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Delve into the fascinating world of scientific exploration as researchers unravel the secrets behind two intriguing mysteries of nature!
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00:00These days, we discover exoplanets that are thousands of light-years away.
00:04We descend to the ocean's depths and conquer the highest peaks.
00:09We study quantum physics and build quantum computers.
00:13But, for some reason, we still don't know about these strange lights in the night sky.
00:18Some of them are still unexplained.
00:21Some may turn into unexpected discoveries, and others are large-scale falsifications.
00:28Let's start with the most mysterious burning balls.
00:32These lights regularly appear near the town of Marfa in West Texas.
00:37These basketball-sized lights suddenly appear out of nowhere in the middle of the night.
00:42They flicker, split into two parts, and take off into the sky several times a year.
00:48For several generations, people have seen blue, white, yellow, and other lights.
00:53The existence of these lights is not some legend, but a fact confirmed by scientists, but they still need to
01:00explain its nature.
01:02A local shepherd first noticed Marfa lights in 1883.
01:06At first, he thought that those were the fires that Apaches had made.
01:11Neighbors told the shepherd that they had seen the mysterious lights, too.
01:14They all decided to check the Apache theory, and it turned out to be wrong.
01:19There were no traces of a fire in the place the lights had been flying above.
01:24Then, in the 40s, pilots of the nearest Midland Airfield saw the Marfa lights.
01:30They also wanted to figure out the secret of this phenomenon, but didn't find out anything.
01:35More and more people saw the bizarre lights.
01:38Many of them were sure that the lights had been some ships of an extraterrestrial civilization.
01:43Others said those were the souls of wandering spirits.
01:46But scientific theories seemed much more realistic.
01:52A group of physics students conducted their own investigation and found out that the lights were the headlights of cars
01:58passing on the nearest highway.
02:00Okay, some lights do look like headlights, but what about those that take off into the sky and change their
02:06colors?
02:07It may be an optical illusion that occurs when a layer of cold air presses on a warm one.
02:13You can observe the same visual effect in the ocean when it seems to you that a ship is floating
02:19in the air on the horizon.
02:21But if these lights are headlights and an optical illusion, why do people see them only a few times a
02:27year?
02:28Another version of the light's origin suggests that they're something like swamp lights.
02:34You can see mysterious bright balls rising into the sky in the middle of the night.
02:39Organic substances such as twigs, leaves, and fallen trees decompose in wet areas and emit phosphine and methane gases.
02:47When these substances come into contact with oxygen, they ignite, but there are no such wet places in West Texas.
02:55Where could this gas come from?
02:58There are a lot of oil and natural gas reserves in the bowels of this region, and all these substances
03:04can contain phosphine and methane.
03:07It sounds realistic, but scientists have not confirmed this version yet.
03:12Aerospace engineer James Bunnell explained the nature of MARFA lights by an unusual electric charge.
03:18Solid substances such as minerals and various crystals generate electricity under pressure,
03:24and this underground energy bursts out in the form of multicolored lights.
03:29But the scientist couldn't prove his theory.
03:32MARFA lights are still a mystery.
03:34Perhaps you can solve it.
03:37Other lights surprise people in Norway, in the city of Hesdalen.
03:41Hesdalen lights, unlike other similar phenomena, can often appear in the night sky.
03:47And of course, people have recorded them on camera many times.
03:52From 1981 to 1984, Hesdalen lights appeared 10 to 20 times a week.
03:58Now, people observe them from 10 to 20 times a year.
04:02These giant balls float in the air, pulsate, flash, and move very fast.
04:08Also, the balls can hang in the air from a few seconds to several hours.
04:14Even though people recorded them on camera many times, scientists still cannot study them.
04:20Hesdalen lights are very bright, and if people understand their nature,
04:24they can create light sources using this unknown alternative energy.
04:29So far, there are several theories about these lights.
04:32Physicists suggest that the balls appear when clouds of dust containing scandium burn in the air.
04:38It's a light silver-colored metal.
