:35,277
If you were given a compass
782
00:37:35,376 --> 00:37:37,712
and taken to a place
you'd never been before,
783
00:37:37,812 --> 00:37:40,081
the compass would tell you
where north was,
784
00:37:40,182 --> 00:37:42,818
but it wouldn't tell you where home was.
785
00:37:42,917 --> 00:37:45,921
So, homing animals, including this cat,
786
00:37:46,021 --> 00:37:49,859
require more
than a magnetical compass sense.
787
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,736
AUERBACH:
We think the animal is using their ESP
788
00:37:53,837 --> 00:37:57,407
to trail where the family
actually went to.
789
00:37:57,506 --> 00:37:59,509
That's called "psi-trailing."
790
00:37:59,609 --> 00:38:03,145
"Psi" is the catchall term we
use for any psychic experience.
791
00:38:03,245 --> 00:38:06,715
Psi-trailing typically happens
where there's an animal
792
00:38:06,817 --> 00:38:09,152
that has a real close connection
with the family,
793
00:38:09,252 --> 00:38:10,986
and it's possible
794
00:38:11,087 --> 00:38:13,457
that the animal saw the path
in front of her
795
00:38:13,556 --> 00:38:16,158
and followed that path.
796
00:38:16,259 --> 00:38:19,196
PACHEL:
There's a lot of unknowns around cats.
797
00:38:19,295 --> 00:38:20,964
Is there a psychic connection
that exists
798
00:38:21,064 --> 00:38:22,832
between cats and their owners,
799
00:38:22,933 --> 00:38:25,235
and there's a-a magnetism
that's there that's drawing
800
00:38:25,335 --> 00:38:27,204
that cat in?
801
00:38:27,303 --> 00:38:30,173
It's entirely possible.
802
00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:32,036
SHATNER:
Until cats can talk to us themselves,
803
00:38:32,136 --> 00:38:36,473
we may never know exactly
what lies behind their eyes.
804
00:38:36,573 --> 00:38:39,042
Perhaps it's time to rethink our place
805
00:38:39,141 --> 00:38:41,944
in the natural order of things
806
00:38:42,045 --> 00:38:44,981
and to look to animals as inspiration
807
00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,218
for how we can evolve.
808
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,202
SHATNER:
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's
809
00:39:02,303 --> 00:39:05,306
Center for Bits and Atoms
announce the creation
810
00:39:05,405 --> 00:39:08,608
of an innovative new device dubbed:
811
00:39:08,709 --> 00:39:11,078
"the nano-nose."
812
00:39:11,178 --> 00:39:13,013
It is touted as being able
813
00:39:13,113 --> 00:39:15,448
to identify scents
millions of times fainter
814
00:39:15,550 --> 00:39:17,919
than can be detected by humans.
815
00:39:18,019 --> 00:39:22,557
And this extraordinary piece
of technology was invented
816
00:39:22,656 --> 00:39:27,461
by reverse engineering
the inside of a dog's nose.
817
00:39:27,562 --> 00:39:29,830
HOROWITZ:
Dogs are macrosmatic.
818
00:39:29,930 --> 00:39:33,368
In other words, they can smell
bigger molecules than we can,
819
00:39:33,468 --> 00:39:36,404
and their sense of smell
is probably about a thousand
820
00:39:36,504 --> 00:39:40,074
to a hundred million times
more sensitive than ours.
821
00:39:40,175 --> 00:39:42,877
GUEST:
So it's not impossible
822
00:39:42,977 --> 00:39:46,815
that within the next ten years,
our phones may be able
823
00:39:46,914 --> 00:39:50,684
to detect cancer in the way
that dogs can currently do.
824
00:39:50,785 --> 00:39:52,387
SHATNER:
In other labs,
825
00:39:52,486 --> 00:39:53,799
scientists are developing
next-generation robots
826
00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:56,736
than can walk, jump and run just like
827
00:39:56,836 --> 00:40:00,274
the fastest
and most agile animals on Earth.
828
00:40:00,374 --> 00:40:02,908
The abilities of humans pale
829
00:40:03,008 --> 00:40:07,380
in comparison to these
animal-emulating machines.
830
00:40:09,682 --> 00:40:12,385
But even so,
831
00:40:12,486 --> 00:40:15,888
these incredible inventions
can only scratch the surface
832
00:40:15,988 --> 00:40:19,499
of what real animals can do.
833
00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:21,236
Humans really are just animals, I think,
834
00:40:21,335 --> 00:40:23,538
that have lost a lot
of their other sensory
835
00:40:23,638 --> 00:40:27,442
abilities in favor of cognition
and higher thought.
836
00:40:27,542 --> 00:40:29,377
I think we are totally out of tune
837
00:40:29,477 --> 00:40:31,379
with a lot of the sensory information
838
00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:34,649
that animals are able to tap into.
839
00:40:34,748 --> 00:40:36,817
HOROWITZ:
I look forward to the future
840
00:40:36,917 --> 00:40:41,122
as we learn more about how
they interact with us, and
841
00:40:41,221 --> 00:40:42,823
I think there's a deeper connection
842
00:40:42,924 --> 00:40:44,259
between us and animals
843
00:40:44,359 --> 00:40:46,627
that we don't even really
understand yet.
844
00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:50,337
THOMPSON:
We've been taught so long
845
00:40:50,437 --> 00:40:52,805
that we are sort of the pinnacle
of evolution, as if
846
00:40:52,904 --> 00:40:54,439
evolution was just for us.
847
00:40:54,540 --> 00:40:56,409
And in fact, many of our mythologies
848
00:40:56,508 --> 00:40:58,644
and creation stories
reinforce this vision
849
00:40:58,745 --> 00:41:02,147
that the world is built for us.
850
00:41:02,247 --> 00:41:04,415
And yet, are those stories true?
851
00:41:04,515 --> 00:41:06,599
Now that we're becoming more and
more aware of how close we are
852
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,703
connected to all these other organisms
853
00:41:08,803 --> 00:41:11,071
and how much of a part
we all are of each other,
854
00:41:11,172 --> 00:41:13,542
it causes to reassess this notion
855
00:41:13,642 --> 00:41:16,544
that we are somehow separate
from the rest of life.
856
00:41:21,149 --> 00:41:24,085
Whether it's birds
857
00:41:24,185 --> 00:41:27,189
fleeing an unseen danger,
858
00:41:27,288 --> 00:41:32,426
or dogs sensing illness,
or aquatic animals
859
00:41:32,526 --> 00:41:34,862
risking their lives to protect
humans from predators,
860
00:41:34,962 --> 00:41:37,098
animals possess incredible abilities
861
00:41:37,198 --> 00:41:39,666
that make us look like, uh,
862
00:41:39,667 --> 00:41:42,103
well, animals.
863
00:41:42,203 --> 00:41:44,906
So, what are we to make of it?
864
00:41:45,006 --> 00:41:47,241
Perhaps animals are here
to keep us humble
865
00:41:47,341 --> 00:41:50,878
by reminding us that there are
an amazing number of things
866
00:41:50,979 --> 00:41:53,080
about them that will remain...
867
00:41:53,180 --> 00:41:55,216
unexplained.
868
00:41:55,317 --> 00:41:56,351
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869
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