All language subtitles for What.on.Earth.S06E02.1080p.DSCP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-BTN_track3_[eng]

Narrator:
THEY'RE WATCHING YOU.

MORE THAN 4,000 SATELLITES
CIRCLE THE EARTH.

EVERY DAY, THEY UNCOVER NEW,
MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA

THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

[ BEEPING, DISTORTED MUSIC ]

THE DESERT GHOST TOWN OF UNTOLD
RICHES AND UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.

THE WHOLE VALLEY WAS SHINING
WITH THE DIAMONDS,

AND THE GUYS WENT CRAZY.

IT TRULY IS AN ACT OF GENOCIDE,
A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.

E.T. PHONES EARTH.

Major:
THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING
FROM A SPECIFIC STAR.

THIS SIGNAL WAS REALLY STRONG.

Narrator:
AND SEEN FROM THE SKIES
IN THE LAND OF THE INCAS.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A TARGET,
BUT A TARGET FOR WHAT?

Narrator:
BAFFLING PHENOMENA.

MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

-- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com

[ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ]

[ WHIRRING ]

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

[ FREQUENCY WARBLES ]
[ WHIRRING ]

JANUARY 15, 2004.

AS THE WORLDVIEW-3 SATELLITE

PASSES OVER
SOUTHWESTERN NAMIBIA,

IT CAPTURES A SERIES
OF STRUCTURES

IN THE DESOLATE SANDS.

Pavelec: IT'S SYMMETRICAL,
SO IT'S MAN-MADE,

AND I'M SURE AT SOME TIME
SERVED A PURPOSE,

BUT IT'S COMPLETELY ABANDONED.

Narrator:
THE STRUCTURES SIT IN THE VAST
20,000-SQUARE-MILE NAMIB DESERT,

ONE OF THE MOST HOSTILE
ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH.

SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE
A REASON TO GO OUT

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
IN THE HEAT, IN THE DRY.

AND IT'S EITHER SOMETHING
OF GREAT VALUE

OR SOMETHING SOMEONE DOESN'T
WANT ANYONE ELSE TO KNOW ABOUT.

Narrator:
MILITARY HISTORIAN MARTIN MORGAN
TAKES A CLOSER LOOK.

THE STRUCTURE'S APPARENT AGE
OFFERS AN INTRIGUING CLUE.

THESE STRUCTURES APPEAR
NEGLECTED AND FORGOTTEN,

AS IF THEY WERE BUILT
A CENTURY AGO,

WHICH WOULD...DROP OUR POINTER

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE GERMAN COLONIAL PERIOD.

SO THIS MIGHT BE THE WORK
OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE.

Narrator: IN 1884,
UNDER KAISER WILHELM I,

GERMANY ESTABLISHES
ITS FIRST AFRICAN COLONY

IN WHAT IS TODAY CALLED NAMIBIA.

GERMAN COLONIAL RULE
IS BLOODY AND MERCILESS,

A TERRIFYING FORETASTE
OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN

UNDER NATIONAL SOCIALISM.

AT THIS TIME, IMPERIALISM WAS
RAMPANT ACROSS AFRICA

AND MOST OF THE REST
OF THE WORLD.

A LOT OF COLONIAL POWERS
USE BRUTALITY

AGAINST THE LOCAL POPULATIONS
IN ORDER TO CEMENT THEIR RULE,

BUT GERMANY DOES THIS IN SPADES.

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

Narrator:
IN 1904, THE NATIVE HERERO
AND NAMA PEOPLE REBEL

AGAINST THEIR IMPERIAL
OPPRESSORS.

IN RESPONSE, THE GERMAN GENERAL
LOTHAR VON TROTHA

ISSUES A COUNTRYWIDE
EXTERMINATION ORDER.

HE AUTHORIZED THE GERMAN
MILITARY TO SHOOT

ANY HERERO MAN,
WOMAN, OR CHILD ON SITE.

Narrator: IN JUST FOUR YEARS,

THE GERMANS MURDER 100,000
INNOCENT TRIBESPEOPLE.

BUT THE OUTRIGHT KILLING
IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY.

THOSE THAT SURVIVE WERE SENT
TO WORK IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS.

Morgan: ONE OF THE NAMIBIAN
CONCENTRATION CAMPS

REALLY TRANSCENDS THE DEFINITION
AND CONCEPT OF THAT.

IT'S SHARK ISLAND
IN LUDERITZ BAY.

Narrator:
SHARK ISLAND, JUST OVER 40 MILES
FROM THE STRUCTURES

IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE,

IS THE SETTING
FOR THE 20th CENTURY'S

FIRST MASS EXTERMINATION
OF HUMANS.

WITHIN ITS WALLS, THE GERMANS
KILL AROUND 2,000 PEOPLE.

IT TRULY IS AN ACT OF GENOCIDE,

A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY,
WHICH TOOK PLACE

WITHOUT MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
EVEN KNOWING ABOUT IT.

Narrator: SHARK ISLAND
CAMP DOCTOR EUGEN FISCHER

CARRIES OUT GROTESQUE
EXPERIMENTS ON NATIVE PRISONERS.

HE FORCES SOME TO BOIL AND STRIP
THE SKULLS OF FELLOW INMATES

AND SENDS THEM TO GERMANY
FOR EUGENIC STUDY.

WHAT EUGEN FISCHER
WAS DOING HERE ON SHARK ISLAND

WOULD BE ECHOED AGAIN
IN JUST THREE DECADES...

IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS.

THE MORE I READ ABOUT THESE
NAMIBIAN DEATH CAMPS,

THE MORE I THINK
THAT THEY WERE A BLUEPRINT

FOR THE NAZI HOLOCAUST
40 YEARS LATER.

Narrator:
MORGAN HAS SPENT DECADES

STUDYING WORLD WAR II HISTORY.

TO SEE IF THE STRUCTURES
IN THE IMAGE CAN SHED LIGHT

ON ITS DARKEST CHAPTER,
HE'S TRAVELED TO NAMIBIA.

THE BIGGEST QUESTION
CONFRONTING ME IS

ARE WE LOOKING AT ONE
OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS

THAT WERE CREATED
BY THE GERMANS,

WHERE THEY WERE PERFECTING
SOME OF THE METHODS

THAT THEY WOULD USE
IN AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE

DURING THE 1940s?

