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WILLIAM SHATNER:
Magnificent temples, monumental dams...
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and lofty spires
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that reach out
and touch the sky.
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Why do we build?
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Huh? Is it just because
we need roofs over our heads?
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Or is there another,
even more profound reason
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why we create
massive stone monuments...
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soaring cathedrals...
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and towering skyscrapers?
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Are we trying
to prove something?
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Or perhaps even...
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play God?
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Well...
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that is
what we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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SHATNER:
Experts working in the Acoustics Research Centre
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at the University of Salford,
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publish the results
of a groundbreaking study
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on one of the most iconic
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ancient monuments
in the world...
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Stonehenge.
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In their experiment,
the scientists constructed
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a scale model
1/12 the actual size
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of Stonehenge...
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used speakers to shoot sound
waves throughout the model...
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and measured
how sounds reverberated
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through the miniature structure.
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Their conclusion?
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The massive blocks of Stonehenge
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were designed...
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to amplify sound.
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ANDREW COLLINS:
Everybody knows about Stonehenge.
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This is the most famous
megalithic monument
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anywhere in the world.
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But who created this?
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Why would they have done it?
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What research is now
beginning to suggest is that
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one of the possibilities
is to enhance
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the generation of sound
used in ritual.
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SHATNER:
The idea that Stonehenge was used to amplify sounds
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made during rituals
is intriguing.
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But it is just the latest
in a long line of theories
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about this mysterious structure.
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After centuries
of study and speculation,
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Stonehenge continues
to inspire both fascination
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and intense debate as to how
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and why it was built.
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HUGH NEWMAN:
Stonehenge is the most magnificent stone circle
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in the British Isles.
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It's unique,
it's unlike any stone circle
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anywhere on the planet.
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It has lintels above it,
it's perfectly circular.
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And it really stands out
as the kind
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of symbol of ancient Britain.
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People are kind of obsessed
by it because it's the only way
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they can get back to have some
contact with their ancestors.
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SHATNER:
Believed to be constructed in 3000 BC,
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Stonehenge has stood on the
plains of Wiltshire, England
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for at least 5,000 years.
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With an outer ring
of 30 four-ton stones
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surrounding five huge arches
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whose massive blocks
weigh 25 tons each,
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Stonehenge's construction
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defies explanation.
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Such a project could not have
been achieved haphazardly.
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LYNN PICKNETT:
We know that some of the stones
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were actually imported
from South Wales,
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which was something
like 120 miles away.
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A bit tricky when you don't have
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flatbed trucks or decent roads.
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NEWMAN:
Some of the stones at Stonehenge
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weigh between 50 and 70 tons.
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So how could you have
moved them from Wales
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to construct Stonehenge?
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These are answers that have
not been properly dealt with.
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PICKNETT:
For part of the journey, it's been worked out
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that they would've
floated them on boats.
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But then there would be
quite a bit of land
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to drag them across
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and presumably
they used greased rollers
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and an awful lot of manpower.
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But, again, we don't know.
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Once people have actually
got the stones
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to the site at Stonehenge,
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the next major problem is
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how do you lift them
up in the air?
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And the only way I can think
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that you would do that
is that you would make
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a ramp and you would
drag them up the ramp,
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and then tip them off the end.
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That's a massive undertaking,
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so we're talking
about thousands of people
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involved creating Stonehenge.
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And these people are working
150 miles apart.
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Just imagine how complex
those logistics are.
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We may never really know
how they did it.
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SHATNER:
As if transporting, hoisting, and precisely balancing
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00:05:06,586 --> 00:05:09,517
those giant stones wasn't
incredible enough,
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scholars have observed
that Stonehenge's entrance
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aligns perfectly
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with the rising sun
on the summer solstice.
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The longest day of the year.
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COLLINS:
It was almost like a marriage of heaven and earth together
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to get closer to heaven.
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And it seemed to be
bringing down the influence
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of the sky world
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on Earth itself.
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NEWMAN:
It does seem that they wanted to influence
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and integrate the natural
energies of the Earth.
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And these massive
megalithic boulders
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with cosmic energies from above
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to create this enchanted space
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where people
could have ceremony.
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SHATNER:
Were Stonehenge's megalithic boulders intended
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to be energetically linked
to the power of the sun
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in some way?
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It's certainly
a thought-provoking question.
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And it might help to explain
yet another mystery.
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The burial sites that are
all around Stonehenge.
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You can see hundreds
of burial mounds.
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The kind of people
that are buried there
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come from all over Europe.
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In other words,
they were visitors there.
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It was a site
that people were coming to
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from all over Europe.
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Now, why were they coming there?
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What's strange is
that the archaeology suggests
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that many of these people had
some long-term illness
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or disability, suggesting that
they were going to Stonehenge
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in the hope of a cure.
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SHATNER:
Stonehenge, a healing sanctuary?
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But why would people
struggling with illness
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think that this stone circle
could cure them?
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PHILLIPS:
Some of the stones at Stonehenge
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are called bluestones.
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There's only one place
that bluestone
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can be got in the British Isles,
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and that's the Preseli Hills
in South Wales.
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We know that they moved
those stones
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all the way
from South Wales to Stonehenge,
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but why would they do this?
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Why would they need
those very specific
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kind of stones?
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NEWMAN:
In ancient traditions of
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the Preseli Mountains
where the bluestones
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of Stonehenge
originally came from,
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it states that if you poured
water over the stones,
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and then you drank the water,
it would have healing effects.
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And the idea was people
would come from all over Europe
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and actually come
to Stonehenge to be healed,
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not just using the energy
of the stones,
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but also the water
that was poured
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over the stones and then drunk.
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SHATNER:
Is it possible that the bluestones
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that make up Stonehenge
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actually have
healing properties?
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For some, that sounds rather
fantastical and hard to believe.
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But for others, it's one
of the many intriguing theories
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that makes Stonehenge
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so fascinating.
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PHILLIPS:
We may never know why they brought the bluestones
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from 150 miles away.
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We may never know why they
built Stonehenge
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because they left
no writing behind.
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But we do know
that Stonehenge attracts
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over a million visitors
every year.
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It attracts new-age travelers.
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It attracts occultists.
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It attracts ordinary,
everyday people.
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There's something
about Stonehenge
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that seems to act as a magnet.
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SHATNER:
Stonehenge is evidence of humanity's desire to build
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a structure that was more
than just a place of shelter.
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It is an early example
of a primal urge within us
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to create something
greater than ourselves.
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But what motivates this ambition
in the first place?
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Well, perhaps a clue can be
found a little later in history
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by examining the engineering
of the ancient Greeks
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and the strange perfection
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of the Parthenon.
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SHATNER: High atop
the Acropolis in Athens, Greece
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stands one
of the most magnificent
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and most aesthetically pleasing
structures in the world.
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The Parthenon.
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This 23,000-square-foot temple
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was constructed using 100,000
tons of radiant white marble.
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The exterior of the Parthenon
is lined
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with 46 colossal columns...
