|
Encounters at the End of the World
|
| 00:01:15 |
WERNER HERZOG These images taken |
| 00:01:20 |
were the reason |
| 00:01:26 |
The pictures were taken by a friend of mine, |
| 00:02:33 |
The best connection is on |
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loaded with chained-down parts |
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Most of the passengers had tucked |
| 00:02:52 |
and many of them were sleeping |
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Who were the people I was going to meet |
| 00:03:05 |
What were their dreams? |
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We flew into the unknown, |
| 00:03:20 |
I was surprised that |
| 00:03:25 |
The National Science Foundation |
| 00:03:29 |
even though I left no doubt |
| 00:03:32 |
with another film about penguins |
| 00:03:36 |
My questions about nature, |
| 00:03:43 |
I told them I kept wondering |
| 00:03:46 |
why is it that human beings put on |
| 00:03:53 |
And why do they saddle horses |
| 00:04:01 |
Hi-yo, Silver! |
| 00:04:06 |
HERZOG And why is it that certain species |
| 00:04:13 |
to milk them for droplets of sugar? |
| 00:04:17 |
I asked them why is it |
| 00:04:22 |
does not utilize inferior creatures? |
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He could straddle a goat |
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Despite my odd questions, I found myself |
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For most of the austral spring and summer, |
| 00:04:58 |
planes can land on |
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In the distance, |
| 00:05:09 |
McMurdo itself is situated on an island |
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The Ross Sea is the largest bay |
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This bay alone covers the size |
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On this very same frozen ocean, |
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the early explorer's ship |
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Here, Shackleton's expedition |
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which would later come to ruin, |
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Everything in this expedition was doomed, |
| 00:06:08 |
including the first ancestor |
| 00:06:12 |
The idea was too big for |
| 00:06:19 |
At that time, |
| 00:06:41 |
The first thing that caught my eye |
| 00:06:44 |
was the humongous bus and its driver |
| 00:06:57 |
- We're clearing the apron now, thank you |
| 00:07:07 |
This is lvan the Terra Bus |
| 00:07:12 |
weighs 67,000 pounds |
| 00:07:17 |
HERZOG: What do you do when you are |
| 00:07:20 |
I am not a taxi driver at home |
| 00:07:22 |
Before I came to Antarctica, |
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And after two years there, |
| 00:07:29 |
and decided to help |
| 00:07:32 |
so I joined the Peace Corps, and there |
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Just realized that the world's |
| 00:07:41 |
ROWLAND Where I lived in Guatemala |
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It's a Kekchi Mayan village, 99% Mayan, |
| 00:07:50 |
I had to learn the Mayan dialect, Kekchi |
| 00:07:55 |
When I first moved to Chisec, I was just out |
| 00:08:00 |
I had six people with machetes |
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Turns out the little brother |
| 00:08:08 |
I was, however, not there to steal children |
| 00:08:11 |
They took me back to my My judge |
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who could speak both Spanish and Kekchi |
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Luckily, they let me go, |
| 00:08:21 |
and we ended up being |
| 00:08:25 |
- HERZOG: The jury acquitted you |
| 00:08:30 |
But it could have been dangerous |
| 00:08:31 |
It is, it is |
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a lady was just taking a picture of a child, |
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you know, the same type of group of people |
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- She didn't make it out |
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She was killed, by a machete |
| 00:08:51 |
HERZOG Approaching McMurdo Station, |
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in fact the largest settlement in Antarctica |
| 00:08:59 |
Right there is Captain Scott's hut, |
| 00:09:04 |
HERZOG During the austral summer, |
| 00:09:06 |
about 1,000 people live here |
| 00:09:11 |
five months of no nighttime |
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McMurdo serves as a logistical hub |
| 00:09:20 |
and provides fixed laboratory facilities |
| 00:09:25 |
All the decisions about scientific projects |
| 00:09:28 |
are the domain of my host, |
| 00:09:34 |
Day to day logistics |
| 00:09:39 |
I had been told by some |
| 00:09:43 |
that they ran things |
| 00:09:50 |
Actually, they were decent people, |
| 00:09:59 |
Of course, I did not expect |
| 00:10:03 |
and men living in blissful harmony |
| 00:10:07 |
but I was still surprised to find McMurdo |
| 00:10:12 |
filled with Caterpillars |
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Who are the people |
| 00:10:56 |
and what brought them to Antarctica? |
| 00:11:00 |
(LAUGHING) It's a long story |
| 00:11:08 |
lands of the mind and many worlds of ideas, |
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and I started before I even knew |
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My grandmother was reading |
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so I started my journey in my fantasy, |
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before I even knew the means |
