"Mysteries at the Museum" Weird Science: Special

1 00:00:01,990 --> 00:00:04,450 One man's waste becomes a scientific wonder. 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,720 He thought that he can make gold out of urine. 3 00:00:07,830 --> 00:00:10,960 The incredible trees that came from space. 4 00:00:11,060 --> 00:00:13,830 MAN: This was the first step into the field of 5 00:00:13,930 --> 00:00:16,200 intergalactic agriculture. 6 00:00:16,300 --> 00:00:19,470 And a Founding Father attempts a hair-raising experiment. 7 00:00:19,570 --> 00:00:22,070 MAN #2: A lightning bolt hit his kite, 8 00:00:22,170 --> 00:00:25,110 and that was Benjamin Franklin's "aha" moment. 9 00:00:25,210 --> 00:00:28,280 These are the mysteries at the museum. 10 00:00:35,350 --> 00:00:38,660 A diorama of Alaskan brown bears, 11 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,660 hunting tools from the Arctic, 12 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,260 and the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex 13 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,730 are just some of the stunning artifacts on display 14 00:00:48,830 --> 00:00:50,930 at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,640 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 16 00:00:54,740 --> 00:00:58,640 But there is one item here that, at first glance, 17 00:00:58,740 --> 00:01:01,550 doesn't look like it belongs in a museum at all. 18 00:01:01,650 --> 00:01:05,320 The artifact is bright green with a dirty brown base. 19 00:01:05,420 --> 00:01:07,480 This is an everyday item. 20 00:01:07,590 --> 00:01:10,050 You may even have one of these in your own home. 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,060 WILDMAN: This specimen recalls a bizarre set of events 22 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,200 that changed the way we think about plants forever. 23 00:01:18,300 --> 00:01:19,430 PORGES: This common houseplant 24 00:01:19,530 --> 00:01:21,160 could have more to it than meets the eye. 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,500 WILDMAN: It's the early 1970s. 26 00:01:27,610 --> 00:01:31,480 A new book is racing to the top of the bestseller charts, 27 00:01:31,580 --> 00:01:33,840 "The Secret Life of Plants." 28 00:01:33,950 --> 00:01:36,750 But this is no ordinary book about horticulture. 29 00:01:36,850 --> 00:01:40,850 It describes a series of ground-breaking experiments 30 00:01:40,950 --> 00:01:44,090 performed by a 42-year-old former C.I.A. agent 31 00:01:44,190 --> 00:01:46,160 named Cleve Backster. 32 00:01:46,260 --> 00:01:50,290 Baxter's day job is to teach law enforcement professionals 33 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:51,900 how to use a polygraph, 34 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,130 commonly known as a lie detector. 35 00:01:54,230 --> 00:01:56,500 PORGES: Cleve Baxter is the last person 36 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,000 you wanted to be caught lying in front of. 37 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:00,300 The guy was a polygraph expert. 38 00:02:02,740 --> 00:02:05,710 WILDMAN: A polygraph measures tiny changes in the human body, 39 00:02:05,810 --> 00:02:08,480 such as heart rate or sweating. 40 00:02:08,580 --> 00:02:11,010 Under questioning, these clues can indicate 41 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,450 whether a person is telling the truth or lying. 42 00:02:14,550 --> 00:02:16,750 But according to the book, 43 00:02:16,860 --> 00:02:22,090 Baxter used one of his machines for a highly unusual purpose. 44 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,430 The story starts one night in 1966. 45 00:02:28,530 --> 00:02:30,330 Baxter claims that he was at work 46 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,300 when he came up with a crazy idea. 47 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:33,740 What would happen 48 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,010 if he attached his polygraph machine to a houseplant? 49 00:02:38,110 --> 00:02:43,250 PORGES: Baxter hooked up a polygraph machine to a plant. 50 00:02:43,350 --> 00:02:44,480 A plant. 51 00:02:44,580 --> 00:02:47,280 It was late at night. Why not? 52 00:02:47,390 --> 00:02:50,250 WILDMAN: Baxter says he attached electrodes 53 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,490 to the leaves of a houseplant. 54 00:02:52,590 --> 00:02:55,730 He then began to subject it to a series of stress tests. 55 00:02:55,830 --> 00:02:58,230 Baxter lights a match next to a plant. 56 00:02:59,830 --> 00:03:04,130 And the polygraph suddenly jumps wildly back and forth 57 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:05,400 full of activity. 58 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:13,280 WILDMAN: Baxter describes a year of experiments 59 00:03:13,380 --> 00:03:16,050 in which he exposed a philodendron houseplant, 60 00:03:16,150 --> 00:03:17,780 just like this one on display 61 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,920 at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 62 00:03:20,020 --> 00:03:21,450 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 63 00:03:21,550 --> 00:03:23,190 to various stimuli. 64 00:03:23,290 --> 00:03:25,390 He placed it near boiling water, 65 00:03:25,490 --> 00:03:27,660 submerged its leaves in hot coffee, 66 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,030 and even threatened it with a spider and a barking dog. 67 00:03:33,770 --> 00:03:35,000 According to the book, 68 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:36,470 the polygraph showed 69 00:03:36,570 --> 00:03:41,200 that the plant was reacting to different stimuli, 70 00:03:41,310 --> 00:03:45,680 leading Baxter to form an extraordinary theory... 71 00:03:45,780 --> 00:03:48,710 ...that plants have feelings. 72 00:03:52,550 --> 00:03:53,950 PORGES: According to Baxter, his polygraph readings 73 00:03:54,050 --> 00:03:58,120 were basically a window to the plant's consciousness. 74 00:03:58,220 --> 00:04:00,660 He said the plant had feelings, had emotions 75 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:02,090 in the same way we do. 76 00:04:05,130 --> 00:04:07,800 WILDMAN: Readers are so entranced by the possibility 77 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:10,330 that their own houseplants might have feelings 78 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,240 that a new trend blossoms. 79 00:04:13,340 --> 00:04:16,640 People began interacting with their plants in new ways -- 80 00:04:16,740 --> 00:04:19,180 talking to their plants, singing to their plants. 81 00:04:21,550 --> 00:04:23,310 WILDMAN: Many readers go on to report 82 00:04:23,420 --> 00:04:25,280 that talking to their flora and fauna 83 00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:27,680 actually has a noticeable effect. 84 00:04:27,790 --> 00:04:30,390 Their plants are thriving. 85 00:04:30,490 --> 00:04:32,620 "The Secret Life of Plants" 86 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,660 becomes one of the most talked-about books of the day. 87 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:37,860 PORGES: This book's impact was huge. 88 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,100 People love their plants, and this book was saying 89 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,430 that your plants might actually love you back. 90 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,900 WILDMAN: But not everyone is convinced. 91 00:04:48,010 --> 00:04:50,340 While the general public loves the book, 92 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,880 many scientists suspect the author 93 00:04:52,980 --> 00:04:54,510 is nothing but a quack. 94 00:04:54,610 --> 00:04:57,280 Could Baxter be just a fraud? 95 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,690 WILDMAN: In 1974, three biologists 96 00:05:01,790 --> 00:05:03,950 from the prestigious Cornell University 97 00:05:04,060 --> 00:05:06,320 decide to put Baxter's controversial theory 98 00:05:06,430 --> 00:05:07,560 to the test. 99 00:05:07,660 --> 00:05:09,730 The researchers wanted to see if this was true 100 00:05:09,830 --> 00:05:12,730 and see if their results match up with Baxter's. 101 00:05:12,830 --> 00:05:15,170 They wanted to settle this once and for all. 102 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,140 WILDMAN: They hook up a plant to a polygraph 103 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,240 and painstakingly replicate Baxter stress tests. 