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which strikingly
appear to be laid out
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in the shape
of an exact rectangle.
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And what's more astonishing
is that the more than
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13,000 stone blocks used
to assemble the Parthenon
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were precisely fitted together,
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without the use of mortar.
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Which begs the question...
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how were the ancient Greeks able
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to build something
that looks so...
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perfect?
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JONATHAN YOUNG:
The Parthenon is an amazingly beautiful structure.
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The design,
the spacing of each stone
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is so perfect that it inspires
just to look at.
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The proportions are so exact.
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For a large building,
it is an amazing thing.
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And it lifts the spirit upward.
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SHATNER:
Built beginning in 447 BC
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on the orders of the famed
statesman and general Pericles,
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the Parthenon celebrates
the Athenians' victory
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over Persian invaders...
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who had tried to conquer
the city for 50 years.
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DORAN:
Athens during the time of the building of the Parthenon
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is an incredible, cosmopolitan,
vibrant city.
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It's producing art, literature,
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sculpture, architecture.
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It's the Manhattan
of the fifth century BC.
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And I think if you're
an Athenian citizen,
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walking, doing your
everyday work,
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and then you see the Acropolis
in the center of the city,
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this incredible shining hill,
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and then you see the Parthenon--
the gleaming marble,
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the biggest and most beautiful
Greek temple that existed,
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at least in mainland Greece
at this point--
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you'd be filled with
a sense of wonder.
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SHATNER:
Although most of the interior of the Parthenon has decayed
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due to the ravages of time,
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the rectangular symmetry
of its exterior
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looks flawless to this day.
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But strangely, for a temple
that was clearly built
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with perfection in mind,
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what makes the Parthenon
so fascinating
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is actually its imperfections.
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Not only were the Greeks
masters of geometry,
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they were also masters
of optical illusions.
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They knew the fact that your eye
plays tricks on you.
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Therefore, they built
the Parthenon
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"slightly incorrectly,"
quote, unquote,
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00:12:08,551 --> 00:12:10,000
to compensate for this
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so that the net result
is perfection.
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DORAN:
The Parthenon is a rectangle,
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00:12:17,137 --> 00:12:20,482
but there are no right angles
in the entire building.
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00:12:20,586 --> 00:12:23,793
Everything is slightly off.
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00:12:23,896 --> 00:12:26,344
The columns look straight
from below,
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but they are slightly
tilted toward each other.
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So if you were standing at
the base of the Parthenon,
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00:12:35,275 --> 00:12:39,827
and if the columns didn't stop
after a certain number of feet,
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00:12:39,931 --> 00:12:43,103
but they kept on going
all the way up into the sky,
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00:12:43,172 --> 00:12:46,137
you would see the columns
meeting
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if they were long enough
to actually meet.
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00:12:50,310 --> 00:12:53,448
This is a very curious thing
that the builders did.
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00:12:54,793 --> 00:12:57,034
KAKU:
It turns out that the Parthenon does not have
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00:12:57,137 --> 00:12:59,344
straight parallel lines at all.
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The columns are not vertically
cylindrical at all.
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00:13:03,241 --> 00:13:07,965
They bulge by about an inch
at the center of the cylinder.
253
00:13:08,068 --> 00:13:11,724
So, for example, the human
brain, looking at a column,
254
00:13:11,793 --> 00:13:14,931
will actually think
that the waist is pinched.
255
00:13:15,034 --> 00:13:17,482
Your eye thinks that
the center of the cylinder
256
00:13:17,586 --> 00:13:19,482
is shrunk.
257
00:13:19,586 --> 00:13:21,000
To compensate for that,
258
00:13:21,103 --> 00:13:23,896
the columns of the Parthenon
bulge.
259
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,655
There's no way this could
have been an accident.
260
00:13:26,724 --> 00:13:30,655
SHATNER:
But is that all the Greeks were trying to achieve--
261
00:13:30,758 --> 00:13:33,310
an optical illusion?
262
00:13:33,413 --> 00:13:36,517
Or could they have had
another purpose in mind
263
00:13:36,586 --> 00:13:38,965
when they built the Parthenon?
264
00:13:39,068 --> 00:13:42,000
COLLINS:
Why do we create monuments like the Parthenon?
265
00:13:43,379 --> 00:13:45,000
And the answer is,
266
00:13:45,103 --> 00:13:49,620
we want to try and imitate
the divine.
267
00:13:49,724 --> 00:13:52,517
The divine was seen
as perfection.
268
00:13:52,586 --> 00:13:55,482
The gods are seen as perfection.
269
00:13:55,551 --> 00:13:58,137
And so sacred geometry
270
00:13:58,206 --> 00:14:01,310
has been incorporated
into the Parthenon
271
00:14:01,379 --> 00:14:03,586
in the belief
that it was now endowed
272
00:14:03,655 --> 00:14:05,931
with some kind of divine power.
273
00:14:06,862 --> 00:14:09,793
And this was done
very specifically
274
00:14:09,896 --> 00:14:14,241
to connect the mundane
with the divine
275
00:14:14,344 --> 00:14:18,551
to create the connection
between this world and the next.
276
00:14:20,206 --> 00:14:22,517
SHATNER:
Is the unique design of the Parthenon
277
00:14:22,586 --> 00:14:25,862
some kind of attempt
to connect to a higher power?
278
00:14:25,965 --> 00:14:29,344
According to some researchers,
the answer is yes.
279
00:14:29,413 --> 00:14:33,275
And they claim that the fact
that the Parthenon still stands,
280
00:14:33,344 --> 00:14:36,758
and that it still looks perfect
and pleasing to the eye,
281
00:14:36,827 --> 00:14:38,931
is a testament
to what its architects
282
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,448
were striving to build:
something eternal, everlasting
283
00:14:43,551 --> 00:14:46,931
and, perhaps, divine.
284
00:14:47,034 --> 00:14:49,413
Just like
another extraordinary structure
285
00:14:49,517 --> 00:14:52,379
that was constructed more
than a thousand years later,
286
00:14:52,482 --> 00:14:56,413
one that was built not just
to represent the divine,
287
00:14:56,482 --> 00:14:57,448
but to make you feel
288
00:14:57,517 --> 00:15:01,413
like you were actually
in the presence of God.
289
00:15:10,724 --> 00:15:12,862
SHATNER:
For centuries,
290
00:15:12,965 --> 00:15:16,379
many have remarked on the
strange power that Notre-Dame--
291
00:15:16,448 --> 00:15:19,655
the historic cathedral that sits
at the center of Paris--
292
00:15:19,724 --> 00:15:21,862
has on people.
293
00:15:22,655 --> 00:15:25,000
But what exactly is this power?
294
00:15:25,068 --> 00:15:28,931
And could it actually be
the presence of...
295
00:15:29,034 --> 00:15:31,103
God?
