- 2 hours ago
Could you survive snake island? Wanna see mysterious places in the World? Was the Statue of Liberty made to resemble this ancient statue? The answers to these questions are already here!
Category
🎈
FunTranscript
00:00So, look at this map. This is not the Google Maps you open on your way to work.
00:05Here, you can see the world's most mysterious places.
00:08From the Bermuda Triangle to the Pyramids of Giza.
00:12From the Islands of Dolls to Easter Island.
00:15So, grab your pith helmet and let's go!
00:18You're venturing deep into the Sahara. What's that on the horizon?
00:23It looks like the remains of a once thriving civilization.
00:26Near the city of Tiaret, 150 miles southwest of Algeria's capital, you can find 13 monuments shrouded in mystery.
00:36You see underground vaults and other constructions made of stone.
00:40They were built between the 4th and 7th centuries CE.
00:44Some chambers are interconnected with a labyrinth.
00:47Walking through it takes about two hours.
00:50People who once inhabited this place carve hunting scenes and animal figures on the walls.
00:55Researchers believe the place was built as a final resting place for the Berber royalty.
01:01But there's no way to prove it.
01:03And the abandoned city in the desert remains a mystery.
01:06Now, how about the Island of the Dolls?
01:09If this name doesn't give you the heebie-jeebies, I don't know what will.
01:13Well, moving down an ancient Aztec canal, you find this mysterious island.
01:19Hundreds of abandoned dolls are hanging from trees.
01:22There are so many, you lose count.
01:25Legends say it was a man who hung them there.
01:27He decided that one wasn't enough.
01:30So he spent his life hanging dolls on trees.
01:34Yeah, that's creepy.
01:35Speaking of creepy, in Mexican desert land, there's a spot called the Mpimi Silent Zone.
01:42People say no radio or any other kind of signal can be received there.
01:46I definitely wouldn't want to get lost there.
01:50In the far north of Canada lies inhospitable Lake Anjikuni.
01:55It's covered with snow and ice for half of the year.
01:58It was once home to the Inuit people.
02:00But something terrifying happened to this entire village.
02:04What exactly?
02:05This mystery is still unsolved.
02:08In 1930, Joe LaBelle was passing through a village that seemed deserted.
02:13He noticed that something was off there.
02:15There was no noise or any sign of human activity.
02:19He opened doors, one after another, but nobody was home.
02:23The inhabitants of the entire village were gone.
02:27They left behind seven sled dogs.
02:29Those were still tied to their posts.
02:31No one has been able to explain this disappearance so far.
02:35One of the world's biggest mysteries is the Pyramids of Giza.
02:39The Great Pyramid of Giza itself was built as a final resting place for Pharaoh Khufu around 4,500 years
02:47ago.
02:47It remains unexplained how the Egyptians managed to build the pyramids without any of the technology available to us nowadays.
02:56Interestingly, the pyramids align with Orion's belt and all face toward the north.
03:02Yellowstone National Park is known for its beauty, but also for some bizarre accidents.
03:08For example, in the summer of 1929, hundreds of people visiting the site fell sick.
03:15It all began with six employees, but quickly spread to the staff and guests of different hotels.
03:21Until today, it's unknown what happened.
03:24People didn't eat the same food, nor did they drink from the same water source or stay at the same
03:29hotel.
03:30So, make sure to keep an eye out for anything strange if you're ever in the area.
03:35The river Nid in North Yorkshire is said to turn things into stone.
03:40People from all over the world come to see this phenomenon with their own eyes.
03:45Tourists and locals travel there to leave different items in the well.
03:49A bicycle abandoned in the well turned into stone several days later.
03:54An old teddy bear became a piece of rock.
03:57Many believe that whoever stepped into this water would have a similar fate.
04:02But, according to scientists, this is just a natural phenomenon.
04:06Local water is rich in minerals that form a coating around objects.
04:10It's this hard shell that makes them look as if they're made of stone.
04:15Now, how can rocks slide across the ground on their own?
04:19At Racetrack Playa, a dry lake bed at Death Valley National Park in California, they do.
04:26These moving rocks, called sailing stones, have been observed since the early 1900s.
04:32Locals believe that strong winds pushed them around.
04:35Other theories involve magnetic fields.
04:38In 2014, researchers discovered that the rocks were actually pushed by melting panels of floating ice driven by winds.
04:46Way to go, science!
04:48The Bermuda Triangle is a world-known, notorious place.
04:53That's where over 50 ships and 20 airplanes have allegedly disappeared.
04:57Rescue missions never came back.
05:00It's located off the coast of Florida, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
05:05Unexplained disappearances there date back to the mid-19th century.