104 00:05:25,340 --> 00:05:26,440 What was going to happen? 105 00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:28,280 WILDMAN: But try as they might, 106 00:05:28,380 --> 00:05:31,180 there is nothing they can do to make the plants react, 107 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:33,680 the needle won't budge. 108 00:05:33,790 --> 00:05:38,990 PORGES: The results completely tore apart Baxter's research. 109 00:05:39,090 --> 00:05:42,260 There is nothing going on here like Baxter claimed it was. 110 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,260 WILDMAN: The Cornell team concludes 111 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,560 the theory that plants have feelings is invalid. 112 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,000 Despite this damning verdict, 113 00:05:53,110 --> 00:05:56,770 plant lovers aren't so quick to dismiss the wacky idea, 114 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,840 and many people still believe 115 00:05:58,940 --> 00:06:01,850 that talking to plants has a positive effect. 116 00:06:01,950 --> 00:06:05,380 PORGES: Baxter's ideas remain stubbornly popular. 117 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:06,980 If you water something every day, 118 00:06:07,090 --> 00:06:08,920 if you take care of it, if you nurture it, 119 00:06:09,020 --> 00:06:10,750 you want to think it loves you, too. 120 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,660 WILDMAN: Today, this philodendron houseplant, 121 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,390 just like the one that Baxter used in his tests, 122 00:06:18,500 --> 00:06:20,800 remains at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 123 00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:22,600 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 124 00:06:22,700 --> 00:06:24,800 It recalls the crazy experiments 125 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:27,700 that had people talking to their plants. 126 00:06:32,010 --> 00:06:35,580 Chicago, Illinois, is best known as the Windy City. 127 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:37,780 But its lush public parks, 128 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,450 scenic lakefront, 129 00:06:39,550 --> 00:06:43,720 and treelined boulevards have earned it another nickname: 130 00:06:43,820 --> 00:06:47,120 the City in a Garden. 131 00:06:47,230 --> 00:06:49,760 And, in the heart of downtown is an institution 132 00:06:49,860 --> 00:06:52,560 that celebrates the wonder of nature: 133 00:06:52,660 --> 00:06:55,030 The Field Museum. 134 00:06:55,130 --> 00:06:56,530 It boasts one of the world's 135 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,300 most impressive fossil collections, 136 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,970 including a giant South American ground sloth; 137 00:07:03,070 --> 00:07:06,040 a triceratops discovered in Wyoming; 138 00:07:06,140 --> 00:07:09,580 and Sue, the largest T. Rex ever found. 139 00:07:11,950 --> 00:07:13,880 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 140 00:07:13,990 --> 00:07:16,820 But among these prehistoric animal bones 141 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,820 is an intriguing specimen from the world of minerals. 142 00:07:20,930 --> 00:07:25,130 HOLSTEIN: It is 8x6.5 centimeters. 143 00:07:25,230 --> 00:07:27,130 It's angular and rough. 144 00:07:27,230 --> 00:07:28,870 It's pretty dense. 145 00:07:28,970 --> 00:07:31,430 And it has these shimmering crystals 146 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:33,840 that reflects light beautifully. 147 00:07:35,140 --> 00:07:37,170 [Suspenseful music plays] This is one 148 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,180 of the most remarkable substances on the planet, 149 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,880 but few realize that its discovery was borne, 150 00:07:42,980 --> 00:07:45,750 not out of science, but of greed. 151 00:07:45,850 --> 00:07:47,820 This is a story where one man's waste 152 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:49,820 will become another man's treasure. 153 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,160 [Suspenseful music climbs] 154 00:07:56,260 --> 00:07:59,400 WILDMAN: It's 1669, in Europe. 155 00:07:59,500 --> 00:08:01,870 Hennig Brand is a respected scientist 156 00:08:01,970 --> 00:08:04,970 living in the northern city of Hamburg. 157 00:08:05,070 --> 00:08:07,670 Brand, like many scientists of the day, 158 00:08:07,770 --> 00:08:09,810 is obsessed with alchemy, 159 00:08:09,910 --> 00:08:13,540 an as-of-yet undiscovered process that, some believe, 160 00:08:13,650 --> 00:08:18,750 can turn ordinary materials, like lead and iron, into gold. 161 00:08:18,850 --> 00:08:21,480 Brand is fixated on creating gold 162 00:08:21,590 --> 00:08:23,990 from something that's worthless. 163 00:08:24,090 --> 00:08:26,560 For centuries, alchemists have tried 164 00:08:26,660 --> 00:08:30,290 to unlock the secret to this fabled transformation, 165 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,800 but Brand believes he can succeed 166 00:08:32,900 --> 00:08:35,030 where others have failed. 167 00:08:35,130 --> 00:08:38,700 He thinks the method can be found, not in metal, 168 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,970 but in something produced by every human body. 169 00:08:42,070 --> 00:08:44,010 HOLSTEIN: Brand got it into his head 170 00:08:44,110 --> 00:08:46,410 that he can make gold 171 00:08:46,510 --> 00:08:49,050 out of urine. 172 00:08:49,150 --> 00:08:52,920 WILDMAN: Brand is convinced that urine's distinct amber color 173 00:08:53,020 --> 00:08:55,420 is created by tiny, gold particles 174 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:57,950 suspended in the liquid. 175 00:08:58,060 --> 00:09:01,060 According to his theory, the solution is as simple 176 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,660 as distilling the gold from the bodily fluid. 177 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,230 But one thing gives Brand pause. 178 00:09:08,330 --> 00:09:12,400 Creating a profitable amount of gold will require more urine 179 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:15,710 than any one man could possibly produce on his own. 180 00:09:15,810 --> 00:09:17,610 Brand needed pee. 181 00:09:17,710 --> 00:09:19,580 He needed a lot of pee. 182 00:09:21,550 --> 00:09:22,810 [ Whimsical tune plays ] 183 00:09:22,910 --> 00:09:25,650 So, in order to acquire a massive supply 184 00:09:25,750 --> 00:09:27,950 of the waste material, the physician heads 185 00:09:28,050 --> 00:09:31,150 to the most logical place in town: 186 00:09:31,260 --> 00:09:32,620 a local tavern. 187 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,990 He started collecting urine from beer-drinking men. 188 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,360 WILDMAN: Before long, Brand amasses 189 00:09:41,470 --> 00:09:45,600 an outstanding 1,500 gallons of precious pee. 190 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:47,900 The amount of urine that Brand collected 191 00:09:48,010 --> 00:09:52,280 could easily fill 150 bathtubs. 192 00:09:52,380 --> 00:09:56,110 It must've smelled horrible. 193 00:09:56,210 --> 00:09:59,950 WILDMAN: Brand boils gallons and gallons of urine, 194 00:10:00,050 --> 00:10:02,120 eventually reducing the liquid down 195 00:10:02,220 --> 00:10:04,950 to the consistency of honey. 196 00:10:05,060 --> 00:10:08,930 Then, he distills it a final time. 197 00:10:09,030 --> 00:10:10,590 ¶¶ 198 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:14,400 But, when Brand checks the results of his experiment, 199 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:16,400 he's sorely disappointed. 200 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:19,770 What Brand was seeing was definitely not gold. 201 00:10:19,870 --> 00:10:22,670 It is a curious substance that is white and waxy. 202 00:10:22,770 --> 00:10:25,510 WILDMAN: Brand is devastated, 203 00:10:25,610 --> 00:10:29,550 and declares his experiment a total failure. 204 00:10:29,650 --> 00:10:32,820 But, as he cleans up his laboratory for the night, 205 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,720 he notices something completely unexpected. 