296
00:15:31,172 --> 00:15:33,413
DELL UPTON:
What's extraordinary to me
297
00:15:33,482 --> 00:15:35,344
is that you've got a building
298
00:15:35,448 --> 00:15:37,655
that has been there
for almost a thousand years,
299
00:15:37,758 --> 00:15:39,655
in one form or another,
300
00:15:39,724 --> 00:15:42,344
and even though it's important
301
00:15:42,448 --> 00:15:44,482
from an architectural
historian's point of view
302
00:15:44,551 --> 00:15:47,862
in various ways, it also has
this life in popular culture,
303
00:15:47,965 --> 00:15:50,448
which many buildings don't.
304
00:15:50,551 --> 00:15:53,000
Its role in the public view
305
00:15:53,068 --> 00:15:56,241
has to do
with its subsequent reputation.
306
00:15:57,172 --> 00:15:59,586
AMIR HUSSAIN:
You walk into Notre-Dame,
307
00:15:59,655 --> 00:16:01,103
and all of a sudden you realize
308
00:16:01,206 --> 00:16:02,896
the one human being is
very small,
309
00:16:02,965 --> 00:16:04,724
and you're literally humbled
by this,
310
00:16:04,793 --> 00:16:06,068
and almost falling
to the ground,
311
00:16:06,137 --> 00:16:09,758
because it's such an impressive
sort of structure there.
312
00:16:09,862 --> 00:16:12,413
YOUNG: The light coming
through the windows,
313
00:16:12,517 --> 00:16:14,724
especially the rose windows,
314
00:16:14,827 --> 00:16:16,655
has an effect
on our consciousness.
315
00:16:16,758 --> 00:16:18,931
This is something beyond words.
316
00:16:19,034 --> 00:16:22,551
This is the power of ritual
and aesthetics to touch us
317
00:16:22,620 --> 00:16:24,620
on a spiritual level.
318
00:16:24,689 --> 00:16:27,172
It can't entirely be explained.
319
00:16:29,172 --> 00:16:31,448
PICKNETT:
It's like there is a presence there.
320
00:16:32,551 --> 00:16:34,206
People go silent.
321
00:16:34,310 --> 00:16:36,241
You know, talking in whispers.
322
00:16:36,310 --> 00:16:38,413
And you say, "Well,
of course they would be,
323
00:16:38,517 --> 00:16:40,241
it's a Christian cathedral."
324
00:16:40,344 --> 00:16:42,413
So that's what Christians take
from it.
325
00:16:42,517 --> 00:16:44,310
It reinforces...
326
00:16:44,413 --> 00:16:45,448
their belief.
327
00:16:45,517 --> 00:16:48,758
But millions upon millions
of visitors have felt it,
328
00:16:48,862 --> 00:16:50,551
whether they have
any religion or not.
329
00:16:52,137 --> 00:16:54,448
SHATNER:
In 1163 AD,
330
00:16:54,551 --> 00:16:57,586
Bishop Maurice de Sully
authorized the construction
331
00:16:57,655 --> 00:17:00,034
of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
332
00:17:00,103 --> 00:17:04,758
The bishop wanted the majesty
and splendor of Notre-Dame
333
00:17:04,827 --> 00:17:09,275
to show France's devotion
to God.
334
00:17:09,379 --> 00:17:13,206
The massive building took
over 180 years to complete,
335
00:17:13,275 --> 00:17:16,862
and features
a 115-foot-high roof
336
00:17:16,931 --> 00:17:21,620
and two towers
that stand 223 feet tall.
337
00:17:23,172 --> 00:17:25,241
The value system of a collective
338
00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:30,034
is reflected in the shrines
and monuments they build.
339
00:17:31,068 --> 00:17:33,206
Notre-Dame was
the tallest building in Paris
340
00:17:33,275 --> 00:17:35,241
for a very long time.
341
00:17:35,310 --> 00:17:37,310
The common people on the street
would look up
342
00:17:37,379 --> 00:17:41,862
and see the cathedral towering
above all other human activity.
343
00:17:41,965 --> 00:17:44,689
That was the message.
344
00:17:44,758 --> 00:17:46,896
A thousand years ago,
when architects were building
345
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,310
bigger and bigger
stone cathedrals,
346
00:17:49,379 --> 00:17:52,413
the problem was,
sometimes they would collapse.
347
00:17:54,068 --> 00:17:56,068
So before they had steel,
348
00:17:56,172 --> 00:18:00,034
they had to use stone
with weight on the outside,
349
00:18:00,103 --> 00:18:03,965
called the flying buttress,
to support the roof.
350
00:18:04,034 --> 00:18:05,965
That's the reason
why Notre-Dame,
351
00:18:06,068 --> 00:18:08,000
built a thousand years ago,
352
00:18:08,103 --> 00:18:10,620
can have thin walls
and stained glass.
353
00:18:11,620 --> 00:18:14,896
BURROWS:
Notre-Dame's builders wanted to inspire awe
354
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,517
when people came
and looked at the cathedral.
355
00:18:17,586 --> 00:18:19,275
So, how did they do that?
356
00:18:19,344 --> 00:18:23,000
One of the main tricks is
to allow light into the space
357
00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:26,172
so that you get
this huge sense of height.
358
00:18:26,241 --> 00:18:28,000
You don't see the massive walls,
359
00:18:28,103 --> 00:18:31,137
and the building seems
to be floating on air.
360
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,310
SHATNER:
Historians and architects
361
00:18:34,379 --> 00:18:37,965
have also suggested that the
power of Notre-Dame may come,
362
00:18:38,068 --> 00:18:41,000
not just from how it looks,
363
00:18:41,068 --> 00:18:43,896
but also how it sounds.
364
00:18:43,965 --> 00:18:46,379
HUSSAIN:
So, one of the amazing things about Notre-Dame Cathedral
365
00:18:46,482 --> 00:18:49,034
is the sound,
the acoustical properties.
366
00:18:49,137 --> 00:18:51,931
And the acoustics in there
are just marvelous.
367
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,000
[men's choir singing gently
in Latin]
368
00:19:01,827 --> 00:19:03,620
And that affects us.
369
00:19:03,724 --> 00:19:06,068
It physically,
literally affects us.
370
00:19:06,172 --> 00:19:07,931
Our heart beats
in a different kind of way.
371
00:19:08,034 --> 00:19:10,206
You know, we can feel it
in our bodies.
372
00:19:13,482 --> 00:19:16,103
BURROWS:
The great acoustics of Notre-Dame Cathedral came
373
00:19:16,172 --> 00:19:18,965
from practice
and understanding geometry.
374
00:19:19,068 --> 00:19:20,793
So the people who did that,
they understood
375
00:19:20,896 --> 00:19:24,724
that if you emit noise,
a singing, at one location,
376
00:19:24,793 --> 00:19:27,103
through the shape of the ceiling
you can bounce that noise
377
00:19:27,206 --> 00:19:29,724
down to another location,
378
00:19:29,793 --> 00:19:32,206
like a congregation
inside the cathedral.
379
00:19:33,137 --> 00:19:35,689
SHATNER:
Did the builders of Notre-Dame
380
00:19:35,793 --> 00:19:39,172
use clever engineering
to create a sense of holiness
381
00:19:39,275 --> 00:19:42,137
and spirituality
in the cathedral?
