All language subtitles for What.on.Earth.S06E08.1080p.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 ]

ROSWELL'S MYSTERY CRAFT...

[ Laughing ]
OH, MY GOSH.

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.

Narrator:
...DECODING ATOMIC ISLAND...

AND THIS IS JUST GETTING WEIRDER
AND WEIRDER.

IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Narrator:
...AND INSIDE AMERICA'S
$2 BILLION SPY DOME.

THERE'S A SAYING --

"IF YOU WANT PEACE,
PREPARE FOR WAR."

Narrator:
BAFFLING PHENOMENA.

MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

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

[ BEEPING ]
[ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ]

[ WHIRRING ]

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

[ FREQUENCY WARBLES ]
[ WHIRRING ]

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2016 --

A SATELLITE PASSING OVER
NEW MEXICO CAPTURES

AN IMAGE OF A RED PLANE
ON A LANDING STRIP --

NOTHING UNUSUAL,
BUT HISTORICAL IMAGES REVEAL

IT'S BEEN THERE
FOR OVER THREE DECADES.

I UNDERSTAND LEAVING A CAR
SITTING AND NOT BEING USED,

BUT A PLANE BY AN AIRSTRIP
FOR 30 YEARS?

PLANES THAT AREN'T IN USE
ARE TAKEN AWAY AND SCRAPPED.

WHY IS THIS PLANE
STILL SITTING HERE?

WHAT WAS IT USED FOR?

Narrator: YET, WHAT FASCINATES
MILITARY HISTORIAN MARTIN MORGAN

IS THE MYSTERY CRAFT'S LOCATION.

IT SITS IN ROSWELL, SITE OF
THE INFAMOUS 1947 UFO INCIDENT

AND OF NUMEROUS COLD WAR
AVIATION EXPERIMENTS.

THAT'S WHY HE'S TRAVELING
TO NEW MEXICO TO INVESTIGATE.

THE FACT THAT THIS AIRPLANE
IS LOCATED IN THIS LANDSCAPE

CERTAINLY MAKES IT
ALL THE MORE INTRIGUING.

Narrator: THE SATELLITE IMAGE
SUGGESTS THE PLANE DATES BACK

TO THE SAME TIME
AS THE ROSWELL INCIDENT.

IT LOOKS LIKE
IT'S FROM THE COLD WAR.

IT'S AN OLDER DESIGN.

IT INVITES THE POSSIBILITIES
OF A CONNECTION

BETWEEN IT
AND SECRET COLD WAR TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: THE PLANE BEARS SOME
RESEMBLANCE TO AIRCRAFT

DESIGNED AT THAT TIME

BY AEROSPACE ENGINEER
ADOLF BUSEMANN.

AFTER WORLD WAR II,

BUSEMANN IS AMONG 1,600 NAZI
SCIENTISTS BROUGHT TO AMERICA

AS PART OF THE
"OPERATION PAPERCLIP" PROGRAM.

**

MANY BASE THEMSELVES
IN NEW MEXICO,

WHERE THEY HELP
THE U.S. MILITARY

DEVELOP ITS FIRST SPACE ROCKETS.

BUSEMANN HIMSELF IS
A PIONEER OF THE SWEPT WING,

WHICH REDUCES DRAG, HELPING JETS
HANDLE THE AERODYNAMIC STRESSES

OF FLYING AT HIGH SPEEDS.

Morgan:
IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THIS AIRCRAFT,

YOU CAN SEE THAT
IT HAS SWEPT WINGS,

AND THE FIRST COUNTRY
TO INTRODUCE SWEPT WINGS

FOR HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT
WAS NAZI GERMANY.

WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

WAS CONDUCTING TESTS
WITH CAPTURED NAZI TECHNOLOGY

IN NEW MEXICO
IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORLD WAR II.

SO MAYBE THIS AIRCRAFT
SOMEHOW IS CONNECTED.

**

Narrator: YET ACCESS TO
ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE,

AS IT ONCE WAS, IS RESTRICTED.

THIS MEANS
CALLING IN SOME FAVORS.

EVENTUALLY, MORGAN OBTAINS
THE NAME OF SOMEONE

WHO CAN AUTHORIZE ACCESS.

**

[ BEEP ]

**

Morgan: IN WE GO.

**

SOMEWHERE IS
THIS STRANGE RED JET

THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.

Narrator: HOWEVER, UP CLOSE,
THE MYSTERY PLANE

IS NOT WHAT MORGAN
WAS EXPECTING.

**

Morgan: THIS IS CLEARLY NOT
A MILITARY AIRCRAFT.

THE TIME PERIOD'S RIGHT.

IT'S COLD WAR.

IT'S JUST NOT COLD WAR MILITARY.

Narrator:
THIS IS A LOCKHEED JetStar,

WHICH HAS BEEN FLOWN
BY THE MILITARY,

BUT ITS PRIMARY USE
IS AS OF A PRIVATE CIVILIAN JET.

WHO WERE THE PASSENGERS,
AND WHY IS IT IN ROSWELL?

I THINK I NEED TO GET INSIDE.

**

[ Laughing ]
OH, MY GOSH.

**

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.

IT'S LIKE I'VE JUST OPENED
A TIME CAPSULE.

MY GOD.
WHOEVER OWNED THIS AIRPLANE

TRAVELED IN STYLE.

Narrator: MORGAN SEARCHES FOR
THE PLANE'S SERIAL NUMBER,

THE FINGERPRINT THAT HELPS
IDENTIFY REGISTERED AIRCRAFT.

Morgan:
THAT MIGHT BE IT.

Narrator: TO LEARN MORE, MORGAN
NEEDS TO OBTAIN PERMISSION

TO SEARCH ROSWELL AIR BASE'S
RECORDS.

I AM LOOKING FOR SOME
INFORMATION ON THIS TAIL NUMBER.

**

ONE ROOM CONTAINS
ALL THE AIRCRAFT'S BILLS OF SALE

DATING BACK DECADES.

WHAT MORGAN DISCOVERS IS WEIRDER

THAN HE COULD EVER
HAVE IMAGINED.