206 00:10:35,820 --> 00:10:38,790 [ Eerie music climbs ] 207 00:10:38,890 --> 00:10:43,290 The room begins to glow. 208 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,630 No one has ever seen anything like this before 209 00:10:45,730 --> 00:10:47,800 in 17th-century Europe. 210 00:10:47,900 --> 00:10:52,770 WILDMAN: What remarkable substance has this scientist just discovered? 211 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:01,640 It's 1669. 212 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:04,050 A would-be alchemist named Hennig Brand 213 00:11:04,150 --> 00:11:08,650 is trying to create gold from a most unlikely source: 214 00:11:08,750 --> 00:11:10,490 human urine. 215 00:11:10,590 --> 00:11:14,360 Unsurprisingly, his attempt is a total failure. 216 00:11:14,460 --> 00:11:16,790 But there is one glimmer of hope. 217 00:11:16,890 --> 00:11:20,400 His experiment leaves him with a strange substance 218 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:24,470 unlike anything the world has seen before. 219 00:11:24,570 --> 00:11:26,240 Brand examines the material 220 00:11:26,340 --> 00:11:29,740 and is amazed by its most noticeable property. 221 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,540 The substance glows in the dark. 222 00:11:34,950 --> 00:11:38,450 Brand gives this glowing material a fitting name. 223 00:11:38,550 --> 00:11:43,390 He names it phosphorous, meaning "bringer of light". 224 00:11:43,490 --> 00:11:46,560 Brand experiments with this new substance for years, 225 00:11:46,660 --> 00:11:48,720 using hundreds, if not thousands, 226 00:11:48,830 --> 00:11:51,590 of gallons of urine in the process. 227 00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:53,530 And he discovers phosphorous 228 00:11:53,630 --> 00:11:56,130 has many other interesting qualities. 229 00:11:56,230 --> 00:11:58,130 It's also highly flammable, 230 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,170 which makes it a little bit dangerous. 231 00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:03,840 Brand is unable to control this volatile characteristic 232 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:07,940 and never finds a practical use for his accidental discovery. 233 00:12:08,050 --> 00:12:11,480 Believing the substance to be worthless, he continues 234 00:12:11,580 --> 00:12:15,680 to dedicate his life to the pursuit of creating gold. 235 00:12:15,790 --> 00:12:19,120 But he dies, never having achieved his objective. 236 00:12:21,830 --> 00:12:23,960 As the decades pass, 237 00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:25,690 it becomes clear that the scientist 238 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,300 had only scratched the surface of phosphorous' potential. 239 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,800 Other researchers build on his discovery 240 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:34,070 and, eventually, phosphorous is used 241 00:12:34,170 --> 00:12:37,970 in countless everyday products, from fertilizer 242 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,640 to LEDs and, most commonly, 243 00:12:41,750 --> 00:12:45,280 in matches. 244 00:12:45,380 --> 00:12:48,880 Although phosphorous was originally created from urine, 245 00:12:48,990 --> 00:12:53,090 the substance is also a naturally occurring mineral. 246 00:12:53,190 --> 00:12:56,060 Listed on the Periodic Table of the Elements, it is 247 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,260 identified by a particularly appropriate symbol: 248 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,330 P. 249 00:13:01,430 --> 00:13:04,500 ¶¶ 250 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,540 Today, this sample of a phosphorous-bearing rock 251 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:11,040 is on display at The Field Museum in Chicago. 252 00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:12,980 It is a reminder that, sometimes, 253 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,240 one man's waste is another man's treasure. 254 00:13:20,650 --> 00:13:22,250 Oregon's Willamette Valley 255 00:13:22,350 --> 00:13:25,320 is home to a thriving wine industry. 256 00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:28,060 More than 500 vineyards offer visitors 257 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,590 tours, picnics, and wine tastings. 258 00:13:31,700 --> 00:13:33,760 But those thirsty for knowledge 259 00:13:33,860 --> 00:13:35,830 can head to the city of Corvallis, 260 00:13:35,930 --> 00:13:38,100 home to the Oregon State University's 261 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,300 Special Collections and Archives Research Center. 262 00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:46,480 This vast repository holds thousands of artifacts 263 00:13:46,580 --> 00:13:49,980 and rare books, related to the history of science. 264 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:51,280 Among the collection 265 00:13:51,380 --> 00:13:55,680 are nearly a quarter million preserved fish specimens, 266 00:13:55,790 --> 00:13:57,520 a chalkboard that once belonged 267 00:13:57,620 --> 00:14:00,790 to a Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist, 268 00:14:00,890 --> 00:14:04,590 and even a working distillery. 269 00:14:06,330 --> 00:14:09,060 But the center's most treasured item of all 270 00:14:09,170 --> 00:14:12,630 is so large, that it can't be kept inside. 271 00:14:12,740 --> 00:14:14,140 JOHN: It's 40 years old. 272 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,570 It's well over 50 feet tall. 273 00:14:16,670 --> 00:14:18,210 It's dark green. 274 00:14:18,310 --> 00:14:22,580 And it has a dense cone of branches. 275 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,680 WILDMAN: This is a Douglas fir tree. 276 00:14:25,780 --> 00:14:28,280 Although it has deep roots here on Earth, 277 00:14:28,390 --> 00:14:30,720 this evergreen giant began its life 278 00:14:30,820 --> 00:14:32,990 at the center of a cosmic adventure 279 00:14:33,090 --> 00:14:35,060 that was totally out of this world. 280 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:36,590 The journey that this tree has gone on, 281 00:14:36,690 --> 00:14:38,560 most of us would only dream about. 282 00:14:38,660 --> 00:14:42,960 [ Suspenseful chords strike, ominous music plays ] 283 00:14:43,070 --> 00:14:44,570 WILDMAN: 1971. 284 00:14:44,670 --> 00:14:46,600 Cape Canaveral, Florida. 285 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:49,470 37-year-old astronaut Stuart Roosa 286 00:14:49,570 --> 00:14:52,610 is preparing for the mission of a lifetime. 287 00:14:52,710 --> 00:14:54,510 He will be the command module pilot 288 00:14:54,610 --> 00:14:56,710 on the fourth manned mission to the Moon: 289 00:14:56,810 --> 00:14:58,410 Apollo 14. 290 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,180 But this voyage will be different 291 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,220 than those that preceded it. 292 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,090 In addition to his normal duties, 293 00:15:04,190 --> 00:15:06,620 Roosa will conduct a unique experiment 294 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,690 that is critical to the future of space travel itself. 295 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:14,300 If astronauts are going to explore 296 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,130 the far reaches of space, or even live on other planets, 297 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,400 they'll need some way to grow food. 298 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:22,140 JOHN: If we can figure out 299 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,070 how to do agriculture in space, or on other planets, 300 00:15:26,180 --> 00:15:28,180 that dramatically extends your range 301 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,610 and could be a key part of the survival of any, 302 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,380 say, Martian colonies. 303 00:15:35,490 --> 00:15:37,450 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 304 00:15:37,550 --> 00:15:40,420 WILDMAN: But scientists have absolutely no idea 305 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,160 if plants, or even seeds, 306 00:15:42,260 --> 00:15:45,260 can survive the tough conditions of space. 