0:00:17 > 0:00:19In this episode,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23we'll be shedding light on some of nature's weirdest mysteries.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Why is this shark dressed for a night on the town?
0:00:28 > 0:00:32What has so enraged this placid marine mammal?
0:00:32 > 0:00:34ANIMAL ROARS
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And why has this guy got peanuts stuck on his head?
0:00:38 > 0:00:39Pull.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Our trek into the world of weirdness kicks off with
0:00:44 > 0:00:47a tour of the transformative powers of light.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57This is Hessdalen - a sleepy Norwegian town.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00There are hills and mountains and, well...
0:01:00 > 0:01:02To be honest, that's pretty much it.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10But when the sun goes down, its reputation for the weird
0:01:10 > 0:01:13has given this remote village global notoriety.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17SHOUTING
0:01:17 > 0:01:18THEY SPEAK IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:01:40 > 0:01:43SHOUTING AND SCREAMING
0:01:43 > 0:01:48Nope, that's not a trailer for the latest Scandi crime thriller.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54This is simply what Hessdalen's night sky looks like -
0:01:54 > 0:01:58sometimes as often as 15-20 times every week
0:01:58 > 0:02:01since as far back as anyone can remember.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28And a good mystery draws crowds, including intrigued academic
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Erling and the contents of his research shed.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35He was determined to find some answers.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Now, of course, the locals would love them to be UFOs,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47but let's just put that notion aside for
0:02:47 > 0:02:50a moment and explore some more earthly possibilities.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Elsewhere in the world, earthquakes have sparked strange lights
0:02:57 > 0:03:02caused by the build-up of electrical charge where the ground rips apart.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06So how about seismic activity?
0:03:19 > 0:03:24Scratch that off the list, then. But Erling's not alone in his research.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Atmospheric physicist Bjorn Gitle Hauge
0:03:26 > 0:03:29has also been conducting some experiments of his own.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35He took some readings of the light emanating from the phenomenon
0:03:35 > 0:03:37and discovered something extraordinary.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45It was made of the same sort of light as the sun - a huge
0:03:45 > 0:03:47burning ball of plasma.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Now, we probably all know that there are three states of matter,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59if we consider water.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02You've got solid, like this, in the form of ice, and then,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04when it comes to the liquid, well,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07that's the water as we know it,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09as you can see here at the bottom of this beaker,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14and then emerging from that, because it's hot, we've got steam - the gas.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19But in fact, there's a fourth state of matter. It's called plasma.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24It's like a supercharged gas - a gas on steroids - a gas where the
0:04:24 > 0:04:28atoms have got so hot, they've split apart and they're emitting light.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39It may sound sci-fi but, in fact, you can make plasma very simply.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43All you need is one grape, sliced in two but still connected,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46one microwave and 15 seconds.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53All the energy in the microwave gets concentrated on those two
0:04:53 > 0:04:56tiny grape halves, bouncing from one to the other.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01The skin between them becomes a bottleneck of energy,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04getting so hot that the charged atoms split apart.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13And hey, presto! Collecting at the top of the beaker - plasma.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15BEEP
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The same type of light, it seems,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22as the sun's and Norway's strange phenomenon.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25So, plasma - well,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29it's quite a good theory to explain the Hessdalen lights.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Quite good but not brilliant. In fact, it's got one massive flaw.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35You see, plasma is hot.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39In fact, plasma is very, very hot and there's one thing you
0:05:39 > 0:05:43must have noticed about Hessdalen - it's snowy.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Very snowy.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Not even a trace of melting snow, so not plasma after all.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20But all is not lost.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24The scientists have one final theory up their sleeves,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and it might just hold the key.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30To understand it, we need to look at the valley itself.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57The Hessdalen Valley might be acting like a giant natural battery.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Hessdalen Valley is divided in two, unsurprisingly, by a river.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08To the west are the remains of old zinc mines.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13To the east, the remains of old copper mines.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Think of these as the metal ends of a classic AA.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22And, when it rains, water pours into the shaft of an old sulphur
0:07:22 > 0:07:25mine nearby, dissolving the sulphur as it goes.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It drains into the river and pollutes it with
0:07:30 > 0:07:37a potent acidic mix - the final ingredient of a battery.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Could this be what's powering Hessdalen's light show?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Well, it works all too well in our lab.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50A few simple beakers of acidic mud, each containing a stick of
0:07:50 > 0:07:54zinc and a bit of copper pipe, are all you need to power a light bulb.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02So just imagine the energy a natural battery the size of
0:08:02 > 0:08:04an entire valley could create.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Well, potentially enough for a severe electric shock,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13as Bjorn found out one time when he took a meter reading of Hessdalen.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Ouch! That's the equivalent of over 600 car batteries.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's an amazing thought that there's enough power in the
0:08:43 > 0:08:46earth beneath Hessdalen to charge the air above it,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51firing lights into the sky. But it is just a theory.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It hasn't been proven yet.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And they still need to work out just how the battery could cause
0:08:58 > 0:09:01the lights to hang in the air. But...