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of accomplishing it, but my mind |
| 00:11:33 |
I was already traveling with Odysseus |
| 00:11:38 |
and to those strange and amazing lands, |
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that fascination of the world, |
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And it's been very powerful |
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HERZOG: And how does it happen that |
| 00:11:58 |
at the end of the world? |
| 00:12:01 |
I think that it's a logical place to find |
| 00:12:06 |
almost as a natural selection for people that |
| 00:12:11 |
have this intention to jump |
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and we all meet here where |
| 00:12:19 |
PASHO V There is no point that is |
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And I think there is a fair amount |
| 00:12:30 |
which are full-time travelers |
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So yes, those are the professional dreamers |
| 00:12:36 |
They dream all the time, |
| 00:12:41 |
the great cosmic dreams come into fruition, |
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because the universe dreams |
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and I think that there is |
| 00:12:54 |
many different ways for the reality |
| 00:12:57 |
to bring itself forward, and dreaming |
| 00:14:00 |
HERZOG As banal as McMurdo appears, |
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it turns out it is filled |
| 00:14:09 |
At night, I was laying |
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I am again walking across the top of B-15 |
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Might as well be |
| 00:14:21 |
but yet I'm actually adrift in the ocean, |
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a vagabond floating in the ocean, |
| 00:14:30 |
I can feel the rumble of the iceberg |
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I can feel the change, the cry of the iceberg |
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as it's screeching |
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as it's steering the ocean currents, |
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I can feel that sound coming up |
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and telling me that this iceberg |
| 00:15:06 |
So here I'm sitting in this lovely warm lab |
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that Scott and Shackleton first faced |
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Unlike Scott and Shackleton, who viewed |
| 00:15:23 |
that had to be crossed |
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we scientists now are able to |
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that is sort of producing change, |
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For me, it's been a wild ride |
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First of all, I found out that the iceberg |
| 00:15:44 |
not only was larger than the iceberg |
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it was not only larger than the Titanic itself, |
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but it was larger than the country |
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That's pretty big |
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This is B-15 So what we see here |
| 00:16:04 |
so that means that there's over |
| 00:16:10 |
This iceberg is so big |
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would run the flow of |
| 00:16:19 |
It's so big that the water that is inside of it |
| 00:16:30 |
MacAYEAL This is a little bit |
| 00:16:32 |
when we were flying up to the iceberg |
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It looks big and it looms above us, |
| 00:16:38 |
flying above the iceberg, |
| 00:16:42 |
It's above us because it's a mystery |
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Here's a picture of what it looked like once |
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We put out our instruments |
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Now we're gonna have an opportunity |
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They're so big, there's an element of fear |
| 00:17:03 |
We don't know, really, |
| 00:17:06 |
when they eventually begin to melt |
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What we're seeing now here |
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of satellite imagery of the sea ice |
| 00:17:22 |
And what you see are three shades of gray |
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This sort of lighter shade of gray |
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and these little bits and pieces here, |
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This little fellow right here, he's not a very |
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but that guy there might be the size of |
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It's like a little tiny bumblebee |
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happy to be in the warm waters |
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I'd be happy to see Antarctica as a static, |
| 00:17:58 |
a cold monolith of ice, sort of the way |
| 00:18:04 |
but now our comfortable thought |
| 00:18:08 |
Now we're seeing it as |
| 00:18:12 |
that's producing change, change that |
| 00:18:18 |
possibly in response to what the world |
| 00:18:23 |
Certainly on a gut level |
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to watch what happens |
| 00:18:44 |
HERZOG What environment would the men |