Narrator: IT'S A 10-HOUR JOURNEY
FROM THE CAPITAL, WINDHOEK,

BEFORE THE ROAD GIVES OUT

AND MORGAN MUST PLOW
ACROSS ROUGH DESERT TERRAIN.

WE SHOULD BE GETTING
CLOSE TO IT NOW.

OH, THIS IS IT.

YEAH, HERE IT IS.

THIS IS THAT GRID PATTERN
FROM THE SATELLITE IMAGE.

THIS IS IT.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

WOW.

OH, AND IT'S COLD.

IT IS COLD.

IT IS COLD AND WINDY.

WHAT A PLACE.

WOOD...
CORRUGATED ROOFING...

WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?

Narrator: ALL AROUND
ARE SIGNS THAT CONFIRM

THIS WAS AN ISOLATED
DESERT CAMP.

Morgan: WHAT IN THE WORLD
IS THIS CAMP ALL ABOUT?

**

36 STRUCTURES,
SUB-DIVIDED INTO 10 CELLS EACH.

TWO CHIMNEYS.

YOU REALLY ONLY SEE STRUCTURES
LIKE THIS IN TWO CATEGORIES --

ONE -- MILITARY CAMP,
TWO -- WORK CAMP.

**

Narrator:
THE WINDSWEPT STRUCTURES APPEAR
TO DATE FROM THE TIME

OF THE GERMAN GENOCIDE,
YET SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT.

Morgan: IT'S STRANGE.

THERE ARE NONE OF WHAT
I EXPECTED TO SEE.

I EXPECTED TO SEE CONCRETE POSTS

WITH WIRE SUSPENDED
BETWEEN THEM.

THERE'S ALSO NO EVIDENCE
OF WATCHTOWERS.

IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT
THIS WAS CONNECTED

TO THE HERERO AND NAMA GENOCIDE
FROM A CENTURY AGO.

WAIT A MINUTE.
WHAT'S THIS?

OH.
RAILROAD TRACKS.

HA. YEAH.

THE WEATHER HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL
ON THIS,

BUT THIS WAS
THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY LINE

THAT SUPPLIED THIS CAMP.

Narrator:
MORGAN SUSPECTS THE RAILS
MIGHT LEAD TO FURTHER CLUES

AND FOLLOWS THEM NORTHWARDS.

AFTER A FEW MILES,
HE SPOTS SOMETHING.

Morgan:
NOW, THIS IS A SCENE

THAT I NEVER EXPECTED
TO LAY EYES ON.

**

IT'S A TOWN, AN ABANDONED TOWN
IN THE NAMIB DESERT.

Narrator:
IN THE FIRST BUILDING, MORGAN
FINDS A STRANGELY LONG ROOM.

OH, MY GOSH.
LOOK AT THIS.

IS THIS A SHOOTING RANGE?

OH, NO, THERE'S THE ANSWER.

[ CHUCKLES ]
IT'S A BOWLING ALLEY.

THIS IS THE BACKSTOP
FOR THE BOWLING BALLS.

ONE DOESN'T EXPECT TO FIND
A BOWLING ALLEY

IN THE NAMIBIAN DESERT,

BUT THAT'S PRECISELY
WHAT THIS IS.

Narrator: THE INHABITANTS
OF THIS PLACE WERE WEALTHY.

MORGAN FINDS THE RUINS OF LARGE,
ONCE OPULENT HOMES,

A SCHOOL, HOTEL, AND GRAVEYARD.

Morgan: FOR THIS TOWN TO HAVE
HAD ALL OF THESE FEATURES,

THERE HAD TO HAVE
BEEN PROSPERITY HERE.

MONEY, SOMETHING LURED THEM
OUT TO THIS REMOTE PLACE,

AND I'M GONNA
FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

THE LOST EMPIRE
OF SOUTH AMERICA.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE CITY BUILT
HIGH UP IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.

AND NAMIBIA'S GHOST TOWN
GIVES UP ITS SECRETS.

THEY FOUND 1 MILLION CARATS
WORTH OF DIAMONDS.

Morgan:
OH, MY GOD.

**

Narrator: MARTIN MORGAN IS
IN THE VAST NAMIBIAN DESERT

INVESTIGATING
A RUINED ENCAMPMENT

CAPTURED BY SATELLITE.

A GHOST TOWN SITS
A FEW MILES AWAY.

Morgan: WHY?

WHY WOULD HUMAN ENDEAVOR
COME TO THIS PLACE,

BUILD ON IT,
AND THEN ABANDON IT?

THAT'S THE QUESTION
I NEED TO ANSWER.

**

Narrator: ON THE OUTSKIRTS,
HE FINDS A CLUE.

**

WIRE MESHING
AND SOME SORT OF A SIEVE.

THEY WERE SIFTING FOR SOMETHING.

THERE ARE SIEVES EVERYWHERE.

THIS WAS A BIG OPERATION.

BUT WHAT WERE THEY LOOKING FOR?

WHAT WERE THEY LOOKING
FOR OUT HERE?

**

STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP.

THIS IS PROHIBITED AREA.

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE HERE
WITHOUT A PERMIT.

Narrator:
MORGAN'S STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS
BY A LOCAL OFFICIAL.

HE REVEALS THAT HE HAS
TRESPASSED INTO AN AREA

CALLED THE SPERRGEBIET,
MEANING "THE FORBIDDEN ZONE."

WHY IS IT
A PROHIBITED AREA?

IT'S A DIAMOND TOWN.

THEY USED TO DIG
FOR DIAMONDS HERE.

THE KEY
TO THE GHOST TOWN'S PROSPERITY

IS THE MOST COVETED GEMSTONE
ON EARTH,

AND HEMWOOD SIVESTEIN
IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SMUGGLERS.

DIAMONDS HERE?
OH, BOY.

I DIDN'T SEE ANY UP
THERE EARLIER.

IF YOU PICK UP A DIAMOND,
YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE.

OH, REALLY?
YES.

SO, WHAT WAS
THIS PLACE CALLED?

THIS PLACE
WAS CALLED POMONA.