0:09:01 > 0:09:03It's pretty compelling - got to say that.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06And I've also got to say that, for the time being,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08it's the best theory they've got.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21Just incredible, the tricks that light can play on our land,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26but it's nothing compared to what it can do below the tide line,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30which is where we're headed next - to meet
0:09:30 > 0:09:33a creature that single-handedly changed the face
0:09:33 > 0:09:34of marine science...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40..a simple green eel...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46..snapped in 2011 on a Caribbean coral reef.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Now, it may not look much, but thanks to this one eel,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58we've discovered that our oceans don't look like this.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00They look like this.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Now, to understand this weirdness,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14we first need a crash course in how light works.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20Now, we all know that white light is made up of the full spectrum
0:10:20 > 0:10:24of colour - all the colours of the rainbow, if you like.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29But the reds and the oranges are made up of light with longer
0:10:29 > 0:10:32wavelengths, whereas the blues,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35the greens and the indigoes are made up of shorter wavelengths.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Now, all of this light can penetrate through air,
0:10:38 > 0:10:43but when it comes to water, it's only these short wavelength
0:10:43 > 0:10:46blue lights that can penetrate any distance.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And that is why the sea is blue.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54But as we travel deeper and deeper,
0:10:54 > 0:10:59that blue makes the ocean look...well, a bit boring.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Imagine we're dropping underwater.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05As soon as we start going down, after only about ten metres,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07all the red is gone.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11So if you were to bleed underwater and you look at your blood,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14it would look black because there's no red light there.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18But, in fact, our vision is letting us down.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23This blue light is responsible for a whole world of colour down there
0:11:23 > 0:11:26that our eyes simply cannot see.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35Marine biologist David has long been studying corals that fluoresce.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41Fluorescent molecules in their skin absorb the high-energy blue light,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43use up a bit of the energy,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and then release what's left as lower energy wavelengths.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50In other words, a different set of colours.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Shine a powerful beam on them and suddenly,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57it becomes clear to us too.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01OK. That is already pretty weird.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I know what you're thinking - what about the eel?
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Well, one day, David dived down in search of his beloved corals
0:12:11 > 0:12:16and what he found changed the way that he looked at the ocean forever.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20So we're making an exhibit for the American Museum of Natural History.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23It's a virtual coral reef.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26While we're shooting the night coral reef...
0:12:26 > 0:12:30something happened that totally changed the trajectory
0:12:30 > 0:12:32of my research.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36We come back to the lab and in the photos
0:12:36 > 0:12:40is this one green fluorescent eel.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Like, unbelievable.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45This is the first green fluorescent fish that we've seen.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48And there it was. Photo-bombing us.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56This was the first time that a fish had ever been seen fluorescing.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58So was it a one-off?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00A freak of nature?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Or are there more glowing fish in the sea?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07David had to find out.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10So we designed a new set of big blue lights.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And we began scouring the reef.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's kind of like ET phone home.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18We're giving blue light off and we're waiting for an animal
0:13:18 > 0:13:21that's going to respond back, shine it back to us.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24And shining back at him was
0:13:24 > 0:13:27a deep-sea fluorescent wonderland
0:13:27 > 0:13:32of nearly 200 species of biofluorescent fish.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Lizard fish, bream, scorpion fish, a whole gamut.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40But the weirdness didn't stop there.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Yes, the world's first glow-in-the-dark shark.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Astounding.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57There's little twinkly stars, there's patterns on the females,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00they have these rings around their eyes.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04In the deep blue, these sharks are emanating patterns of green.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And the light show didn't stop there.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17One more ocean inhabitant had a colourful secret to give away.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21This time it was a marine turtle.