| 00:18:48 |
if they returned in a next life? |
| 00:18:55 |
Shackleton, seen here, |
| 00:18:59 |
a quest he had to abandon |
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Would there be any ice left? |
| 00:19:08 |
Would he have to construct |
| 00:19:12 |
and try to find his route through |
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Would our only modern recourse |
| 00:19:33 |
This is Frosty Boy, here in McMurdo |
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It's the equivalent of ice cream in the States, |
| 00:19:39 |
Everybody loves it It's what they go for |
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And it has the texture of ice cream, |
| 00:19:50 |
There's a lot of crises that happen |
| 00:19:56 |
It's bad news |
| 00:19:58 |
Words circulate everywhere throughout |
| 00:20:04 |
It's really good stuff |
| 00:20:08 |
HERZOG From the very first day, |
| 00:20:13 |
McMurdo has climate-controlled housing |
| 00:20:19 |
a bowling alley and abominations |
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It even has an ATM machine |
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For all these reasons, I wanted to get out |
| 00:20:42 |
But before we could do that, it is mandatory |
| 00:20:47 |
attend survival school |
| 00:20:56 |
This two-day exercise |
| 00:21:10 |
Students learn to build |
| 00:21:15 |
The bad news is, that night |
| 00:21:20 |
As long as I end up with 10 fingers |
| 00:21:39 |
Oh, God, sorry! |
| 00:21:41 |
We just need to break ourselves |
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We're gonna brief this group over here |
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then we're gonna come back over |
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the bucket head white-out scenario |
| 00:21:56 |
Essentially, we're trying to create conditions |
| 00:22:00 |
The wind is so severe, the snow is blowing |
| 00:22:06 |
Exposed skin might actually |
| 00:22:11 |
The winds are so severe |
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of just simply standing out, |
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You can't see flag to flag |
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You might not be able to see your hand |
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Therefore, |
| 00:22:29 |
is incorporate a bucket to simulate |
| 00:22:35 |
to a point where I can barely hear myself |
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You can't necessarily even hear me, and |
| 00:22:47 |
So that's the whole idea |
| 00:22:50 |
is to actually be a white-out simulator, |
| 00:22:55 |
So, some of the parameters |
| 00:22:59 |
we're gonna start inside the sea-ice hut |
| 00:23:01 |
I said I was gonna go to the bathroom, |
| 00:23:03 |
I needed to go to the bathroom, right |
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I've been gone for |
| 00:23:09 |
you know, like 10, 15 |
| 00:23:13 |
"First off, where's the chocolate, |
| 00:23:17 |
- EMERY: Are you with us, Number One? |
| 00:23:20 |
HERZOG The goal is clear, |
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Number Two is out |
| 00:23:28 |
Number Three out Number Three out |
| 00:23:31 |
EMERY: All right, Number One, you're |
| 00:23:34 |
and I'm gonna keep the |
| 00:23:37 |
Four out |
| 00:23:38 |
HERZOG It looks pretty good They seem |
| 00:23:43 |
Five out |
| 00:23:45 |
Six out |
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But very soon the front man veers |
| 00:24:15 |
- Pull the rope, somebody |
| 00:24:17 |
Out here Number Three is here |
| 00:24:21 |
- Where you at, Number Two? |
| 00:24:55 |
- Did we find the guy? |
| 00:25:03 |
ONE: Okay, I think we're gonna go this way |
| 00:25:04 |
Follow me this way, guys This way, guys |
| 00:25:09 |
Hold on, hold on |
| 00:25:12 |
So part of what we want to do here |
| 00:25:15 |
is see if they realize what they've done, |
| 00:25:17 |
come back to a hut |
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or if they just keep going down |
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where one mistake |
| 00:25:26 |
which leads into a third, |
| 00:25:30 |
Who's pulling on this line? |
| 00:25:32 |
- Me |
| 00:25:33 |
Number One, don't pull on that |
| 00:25:36 |
- I got the end |
| 00:25:39 |
- Back to the hut |
| 00:25:41 |
Back to the hut |
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HERZOG But rather than |
| 00:25:46 |
last man first along the rope, |
| 00:25:48 |
they drift completely off-course |
| 00:25:52 |
- Number Two is here Is Number Three here? |
| 00:25:56 |
Number Four? |
| 00:25:58 |
- Towards the sun |
| 00:26:02 |
- Left |
| 00:26:04 |
Left, stay left |
| 00:26:06 |
We don't know where he's standing though, |
| 00:26:10 |
- Correct |
| 00:26:12 |
- Okay, Number One |
| 00:26:14 |
HERZOG For most of our time here, |
| 00:26:20 |
This was frustrating because I loathe |
| 00:26:29 |
So it almost came as a relief when a few |
| 00:26:48 |
The storm soon broke and we were allowed |
| 00:26:56 |
We set out on snowmobiles, in front of us |
| 00:27:05 |
We were heading toward a field camp |
| 00:27:14 |
It was amazing to consider |
| 00:27:16 |
that a mere six feet under us |
| 00:28:18 |
These scientists here |
| 00:28:21 |
in the feeding cycle of the Weddell seal |
| 00:28:25 |
In just a few short weeks, |
| 00:28:27 |
pups grow rapidly, while mothers lose |
| 00:28:45 |
Bagging the seal's head keeps the animal |
| 00:28:52 |
(SEAL WAILING) |
| 00:29:07 |
OFTEDAL Well, this really is quite |
| 00:29:11 |
Weddell seals in particular, |
| 00:29:14 |
They're very strong, |
| 00:29:18 |
They're not very aggressive, |