307 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,860 Beyond the effects of zero gravity, 308 00:15:47,970 --> 00:15:50,230 without the protection of Earth's atmosphere, 309 00:15:50,330 --> 00:15:54,470 seeds will be exposed to high levels of radiation. 310 00:15:54,570 --> 00:15:57,570 Such radiation can either kill seeds before they sprout 311 00:15:57,670 --> 00:15:59,740 or mutate their DNA, 312 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,680 which would cause plants to grow in unexpected ways. 313 00:16:02,780 --> 00:16:06,650 [ Suspenseful music climbs ] 314 00:16:06,750 --> 00:16:10,690 So, to observe the effect space travel has on plant life, 315 00:16:10,790 --> 00:16:14,720 Roosa will take 400 seeds from 5 different tree species 316 00:16:14,830 --> 00:16:16,760 with him on his mission. 317 00:16:16,860 --> 00:16:19,190 After returning to Earth, the seeds will go through 318 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:22,360 a decontamination process and then be planted. 319 00:16:22,470 --> 00:16:25,800 If they grow into healthy trees, it'll open the door 320 00:16:25,900 --> 00:16:28,940 to a bold new future for space travel. 321 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,010 JOHN: Roosa's experiment was basically the first step 322 00:16:32,110 --> 00:16:36,440 into what could be the field of intergalactic agriculture. 323 00:16:36,550 --> 00:16:37,980 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 324 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,480 WILDMAN: Roosa packs the seeds into a special metal canister. 325 00:16:42,590 --> 00:16:46,220 Then, on January 31, 1971, 326 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,160 Apollo 14 launches into space. 327 00:16:49,260 --> 00:16:52,630 Destination? Moon. 328 00:16:52,730 --> 00:16:56,330 After 3 days, the lunar lander touches down on the Moon. 329 00:16:56,430 --> 00:16:59,200 While the astronauts on the surface raise a flag 330 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:02,270 and retrieve rock samples, Roosa stays behind 331 00:17:02,370 --> 00:17:05,970 in the command module with the precious seeds. 332 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,510 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 333 00:17:07,610 --> 00:17:12,480 After 9 days in space, Apollo 14 returns to Earth 334 00:17:12,580 --> 00:17:15,780 and the canister of seeds is unloaded from the capsule. 335 00:17:15,890 --> 00:17:17,020 They're all ready to go. 336 00:17:17,120 --> 00:17:19,350 All they have to do now is decontaminate them 337 00:17:19,460 --> 00:17:23,190 and see if they will grow. 338 00:17:23,290 --> 00:17:24,790 WILDMAN: But this routine procedure 339 00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:28,660 is about to take an explosive turn. 340 00:17:28,770 --> 00:17:31,200 As technicians carefully open the canister... 341 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:33,570 [ Suspenseful music climbs ] 342 00:17:34,710 --> 00:17:35,770 [ Alert beeps ] 343 00:17:35,870 --> 00:17:38,310 The cylinder actually exploded. 344 00:17:38,410 --> 00:17:41,780 WILDMAN: As the trip to the Moon turned these once-harmless seeds 345 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,280 into deadly, exploding pods 346 00:17:44,380 --> 00:17:46,210 from outer space. [ Snarling ] 347 00:17:50,020 --> 00:17:52,520 It's February 1971. 348 00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:55,360 Astronaut Stuart Roosa has taken a canister 349 00:17:55,460 --> 00:17:57,530 containing more than 400 seeds 350 00:17:57,630 --> 00:18:00,560 all the way around the Moon and back to Earth. 351 00:18:00,670 --> 00:18:02,870 But during a routine decontamination, 352 00:18:02,970 --> 00:18:07,200 the canister unexpectedly breaks open in a violent blast. 353 00:18:07,310 --> 00:18:11,040 So what's happened to these interstellar seeds? 354 00:18:11,140 --> 00:18:12,780 [ Melancholy tune plays ] 355 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,610 As the dust settles, it's clear what caused the explosion. 356 00:18:16,710 --> 00:18:18,920 It's not the seeds themselves. 357 00:18:19,020 --> 00:18:21,380 NASA scientists have simply misjudged 358 00:18:21,490 --> 00:18:23,850 the difference in pressure inside the canister, 359 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,620 versus the pressure in the decontamination chamber, 360 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,130 causing the canister to burst open. 361 00:18:29,230 --> 00:18:32,090 But the NASA scientists are still worried. 362 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:33,960 The blast was so violent, 363 00:18:34,070 --> 00:18:37,430 they fear the seeds were damaged and will not germinate. 364 00:18:37,540 --> 00:18:40,070 Nevertheless, the seeds are sent to labs 365 00:18:40,170 --> 00:18:42,070 at the United States Forest Service, 366 00:18:42,170 --> 00:18:43,410 where they're planted. 367 00:18:43,510 --> 00:18:46,110 The scientists decided, "Why not? 368 00:18:46,210 --> 00:18:47,610 What have we got to lose?" 369 00:18:47,710 --> 00:18:49,150 WILDMAN: With each passing day, 370 00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:52,210 it seems that the seeds will never, ever grow. 371 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,420 It looked like the entire experiment 372 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,590 was going to be a failure. 373 00:18:57,690 --> 00:19:00,720 WILDMAN: But then, more than a month after they were planted, 374 00:19:00,830 --> 00:19:02,690 something amazing happens. 375 00:19:02,790 --> 00:19:04,890 ¶¶ 376 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,500 They had all these little tree seedlings. 377 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,600 WILDMAN: Roosa and his fellow NASA scientists have demonstrated 378 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:12,570 that seeds can survive 379 00:19:12,670 --> 00:19:15,970 the rigors of space travel. 380 00:19:16,070 --> 00:19:18,980 The seedlings grow into healthy trees. 381 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,040 NASA officials replant them in hundreds of locations 382 00:19:22,150 --> 00:19:23,380 across the country, 383 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,880 from Washington, DC to the California coast. 384 00:19:26,990 --> 00:19:29,090 Because of their extraordinary journey, 385 00:19:29,190 --> 00:19:31,490 they become known as Moon Trees. 386 00:19:31,590 --> 00:19:33,090 In the years that follow, 387 00:19:33,190 --> 00:19:37,690 NASA constructs a fully functional greenhouse in space. 388 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,230 NASA has actually done some experimentation 389 00:19:40,330 --> 00:19:43,670 with growing a garden on the International Space Station. 390 00:19:43,770 --> 00:19:45,640 The next step, obviously, would be to plant 391 00:19:45,740 --> 00:19:47,600 a little garden on Mars. 392 00:19:47,710 --> 00:19:51,310 [ Outro climbs ] 393 00:19:51,410 --> 00:19:53,680 WILDMAN: Today, this Moon Tree still stands 394 00:19:53,780 --> 00:19:55,650 outside Oregon State University's 395 00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:59,280 Special Collections and Archives Research Center. 396 00:19:59,380 --> 00:20:02,320 It's a testament to the resilience of Mother Nature 397 00:20:02,420 --> 00:20:04,850 and the budding future of space travel. 398 00:20:08,230 --> 00:20:10,630 The Italian city of Bologna boasts 399 00:20:10,730 --> 00:20:13,330 an array of striking Medieval buildings, 400 00:20:13,430 --> 00:20:17,070 including the 11th-century Asinelli Tower, 401 00:20:17,170 --> 00:20:19,700 the imposing Neptune's Fountain, 402 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:24,010 and 23 miles of beautiful porticos. 403 00:20:24,110 --> 00:20:26,610 But just outside this ancient city 404 00:20:26,710 --> 00:20:28,010 is an attraction focused 405 00:20:28,110 --> 00:20:30,580 on a different part of Italian culture, 406 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,220 the Marconi Museum. 407 00:20:36,190 --> 00:20:40,260 Honoring inventor and electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi, 408 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:42,220 this institution is dedicated 409 00:20:42,330 --> 00:20:45,560 to the discovery of radio communication. 