WELL, FOUND OUT
WHO THE OWNER IS...

...ELVIS AARON PRESLEY

OF 3764 ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD,

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

THE KING HIMSELF
EVEN SIGNED THE DOCUMENT.

Narrator: BUT WHY IS
ELVIS' PLANE ROTTING IN THE SUN

IN ROSWELL?

A FURTHER SEARCH REVEALS
HE BUYS IT JUST A FEW MONTHS

BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1977.

THE 1970s IS KIND OF
A GREAT ERA IN PRIVATE JETS.

YOU HAD A LOT OF CELEBRITIES
ADOPTING THEM AS STATUS SYMBOLS

AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE THEM
INTO PARTY PLANES.

Narrator:
FRANK SINATRA KICK-STARTS

THE CELEBRITY
PRIVATE-JET OBSESSION

A DECADE EARLIER IN 1965.

"COME FLY WITH ME," HE SANG,
AND THEY DID.

WHEN ELVIS PRESLEY WANTED
TO ELOPE WITH PRISCILLA,

SINATRA ACTUALLY LOANED HIM
HIS PRIVATE JET,

AND ELVIS LIKED IT SO MUCH
HE NOT ONLY BOUGHT ONE

BUT THREE OF HIS OWN.

Narrator: DESPITE BEING THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL SOLO ARTIST

IN HISTORY
AND SELLING A BILLION RECORDS,

ELVIS IS HEAVILY IN DEBT
IN HIS FINAL YEARS,

YET STILL CHOOSES TO SPLURGE
VAST AMOUNTS OF CASH

ON A FLEET OF JETS,
INCLUDING THIS ONE.

Pappalardo:
AS BEFITTING THE BIGGEST
CELEBRITY ON THE PLANET,

EACH OF THEM WERE TRICKED OUT

AND PIMPED OUT
IN VERY SPECIFIC WAYS.

YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE, IF THIS
PLANE COULD TELL SOME STORIES,

THE KINDS OF TALES
IT WOULD TELL.

[ PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOUTING ]

Narrator: AVIATION RECORDS
REVEAL THAT AFTER HIS DEATH,

A SERIES OF BUYERS ATTEMPT

TO GET ELVIS' PARTY PLANE
AIRBORNE AGAIN,

YET NONE SUCCEED.

AND ALMOST 40 YEARS LATER,
IT SITS IN A CORNER

OF PERHAPS THE MOST INFAMOUS
AIRFIELD IN THE WORLD,

SLOWLY FADING INTO HISTORY.

ELVIS WAS KNOWN FOR HAVING
A BIT OF A LIFELONG OBSESSION

WITH UFOs AND ALIENS.

IT SEEMS SO STRANGE
THAT THESE TWO STORIES

WEAVE TOGETHER RIGHT HERE,

BUT THEY DO.

**

Narrator: COMING UP --

INTO THE LABYRINTHINE ABYSS...

THERE'S NO GETTING OUT OF THERE.

...AND A FUN DAY OUT
ON ARMAGEDDON ISLAND.

THEY WOULD TAKE
A NUCLEAR WEAPON,

TIE IT TO A BALLOON,
AND THEN EXPLODE IT.

[ EXPLOSION ]

**

Narrator: JULY 5th, 2017 --

A SATELLITE CROSSING HIGH
OVER THE VAST, EMPTY DESERT

OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
CAPTURES THIS BELOW.

Marchetti:
WHEN I PULLED THIS IMAGE UP,

I THOUGHT THIS LOOKED LIKE
SOMETHING OUT OF AN ALIEN WORLD.

Faylor: THE LANDSCAPE IS DOTTED
WITH HOLES.

IT'S LIKE THERE'S SOME KIND
OF BUG OR GIANT WORM

THAT'S BEEN BURROWING IN
AND BURROWING OUT.

Narrator:
FURTHER IMAGES SHOW THE MYSTERY
HOLES COVER A VAST AREA --

77,000 SQUARE MILES.

IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE DESERT'S
GOT A BAD CASE OF THE MEASLES.

Narrator: ANALYSTS LOOK FOR
A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION.

THESE HOLES IN THE GROUND

TOTALLY REMIND ME
OF MINE SHAFTS,

AND AUSTRALIA HAS
A VIBRANT MINING INDUSTRY.

THROUGHOUT THE OUTBACK,
THERE'S GOLD, COPPER,

EVEN ALUMINUM,
BUT THE MOST PRECIOUS IS OPAL.

Narrator: OPALS FORM WHEN WATER
FLOWING THROUGH ROCK

DEPOSITS MICROPARTICLES
OF SILICA INTO GAPS.

IT TAKES AROUND
5 MILLION YEARS

TO MAKE JUST 1/2 OF AN INCH
OF THE GEMSTONE.

OPAL IS JUST A PRECIPITATE
THAT COMES FROM RAINWATER,

BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN,
IT FORMS

THIS BEAUTIFUL IRIDESCENT BLUE,
YELLOWS, AND GREENS,

AND THAT'S WHEN
YOU'VE HIT PAY DIRT.

Narrator:
THE SITE IN THE IMAGE

IS IN A REGION KNOWN
TO CONTAIN OPALS.

Faylor: THIS PLACE IS
SO DESOLATE AND BARREN.

THEY ACTUALLY FILMED ONE OF
THE "MAD MAX" MOVIES HERE.

BUT THIS IS GROUND ZERO
FOR OPAL MINING.

Narrator:
TEMPERATURES HERE CAN HIT
116 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE INCESSANT HEAT HAS FORCED
PROSPECTORS

TO LIVE UNDERGROUND...

...3,500 PEOPLE DIGGING OUT
A WORLD FOR THEMSELVES

BENEATH THE SCORCHED,
LIFELESS DESERT.

Kourounis: THIS ISN'T LIKE SOME
UNDEVELOPED SERIES OF CAVES.

PEOPLE BUILD THEIR HOUSES
UNDERGROUND.