| 00:29:21 |
Even though they struggle somewhat |
| 00:29:25 |
when you release them, they lie down |
| 00:29:27 |
There's the mother behind us |
| 00:29:30 |
and she's just lying quietly with her pup |
| 00:29:32 |
We've had pups start to nurse within |
| 00:29:35 |
So even though they are a bit perturbed |
| 00:29:40 |
they recover very quickly from it |
| 00:29:44 |
and really that's the ideal for us is to have |
| 00:29:49 |
that will not be so disturbed by the work |
| 00:29:54 |
that they behave abnormally, |
| 00:29:55 |
'cause we want to know how these |
| 00:30:04 |
HERZOG In a field laboratory |
| 00:30:07 |
they prepare the milk samples |
| 00:30:10 |
that may ultimately provide insight |
| 00:30:14 |
This was just collected It's still warm |
| 00:30:19 |
See, it's like, you know, |
| 00:30:21 |
It's really something else And if I let this |
| 00:30:27 |
I wouldn't be able to pour it like that at all |
| 00:30:32 |
The milk of the Weddell seal |
| 00:30:35 |
It's about 60 dry matter, 65 dry matter |
| 00:30:41 |
It's very, very high in protein |
| 00:30:42 |
It's about 10 to 12 protein |
| 00:30:46 |
which is very unusual |
| 00:30:48 |
And there's many things |
| 00:30:51 |
and one of the things that I find |
| 00:30:56 |
It's the quietest place |
| 00:30:58 |
When the wind is down, |
| 00:31:01 |
it wakes you up in the middle of the night |
| 00:31:03 |
and there's no sound at all, |
| 00:31:05 |
and if you walk out on the ice, |
| 00:31:08 |
that's how still it is |
| 00:31:09 |
And you can hear the |
| 00:31:12 |
and it sounds like there's somebody walking |
| 00:31:15 |
It's sort of, you know, |
| 00:31:19 |
because we're actually, |
| 00:31:21 |
We're not on solid ground, so |
| 00:31:25 |
You can hear the seals call, |
| 00:31:28 |
They make these really inorganic sounds |
| 00:31:30 |
(SEAL CALLING) |
| 00:31:33 |
They sound like, |
| 00:31:35 |
They don't sound like mammals, |
| 00:31:40 |
It's really out of this world, I can say that |
| 00:31:51 |
OFTEDAL You get used to |
| 00:31:54 |
and you sort of think in your mind |
| 00:31:57 |
you'll hear the sound |
| 00:31:59 |
- You'll hear the chucks and the whistles |
| 00:32:03 |
And the booms that come which are the |
| 00:32:05 |
You realize there's |
| 00:32:07 |
that seals are moving and competing |
| 00:32:11 |
while you're here sleeping in a tent |
| 00:32:16 |
(SEALS CALLING) |
| 00:33:29 |
HERZOG We soon returned to |
| 00:33:35 |
David Pacheco works in maintenance |
| 00:33:41 |
He prides himself on his heritage |
| 00:33:44 |
He is part Apache |
| 00:33:49 |
It's funny, but I'm revealing my hands |
| 00:33:57 |
and I was told by my doctor |
| 00:34:00 |
it is from the Aztec |
| 00:34:04 |
An anthropologist told me that, |
| 00:34:11 |
but everywhere I go, |
| 00:34:13 |
And I can turn it around too, |
| 00:34:16 |
It's very distinct, the line here, |
| 00:34:19 |
and I was at awe when they told me |
| 00:34:25 |
HERZOG: When you work, with which fingers |
| 00:34:30 |
I don't know if I should say this It's funny, |
| 00:34:32 |
but in school I used to not reach |
| 00:34:36 |
so I used to point with this, |
| 00:34:39 |
and said that I was being a bad boy, |
| 00:34:41 |
but I still have the habit |
| 00:34:44 |
I have a long ribcage |
| 00:34:47 |
I have a long ribcage like the Aztecs |
| 00:34:55 |
If you can come to Antarctica, please do |
| 00:35:02 |
I'm a green person I'm as green as I can be |
| 00:35:08 |
I'm a contractor back home, too, but it's |
| 00:35:20 |
(SPEAKING SPANISH) |
| 00:35:57 |
Spirit, the fire of my ancestors |
| 00:36:02 |
(WHOOPS) |
| 00:36:04 |
(WHISTLES) |
| 00:36:15 |
HERZOG Our next journey took us |
| 00:36:27 |
We were heading from Ross Island |
| 00:36:33 |
The empty interior beyond these mountains |
| 00:36:36 |
is larger in size than |
| 00:36:41 |
The vast majority of it is |
| 00:36:49 |
We were heading for New Harbor, |
| 00:36:51 |
a diving camp |
| 00:36:56 |
To the right is the frozen sea |
| 00:36:59 |
The camp itself is built on firm ground |
| 00:37:11 |
We were welcomed by my friend |
| 00:37:16 |
whose underwater footage |
| 00:37:22 |
We had arrived at an opportune time |
| 00:37:26 |
which protects a primary diving hole |
| 00:37:33 |
Sam Bowser is the head |
| 00:37:37 |
We found him in a pensive mood |
| 00:37:40 |
HERZOG: Sam Bowser, |
| 00:37:46 |
Well, I think |
| 00:37:48 |
I think everyone should stop |
| 00:37:52 |
where they've done |
| 00:37:56 |
and today is probably gonna be |
| 00:37:59 |
I think we've accomplished what |
| 00:38:00 |
At least, I've accomplished |
| 00:38:04 |
and it's time to pass the ball off to |
| 00:38:10 |
So, it is a bit of a special day |
| 00:38:13 |
HERZOG I had heard that he was also |
| 00:38:17 |
The creatures that are down there |
| 00:38:21 |
they range in the way that they would |
| 00:38:27 |
but creepier than classic |
| 00:38:31 |
These would have long tendrils |
| 00:38:33 |
and as you tried to get away from them |
| 00:38:35 |
you'd just become more and more ensnared |
| 00:38:39 |
And then after you would be frustrated |
| 00:38:43 |
then this creature would start to move in |
| 00:38:47 |
So that's one example |
| 00:38:49 |
Then there are other types of worm-type |
| 00:38:54 |
and jaws and just bits to rend your flesh |
| 00:38:59 |
It really is a violent, |
| 00:39:03 |
is obscure to us |
| 00:39:08 |
you know, |
| 00:39:11 |
So it doesn't really affect us, |
| 00:39:14 |
miniaturize into that world, |
| 00:39:19 |
HERZOG: And this is a world |
| 00:39:21 |
Do you think that the human race |
| 00:39:25 |
fled in panic from the oceans |
| 00:39:31 |
Yeah, I think undoubtedly |
| 00:39:34 |