382
00:19:42,241 --> 00:19:43,586
Definitely.
383
00:19:44,448 --> 00:19:46,586
But there are some who argue
384
00:19:46,655 --> 00:19:49,034
that the site
at which Notre-Dame stands
385
00:19:49,137 --> 00:19:51,931
already possessed
a special power
386
00:19:52,034 --> 00:19:55,241
before the cathedral was built.
387
00:19:55,344 --> 00:19:59,068
The location of Notre-Dame
is significant.
388
00:19:59,137 --> 00:20:03,137
Like many other cathedrals,
it is a "temenos."
389
00:20:03,206 --> 00:20:06,000
That means sacred place,
sacred ground.
390
00:20:06,103 --> 00:20:10,241
A place where we can be in touch
with the transcendent energies.
391
00:20:12,068 --> 00:20:14,206
COLLINS:
One of the little-known facts
392
00:20:14,310 --> 00:20:16,931
about the Cathedral
of Notre-Dame
393
00:20:17,034 --> 00:20:20,068
is that if you go outside of it,
394
00:20:20,172 --> 00:20:23,137
there is a star on the ground
395
00:20:23,206 --> 00:20:28,241
that points
towards every point in France.
396
00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:32,000
And it is from here
that all of the measures
397
00:20:32,103 --> 00:20:34,724
for cartography are made.
398
00:20:34,793 --> 00:20:37,034
Which tells us that Notre-Dame
399
00:20:37,103 --> 00:20:39,965
was considered to be
the absolute center,
400
00:20:40,068 --> 00:20:44,793
not just of France,
but also of Paris itself.
401
00:20:44,896 --> 00:20:46,620
HUSSAIN:
There's a symbolism
402
00:20:46,724 --> 00:20:49,448
to the physical location
of Notre-Dame.
403
00:20:51,827 --> 00:20:55,103
This idea
that Notre-Dame radiates out,
404
00:20:55,172 --> 00:20:58,689
not just from the center
of Paris to France,
405
00:20:58,758 --> 00:21:01,827
but from the center of Paris
to the world.
406
00:21:10,275 --> 00:21:13,172
SHATNER:
A fire breaks out at Notre-Dame.
407
00:21:13,241 --> 00:21:17,103
400 firefighters launch
a valiant effort
408
00:21:17,206 --> 00:21:19,206
to fight the blaze,
409
00:21:19,275 --> 00:21:22,689
using water pumped directly
from the Seine River.
410
00:21:22,793 --> 00:21:24,103
[indistinct chatter]
411
00:21:24,172 --> 00:21:26,862
Parisians watch in horror
412
00:21:26,965 --> 00:21:28,551
as the flames and smoke envelop
413
00:21:28,620 --> 00:21:30,206
the upper reaches
of the cathedral
414
00:21:30,275 --> 00:21:34,310
and its 315-foot-tall spire...
415
00:21:36,137 --> 00:21:38,034
...collapses.
416
00:21:38,103 --> 00:21:41,034
[panicked screaming]
417
00:21:41,137 --> 00:21:44,379
COLLINS:
A fire began in its timber roof
418
00:21:44,482 --> 00:21:49,862
that spread quickly, causing
the collapse of its spire
419
00:21:49,965 --> 00:21:55,689
and hundreds of tons of lead
melted and poured down
420
00:21:55,758 --> 00:21:57,206
into the interior
421
00:21:57,310 --> 00:21:59,172
of the structure.
422
00:21:59,275 --> 00:22:03,758
And as much as a tragedy
as this actually was,
423
00:22:03,827 --> 00:22:08,586
the response to it across
the globe was remarkable.
424
00:22:12,310 --> 00:22:14,620
SHATNER:
The reaction to the disastrous fire
425
00:22:14,724 --> 00:22:18,000
transcended national
borders and faiths.
426
00:22:18,068 --> 00:22:20,758
In only two days, people
around the world contributed
427
00:22:20,862 --> 00:22:22,689
nearly a billion dollars
428
00:22:22,793 --> 00:22:26,862
to rebuild and restore
this beloved landmark.
429
00:22:28,137 --> 00:22:31,103
YOUNG:
The outpouring of donations from within France
430
00:22:31,206 --> 00:22:35,551
and from all over the world
tells us what a cathedral means.
431
00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:37,482
It's not just a tourist spot.
432
00:22:37,551 --> 00:22:41,551
If you enter a cathedral,
something happens to you.
433
00:22:41,620 --> 00:22:43,517
People know they felt something.
434
00:22:43,586 --> 00:22:45,068
They are attached
to that building.
435
00:22:46,103 --> 00:22:49,172
HUSSAIN:
So, when you had the fire in Notre-Dame Cathedral
436
00:22:49,275 --> 00:22:51,275
and the rebuilding of that,
437
00:22:51,379 --> 00:22:53,724
that was extraordinary.
438
00:22:53,827 --> 00:22:57,241
The rebuilding of Notre-Dame
Cathedral shows the attachment
439
00:22:57,344 --> 00:22:59,655
that people have to the divine
is infinite,
440
00:22:59,758 --> 00:23:02,793
and I think there's
a power there.
441
00:23:06,931 --> 00:23:08,413
Can you explain it?
442
00:23:09,551 --> 00:23:14,931
That sensation you feel entering
a historic cathedral.
443
00:23:15,034 --> 00:23:19,793
Ah. Do these cathedrals actually
connect us to higher powers--
444
00:23:19,862 --> 00:23:23,000
powers we might not
fully understand?
445
00:23:24,034 --> 00:23:26,137
Perhaps the answer can be found
446
00:23:26,241 --> 00:23:30,586
by examining another
vast man-made structure.
447
00:23:30,655 --> 00:23:34,689
One that was designed with
another kind of power in mind.
448
00:23:35,620 --> 00:23:38,655
Power over Mother Nature.
449
00:23:49,172 --> 00:23:52,344
SHATNER:
With the country in the grips of the Great Depression,
450
00:23:52,448 --> 00:23:54,206
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
451
00:23:54,275 --> 00:23:56,275
presides over
the dedication ceremony
452
00:23:56,379 --> 00:23:59,931
of one of the most extraordinary
engineering projects
453
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,206
in United States history--
454
00:24:02,310 --> 00:24:04,724
the Hoover Dam.
455
00:24:06,586 --> 00:24:08,827
McBRIDE:
There were thousands of people.
456
00:24:08,896 --> 00:24:14,862
And at that time, the people who
came to listen to the president
457
00:24:14,931 --> 00:24:19,413
dedicate it understood that
it was more than just a dam.
458
00:24:20,241 --> 00:24:23,000
They were standing
on a structure
459
00:24:23,068 --> 00:24:27,586
that they had built with their
own blood and sweat and tears.
460
00:24:28,551 --> 00:24:31,551
We are here to celebrate
the completion
461
00:24:31,655 --> 00:24:35,482
of the greatest dam
in the world.
