Strange Evidence (2017–…): Season 4, Episode 4 - The Devil's Mutant - full transcript
In Egypt, a freakish animal is caught on camera, and using cutting-edge tech, experts investigate if this strange beast could explain the secrets of a satanic deity that was once believed to have been worshiped here.
Narrator: Worldwide, six
billion cameras are watching us,
on our streets, at work, and in our homes.
They capture things that seem impossible.
It defies the laws of physics.
Man: Oh, this is unbelievable, man.
Narrator: Experts carry
out forensic analysis
of these unusual events.
[ whirring ]
[ explosion ] [ screaming ]
I want to know what I'm looking at.
There has to be some sort of explanation.
What else is going on here?
Narrator: Coming up, a
landslide and then a flood not seen
since the days of the bible.
Kourounis: Witnessing
that must have felt like
watching the earth crack in half.
Narrator: Who's launching
secret space shots from oklahoma?
Was this a rocket that was launched
without anybody knowing and exploding?
Narrator: And did this
hideous egyptian beast
inspire modern-day satanism?
[ growls ]
it's assumed it was some
sort of diabolic, satanic head
with horns that resembled a goat.
Narrator: Bizarre phenomena... Whoa.
...Mysteries caught on camera.
Now that's an explosion.
What's the truth behind
this strange evidence?
[ rumbling ]
narrator: Now, a quiet valley
collapses into a scene of epic carnage.
This is a catastrophe unfolding.
Narrator: Rock and earth crumble.
A tsunami of water follows.
This is massive
destruction on a grand scale.
Narrator: But incredibly,
there is no written record
of this earth-shattering event.
Looks almost apocalyptic.
It's like the great flood.
If you mess with mother nature...
Oh!
...She's going to win every time.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: Pantai remis, malaysia...
This tropical paradise
is a hot spot for tourism.
Sightseers enjoy pristine beaches,
lush rain forests, and
breathtaking sunsets.
October 21st, 1993...
A man films on a cliff edge
as the earth begins to crumble.
[ rumbling ]
the landslide is followed
by a huge torrent of water.
People should be terrified.
Narrator: The man with
the camera continues to film
while elemental forces smash
the landscape around him.
Shapiro: Whatever this is, it's massive,
and this guy looks like
he's in serious danger.
Kourounis: Standing there
witnessing that must have felt
like watching the earth crack in half.
Narrator: The footage is
time-stamped October 21st, 1993,
but despite the epic destruction
in this incredible footage,
there is no official
written report on the event
to explain what happened.
Explorer george kourounis wonders
if this mysterious footage
could be of an event unseen
since prehistoric times.
One thing that happened
in the mediterranean
was that the sea flooded
into what is now known
as the black sea.
Narrator: The area occupied
today by the black sea
was once fertile land
inhabited by stone age farmers
with a small freshwater lake in the middle.
That all ended around 5,000 b.C.
With one of the most destructive
events ever witnessed by man.
Mcmahon: We've seen
tsunamis in our own time,
and they're terrible events,
but they're over in a day.
But this was something that
went over a long period of time.
Narrator: The earth between
the mediterranean and the lowland
of what is now the black
sea suddenly collapsed.
Ten cubic miles of water per
day flooded in for 300 days,
transforming the land into a
new 170,000-square-mile sea.
The force of the floodwater
made niagara falls
look like a dripping tap.
We're talking 200 times more water,
and that would have happened
in a violent, catastrophic,
cataclysmic event.
Narrator: Many historians
believe that this event
inspired the story of the
great flood in the bible.
The records show that an
even more cataclysmic event
happened 5 million years ago,
what we call the zanclean flood,
and this is when the atlantic ocean burst
through the strait of gibraltar
and flooded into the mediterranean.
Scientists believe that
this huge volume of water
cascaded down about 1/2 mile
with 1,000 times the
force of the amazon river.
It effectively separated
europe from north africa forever.
Narrator: Science journalist
john farrow wonders if the footage
might have captured
a similar type of event.
Farrow: Looking at
all this water rushing it,
it's almost biblical.
It's like the great flood.
Narrator: Planetary scientist
sian proctor searches for evidence
to support farrow's great flood theory.
This could be a mass
flood that we're seeing,
but I don't think it is.
The records show that there was no flooding
happening in the region at that time,
so something else must be happening here.
Narrator: Earth scientist alan
shapiro joins the investigation.
He examines the footage,
and his focus is drawn
to the contouring of the
wall of earth moments
before it collapses.
You can see this stepping pattern
which looks like an
open-pit mining operation.
Narrator: Mining is one of
the main industries in malaysia,
and much of this is
large-scale open-pit mining.
Shapiro: One of malaysia's
major exports is tin,
and there are tin mines
across the landscape,
but how do we go from a tin mine
to a massive landslide and flood?
Narrator: Opencast mining
operations often include a dam
to keep river water from
entering the excavated pit.
Dam failures often
lead to mining tragedies.
On November 5th, 2015,
a dam at an iron mine
in brazil catastrophically failed,
unleashing over 52
million cubic yards of water,
mud and iron ore sludge.
It was brazil's worst ever
environmental disaster,
with the torrent annihilating
375 homes and killing 19 people.
But the sheer amount
of liquid in this footage
is way beyond any normal dammed-up river.
Kourounis sees a clue
in the color of the water
that lies beyond the mine's earth wall.
Looking at the horizon on the video,
you can see the ocean.
What were they thinking,
building an open-pit mine
so close to the ocean?
How do you not see this coming?
Shapiro: As mine failures go,
this has got to be the most
epic ever caught on camera.
Narrator: Details of this mine
failure remain shrouded in mystery.
Aside from this incredible footage,
there is no known written
record of this titanic flood event.
It is still not known if
anyone was injured or killed.
The only other evidence
is a 1/2-mile-wide cove
where the mine used to be,
a testament to the
incredible force of water.
We dug out this great
big pit next to the ocean,
and guess what?
Mother nature is taking it back.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: Now, a crack of
light splinters the night sky.
[ explosion ]
chances are, whatever
it's doing is not good.
Narrator: Is someone launching
an illegal rocket on american soil?
If I was living in the area, I
want to know if it's dangerous.
Narrator: Or is a new
weapon being unleashed?
If you were on the ground
near where this was taking place,
you could be dead in an instant.
[ whirring, trilling ]
♪
Narrator: Tulsa, oklahoma, known
as the buckle of the bible belt.
Tulsa was the capital of the
u.S. Oil industry for 60 years,
and the modern city grew
up around that wealth.
August 20th, 2007...
As a hot summer's day
draws to a close in the city,
residents return to their
homes in the suburbs
unaware that an unmanned
surveillance camera
is about to record a frightening event
in the skies above them.
[ explosion ]
you really got to wonder,
what kind of power
is being released on the horizon?
Kutcher: It's beaming
straight back up into the sky.
I don't know what it is.
We have to understand,
this is a huge event.
Is this a danger to society?
[ whirring ]
narrator: The footage reminds
science journalist jeff wise
of a 1957 experiment that
could have looked very similar.
Wise: During an underground
nuclear test in the american west,
this underground test chamber
was topped by a manhole cover.
They blew up a nuclear bomb.
There was so much
energy from this nuclear blast
concentrated on this
one little manhole cover
that it was projected into the atmosphere
with such tremendous velocity th it now
is currently in earth orbit.
Narrator: The manhole cover accelerated
to an incredible 125,000 miles per hour,
making it the fastest
man-made object ever recorded.
It reportedly beat sputnik
by more than 2 months,
becoming the first man-made object
to go in to earth's orbit.
Wise wonders if a similar
test could have caused
the strange explosions
witnessed in the skies above tulsa.
Oklahoma is out there
on the arid great plains,
which is a place where
the department of energy
could well have some
experimental facilities
perhaps operating
completely under the radar.
[ whirring ]
narrator: But wise finds no spikes
in levels of radioactivity in the area
and considers if another
explosive atmospheric event
could have caused this strange phenomenon.