that caused us to leave the horrors behind |
| 00:39:37 |
To grow and evolve into larger creatures |
| 00:39:41 |
what's horribly violent |
| 00:39:48 |
Yeah |
| 00:39:56 |
HERZOG The water under the ice is |
| 00:40:04 |
That keeps us insulated from the cold |
| 00:40:17 |
Want me to open it up? |
| 00:40:18 |
- Yeah Ready? |
| 00:40:37 |
Dive operation Time right now is |
| 00:40:41 |
I'll give you a call back at about 2:30 |
| 00:40:53 |
To me, the divers look like astronauts |
| 00:40:59 |
But their work is extremely dangerous |
| 00:41:03 |
They are diving without tethers |
| 00:41:09 |
But here you can't trust a compass |
| 00:41:12 |
So close to the magnetic pole, the needle |
| 00:41:19 |
Somehow you have to find |
| 00:41:24 |
or you are trapped under the ceiling of ice |
| 00:43:39 |
So I selected some areas |
| 00:43:43 |
and they're the ones we're interested in |
| 00:43:47 |
whether or not they eat shrimp-like |
| 00:43:52 |
And also I found a few of the urchins |
| 00:43:56 |
they're the ones that have |
| 00:44:01 |
It's a pretty beautiful scarlet worm, |
| 00:44:04 |
but it must be a horrible way to make a life, |
| 00:44:13 |
ANNOUNCER ON TV I tell you, gentlemen, |
| 00:44:16 |
that unless something is done, |
| 00:44:19 |
man as the dominant species of life on Earth |
| 00:44:27 |
HERZOG Sam Bowser likes to show |
| 00:44:29 |
doomsday science fiction films |
| 00:44:35 |
Many of them express grave doubts about |
| 00:44:42 |
Nature, they predict, will regulate us |
| 00:44:45 |
ANNOUNCER Stay in your homes |
| 00:44:49 |
Your personal safety, |
| 00:44:52 |
depends upon your full cooperation |
| 00:44:56 |
Yes! Cities, nations, even civilization itself |
| 00:45:03 |
Because in one moment of |
| 00:45:06 |
nature, mad, rampant, |
| 00:45:10 |
For born in that swirling inferno of |
| 00:45:13 |
were things so horrible, |
| 00:45:19 |
there is no word to describe them |
| 00:45:29 |
We may be witnesses to |
| 00:45:32 |
And there shall be destruction |
| 00:45:36 |
and the beasts shall reign over the Earth |
| 00:45:39 |
ANNOUNCER Yes, the Earth, |
| 00:45:42 |
BOWSER: This is just the flower part |
| 00:45:46 |
HERZOG All that the divers had brought |
| 00:45:49 |
were a few spoonfuls of sand containing |
| 00:45:55 |
the scientists are studying here |
| 00:45:59 |
They are known as tree foraminifera, |
| 00:46:05 |
They branch out in the shape of trees |
| 00:46:09 |
The branches give off pseudopodia, |
| 00:46:13 |
that gather and assemble grains of sand |
| 00:46:21 |
BOWSER: These are the pseudopodia |
| 00:46:25 |
They're long, thin, tendril-like projections |
| 00:46:30 |
What the foram does is it wakes up, |
| 00:46:32 |
sends out the pseudopods and then just |
| 00:46:36 |
and pulls them in toward its body |
| 00:46:40 |
There's a certain pattern to the way |
| 00:46:43 |
They can select particular grains |
| 00:46:46 |
and just end up with them |
| 00:46:51 |
HERZOG: Could that be |
| 00:46:54 |
- I say it with great care |
| 00:46:58 |
because there are stories about |
| 00:47:02 |
how these particular organisms |
| 00:47:05 |
Turn of the last century, for example, |
| 00:47:07 |
there was a scientist, |
| 00:47:11 |
who, apparently, during one of the debates |
| 00:47:15 |
in one of the British societies was |
| 00:47:18 |
pointing out the fact that |
| 00:47:21 |
that was being formulated could be |
| 00:47:28 |
Borderline intelligence, |
| 00:47:32 |
I mean, it is a manifestation |
| 00:47:36 |
the way that they build their shells |
| 00:47:52 |
(DRILLING) |
| 00:49:26 |
HERZOG I noticed that the divers, |
| 00:49:35 |
To me, |
| 00:50:03 |
Under the ice, the divers find themselves |
| 00:50:08 |
where space and time |
| 00:50:13 |
Those few who have experienced the world |
| 00:50:18 |
often speak of it as |
| 00:54:45 |
HERZOG Back from the strange world |
| 00:54:52 |
One of the foremost scholars in the world |
| 00:54:57 |
studies the DNA sequences of foraminifera |
| 00:55:01 |
What looks esoteric is in fact one of the |
| 00:55:09 |
In the same way that cosmologists search |
| 00:55:14 |
the scientists here are tracing back |
| 00:55:24 |
Sometimes the building blocks |
| 00:55:31 |
Jan, what have you found today so far |
| 00:55:35 |
- Three new species |
| 00:55:37 |
Three new species on the dish |
| 00:55:39 |
- This is from the ROMEO site |
| 00:55:44 |
It's one small silver and two elongated ones |
| 00:55:49 |
We have to do the DNA, too |
| 00:55:51 |
HERZOG: Is this a great moment? |
| 00:55:54 |
- Yeah, yeah, this is |
| 00:55:57 |
the known diversity of these types |
| 00:56:01 |
Yeah That is very special |
| 00:56:04 |
(BOWSER PLAYING GUITAR) |
| 00:56:13 |
Apologies to rock musicians everywhere |
| 00:56:16 |
(LAUGHING) |
| 00:56:19 |
HERZOG Once the importance |
| 00:56:22 |
Sam Bowser and his group plan to celebrate |
| 00:56:28 |
(GUITARS PLAYING) |
| 00:56:31 |
They are rehearsing for |
| 00:56:46 |
(PLAYING ROCK MUSIC) |
| 00:57:32 |
After the helicopter had dropped us off |
| 00:57:37 |
nobody was around The sundial showed |
| 00:57:58 |
It did not feel like night, |
| 00:58:04 |
This unobtrusive building |
| 00:58:47 |
Here amongst unripe tomatoes, |
| 00:58:52 |
How did he end up in this place? |
| 00:58:55 |
Oh, yeah, well, you know, I like to say, |
| 00:58:58 |
if you take everybody who's not tied down, |
| 00:59:01 |
fall down to the bottom of the planet, so, |
| 00:59:03 |
you know, I haven't been |
| 00:59:06 |
We're all at loose ends |
| 00:59:09 |
I remember |
| 00:59:11 |
enjoyed the sensation of recognizing people |
| 00:59:15 |
You know, I was like, |
| 00:59:18 |
PhDs washing dishes and, you know, |
| 00:59:24 |
and that sort of thing, yeah It's great |