05:08There are different theories about why ships and planes vanish into thin air in this region.
05:13Some of them claim that the area is just extremely foggy, which makes it difficult for navigation.
05:20Another theory states that methane rising to the surface of the ocean can be the answer to this mystery.
05:26But no theory has been proven yet.
05:28In the mountainous country of Pakistan, you'll find the lost city of Mohenjo-daro.
05:35This ancient archaeological site dates back to 2500 BCE.
05:41Scientists believe the city was built by the Indus Valley civilization.
05:44Here, we see a well-planned street grid.
05:48And look at this elaborate drainage system.
05:51Nobody knows what happened to the people living in this town.
05:54The only thing scientists are almost sure about.
05:57It looks like something ended their lives all at once.
06:00Has the mystery of Easter Island finally been solved?
06:05You've probably heard of the fascinating monolithic statues standing on this Polynesian island.
06:10The statues, called Moai, weigh up to 90 tons.
06:15They were built by the Rapa Nui people.
06:17How they managed to transport the statues remains unexplained.
06:21Researchers from the University of California believe the statues were built to make the soil on the island more fertile.
06:27And the coolest thing? The analysis has shown that the areas where the Moai sculptures stand are indeed more fertile.
06:36The crooked forest in Poland is weird, to say the least.
06:40A grove of oddly shaped pine trees looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
06:46The grove is home to around 400 pines that were planted in 1930.
06:50They all first bend toward the north and then continue growing upright.
06:55No one knows for sure why this happened.
06:57The surrounding forest is full of perfectly straight pine trees.
07:02Is there a monstrous creature living at the bottom of Loch Ness in Scotland?
07:08Whether it's a myth or reality, it sure is spooky.
07:11The legend of the Loch Ness monster appeared somewhere around 1933.
07:16Since then, people have been claiming to have seen dragons, prehistoric monsters, and sea serpents in the lake.
07:23Will we ever know the truth?
07:26The Wharton Basin, off the western coast of Australia, is home to odd geological phenomena.
07:33Huge earthquakes happen there, one after another.
07:36This would be unsurprising if the area was located above a fault line, which is where two tectonic plates meet.
07:43But that isn't the case.
07:45The area is located on the Australian plate.
07:48But researchers believe that a new fault line might be forming there.
07:52This is the only reasonable explanation for what's happening in that area.
07:57One of the most isolated places on Earth, the North Pole, is as mysterious as it gets.
08:03A land of ice and odd disappearances.
08:07In the late 1840s, an expedition of more than 130 people, known as the Franklin Expedition, vanished in that region.
08:15Some evidence was found 150 years later.
08:18A leather shoe and snippets of journal entries.
08:21My own theory?
08:23They were all hired by Santa Claus to work in his toy factory.
08:27Yeah, no one else bought it either.
08:29Machu Picchu is also known as the Lost City of the Incas.
08:34It's a testament to the power of the Inca civilization.
08:37But the purpose of the site is still a mystery to be unraveled.
08:41The citadel was constructed at 7,000 feet above sea level, around 1450 CE.
08:47The question remains, why did the Incas build a city like this in a place so inaccessible?
08:54Archaeologists have discovered that most of the city is built underground.
08:58And about 60% of the place remains unexplored.
09:02So, who knows?
09:03What might be hiding down there?
09:05The Mariana Trench is the world's deepest, darkest place.
09:09Imagine this.
09:10No sunlight, freezing waters.
09:13There seems to be little to no chance of life existing so deep under the surface.
09:17Yet, sea explorers claim to hear a bizarre sound coming from the depths of the trench.
09:23The records of this mysterious noise lead some to believe that a deep-sea monster is calling the trench its
09:30home.
09:31Alright, too spooky.
09:33I'm out of here.
09:35You're going to Ilya de Kiamata Grande, one of the most dangerous islands in the world.
09:41There, you find yourself among rainforests, huge rocks, and grasslands.
09:46The place is home to birds, locusts, and giant cockroaches.
09:50But there's one more animal.
09:52And because of it, the island got its notorious reputation.
09:56Snakes live there.
09:57There, and a lot of them.
09:59So many that the place is also known as Snake Island.
10:03Will you survive there?
10:06Located just 20 miles away from the coast of Brazil, the island has an area of 43 hectares, or over
10:12100 acres.
10:13It probably got cut off from the mainland after the last ice age.
10:17The snakes were also separated from most other animal species.
10:21They didn't have competitors and had an unlimited source of food.
10:25In such a small area, there are up to 4,000 snakes.
10:29That's one snake for every 10 square feet.
10:32It would be a difficult feat not to come across a snake on this island.