If you're talking about explosive releases
of energy in the sky,
maybe we're looking at
something like a failed rocket launch.
Rockets, you know,
not infrequently explode.
The problem is it takes an
enormous amount of energy
to get something into orbit.
We get that energy by
basically controlled explosions.
That's what's propelling a rocket forward.
The constant danger, in that case,
is that you lose control of the explosion,
and then it goes a little too fast
and blows everything into pieces.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up, locals panic
as a glowing green river
races through canada.
Whatever was in the river,
our concern was, was it toxic?
[ chains rattling ]
narrator: Chains weighing 40 pounds
appear to swing by
themselves in a haunted mine.
Kourounis: Chains are inanimate objects.
They do not move on their own.
Narrator: And, is someone
launching illegal rockets
in the dead of night?
These people are not cub scouts.
We're talking about really big rockets.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Massive terrifying explosions
appear over the skies of tulsa, oklahoma.
Experts investigate if a catastrophic
rocket launch failure could be responsible.
Scientist greg szulgit researches
stories of exploding rockets.
There are 90 known launches
in just 2017 alone of
rockets around the world.
Six of those failed catastrophically.
That's one in 15.
In 2015, there was a spacex
rocket that made it off the pad
and blew up mid-flight.
Narrator: Is it possible that a rocket
was launched in suburban oklahoma?
In this part of oklahoma,
there are no commercial
space launch facilities.
Szulgit: There are lots of
amateur rocketeers around,
and these people are not cub scouts.
We're talking about really big rockets.
Could somebody have launched one
without telling anybody
in the middle of the night?
[ explosion ]
narrator: On January 12th, 2018,
a company called swarm technologies
launched four satellites into orbit
without government permission.
It was the first time
u.S.-Based rogue satellites
had ever been launched.
The federal communications
commission described them
as a risk.
This could be someone trying
to launch a new type of rocket
that no one else really knows about.
You got to hope it isn't dangerous.
Narrator: The fcc admitted
that it's next to impossible
to stop illegal launches
or to police what
potentially nefarious groups
are trying to send into orbit.
Szulgit wants to see if a failed
illegal rocket launch could
produce a midair explosion
that resembles the footage.
Szulgit: We're going to do
an experiment here today,
the exploding rocket, and comparing them,
should be able to tell if the video
is actually an exploding rocket.
So standing back at a safe distance,
we're going to electrically
ignite the propellant,
and it's going to shoot
some fire out the bottom
which catches the fuse that
goes up the side of the rocket.
That fuse is going to be
timed perfectly to hit the flare,
which is going to explode out the sides.
Narrator: The flares will
simulate burning debris
from a rocket explosion
falling back to earth.
Szulgit: And see if the
pattern that they make
is going to be the same
as we see in the video.
All right. Let's do this.
♪
All right. So we're ready
to go, this electrical launch.
Yep. So put the key in. Turn it twice.
[ beeping ] armed...
Okay! ...The big red button.
Three, two, one, do it.
Yeah!
[ bursts ] wow!
Narrator: The rocket
launches, igniting the fuse
and explodes at 200 feet.
Szulgit analyzes the
debris pattern to compare it
with the blast in the footage.
Flares bursting off to the
sides in parabolic arches.
If something were to explode,
it would leave flaming
pieces flying off to the side,
and it would be especially
visible in the night sky,
these hot glowing bits.
Doesn't look anything like
what we see in the video.
We don't see any of that.
Whatever it is, it simply disappears.
I think that the video
definitely is not a rocket.
[ trilling ]
narrator: Forensic image
analyst conor mccourt
examines the clip.
When we slow it down image
by image, we can see two stages.
There's a flash of light
followed by a small explosion.
Narrator: Mccourt's background as
an nypd sergeant leads him to believe
that this could be the signature
of some kind of ballistic weapon.
It would be something
similar to a shotgun spray.
Narrator: But mccourt examines the footage
and realizes the scale is
much bigger than a shotgun.
Mccourt: We have to
understand this is a huge event.
It's something like a military
gun, it would have to be.
Narrator: Military analyst carlo
muñoz knows of one giant military gun
that could fit the profile.
The u.S. Navy has been
pouring billions of dollars
into researching an
electromagnetic rail gun
for their warships.
If they're successful, it would
revolutionize naval warfare
as we know it.
Narrator: The rail gun, long
thought of as science fiction,
has now become a terrifying science fact.
This is basically a weapon
that shoots a projectile
but not powered by gunpowder
or something sort of explosion.
It's powered by magnetic energy.
[ rumbling, whooshing ]
narrator: The prototype rail gun shoots
23-pound rounds from its barrel
at a hypersonic speed of mach 7,
around four times faster than the concorde.
With an effective range of 100 miles,
the kinetic energy is so great
that these rounds can slice
through 6-inch-thickteel
armor plating like it was paper.
What we're seeg in the
video has a lot of similarities
to what an electromagnetic
rail gun shot would look like.
What we could be seeing here
is the electromagnetic casing
surrounding the bullet
falling off to the side
as the projectile enters the atmosphere.
Narrator: Each rail gun
round costs just $25,000,
a fraction of the cost of a
multimillion-dollar missile.
They're also smaller, faster,
and impossible to intercept.
Muñoz: Whoever perfects
this technology will essentially
be able to own the seas across the globe.
Narrator: But wise notes a
problem with the rail gun theory.
The ing about a rail gun is
that they're navy weapons.
They're used on the ocean.
Tulsa is nowhere near the ocean.
So either the navy has
decided to relocate in secret
one of its test facilities to oklahoma,
or there's some other explanation.
[ trilling ]
narrator: Meteorologist angela
fritz investigates if the footage
could be showing some
kind of explosive act of nature.
Fritz: It appears instantly,
and it disappears instantly.
It makes me think that it
might somehow be related
to lightning, actually.
Narrator: There are 100 lightning strikes
on earth every single second,
each delivering up to 1
billion volts of electricity.
The average american
has a one in 5,000 chance
of being struck during their lifetime.
But the captured images
don't show lightning
as it normally behaves.
We think of lightning either
kind of spreading across the sky
or coming down to the ground.
Normally, lightning doesn't go up.
[ explosion ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up,
is a volcano spewing a deadly chemical
towards a small canadian town?
This is a color that
volcanic lakes could have
when it's filled with sulfuric acid.
[ chains rattling ]
narrator: Is a sinister
force swinging chains
in an abandoned mine shaft?
Price: I don't believe in ghosts,
but I really don't know
how else to explain it.
Narrator: And a mysterious flash
from nowhere strikes in oklahoma.
You need, obviously,
the thunderstorm to get the lightning,
so how is this happening?
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Night blasts over oklahoma
point towards a mysterious
and explosive weather phenomenon.
Meteorologist angela fritz
researches a type of lightning
that shoots into the heavens
instead of towards the ground.
We have had reports from airline pilots
talking about strange lightning
that jumps up from the clouds,
so that is something interesting
that we should investigate.
Narrator: Electrical engineer
steven cummer believes
that this could be an extremely
rare event called gigantic jets.
Gigantic jets are
actually lightning channels
that shoot upward out of the cloud,
and they simply continue moving
up and up to the edge of space.
These things have been
happening above thunderstorms
for millions and millions of years,
and yet we've really only
known about it for 15 years,
and that's because of the availability
of good low-light camera technology.
Narrator: Most scientists believe
the footage shows gigantic jets,
but not all weather experts agree.
The strange thing here is that in tulsa,
the weather reports are
saying clear, you know?
There's no thunderstorm,
not a drop of rain.
And you need, obviously,
the thunderstorm to get the lightning,
so how is this happening?
Narrator: Scientists
aren't sure what caused
the mystery flashes over oklahoma,
but since that night, locals
are watching the skies.
Whatever this is, it's big. It's explosive,
and chances are whatever
it's doing is not good.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a wilderness
river turns a disturbing green.
Something weird is going on in this river.
Shapiro: Green is a color
I associate with nature,
but this looks far more sinister.
Narrator: Locals worry that a
chemical disaster is unfolding.
Whatever was in the river,
our concern was, was it toxic?