| 00:59:26 |
Yeah, specifically I was in |
| 00:59:29 |
to do some work with |
| 00:59:34 |
identified as a native speaker |
| 00:59:38 |
one of the languages |
| 00:59:41 |
I think is how they pronounced it, and |
| 00:59:44 |
HERZOG To make a complicated story short, |
| 00:59:46 |
he ran into New Age ideologues who made |
| 00:59:53 |
embedded in the grammar of this language |
| 00:59:55 |
Some of the oral tradition |
| 00:59:57 |
Hence, in this stupid trend of academia, |
| 01:00:01 |
it would be better to let the language die |
| 01:00:04 |
you know, I could document a language |
| 01:00:06 |
He had to destroy his entire PhD research |
| 01:00:09 |
So just imagine, you know, 90 |
| 01:00:13 |
of languages will be extinct |
| 01:00:16 |
It's a catastrophic impact |
| 01:00:19 |
to an ecosystem to talk |
| 01:00:22 |
Culturally, we're talking |
| 01:00:25 |
you know, what if you lost all of |
| 01:00:29 |
Russian literature, or something like that, |
| 01:00:32 |
Slavic languages and just they went |
| 01:00:38 |
It occurred to me that in the time |
| 01:00:42 |
possibly three or four languages had died |
| 01:00:47 |
In our efforts to preserve |
| 01:00:50 |
we seem to overlook something |
| 01:00:55 |
To me, |
| 01:00:59 |
where tree huggers and whale huggers |
| 01:01:04 |
while no one embraces |
| 01:01:17 |
McMurdo is full of characters |
| 01:01:22 |
The bleak Motel 6-drabness of |
| 01:01:28 |
Behind every door there is someone |
| 01:01:36 |
JO YCE Back in the '80s, I took a garbage |
| 01:01:43 |
That was a trip Four months in |
| 01:01:47 |
On numerous occasions we came pretty |
| 01:01:51 |
but pretty close |
| 01:01:53 |
we didn't know if we were gonna get back |
| 01:01:57 |
We got taken over by the military in Uganda, |
| 01:02:00 |
and we were kidnapped, basically |
| 01:02:04 |
and we were going back to Entebbe |
| 01:02:07 |
We were trying to wait for |
| 01:02:13 |
the one that blew up and 800 people died |
| 01:02:16 |
Well, we didn't get on that one |
| 01:02:19 |
and we got stuck We got stuck for five days |
| 01:02:23 |
of absolute agony, of clawing |
| 01:02:30 |
just the dinner plates that we were using |
| 01:02:35 |
We had no water |
| 01:02:39 |
so basically we had a cup of water a day |
| 01:02:42 |
HERZOG Her story goes on forever |
| 01:02:45 |
She dealt with a bout of malaria, |
| 01:02:48 |
with a herd of angry elephants pursuing her |
| 01:02:53 |
Got caught in a civil war, |
| 01:02:58 |
with rebels fighting and shooting |
| 01:03:01 |
and was finally rescued |
| 01:03:04 |
slaloming around crater holes |
| 01:03:08 |
This is how you get yourself |
| 01:03:13 |
HERZOG At the so-called Freak Train event |
| 01:03:18 |
Karen is, not surprisingly, |
| 01:03:27 |
This is her famous |
| 01:03:35 |
WOMAN: Yeah, take her home |
| 01:03:37 |
(ALL CHEERING) |
| 01:03:48 |
- Thought of another one |
| 01:03:49 |
I traveled from Ecuador to Lima, Peru |
| 01:03:56 |
(LAUGHS) Forgot to mention that |
| 01:04:01 |
and back up, |
| 01:04:05 |
It was a flatbed truck with three huge sewer |
| 01:04:11 |
in the back of this truck, in a sewer pipe, |
| 01:04:17 |
That's all you could see |
| 01:04:21 |
HERZOG Travel for those who have been |
| 01:04:26 |
These are the ones you'll find in Antarctica |
| 01:04:30 |
Libor Zicha works as a utility mechanic |
| 01:04:33 |
He lived like a prisoner |
| 01:04:36 |
HERZOG: You escaped |
| 01:04:39 |
Oh, it was, wasn't a drama, but |
| 01:04:45 |
The tragic events surrounding his escape |
| 01:04:50 |
If we can |
| 01:04:54 |
- You do not have to talk about it |
| 01:04:59 |
For me, the best description of |
| 01:05:05 |
A poet said that once, I think, |
| 01:05:09 |
and for me the best description of freedom |
| 01:05:13 |
You are traveling a lot |
| 01:05:15 |
- That's right, yeah |
| 01:05:16 |
That's my freedom, |
| 01:05:23 |
HERZOG He keeps a rucksack packed |
| 01:05:28 |
Inside is everything he needs |
| 01:05:33 |
a sleeping bag, a tent, clothes, |
| 01:05:42 |
How much weight is this all? |
| 01:05:44 |
It's I usually don't go over 20 kilos |
| 01:05:50 |
and it's a limit also for airlines |
| 01:05:58 |
Some of the contents of his backpack |
| 01:06:17 |
That's about the size of the raft |
| 01:06:20 |
- How quickly can you leave? |
| 01:06:24 |
My bag is always prepared, |
| 01:06:32 |
and exploring new horizons |
| 01:06:42 |
HERZOG Back in the days of Amundsen, |
| 01:06:45 |
scientific exploration of Antarctica began, |
| 01:06:49 |
and this opening of the unknown continent |
| 01:06:57 |
But one thing about the early explorers |
| 01:07:03 |
The obsession to be the first one |
| 01:07:11 |
It was for personal fame |
| 01:07:16 |
This is Shackleton's original hut, |
| 01:07:26 |
But, in a way, from the South Pole onwards |
| 01:07:29 |
there was no further expansion possible, |
| 01:07:32 |
and the Empire started to fade |
| 01:07:39 |
It all looks now like an extinct supermarket |
| 01:07:51 |
On a cultural level, |
| 01:07:56 |
Exposing the last unknown spots |
| 01:08:02 |
but it feels sad |
| 01:08:06 |
were not left in peace in their dignity |
| 01:08:12 |
It may be a futile wish |
| 01:08:17 |
but human adventure, in its original sense, |
| 01:08:22 |
became an issue for the |
| 01:08:31 |
Scott and Amundsen |
| 01:08:35 |
and from there on |
| 01:08:40 |
A Frenchman crossed the Sahara Desert |
| 01:08:45 |
and I am waiting for the first barefoot runner |
| 01:08:50 |
or the first one hopping into the South Pole |
| 01:08:56 |
FURMAN Well, I had this idea of breaking |
| 01:09:02 |
and Antarctica would be the sixth, |
| 01:09:04 |
so, now I'm trying to think of a way |
| 01:09:08 |
Ashrita Furman did not want |