MORGAN LEARNS WHEN
GERMAN IMMIGRANTS

ARRIVE IN THE POMONA AREA
IN 1908,

THEY DISCOVER SOMETHING
TRULY EXTRAORDINARY --

VAST NUMBERS OF DIAMONDS
LITTER THE SURFACE

OF THESE NOW-BARREN SANDS.

THE WHOLE VALLEY WAS SHINING
WITH THE DIAMONDS,

AND THE GUYS WENT CRAZY,

AND THEY CALLED IT
"FAIRY TALE. FAIRY TALE.

IT'S A FAIRY TALE."

AND SINCE THEN, THEY CALLED
THE VALLEY FAIRY TALE VALLEY.

WITHIN MONTHS,
AN AVALANCHE OF FORTUNE HUNTERS

DESCENDS ON THE NAMIBIAN DESERT,
PLUCKING THE GEMS FROM THE SAND.

ONE MINER REPORTEDLY FILLS
A MUG WITH DIAMONDS

IN JUST 10 MINUTES.

THEY FOUND A HUGE AMOUNT
OF DIAMONDS.

THE FIRST 20 MONTHS, 1 MILLION
CARATS' WORTH OF DIAMONDS.

WOW.

OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS,

THE PROSPECTORS PULL ANOTHER
6 MILLION CARATS FROM THE SAND,

WORTH OVER $30 BILLION
IN TODAY'S MONEY.

BOOMTOWNS SPRING UP
ACROSS THE DESERT,

WHERE THE NEWLY SUPER RICH BUILD
GRAND HOMES, THEATERS,

A CASINO, AND AN ICE FACTORY.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF BAVARIA

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE DESERT.

I MEAN, THERE'S NEARLY
EVERYTHING HERE

YOU COULD POSSIBLY NEED.

Narrator:
RECORDS REVEAL THE PROSPECTORS
FORCED THE LOCAL TRIBESPEOPLE

TO HUNT FOR THEIR DIAMONDS.

UNDER ARMED GUARD, NATIVE GANGS
SCOUR THE SCORCHING DESERT,

PASSING WHAT THEY FIND
TO THEIR GERMAN OVERSEERS.

LIFE FOR A DIAMOND MINER
AT THIS TIME

WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY ROUGH.

YOU'RE LIVING AND WORKING
IN ONE OF THE MOST

HOSTILE PLACES ON THE PLANET,

AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYING
YOU VIEW YOU AS SUB-HUMAN.

Narrator: LOCAL ACCOUNTS SUGGEST
THE GERMANS GAGGED THE MINERS

TO PREVENT THEM
FROM SWALLOWING DIAMONDS.

THEY FORCE-FEED OTHERS
WITH LAXATIVES

AND EXAMINE THEIR FECES
FOR GEMSTONES.

JUST IMAGINE THE FEELING
OF PLUNDERING YOUR OWN RESOURCES

TO SERVE A MASTER
WHO HAD ALREADY KILLED

A NUMBER OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.

Narrator: MORGAN CONSIDERS

IF THE APPALLING
CONDITIONS THE MINERS SUFFER

IS THE KEY TO THE ORIGIN
OF THE STRUCTURES IN THE IMAGE.

I THINK WHAT THIS MEANS
IS THAT THE FIRST CAMPSITE,

ALONG WITH
THE 36 CONCRETE STRUCTURES,

THAT'S WHERE THE ACTUAL
WORKERS WERE LIVING --

IN CONDITIONS THAT WERE
NOT QUITE COMPARABLE

TO THE PEOPLE
IN THE LEADERSHIP POSITION,

LIVING IN THE CITY OF POMONA.

Narrator: EACH STRUCTURE HOLDS
10 COFFIN-LIKE CELLS.

AFTER FORCING THE LOCALS
TO STRIP THEIR LAND BARE,

IT SEEMS THE OVERSEERS LOCKED
THE MINERS INSIDE AT NIGHT.

THEY SEND THE DIAMONDS
BY RAIL TO THE GHOST TOWN,

AND PROFITS ARE USED TO FURTHER
EXPAND THE GERMAN EMPIRE.

THOSE WORKERS,
THEY CRAWLED INTO BUNKS

RIGHT THERE AT THE WORK SITE IN
THE MIDDLE OF FAIRY TALE VALLEY.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE MISERY
OF HAVING TO WORK

IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS.

Narrator: AFTER THREE DECADES
OF PROSPERITY,

DIAMOND RESERVES DWINDLE,

AND THE ONCE-FLOURISHING MINING
INDUSTRY RAPIDLY DECLINES.

BUT ITS HAUNTING LEGACY REMAINS,
CAPTURED FROM SPACE.

GERMANY, LIKE ALL OTHER
COLONIAL POWERS,

THOUGHT NOTHING
OF EXPLOITING THE COUNTRY

FOR ALL IT WAS WORTH.

TODAY, WE'RE STILL COMING
TO GRIPS

WITH THE HORRORS OF OUR PAST.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

THE STRANGE SOUNDS

FROM THE BLACK ISLAND
OF ROUGE RIVER.

YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS KEEPING
YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT,

MAKING YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE GOING CRAZY.

Narrator: AND SPECIAL FORCES
HUNT DOWN DRUG GANGS

IN SPEED BOATS.

THE TOOL THAT THEY USED --
SATELLITES.

Narrator: OCTOBER 30, 2010.

THE WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE
FLIES OVER SOUTHERN PERU.

AS IT PASSES
THE ANDES MOUNTAINS,

IT SPIES THIS
IN THE TERRAIN BELOW.

THIS IMAGE IS ABSOLUTELY WEIRD,
KIND OF LIKE AN AMMONITE FOSSIL.

THIS ACTUALLY REMINDS ME
OF THE ARC REACTOR

THAT IRON MAN HAS IN HIS CHEST.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A TARGET,
BUT A TARGET FOR WHAT?

Narrator:
THE WEIRD AERIAL BULL'S-EYE
SITS CLOSE TO LAKE TITICACA --

THE HIGHEST LAKE IN THE WORLD

AND THE SECOND-LARGEST
IN SOUTH AMERICA.

NEWS REPORTS ABOUT THE
3,200-SQUARE-MILE BODY OF WATER

OFFER A POSSIBLE CLUE
TO THE IMAGE.