Narrator: But could a
lethal agent be the cause?
The toxins can cause
your liver to shut down.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: December 29th, 2010...
Goldstream park, british columbia, canada.
Located on vancouver island,
this area of unspoiled wilderness
offers an escape from city life.
This natural paradise
and the town of langford
below it are fed by the goldstream river.
Local fire chief bob beckett
knows these waters well.
Beckett: The river, as you can
see right now, is crystal clear.
It's always crystal clear,
so anything that would
discolor it would be
of a real concern to us.
Narrator: Then, on a
chilly December afternoon,
local resident lida
simonsbergen is confronted
by a noxious nightmare.
It was an ordinary day,
but it was after lunch
and suddenly there's green
...it was fluorescent green.
I mean, it wasn't a natural color at all.
Where could it be coming
from? When is it going to stop?
It was scary.
♪
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biochemist stacy
ramkisoon analyzes the color
and matches it to a terrifying liquid
produced by seismic activity.
This is a color that volcanic
lakes can actually have
when it's filled with sulfuric acid.
Narrator: The inviting green
waters of the crater lake
on the kawah ijen volcano
on the island of java, indonesia,
hide a deadly secret.
This is the most acidic
large lake on earth,
registering a ph of less than 0.3.
That's so acidic that
it can melt a coke can.
Narrator: The acidity of
the lake is caused by sulfur
coming up from the volcano.
Sulfur dioxide from volcanic activity
comes up and mixes with water,
and then you get sulfuric acid.
Narrator: These lakes are lethal to humans.
A brother and sister duo
were hiking in yellowstone park,
and they were looking
for a hot spring to soak in.
Narrator: The brother, colin scott,
goes to investigate a
promising-looking pool
while his sister, sable, looks on.
He slips, fully clothed,
beneath its surface
and only then discovers
that it is a boiling lake of sulfuric acid.
He is killed almost instantly,
but that isn't the end of the horror.
It was so acidic that he melted.
Narrator: Concentrated sulfuric acid
can utterly dissolve flesh
and bone in a matter of hours.
Ramkisoon: They went back
to retrieve his body the next day.
Only a few pieces of clothing were left.
Narrator: Ramkisoon
knows that this part of canada
lies on the pacific's ring of fire.
Ramkisoon: There are over
100 volcanoes in canada,
and british columbia
is right in the middle.
Narrator: Geologist bill menke investigates
eyewitness reports from the event
for any telltale signs of a volcanic link
to the weird green liquid.
Menke: With sulfuric
acid in lakes and rivers,
there will be this
terrible stench of sulfur,
and none was reported.
I would be looking for another
phenomena to explain it.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up, a dark presence
haunts an abandoned
mine. [ chains rattling ]
price: There had to be
something in that mine
to make that chain swing.
Narrator: What's wrong with this goat?
I've never seen anything like it.
Really ugly. [ snorts ]
narrator: And experts
investigate if a toxic spill
has made this river deadly.
Shapiro: Exposure can cause
anything from acute poisoning
to long-term liver damage and even death.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring, rumbling ]
narrator: A river on vancouver
island, canada, turns a bright green.
Local fire chief bob beckett
investigates the incident.
He suspects a possible
source for the contamination.
The trans-canada
highway runs almost parallel
to this portion of the river.
You know, there's numerous
trucks going up and down,
carrying dangerous goods. [ siren wails ]
narrator: The highway is a
notorious spot for accidents.
Experts look for clues
about what type of chemical
could spill from a tanker
and turn the river luminous green.
♪
Shapiro: I've seen a
chemical spill this color before,
and it was chromium,
and so a lot of concentration of that metal
can bring out that vivid green color.
In 2016, residents of a city
in russia found green snow.
It was chromium and a very similar color
to what we're seeing in this footage.
Narrator: And similar horrific
incidents have happened closer to home.
In a small town in america called hinkley,
erin brockovich brought a company to court
for leaking chromium-6 into the
water supply of local residents.
Narrator: Over 600
residents of hinkley, california,
had been exposed to more
than 370 million gallons
of this dangerous chemical.
Shapiro: Chromium is very toxic.
Exposure over time can cause
anything from acute poisoning
to long-term liver damage,
kidney damage, and even death.
Narrator: Brockovich brought a lawsuit
against the company responsible.
This case was settled out
of court for $333 million.
That's the largest direct-action
settlement in american history.
Narrator: A chromium spill could
wreck the lives of those living
by the goldstream river
and the town of langford.
The effects could be devastating.
Narrator: But beckett's
further investigation
reveals no obvious source for the chromium.
There were no incidents at all
involving any kind of spilled product.
So we concluded it did not come
from a motor-vehicle incident.
It had to come from some
other action or source.
♪
Narrator: The cause of the strange
green color is still not understood.
Residents worry that something
worse could come in the future.
It would be devastating to the region,
devastating to the community.
Simonsbergen: You don't
know what it is, you know?
We had no idea.
Thinking about it almost
brings tears to your eyes.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a caver
enters an abandoned mine.
Man: Very dark, foreboding
tunnel, that's for sure.
Everything about this
place screams "do not enter."
narrator: An invisible force
starts violently swinging a chain.
[ chains rattling ]
man: I don't know why that
one chain is swinging back there.
Kourounis: Chains are inanimate objects.
They do not move on their own,
but something is causing it to move.
And then come the voices.
[ indistinct echoing ]
man: [ panting ] I'm getting out of here.
[ whirring, trilling ]
♪
Narrator: Nevada...
Gold w first found here in 1870,
and today the state
produces nearly three-quarters
of all the gold excavated
in the united states.
Its landscape is littered
with abandoned mines.
♪
Summer 2013... a caver decides to wander
into the abandoned horton gold mine,
filming his adventure as he explores.
He is the only person inside the old mine,
which hasn't been open since 1969.
He immediately feels there is something off
about this particular shaft.
Man: Yeah, this mine definitely
has a very spooky vibe to it.
[ chains rattling ]
[ man panting ]
I don't know why that
one chain is swinging.
Maybe this mine isn't as
abandoned as he thinks.
Price: There had to be
something in that mine
to make that chain swing.
I don't believe in ghosts,
but if this isn't a hoax,
I really don't know how else to explain it.
[ man panting ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Geographer
george kourounis studies
mining's history of grisly disasters.
Kourounis: Mines are one of the
most dangerous workplaces on earth.
People die in mines all the time.
There's, of course, the famous
story of the 33 chilean miners
that were trapped deep underground
because of a collapse.
Luckily, they were all rescued
through some incredible
technology and heroic efforts.
[ cheering ]
man: After a record 69 days underground,
the men were hoisted
to safety in an operation
that lasted less than 24 hours.
Narrator: Tragically, most mining accidents
do not have such happy endings.
In 2006, a methane explosion
tore through the pasta de
conchos mine in mexico.
65 miners suffocated slowly
in the dark, deep underground.
Only two bodies have ever been recovered.
Kourounis: Cave-ins, old
machinery, low oxygen environments,
deadly gasses...
There are a million ways
to die inside an old mine.
♪
Narrator: Coming up, a satanic
beast or a man-made horror?
Sort of looks like dr. Dolittle
turned into dr. Frankenstein.
Narrator: And the gold
mine gets even spookier.
[ indistinct echoing ]
gosh, that almost sounded like voices.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: A caver enters an
abandoned nevada gold mine.
He encounters a mysterious
force that moves a rusty chain.
Incredibly, the swinging chain
is only the start of the weird
phenomenon in the footage.
Folklorist heidi hollis watches
as the caver moves deeper
into the tunnel.
[ indistinct echoing ]
man: What's that sound?
[ echoing continues ]
gosh, that almost sounded
like a cb communication.
It sounded like voices,
but there's nobody there.
That is what is mind-blowing.
Narrator: Analyzing the audio,
hollis tries to decipher
what is being said.
[ indistinct echoing ] man: What...
What's that?
[ echoing continues ]
hollis wonders if these voices
could be some kind of
memory of a mining tragedy.