THERE ARE SHOPS AND BUSINESSES,
A CHURCH,

EVEN AN UNDERGROUND
SWIMMING POOL.

Narrator:
THE PLACE IS CALLED COOBER PEDY,

WHICH IN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGE
MEANS "WHITE MAN IN A HOLE."

DRIVING THROUGH THE TOWN,
IT'S PRETTY STRANGE

BECAUSE YOU DON'T
JUST SEE HOUSES.

YOU SEE LITTLE HOLES OF WHERE
PEOPLE HAVE BURROWED IN

TO GET UNDER THE COOL GROUND.

Narrator: OPALS CAN SELL
FOR OVER $1 MILLION.

THE TROUBLE IS FINDING THEM.

Kourounis:
THERE'S NO HIGH-TECH WAY

OF KNOWING WHERE
THESE OPALS ARE.

WHAT THESE MINERS DO IS
THEY'LL DRILL A HOLE

AND THEN DRILL ANOTHER HOLE
AND ANOTHER HOLE AND ANOTHER.

THIS COULD EASILY BE
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS IMAGE.

Narrator:
AMANDA MARCHETTI ANALYZES A HOLE

WITH DigitalGlobe SecureWatch
TECHNOLOGY.

IT CAN'T BE THE RESULT
OF OPAL MINING.

IT LOOKS TO BE ABOUT
1/4 OF A MILE IN DIAMETER,

WHICH WAS ROUGHLY THE SIZE
OF THE PENTAGON.

WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL
A SPECTRAL SIGNATURE

OF THE CENTER OF THIS CRATER,
WHAT THAT TELLS ME

IS THAT IT'S ACTUALLY RELATED
TO A GEOLOGIC ACTIVITY.

Narrator: GEOLOGICAL RECORDS
REVEAL THIS VAST PLAIN

IS FORMED OF LIMESTONE --

THE LARGEST CONTINUOUS EXPOSED
BLOCK OF THE MINERAL ON EARTH.

DEVIN DENNIE THINKS THIS
EXPLAINS THE MYSTERY CHASMS.

LIMESTONE IS CREATED
FROM MARINE CREATURES.

SO, THEIR BODIES CREATE CALCITE,

WHICH IS HIGHLY REACTIVE
TO ACIDS.

SO, AS RAIN, WHICH IS
SLIGHTLY ACIDIC, FALLS INTO IT,

IT DISSOLVES A LITTLE BIT
OF THAT LIMESTONE.

AND OVER TIME, CAVES FORM.

Narrator:
IT TAKES TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF YEARS FOR THIS PROCESS

TO FORM A HUMAN-SIZED HOLE,

MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS
TO CREATE CAVERNS THIS BIG.

GEOLOGISTS CALL THIS
A KARST LANDSCAPE,

YET WHAT LIES BENEATH
IS EVEN MORE BREATHTAKING.

ON THE SURFACE,
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE HOLES,

LIKE IT'S A COLANDER,

BUT UNDERNEATH IT IS
AN ENTIRE MAZE OF TUNNELS

CONNECTING TO ONE ANOTHER.

IT'S A LABYRINTH.

Narrator:
DEEP BELOW THE WATER TABLE,

FLOODED CAVES FORM
A VAST LABYRINTHINE WATER WORLD.

SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE
THESE TUNNELS

STRETCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES

BUT HAVE VENTURED INTO ONLY
A TINY FRACTION OF THEM.

THERE'S NO SOIL TO ABSORB WATER,
SO WATER JUST POOLS IN POCKETS.

Narrator: THE FEW THAT DARE
ENTER THIS CAVERNOUS MAZE

DO SO AT THEIR PERIL.

CAVE DIVERS CALL THIS PLACE
THEIR EVEREST.

IT HAS SENT MANY TO THE SURFACE

WITH PERMANENT
DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS.

Kourounis: THEY CALL IT
A LABYRINTH FOR A REASON.

THE INTRICATE CONNECTION
OF ROCK PASSAGES

IS CONFUSING
AND DISORIENTING.

Narrator:
IT'S ALL TOO EASY TO BECOME
LOST IN THIS LABYRINTH.

AND THAT MEANS
ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH.

IT'S REALLY TIGHT QUARTERS.

THERE'S VERY LITTLE LIGHT.

YOU HAVE JAGGED,
POINTY PINNACLES

AND LITTLE PEAKS
AND NARROW PASSAGEWAYS.

IT'S REALLY A SCARY PLACE TO BE.

Narrator: IT'S A SEEMINGLY DARK,
UTTERLY LIFELESS WORLD.

YET IN ONE CAVERN,

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED
SOMETHING INCREDIBLE --

A KIND OF LIVING SLIME.

IT'S HARD TO TELL HOW
IT COULD SURVIVE UNDERGROUND

WITHOUT ANY NUTRIENTS,
WITHOUT ANY SUNLIGHT.

IT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

Narrator:
THE MYSTERY SLIME COULD BE

A KIND OF EVOLUTIONARY
MISSING LINK,

SURVIVING IN TOTAL DARKNESS
BY FEEDING OFF AMMONIA.

Dennie:
WHO KNOWS WHAT WE COULD LEARN

ABOUT THE WORLD
THROUGH THIS SLIME?

WE COULD FIND A NEW MEDICINE.

WE COULD FIGURE OUT
THE SECRET OF LIFE.

WHO KNOWS?

Narrator: THE HOLES SEEN FROM
SPACE ARE PORTALS

TO ONE OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS
PLACES ON THE PLANET.

IT IS NOT KNOWN
WHAT OTHER LIFE FORMS

ARE LURKING INSIDE
THIS DEADLY MAZE.

COMING UP --

WHAT'S THE POINT
OF THIS GIANT ARROW?

SOMEONE PUT A LOT OF TIME
INTO THIS.

WHY?

Narrator: AND THE BLOODY
GUARDIANS PROTECTING HELL.

THERE ARE STORIES OF THEM

CASTRATING AND MURDERING
OUTSIDERS.

**

Narrator:
JANUARY 18, 2018.