04:41There are many deposits of this substance in the valley where people observe Hesdalen lights.
04:46Another theory says that the balls are the result of the accumulation of macroscopic crystals in the dust plasma.
04:53This plasma is formed when air is ionized and blah, blah, blah.
04:58In short, this is a complex scientific hypothesis that hasn't been confirmed.
05:04Scientists need a lot of funding to study Hesdalen lights.
05:07Researchers try to attract investors by saying that the mechanism of Hesdalen lights
05:13can encourage a technological leap in light-based technologies.
05:18Some of the most famous lights in the world appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997.
05:25Tens of thousands of people saw two strange phenomena that day.
05:29The first was a giant flying triangle.
05:32At about 8 p.m., several lights appeared in the sky, lined up in a triangle.
05:38They flew in an even formation through Phoenix and disappeared far into the sky.
05:44The second phenomenon started about two hours later.
05:48People noticed lights hovering in the sky.
05:50They didn't form a triangle and moved freely.
05:53They burned with a bright light, flew in different directions, and disappeared behind a mountain range southwest of Phoenix.
06:02People were scared.
06:03They called the police and reported strange lights.
06:06Many were sure that those were ships of an extraterrestrial civilization.
06:11But the explanation soon appeared.
06:14Both incidents were the result of aircraft exercises.
06:17In the first case, people saw several planes lined up in a triangle.
06:21They flew over Phoenix and landed at an air base nearby.
06:26In the second case, exercises were held using lighting rockets.
06:30Several planes dropped glowing rockets, which were landing on tiny parachutes for a long time.
06:36They burned in the air and then disappeared behind a mountain range.
06:40Quite a logical explanation.
06:42But then, almost 10 years later, something strange happened again.
06:47On April 21, 2008, the Phoenix police station received hundreds of messages from worried residents who had seen strange lights
06:55in the sky.
06:56Four bright balls hovered over the city, changing their shape.
07:00They became triangular, then rectangular, and then disappeared one by one.
07:06The police contacted the nearest airfield, but they said that the radar hadn't seen any objects in the sky.
07:12If those had been material things, the radar devices would have shown them.
07:17The police had no explanation.
07:19The air traffic controllers also didn't know what it was.
07:23The case caused a great stir in society.
07:26Many began to recall the phenomenon that occurred a decade ago and again claimed that those were extraterrestrial ships.
07:33But all disputes ended after two days.
07:36Some man called local television and admitted that he had created the lights using flares and helium balloons.
07:43He tied a flare to a balloon, set it on fire, and lifted it into the air.
07:48Then, minutes later, he repeated this action.
07:51Then again, four times.
07:54Many witnesses of the lights didn't believe this story and continued to insist on the extraterrestrial nature of the mysterious
08:01balls.
08:02But they were wrong.
08:04Radars would have noticed something if objects with a metal surface had been flying there.
08:08But light balloons and flares were too small to be detected by radars.
08:13Secondly, all the lights were flying to the east.
08:17The wind was blowing in the same direction that day.
08:19Third, the time of the burning.
08:21Signal rockets burned for about 20 minutes.
08:24When one of those lights faded, the second burned down for another minute.
08:29And the last one went out about 20 to 30 minutes after the first fire was started.
08:34Witnesses mentioned the same duration of time.
08:37One of the locals was a neighbor of the guy who confessed to organizing the hoax.
08:42The neighbor saw him lighting flares around 8 p.m.
08:45At about the time when the calls to the police started.
08:48Phoenix lights have become a great example of how easy it is to deceive people and cause a stir.
08:56It was the beginning of the 20th century.
08:58And two rivals, Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen, set on their expeditions to become the first people in history to
09:05reach the South Pole.
09:06The race wasn't easy.
09:08And it ended tragically for Scott.
09:11Amundsen has won and set his tent on the pole before his rivals.
09:15A member of Scott's expedition known as Terra Nova, British geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor, not only survived the harsh conditions,
09:23but also made an unexpected discovery.