Was it a terrible accident that
caused them to be stuck there?
Is there a search for help?
Was something covered up?
Narrator: Science journalist jeff wise
investigates the mysterious audio.
Analysis indicates the sounds
were recorded in the mine
and not dubbed over later,
which makes a hoax seem unlikely.
But wise believes there
must be a rational explanation
for the eerie voices in the recording.
Perhaps this guy was picking
up signals from somewhere else,
somehow, because of the
metal content of this mine,
or something that scrambles
electromagnetic signals.
[ indistinct echoing ]
narrator: He thinks this could also explain
the mine shaft's swinging chain.
Could there be some kind of
magnetic anomaly or something?
Narrator: Magnetic fields can
play havoc with electrical equipment
and also attract anything
made of ferrous metal.
Kourounis: These rusty chains
are clearly made from iron steel,
and a magnet in the rock could
absolutely attract these chains.
Narrator: Kourounis investigates
which rocks could have
such powerful magnetic properties.
Magnetite is a type of rock that can,
under certain circumstances,
become magnetic.
Narrator: To unlock
magnetite's magnetic potential,
you have to expose it
to one of the most
powerful forces in nature.
When a lightning bolt hits the ground,
it burns five times hotter
than the surface of the sun
but it also generates
an electromagnetic field.
That field can charge the magnetite,
turning it into a lodestone.
Suddenly you have a
naturally-occurring magnet.
Narrator: But physicist
peter erbach doesn't believe
that lodestones can explain
the phenomenon in the footage.
Erbach: To make that chain move that way,
you either need a
time-varying magnetic field
or a magnetic pulse,
and a lodestone is a constant magnet.
It just wouldn't do that,
so it couldn't happen.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biologist danni
washington is sent the footage.
She amplifies the audio
and is struck by a noise
in the background.
Washington: So what is
that noise, the screeching?
Are they bats?
Narrator: Biologist kelly
price has expert knowledge
of the bat species
encountered in north america.
We know that there are
23 species of bat in nevada,
and we also know that they
love making old mines their home.
Washington: The idea of walking
around a dark, abandoned mine
with bats swooping in around
you is not an ideal situation.
Bats do carry rabies, which
despite modern medicine,
can still kill people.
Washington: If there are
bats in that abandoned mine,
could it be a possibility
that a bat striking the chain
would cause it to swing like that?
Narrator: Price analyzes the
weight of the chain in the footage
to work out how much force
would be needed to make it swing.
Now, a large bat is
probably about 3 pounds,
and we know the chains are 40 pounds.
So even nevada's
largest bat flying at full tilt
into that chain
might not have made
much of a dent in it at all,
and yet that chain is clearly
swinging on quite a large arc.
Narrator: Scientists are unable
to explain the strange events
in the horton mine.
Until a new expedition returns
to this seemingly haunted shaft,
its mysteries will remain unsolved.
Since we never saw what
it was that moved the chain,
we may never find out.
♪
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a hideous
beast captured on camera.
Why does it have that growth on its head?
Narrator: This is no
ordinary farmyard animal.
I know what it should be,
but there's something really wrong.
Narrator: Could this be evidence
of genetic experimentation?
Sort of looks like dr. Dolittle
turned into dr. Frankenstein.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Egypt, home of one of the world's
most incredible ancient civilizations,
where a dynasty of powerful pharaohs raised
astonishing statues, temples, and tombs
and worshipped gods with the bodies of men
and the heads of beasts.
♪
[ growls ] March 22nd, 2018...
A man films a strange creature
that seems to come straight
from these ancient legends.
Lovell: This is a really creepy image.
It looks like a goat,
but there's something wrong with its head.
I don't know, I've never
seen anything like it.
It's hard to even tell what
parts of its head are what.
Traditionally, goats have been represented
as satanic in christianity,
and when you look at this
goat you can kind of see why.
Narrator: The image of the
baphomet, the satanic goat,
originates from dark stories
told about the ancient egyptians
and their goat gods.
Mcmahon: The people of mendes
in ancient egypt worshipped goats.
Christians who found out about this
through the greek historian herodotus
were so appalled that the goat
became almost a symbol of evil.
Narrator: Coming up, what
dark forces created this creature?
[ bleating ]
it's possible that this is
some sort of genetic experiment gone wrong.
[ braying ]
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: A camera captures
footage of a strange beast
in an egyptian animal enclosure.
[ bleating ]
science journalist jeff wise
believes the goat's abominable appearance
might be evidence of its exposure
to something highly toxic.
Wise: It looks like a mutant.
Its dna somehow is messed up.
Normally, animals that suffer
is kind of damage will die.
But those that do survive,
well, it's a sight to behold.
Narrator: Catalysts for
mutations can be found
in our everyday environment.
There's lots of toxins that
are what's called mutagenic.
They attack the dna and cause a mutation,
and that's actually what
causes things like cancer.
Washington: When a pregnant
mother is exposed to these,
the results can be really unfortunate.
The fetus can have certain deformities
and then the baby is born
with all kinds of weird things
happening to its body.
Exposure to nuclear waste
is probably the worst-case scenario.
Narrator: In the aftermath of the chernobyl
nuclear disaster in 1986,
a large number of mutations were
reported in ukraine and belarus.
Belarus was downwind of
the disaster when it happened
and got 70 percent of the nuclear fallout.
[ crackling ] narrator: The strontium-90
released in the chernobyl blast
had a devastating effect on unborn fetuses.
Eight-legged lambs were born,
and cows with massive jaw defects.
Lovell: If we compare this goat
to other animals that are deformed
by nuclear waste,
then this could fit the bill.
Narrator: Egypt has recently
restarted its long-dormant
nuclear power program
with support from russia.
Egypt does not have
the same safety standards
are we do in the west, so
these deformities could be
as a result of a local radiation leak.
Narrator: Biologist danni
washington reexamines the footage
and notices something
odd about the other goats.
There are a whole set
of goats that look like this,
and it's not just one goat.
This wasn't a one-off case
of some random deformity
or exposure to chemicals.
This was something that
was passed on genetically.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Neuroscientist jade
lovell investigates whether someone
could have deliberately
meddled with this goat's dna.
With genetic modification technology
and particularly with crispr,
it's possible to create animals
that don't exist in nature.
Ramkisoon: Crispr-cas9
is essentially gene editing,
and it allow us to create
genetically modified
organisms very quickly.
So it's possible that this is some sort of
genetic experiment gone wrong.
Narrator: Recent advances in gene splicing
have allowed some truly
bizarre animals to be created.
There are animals that glow in the dark.
They really exist.
Narrator: These eerily glowing animals
have had jellyfish genes
spliced into their dna.
Using genetic modification,
it has allowed us to create micro pigs
and spider silk and goat's milk.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biologist kelly price believes
that what we're seeing in the video,
despite its gruesome appearance,
might nevertheless be just a goat.
This isn't actually a
case of crossbreeding.
It's a case of inbreeding where
two animals with very distinct,
similar features are bred together
to magnify that feature.
Narrator: For thousands of years,
humans have bred animals
to enhance specific traits.
We have miniature dogs.
We have hairless cats.
Clearly, humans like to play
with the genetics of other creatures.
Narrator: But such
intensive inbreeding carries
risks for the species being modified.
Inbreeding can actually be dangerous
because you can magnify
other detrimental features.
For example, bulldogs
often have trouble breathing.
So I don't know if this
goat has any trouble
due to its interesting facial
features, but I hope not.
Narrator: Washington
investigates and stumbles
upon a surprising answer.
We're looking at a damascus goat,
and it turns out that this is a
selective-breeding program
where the owners have chosen
to make their goats look like this.
This particular goat is
really a prized possession
for their owners.
One has been sold for up to $67,000.
Narrator: In 2018, a goat looking like this
was named the most
beautiful goat in the world
at a goat beauty contest in saudi arabia.
Wise: We may look at something
and feel like this is a horrible monster,
and someone could look at
the same animal and think,
"oh, wow, look how beautiful that goat is."
I guess beauty really is
in the eye of the beholder.