THE GeoEye-1 SATELLITE
OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN

CAPTURES THIS
ON AN ISOLATED ISLAND.

WHAT WE SEE IN THIS IMAGE
IS A VERY CLEAR OUTLINE

OF AN ARROW
WITH A CROSS THROUGH IT.

Merritt: I MEAN, THIS ARROW
IS JUST MASSIVE.

OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE PUT A LOT
OF TIME INTO THIS.

WHY?

Narrator: AS THE SATELLITE BEAMS
MORE IMAGES BACK TO EARTH,

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

AND THIS IS JUST GETTING WEIRDER
AND WEIRDER.

YOU'VE GOT THIS ARROW POINTING
TO THIS PERFECT CIRCLE OF TREES.

IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Narrator: THE IMAGE IS TAKEN
OVER A 150-SQUARE-MILE ISLAND

CALLED KIRITIMATI,

THE LARGEST CORAL ATOLL
ON EARTH.

Kourounis:
THIS IS A REALLY REMOTE PLACE.

IT'S DUE SOUTH OF HAWAII
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING THERE.

Narrator:
THE ARROW IS CLEARLY MAN-MADE,

AND CLOSER ANALYSIS SUGGESTS
IT'S AT LEAST DECADES OLD.

WORLD WAR II RECORDS
YIELD A CLUE.

Pappalardo:
THE PACIFIC THEATER OF WORLD
WAR II IS ALL ABOUT ISLANDS.

EACH ISLAND WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO PUT UP AN AIR BASE,

TO EXTEND THE REACH
OF AIR POWER.

THEY WERE CRUCIAL
TO WINNING THE WAR.

Narrator:
SCALE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE ARROW
IS 1,000 FEET LONG --

TOO SHORT FOR A RUNWAY.

BUT RESEARCH INTO EVENTS
IN WORLD WAR II

AND THE BELIEFS OF
THE NATIVE INHABITANTS

OFFER A BIZARRE
POSSIBLE EXPLANATION.

Kourounis:
AS THE AMERICAN PRESENCE
SPREAD ACROSS THE PACIFIC --

BRINGING WITH IT TROOPS,
EQUIPMENT, CARGO --

THE NATIVES THAT LIVED
ON THESE ISLANDS

WOULD SEE THESE THINGS
FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Narrator:
WHEN WORLD WAR II ENDS,
AMERICAN TROOPS WITHDRAW,

AND THE FLOW OF SUPPLIES
FROM THE SKY STOPS.

SOME ISLANDERS BEGIN IDOLIZING
THE ABSENT SOLDIERS.

THEY BECOME KNOWN
AS CARGO CULTS.

Paul: IMAGINE HAVING EVERYTHING
THAT YOU COULD NEED

DROPPED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE SKY.

OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE
WORSHIPPING THE INDIVIDUALS

DROPPING THOSE GOODS AS GODS.

Kourounis: THEY HAVE CEREMONIES
AND CELEBRATIONS.

THEY WOULD BUILD FAKE AIR STRIPS

TO TRY AND ENTICE THE AMERICANS
TO LAND AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

Narrator:
IT'S NOT JUST AMERICANS
WHO WERE DEIFIED.

AFTER A BRITISH ROYAL VISIT
IN 1974,

THE PEOPLE OF VANUATU ISLANDS
DECLARE PRINCE PHILIP

TO BE THEIR MESSIAH.

EXPLORER GEORGE KOUROUNIS
REVEALS

THAT CARGO CULTS EXIST
TO THIS DAY.

I HAVE ACTUALLY SPENT TIME
WITH THE JOHN FRUM CULT.

JOHN FRUM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
THIS GOD-LIKE AMERICAN SOLDIER

WHO BROUGHT CARGO TO THE
SOUTH PACIFIC AND PROSPERITY.

AND, OF COURSE,
THERE WAS NO REAL JOHN FRUM.

IT'S JUST "JOHN FROM AMERICA."

COULD THIS IMAGE BE A REMNANT
OF ONE OF THOSE CARGO CULTS?

Narrator:
YET HISTORICAL AERIAL IMAGES
REVEAL THE MYSTERY STRUCTURES

APPEARED DURING BRITISH
OCCUPATION OF THE ISLAND

A DECADE AFTER WORLD WAR II,

A CONTROVERSIAL PERIOD
DURING ITS COLONIAL RULE.

THIS ISLAND AND OTHERS LIKE IT
IN THE PACIFIC

PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE

IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: IN 1950, A SCIENTIST
LEADING BRITAIN'S DELEGATION

AT THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
IS FOUND TO BE A SOVIET SPY.

AMERICAN TRUST IN BRITAIN
PLUMMETS,

AND THE SCANDAL FORCES LONDON

TO MANUFACTURE
ITS OWN NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

THE BRITISH MILITARY CHOOSES
TO TEST THEM ON THIS ISLAND.

[ EXPLOSION ]

IF YOU WANT TO TEST A NUKE,

YOU WANT TO TEST IT WHERE
THERE ARE NO PEOPLE AROUND.

YOU WANT TO TEST IT
IN THE DEEP PACIFIC.

Narrator: THE TESTS ARE
CODE NAMED OPERATION GRAPPLE.

DECLASSIFIED BRITISH RECORDS
REVEAL THE MYSTERY ARROW

IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE
IS CONNECTED TO THEM.

Pavelec: SO WHAT THE MARKERS
ON THE GROUND WERE FOR

WERE FOR THE PILOTS TO FOLLOW

SO THAT THEY KNEW
THEY WERE ON COURSE

AND WHEN TO DROP THE WEAPON.

**

Narrator: AT THE TIME,
AVIATION NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

ARE RUDIMENTARY.

THE GIANT ARROW MIGHT
HAVE OFFERED VITAL HELP.

THINK ABOUT THE CONDITIONS
IN THE PACIFIC.

IT'S MOSTLY WATER, VERY FEW
LAND MASSES, NO LANDMARKS.

IN THE ERA BEFORE GPS,
IT'S EXTREMELY EASY TO GET LOST.