410 00:20:45,660 --> 00:20:49,170 The collection includes a prototype Morse-code 411 00:20:49,270 --> 00:20:53,140 receiver built inside a cigar box, 412 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,770 a kite that doubles as a radio transmitter 413 00:20:55,870 --> 00:20:59,140 and was used in World War II air rescues 414 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:00,380 and an early battery 415 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,910 designed by Marconi himself. 416 00:21:05,780 --> 00:21:07,850 And amid these marvels is an artifact 417 00:21:07,950 --> 00:21:12,660 that's part machine and part animal. 418 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,790 SCANLON: This artifact is made up of several materials, 419 00:21:15,890 --> 00:21:18,430 including copper and zinc. 420 00:21:18,530 --> 00:21:21,430 It has two brass conductors. 421 00:21:21,530 --> 00:21:23,970 Its most distinguishing feature 422 00:21:24,070 --> 00:21:27,900 is two sets of disembodied frogs' legs. 423 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,780 WILDMAN: This grotesque device 424 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,880 harkens back to an era of weird science 425 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:37,380 and wacky inventors. 426 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,820 SCANLON: This artifact was part of a scientific race 427 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,520 that ultimately led to one of the most bizarre inventions 428 00:21:44,620 --> 00:21:46,460 of the 19th century. 429 00:21:49,030 --> 00:21:51,990 WILDMAN: 1781 -- the world is in the midst 430 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:54,400 of a scientific revolution. 431 00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:57,300 The French invent the first electric telegraph 432 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,400 and the first steamship. 433 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:02,740 Americans create the first combat submarine. 434 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,310 And in Italy, a physicist named Luigi Galvani 435 00:22:06,410 --> 00:22:08,810 is experimenting with something quite unusual, 436 00:22:08,910 --> 00:22:12,680 the effects of electricity on animals. 437 00:22:12,780 --> 00:22:15,680 Luigi Galvani was an Italian scientist 438 00:22:15,790 --> 00:22:19,390 who discovered that when you touched frogs' legs 439 00:22:19,490 --> 00:22:21,660 with various metal prongs, 440 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,330 you could make them move. 441 00:22:24,430 --> 00:22:28,000 WILDMAN: For years, Galvani conducts experiments on frogs 442 00:22:28,100 --> 00:22:31,500 using an apparatus just like the one currently on display 443 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,770 at the Marconi Museum. 444 00:22:33,870 --> 00:22:35,170 And while little comes of his work 445 00:22:35,270 --> 00:22:36,470 while he's alive, 446 00:22:36,570 --> 00:22:38,670 his research will spark 447 00:22:38,780 --> 00:22:41,840 one of the most extraordinary experiments 448 00:22:41,950 --> 00:22:43,680 the world has ever seen. 449 00:22:43,780 --> 00:22:45,710 It's the 1850s, Paris. 450 00:22:45,820 --> 00:22:47,520 The discovery of electricity 451 00:22:47,620 --> 00:22:49,790 has paved the way for new inventions 452 00:22:49,890 --> 00:22:51,820 such as the wire telegraph. 453 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,660 However, a race is on to find new means 454 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,330 of transmitting information -- wireless communication. 455 00:22:58,430 --> 00:23:02,530 Successful French businessman, Antoine Triat, 456 00:23:02,630 --> 00:23:06,270 is eager to invest in a way to develop this new technology, 457 00:23:06,370 --> 00:23:09,370 and one day, Triat is approached 458 00:23:09,470 --> 00:23:11,810 by a young man named Jacques Benoit 459 00:23:11,910 --> 00:23:14,840 with an unusual proposal. 460 00:23:14,950 --> 00:23:19,150 Benoit says he's studied Luigi Galvani's frog experiments 461 00:23:19,250 --> 00:23:20,550 and has a new idea 462 00:23:20,650 --> 00:23:24,890 that can take them one step further. 463 00:23:24,990 --> 00:23:29,490 SCANLON: The basis of Benoit's technology was truly unorthodox... 464 00:23:29,590 --> 00:23:31,730 snails. 465 00:23:31,830 --> 00:23:36,600 Benoit believed that snails were telepathic 466 00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:39,870 and that once snails had mated, 467 00:23:39,970 --> 00:23:43,040 they exchanged sympathetic fluids, 468 00:23:43,140 --> 00:23:45,940 which meant that they had an ability to communicate 469 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,710 with one another for the rest of their lives. 470 00:23:50,850 --> 00:23:53,150 WILDMAN: Monsieur Triat is intrigued. 471 00:23:53,250 --> 00:23:55,720 He believes that Benoit's idea might be the key 472 00:23:55,820 --> 00:23:59,660 to communicating over long distances without wires. 473 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:01,260 Triat agrees to provide 474 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:03,590 Benoit with lodging and an allowance 475 00:24:03,690 --> 00:24:06,660 in order to continue his unusual experiments. 476 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:10,030 Triat was willing to try pretty much any materials 477 00:24:10,130 --> 00:24:12,770 to win this race. 478 00:24:16,170 --> 00:24:20,140 WILDMAN: With Triat's funding, Benoit works for months. 479 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:21,480 SCANLON: But after a year, 480 00:24:21,580 --> 00:24:24,480 nothing concrete had been observed. 481 00:24:24,580 --> 00:24:27,650 And Triat was beginning to get a little bit impatient. 482 00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:30,820 He demanded that Benoit produce his prototype 483 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,120 and show him an experiment. 484 00:24:36,190 --> 00:24:38,560 WILDMAN: On October 2, 1851, 485 00:24:38,660 --> 00:24:42,530 Benoit invites Triat and a journalist named Jules Alex 486 00:24:42,630 --> 00:24:45,670 to witness his revolutionary creation. 487 00:24:45,770 --> 00:24:48,300 He had two trays made of zinc. 488 00:24:48,410 --> 00:24:52,210 Attached to these trays were 24 snails. 489 00:24:52,310 --> 00:24:54,010 WILDMAN: Benoit says he can coax 490 00:24:54,110 --> 00:24:56,410 the 24 snails on one tray 491 00:24:56,510 --> 00:24:59,580 to communicate to the 24 snails on the other. 492 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,350 Painted in front of each snail 493 00:25:01,450 --> 00:25:02,890 is a letter of the alphabet. 494 00:25:02,990 --> 00:25:04,550 By tapping one snail, 495 00:25:04,660 --> 00:25:06,460 he can make its corresponding mate 496 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,260 on the other tray react. 497 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:10,730 He says he can tap in such a sequence 498 00:25:10,830 --> 00:25:12,730 that it will spell out a word -- 499 00:25:12,830 --> 00:25:14,130 gymnasium. 500 00:25:14,230 --> 00:25:18,370 At the time, it must have seemed very bizarre and intriguing. 501 00:25:18,470 --> 00:25:19,970 WILDMAN: Benoit has the journalist 502 00:25:20,070 --> 00:25:23,040 sit by one tray while he monitors the other. 503 00:25:23,140 --> 00:25:25,470 And the demonstration begins. 504 00:25:25,580 --> 00:25:29,880 Alex tapped a message -- G-Y-M. 505 00:25:29,980 --> 00:25:31,280 On the other side, 506 00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:34,080 Benoit recorded the responses 507 00:25:34,190 --> 00:25:35,880 of the corresponding snails 508 00:25:35,990 --> 00:25:38,120 as they stuck out their horns -- 509 00:25:38,220 --> 00:25:41,860 G-Y-M. 510 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,430 WILDMAN: It seems as if this snail telegraph 511 00:25:44,530 --> 00:25:46,930 is on the verge of success. 512 00:25:47,030 --> 00:25:51,330 Incredibly, it looked like this experiment might work. 513 00:25:56,210 --> 00:25:59,170 It's 1851 in Paris, France. 514 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,910 An eccentric businessman named Monsieur Triat 515 00:26:02,010 --> 00:26:03,550 believes he's on the brink 516 00:26:03,650 --> 00:26:06,250 of an incredible scientific breakthrough -- 517 00:26:06,350 --> 00:26:07,720 wireless communication. 