462
00:24:35,586 --> 00:24:38,344
SHATNER:
Named for President Herbert Hoover--
463
00:24:38,413 --> 00:24:42,241
who was in office when
construction began in 1931--
464
00:24:42,310 --> 00:24:44,344
the Hoover Dam is located
465
00:24:44,448 --> 00:24:47,758
in the Black Canyon region
of the Colorado River.
466
00:24:47,827 --> 00:24:50,586
Officials believed that
a dam in this area
467
00:24:50,655 --> 00:24:53,344
could help manage flooding
of the Colorado River,
468
00:24:53,448 --> 00:24:56,517
provide a much-needed reservoir
of fresh water,
469
00:24:56,586 --> 00:25:00,137
and be a source
of hydroelectric power.
470
00:25:00,241 --> 00:25:01,655
There was just one problem.
471
00:25:01,758 --> 00:25:05,724
In order to tame
the Colorado River,
472
00:25:05,827 --> 00:25:09,344
the engineers would have to
construct a more ambitious dam
473
00:25:09,448 --> 00:25:12,827
than had ever been created
before.
474
00:25:12,931 --> 00:25:15,172
McBRIDE:
Here you have the Colorado River--
475
00:25:15,241 --> 00:25:19,551
one of the wildest and most
untamed waterways in the world--
476
00:25:19,655 --> 00:25:21,896
and you want to tame it.
477
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,000
You want to control it
478
00:25:23,068 --> 00:25:27,482
so that you can provide
dependable water storage,
479
00:25:27,586 --> 00:25:30,655
hydroelectric power, irrigation.
480
00:25:31,724 --> 00:25:32,931
MICHAEL DENNIN:
Well, when I think of the Hoover Dam,
481
00:25:33,034 --> 00:25:35,413
I'm impressed that
we actually moved the river
482
00:25:35,482 --> 00:25:36,931
to build the dam.
483
00:25:37,034 --> 00:25:38,896
And they had to divert the river
through tunnels,
484
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,413
through the mountainsides
on either side,
485
00:25:41,517 --> 00:25:43,827
so you have a dry bed
that you can build the dam on.
486
00:25:43,931 --> 00:25:46,137
And then bringing the river back
just amazes me.
487
00:25:47,206 --> 00:25:49,586
SHATNER:
Built in just five years--
488
00:25:49,689 --> 00:25:52,413
two years ahead of schedule--
489
00:25:52,517 --> 00:25:57,482
the Hoover Dam is
a staggering 726 feet tall.
490
00:25:57,586 --> 00:25:59,517
At the time of its construction,
491
00:25:59,620 --> 00:26:02,482
it was the tallest dam
ever built,
492
00:26:02,586 --> 00:26:05,689
the costliest water project
ever undertaken,
493
00:26:05,758 --> 00:26:09,931
and home to the largest
hydroelectric power plant
494
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,172
in the world.
495
00:26:14,655 --> 00:26:17,482
McBRIDE:
Never before, ever in history, had there been
496
00:26:17,586 --> 00:26:22,172
that much concrete placed
and poured in one spot.
497
00:26:22,241 --> 00:26:27,310
And enough concrete went into
the construction of the dam,
498
00:26:27,413 --> 00:26:29,275
you could build
a two-lane highway
499
00:26:29,379 --> 00:26:31,655
from San Francisco to New York.
500
00:26:32,965 --> 00:26:35,310
SHATNER:
The Hoover Dam changed the face of the nation,
501
00:26:35,413 --> 00:26:38,551
allowing for the explosive
growth of cities
502
00:26:38,655 --> 00:26:41,172
like Las Vegas and Los Angeles,
503
00:26:41,275 --> 00:26:44,000
and fueling
the country's recovery
504
00:26:44,068 --> 00:26:45,862
from the Great Depression.
505
00:26:46,896 --> 00:26:49,827
But some have suggested that
the Hoover Dam represents
506
00:26:49,896 --> 00:26:52,965
not just an engineering
success story
507
00:26:53,068 --> 00:26:56,724
but also humanity's desire
508
00:26:56,793 --> 00:27:01,068
to bend the forces of nature
to our will.
509
00:27:02,068 --> 00:27:04,586
McBRIDE:
The construction engineer, Walker Young,
510
00:27:04,655 --> 00:27:07,379
was widely quoted at one time
as saying,
511
00:27:07,482 --> 00:27:14,000
"The Lord put that canyon there,
all we had to do was find it."
512
00:27:14,103 --> 00:27:19,551
That speaks to a very kind of
Judeo-Christian philosophy
513
00:27:19,620 --> 00:27:26,034
that human beings were
the paramount creatures,
514
00:27:26,103 --> 00:27:28,758
and so we're going to impose
our needs on nature,
515
00:27:28,862 --> 00:27:30,655
and we're going
to control nature.
516
00:27:33,896 --> 00:27:35,724
LYNNE McNEILL:
The flooding power of rivers
517
00:27:35,793 --> 00:27:38,448
is something that humankind
has been contending with
518
00:27:38,517 --> 00:27:40,551
since there has been humankind.
519
00:27:40,655 --> 00:27:43,862
And in a lot of ways,
520
00:27:43,965 --> 00:27:48,758
the more we're able to restrain
what have often been understood
521
00:27:48,827 --> 00:27:51,034
as the unrestrainable forces
of nature,
522
00:27:51,137 --> 00:27:55,689
the more we suspect that
maybe something superhuman
523
00:27:55,793 --> 00:27:58,206
is taking place there.
524
00:27:58,275 --> 00:28:00,827
SHATNER:
Was the construction of the Hoover Dam
525
00:28:00,896 --> 00:28:04,758
motivated by our need
to harness, control,
526
00:28:04,827 --> 00:28:08,517
and ultimately have power
over Mother Nature?
527
00:28:08,586 --> 00:28:12,137
There are many who believe that
to be the case.
528
00:28:12,241 --> 00:28:15,724
And as evidence,
they point to a curious memorial
529
00:28:15,793 --> 00:28:18,482
that was placed next to the dam.
530
00:28:18,551 --> 00:28:22,103
An intricate celestial star map,
531
00:28:22,172 --> 00:28:26,000
intended to send a message
to future generations.
532
00:28:26,068 --> 00:28:30,620
McBRIDE:
The celestial star map is an amazing piece of art deco,
533
00:28:30,724 --> 00:28:34,137
where laid into the ground,
534
00:28:34,206 --> 00:28:39,586
is a star map with brass discs
named after certain stars.
535
00:28:39,689 --> 00:28:41,275
And the purpose of that
536
00:28:41,344 --> 00:28:43,344
was really just one thing:
537
00:28:43,413 --> 00:28:44,620
it was to fix,
538
00:28:44,724 --> 00:28:47,241
in astrological time,
539
00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:48,965
the very moment--
540
00:28:49,034 --> 00:28:51,586
the month, the day,
the minute, the second--
541
00:28:51,689 --> 00:28:54,827
that Hoover Dam
was-was dedicated.