10:37Not only is this snake, the golden lancehead, one of the most numerous on the island,
10:42but it's also a highly venomous pit viper species.
10:46And it's also one of the most venomous in all of Latin America.
10:50Its venom is so potent due to the isolation of the species, with only birds sharing the land with them.
10:56To catch these birds, the snake's venom needed to become extra strong.
11:00And indeed, since they got separated from their distant relatives, their venom has become up to 5 times more powerful.
11:08Most of the time, these snakes hide in the trees or amongst leaves on the ground.
11:13If you find yourself stranded here, you'll want to keep yourself a safe distance away.
11:18Snakes mainly use their sense of smell and rely on vibrations.
11:22If you get too close to one, either stand still or slowly walk away.
11:27If you make too many vibrations, this will make them feel threatened.
11:30Causing them to strike.
11:33If you spot them a safe distance away, or if you're walking toward tall grass, stamp your feet a couple
11:39of times.
11:40This will notify snakes of your presence.
11:42They won't risk taking down prey larger than they are, and will likely slither away.
11:48Carrying a stick is always a good idea, just in case you happen to come across a snake accidentally.
11:54This way, you'll have an extension of your arm that cannot be bitten.
11:58This simple thing might save your life.
12:00A stick with a V-shape on the end will give you even more advantage.
12:05Even if a snake starts acting aggressively, holding it down will stop it in its tracks.
12:10But whatever happens, don't try to pick it up.
12:14Okay, but what if you get bitten?
12:17The chances are pretty high on this island, of course.
12:20First of all, don't try to get the venom out on your own.
12:23Make sure you call emergency services immediately.
12:26And once help is on the way, apply a wide bandage.
12:29A piece of clothing will do if you don't have anything else.
12:33Don't try to chase the snake trying to identify the species.
12:36Emergency services know how to figure out what venom it is.
12:40Now, just keep calm and wait for help.
12:43You might be wondering who you can call on this abandoned island.
12:47Well, since it's strictly prohibited to visit this place, there are signs advising to stay
12:52away all over the island, along with a number you can call if you run into trouble.
12:57Let's say you've successfully avoided getting bitten.
13:00The next thing to consider is what you can eat there.
13:04Snake Island was previously known as Ilha de Quiemada Grande, where Quiemada is Portuguese
13:10for forest being lit up, or forest fire.
13:14The reason for that was the fact that the entire island was deliberately set on fire
13:18to make room for a banana plantation.
13:21Unfortunately, the banana business didn't turn out to be a success,
13:25probably because farmers got sick and tired of snakes.
13:28But some banana trees still thrive today, and they can provide you with some much-needed nutrients.
13:34You'll also want some protein in your diet throughout your stay.
13:37Luckily, along with the snakes trapped on the island, there are also cockroaches.
13:43These giant prehistoric-looking roaches come out at night to feed on plants.
13:47Get that barbecue started and enjoy the rare delicacy this island provides.
13:53A great way to survive on the island is to avoid it altogether.
13:56If by chance you happen to be sailing past, keep in mind that this place was once connected
14:02to the mainland.
14:03Rocks beneath the waves are very likely to damage the bottom of your boat
14:07if you get too close.
14:08Make sure you keep an appropriate distance when traveling past.
14:13Sure, this island is intriguing.
14:15But please remember that no matter how close you get to it,
14:18you won't be able to see snakes from the boat.
14:20You can only see these creatures if you get close enough.
14:23Which you really shouldn't do.
14:25And it's not only reptiles that make this location dangerous.
14:29Pirates visit the island quite often.
14:31Not the sea-shanty-singin', peg-legged ar-pirates.
14:36But bio-pirates, who come there to capture the very thing that makes it so dangerous.
14:41They come there for snakes, to catch them and sell them illegally.
14:46Since the island got cut off around 11,000 years ago,
14:50the golden lancehead has evolved within its own unique habitat.
14:53So, although there are many reptiles on this island,
14:57they're still an endangered species.
15:00Due to their limited numbers, their value is very high,
15:03reaching up to $30,000 on illegal markets.
15:06Which gives bio-pirates the motivation to catch them.
15:10I can think of better ways to make a living.
15:13Anyway, let's say you've got all the resources necessary to survive
15:17in one of the most dangerous places on Earth.
15:19Do you think you would manage this feat?
15:21Perhaps you think it's impossible.
15:23You'd be surprised at how possible it can be,
15:26if you know what you're doing.
15:28It turns out, many have visited this scary place before.
15:32Research teams often come there.
15:34They study the golden lancehead snake,
15:36its environment, and its food sources,
15:38for conservation purposes.