| 01:09:11 |
because he already holds a |
| 01:09:17 |
And also in this one |
| 01:09:18 |
So, he decided upon the more prosaic |
| 01:09:24 |
We flew down to Antarctica |
| 01:09:25 |
Anyway, it was thrilling |
| 01:09:28 |
and I'm trying to break a Guinness record |
| 01:09:30 |
Being in Antarctica |
| 01:09:32 |
It's so I mean, it's so peaceful |
| 01:09:36 |
It's so desolate |
| 01:09:45 |
HERZOG Antarctica is not the moon, |
| 01:09:52 |
Yet, on this planet, |
| 01:09:54 |
McMurdo comes closest to what |
| 01:10:05 |
(PENGUINS CAWING) |
| 01:10:09 |
We left McMurdo for the penguin colony |
| 01:10:13 |
Everyone spoke about penguins, |
| 01:10:16 |
however, the questions I had |
| 01:10:23 |
I was referred to a penguin expert out there |
| 01:10:27 |
who had studied them for almost 20 years |
| 01:10:31 |
I was told that he was a taciturn man, |
| 01:10:34 |
who, in his solitude, was not much into |
| 01:10:40 |
But Dr Ainley gave his best effort |
| 01:10:44 |
Well, here we are at Cape Royds |
| 01:10:48 |
This is 2006, |
| 01:10:53 |
of the first penguin study |
| 01:10:57 |
which was done here at Cape Royds by |
| 01:11:00 |
a person that was part |
| 01:11:07 |
They all had a good winter, |
| 01:11:12 |
They've |
| 01:11:15 |
claimed their territories and eggs have |
| 01:11:19 |
and now there's just males |
| 01:11:25 |
using their fat reserves |
| 01:11:29 |
to relieve them and then go to sea |
| 01:11:34 |
I tried to keep the conversation going |
| 01:11:38 |
Dr Ainley, I read somewhere |
| 01:11:43 |
What are your observations? |
| 01:11:49 |
I've never |
| 01:11:52 |
Or strange sexual behavior |
| 01:11:56 |
Yeah, there has been I've seen |
| 01:12:02 |
one female and two males, |
| 01:12:08 |
or eggs, and the males and the female |
| 01:12:16 |
There are mis-identities, initially, |
| 01:12:25 |
Somebody recently described |
| 01:12:31 |
a female, who is out |
| 01:12:36 |
and, of course, some penguins are |
| 01:12:38 |
The only way they collect rocks |
| 01:12:41 |
So, in order to do that, |
| 01:12:44 |
in order to get close to a male, |
| 01:12:50 |
and so she'll come in, sit in his nest, |
| 01:12:56 |
But, really, her idea is to get a rock, |
| 01:13:00 |
and so, as soon as she can, |
| 01:13:07 |
Dr Ainley, is there such thing |
| 01:13:13 |
I try to avoid the definition of insanity |
| 01:13:18 |
I don't mean that a penguin |
| 01:13:23 |
or Napoleon Bonaparte, |
| 01:13:28 |
because they've had enough of |
| 01:13:35 |
Well, I've never seen a penguin |
| 01:13:41 |
They do get disoriented |
| 01:13:44 |
They end up in places they shouldn't be, |
| 01:13:53 |
HERZOG These penguins are all heading |
| 01:14:02 |
But one of them caught our eye, |
| 01:14:07 |
He would neither go towards the feeding |
| 01:14:12 |
nor return to the colony |
| 01:14:16 |
Shortly afterwards, we saw him heading |
| 01:14:21 |
some 70 kilometers away |
| 01:14:25 |
Dr Ainley explained |
| 01:14:29 |
and brought him back to the colony, |
| 01:14:32 |
he would immediately head right back |
| 01:14:38 |
But why? |
| 01:14:50 |
One of these disoriented, |
| 01:14:54 |
showed up at the New Harbor diving camp, |
| 01:14:57 |
already some 80 kilometers away |
| 01:15:06 |
The rules for the humans |
| 01:15:11 |
Stand still and let him go on his way |
| 01:15:18 |
And here, he's heading off into the interior |
| 01:15:25 |
With 5,000 kilometers ahead of him, |
| 01:15:42 |
The last field camp we visited |
| 01:15:47 |
This active volcano is 12,500 feet high |
| 01:15:53 |
It is of particular importance, as inside |
| 01:15:58 |
is directly exposed |
| 01:16:02 |
There are only two other such volcanoes |
| 01:16:06 |
one in the Congo and the other in Ethiopia |
| 01:16:10 |
Because of political strife in those places, |
| 01:16:13 |
it is actually easier to conduct field studies |
| 01:16:20 |
First thing, we were instructed in |
| 01:16:26 |
One very important thing to keep in mind |
| 01:16:30 |
is that the lava lake |
| 01:16:35 |
and if it does, it's vital to keep |
| 01:16:41 |
and watch for bombs |
| 01:16:45 |
and try to pick out the ones that might be |
| 01:16:51 |
The last thing you wanna do is turn away |
| 01:16:56 |
Keep your attention toward the lava lake, |
| 01:17:03 |
HERZOG We were fortunate that the lava |
| 01:17:09 |
This here is the new observation camera |
| 01:17:14 |
William Mclntosh is the leader |
| 01:17:19 |
This camera is designed for prison riots |
| 01:17:24 |
and it's coated with this thick |
| 01:17:28 |
Here's the lens here This is a camera |
| 01:17:32 |
The camera inside is made by a small |
| 01:17:38 |
The inside housing is specifically |
| 01:17:41 |
(EXPLOSION) |
| 01:17:43 |
to be explosion-proof |
| 01:17:44 |
There's a bang from the lava lake |
| 01:17:56 |
HERZOG This is the magma lake |
| 01:18:02 |
At that time, there was a bold attempt |
| 01:18:16 |
Halfway down there is a plateau |
| 01:18:19 |
From there, it is a gaping hole straight down |
| 01:18:43 |
They were in for near disaster |
| 01:18:56 |
The magma exploded, striking one of the |
| 01:19:11 |
Today, the lava is monitored |
| 01:19:48 |
Dr Clive Oppenheimer, a true Englishman |
| 01:19:53 |
surprised us with his tweed outfit, which |
| 01:20:00 |
He analyzes gas emissions |
| 01:20:05 |
If this were one of those active |
| 01:20:08 |
I'd be far more circumspect |
| 01:20:12 |
This is a very benign form of volcanism, |
| 01:20:15 |
and even the eruptions we've seen in the |
| 01:20:21 |
If we go back into the geological record, |
| 01:20:24 |
we see that there are huge |
| 01:20:27 |
volcanic eruptions, |
| 01:20:31 |
thousands of cubic miles of pumice, |
| 01:20:34 |
showering large parts of the Earth |