542
00:28:55,862 --> 00:28:58,172
SHATNER:
The builders of the Hoover Dam certainly believed
543
00:28:58,241 --> 00:29:01,172
that their creation would be
an everlasting testament
544
00:29:01,275 --> 00:29:04,689
to their triumph
over the Colorado River.
545
00:29:04,793 --> 00:29:08,965
But what happens when
the forces of nature defy
546
00:29:09,068 --> 00:29:11,931
our attempts to control them
547
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,551
in ways that we can't foresee?
548
00:29:15,517 --> 00:29:19,689
McNEILL:
Lake Mead is the man-made body of water
549
00:29:19,793 --> 00:29:22,344
created by the Hoover Dam.
550
00:29:22,413 --> 00:29:25,758
And what's interesting is
that Lake Mead is actually
551
00:29:25,862 --> 00:29:29,482
one of the most deadly
recreational areas
552
00:29:29,586 --> 00:29:31,206
that we have in this country.
553
00:29:31,310 --> 00:29:34,068
People drowned mysteriously.
554
00:29:34,137 --> 00:29:37,413
So many people
end up dying there.
555
00:29:39,793 --> 00:29:41,482
One of the fascinating things
about Lake Mead
556
00:29:41,586 --> 00:29:44,000
are these methane or gas pits.
557
00:29:44,103 --> 00:29:47,758
And methane basically comes
when vegetation decomposes.
558
00:29:47,862 --> 00:29:50,413
Now, one of the things
that Lake Mead did
559
00:29:50,482 --> 00:29:52,896
is cover up a lot of vegetation,
'cause you make a lake
560
00:29:52,965 --> 00:29:54,827
where there wasn't
a lake before,
561
00:29:54,896 --> 00:29:56,482
and what you had before
was stuff growing.
562
00:29:56,551 --> 00:29:59,172
So you can get
these periodic releases
563
00:29:59,275 --> 00:30:00,862
of the methane gas
564
00:30:00,931 --> 00:30:02,931
that's been generated
under the water
565
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,310
from the vegetation decomposing.
566
00:30:05,379 --> 00:30:07,517
BARA: When the methane bubbles
up to the surface,
567
00:30:07,620 --> 00:30:10,620
what can happen is, if a boat
is over that methane bubble,
568
00:30:10,724 --> 00:30:12,827
it basically will lose
all buoyancy
569
00:30:12,896 --> 00:30:15,896
and just sink like a rock
to the bottom of the lake.
570
00:30:15,965 --> 00:30:19,448
So by building the lake
over this land,
571
00:30:19,517 --> 00:30:23,034
we may in fact have created
a very dangerous situation,
572
00:30:23,137 --> 00:30:24,724
and sort of set up
the lake itself
573
00:30:24,827 --> 00:30:26,965
to basically be a death trap.
574
00:30:27,034 --> 00:30:29,482
I think if you reflect back
to when the engineers
575
00:30:29,586 --> 00:30:31,034
were making the Hoover Dam...
576
00:30:32,310 --> 00:30:35,310
...it's often portrayed
as trying to control nature.
577
00:30:35,379 --> 00:30:37,206
The focus was on the dam,
578
00:30:37,310 --> 00:30:39,413
and we probably weren't even
asking questions
579
00:30:39,482 --> 00:30:41,000
about the larger impact
on nature,
580
00:30:41,068 --> 00:30:42,482
'cause it would have been
too hard
581
00:30:42,586 --> 00:30:44,551
to calculate or worry about.
582
00:30:44,620 --> 00:30:46,137
The challenge with
engineering and science
583
00:30:46,206 --> 00:30:48,896
is always
the unintended consequences.
584
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,034
For the most part,
people are driven
585
00:30:52,137 --> 00:30:55,413
by this desire
to make things better.
586
00:30:59,344 --> 00:31:04,137
Are the tragic deaths
at Lake Mead a warning?
587
00:31:04,241 --> 00:31:07,482
That our relentless drive
to build bigger, better,
588
00:31:07,551 --> 00:31:10,724
and grander has gone too far?
589
00:31:10,827 --> 00:31:13,793
If so, it's a warning
that isn't being heeded.
590
00:31:13,862 --> 00:31:17,413
If anything, mankind's
determination to build bigger,
591
00:31:17,517 --> 00:31:21,103
better, bolder is more evident
than ever before.
592
00:31:21,206 --> 00:31:26,482
It seems not even the sky
is the limit.
593
00:31:37,620 --> 00:31:41,517
SHATNER:
After five years of construction, Burj Khalifa,
594
00:31:41,620 --> 00:31:45,620
the tallest building in the
world, is officially completed.
595
00:31:45,689 --> 00:31:47,896
To celebrate this
record-breaking achievement,
596
00:31:47,965 --> 00:31:49,896
the United Arab Emirates
597
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,517
throws an extravagant
opening ceremony
598
00:31:53,620 --> 00:31:56,896
which features
a massive fireworks display
599
00:31:56,965 --> 00:31:59,034
and an elaborate light show
600
00:31:59,137 --> 00:32:00,965
projected onto
the gleaming tower.
601
00:32:06,275 --> 00:32:08,931
KAKU:
It's an incredible engineering feat.
602
00:32:09,034 --> 00:32:10,620
The tallest building
on the Earth.
603
00:32:10,724 --> 00:32:12,344
It sticks out like a needle.
604
00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:15,482
Everything else
is pretty much flat,
605
00:32:15,551 --> 00:32:17,103
and you have this needle
606
00:32:17,172 --> 00:32:20,724
sticking right out
of the desert.
607
00:32:20,793 --> 00:32:22,241
SCOTT JOHNSON:
The Burj Khalifa
608
00:32:22,344 --> 00:32:24,620
is an exceptional building
on many levels.
609
00:32:24,724 --> 00:32:26,724
Most obvious is its height.
610
00:32:26,827 --> 00:32:29,068
It's taller than any building
in the world,
611
00:32:29,172 --> 00:32:31,172
and it's taller by a whole lot.
612
00:32:31,241 --> 00:32:34,206
SHATNER:
At over a half a mile high,
613
00:32:34,275 --> 00:32:38,241
Burj Khalifa bests the second
tallest building in the world,
614
00:32:38,310 --> 00:32:40,586
China's Shanghai Tower,
615
00:32:40,689 --> 00:32:45,241
by a whopping 644 feet,
616
00:32:45,310 --> 00:32:49,551
and is a masterpiece
of contemporary engineering
617
00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:52,034
and architectural prowess.
618
00:32:54,034 --> 00:32:56,103
HUSSAIN: The fact
that the largest building
619
00:32:56,172 --> 00:32:58,241
is now in the Arab world,
in Dubai,
620
00:32:58,344 --> 00:33:01,344
is a great source of pride
to people there.