IT WAS A WAY POINT
THAT TOLD THE PILOT,

"MAKE THAT TURN,
AND GO TOWARDS YOUR TARGET."

Narrator:
THE ARROW DIRECTS THE BOMBERS TO
THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE ISLAND,

WHERE THEY DETONATE
THEIR WEAPONS

AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET.

[ EXPLOSION ]

OFFICERS THEN INSTRUCT
THE PILOTS

TO FLY DIRECTLY THROUGH
THE SWELLING MUSHROOM CLOUD,

EXPOSING THEM
TO RADIATION LEVELS

20 TIMES THE DANGER LIMIT.

THE POINT OF TESTING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS TWO-FOLD.

FIRST OFF, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE
THE WEAPON WORKS.

THE SECOND REASON IS TO PROVE,
"WE HAVE THIS POWER.

DON'T MESS WITH US BECAUSE
WE CAN DO BAD THINGS TO YOU

IF YOU DO BAD THINGS TO US."

Narrator:
THE BRITISH COLD WAR FILES
ALSO REVEAL THE PURPOSE

OF THE STRANGE CIRCULAR PATTERN
SEEN IN THE IMAGE.

IT ACTS AS A DOCKING BAY

FOR A DIFFERENT
EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR TEST.

WELL, ACCORDING TO TEST RECORDS,

WHAT THE BRITISH WOULD DO
IS TAKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,

TIE IT TO A BALLOON, HAVE IT
RISE UP TO A CERTAIN ALTITUDE,

AND THEN EXPLODE IT.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator:
THE FLASH FROM THE BLAST --

1,000 TIMES BIGGER THAN THE ONE
THAT DESTROYED NAGASAKI --

IS SO INTENSE,
WITNESSES STANDING 20 MILES AWAY

CAN SEE THE BONES IN THEIR HANDS
THROUGH THEIR SKIN.

THE NIGHTMARE OF NUCLEAR TESTING
OVER THIS ISLAND

ENDED IN THE 1960s,

BUT THE GHOSTLY LEGACY
OF THIS TIME

IS STILL VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

**

COMING UP, A FLOATING DEATH STAR
STRAIGHT FROM "STAR WARS"...

WE NEED TO KNOW,
WHAT IS IT, AND WHY IS IT THERE?

Narrator: ...AND GUARDIANS
OF THE WHITE GOLD.

THE AFAR PEOPLE
HAVE A REPUTATION

FOR BEING VIOLENT AND RUTHLESS.

Narrator: JUNE 3, 2011.

ORBITING SPACE HARDWARE

PASSING OVER
AMERICA'S NORTHWEST COAST

CAPTURES SOMETHING OUT OF PLACE
IN A PORT

HUNDREDS OF MILES BELOW.

Nelson: THIS IS BIZARRE.
IT LOOKS LIKE A GOLF BALL

IS SITTING ON A SQUARE
IN THE MIDDLE OF SEATTLE HARBOR.

Narrator:
TO MILITARY ANALYSTS,

THE DOMED PART OF THE STRUCTURE
LOOKS FAMILIAR.

WHAT WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT
HERE IS A RADOME.

IT'S BASICALLY A RADAR SYSTEM

ENCLOSED IN
A GOLF BALL-LIKE STRUCTURE

TO PROTECT IT
FROM ALL THE ELEMENTS.

Narrator: WHAT'S STRANGE
ABOUT THIS RADOME IS ITS SIZE.

THE STRUCTURE ON WHICH IT SITS

IS 389 FEET LONG
BY 238 FEET WIDE.

WHAT'S EVEN WEIRDER
IS ITS LOCATION.

YOU NORMALLY FIND RADOMES
AT LAND BASES.

NOW, THIS THING IS BASED
IN THE OCEAN.

Narrator:
ON AUGUST 1st, THE GIANT
GOLF BALL PERFORMS A MAGIC ACT.

ONE DAY, THE PLATFORM
IS FLOATING THERE.

THE NEXT DAY, IT'S GONE.

Narrator: SATELLITE IMAGES
REVEAL THE BALL IS MOVING

ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

ITS DESTINATION -- PEARL HARBOR.

WHEN EX-CIA ANALYST
LINDSAY MORAN

STUDIES THE BASE'S
DECLASSIFIED RECORDS,

SHE DISCOVERS IT IS THE MOST
POWERFUL SEA-GOING RADAR SYSTEM

EVER BUILT.

IT IS KNOWN AS SBX-1.

SBX'S PRIMARY USE
IS IDENTIFYING ENEMY WARHEADS

AND DISCRIMINATING THEM
FROM DECOYS.

THE SBX RADAR IS MOUNTED ON
A SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE OIL PLATFORM,

AND IT'S DESIGNED TO OPERATE
IN HIGH SEAS,

ALL KINDS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.

Albertson:
SBX-1, WHEN YOU GET UP CLOSE,

IS LIKE NOTHING
YOU'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.

THIS IS TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST.

Narrator: SBX-1'S
377-SQUARE-FOOT WHITE DOME

CONCEALS 45,000 TRANSMITTERS
AND RECEIVERS.

BUT IT'S THE STRUCTURE'S
MOBILITY THAT GIVES IT THE EDGE

IN IDENTIFYING
AND TRACKING GLOBAL THREATS.

SIX ELECTRIC
3.6 MEGAWATT GENERATORS

PROPEL THE 50,000-TON VESSEL

AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 9 KNOTS.

THREATS ARE NOT ALWAYS
GOING TO COME RIGHT TO YOU.

SO WITH THIS KIND OF SYSTEM,
IF YOU HAVE SUSPICIONS

OF SOME KIND OF ENEMY ACTIVITY,
YOU CAN GO TO IT.

Narrator: IT LOOKS LIKE
SOMETHING FROM A BOND MOVIE.

AND, AS IT HAPPENS,
THIS IS THE PRODUCT

OF A DEFENSE PROGRAM
INSPIRED BY HOLLYWOOD.

INTO THE 1980s, THE COLD WAR
WAS STILL GOING STRONG.