15:40But scientists always make sure there's a doctor on the team.
15:45There's also a lighthouse on Snake Island.
15:48It had been operated by people until the 1920s.
15:51Then it became automated.
15:53One guess why.
15:54Brazilian authorities visit the lighthouse once a year
15:57to make sure it's still functional.
16:00Locals on the mainland know the reputation of the island.
16:03So the stories of people going missing are minimal.
16:07But one group of fishers once got too close to the island.
16:11As they were sailing along their normal route,
16:13they accidentally neared the shore.
16:15Their boat hit rock under the waves
16:17and began filling with water.
16:20As the boat was quickly sinking,
16:22the men had only two options.
16:23To try to survive in the rough sea
16:25or swim to the shores of Snake Island.
16:28It was a hard choice to make.
16:30After all, they had heard the stories.
16:32And it wasn't just about snakes.
16:34Rumor had it that the island was cursed.
16:38Regardless of the stories,
16:40the fishers chose to take their chances with Snake Island.
16:43After making it to the shore,
16:45they tried to be careful.
16:46Their knowledge of the island could help them survive.
16:49Most importantly,
16:50they knew to avoid the rainforest at all costs.
16:54As the men got hungry,
16:56they carefully walked along the edge of the forest,
16:59wearily collecting bananas.
17:01They were mostly sitting, waiting,
17:02and conserving their energy.
17:04They could only drink water when it rained.
17:06It was just enough to sustain them.
17:10They slept on the beach,
17:11unprotected from the elements and weather.
17:14And all the time,
17:15they were so close to the comfort of the lighthouse or caves.
17:19They were probably overly cautious,
17:21but it was either enduring some discomfort
17:23or risking their lives for a dry bed.
17:26They didn't yield to the temptation.
17:29They managed to survive for three days
17:32without being bitten by a snake.
17:33After that,
17:34a passing boat finally rescued them.
17:37So,
17:38now you know,
17:39anything is possible.
17:41So how come the world is still talking about a statue
17:44that only existed for a mere 54 years,
17:48over 2,000 years ago?
17:49What made this impressive ancient construction
17:52so remarkable that we're still discussing it?
17:55I'm talking about the Colossus of Rhodes, of course.
17:58It's considered to be one of the seven wonders
18:01of the ancient world,
18:02along with the Great Pyramid of Giza,
18:04or the Gardens of Babylon.
18:06There are a lot of mysteries surrounding this ancient statue,
18:10but let's look at some of the facts first,
18:12shall we?
18:13What we do know is that the local Rodians
18:16decided to start a massive project
18:18once a Macedonian siege over their island was over.
18:21In other words,
18:22it was their way of honoring the higher powers for their victory.
18:26Using a lot of material left behind by the Macedonians,
18:29they started the construction of the Colossus,
18:32which is estimated to have taken about 12 years.
18:35Most contemporary descriptions of the sculpture
18:38agree that it stood about 105 feet tall.
18:41Now, just to compare,
18:43that's about the size of the Statue of Liberty today,
18:45which is 151 feet tall.
18:48It may not seem like a lot.
18:49I mean, Lady Liberty is currently ranked
18:52as the 52nd tallest statue in the world.
18:54The champion here would be the Statue of Unity in India,
18:58standing proud at an astonishing 597 feet.
19:03But for ancient times,
19:04that was quite an accomplishment.
19:06But is the similar height the only connection
19:09between the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty?
19:13Not really.
19:14We do know that they both also refer to Lady Liberty
19:18as the modern Colossus,
19:20since both statues were constructed as a symbol of liberation.
19:24There's even a plaque placed inside the pedestal
19:27of the New York statue,
19:28inscribed with the first verse of the sonnet,
19:31the new Colossus,
19:32not like the brazen giant of Greek fame.
19:36To build this massive Colossus statue,
19:38they sure needed a lot of bronze.
19:41Some ancient records even recount
19:43that the construction required 27,000 to 29,000 pounds of bronze.
19:47Even for modern times, this is a lot.
19:50But back then,
19:51they even called it an operation
19:53that involved the bronze industry of the entire world.
19:57The man tasked with bringing the statue to life
20:00was Shars of Lindos, a local Greek sculptor.
20:04The whole construction took place from 294 to 282 BCE.
20:09But, unfortunately,
20:11Shars never got to see the end result.
20:13We don't know for sure why that happened,
20:16but some records claim constructing the Colossus of Rhodes
20:19may have led him to complete bankruptcy,
20:22since he failed to accurately estimate the cost for the massive statue.
20:26Anyway, we still don't know for sure how it was possible to build a statue this big back in those
20:32days.