IN RECENT YEARS, LAKE TITICACA
HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT CONDUIT

IN THE DRUG TRADE,

SPECIFICALLY COCAINE.

DRUG TRAFFICKING ON THE LAKE
BECAME SUCH A PROBLEM

THAT IN 2015, BOLIVIAN
AND PERUVIAN GOVERNMENTS

TEAMED TOGETHER TO CRACK DOWN

ON ALL OF THE DRUGS
CROSSING THE BORDER.

THE TOOL THAT THEY USED --
SATELLITES.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT
THIS STRANGE SHAPE

IS A SATELLITE
CALIBRATION TARGET

THAT'S BEING USED
IN THE WAR ON DRUGS?

[ HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING ]

Narrator:
PERU IS THE SECOND-LARGEST
COCAINE PRODUCER ON THE PLANET,

MAKING UP TO 490 TONS PER YEAR.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS AUTHORIZED
THE AIR FORCE

TO SHOOT DOWN NARCO PLANES,

AND SMUGGLERS HAVE TURNED
TO ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES.

IMAGINE YOU'RE PRODUCING
A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COCAINE.

YOU NEED TO GET IT OUT
OF YOUR COUNTRY.

A HUGE LAKE MIGHT BE A REALLY
GOOD WAY

TO SNEAK SOME ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
ACROSS AN INTERNATIONAL BORDER.

Narrator:
AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT
PERUVIAN DRUGS GANGS

ROUTINELY SMUGGLE COCAINE
ACROSS TITICACA INTO BOLIVIA.

IF THE SPY IN THE SKY
DETECTS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY,

BOLIVIA'S ELITE
BLUE DEVIL TASK FORCE

SCRAMBLES TO INTERCEPT.

Kourounis:
IF YOU'RE A POLICE FORCE

TRYING TO CATCH DRUG TRAFFICKERS
ON A LAKE AS BIG AS TITICACA,

YOUR SATELLITES NEED
TO BE PERFECTLY CALIBRATED.

AND TO DO THAT, YOU NEED
SOME TYPE OF REFERENCE POINT,

A TARGET --

SOMETHING LIKE
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS IMAGE.

[ KEYBOARD CLACKING ]

Narrator: YET, WHEN ANALYST
AMANDA MARCHETTI

DEPLOYS DIGITAL GLOBE'S
SECURE WATCH TECHNOLOGY,

SHE DISAGREES.

Marchetti: WHEN YOU'RE
CALIBRATING A SATELLITE,

YOU NEED A PURE COLOR
OF THAT TARGET ON THE GROUND.

HOWEVER, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS,

I SEE VARYING SHADES OF GRAYS,
VARIOUS SHADES OF GREENS,

WHICH MEANS THAT THIS COULD NOT
BE A CALIBRATION TARGET.

Narrator:
MARCHETTI APPLIES A FILTER

TO REVEAL FEATURES
INVISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE.

I'M USING
THE INFRARED LIGHT TECHNOLOGY.

I KNOW THE LIGHT IN THIS IMAGE
IS ACTUALLY VEGETATION

AND THE DARK IN THIS IMAGE
IS ACTUALLY WATER.

[ KEYBOARD CLACKING ]

THIS PROMPTS A DIFFERENT THEORY.

GIVEN THE FACT THAT I NOW KNOW

THAT THIS PATTERN IS A SYSTEM
OF VEGETATION AND WATER,

I AM NEARLY CERTAIN THAT THIS
IS AN AGRICULTURAL PATTERN.

Narrator: BUT IF THIS IS
AN AGRICULTURAL PATTERN,

IT'S UNLIKE ANYTHING
USED BY MODERN FARMERS.

ARCHAEOLOGIST
KATIE PAUL CONSIDERS

IF IT COULD BE THE LEGACY
OF AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

THAT ONCE RULED THESE LANDS --

THE TIWANAKU.

THE ANDES AND LAKE TITICACA

HAVE A RICH HISTORY
OF ANCIENT CULTURES.

THEY KNEW HOW TO MANIPULATE

COMPLICATED
AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES.

Narrator:
BETWEEN 400 AND 900 A.D.,

THE TIWANAKU PEOPLE
DOMINATE VAST AREAS

OF PERU, CHILE, AND BOLIVIA.

BUT UP IN THESE MOUNTAINS,

SUSTAINING
THE 20,000-STRONG CIVILIZATION

IS A HUGE CHALLENGE.

THIS AREA
IS AT SUCH A HIGH ALTITUDE

THAT IT'S HARD TO KEEP
CROPS FROM FREEZING.

IT'S JUST NOT SUITABLE
FOR LARGE-SCALE AGRICULTURE.

Narrator:
THE EMPIRE'S CAPITAL CITY

SITS ALMOST 13,000 FEET
ABOVE SEA LEVEL,

MUCH HIGHER THAN
ANY MODERN-DAY METROPOLIS.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE CITY BUILT
HIGH UP IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.

THE EMPIRE WAS VERY WEALTHY,

AND THEIR ARCHITECTURE
WAS HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED.

Narrator:
PAUL THINKS THE WEIRD PATTERN

IS A SURPRISINGLY ADVANCED
ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY

USED BY THE TIWANAKU
USED TO PROTECT CROPS.

THESE CIRCLES REPRESENT
SUCA COLIS,

ALSO KNOWN AS WARU WARUS.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM THE IMAGE
THAT'S FLAT ON TOP,

IT IS ACTUALLY COMPRISED
OF A SERIES OF DITCHES

THAT ARE DUG
FOR PURPOSES OF IRRIGATION,

FOR MANIPULATING THE CROPS
FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE YIELD.

Narrator: DURING THE DAY,
WATER IN THE WARU WARU'S DITCHES

ABSORBS ENERGY FROM THE SUN.

AT NIGHT, THE WATER
RELEASES THIS HEAT,

RAISING THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
BY NEARLY 4 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

STOPPING THE CROPS
FROM FREEZING.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
DID SOME RESEARCH,

AND THEY FOUND CROPS PRODUCED

UP TO THREE OR FOUR TIMES
THE YIELD

OF A FIELD THAT DIDN'T HAVE
THIS ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: THANKS TO STRANGELY
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY LIKE THIS,

MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS AGO,

THE PEOPLE HERE CULTIVATE
THE FIRST POTATOES.