09:26He found a waterfall of what appeared to be blood at the rocky base of the glacier, which now has
09:31his name, in 1911.
09:34It took scientists more than a century to figure out what is behind the eerie color.
09:41A team of American scientists journeyed to Taylor Glacier with powerful electron microscopes to analyze its contents.
09:48Previous studies had scratched the surface of the Crimson Enigma.
09:52But no one had previously done a full-scale analysis of its mineralogical makeup.
09:57These researchers unleashed a whole arsenal of analytical equipment and spotted little iron-rich nanospheres.
10:03These teeny-tiny particles, a hundredth the size of human red blood cells,
10:08originate from ancient microbes.
10:10They flourish abundantly in the meltwaters of Taylor Glacier.
10:13These nanospheres are jam-packed with iron, silicon, calcium, aluminum, and sodium,
10:20forming a unique composition that paints the subglacial water a vivid shade of red.
10:25These nanospheres don't have the usual crystalline structure found in minerals,
10:29which is why previous detection methods failed to spot them.
10:33Taylor Glacier's icy depths harbor an ancient microbial community
10:37that has thrived in isolation for thousands or possibly even millions of years.
10:42This discovery could help us in the search for life outside of Earth.
10:49Dr. Ken Levy, a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University,
10:52has some impressive expertise in planetary materials and the analysis of Martian samples.
10:59He decided to find out what would happen if a Mars rover landed in Antarctica.
11:03Could it figure out what makes bloodfalls so mesmerizingly red?
11:07So, researchers treated bloodfalls as a simulated Martian landing site.
11:12They used techniques inspired by the rovers exploring the red planet.
11:16The samples they collected were sent to Johns Hopkins processing facilities.
11:20There, Levy unleashed the power of transmission electron microscopy
11:24and revealed the enigmatic nanospheres.
11:27He made the conclusion that our current methods of analyzing other planets' surfaces with rovers fall short.
11:33They can't unravel the true nature of environmental materials,
11:37especially on chilly planets like Mars.
11:40These materials might be super tiny and non-crystalline,
11:43throwing off our detection methods.
11:45To truly grasp the essence of rocky planets,
11:48we'll need transmission electron microscopes.
11:51Strapping one onto a Mars rover isn't feasible yet,
11:54but it could mean a start of a new era in space exploration.
11:59Have you ever seen a waterfall on fire?
12:03Every February, when the stars align just right,
12:07Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park gets a sensational makeover.
12:10As the sun sets, its rays hit the waterfall at the perfect angle,
12:15transforming it into a blazing display of vibrant orange and red hues.
12:20We don't know exactly who and when discovered this natural miracle.
12:23The original valley dwellers may have known about it,
12:25but they kept it to themselves.
12:27It wasn't until 1973 that photographer Galen Raul captured the first known photo of the waterfall,
12:34bringing it into the limelight.
12:36Since then, the firefall has become a global sensation,
12:40spreading like wildfire on social media and drawing crowds from far and wide.
12:47This magnificent cascade draws hundreds of spectators every year,
12:51but they can only see the show under certain conditions.
12:54First things first, Horsetail Fall needs a flowing stream.
12:58If there's not enough snowpack in February,
13:01the waterfall won't have enough water to create the magic.
13:04The temperatures must be warm enough to melt the snowpack during the day.
13:07If it's too chilly, the snow will stay frozen,
13:11and the fiery spectacle won't ignite.
13:13Second, we need a clear western sky at sunset.
13:16Those sunbeams need a straight path to hit Horsetail Fall and make it come alive.
13:21And since the weather in Yosemite is ever-changing,
13:24clouds can magically clear up just in time for the show.
13:27If all the conditions are just right,
13:29you'll witness the Yosemite firefall in all its glory for about ten minutes.
13:35The mystery of the sailing stones in California's Death Valley National Park
13:40has puzzled scientists for years.
13:42Heavy stones seem to have a mind of their own
13:44and move across racetrack playa, a dried-up lake bed.