518 00:26:07,820 --> 00:26:09,650 The secret to this new technology? 519 00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:11,190 Snails. 520 00:26:11,290 --> 00:26:14,720 So is this slimy science for real? 521 00:26:16,990 --> 00:26:18,660 As the experiment continues, 522 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,860 it seems just shy of a full-blown success. 523 00:26:22,970 --> 00:26:27,640 SCANLON: On one side, Alex had tapped in the word gymnasium. 524 00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:29,140 And, on the other side, 525 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,970 Benoit had received the word gymoate. 526 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,280 It was good. But it was far from perfect. 527 00:26:37,380 --> 00:26:40,750 Triat demanded another further experiment 528 00:26:40,850 --> 00:26:42,980 to prove beyond all doubt 529 00:26:43,090 --> 00:26:46,220 that the snail telegraph was working. 530 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,090 WILDMAN: Benoit agrees and sets a date to conduct 531 00:26:49,190 --> 00:26:52,860 a more controlled experiment. 532 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:58,000 But when Triat returns, Benoit is nowhere to be found. 533 00:26:58,100 --> 00:27:00,030 SCANLON: Triat's heart just sank, 534 00:27:00,140 --> 00:27:03,370 knowing that he had been taken as a fool. 535 00:27:03,470 --> 00:27:06,270 WILDMAN: With Benoit gone, Triat never knows 536 00:27:06,380 --> 00:27:08,310 if the experiment really worked 537 00:27:08,410 --> 00:27:11,310 or if the whole thing was an enormous con. 538 00:27:11,410 --> 00:27:13,080 Either way, his pride 539 00:27:13,180 --> 00:27:15,020 and his bank account have suffered. 540 00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:20,820 This put an end to the dreams of animal-powered communication. 541 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,360 WILDMAN: It's not until 1896 that Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi 542 00:27:25,460 --> 00:27:27,700 invents the first wireless telegraph -- 543 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,760 without the use of animals. 544 00:27:29,870 --> 00:27:31,630 Instead, Marconi employed 545 00:27:31,740 --> 00:27:33,900 something we all depend on today. 546 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,870 He relied on electromagnetic radio waves. 547 00:27:38,980 --> 00:27:41,010 WILDMAN: And today this device, 548 00:27:41,110 --> 00:27:43,980 on display at the Marconi Museum in Bologna, 549 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,980 recalls the strange combination of biology and electricity 550 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,350 that once fascinated the world. 551 00:27:53,790 --> 00:27:57,630 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is known as a city of firsts. 552 00:27:57,730 --> 00:28:00,960 It's the birthplace of the nation's first public library, 553 00:28:01,060 --> 00:28:05,700 first hospital, and even the first zoo. 554 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:07,740 And near Center City is an institution 555 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,340 that celebrates this pioneering spirit -- 556 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,670 the Franklin Institute. 557 00:28:15,350 --> 00:28:18,710 Dedicated to early scientific innovations, 558 00:28:18,820 --> 00:28:22,620 the collection includes a 1667 anemometer 559 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,390 used to measure wind speed, 560 00:28:25,490 --> 00:28:29,020 a telescope from 1933, 561 00:28:29,130 --> 00:28:30,560 and the Rocket, 562 00:28:30,660 --> 00:28:33,260 a locomotive built in 1838. 563 00:28:35,670 --> 00:28:38,300 But among these perfectly preserved artifacts 564 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,800 is one very charred item. 565 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:43,570 BERTLEY: This object is a little more than 12 inches long, 566 00:28:43,670 --> 00:28:47,710 and it's made of sheet metal that has a slender wand-shape 567 00:28:47,810 --> 00:28:50,210 and shows obvious signs of damage. 568 00:28:50,310 --> 00:28:52,850 And the tip is even melted. 569 00:28:55,020 --> 00:28:56,780 WILDMAN: This crude device was invented 570 00:28:56,890 --> 00:28:58,590 by a famous Founding Father 571 00:28:58,690 --> 00:29:00,960 who took on Mother Nature. 572 00:29:01,060 --> 00:29:02,420 BERTLEY: Despite its simplicity, 573 00:29:02,530 --> 00:29:06,390 this artifact saved the lives of countless men and women. 574 00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:13,970 1749, Philadelphia -- 575 00:29:14,070 --> 00:29:16,800 43-year-old Benjamin Franklin is one of 576 00:29:16,910 --> 00:29:19,810 the world's foremost scientific authorities, 577 00:29:19,910 --> 00:29:23,080 and one day, he's at a sideshow 578 00:29:23,180 --> 00:29:25,280 when he is struck by a demonstration 579 00:29:25,380 --> 00:29:28,850 of a new phenomenon called electricity. 580 00:29:28,950 --> 00:29:31,190 BERTLEY: At that time, electricity was viewed 581 00:29:31,290 --> 00:29:33,550 as something magical and mystical, 582 00:29:33,660 --> 00:29:35,960 almost like you were a magician or a wizard, 583 00:29:36,060 --> 00:29:37,530 and you had these weird powers 584 00:29:37,630 --> 00:29:41,360 to bring out this shocking thing. 585 00:29:41,460 --> 00:29:43,730 WILDMAN: The inquisitive inventor watches as a performer, 586 00:29:43,830 --> 00:29:45,330 using metal rods, 587 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,200 creates bright flashes of light 588 00:29:47,300 --> 00:29:49,370 and loud cracking sounds. 589 00:29:51,510 --> 00:29:53,110 Some folks would create what we now know 590 00:29:53,210 --> 00:29:54,480 as static electricity 591 00:29:54,580 --> 00:29:55,540 and then touch it with something, 592 00:29:55,650 --> 00:29:56,940 and you might see a spark. 593 00:29:57,050 --> 00:29:59,150 And the audience would go, "Ooh!" 594 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:04,590 WILDMAN: But where some see magic, Franklin sees science. 595 00:30:04,690 --> 00:30:07,660 To him, the flashes of electricity look similar 596 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,590 to a dramatic natural phenomenon... 597 00:30:09,690 --> 00:30:11,260 [ Thunder crashes ] 598 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:12,760 ...bolts of lightning. 599 00:30:12,860 --> 00:30:15,160 That grabbed Benjamin Franklin's attention. 600 00:30:15,270 --> 00:30:17,300 He said, "Whoa. This is cool. 601 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,770 I want to dig into this." 602 00:30:19,870 --> 00:30:21,340 WILDMAN: Franklin theorizes 603 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,670 that lightning and electricity are the same. 604 00:30:23,770 --> 00:30:25,740 But when he shares his idea with others, 605 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,440 they scoff at the suggestion. 606 00:30:28,550 --> 00:30:32,310 So he sets out to prove it. 607 00:30:32,420 --> 00:30:33,650 Over the next several months, 608 00:30:33,750 --> 00:30:36,180 Franklin conducts numerous experiments 609 00:30:36,290 --> 00:30:37,990 with electricity in his lab. 610 00:30:38,090 --> 00:30:40,460 He discovers that the energy can be channeled 611 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,260 through certain materials such as metals. 612 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:44,790 Armed with this information, 613 00:30:44,890 --> 00:30:47,160 he suspects the metal might be the key 614 00:30:47,260 --> 00:30:51,300 to demonstrating that lightning and electricity are the same. 615 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,340 But he can't go up the sky to interact with lightning, 616 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,870 so he will have to draw the lightning down to the ground. 