WITH THE ELECTION
OF PRESIDENT REAGAN,

THERE EVENTUALLY CAME
AN INITIATIVE

KNOWN AS THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE
INITIATIVE, OR SDI.

IT WAS COMMONLY KNOWN
AS STAR WARS.

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A VISION
OF THE FUTURE WHICH OFFERS HOPE.

IT IS THAT WE EMBARK
ON A PROGRAM

TO COUNTER THE AWESOME
SOVIET MISSILE THREAT

WITH MEASURES
THAT ARE DEFENSIVE.

Narrator: ON MARCH 23, 1983,

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
ANNOUNCES A PLAN

TO CREATE A SERIES OF SPACE-
AND EARTH-BASED LASERS

TO DETECT AND ELIMINATE MISSILES
THREATENING THE U.S.

Baker:
THINK ABOUT A DOME SPREADING
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

TO PROTECT OURSELVES
FROM INCOMING MISSILES.

FROM THE SOVIET UNION'S
PERSPECTIVE,

THEY SAW IT AS THE U.S.

DESIGNING
AN OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY.

AND SO, THIS CAUSED THEM
A GREAT DEAL OF HEARTBURN.

Narrator:
DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS REVEAL

THAT KEY TO
THE STAR WARS INITIATIVE

ARE HIGH-POWERED
MOBILE RADAR STATIONS.

THOUGH MUCH OF THE PROGRAM
IS CANNED

FOR BEING IMPRACTICAL
AND EXPENSIVE,

THIS ELEMENT REMAINS
IN DEVELOPMENT.

A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS
AND PROJECTS

THAT WERE STARTED UNDER SDI
NEVER CAME TO FRUITION.

THIS ONE DID,
AND IT'S STILL OUT THERE.

Narrator:
THE SPY BALL SOON MOVES AGAIN,

THIS TIME NORTHWEST,
ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL
CONFLICT ZONES THERE.

THE U.S. HAS NORTH KOREA,

THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT
BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN,

RUSSIA OPERATES IN THE PACIFIC.

Narrator:
WHEN NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES

WHAT IT CLAIMS
TO BE A HARMLESS SATELLITE,

SBX-1 SEES
RIGHT THROUGH THESE LIES.

IT CARRIES EQUIPMENT
SO SENSITIVE,

IT CAN TRACK AN OBJECT
THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL

FROM 2,500 MILES AWAY.

ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT CAPABILITIES

THAT YOU GET FROM THIS

IS TO BE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE
BETWEEN MISSILE LAUNCHES

AND JUST REGULAR DEBRIS
IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

Narrator:
THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGES

INDICATE SBX-1 CONTINUES TO BE
DEPLOYED IN THE PACIFIC.

THOUGH WHO OR WHAT IT'S
MONITORING REMAINS CLASSIFIED.

THERE'S A SAYING, "IF YOU WANT
PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR."

AND THE SBX-1 IS KIND OF
A QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE

OF HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.

**

Narrator: COMING UP,
COMMUNIST TERROR HITS AFRICA...

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED,

THE VIOLENCE
WASHED OVER THE COUNTRY.

Narrator: ...AND THE REAL-LIFE
WIZARDS OF OZ.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE
IS INGENIOUS.

**

Narrator: MARCH 10, 2013.

A SATELLITE FLIES OVER

ETHIOPIA'S 53,000-SQUARE-MILE
DANAKIL DESERT.

**

WITH DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
OF 122 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

THIS REGION IS KNOWN
AS THE DOOR TO HELL.

YET IN THIS DEATHLY LANDSCAPE
ARE SIGNS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY.

Chamberlain: THERE ARE WHAT
LOOK TO BE MOUNDS.

SOME OF THEM HAVE A CIRCULAR
RING AROUND THEM,

ALMOST LOOKING LIKE A TARGET.

SEEING CLEAR EVIDENCE
OF SUBSTANTIAL HUMAN ACTIVITY

IN SUCH A HARSH ENVIRONMENT

RAISES
A WHOLE LOAD OF QUESTIONS.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CONSIDER WHAT
THE CIRCLES COULD POSSIBLY BE.

WHEN I LOOK AT THIS IMAGE,

IT LOOKS VERY MUCH
LIKE FORTIFICATIONS,

SOME SURROUNDED
BY WHAT COULD BE WALLS.

Narrator:
MILITARY RECORDS CONFIRM

THESE SANDS HAVE WITNESSED
BLOODSHED IN RECENT TIMES.

DURING THE 1970s,

IT IS THE SITE
OF A BRUTAL UPRISING

AGAINST ETHIOPIAN EMPEROR
HAILE SELASSIE.

IN VIEW OF THE FACT
THAT WARFARE PLAGUED

THIS PART OF ETHIOPIA
IN THE LAST CENTURY

WITH WHOLE AREAS
HAVING TO BE FORTIFIED,

COULD THIS BE SOME
SORT OF MILITARY CAMP?

Narrator: BETWEEN 1976 AND 1978,

COMMUNIST REBEL LEADER
MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM

TORTURES AND KILLS OVER 30,000
NON-COMMUNIST ETHIOPIANS.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

THE CAMPAIGN OF OPPRESSION
AND MASS KILLINGS

BECOMES KNOWN AS THE RED TERROR.

ETHIOPIA HAD BEEN
A STABLE MONARCHY

FOR NOT ONLY CENTURIES,
BUT MILLENNIA,

AND SUDDENLY,
ALL THIS WENT DOWN BADLY.

CIVIL WAR TORE APART FAMILIES,
TORE APART CITIES.

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED,

THE VIOLENCE WASHED
OVER THE COUNTRY.

Narrator: OTHERS DOUBT
THE DESERT-FORT THEORY.

Paul:
THERE DOESN'T REALLY APPEAR
TO BE ANY PARTICULAR PATTERN,

AND WE KNOW THAT
USUALLY MILITARY FORTS

ARE FORMULATED IN A MORE
ORGANIZED PATTERN.

SO, ALL AROUND, IT'S UNLIKELY
THAT THIS IS A MILITARY SET UP.