| 01:20:38 |
and these have been demonstrated |
| 01:20:42 |
and one of the biggest of these events, |
| 01:20:46 |
has been argued even to have affected |
| 01:20:49 |
and may have played an important role in |
| 01:20:52 |
the origins and dispersal of early humans |
| 01:20:58 |
So these events will recur, and I think |
| 01:21:03 |
the better we can prepare for |
| 01:21:12 |
HERZOG For this and many other reasons, |
| 01:21:17 |
does not seem to be sustainable |
| 01:21:20 |
Our technological civilization makes us |
| 01:21:27 |
There is talk all over the scientific |
| 01:21:33 |
Many of them agree the end of human life |
| 01:21:41 |
Human life is part of |
| 01:21:45 |
the demise of the dinosaurs being just |
| 01:21:51 |
We seem to be next |
| 01:21:59 |
And when we are gone, what will happen |
| 01:22:08 |
Will there be alien archeologists |
| 01:22:12 |
trying to find out what we were doing |
| 01:22:18 |
They will descend into the tunnels |
| 01:22:25 |
It is still minus 70 degrees here, |
| 01:22:31 |
all the large cities in the world |
| 01:22:37 |
They walk on and on |
| 01:22:59 |
And then this |
| 01:23:01 |
As if we had wanted to leave one remnant |
| 01:23:07 |
they would find a frozen sturgeon, |
| 01:23:11 |
beneath the mathematically precise |
| 01:23:36 |
They stash it back away |
| 01:23:45 |
And then they find more, |
| 01:23:52 |
As if the human race wanted to preserve |
| 01:23:58 |
they left this, |
| 01:24:13 |
Back at the base camp of Mount Erebus, |
| 01:24:20 |
due to the considerable altitude, |
| 01:24:23 |
once in a while the volcanologists |
| 01:24:31 |
But soon we find them back at work |
| 01:25:42 |
My face is frozen |
| 01:26:24 |
Quite cold up here today |
| 01:26:32 |
Just by having that fantastic lava lake |
| 01:26:37 |
we still have to bring old petrol generators |
| 01:26:54 |
Man versus Machine, Chapter 53 |
| 01:27:01 |
Hands in pockets, |
| 01:27:07 |
He could be waiting a long time |
| 01:27:11 |
Have you ever seen two men kiss |
| 01:27:15 |
(BOTH LAUGHING) |
| 01:27:17 |
OPPENHEIMER: Pushing back the frontiers |
| 01:27:18 |
It's R-18, okay? |
| 01:27:22 |
I like working with Harry |
| 01:27:30 |
HERZOG Along the slopes of the volcano |
| 01:27:32 |
there are vents where steam creates |
| 01:27:39 |
sometimes reaching two stories in height |
| 01:27:49 |
It is possible to descend into some of them |
| 01:27:54 |
You only have to be careful |
| 01:31:12 |
At the foot of Erebus, out on the sea ice, |
| 01:31:15 |
the two tallest buildings on this continent |
| 01:31:20 |
In these hangars, |
| 01:31:24 |
for their balloon launch |
| 01:31:41 |
We were interested in |
| 01:31:45 |
Scientists are planning |
| 01:31:48 |
40 kilometers up into the stratosphere |
| 01:31:52 |
in search of almost |
| 01:31:59 |
(ALL CHEERING) |
| 01:32:02 |
As it rises, this small-Iooking bubble |
| 01:32:07 |
to fill the entire skin, |
| 01:32:13 |
It will eventually form a gigantic globe |
| 01:32:21 |
When it reaches the stratosphere, |
| 01:32:23 |
the detector will scan |
| 01:32:27 |
without encountering electrical |
| 01:32:33 |
Prior to the launch, |
| 01:32:38 |
The neutrino project is led by |
| 01:32:43 |
So, what we're trying to do |
| 01:32:48 |
scientific group to detect the highest |
| 01:32:54 |
HERZOG: Yeah, but, Dr Gorham, |
| 01:32:58 |
The neutrino is It's the most ridiculous |
| 01:33:03 |
A billion neutrinos went through my nose |
| 01:33:08 |
A trillion, a trillion of them |
| 01:33:11 |
and they did nothing to me |
| 01:33:13 |
They pass through all of the matter |
| 01:33:17 |
in a huge, huge blast of particles |
| 01:33:23 |
They're like |
| 01:33:27 |
but we know, as physicists, |
| 01:33:29 |
we can make precision predictions |
| 01:33:33 |
but we can't get our hands on them, |
| 01:33:36 |
because they seem to just exist |
| 01:33:39 |
and yet without neutrinos, the beginning |
| 01:33:44 |
We would not have the matter |
| 01:33:47 |
because you couldn't create |
| 01:33:50 |
In the very, very earliest few seconds |
| 01:33:54 |
the neutrinos were the dominant particle, |
| 01:33:57 |
much of the kinetics of the production |
| 01:34:02 |
So, the universe can't exist the way it is |
| 01:34:05 |
but they seem |
| 01:34:09 |
and we're trying to actually |
| 01:34:12 |
otherworldly universe of neutrinos |
| 01:34:16 |
And as a physicist, even though |
| 01:34:20 |
I understand it mathematically |
| 01:34:24 |
it still hits me in the gut |
| 01:34:27 |
that there is something here around |
| 01:34:31 |
surrounding me almost like |
| 01:34:35 |
that I can't touch, |
| 01:34:37 |
but I can measure it |
| 01:34:39 |
I can make a measurement |
| 01:34:41 |
It's like measuring the spirit world |
| 01:34:44 |
You can go out and touch these things |
| 01:34:48 |
HERZOG Not surprisingly, we found |
| 01:34:53 |
on the side of his detector |
| 01:34:55 |
It was as if spirits had to be invoked |
| 01:35:01 |
What would we see if we could film |
| 01:35:06 |
What you would see is, you would see |
| 01:35:11 |
about that thick, |
| 01:35:13 |
and it would blast at the speed of light |
| 01:35:18 |
and you would see the most beautiful |
| 01:35:22 |
It happens in about |
| 01:35:26 |
The entire impulse of radio waves |
| 01:35:29 |
is up and down in probably |
| 01:35:32 |
one one-hundred billionth of a second |
| 01:35:37 |
It just goes bang and it's gone, |
| 01:36:09 |
There is a beautiful saying by an American, |
| 01:36:15 |
a philosopher, Alan Watts, |
| 01:36:21 |
the universe is perceiving itself, |
| 01:36:24 |
and through our ears, the universe |
| 01:36:29 |
and we are the witness |
| 01:36:34 |
becomes conscious of its glory, |