GIVEN HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE,
THE GOVERNMENT IN THIS AREA

IS NOW GIVING PEOPLE MONEY
AND DIFFERENT INCENTIVES

TO REBUILD WARU WARUS.

Narrator:
THIS ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY
IS SO AHEAD OF ITS TIME,

THE GOVERNMENT HERE IS
URGING MODERN FARMERS

TO ADOPT IT ONCE MORE.

WE TEND TO THINK OF OUR OWN
EVOLUTION AS SOCIETIES

AS IMPROVING EVERYTHING
ABOUT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

BUT WE SOMETIMES DON'T GIVE
CREDIT TO OUR ANCESTORS

FOR HOW SOPHISTICATED
THEY REALLY WERE.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

UNEXPLAINED NOISES HAUNT A CITY.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S CAUSING IT
OR WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.

Narrator: AND SOMETHING BIG
AND WEIRD IN RUSSIA.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.

Narrator: SEPTEMBER 10, 2016.

THE WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE ORBITS
HIGH ABOVE SOUTHWEST RUSSIA.

OVER THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS,
IT CAPTURES THIS FEATURE.

Kourounis:
THIS IMAGE IS BIZARRE.

A PERFECT CIRCLE

WITH A GEOMETRIC SHAPE
OF CROSSING LINES IN THE CENTER.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.

Narrator:
SCALE ANALYSIS REVEALS

THE STRUCTURE
IS ALMOST 2,000 FEET ACROSS.

TO HISTORIAN MIKE PAVELEC,

IT LOOKS SIMILAR
TO WORLD-WAR-II INSTALLATIONS

HE'S SEEN IN THE U.S.

THERE'S AN OUTER RING,

AND THEN THERE ARE SPOKES THAT
CRISSCROSS IN A CENTRAL HUB.

IT LOOKS LIKE
IT MIGHT BE AN AIRFIELD.

IF THIS IS AN AIRFIELD, THEN
BASICALLY THESE ARE RUNWAYS.

Narrator:
PAVELEC REVEALS A CLUE TO THE
STRANGE LAYOUT OF SUCH AIRFIELDS

COMES FROM THE LATTER PART
OF THE WAR.

AT THIS POINT IN THE WAR BETWEEN
THE NAZIS AND THE SOVIETS,

THE SOVIETS ARE HAVING
A REAL PROBLEM.

THEIR PILOTS ARE GETTING
SHOT OUT OF THE SKY

BY THE MORE ADVANCED,
MORE EXPERIENCED GERMAN PILOTS.

Narrator: ON THE FIRST DAY OF
THE NAZI INVASION INTO RUSSIA,

THE LUFTWAFFE DESTROY
1,800 SOVIET AIRCRAFT,

YET LOSE ONLY 63 OF THEIR OWN.

AS THE WAR PROGRESSES,

RUSSIAN FIGHTER-PLANE PRODUCTION
ALMOST TRIPLES

TO OVER 40,000 PER YEAR BY 1944.

AND THE NEW PLANES
NEED NEW PILOTS.

THE SOVIETS ARE HAVING TO RUSH
PILOTS INTO THE WAR,

PUTTING THEM IN COCKPITS
OF COMBAT AIRCRAFT

WITH VERY LITTLE TRAINING.

Narrator:
ANALYSTS WONDER IF THE STRUCTURE
IS ONE OF THESE SO-CALLED

WAGON WHEEL AIRFIELDS USED
TO FAST-TRACK ROOKIE PILOTS.

THE MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS OF
LANDING STRIPS WERE DESIGNED

SO THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS LAND
WITH THE WIND,

AS OPPOSED TO CROSSWINDS.

SO THIS IS FOR, SORT OF,
NEW PILOTS

WHO ARE JUST LEARNING
HOW TO FLY.

Narrator:
IMAGE ANALYST MARK D'ANTONIO

CASTS DOUBT
ON THE AIRFIELD THEORY.

THESE OBJECTS HERE,
THESE SPOKES, CAN'T BE RUNWAYS,

AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE
THEY'RE TOO SHORT.

Narrator: D'ANTONIO WONDERS IF
THE STRUCTURE'S ALTITUDE

AND GEOMETRIC SHAPE
OFFER A CLUE.

D'Antonio: IT'S 3,000 FEET
IN ELEVATION,

SO PERHAPS THIS IS SOME TYPE
OF ASTRONOMICAL FACILITY.

Narrator: COLD-WAR ARCHIVES
CONFIRM THAT THIS IS INDEED

A GIANT ASTRONOMICAL DEVICE --
A HUGE SPACE TELESCOPE.

WHAT MAKES IT EVEN WEIRDER
IS WHY IT WAS BUILT.

THINK OF A GIANT MICROPHONE
THAT'S AIMED UP TOWARDS SPACE

AND MOST OF THE TIME,
WHAT WE'RE HEARING

IS NATURALLY OCCURRING
RADIO WAVES

FROM QUASARS
AND OTHER CELESTIAL OBJECTS.

BUT WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO HEAR IS
SOMETHING THAT GIVES US A CLUE

THAT THERE MIGHT BE
INTELLIGENT LIFE OUT THERE.

Narrator: OPERATIONAL FROM 1974,
THE RATAN-600

IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S
BIGGEST RADIO TELESCOPES.

[ COMPUTER WHIRRING ]

IT USES A VAST RING OF
ADJUSTABLE REFLECTIVE PANELS

TO BOUNCE RADIO SIGNALS
FROM SPACE

TOWARDS A CENTRAL RECEIVER.

ITS INCREDIBLE SIZE

ALLOWS IT TO SEARCH VAST AREAS
OF THE UNIVERSE

FOR UNUSUAL SIGNALS.

THE SCALE OF THE IS PLACE
IS IMMENSE --

895 REFLECTORS

SPREAD OUT ACROSS AN AREA
THE SIZE OF 30 SOCCER FIELDS.

Narrator:
WHEN IT WAS BUILT, THE IDEA THAT
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE MAY EXIST

WAS A FRINGE SCIENTIFIC BELIEF.