**

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS
LEARN OF A RECENT DISCOVERY

THAT SUGGESTS THE DESERT TARGETS
HAVE A MORE SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.

**

Dr. Bellinger:
LOOKING AT THIS SATELLITE IMAGE,

IT BRINGS TO MIND BURIAL MOUNDS

THAT WERE FOUND AT A SITE
CALLED JEBEL QURMA IN JORDAN.

Narrator: IN 2017,

ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER HUNDREDS
OF STACKED BRONZE-AGE TOMBS

IN AN AREA OF
THE JORDANIAN DESERT

KNOWN AS THE LAND
OF "DEAD FIRE."

WE SEE SOME THAT ARE JUST
HOLLOW CIRCLES OF STONES,

MORE SIMPLE BURIALS,
AND WE SEE OTHERS

THAT ARE SLIGHTLY MORE ELABORATE
WITH LAYERS OF STONES

MEANT TO BUILD TOWERS
OR MOUNDS.

Narrator: IT IS IN ETHIOPIA
3 MILLION YEARS AGO

MANY BELIEVE THAT
THE HUMAN SPECIES WAS BORN.

ARCHAEOLOGIST KAREN BELLINGER
THINKS THESE STRUCTURES

MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT
BY A WARRIOR TRIBE

THAT HAS RULED THIS LAND
FOR CENTURIES,

A TRIBE SHE HERSELF
HAS SPENT TIME WITH.

IT'S KNOWN AS THE AFAR TRIANGLE,

AND IT'S POPULATED
BY A LOCAL INDIGENOUS GROUP

KNOWN AS THE AFAR,

AND THEY ESSENTIALLY MAKE
THEIR LIVING

BY CUTTING SALT,

WHICH SITS ON THE SURFACE
OF THE EARTH'S CRUST,

AND TRANSPORTING IT
THROUGH THIS HARSH AREA.

Narrator:
THIS DESERT WAS ONCE A SEA,

AND THE SALT FROM THAT SEA
STILL COVERS THE LAND.

**

ONCE USED TO PRESERVE EGYPTIAN
MUMMIES UNTIL THE 20th CENTURY,

ONE-POUND BARS
OF SALT MINED HERE

WERE THE COUNTRY'S
PRIMARY CURRENCY.

THE AFAR HAVE ZEALOUSLY GUARDED
THIS SO-CALLED WHITE GOLD

FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS

AND ONCE ABIDED BY THE MOTTO,

"IT IS BETTER TO DIE
THAN TO LIVE WITHOUT KILLING."

**

THE AFAR PEOPLE
ARE FIERCELY PROUD

AND VERY PROTECTIVE
OF THEIR TERRITORY.

Kourounis: THE AFAR PEOPLE
HAVE A REPUTATION

FOR BEING VIOLENT AND RUTHLESS.

THERE ARE STORIES OF THEM

CASTRATING AND MURDERING
OUTSIDERS

WHO DARE TO VENTURE
INTO THEIR TERRITORY.

Narrator: MINING SALT IN THIS
DESERT HELL IS BRUTALLY HARD.

**

THE AFAR MAKE JUST $6

FOR CUTTING AND TRANSPORTING
120 LARGE BRICKS OF SALT.

THEY ARE TRUE NOMADS.

THE ONLY PERMANENT STRUCTURES

THEY BUILD ARE THE TOMBS
OF THEIR DEAD.

IT'S A WAY THAT THEY NOT ONLY
HONOR THEIR DEAD

BUT ALSO MARK SEASONAL
CAMPING GROUNDS.

A TOMB MARKS THE SPOT WHERE
A MEMBER OF THE TRIBE

TAKES THEIR LAST BREATH.

OTHER STONE CIRCLES DENOTE
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE A WARRIOR

HAS TAKEN WITH HIM
TO THE AFTERLIFE.

THE AFAR TRIBE IS COMMONLY KNOWN
FOR THESE TYPES OF BURIALS,

OUTLINING BURIALS WITH STONES
FOR WARRIORS WHO HAVE DIED

IN CONFLICTS
WITH NEIGHBORING TRIBES.

Narrator: IT WOULD APPEAR
THAT THESE STONE CIRCLES

ARE INDEED DOORS TO HELL.

THIS IMAGE DEPICTS A SITE
THAT IS REALLY MONUMENTAL.

THESE ARE VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

WOULD BE A SOURCE OF MEMORY

AND CELEBRATION
OF THEIR ANCESTORS

AND THEIR CULTURE AND ALSO
POSSIBLY SOME KIND OF WARNING

TO OTHER GROUPS COMING THROUGH.

**

Narrator: COMING UP, SOMETHING
SMELLS FISHY DOWN UNDER.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE PAINT PALETTE

THAT MY PARENTS GAVE ME
AS A CHILD.

**

**

Narrator: JULY 15, 2017.

CAMERAS IN ORBIT
OVER WESTERN AUSTRALIA

REVEAL SOMETHING CURIOUS.

Dr. Schuttler: THIS IMAGE
IS EXTREMELY COLORFUL.

THAT'S THE MOST STRIKING THING
ABOUT IT.

EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF THESE SQUARES

IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOR.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE PAINT PALETTE

THAT MY PARENTS
GAVE ME AS A CHILD.

Narrator:
BIOLOGIST HALEY CHAMBERLAIN

STUDIES THE WIDER IMAGE
FOR CLUES.

ON THE EDGE OF THIS IMAGE,
YOU SEE SOME KIND OF STRUCTURE

THAT LOOKS LIKE
MAYBE A FARMHOUSE.

AND IF THAT'S A FARMHOUSE,
WHAT ARE THEY GROWING THERE?

REGIONAL RECORDS CONFIRM
THE AREA IN THE IMAGE

FALLS WITHIN WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S
MOST PROLIFIC FARMING REGION,

PRODUCING $7 BILLION
OF CROPS PER YEAR.

**

CHAMBERLAIN LEARNS OF A RECENT
AGRICULTURAL INVENTION

THAT COULD EXPLAIN
THE WEIRD COLORS IN THE IMAGE.