617 00:30:57,970 --> 00:31:00,780 And the only way to do that is with a kite. 618 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,750 BERTLEY: He thought that if he could fly a kite up into the clouds 619 00:31:04,850 --> 00:31:06,910 and prepare that kite in such a way 620 00:31:07,020 --> 00:31:09,880 that it would entice electrical charge, 621 00:31:09,990 --> 00:31:13,520 he might be able to harness that electrical charge 622 00:31:13,620 --> 00:31:15,960 from lightning and study it. 623 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,400 WILDMAN: First, he attaches a thin metal wire 624 00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:23,000 to the top of a kite 625 00:31:23,100 --> 00:31:27,140 and wraps the other end of the wire around an iron key. 626 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:28,670 Then he places the key 627 00:31:28,770 --> 00:31:31,170 in a specially insulated receptacle 628 00:31:31,270 --> 00:31:32,840 called a Leyden jar. 629 00:31:32,940 --> 00:31:35,880 BERTLEY: The idea is that if the lightning did strike, 630 00:31:35,980 --> 00:31:37,750 it would flow from the surface of the kite, 631 00:31:37,850 --> 00:31:40,680 down the metallic parallel string, 632 00:31:40,780 --> 00:31:44,320 onto the key, and contained in that Leyden jar. 633 00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:47,690 WILDMAN: To safely fly the kite, he attaches a silk string 634 00:31:47,790 --> 00:31:50,360 that will not conduct the lightning's current. 635 00:31:53,660 --> 00:31:56,260 On June 10, 1752, 636 00:31:56,370 --> 00:31:59,900 Franklin heads out into a late spring thunderstorm 637 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,240 with his kite in hand. 638 00:32:02,340 --> 00:32:05,710 Then he sends the kite up in the sky. 639 00:32:05,810 --> 00:32:07,710 BERTLEY: And sure enough, the story goes, 640 00:32:07,810 --> 00:32:10,110 a lightning bolt hit his kite. 641 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:14,050 [ Thunder crashes ] 642 00:32:14,150 --> 00:32:15,920 WILDMAN: He notices the wire stiffen, 643 00:32:16,020 --> 00:32:17,890 so he examines the key. 644 00:32:17,990 --> 00:32:19,990 BERTLEY: And he felt a shock -- 645 00:32:20,090 --> 00:32:22,720 the happiest shock he's ever felt. 646 00:32:22,830 --> 00:32:26,530 And that was Benjamin Franklin's "aha" moment, 647 00:32:26,630 --> 00:32:29,400 proving definitively that lightning is, 648 00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:31,330 indeed, electricity. 649 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,410 WILDMAN: But understanding what lightning is is one thing. 650 00:32:38,510 --> 00:32:41,640 Harnessing its power is another. 651 00:32:41,740 --> 00:32:43,780 And what he does with this discovery 652 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:45,810 will change the nation. 653 00:32:53,490 --> 00:32:56,160 It's 1752 in Philadelphia. 654 00:32:56,260 --> 00:32:57,760 Inventor Benjamin Franklin 655 00:32:57,860 --> 00:33:00,130 has just done something extraordinary. 656 00:33:00,230 --> 00:33:02,330 While flying a kite in a thunderstorm, 657 00:33:02,430 --> 00:33:05,930 he successfully captured the power of lightning. 658 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:07,770 But his hair-raising feat 659 00:33:07,870 --> 00:33:09,840 is about to spark a breakthrough 660 00:33:09,940 --> 00:33:12,240 larger than he could have ever imagined. 661 00:33:12,340 --> 00:33:14,480 [ Thunder crashes ] 662 00:33:14,580 --> 00:33:17,040 Franklin thinks he can use his new-found knowledge 663 00:33:17,150 --> 00:33:18,610 to solve a common problem 664 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,350 affecting the people of his home city. 665 00:33:21,450 --> 00:33:24,190 BERTLEY: In the Philadelphia region in the late 1700s, 666 00:33:24,290 --> 00:33:26,590 lightning was causing mass destruction. 667 00:33:26,690 --> 00:33:28,390 It would hit a home and set fires, 668 00:33:28,490 --> 00:33:30,420 and many people would die. 669 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:34,630 WILDMAN: Applying the same principle 670 00:33:34,730 --> 00:33:36,030 as his kite experiment, 671 00:33:36,130 --> 00:33:38,100 Franklin believes he can build a device 672 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,640 that can control where lightning strikes. 673 00:33:41,740 --> 00:33:45,410 He created a long metal pole with a pointed end 674 00:33:45,510 --> 00:33:47,780 that was affixed to the house. 675 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:49,710 WILDMAN: He then connects the pole 676 00:33:49,810 --> 00:33:51,810 to the ground via a wire. 677 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,520 BERTLEY: By tethering it all the way down to the ground, 678 00:33:54,620 --> 00:33:57,650 he would reroute the destructive power of lightning. 679 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,320 WILDMAN: Franklin gives his create a fitting name -- 680 00:34:02,430 --> 00:34:05,030 the lightning rod. 681 00:34:05,130 --> 00:34:06,730 The inventor has the device 682 00:34:06,830 --> 00:34:09,630 installed on buildings across Philadelphia, 683 00:34:09,730 --> 00:34:11,730 and before long, the number of fires 684 00:34:11,830 --> 00:34:15,440 caused by lightning strikes drops dramatically. 685 00:34:15,540 --> 00:34:18,610 This simple creation has saved countless lives. 686 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,640 WILDMAN: Today, one of Ben Franklin's early lightning rods 687 00:34:23,750 --> 00:34:26,750 is on display at the Franklin Institute. 688 00:34:26,850 --> 00:34:28,020 It serves as a tribute 689 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:30,350 to the power of human ingenuity 690 00:34:30,450 --> 00:34:33,020 when struck by a bolt of inspiration. 691 00:34:37,730 --> 00:34:39,560 The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 692 00:34:39,660 --> 00:34:43,000 was established in 1824 by two pioneers, 693 00:34:43,100 --> 00:34:46,300 whose wives were both named Ann. 694 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,340 Today, it's perhaps best known 695 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,240 as the home of the University of Michigan. 696 00:34:51,340 --> 00:34:53,870 And keeping with this town's dedication to learning 697 00:34:53,980 --> 00:34:56,980 is the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. 698 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:03,320 Inside are more than 250 interactive exhibits, 699 00:35:03,420 --> 00:35:04,690 including demonstrations 700 00:35:04,790 --> 00:35:08,390 exploring the scientific principles behind light, 701 00:35:08,490 --> 00:35:11,660 water, and magnetism. 702 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:19,470 But one display here appears to have no definable purpose. 703 00:35:19,570 --> 00:35:21,070 MAN: It's relatively small. 704 00:35:21,170 --> 00:35:23,040 It's only around 10 or 12 inches. 705 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:25,510 It has several coils of wire. 706 00:35:25,610 --> 00:35:30,580 And it looks like a plastic egg sitting on a mirror. 707 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,650 WILDMAN: While this may seem like a bizarre art project, 708 00:35:33,750 --> 00:35:36,550 it actually served as a powerful tool 709 00:35:36,650 --> 00:35:39,450 for one of history's most famous inventors. 710 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,420 This is the story of a demonstration 711 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:43,360 that changed the world. 712 00:35:47,630 --> 00:35:50,460 WILDMAN: 1887, New York City. 713 00:35:50,570 --> 00:35:54,340 Thirty-one-year-old Nikola Tesla is a brilliant engineer, 714 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,910 working in the burgeoning field of electricity. 715 00:35:58,010 --> 00:36:01,540 Tesla was inventing things that were visionary. 716 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:04,510 He was keenly interested in using electricity 717 00:36:04,610 --> 00:36:07,580 to better humankind. 718 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:10,380 WILDMAN: But any hope Tesla has of changing the world 719 00:36:10,490 --> 00:36:14,320 faces a big obstacle: Thomas Edison. 720 00:36:17,530 --> 00:36:19,560 Edison's system of direct current, 721 00:36:19,660 --> 00:36:22,830 which distributes electricity directly from power plants 722 00:36:22,930 --> 00:36:25,200 to businesses, factories and homes, 723 00:36:25,300 --> 00:36:27,800 is the industry standard. 724 00:36:27,900 --> 00:36:30,270 Direct current represented the status quo. 725 00:36:30,370 --> 00:36:35,140 It was the system of electricity that was accepted most. 726 00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:36,610 WILDMAN: But Tesla knows 727 00:36:36,710 --> 00:36:40,350 the titan's technology has a major drawback. 