13:48They leave behind a trail on the cracked mud.
13:51There were all kinds of theories to explain this phenomenon,
13:54from magnetic fields or dust devils,
13:56which are strong whirlwinds, to mischievous pranksters.
14:00No one has actually witnessed these rocks in action,
14:02which only added to the mystery.
14:06In 2006, a NASA scientist named Ralph Lorenz entered the scene.
14:11He was studying weather conditions on other planets,
14:15but he couldn't resist the allure of Death Valley
14:17and those elusive sailing stones.
14:19He had an eureka moment while tinkering at his kitchen table
14:23with a Tupperware container.
14:25Lorenz filled the container with water,
14:28leaving a small rock poking out,
14:30and chucked it in the freezer.
14:32Then he placed this icy construction in a big tray of water
14:35with sand at the bottom and gently blew on it.
14:38The rock began to glide across the water,
14:41leaving a trail in the sand.
14:43Lorenz had been studying how ice can make big rocks float
14:46and move along tidal beaches in the Arctic Sea.
14:50Applying this knowledge,
14:51he and his research team figured out that,
14:54under certain winter conditions in Death Valley,
14:56enough water and ice could form
14:58to make the rocks float across racetrack playa
15:00in a light breeze.
15:02And as they glided,
15:03they left their mark in the muddy terrain.
15:08The River of Five Colors,
15:11Cano Cristales in Colombia,
15:13has the unofficial title
15:14of the most beautiful river in the world.
15:17For most of the year,
15:18it looks like any other regular river.
15:20The real magic happens
15:22between the wet and dry seasons
15:23when the water level is just perfect.
15:26This unique river floor
15:27is lined with a special plant,
15:29and when the conditions are right,
15:31it bursts into a dazzling display of colors.
15:33Think vibrant reds,
15:35stunning yellows,
15:36and lush greens,
15:37all mingling with the blue water.
15:39It's like stepping into a living rainbow
15:41with a thousand shades in between.
15:43This phenomenal display
15:44only lasts for a few weeks,
15:46from September through November.
15:47During Colombia's wet season,
15:49the river flows too fast and deep,
15:51covering up the river floor
15:52and denying the plant
15:53the sunlight it needs to turn red.
15:55And in the dry season,
15:57there's simply not enough water
15:58to support the vibrant life in the river.
16:00So you have to catch it
16:02at just the right time.
16:06The reason behind Maldivian beaches
16:08glowing in the dark at night
16:09isn't a mystery,
16:11but it doesn't make them
16:12any less impressive.
16:13It happens thanks to
16:14the bioluminescent plankton.
16:16These tiny creatures
16:18are like little underwater disco balls,
16:20emitting a cool blue glow
16:22when they are agitated or on the move.
16:24Imagine walking along the shoreline
16:26and leaving behind glowing footprints.
16:28You can even take a night swim
16:30amongst these magical plankton.
16:32Researchers have discovered
16:33that their bioluminescence
16:34is actually a clever defense mechanism
16:36against predators.
16:37When these microorganisms
16:39flash their little blue lights,
16:41it disorients
16:42and surprises their attackers.
16:44The plankton produces this light
16:46using a chemical called luciferin.
16:48These enchanting plankton
16:50can appear at any time of the year.
16:52The best chances of seeing them
16:53in all their glowing glory
16:55are from June to December.
16:57During this period,
16:58there's a higher volume of plankton
17:00in the seas of the Maldives,
17:02creating the perfect conditions
17:03for a luminous show
17:04after the sun sets
17:05and the night sky takes over.
17:07You'll only witness the magic
17:08of bioluminescent plankton
17:10when tidal currents
17:11bring them close to the shore
17:13in large numbers.
17:14It's hard to predict
17:15exactly when this spectacular show
17:17will happen,
17:18so make sure to do your research
17:20and prepare to take photos
17:21with a high ISO to capture it
17:23exactly like it looks
17:24in travel catalogs.
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