0:14:21 > 0:14:28The first sign ever that reptiles can biofluoresce too.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And that, for the moment,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35is where David's weird biofluorescing marine list stops.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Incredible.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44The fish had been fluorescing right underneath the scientists' noses.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48So, it's an astonishing discovery, there's no doubt of that.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But it does beg the question - why were these fish producing such
0:14:52 > 0:14:54a vibrant range of colours?
0:14:55 > 0:14:59It could be used for mating, for courtship.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It could be used for predator avoidance.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04It's a perfect camouflage for them.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08In the swellsharks, it's secret patterns among males and females,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12perhaps to allow them to separate the sexes,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15for identification of other members of the same species.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18So it's like a secret channel of communication.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I like that. I like that very much.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26I like the fact that marine life has been communicating using a
0:15:26 > 0:15:32secret spectrum of colour, something that we're entirely blind to.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Now, if only we could figure out
0:15:35 > 0:15:37what they were saying to one another.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45Well, as it happens, our oceans are full of colourful communicators.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47So here we're staying
0:15:47 > 0:15:51to meet our next magical marvel.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54These little gems.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59The jewel in the crown when it comes to using light for deception.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Now you see me...
0:16:04 > 0:16:06now you don't.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12This sparkling blue beauty has been nicknamed a sea sapphire.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14For obvious reasons.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18They measure just a few millimetres.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22They're like the bugs of our oceans - floating around
0:16:22 > 0:16:26until they get gobbled up by passing fish.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33How remarkable that this tiny, insignificant and yet
0:16:33 > 0:16:36very, very beautiful little invertebrate
0:16:36 > 0:16:39has pulled off the Holy Grail of science.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The ultimate in trickery.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45The art of invisibility.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48But a real life invisibility cloak?
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Surely that's impossible.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Isn't it?
0:16:55 > 0:17:01It's a question that many a marine biologist has asked themselves.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03You can have one right in front of you in a bowl
0:17:03 > 0:17:04and you just can't even find it.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08A biologist losing his own subject?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Come on, then, Steve, let us in on its secret.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Sea sapphires have a unique morphology in that they're
0:17:15 > 0:17:16very flattened.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19They have very little tissue when you're looking through them.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The effect, as you might expect, is that it makes them transparent.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Being thin and translucent clearly helps.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29But there's a little more to it than that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32They are, in fact, cleverly constructed
0:17:32 > 0:17:35to get a little helping hand from the sun.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42The surface of the sea sapphire is made of layers of perfectly
0:17:42 > 0:17:44hexagonal crystals.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Not just one layer, but several.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48One on top of the other.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50With liquid in between.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Think of it as like a wafer biscuit.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57As the sea sapphire moves in the water,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00the blue ocean light gets bounced off of these crystals,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03creating an iridescent sheen of blues and violets.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09What's more, it can actually move the crystal layers
0:18:09 > 0:18:12to change its colour. A bit like a chameleon.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The key to its invisibility though
0:18:17 > 0:18:19is its angle to the sun.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26When the sea sapphire hits a crucial point of 45 degrees to the light
0:18:26 > 0:18:32the clever crystal layers bounce back only ultraviolet light.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36UV. Which our eyes simply can't see.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Combined with its ultra-thin transparency,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49the sea sapphire seemingly disappears.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Now, that is one clever trick of the light.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Having this ability to effectively switch their colour on and off,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01like a flashing ocean beacon,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05is what gives these tiny jewels their real advantage.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The sea sapphires might be using it to find each other.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11You'll see a little column of these guys stacked up,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14swimming just above each other, all swimming in a little line.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16So they seem to be homing in
0:19:16 > 0:19:20using this blue iridescence to signal each other
0:19:20 > 0:19:22in some kind of a social structure.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30That has to be one of the most remarkable organisms that
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I've ever... Well, never seen.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Using its crystal shimmer to communicate across the vast oceans.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45But I'm still struck by that invisibility.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49That's one superpower I would very much like to have.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The mind-bending powers of light will never cease to amaze.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05Next, we're headed on a journey of exploration of, well,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08there's no other way to put it, strange sticky things.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16And it all starts with this guy here.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Jamie.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20He looks pretty ordinary.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26But in fact, he has an extraordinary superpower.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31My ability is actually sticking anything solid to my body.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36I can stick cans, bottles, cellphones, almost anything
0:20:36 > 0:20:38to my skin, without no glue.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43(Go on.)