728 00:36:40,450 --> 00:36:43,920 It's too weak to travel long distances. 729 00:36:44,020 --> 00:36:46,550 Only homes within a mile of a generator 730 00:36:46,660 --> 00:36:48,260 receive enough power, 731 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,230 leaving those in more rural locations literally in the dark. 732 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:56,330 But the underdog inventor has an idea, 733 00:36:56,430 --> 00:37:00,740 one that he believes can deliver power to everyone on the planet: 734 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,500 alternating current. 735 00:37:03,610 --> 00:37:05,670 Alternating current uses transformers 736 00:37:05,780 --> 00:37:08,610 and magnets to control the flow of electricity 737 00:37:08,710 --> 00:37:12,380 so that it stays strong even over vast distances. 738 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:17,080 Alternating current allows for all of the basic problems 739 00:37:17,190 --> 00:37:21,890 of direct current to be solved. 740 00:37:21,990 --> 00:37:23,990 WILDMAN: Tesla is confident that his system 741 00:37:24,090 --> 00:37:26,430 is superior to Edison's. 742 00:37:26,530 --> 00:37:29,060 There's just one thing standing in his way. 743 00:37:29,170 --> 00:37:32,600 He doesn't have the money to build it. 744 00:37:32,700 --> 00:37:35,100 The determined inventor presents his ideas 745 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:36,940 to two wealthy investors. 746 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,210 But they are reluctant to back a system 747 00:37:39,310 --> 00:37:41,010 that will compete with Edison. 748 00:37:41,110 --> 00:37:44,550 They were nervous because alternating current was new technology. 749 00:37:44,650 --> 00:37:46,180 The cost is enormous. 750 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:48,680 You basically have to scrap all of your equipment 751 00:37:48,790 --> 00:37:52,450 that you've built up and put in new equipment. 752 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:57,020 And there's a huge financial incentive to not do that. 753 00:37:57,130 --> 00:37:59,930 WILDMAN: To contend with Edison, Tesla realizes 754 00:38:00,030 --> 00:38:02,930 he'll have to think big if he's to sell investors 755 00:38:03,030 --> 00:38:04,730 on his new invention. 756 00:38:04,830 --> 00:38:06,430 BOWDITCH: He needed a dramatic way 757 00:38:06,540 --> 00:38:09,940 to get others to buy into his scheme. 758 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,570 WILDMAN: He finds his inspiration 759 00:38:11,670 --> 00:38:15,840 in one of history's most legendary stunts. 760 00:38:15,950 --> 00:38:17,850 As the story goes, 761 00:38:17,950 --> 00:38:21,080 Christopher Columbus struggled to convince the Spanish crown 762 00:38:21,180 --> 00:38:22,680 to give him the financial backing 763 00:38:22,790 --> 00:38:27,250 he needed to fund his voyage to the New World. 764 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,790 So he presented his detractors with a challenge. 765 00:38:30,890 --> 00:38:35,200 He said, "Can you balance an egg on its end?" 766 00:38:35,300 --> 00:38:36,860 WILDMAN: Members of the royal court 767 00:38:36,970 --> 00:38:41,300 took turns trying to solve the seemingly simple problem. 768 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:45,070 But try as they might, none succeeded. 769 00:38:45,170 --> 00:38:48,840 And that's when Columbus outwitted them all. 770 00:38:48,950 --> 00:38:51,880 BOWDITCH: Christopher Columbus proceeded to do this 771 00:38:51,980 --> 00:38:55,420 by simply tapping the egg and, of course, flattening the end. 772 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,620 And there it stood. 773 00:38:57,720 --> 00:38:58,990 WILDMAN: According to the legend, 774 00:38:59,090 --> 00:39:00,990 the Spanish were so impressed 775 00:39:01,090 --> 00:39:03,220 that they financed the explorer's mission 776 00:39:03,330 --> 00:39:07,390 on the spot. 777 00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:09,060 With this story in mind, 778 00:39:09,170 --> 00:39:12,200 Tesla knows he can do one better than Columbus 779 00:39:12,300 --> 00:39:15,440 to convince investors of his ingenuity. 780 00:39:15,540 --> 00:39:18,570 He resolves to replicate the explorer's stunt 781 00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:21,580 without breaking the egg's shell. 782 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,550 So how will Tesla crack this challenge? 783 00:39:29,790 --> 00:39:31,520 It's 1887. 784 00:39:31,620 --> 00:39:33,350 Inventor Nikola Tesla believes 785 00:39:33,460 --> 00:39:35,660 the future of electricity lies in something called 786 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,130 alternating current -- He happens to be right, 787 00:39:38,230 --> 00:39:39,530 but there's a problem -- 788 00:39:39,630 --> 00:39:42,330 His investors don't share his optimism. 789 00:39:42,430 --> 00:39:46,070 So can Tesla convince the world of his electric idea? 790 00:39:48,140 --> 00:39:52,170 Tesla invites investors back to his workshop. 791 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:56,810 And that's where Tesla's genius as a showman 792 00:39:56,910 --> 00:39:59,750 came to the forefront. 793 00:39:59,850 --> 00:40:02,850 WILDMAN: The inventor places an egg 794 00:40:02,950 --> 00:40:05,120 on a strange-looking stand. 795 00:40:05,220 --> 00:40:10,060 Then, he makes the unimaginable happen. 796 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:11,860 BOWDITCH: The egg began to spin 797 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,330 faster and faster and faster and faster. 798 00:40:14,430 --> 00:40:18,000 Then, suddenly, the egg proceeds to turn up on end and spin 799 00:40:18,100 --> 00:40:20,600 on its vertical axis. 800 00:40:20,700 --> 00:40:23,400 WILDMAN: The investors are dumbstruck. 801 00:40:23,510 --> 00:40:25,710 BOWDITCH: This was so spectacular to watch 802 00:40:25,810 --> 00:40:29,340 that it almost seemed to be by magic. 803 00:40:29,450 --> 00:40:30,810 WILDMAN: Tesla explains 804 00:40:30,910 --> 00:40:34,650 that his demonstration is alternating current in action. 805 00:40:34,750 --> 00:40:38,450 It uses electricity to create a moving magnetic field 806 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,120 that keeps the egg spinning. 807 00:40:41,220 --> 00:40:45,330 BOWDITCH: The Egg of Columbus demonstration mimics science 808 00:40:45,430 --> 00:40:47,930 and technology behind alternating current. 809 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:53,840 WILDMAN: The investors are so impressed by the showman's stunt 810 00:40:53,940 --> 00:40:57,110 that they agree to finance Tesla's system. 811 00:40:57,210 --> 00:41:00,740 Tesla must have been jubilant. 812 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:02,440 WILDMAN: The inventor uses the funding 813 00:41:02,550 --> 00:41:05,180 to bring electricity to far-flung customers 814 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,080 for the first time. 815 00:41:07,180 --> 00:41:09,720 Alternating current allowed for electricity 816 00:41:09,820 --> 00:41:12,620 to move into rural areas. 817 00:41:15,930 --> 00:41:18,530 WILDMAN: Tesla's system topples Edison's, 818 00:41:18,630 --> 00:41:20,700 powering homes all over the country 819 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,160 and eventually the globe. 820 00:41:23,270 --> 00:41:26,030 BOWDITCH: Thomas Edison was an inventor for his time, 821 00:41:26,140 --> 00:41:30,640 and Nikola Tesla was an inventor for the ages. 822 00:41:30,740 --> 00:41:34,040 WILDMAN: And this replica of Tesla's Egg of Columbus, 823 00:41:34,140 --> 00:41:36,950 on display at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, 824 00:41:37,050 --> 00:41:39,550 recalls how one man's determination 825 00:41:39,650 --> 00:41:42,620 and clever showmanship electrified the world. 826 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,090 From intergalactic agriculture 827 00:41:48,190 --> 00:41:50,790 to telepathic snails. 828 00:41:50,890 --> 00:41:52,960 The secrets of the skies 829 00:41:53,060 --> 00:41:56,000 to the hidden life of plants. 830 00:41:56,100 --> 00:41:59,170 I'm Don Wildman, and these are the mysteries at the museum.