Only a mother can love that goat.
[ snorts, bleating ]
billion cameras are watching us,
on our streets, at work, and in our homes.
They capture things that seem impossible.
It defies the laws of physics.
Man: Oh, this is unbelievable, man.
Narrator: Experts carry
out forensic analysis
of these unusual events.
[ whirring ]
[ explosion ] [ screaming ]
I want to know what I'm looking at.
There has to be some sort of explanation.
What else is going on here?
Narrator: Coming up, a
landslide and then a flood not seen
since the days of the bible.
Kourounis: Witnessing
that must have felt like
watching the earth crack in half.
Narrator: Who's launching
secret space shots from oklahoma?
Was this a rocket that was launched
without anybody knowing and exploding?
Narrator: And did this
hideous egyptian beast
inspire modern-day satanism?
[ growls ]
it's assumed it was some
sort of diabolic, satanic head
with horns that resembled a goat.
Narrator: Bizarre phenomena... Whoa.
...Mysteries caught on camera.
Now that's an explosion.
What's the truth behind
this strange evidence?
[ rumbling ]
narrator: Now, a quiet valley
collapses into a scene of epic carnage.
This is a catastrophe unfolding.
Narrator: Rock and earth crumble.
A tsunami of water follows.
This is massive
destruction on a grand scale.
Narrator: But incredibly,
there is no written record
of this earth-shattering event.
Looks almost apocalyptic.
It's like the great flood.
If you mess with mother nature...
Oh!
...She's going to win every time.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: Pantai remis, malaysia...
This tropical paradise
is a hot spot for tourism.
Sightseers enjoy pristine beaches,
lush rain forests, and
breathtaking sunsets.
October 21st, 1993...
A man films on a cliff edge
as the earth begins to crumble.
[ rumbling ]
the landslide is followed
by a huge torrent of water.
People should be terrified.
Narrator: The man with
the camera continues to film
while elemental forces smash
the landscape around him.
Shapiro: Whatever this is, it's massive,
and this guy looks like
he's in serious danger.
Kourounis: Standing there
witnessing that must have felt
like watching the earth crack in half.
Narrator: The footage is
time-stamped October 21st, 1993,
but despite the epic destruction
in this incredible footage,
there is no official
written report on the event
to explain what happened.
Explorer george kourounis wonders
if this mysterious footage
could be of an event unseen
since prehistoric times.
One thing that happened
in the mediterranean
was that the sea flooded
into what is now known
as the black sea.
Narrator: The area occupied
today by the black sea
was once fertile land
inhabited by stone age farmers
with a small freshwater lake in the middle.
That all ended around 5,000 b.C.
With one of the most destructive
events ever witnessed by man.
Mcmahon: We've seen
tsunamis in our own time,
and they're terrible events,
but they're over in a day.
But this was something that
went over a long period of time.
Narrator: The earth between
the mediterranean and the lowland
of what is now the black
sea suddenly collapsed.
Ten cubic miles of water per
day flooded in for 300 days,
transforming the land into a
new 170,000-square-mile sea.
The force of the floodwater
made niagara falls
look like a dripping tap.
We're talking 200 times more water,
and that would have happened
in a violent, catastrophic,
cataclysmic event.
Narrator: Many historians
believe that this event
inspired the story of the
great flood in the bible.
The records show that an
even more cataclysmic event
happened 5 million years ago,
what we call the zanclean flood,
and this is when the atlantic ocean burst
through the strait of gibraltar
and flooded into the mediterranean.
Scientists believe that
this huge volume of water
cascaded down about 1/2 mile
with 1,000 times the
force of the amazon river.
It effectively separated
europe from north africa forever.
Narrator: Science journalist
john farrow wonders if the footage
might have captured
a similar type of event.
Farrow: Looking at
all this water rushing it,
it's almost biblical.
It's like the great flood.
Narrator: Planetary scientist
sian proctor searches for evidence
to support farrow's great flood theory.
This could be a mass
flood that we're seeing,
but I don't think it is.
The records show that there was no flooding
happening in the region at that time,
so something else must be happening here.
Narrator: Earth scientist alan
shapiro joins the investigation.
He examines the footage,
and his focus is drawn
to the contouring of the
wall of earth moments
before it collapses.
You can see this stepping pattern
which looks like an
open-pit mining operation.
Narrator: Mining is one of
the main industries in malaysia,
and much of this is
large-scale open-pit mining.
Shapiro: One of malaysia's
major exports is tin,
and there are tin mines
across the landscape,
but how do we go from a tin mine
to a massive landslide and flood?
Narrator: Opencast mining
operations often include a dam
to keep river water from
entering the excavated pit.
Dam failures often
lead to mining tragedies.
On November 5th, 2015,
a dam at an iron mine
in brazil catastrophically failed,
unleashing over 52
million cubic yards of water,
mud and iron ore sludge.
It was brazil's worst ever
environmental disaster,
with the torrent annihilating
375 homes and killing 19 people.
But the sheer amount
of liquid in this footage
is way beyond any normal dammed-up river.
Kourounis sees a clue
in the color of the water
that lies beyond the mine's earth wall.
Looking at the horizon on the video,
you can see the ocean.
What were they thinking,
building an open-pit mine
so close to the ocean?
How do you not see this coming?
Shapiro: As mine failures go,
this has got to be the most
epic ever caught on camera.
Narrator: Details of this mine
failure remain shrouded in mystery.
Aside from this incredible footage,
there is no known written
record of this titanic flood event.
It is still not known if
anyone was injured or killed.
The only other evidence
is a 1/2-mile-wide cove
where the mine used to be,
a testament to the
incredible force of water.
We dug out this great
big pit next to the ocean,
and guess what?
Mother nature is taking it back.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: Now, a crack of
light splinters the night sky.
[ explosion ]
chances are, whatever
it's doing is not good.
Narrator: Is someone launching
an illegal rocket on american soil?
If I was living in the area, I
want to know if it's dangerous.
Narrator: Or is a new
weapon being unleashed?
If you were on the ground
near where this was taking place,
you could be dead in an instant.
[ whirring, trilling ]
♪
Narrator: Tulsa, oklahoma, known
as the buckle of the bible belt.
Tulsa was the capital of the
u.S. Oil industry for 60 years,
and the modern city grew
up around that wealth.
August 20th, 2007...
As a hot summer's day
draws to a close in the city,
residents return to their
homes in the suburbs
unaware that an unmanned
surveillance camera
is about to record a frightening event
in the skies above them.
[ explosion ]
you really got to wonder,
what kind of power
is being released on the horizon?
Kutcher: It's beaming
straight back up into the sky.
I don't know what it is.
We have to understand,
this is a huge event.
Is this a danger to society?
[ whirring ]
narrator: The footage reminds
science journalist jeff wise
of a 1957 experiment that
could have looked very similar.
Wise: During an underground
nuclear test in the american west,
this underground test chamber
was topped by a manhole cover.
They blew up a nuclear bomb.
There was so much
energy from this nuclear blast
concentrated on this
one little manhole cover
that it was projected into the atmosphere
with such tremendous velocity th it now
is currently in earth orbit.
Narrator: The manhole cover accelerated
to an incredible 125,000 miles per hour,
making it the fastest
man-made object ever recorded.
It reportedly beat sputnik
by more than 2 months,
becoming the first man-made object
to go in to earth's orbit.
Wise wonders if a similar
test could have caused
the strange explosions
witnessed in the skies above tulsa.
Oklahoma is out there
on the arid great plains,
which is a place where
the department of energy
could well have some
experimental facilities
perhaps operating
completely under the radar.
[ whirring ]
narrator: But wise finds no spikes
in levels of radioactivity in the area
and considers if another
explosive atmospheric event
could have caused this strange phenomenon.
If you're talking about explosive releases
of energy in the sky,
maybe we're looking at
something like a failed rocket launch.
Rockets, you know,
not infrequently explode.
The problem is it takes an
enormous amount of energy
to get something into orbit.
We get that energy by
basically controlled explosions.
That's what's propelling a rocket forward.