0:20:43 > 0:20:44You know you want to.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47At this point, you want to rush into the kitchen, empty a can,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and try and stick it to some part of your body.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Here. I know what you're thinking.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58This simply cannot be true. Can it?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Well, yes, it can.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Because Jamie holds the catchily titled World Record for
0:21:06 > 0:21:10most drinks cans placed on the head using air suction.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15And now he has a job as a walking ad campaign.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19So, not only does it all stick to my head...
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Let me put these over here so it's out of the way.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24..it also can stick to my hands,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28my back, my butt, my legs, my knees, everywhere sticks.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I discovered my unique talents around seven years old.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Things started sticking to me.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I climbed trees, you know, normal boy things, just climbing around.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47That's why I thought it maybe had something to do with
0:21:47 > 0:21:49the sap from the trees.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52But once he grew out of tree-climbing
0:21:52 > 0:21:57his incredible ability to, er, stick stuff to himself continued.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59And he knew something was up.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Wow.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06That's insane.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I bet that comes in handy when you're getting snacks out of
0:22:09 > 0:22:11- the kitchen fridge. - Oh, yeah. Watch this.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Drive hands-free when you drive.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Dang. These nuts are on your head.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I'm going to hurt you.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- See?- Oh, my God.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26So what makes Jamie sticky?
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Everyone's got an opinion, it seems.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I thought maybe he had a magnetic plate in his head or something.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- You don't have a plate in your head, do you?- No.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39It's plastic and aluminium. None of it can be magnetised.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Wow.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43So he's not magnetic.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47What he is...
0:22:47 > 0:22:50is baffling his doctors.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Lot of doctors have different opinions.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55They actually think I'm a real-life mutant.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57One thinks I'm like a human gecko.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Another says octopus.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04OK, let's just hold it right there.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05A human gecko?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Could that really be?
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Geckos stick to things because their bulbous toes are covered in
0:23:12 > 0:23:15hundreds of microscopic hairs.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Particles in these bristles interact with particles on the surface
0:23:19 > 0:23:23of the wall, or tree, creating an electromagnetic attraction.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Interesting theory for Jamie, but I have to say,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35he doesn't look particularly hairy to me.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So what about the octopus theory?