RAINBOW CORN HAS BEEN BRED SO
THAT THERE ARE BRILLIANT COLORS.

Nelson: MOST PEOPLE
THINK OF CORN AS YELLOW,

BUT RAINBOW CORN IS --
LIKE, EVERY SINGLE CORN KERNEL

IS A DIFFERENT COLOR.

Narrator: THE HALLUCINOGENIC
EARS ARE THE PRODUCT

OF INTERBREEDING
ANCIENT VARIETIES

OF NATIVE AMERICAN CORN.

THIS IS SELECTIVE BREEDING.

ESSENTIALLY, YOU HAVE A FARMER

WHO'S TAKING DIFFERENT STALKS
OF CORN WITH DIFFERENT COLORS,

MIXING OLD VARIETIES
WITH NEW VARIETIES,

AND EVENTUALLY COMES UP
WITH THIS MULTICOLORED STALK.

**

CORN IS FIRST DOMESTICATED
AROUND 9,000 YEARS AGO.

TODAY, FARMERS PRODUCE
800 MILLION TONS

OF THE VEGETABLE EACH YEAR.

I WOULD'VE EATEN WAY
MORE VEGETABLES AS A KID

HAD IT BEEN PINK AND PURPLE.

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WHAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT IN THIS IMAGE

IS ROWS AND ROWS
OF RAINBOW CORN.

Narrator: YET FURTHER ANALYSIS
OF THE RECTANGLES

REVEALS THE IMAGE
ISN'T A CORNUCOPIA OF CORN.

Dr. Kays: WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSE
AT THIS IMAGE,

IT LOOKS LIKE PONDS OF WATER.

I WONDER IF THIS IS A FARM
FOR ANIMALS

THAT ARE LIVING IN THE WATER.

Narrator: IF THESE ARE PONDS,

THEIR SIZE AND SHAPE OFFER CLUES
TO WHAT'S SWIMMING IN THEM.

WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH
FARMING CRUSTACEANS

LIKE CRAWFISH,
YOU DON'T WANT A HUGE SPACE.

YOU NEED THESE SMALL,
CONTAINED AREAS.

ONE THAT COMES TO MIND
IN PARTICULAR IS MARRON,

A TYPE OF CRUSTACEAN THAT'S
REALLY POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA.

**

Narrator: MARRON CAN BE SMOOTH
OR HAIRY

AND GROW TO
15 INCHES IN LENGTH.

THE HAIRY ONES LIVE IN ONLY
ONE RIVER IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

BUT IN THE EARLY 1980s,

THE SMOOTHIES INVADE
THEIR PATCH,

AND BY MATING
WITH THE HAIRY ONES,

THEY'RE INTERBREEDING THEM
INTO EXTINCTION.

LESS THAN 1,000 HAIRIES
NOW REMAIN IN THE WILD.

MARRON IS ANOTHER WORD
FOR CRAWFISH.

I'M FROM LOUISIANA.

WE HAVE CRAWFISH
ALL OVER THE PLACE,

BUT THESE ARE DIFFERENT.

MARRON ARE THE THIRD
LARGEST CRAWFISH IN THE WORLD.

**

Narrator: BUT THE SMOOTHIES
FACE A BATTLE OF THEIR OWN.

AUSSIES THINK THEY'RE DELICIOUS.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TEENY,
TINY, LITTLE THINGS

THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK SUPER HARD
TO EAT ALL THE MEAT OF.

THIS IS THE THANKSGIVING
DINNER OF CRAWFISH.

IN AUSTRALIA, THEY'RE CONSIDERED
A LUXURY FOOD,

AND THIS HAS LED TO AN INCREASE
IN COMMERCIAL MARRON FARMING.

Narrator: YET MARRON FARMERS
FACE A BIG CHALLENGE

IN GETTING THEIR
ANIMALS TABLE-READY.

IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE
THAT LOVE MARRON.

OTHER ANIMALS LOVE MARRON,
ESPECIALLY BIRDS.

ANYTIME YOU HAVE AQUACULTURE
CONCENTRATING

THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS
IN SMALL PONDS,

YOU KNOW THE PREDATORS
ARE EVENTUALLY GONNA SHOW UP.

FOR A BIRD OF PREY, MARRON,
IN PONDS LIKE THIS,

IS LIKE SHOOTING FISH
IN A BARREL.

Narrator: AGRICULTURE REPORTS
REVEAL THE FEATHERED BANDITS

HAVE FORCED AQUAFARMERS
TO GET CREATIVE.

Dotson:
FARMERS ARE EXPERIMENTING
WITH DIFFERENT THINGS

IN ORDER
TO CAMOUFLAGE THEIR PONDS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY CHANGING
THE COLOR OF THE WATER

TO TRY TO MAKE IT HARDER
FOR BIRDS TO PREY UPON THEM.

**

UNLIKE HUMANS, BIRDS CAN SEE
A SPECTRUM OF LIGHT WAVELENGTHS,

INCLUDING ULTRAVIOLET.

BY ADDING COLORED COMPOUNDS
TO THE PONDS,

FARMERS MAKE THEIR CONTENTS
INVISIBLE TO ANYTHING AVIAN.

[ HAWK CRIES ]

Dr. Rice:
WHEN A BIRD LOOKS AT THE WATER,

IT DOESN'T SEE THE SUN
GLINTING OFF THE WATER.

THEY CAN SEE STRAIGHT IN
TO GET A FISH.

SO IT'S JUST LIKE PUTTING
A UV BLOCKER ON.

EXPERTS SPECULATE THAT PERHAPS
THIS EXPLAINS

THE GIANT PAINT PALETTE
VISIBLE FROM SPACE.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE
IS INGENIOUS.

ESSENTIALLY, THE DYE
DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS.

IT MAKES THE WATER MORE OPAQUE.

IT'S HARD TO SEE THROUGH IT.

BUT ALSO IT CHANGES
THE UV REFLECTIVITY,

AND THAT MESSES
WITH THE BIRDS' BRAINS.

**