20:33They had none of the equipment we have today, like excavators or elevators.
20:38Some old records said that they had to invent a completely new custom method to build it.
20:44It all happened on the location, put together piece by piece.
20:48They supposedly split the statue into many different sections,
20:52and the first one to be constructed was the feet.
20:55Once each section was done,
20:57huge mounds of earth were placed around it,
21:00so they could continue working on the next section above.
21:03However, these records were made more than 100 years after the Colossus was finished,
21:08so there's little we can say about the accuracy of this information.
21:12In all those 12 years, the local Greeks worked around the clock to build the Colossus of Rhodes.
21:18They started with a white marble base that they placed at the statue's feet.
21:23They then continued with some sort of an iron skeleton,
21:26to which they attached the bronze plates.
21:30Why did they choose bronze, though?
21:32Well, that was more for practical reasons,
21:34since bronze is stronger than iron,
21:36and it can also sustain extreme weather conditions.
21:39More so, if you think about it,
21:41the statue was located pretty close to the sea,
21:44so the air surrounding it would have been pretty salty.
21:48That's why they needed to make it out of quite sturdy material.
21:52And what about the location?
21:54Well, that's something that has been up for debate for a long time.
21:58Researchers initially believed that the statue stood with each leg
22:02on either side of the Mandrake Harbor,
22:05one of many in the city of Rhodes,
22:07basically straddling its entrance.
22:09As imposing as that may sound,
22:11it was likely not the case.
22:14First of all,
22:15that would have meant the harbor would have to have been closed
22:18for the whole duration of the construction,
22:20which doesn't seem to match all the other records.
22:23More so,
22:24after the statue had fallen,
22:25it would have probably blocked the entirety of the harbor,
22:29which again doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere.
22:32Most recent depictions say
22:33that it most likely stood either on the eastern side of the Mandrake Harbor,
22:37or maybe even further inland.
22:40So, what happened to this impressive structure?
22:44Is there really nothing left of it to this day?
22:47And why did it survive for only 54 years since it took so long to build
22:52and it was so important for locals?
22:54Well, as admired and valued as it was to the Greeks,
22:58an earthquake took the colossus of Rhodes away from them.
23:01The story goes that because of the movement of the earth beneath it,
23:05the statue snapped at its knees and was completely laid on the ground.
23:10Nonetheless, the statue still continued to be admired for centuries.
23:15The Rhodians refused to rebuild it
23:17as they considered it a sign and did not dare intervene with destiny.
23:21By the middle of the 7th century,
23:23they had taken away what was left of the statue completely.
23:26Legend says it took about 900 camels
23:30to carry all the bronze away from the location.
23:33And what about the looks of the statue?
23:35This is also one aspect that is still shrouded in mystery.
23:39Even though it was a symbol of the locals' pride
23:42in maintaining their independence,
23:44they did not use the depiction of the statue
23:47for any of the coins they made,
23:49even though that was kind of customary.
23:51Other art historians do think, however,
23:53that the colossus was similar to other depictions
23:56of the same mythological creature,
23:59a male figure that had rays of light rising from its head.
24:03The position of its hands is also still up for debate.
24:07Some say it might have even been holding a torch.
24:10We don't know if his hands were pointed straight down
24:13or whether the right arm was raised,
24:15like in similar representations in Greek mythology.
24:19The original might not be here for us to admire anymore,
24:23but there are some plans out there to rebuild it.
24:26A group of European architects
24:28intends to build a 21st century version of the ancient statue.
24:32This new construction is planned to stretch 500 feet tall.
24:36It should serve as a cultural center combined with a lighthouse.
24:40To make sure it won't have the same destiny as its ancient ancestor,
24:44these designers intend to use a lot of technology available today.
24:48Firstly, they plan to cover the whole exterior of the modern colossus
24:53with solar panels so that the enormous building has enough electricity.
24:57They also intend to use modern resources
25:00to make sure earthquakes and wind forces won't affect the massive structure yet again.
25:05To do that, they plan to build the statue as a tripod structure,
25:09made from its two legs and a third pillar of support,
25:13constructed from the sash draped over the statue's arm and touching the ground.
25:18They also plan to place heavy steel support around the base for counterbalance.
25:23They even thought of a suspension system
25:25that would permit the statue to rock back and forth,
25:28making it a bit more flexible
25:30and able to resist all the various weather conditions.
25:33The manufacturer's suggested retail price on this project is quite high, though,
25:39estimated at around 283 million bucks.
25:42Supporters of the modern colossus are optimistic
25:45as they are certain they can raise that impressive amount of cash
25:49through crowdfunding and private investments.