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Octopuses stick using suction.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Morphing their suckers to the shape of different surfaces.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Muscles inside the sucker contract to create a watertight,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52or airtight, seal.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It almost looks as if I could see the muscles doing something.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00And there's no hiding the suction marks either.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Perhaps he really is more octopus than human.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14Humans with animal traits. I like that. I really do.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19But there is a human trait here that we didn't want to overlook.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Have you noticed that Jamie seems to be extraordinarily sweaty?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Because my body temperature is so hot, usually when it's really warm
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I have to constantly dry my head off cos the sweat clogs my pores.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I think he has some sort of perspiration on his head that
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- sticks that stuff. It's amazing.- Yeah.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45So could human sweat be sticky enough to make things stick?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52We asked a dermatologist to take a look at the evidence.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's remarkable. They seem to be pretty solidly stuck.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I've never seen anything like Jamie before.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07His skin looks normal but he's sweating a bit.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The majority of sweat is just straightforward water.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14As the water evaporates it leaves behind the sebum,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and that's the oily substance,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20our skin will end up feeling a little bit sticky.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Some people complain about excess sweating and that's
0:25:23 > 0:25:25a recognised condition.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29I've never come across any condition of the skin which specifically
0:25:29 > 0:25:31makes it more sticky.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34But the sweat may be important nonetheless.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Just from the video footage, I would say that this is a suction thing
0:25:39 > 0:25:41rather than purely a sticky thing.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But if the skin was completely dry
0:25:44 > 0:25:48it would be much more difficult to create a good contact suction
0:25:48 > 0:25:50between the can and the skin.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55So a little bit of moisture there is probably helpful for this.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It's an amazing talent, the way he does it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Suction alone, however,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03doesn't explain how he can stick a mobile to his face.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08So, Jamie's condition still leaves rather more questions than answers.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14But whatever the reason turns out to be,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18for Jamie, it seems it's a skill that has its perks.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I actually do love having this ability.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21It puts a smile on people's faces.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23They just look at me and they start laughing.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Even if they think I'm a goof or whatever.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Why would anyone think that(?)
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Jamie - also known as Canhead -
0:26:31 > 0:26:34his name, not mine, I'm not being rude -
0:26:34 > 0:26:37is still mostly a mystery.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39But it has also made him somewhat of a celebrity.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43He now makes thousands of dollars wandering around America
0:26:43 > 0:26:45sticking cans to his head.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Something to aspire to, I suppose.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54So, all hail the power of the sticky.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57An enviable superpower if ever there was one.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Finally, we're going to introduce you to a series of animals
0:27:08 > 0:27:11whose weird behaviour leaves a lot to be desired.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Kicking us off, a refreshing dip in the west Irish Sea.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23A hot summer's day off the coast of Doolin.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Perfect for a swim.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30But when the locals hit the surf, they found they had company.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36A sociable, affable dolphin, and not just any old dolphin,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39it was Dusty the dolphin.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41A female bottlenose who'd become quite
0:27:41 > 0:27:43a celebrity on the Irish coast.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Dusty is one of Ireland's friendly, solitary, community dolphins.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Like famous Fungie of Dingle.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Dusty's story starts some 16 years ago
0:28:03 > 0:28:06when she first appeared here as an adolescent.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10And never left.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Hanging out with the locals year after year after year.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Building up quite the CV.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21There she is. Dusty.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Hello. Hello.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Dusty the peacekeeper.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30She's brought so much joy to so many people.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33She induces a lot of peace and...
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I guess, love. You know?
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Dusty the environmentalist.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44She came and she had the huge white bag on her nose.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45And she brought it to us.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49She was playing games but cleaning the ocean.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52It was so beautiful to do it with her.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54And Dusty the life-saver.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Yes, Dusty helped saved surfer Luke's life.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Guiding him back to the shore after his surfboard split in two.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Everybody said that it was an amazing thing to watch -
0:29:08 > 0:29:11a dolphin sort of shepherd somebody in.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Especially someone who's struggling.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15It was a very beautiful experience.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18St Dusty.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23She's swum with local residents Kate and George for
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so long she's become part of the family.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32It's no wonder when people see scenes like this
0:29:32 > 0:29:34that they want to join in.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40Which is what local resident Valerie did in July 2013.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44But she was in for a surprise.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46SHE SCREAMS
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Dusty, it seemed, had gone mad.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I knew I needed to get out of the water quick.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I went to swim out but it slammed into me.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04SCREAMING
0:30:06 > 0:30:09It was very powerful and she hit me with her nose.
0:30:11 > 0:30:17I had six spinal fractures, some broken ribs and a damaged lung.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22INDISTINCT SHOUTS
0:30:22 > 0:30:25In fact, this is not the only time this five-metre mammal
0:30:25 > 0:30:28has launched itself at swimmers.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32SCREAMING
0:30:34 > 0:30:37So how do you reconcile these two images?
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Well, to understand, we need to get to grips with what sets Dusty
0:30:45 > 0:30:47apart from other dolphins.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Now we all know that dolphins are highly social animals,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57living together in pods.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01So what on earth was she doing swimming around on her own?