BUT TODAY, ASTRONOMERS THINK

THERE ARE BILLIONS OF OTHER
SOLAR SYSTEMS LIKE OURS

AND TENS OF BILLIONS OF
POTENTIALLY INHABITABLE PLANETS.

Mosher: BECAUSE SPACE IS A VERY,
VERY LARGE REAL ESTATE,

GOVERNMENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD,

INCLUDING THE U.S., AS WELL AS
RUSSIA, HAVE INVESTED MONEY

INTO LOOKING
FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE.

Narrator: THE RATAN-600 IS ABLE
TO QUICKLY CHANGE ITS FREQUENCY

AND SCAN A HUGE RANGE OF SIGNALS
FROM DEEP SPACE.

FOR FOUR DECADES, THE MASSIVE
TELESCOPE SCOURS THE HEAVENS,

SEARCHING FOR ANYTHING UNUSUAL.

THIS TELESCOPE DIDN'T REALLY
HAVE VERY MANY BIG DISCOVERIES,

NOT UNTIL 2015
WHEN IT MADE A DETECTION

THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING
FROM A SPECIFIC STAR.

THIS SIGNAL LASTED 4 SECONDS
AND WAS REALLY STRONG.

IT SPIKED HIGH ABOVE
THE BACKGROUND NOISE.

[ FREQUENCY WARBLING ]

Narrator: THE SIGNAL APPEARS
TO COME FROM A STAR

95 LIGHT-YEARS FROM EARTH.

FOR A SIGNAL OF THIS STRENGTH
TO TRAVEL THIS FAR

RAISES ONE INCREDIBLE
POSSIBILITY.

Mosher: IT HAS A QUALITY

THAT MIGHT JUST BE
EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE.

SO, THE FIRST THING
YOU NORMALLY DO

WHEN YOU PICK UP A SIGNAL
LIKE THIS

IS YOU ASK OTHER OBSERVATORIES
TO LOOK AT IT, TOO.

Narrator:
YET THE RUSSIANS CHOOSE NOT TO.

Lee: YOU ALWAYS WONDER

IF ONE PARTICULAR NATION
FOUND EVIDENCE FIRST,

WOULD THEY REALLY SHARE THAT
INFORMATION WITH EVERYBODY ELSE,

OR WOULD THEY TRY TO
SOMEHOW SIT ON IT?

Narrator:
THE STAR THE SIGNAL COMES FROM
IS ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF OUR SUN

AND HAS A PLANET IN ITS ORBIT.

WHEN THE STORY COMES TO LIGHT,
MORE SPACE TELESCOPES ZERO IN

ON THE SOURCE
OF THE MYSTERY TRANSMISSION.

INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING.

THE RUSSIANS KEPT THIS
SIGNAL SECRET

AND DIDN'T SHARE THE FINDINGS.

AND THERE'S TWO REASONS
THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE THAT --

ONE IS THEY FELT REALLY UNSURE
THAT IT WAS REAL,

AND THE OTHER WAS THAT
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE

WHAT THEY HAD FOUND.

Narrator: COMING UP...

TERROR ON THE HIGH SEAS.
[ WIND HOWLING ]

THESE WERE HORRIBLE PLACES.

THESE WERE FLOATING HELL SHIPS.

Narrator: AND EERIE SOUNDS
FROM THE BLACK BURIAL GROUND.

THIS THING IS ONGOING,
AND NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO STOP IT.

**

Narrator: 2019 --

THE CITY OF WINDSOR
IN ONTARIO, CANADA,

A THRIVING METROPOLIS
OF 330,000 PEOPLE.

YET FOR MANY HERE, LIFE HAS
BECOME A WAKING NIGHTMARE.

Kourounis:
WINDSOR RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN
PLAGUED BY A MYSTERIOUS HUM.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S CAUSING IT
OR WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.

Narrator: LOCALS CALL THIS
STRANGE DRONE "THE WINDSOR HUM."

THE HUM IS THIS REALLY
LOW-FREQUENCY,

ALMOST BASS-Y SOUND.

[ HUMMING ]

Narrator:
THE MYSTERY NOISE HAS BEEN
TORMENTING CITY RESIDENTS

FOR OVER 8 YEARS.

VICTIMS COMPLAIN OF INSOMNIA,
SICKNESS, AND DEPRESSION.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS ONGOING
HUM KEEPING YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT,

MAKING YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE GOING CRAZY.

LOCALS ARE SPECULATING
ABOUT WHAT THE CAUSE IS,

AND IT'S EVERYTHING FROM
OIL DRILLING

TO COVERT TUNNELING
FOR THE MILITARY,

BUT THEY STILL DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE SOURCE IS.

Narrator: WINDSOR SITS JUST
ACROSS THE ROUGE RIVER

FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

INVESTIGATORS TURN TO
SATELLITE IMAGES OF THE AREA

FOR CLUES TO THE WEIRD HUM.

THIS ISLAND GRABS
THEIR ATTENTION.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN BURNED,

OR MAYBE THERE'S BEEN
A TOXIC SPILL.

THERE'S ALMOST NO LIFE ON IT.

IT'S SUPER CREEPY.

YOU HAVE ROADS.
YOU HAVE BUILDINGS.

NOTHING LOOKS UNUSUAL
EXCEPT THE ISLAND ITSELF,

WHICH IS COMPLETELY BLACK.

COULD WHATEVER IT IS
THAT'S TURNING THIS ISLAND BLACK

BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THIS HUMMING NOISE?

Narrator: LOCAL RECORDS REVEAL
THE ISLAND USED TO BE MARSHLAND

AND HAS A BIZARRE HISTORY.

BEFORE EUROPEAN SETTLERS ARRIVED

AT THAT LOCATION
IN THE 17th CENTURY,

THE AREA WAS INHABITED
BY A LOCAL NATIVE TRIBE

CALLED THE THREE FIRES PEOPLE.

AND IT'S BELIEVED THAT THEY USED
THE ISLAND FOR A BURIAL GROUND.

Narrator:
DESPITE ITS MACABRE HISTORY,

EUROPEANS LAY CLAIM
TO THE CADAVER-RIDDLED MARSH.