621
00:33:01,413 --> 00:33:04,482
So, there's really
interesting connections
622
00:33:04,586 --> 00:33:06,896
with the Burj Khalifa and Islam,
623
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,137
not just simply
because you've got
624
00:33:09,206 --> 00:33:11,724
the building built
in a Muslim-majority country,
625
00:33:11,793 --> 00:33:14,068
but also, you have
an ancient connection
626
00:33:14,172 --> 00:33:19,172
that the largest mosque
in the world used to be in Iraq,
627
00:33:19,241 --> 00:33:24,206
a ninth-century mosque built
by the caliph Al-Mutawakkil,
628
00:33:24,310 --> 00:33:26,793
the Great Mosque of Samarra,
from the ninth century.
629
00:33:26,896 --> 00:33:29,413
And what was really impressive
about it was
630
00:33:29,482 --> 00:33:33,068
the sort of winding staircase
kind of minaret,
631
00:33:33,172 --> 00:33:37,379
and that's what they've
duplicated in the Burj Khalifa.
632
00:33:39,137 --> 00:33:41,793
And so, I think for people
in the Arab world,
633
00:33:41,896 --> 00:33:44,206
it's almost
a nationalistic competition--
634
00:33:44,310 --> 00:33:47,517
who can build the tallest
building in the world?
635
00:33:47,620 --> 00:33:50,793
JOHNSON:
Nation states have discovered that a tall building
636
00:33:50,862 --> 00:33:53,034
can become a cultural symbol.
637
00:33:54,034 --> 00:33:56,000
A symbol of pride,
638
00:33:56,103 --> 00:33:58,793
a symbol
of an ascendant economy,
639
00:33:58,896 --> 00:34:02,241
a place in global states,
640
00:34:02,344 --> 00:34:06,206
and a tall building seems
to resonate with that.
641
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,827
BURROWS:
We're currently in a race
642
00:34:08,896 --> 00:34:11,344
to build the tallest structures
on Earth.
643
00:34:12,172 --> 00:34:13,965
And the question for me is,
644
00:34:14,034 --> 00:34:17,413
what is the limit
to how high these things can go?
645
00:34:17,482 --> 00:34:20,413
McNEILL: Human beings
have always strived
646
00:34:20,517 --> 00:34:23,068
to break their own records,
647
00:34:23,137 --> 00:34:28,344
and when we can achieve
an architectural feat
648
00:34:28,448 --> 00:34:30,896
that is breaking
all of the records
649
00:34:30,965 --> 00:34:32,896
of any previous
architectural feat,
650
00:34:32,965 --> 00:34:35,724
we are saying something
651
00:34:35,827 --> 00:34:38,586
about our ability
to overcome limitations.
652
00:34:39,965 --> 00:34:42,379
SHATNER:
At 481 feet,
653
00:34:42,448 --> 00:34:45,241
the Great Pyramid of Giza
stood as the tallest structure
654
00:34:45,344 --> 00:34:48,482
in the world
for over 4,000 years...
655
00:34:50,724 --> 00:34:54,000
...until it was surpassed by
the old St. Paul's Cathedral
656
00:34:54,068 --> 00:34:57,586
in London in the 13th century.
657
00:34:57,689 --> 00:35:02,103
But it wasn't until steel
was invented
658
00:35:02,206 --> 00:35:07,034
that the first skyscraper
was erected in Chicago in 1885,
659
00:35:07,137 --> 00:35:10,517
and a new kind
of building boom began.
660
00:35:10,620 --> 00:35:13,862
One that saw the completion
of the Empire State Building
661
00:35:13,931 --> 00:35:18,862
in 1931, and shows
no sign of slowing down.
662
00:35:18,931 --> 00:35:21,965
HUSSAIN:
For human beings to go up
663
00:35:22,068 --> 00:35:25,241
isn't just to go up and be able
to see commanding views.
664
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,793
Why do we build these buildings?
665
00:35:27,896 --> 00:35:30,482
Because we want to get up
into the heavens
666
00:35:30,551 --> 00:35:33,000
because the heavens
are the divine realm.
667
00:35:33,103 --> 00:35:34,758
It's being able to go up and see
668
00:35:34,827 --> 00:35:38,241
what would God's-eye view
look like?
669
00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:43,965
SHATNER:
To see things as God does?
670
00:35:44,068 --> 00:35:45,965
But is that a good idea?
671
00:35:46,068 --> 00:35:49,103
After all, there's a famous
story from the Bible
672
00:35:49,172 --> 00:35:55,896
that serves as a cautionary tale
against doing just that.
673
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,551
In Genesis, chapter 11,
you have the story
674
00:35:58,655 --> 00:36:00,586
of the Tower of Babel.
675
00:36:01,827 --> 00:36:05,517
Human beings are united,
they speak the same language,
676
00:36:05,620 --> 00:36:10,896
and they build this tower
to go up into the heavens,
677
00:36:10,965 --> 00:36:13,620
and you have God saying,
"Wait a minute,
678
00:36:13,689 --> 00:36:14,724
"what are these people doing?
679
00:36:14,827 --> 00:36:16,206
"They're gonna build this
680
00:36:16,275 --> 00:36:18,379
and they're gonna come up
to where I am."
681
00:36:18,482 --> 00:36:21,517
And so, God basically
confounds these people
682
00:36:21,586 --> 00:36:24,275
by having them speak
different languages,
683
00:36:24,344 --> 00:36:26,482
so they're not able
to understand each other.
684
00:36:26,586 --> 00:36:28,068
So they're not able
to build this thing
685
00:36:28,172 --> 00:36:29,724
because now all of a sudden,
686
00:36:29,827 --> 00:36:32,241
they don't speak
the same language.
687
00:36:32,344 --> 00:36:34,793
McNEILL:
The Tower of Babel is a story
688
00:36:34,896 --> 00:36:38,137
of trying too hard
to go too far,
689
00:36:38,206 --> 00:36:41,137
and paying the price for that.
690
00:36:41,206 --> 00:36:43,896
And it's interesting for us
to look at our modern
691
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,137
architectural marvels,
692
00:36:46,206 --> 00:36:50,827
as potentially containing
that warning, or that threat.
693
00:36:50,931 --> 00:36:52,896
So many people
have made a likeness
694
00:36:52,965 --> 00:36:55,620
between the Burj Khalifa
and its shape...
695
00:36:57,724 --> 00:36:59,379
...and the Tower of Babel.
696
00:36:59,482 --> 00:37:01,896
The Tower of Babel
as we remember it
697
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,896
was supposed to be
a spiraled tower
698
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,275
that was going to reach
to the heavens
699
00:37:05,379 --> 00:37:07,448
so that people could see God.
700
00:37:07,551 --> 00:37:09,482
That was considered
inappropriate
701
00:37:09,551 --> 00:37:12,206
and too much hubris.
702
00:37:12,310 --> 00:37:14,517
I think we're operating
within the constraints
703
00:37:14,620 --> 00:37:16,241
of engineering science,
704
00:37:16,310 --> 00:37:18,896
but somewhere out there
is a limitation,
705
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,827
and I think we're
approaching a limit.
706
00:37:21,896 --> 00:37:25,172
SHATNER:
As we seek to build ever higher,
707
00:37:25,241 --> 00:37:28,379
is there a danger that
what we think of as ambition...