The constant danger, in that case,
is that you lose control of the explosion,
and then it goes a little too fast
and blows everything into pieces.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up, locals panic
as a glowing green river
races through canada.
Whatever was in the river,
our concern was, was it toxic?
[ chains rattling ]
narrator: Chains weighing 40 pounds
appear to swing by
themselves in a haunted mine.
Kourounis: Chains are inanimate objects.
They do not move on their own.
Narrator: And, is someone
launching illegal rockets
in the dead of night?
These people are not cub scouts.
We're talking about really big rockets.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Massive terrifying explosions
appear over the skies of tulsa, oklahoma.
Experts investigate if a catastrophic
rocket launch failure could be responsible.
Scientist greg szulgit researches
stories of exploding rockets.
There are 90 known launches
in just 2017 alone of
rockets around the world.
Six of those failed catastrophically.
That's one in 15.
In 2015, there was a spacex
rocket that made it off the pad
and blew up mid-flight.
Narrator: Is it possible that a rocket
was launched in suburban oklahoma?
In this part of oklahoma,
there are no commercial
space launch facilities.
Szulgit: There are lots of
amateur rocketeers around,
and these people are not cub scouts.
We're talking about really big rockets.
Could somebody have launched one
without telling anybody
in the middle of the night?
[ explosion ]
narrator: On January 12th, 2018,
a company called swarm technologies
launched four satellites into orbit
without government permission.
It was the first time
u.S.-Based rogue satellites
had ever been launched.
The federal communications
commission described them
as a risk.
This could be someone trying
to launch a new type of rocket
that no one else really knows about.
You got to hope it isn't dangerous.
Narrator: The fcc admitted
that it's next to impossible
to stop illegal launches
or to police what
potentially nefarious groups
are trying to send into orbit.
Szulgit wants to see if a failed
illegal rocket launch could
produce a midair explosion
that resembles the footage.
Szulgit: We're going to do
an experiment here today,
the exploding rocket, and comparing them,
should be able to tell if the video
is actually an exploding rocket.
So standing back at a safe distance,
we're going to electrically
ignite the propellant,
and it's going to shoot
some fire out the bottom
which catches the fuse that
goes up the side of the rocket.
That fuse is going to be
timed perfectly to hit the flare,
which is going to explode out the sides.
Narrator: The flares will
simulate burning debris
from a rocket explosion
falling back to earth.
Szulgit: And see if the
pattern that they make
is going to be the same
as we see in the video.
All right. Let's do this.
♪
All right. So we're ready
to go, this electrical launch.
Yep. So put the key in. Turn it twice.
[ beeping ] armed...
Okay! ...The big red button.
Three, two, one, do it.
Yeah!
[ bursts ] wow!
Narrator: The rocket
launches, igniting the fuse
and explodes at 200 feet.
Szulgit analyzes the
debris pattern to compare it
with the blast in the footage.
Flares bursting off to the
sides in parabolic arches.
If something were to explode,
it would leave flaming
pieces flying off to the side,
and it would be especially
visible in the night sky,
these hot glowing bits.
Doesn't look anything like
what we see in the video.
We don't see any of that.
Whatever it is, it simply disappears.
I think that the video
definitely is not a rocket.
[ trilling ]
narrator: Forensic image
analyst conor mccourt
examines the clip.
When we slow it down image
by image, we can see two stages.
There's a flash of light
followed by a small explosion.
Narrator: Mccourt's background as
an nypd sergeant leads him to believe
that this could be the signature
of some kind of ballistic weapon.
It would be something
similar to a shotgun spray.
Narrator: But mccourt examines the footage
and realizes the scale is
much bigger than a shotgun.
Mccourt: We have to
understand this is a huge event.
It's something like a military
gun, it would have to be.
Narrator: Military analyst carlo
muñoz knows of one giant military gun
that could fit the profile.
The u.S. Navy has been
pouring billions of dollars
into researching an
electromagnetic rail gun
for their warships.
If they're successful, it would
revolutionize naval warfare
as we know it.
Narrator: The rail gun, long
thought of as science fiction,
has now become a terrifying science fact.
This is basically a weapon
that shoots a projectile
but not powered by gunpowder
or something sort of explosion.
It's powered by magnetic energy.
[ rumbling, whooshing ]
narrator: The prototype rail gun shoots
23-pound rounds from its barrel
at a hypersonic speed of mach 7,
around four times faster than the concorde.
With an effective range of 100 miles,
the kinetic energy is so great
that these rounds can slice
through 6-inch-thickteel
armor plating like it was paper.
What we're seeg in the
video has a lot of similarities
to what an electromagnetic
rail gun shot would look like.
What we could be seeing here
is the electromagnetic casing
surrounding the bullet
falling off to the side
as the projectile enters the atmosphere.
Narrator: Each rail gun
round costs just $25,000,
a fraction of the cost of a
multimillion-dollar missile.
They're also smaller, faster,
and impossible to intercept.
Muñoz: Whoever perfects
this technology will essentially
be able to own the seas across the globe.
Narrator: But wise notes a
problem with the rail gun theory.
The ing about a rail gun is
that they're navy weapons.
They're used on the ocean.
Tulsa is nowhere near the ocean.
So either the navy has
decided to relocate in secret
one of its test facilities to oklahoma,
or there's some other explanation.
[ trilling ]
narrator: Meteorologist angela
fritz investigates if the footage
could be showing some
kind of explosive act of nature.
Fritz: It appears instantly,
and it disappears instantly.
It makes me think that it
might somehow be related
to lightning, actually.
Narrator: There are 100 lightning strikes
on earth every single second,
each delivering up to 1
billion volts of electricity.
The average american
has a one in 5,000 chance
of being struck during their lifetime.
But the captured images
don't show lightning
as it normally behaves.
We think of lightning either
kind of spreading across the sky
or coming down to the ground.
Normally, lightning doesn't go up.
[ explosion ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up,
is a volcano spewing a deadly chemical
towards a small canadian town?
This is a color that
volcanic lakes could have
when it's filled with sulfuric acid.
[ chains rattling ]
narrator: Is a sinister
force swinging chains
in an abandoned mine shaft?
Price: I don't believe in ghosts,
but I really don't know
how else to explain it.
Narrator: And a mysterious flash
from nowhere strikes in oklahoma.
You need, obviously,
the thunderstorm to get the lightning,
so how is this happening?
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Night blasts over oklahoma
point towards a mysterious
and explosive weather phenomenon.
Meteorologist angela fritz
researches a type of lightning
that shoots into the heavens
instead of towards the ground.
We have had reports from airline pilots
talking about strange lightning
that jumps up from the clouds,
so that is something interesting
that we should investigate.
Narrator: Electrical engineer
steven cummer believes
that this could be an extremely
rare event called gigantic jets.
Gigantic jets are
actually lightning channels
that shoot upward out of the cloud,
and they simply continue moving
up and up to the edge of space.
These things have been
happening above thunderstorms
for millions and millions of years,
and yet we've really only
known about it for 15 years,
and that's because of the availability
of good low-light camera technology.
Narrator: Most scientists believe
the footage shows gigantic jets,
but not all weather experts agree.
The strange thing here is that in tulsa,
the weather reports are
saying clear, you know?
There's no thunderstorm,
not a drop of rain.
And you need, obviously,
the thunderstorm to get the lightning,
so how is this happening?
Narrator: Scientists
aren't sure what caused
the mystery flashes over oklahoma,
but since that night, locals
are watching the skies.
Whatever this is, it's big. It's explosive,
and chances are whatever
it's doing is not good.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a wilderness
river turns a disturbing green.
Something weird is going on in this river.
Shapiro: Green is a color
I associate with nature,
but this looks far more sinister.
Narrator: Locals worry that a
chemical disaster is unfolding.
Whatever was in the river,
our concern was, was it toxic?
Narrator: But could a
lethal agent be the cause?
The toxins can cause
your liver to shut down.
[ whirring, trilling ]
narrator: December 29th, 2010...
Goldstream park, british columbia, canada.