THE FRENCH START COLONIZING
DETROIT IN THE 1700s,

AND IT BECOMES A BIG CENTER
FOR FUR TRADING.

AND EVENTUALLY, A RAILROAD
IS PUT THROUGH DETROIT,

AND IT CONTINUES GROWING,
INDUSTRY STARTS THRIVING.

Narrator:
THROUGHOUT THE 19th CENTURY,

ENTREPRENEURS FLOCKED
TO THE CITY,

INCLUDING ONE NAMED SAMUEL ZUG.

Morgan: HE'S A PASSIONATE
AND IDEALISTIC MAN.

THAT LEADS HIM ULTIMATELY
INTO POLITICS,

AND HE EVENTUALLY EVEN BECOMES
ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS

OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Narrator: ZUG BUYS THE ISLAND
AT THE CENTER OF THE HUM MYSTERY

AND NAMES IT AFTER HIMSELF.

Merrit: ZUG COMES IN WITH ALL
THESE BIG HOPES AND DREAMS

AND REALLY THINKS HE'S GOING
TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF

AND MAKE THIS BIG MANSION
ON ZUG ISLAND --

A BEAUTIFUL HOME FOR HIS WIFE.

Narrator: BUT A STENCH RISING
FROM ZUG ISLAND'S BURIAL GROUNDS

FORCES HIM TO ABANDON HIS PLANS.

YOU BUILD SOMETHING ON
A NATIVE AMERICAN BURIAL GROUND,

BAD THINGS SEEM TO HAPPEN.

SO, THE ISLAND
IS EVENTUALLY SOLD

AND TURNED INTO
AN INDUSTRIAL STEELWORKS

WITH A BLAST FURNACE
AND A STEEL MILL ON IT.

Narrator:
OVER THE FOLLOWING YEARS,

NUMEROUS INDUSTRIES
SPRING UP NEARBY,

INCLUDING FORD'S
ROUGE RIVER COMPLEX.

[ MACHINES GRINDING, CLANKING ]

WITH 120 MILES OF CONVEYORS
AND A 100,000-STRONG WORKFORCE,

IT'S THE LARGEST FACTORY
IN THE WORLD.

[ ENGINES IDLING ]

BUT PROSPERITY COMES AT A PRICE.

INDUSTRY AT THE TURN
OF THE CENTURY

IS PRETTY MUCH
TOTALLY UNREGULATED.

ALL SORTS OF GUCK AND POLLUTION

AND THICK, BLACK,
NASTY CARCINOGENIC SMOKE

IS BEING BILLOWED OUT
ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Narrator:
BY 1969, THE ROUGE RIVER,
LIKE THE CUYAHOGA RIVER,

HAS BECOME SO POLLUTED,
IT SPONTANEOUSLY CATCHES FIRE.

AND ZUG ISLAND TURNS SO BLACK,
IT CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE.

GIVEN EVERYTHING THIS ISLAND
HAS BEEN THROUGH,

IT MAKES SENSE THAT THE PEOPLE
HEARING THE WINDSOR HUM

MIGHT SUSPECT THAT THE SOUND
IS COMING FROM THIS PLACE.

[ KEYBOARD CLACKING ]

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ATTEMPT
TO GAIN ACCESS TO ZUG ISLAND

TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY.

BUT THEY ENCOUNTER A PROBLEM.

Morgan: FIGURING OUT IF THIS
IS THE SOURCE OF THE SOUND

SHOULD BE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD,

BUT ZUG ISLAND IS PATROLLED
BY SECURITY GUARDS

24 HOURS A DAY,
7 DAYS A WEEK.

NO ONE FROM THE OUTSIDE
IS EVER ALLOWED IN.

NO PHOTOGRAPHY IS PERMITTED.

IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT ELSE
COULD BE GOING ON THERE.

Narrator: RECENTLY, THE HUM
APPEARS TO BE GETTING LOUDER,

WITH PEOPLE REPORTING IT
UP TO 90 MILES AWAY.

ITS CAUSE AND POSSIBLE LINK

TO THE HIGHLY SECURE
BLACK ISLAND SEEN FROM SPACE

REMAIN ELUSIVE.

Morgan: THIS IS LIKE SOMETHING
FROM A COLD-WAR SPY NOVEL.

YOU HAVE A MYSTERY ILLNESS
THAT'S CREATED BY A SOUND

FROM AN UNEXPLAINED SOURCE

AND THEN THIS LOCATION
THAT IS CLOAKED IN SECRECY.

Merrit: THIS THING IS ONGOING,
AND IT'S STILL A MYSTERY.

NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO STOP IT,
AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU SUFFER.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

PENAL HELL DOWN UNDER.
[ GROANING, WOMAN SCREAMS ]

HE'D WAIT FOR THE TIDE
TO COME IN,

AND AS IT COMES UP
OVER THEIR BODY,

THEY SOON START TO TALK.

**

Narrator: 2014 --

300 MILES OFF THE SOUTHEAST
COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

AERIAL IMAGERY CAPTURES
A STRANGE PATTERN

ON THE SHORELINE OF TASMANIA.

YOU CAN SEE THIS KIND
OF ALMOST PERFECT GEOMETRIC GRID

LAID OUT ON THESE STONES.

Horton:
THESE LINES ARE FASCINATING.

AT FIRST SIGHT,
THEY LOOK REALLY MAN-MADE.

Narrator: GROUND-LEVEL SHOTS
CONFIRM THE PRESENCE

OF A SET OF HIGHLY
REGULAR SHAPES.

THE STONE STRUCTURES
ARE FAMILIAR

TO ARCHAEOLOGIST KLINT JANULIS.

IT'S PLAUSIBLE THAT WHAT
WE'RE SEEING HERE

IS EVIDENCE OF AN ANCIENT
TRAPPING METHOD,

AND THIS TRAPPING METHOD
IS CALLED TIDAL TRAP SYSTEMS.

Narrator: ABORIGINAL TRIBES
HAVE USED STONE TRAP SYSTEMS

TO HUNT FISH
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

THESE IN THE BARWON RIVER
IN NEW SOUTH WALES

MAY BE THE OLDEST MAN-MADE
STRUCTURES ON EARTH.

WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN,
FISH WILL COME INTO THE TRAP,

AND THEY'LL FEED OFF YOUR BAIT
THAT YOU'VE PUT IN,

AND WHEN THE TIDE ROLLS OUT,
[ SEAGULLS SQUAWKING ]

YOU COME OUT
AND COLLECT THE FISH.

Narrator: YET OTHERS BELIEVE
THE SHAPES ARE TOO SYMMETRICAL

TO BE FISH TRAPS.

THEY CONSIDER
IF THEY'RE CONNECTED

TO THE ISLAND'S DARK HISTORY.

SEEING THESE SQUARE STRUCTURES
ON THE COAST OF TASMANIA,

THE QUESTION IS OBVIOUSLY,

COULD THESE BE THE REMAINS
OF ONE OF THE PENAL COLONIES?

Narrator: IN THE LATE 1700s,

THE BRITISH EMPIRE LAYS CLAIM
TO AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA

AND TURNS THEM INTO
A DUMPING GROUND FOR CRIMINALS.

BETWEEN 1788 AND 1868, HUNDREDS
OF SHIPS FERRY 164,000 BRITISH

AND IRISH CONVICTS DOWN UNDER.

EVEN THE PETTIEST OFFENSE
COULD EARN YOU

A ONE-WAY TICKET TO PENAL HELL.

CROSSING A BRIDGE
WITHOUT PAYING THE TOLL,

[CHUCKLES] STEALING SOME MILK,
STRAIGHTFORWARD BURGLARY,

THESE COULD ALL SEE YOU
LITERALLY CLAPPED IN CHAINS,

PUT ON A BOAT,
AND SPENDING SEVERAL WEEKS

GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE WORLD.

Narrator: CREW MEMBERS USE
HOT IRONS TO BRAND PRISONERS --

AN ARROW ON THE PALM,
MARKING THEM AS PENAL PROPERTY.

AND THE JOURNEY OUT TO AUSTRALIA
WAS HORRENDOUS.

[ WIND HOWLING ]

PEOPLE STRAPPED TO CROSSES

AND FLOGGED TILL THEY WERE
PRACTICALLY DEAD.

[ WHIP CRACKING ]

Narrator: THE FLOGGINGS
CAN BE SO SEVERE,

THE GASHES EXPOSE THE BACKBONE.

SOME SHIPS FEATURE
A COFFIN BATH,

WHERE THE WOUNDS
OF LASHED INMATES

ARE SCRUBBED WITH SEAWATER.

THESE WERE HORRIBLE PLACES.

THESE WERE FLOATING HELL SHIPS.

Narrator: THE CELL-LIKE PATTERNS
ARE LOCATED

NEAR ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS
CONVICT JAILS -- PORT ARTHUR.

PORT ARTHUR WAS WHERE SOME
OF THE WORST PRISON CONVICTS

IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND
WERE SENT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
MURDERERS AND RAPISTS.

THE REGIME THERE
IS ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL.

MOST DAYS, YOU ARE WORKED
UNTIL YOU DROP.

IT'S LIKE A CONCENTRATION CAMP.
[ CHAINS RATTLE ]

Narrator:
THE SYSTEMATIC ABUSE DRIVES
MANY OF THE INMATES TO MADNESS,

FORCING AUTHORITIES
TO OPEN AN ASYLUM NEXT DOOR.

ANALYSTS CONSIDER IF THE
STRUCTURES IN THE IMAGE

ARE THE REMNANTS
OF A PARTICULARLY VICIOUS

FORM OF TORTURE.

LET'S NOT FORGET THAT WATER

IS A REALLY GOOD PIECE
OF TORTURE EQUIPMENT.

ONE WAY IN WHICH IT WAS USED
WAS TO STAKE SOMEONE TO A BEACH

OR TO THE SHORE AND WAIT
FOR THE TIDE TO COME IN,

AND AS IT COMES UP
OVER THEIR BODY,

THEY SOON START TO TALK.

[ WATER SPLASHING ]

Narrator:
HOWEVER, GEOLOGIST DEVIN DENNIE
HAS A DIFFERENT THEORY.

HE THINKS THE WEIRD STRUCTURES
MAY NOT BE ARTIFICIAL.

Dennie: WHEN WE SEE
STRAIGHT LINES IN NATURE,

THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF
ARE MAN-MADE WALLS

OR MAN-MADE FOUNDATIONS.

IN THIS CASE,
THAT MAY NOT BE TRUE.

Narrator:
OCCASIONALLY, THE EARTH'S
GEOLOGICAL FORCES CONSPIRE

TO CREATE BIZARRE
SYMMETRICAL PATTERNS.

DENNIE SUSPECTS THIS
IS WHAT HAPPENS HERE.

Dennie:
IT'S NATURE'S DECORATION.

IN THIS AREA, THIS ROCK
UNDERWENT CERTAIN STRESSES,

AND IT BROKE INTO PIECES
IN A VERY PREDICTABLE WAY.

Narrator:
THESE GEOLOGIC STRESSES CREATE
A SEEMINGLY MAN-MADE PATTERN

OF LINES IN THE ROCK.

Dennie:
WE CALL THOSE LINES JOINTS,

AND THESE JOINTS FORM
RECTANGULAR PATTERNS

THAT CAN REPEAT OVER
AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Narrator: SEA WATER WASHES OVER
THE PATTERN,

AND AS IT EVAPORATES,

THE SALT CRYSTALS ERODE THE ROCK
MORE THAN THE JOINTS.

OVER MILLENNIA,
THIS SALT EROSION

GRADUALLY CREATES DEPRESSIONS
IN THE ROCK'S SURFACE,

FORMING THESE BIZARRE
SYMMETRICAL TILES.

Dennie: WE CALL THIS
A TESSELLATED PAVEMENT,

AND THE WORD "TESSELLATED"
ACTUALLY COMES FROM THE WORD

THAT DESCRIBES OLD ROMAN TILES.

Narrator:
AN INCREDIBLY RARE PHENOMENON
FASHIONED OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS

CAPTURED FROM SPACE.

Dennie:
WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THIS
IS HOW IT SHOWCASES

HOW NATURE CREATES THE WONDERFUL
VARIETY OF LANDSCAPES

WE HAVE HERE ON EARTH.