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Solitary dolphins are common amongst males.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12Adolescent males hang out alone, getting big and strong
0:31:12 > 0:31:15so they can compete for access to females.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18But Dusty is a female.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22It's a bit weird, to be honest.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25And it's not typical or normal of bottlenose dolphins.
0:31:25 > 0:31:26When there's other dolphins around
0:31:26 > 0:31:28she almost seems to be hiding from them.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34It seems to be that, in Ireland especially,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37people are almost looking for dolphins to swim with.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39You know, to go and befriend.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42So I'm not convinced the dolphin is seeking out humans.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45I'm not convinced they're choosing a solitary existence.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Whether she chose us or we chose her,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53there's plenty of dolphin left in Dusty.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55She's just rolled.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59And dolphins need other dolphins.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04It's possible that Dusty now sees her human "friends"
0:32:04 > 0:32:06as her surrogate dolphin pod.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11And that could begin to explain the aggression.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15If Dusty treats humans like dolphins treat dolphins,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17well, put it this way,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20bottlenose dolphins can be quite brutal.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25We perceive dolphins as these friendly animals.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27They have that lovely smiley face.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29You know, don't trust everything that smiles.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It could be the smile of a sadistic killer dolphin.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36This is a highly-evolved marine mammal
0:32:36 > 0:32:39that is strong, can wipe you out with a flick of the tail.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Ram you, which is what bottlenose dolphins do.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45They're covered in scratches and scars,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48they're covered in notches, they're covered in tooth rakes.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52The trouble is, humans are not built like dolphins.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54We don't just come away with scars.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56We come away literally broken.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06But Dusty only gets mad with certain people.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10So, what about her Jekyll and Hyde character?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Why do some people get darling Dusty
0:33:13 > 0:33:17and others, a very angry dolphin?
0:33:17 > 0:33:22It all depends, it seems, on whether or not you're in her pod.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26If you're a regular to Dusty, like Kate and George,
0:33:26 > 0:33:27you're fine.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31But if you're a new face, like Valerie, you're a threat.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38I've learned, since my accident, that when Dusty's having a moment
0:33:38 > 0:33:43with people who do swim with her, she doesn't like to be interrupted.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45She gets very territorial.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48And I think that's the reason why she attacked me.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53Sadly for Valerie, she just wasn't in the in-crowd.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57She accepts some people and she doesn't accept some people.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01It's hard, but it's like that. Definitely. It's like that.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Valerie was lucky. She recovered from her attack.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09And what's more, she's made peace with Dusty.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12After a while she came back to me.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14She was kind of bobbing vertically.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16And we just locked eyes.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18I personally felt there was a lot of remorse
0:34:18 > 0:34:20and she was trying to apologise.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23So I don't have any problem with Dusty at all.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26But I wouldn't get in the water, no.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Dolphins are not like humans.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31They are wild.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32And unpredictable.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35So don't get confused by the smile.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Our final weird wonder is famous worldwide.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Well, amongst birders like me, anyway.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56It's a bird whose behaviour is so mysterious
0:34:56 > 0:35:02that it outwitted scientists in a game of hide-and-seek that lasted
0:35:02 > 0:35:05for over 100 years.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08So much so that they began to wonder if it had gone
0:35:08 > 0:35:10the same way as the dodo.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15It's the Holy Grail of birds for birders.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Not only in Australia, perhaps in the world.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21It's nominated by the Smithsonian Institute
0:35:21 > 0:35:23as the world's most mysterious bird.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28And it is the night parrot.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Common in Australia hundreds of years ago, but around 1912
0:35:32 > 0:35:35this reclusive species simply disappeared.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Rumour and a few museum specimens revealed them to look
0:35:45 > 0:35:47a bit like big budgerigars.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52A nocturnal, ground-dwelling, ground-nesting parrot.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Not the best ingredients for survival.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00They hid amongst Australia's arid spinifex grassland.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Well, supposedly.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Problem was, no-one could find one.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11So, in 1989, a 25,000 reward was offered for their discovery.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Dead or alive.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Everyone took to the road.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23From truck drivers
0:36:23 > 0:36:25to scientists.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28And what happened next was incredible.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33The curator of ornithology at the Australian Museum
0:36:33 > 0:36:36was travelling in outback Queensland
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and stopped by the side of the road, legend has it, to relieve himself.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43As he looked down at his feet, there was the remains of a night parrot.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45A dead night parrot carcass.