Located on vancouver island,
this area of unspoiled wilderness
offers an escape from city life.
This natural paradise
and the town of langford
below it are fed by the goldstream river.
Local fire chief bob beckett
knows these waters well.
Beckett: The river, as you can
see right now, is crystal clear.
It's always crystal clear,
so anything that would
discolor it would be
of a real concern to us.
Narrator: Then, on a
chilly December afternoon,
local resident lida
simonsbergen is confronted
by a noxious nightmare.
It was an ordinary day,
but it was after lunch
and suddenly there's green
...it was fluorescent green.
I mean, it wasn't a natural color at all.
Where could it be coming
from? When is it going to stop?
It was scary.
♪
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biochemist stacy
ramkisoon analyzes the color
and matches it to a terrifying liquid
produced by seismic activity.
This is a color that volcanic
lakes can actually have
when it's filled with sulfuric acid.
Narrator: The inviting green
waters of the crater lake
on the kawah ijen volcano
on the island of java, indonesia,
hide a deadly secret.
This is the most acidic
large lake on earth,
registering a ph of less than 0.3.
That's so acidic that
it can melt a coke can.
Narrator: The acidity of
the lake is caused by sulfur
coming up from the volcano.
Sulfur dioxide from volcanic activity
comes up and mixes with water,
and then you get sulfuric acid.
Narrator: These lakes are lethal to humans.
A brother and sister duo
were hiking in yellowstone park,
and they were looking
for a hot spring to soak in.
Narrator: The brother, colin scott,
goes to investigate a
promising-looking pool
while his sister, sable, looks on.
He slips, fully clothed,
beneath its surface
and only then discovers
that it is a boiling lake of sulfuric acid.
He is killed almost instantly,
but that isn't the end of the horror.
It was so acidic that he melted.
Narrator: Concentrated sulfuric acid
can utterly dissolve flesh
and bone in a matter of hours.
Ramkisoon: They went back
to retrieve his body the next day.
Only a few pieces of clothing were left.
Narrator: Ramkisoon
knows that this part of canada
lies on the pacific's ring of fire.
Ramkisoon: There are over
100 volcanoes in canada,
and british columbia
is right in the middle.
Narrator: Geologist bill menke investigates
eyewitness reports from the event
for any telltale signs of a volcanic link
to the weird green liquid.
Menke: With sulfuric
acid in lakes and rivers,
there will be this
terrible stench of sulfur,
and none was reported.
I would be looking for another
phenomena to explain it.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Coming up, a dark presence
haunts an abandoned
mine. [ chains rattling ]
price: There had to be
something in that mine
to make that chain swing.
Narrator: What's wrong with this goat?
I've never seen anything like it.
Really ugly. [ snorts ]
narrator: And experts
investigate if a toxic spill
has made this river deadly.
Shapiro: Exposure can cause
anything from acute poisoning
to long-term liver damage and even death.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring, rumbling ]
narrator: A river on vancouver
island, canada, turns a bright green.
Local fire chief bob beckett
investigates the incident.
He suspects a possible
source for the contamination.
The trans-canada
highway runs almost parallel
to this portion of the river.
You know, there's numerous
trucks going up and down,
carrying dangerous goods. [ siren wails ]
narrator: The highway is a
notorious spot for accidents.
Experts look for clues
about what type of chemical
could spill from a tanker
and turn the river luminous green.
♪
Shapiro: I've seen a
chemical spill this color before,
and it was chromium,
and so a lot of concentration of that metal
can bring out that vivid green color.
In 2016, residents of a city
in russia found green snow.
It was chromium and a very similar color
to what we're seeing in this footage.
Narrator: And similar horrific
incidents have happened closer to home.
In a small town in america called hinkley,
erin brockovich brought a company to court
for leaking chromium-6 into the
water supply of local residents.
Narrator: Over 600
residents of hinkley, california,
had been exposed to more
than 370 million gallons
of this dangerous chemical.
Shapiro: Chromium is very toxic.
Exposure over time can cause
anything from acute poisoning
to long-term liver damage,
kidney damage, and even death.
Narrator: Brockovich brought a lawsuit
against the company responsible.
This case was settled out
of court for $333 million.
That's the largest direct-action
settlement in american history.
Narrator: A chromium spill could
wreck the lives of those living
by the goldstream river
and the town of langford.
The effects could be devastating.
Narrator: But beckett's
further investigation
reveals no obvious source for the chromium.
There were no incidents at all
involving any kind of spilled product.
So we concluded it did not come
from a motor-vehicle incident.
It had to come from some
other action or source.
♪
Narrator: The cause of the strange
green color is still not understood.
Residents worry that something
worse could come in the future.
It would be devastating to the region,
devastating to the community.
Simonsbergen: You don't
know what it is, you know?
We had no idea.
Thinking about it almost
brings tears to your eyes.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a caver
enters an abandoned mine.
Man: Very dark, foreboding
tunnel, that's for sure.
Everything about this
place screams "do not enter."
narrator: An invisible force
starts violently swinging a chain.
[ chains rattling ]
man: I don't know why that
one chain is swinging back there.
Kourounis: Chains are inanimate objects.
They do not move on their own,
but something is causing it to move.
And then come the voices.
[ indistinct echoing ]
man: [ panting ] I'm getting out of here.
[ whirring, trilling ]
♪
Narrator: Nevada...
Gold w first found here in 1870,
and today the state
produces nearly three-quarters
of all the gold excavated
in the united states.
Its landscape is littered
with abandoned mines.
♪
Summer 2013... a caver decides to wander
into the abandoned horton gold mine,
filming his adventure as he explores.
He is the only person inside the old mine,
which hasn't been open since 1969.
He immediately feels there is something off
about this particular shaft.
Man: Yeah, this mine definitely
has a very spooky vibe to it.
[ chains rattling ]
[ man panting ]
I don't know why that
one chain is swinging.
Maybe this mine isn't as
abandoned as he thinks.
Price: There had to be
something in that mine
to make that chain swing.
I don't believe in ghosts,
but if this isn't a hoax,
I really don't know how else to explain it.
[ man panting ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: Geographer
george kourounis studies
mining's history of grisly disasters.
Kourounis: Mines are one of the
most dangerous workplaces on earth.
People die in mines all the time.
There's, of course, the famous
story of the 33 chilean miners
that were trapped deep underground
because of a collapse.
Luckily, they were all rescued
through some incredible
technology and heroic efforts.
[ cheering ]
man: After a record 69 days underground,
the men were hoisted
to safety in an operation
that lasted less than 24 hours.
Narrator: Tragically, most mining accidents
do not have such happy endings.
In 2006, a methane explosion
tore through the pasta de
conchos mine in mexico.
65 miners suffocated slowly
in the dark, deep underground.
Only two bodies have ever been recovered.
Kourounis: Cave-ins, old
machinery, low oxygen environments,
deadly gasses...
There are a million ways
to die inside an old mine.
♪
Narrator: Coming up, a satanic
beast or a man-made horror?
Sort of looks like dr. Dolittle
turned into dr. Frankenstein.
Narrator: And the gold
mine gets even spookier.
[ indistinct echoing ]
gosh, that almost sounded like voices.
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: A caver enters an
abandoned nevada gold mine.
He encounters a mysterious
force that moves a rusty chain.
Incredibly, the swinging chain
is only the start of the weird
phenomenon in the footage.
Folklorist heidi hollis watches
as the caver moves deeper
into the tunnel.
[ indistinct echoing ]
man: What's that sound?
[ echoing continues ]
gosh, that almost sounded
like a cb communication.
It sounded like voices,
but there's nobody there.
That is what is mind-blowing.
Narrator: Analyzing the audio,
hollis tries to decipher
what is being said.
[ indistinct echoing ] man: What...
What's that?
[ echoing continues ]
hollis wonders if these voices
could be some kind of
memory of a mining tragedy.
Was it a terrible accident that
caused them to be stuck there?
Is there a search for help?
Was something covered up?
Narrator: Science journalist jeff wise
investigates the mysterious audio.