708
00:37:29,310 --> 00:37:31,758
...may in fact be hubris?
709
00:37:31,862 --> 00:37:35,620
Or is it simply an attempt
to reach for the sky,
710
00:37:35,689 --> 00:37:41,689
to see how high we can climb
and how far we can go?
711
00:37:41,793 --> 00:37:46,413
Perhaps even to the stars?
712
00:38:02,827 --> 00:38:06,068
SHATNER:
The first module of the International Space Station
713
00:38:06,172 --> 00:38:09,241
is launched into orbit
on a Russian rocket...
714
00:38:11,724 --> 00:38:14,862
...beginning arguably
the most groundbreaking
715
00:38:14,931 --> 00:38:18,379
engineering project
in human history.
716
00:38:19,172 --> 00:38:21,310
The International Space Station
717
00:38:21,413 --> 00:38:23,586
is really a marvel
of engineering.
718
00:38:23,655 --> 00:38:28,034
It took 42 flights to build
this thing over ten years...
719
00:38:29,655 --> 00:38:32,137
...and it was sent up
module by module,
720
00:38:32,206 --> 00:38:34,862
with astronauts and cosmonauts
living on board
721
00:38:34,931 --> 00:38:39,137
and adding to it as it became
a larger and larger space.
722
00:38:39,206 --> 00:38:41,931
TOM SPILKER:
It has a set of solar arrays,
723
00:38:42,034 --> 00:38:47,206
and from tip to tip, each one of
those eight wings is 239 feet.
724
00:38:47,310 --> 00:38:51,586
So it is 357 feet long.
725
00:38:51,689 --> 00:38:54,448
NASA likes to say
it's one yard short
726
00:38:54,551 --> 00:38:56,931
of being an American
football field
727
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,103
including the end zones.
728
00:39:01,344 --> 00:39:03,206
TEITEL:
The International Space Station
729
00:39:03,310 --> 00:39:06,241
is the symbol of how incredible
730
00:39:06,344 --> 00:39:09,724
human ingenuity
and engineering really is.
731
00:39:09,793 --> 00:39:11,379
That we've been able to not only
732
00:39:11,482 --> 00:39:13,000
build the International
Space Station
733
00:39:13,068 --> 00:39:14,862
but keep it alive for 20 years
734
00:39:14,931 --> 00:39:17,275
and learn so much
in the process,
735
00:39:17,379 --> 00:39:21,586
is really an incredible outlet
of what humans can do.
736
00:39:22,517 --> 00:39:24,724
SHATNER:
The idea of a space station
737
00:39:24,793 --> 00:39:26,310
suitable for human habitation
738
00:39:26,379 --> 00:39:29,034
started with the vision
of one man,
739
00:39:29,137 --> 00:39:31,068
Dr. Wernher von Braun,
740
00:39:31,172 --> 00:39:33,724
the German-born
aerospace engineer
741
00:39:33,793 --> 00:39:38,482
who designed the Saturn V rocket
that took Americans to the Moon.
742
00:39:41,103 --> 00:39:45,448
In 1952, nearly a decade before
the first manned spaceflight,
743
00:39:45,517 --> 00:39:49,965
von Braun's concept for
a 250-foot wheel-shaped station
744
00:39:50,034 --> 00:39:53,034
captured the world's
imagination.
745
00:39:53,103 --> 00:39:54,655
SPILKER:
Von Braun envisioned
746
00:39:54,758 --> 00:39:58,172
this rotating space station
to provide
747
00:39:58,241 --> 00:40:00,379
a certain amount
of artificial gravity.
748
00:40:00,482 --> 00:40:02,344
It could be used
for monitoring Earth,
749
00:40:02,448 --> 00:40:05,103
weather, for military purposes.
750
00:40:05,206 --> 00:40:08,689
Also as a way station
for docking a spacecraft
751
00:40:08,793 --> 00:40:10,379
that would be going somewhere
else in space,
752
00:40:10,448 --> 00:40:12,724
to the Moon or to Mars.
753
00:40:13,827 --> 00:40:15,620
TEITEL:
So the International Space Station
754
00:40:15,689 --> 00:40:17,000
isn't quite that.
755
00:40:17,068 --> 00:40:19,275
But it's the proof of concept,
756
00:40:19,379 --> 00:40:21,827
and starting to help us
understand the technology
757
00:40:21,896 --> 00:40:24,758
such that maybe down the line,
the next generation
758
00:40:24,862 --> 00:40:27,379
or the generation
after the next,
759
00:40:27,482 --> 00:40:30,586
we will eventually get
that giant city in orbit.
760
00:40:32,379 --> 00:40:35,965
SHATNER:
A giant city in space?
761
00:40:36,068 --> 00:40:38,241
It's a marvelous
and inspiring idea,
762
00:40:38,344 --> 00:40:40,827
one that raises
a profound question:
763
00:40:40,931 --> 00:40:45,379
have we achieved all
that we can on our home planet?
764
00:40:45,482 --> 00:40:48,275
And are we destined
to leave our mark
765
00:40:48,344 --> 00:40:52,517
not just on Earth
but far beyond it?
766
00:40:52,620 --> 00:40:56,413
So many of our iconic structures
on this planet
767
00:40:56,517 --> 00:40:59,931
are reaching beyond,
stretching up from the surface,
768
00:41:00,034 --> 00:41:02,413
trying to get us somewhere else.
769
00:41:03,379 --> 00:41:05,103
Once we're in space,
770
00:41:05,206 --> 00:41:07,000
what form
will our structures have
771
00:41:07,103 --> 00:41:08,448
and what role will they play?
772
00:41:08,517 --> 00:41:11,379
Not just pragmatically
as shelter for us,
773
00:41:11,482 --> 00:41:13,275
but as symbols for us?
774
00:41:13,344 --> 00:41:15,965
And what will we reach for
775
00:41:16,034 --> 00:41:18,931
if we're already off
of this planet?
776
00:41:20,758 --> 00:41:26,827
Whether it's the giant stone
monuments of the ancient world
777
00:41:26,896 --> 00:41:31,620
or the awe-inspiring cathedrals
of the Middle Ages
778
00:41:31,724 --> 00:41:35,137
or modern feats of engineering
that are all around us,
779
00:41:35,206 --> 00:41:39,551
humans possess
an incredible ability and desire
780
00:41:39,655 --> 00:41:42,413
to build and to make us wonder.
781
00:41:42,517 --> 00:41:45,551
So, where do we go from here?
782
00:41:45,655 --> 00:41:48,103
What are we going to build next?
783
00:41:48,172 --> 00:41:49,586
Well, that, my friends,
is something
784
00:41:49,689 --> 00:41:52,379
that is only limited
by our imagination
785
00:41:52,448 --> 00:41:56,862
and our determination to impose
order on Mother Nature.
786
00:41:56,965 --> 00:41:59,689
And our desire to explain...
787
00:42:01,034 --> 00:42:03,379
...the unexplained.
788
00:42:03,482 --> 00:42:05,896
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