0:36:45 > 0:36:51A curator of ornithology had accidentally found a night parrot
0:36:51 > 0:36:55in the middle of the vast outback.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00The first confirmed sighting in over seven decades.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Can you just imagine how excited he must have been when he finally
0:37:05 > 0:37:09rediscovered that bird after all of that time spent looking for it?
0:37:09 > 0:37:12OK, I know it wasn't ideal.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14It was dead.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19But nevertheless, it did prove that this mythical bird wasn't
0:37:19 > 0:37:20a myth after all.
0:37:21 > 0:37:27And so began the hunt for a living specimen.
0:37:27 > 0:37:3016 more years went by.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35And finally, another was found lying beside a fence.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37But guess what?
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Yes, it was dead too.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45Presumably it had hit the fence and decapitated itself on the fence.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Unlucky.
0:37:47 > 0:37:53But trust me, patience in ornithology does eventually pay off.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56People were so dedicated and so determined.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59There was a lot of obsession amongst certain people.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03One of those determined obsessives was John Young.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07A naturalist who'd spent 15 years traipsing the outback
0:38:07 > 0:38:08for clues.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Finally, in 2013, success.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19A bunch of feathers led him to a live individual.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25After 100 years, the game of hide-and-seek was over.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28And the scientists had won.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I just can't tell you how exciting this discovery was.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38This was a bird brought back from the dead.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40This was ornithological dynamite.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44The bird-watching equivalent of a supernova.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49But don't go grabbing your binoculars just yet.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53To protect the bird, John kept the exact location a secret.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58And to this day, only three people on the planet are confirmed
0:38:58 > 0:39:00to have seen live night parrots.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04And this guy here, ecologist Steve Murphy,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07has gone one better.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09He's actually held one.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12When he and his wife fitted one with a tracker.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16We really had to focus.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21We were both, you know, shaking pretty madly at the start.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24The sense of responsibility was just awesome.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32There is still just one known population of night parrots
0:39:32 > 0:39:36in the world. The rest were wiped out
0:39:36 > 0:39:40by fire, and their number one predator,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42yes, kitty.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47There's quite a famous story of the telegraph stationmaster at
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Alice Springs in the early 1800s.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54Lining the inside of his cabin with the wings of night parrots
0:39:54 > 0:39:57that had been brought in each night by his pet cat.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Unfortunately for the cats,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03the best way to keep this chubby little parrot alive
0:40:03 > 0:40:05is to take kitty out of the equation.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Where's the cat? Good girl. Good girl, Mag.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12And for a while it seemed to be working.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16When, in 2016, Steve Murphy made an incredible discovery.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24A nest! A nest of two perfect night parrot eggs.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32This was dynamite.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36This was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Not only were night parrots alive,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41they were breeding.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45But then, just like every other aspect of this legendary tale,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48there was another twist in the plot.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52You see, a couple of days later, Steve returned to the nest.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And what did he find when he peered in?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Broken eggshells.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Can you believe it?
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Can you imagine how he felt?
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Well, so great is the desire to preserve this species,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11so enormous was the gravity of this crime
0:41:11 > 0:41:14that the shells were collected and sent for analysis
0:41:14 > 0:41:16to try and identify the culprit.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22And this time it was no cat.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25It was a native king brown snake.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29A new player in this now deadly game of hide-and-seek.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40The story of this ground-living bird continues.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44And in fact, due to the incredible secrecy about its location,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48its mythical status, its legend lives on.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53So, whether it's ancient legends or brand-new discoveries,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55there's no doubt at all that
0:41:55 > 0:41:57there are plenty of weird stories out there.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01And I can promise you one thing, there are a lot more to come.