Analysis indicates the sounds
were recorded in the mine
and not dubbed over later,
which makes a hoax seem unlikely.
But wise believes there
must be a rational explanation
for the eerie voices in the recording.
Perhaps this guy was picking
up signals from somewhere else,
somehow, because of the
metal content of this mine,
or something that scrambles
electromagnetic signals.
[ indistinct echoing ]
narrator: He thinks this could also explain
the mine shaft's swinging chain.
Could there be some kind of
magnetic anomaly or something?
Narrator: Magnetic fields can
play havoc with electrical equipment
and also attract anything
made of ferrous metal.
Kourounis: These rusty chains
are clearly made from iron steel,
and a magnet in the rock could
absolutely attract these chains.
Narrator: Kourounis investigates
which rocks could have
such powerful magnetic properties.
Magnetite is a type of rock that can,
under certain circumstances,
become magnetic.
Narrator: To unlock
magnetite's magnetic potential,
you have to expose it
to one of the most
powerful forces in nature.
When a lightning bolt hits the ground,
it burns five times hotter
than the surface of the sun
but it also generates
an electromagnetic field.
That field can charge the magnetite,
turning it into a lodestone.
Suddenly you have a
naturally-occurring magnet.
Narrator: But physicist
peter erbach doesn't believe
that lodestones can explain
the phenomenon in the footage.
Erbach: To make that chain move that way,
you either need a
time-varying magnetic field
or a magnetic pulse,
and a lodestone is a constant magnet.
It just wouldn't do that,
so it couldn't happen.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biologist danni
washington is sent the footage.
She amplifies the audio
and is struck by a noise
in the background.
Washington: So what is
that noise, the screeching?
Are they bats?
Narrator: Biologist kelly
price has expert knowledge
of the bat species
encountered in north america.
We know that there are
23 species of bat in nevada,
and we also know that they
love making old mines their home.
Washington: The idea of walking
around a dark, abandoned mine
with bats swooping in around
you is not an ideal situation.
Bats do carry rabies, which
despite modern medicine,
can still kill people.
Washington: If there are
bats in that abandoned mine,
could it be a possibility
that a bat striking the chain
would cause it to swing like that?
Narrator: Price analyzes the
weight of the chain in the footage
to work out how much force
would be needed to make it swing.
Now, a large bat is
probably about 3 pounds,
and we know the chains are 40 pounds.
So even nevada's
largest bat flying at full tilt
into that chain
might not have made
much of a dent in it at all,
and yet that chain is clearly
swinging on quite a large arc.
Narrator: Scientists are unable
to explain the strange events
in the horton mine.
Until a new expedition returns
to this seemingly haunted shaft,
its mysteries will remain unsolved.
Since we never saw what
it was that moved the chain,
we may never find out.
♪
[ whirring ]
narrator: Now, a hideous
beast captured on camera.
Why does it have that growth on its head?
Narrator: This is no
ordinary farmyard animal.
I know what it should be,
but there's something really wrong.
Narrator: Could this be evidence
of genetic experimentation?
Sort of looks like dr. Dolittle
turned into dr. Frankenstein.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Egypt, home of one of the world's
most incredible ancient civilizations,
where a dynasty of powerful pharaohs raised
astonishing statues, temples, and tombs
and worshipped gods with the bodies of men
and the heads of beasts.
♪
[ growls ] March 22nd, 2018...
A man films a strange creature
that seems to come straight
from these ancient legends.
Lovell: This is a really creepy image.
It looks like a goat,
but there's something wrong with its head.
I don't know, I've never
seen anything like it.
It's hard to even tell what
parts of its head are what.
Traditionally, goats have been represented
as satanic in christianity,
and when you look at this
goat you can kind of see why.
Narrator: The image of the
baphomet, the satanic goat,
originates from dark stories
told about the ancient egyptians
and their goat gods.
Mcmahon: The people of mendes
in ancient egypt worshipped goats.
Christians who found out about this
through the greek historian herodotus
were so appalled that the goat
became almost a symbol of evil.
Narrator: Coming up, what
dark forces created this creature?
[ bleating ]
it's possible that this is
some sort of genetic experiment gone wrong.
[ braying ]
[ whirring ]
[ whirring ]
narrator: A camera captures
footage of a strange beast
in an egyptian animal enclosure.
[ bleating ]
science journalist jeff wise
believes the goat's abominable appearance
might be evidence of its exposure
to something highly toxic.
Wise: It looks like a mutant.
Its dna somehow is messed up.
Normally, animals that suffer
is kind of damage will die.
But those that do survive,
well, it's a sight to behold.
Narrator: Catalysts for
mutations can be found
in our everyday environment.
There's lots of toxins that
are what's called mutagenic.
They attack the dna and cause a mutation,
and that's actually what
causes things like cancer.
Washington: When a pregnant
mother is exposed to these,
the results can be really unfortunate.
The fetus can have certain deformities
and then the baby is born
with all kinds of weird things
happening to its body.
Exposure to nuclear waste
is probably the worst-case scenario.
Narrator: In the aftermath of the chernobyl
nuclear disaster in 1986,
a large number of mutations were
reported in ukraine and belarus.
Belarus was downwind of
the disaster when it happened
and got 70 percent of the nuclear fallout.
[ crackling ] narrator: The strontium-90
released in the chernobyl blast
had a devastating effect on unborn fetuses.
Eight-legged lambs were born,
and cows with massive jaw defects.
Lovell: If we compare this goat
to other animals that are deformed
by nuclear waste,
then this could fit the bill.
Narrator: Egypt has recently
restarted its long-dormant
nuclear power program
with support from russia.
Egypt does not have
the same safety standards
are we do in the west, so
these deformities could be
as a result of a local radiation leak.
Narrator: Biologist danni
washington reexamines the footage
and notices something
odd about the other goats.
There are a whole set
of goats that look like this,
and it's not just one goat.
This wasn't a one-off case
of some random deformity
or exposure to chemicals.
This was something that
was passed on genetically.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Neuroscientist jade
lovell investigates whether someone
could have deliberately
meddled with this goat's dna.
With genetic modification technology
and particularly with crispr,
it's possible to create animals
that don't exist in nature.
Ramkisoon: Crispr-cas9
is essentially gene editing,
and it allow us to create
genetically modified
organisms very quickly.
So it's possible that this is some sort of
genetic experiment gone wrong.
Narrator: Recent advances in gene splicing
have allowed some truly
bizarre animals to be created.
There are animals that glow in the dark.
They really exist.
Narrator: These eerily glowing animals
have had jellyfish genes
spliced into their dna.
Using genetic modification,
it has allowed us to create micro pigs
and spider silk and goat's milk.
[ whirring ]
narrator: Biologist kelly price believes
that what we're seeing in the video,
despite its gruesome appearance,
might nevertheless be just a goat.
This isn't actually a
case of crossbreeding.
It's a case of inbreeding where
two animals with very distinct,
similar features are bred together
to magnify that feature.
Narrator: For thousands of years,
humans have bred animals
to enhance specific traits.
We have miniature dogs.
We have hairless cats.
Clearly, humans like to play
with the genetics of other creatures.
Narrator: But such
intensive inbreeding carries
risks for the species being modified.
Inbreeding can actually be dangerous
because you can magnify
other detrimental features.
For example, bulldogs
often have trouble breathing.
So I don't know if this
goat has any trouble
due to its interesting facial
features, but I hope not.
Narrator: Washington
investigates and stumbles
upon a surprising answer.
We're looking at a damascus goat,
and it turns out that this is a
selective-breeding program
where the owners have chosen
to make their goats look like this.
This particular goat is
really a prized possession
for their owners.
One has been sold for up to $67,000.
Narrator: In 2018, a goat looking like this
was named the most
beautiful goat in the world
at a goat beauty contest in saudi arabia.
Wise: We may look at something
and feel like this is a horrible monster,
and someone could look at
the same animal and think,
"oh, wow, look how beautiful that goat is."
I guess beauty really is
in the eye of the beholder.
Only a mother can love that goat.
[ snorts, bleating ]