1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: production of My Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: My name is Matt. Our friend Noel is on adventures today. 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our 7 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: super producer Paul mission controled decade. Most importantly, you are you, 8 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: You are here, and that makes this stuff they don't 9 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: want you to know. Quick check in, Matt. They my 10 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: dear dear friend, over these many years. How are you today, Well, 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: let me tell you know. I'm great. I'm gonna get 12 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: to play some magic later tonight of my buddy Charlie, 13 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: who lives in upstate New York, and I haven't talked 14 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: to him in forever, and he finally agreed to, uh 15 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 1: just you know, to let me be my middle school 16 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: self again and play some magic with him. And I'm 17 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: very excited about that. Uh, you and I are going 18 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: to have a game together pretty soon. That's right, That's right, Matt. Yeah, 19 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: I've got to go back to the office and pick 20 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: up one of my favorite gifts I ever received, a 21 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: deck of Magic carts that I suppose are vintage nowadays 22 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: that you and Tyler made for me many moons ago. 23 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: I'm quite excited. I'm gonna I'm probably gonna scoop those 24 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: up this weekend and spend some time, UH doing what 25 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: I did pretty often as a child, playing multiplayer games 26 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: with myself. Shout out to my one D and D campaign, 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: just to make sure I know what's going on there. Yeah, 28 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: just and for other listeners just who are interested here. 29 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: There is a reason that we don't have to talk 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: about on air here that you and Nolan I may 31 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: have to be at least somewhat close to each other 32 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: in proximity. Very soon. I'm thinking about bringing a deck 33 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: for Noel and forcing him to play a game with us, 34 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: because I don't know that he's ever played magic before. Um, 35 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: we'll see if it works out. I imagine he'll be delighted. 36 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: I am Magic, He'll be delighted. So so, before we 37 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: get into today's episode, we do have one uh on 38 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: air correction that a couple of listeners caught, and I 39 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: just wanted to get this out here because it's important, UH, 40 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: specifically earlier in our episode on Operation Infection with a K. 41 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: We had a couple of times referred to AIDS as 42 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 1: standing for auto immuno deficiency syndrome. That is incorrect. I 43 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: misspoke there. I think probably I'm the most egregious person 44 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: with this one. It is actually acquired a mune no 45 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: deficiency syndrome. So that's a that's maybe a small difference 46 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: in terms of speech, but it's a big difference in 47 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: terms of what it stands for, and of course it 48 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: affects a great many people. If you don't know what 49 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: we're talking about, please check out Operation Infection, where we do, 50 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: in fact uncover a proven conspiracy about HIV and AIDS. Yes, 51 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: and specifically some meddling that occurred from uh, from Russian actors. 52 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: Let's say, there we go. When we say Russian actors, 53 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: we don't mean the stars of screen and stage right, 54 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: we mean other actors. Yeah, today we're I'm super excited 55 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: about this one. Uh. Maybe a way to segue into 56 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: this is the world of games, specifically video games. Now. UM, 57 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: you know, Matt, you and I have talked at length 58 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: for more than a decade now that we've been hanging 59 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: out about video games of all sorts and all stripes. Um, 60 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: you remember Uncharted three. I do Uncharted as a fabulous franchise. Uh. 61 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: The fourth iteration recently was available on PS plus or 62 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: PlayStation Plus. If anybody subscribes to that, hopefully you've played it. 63 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: Great treasurer Hunter series. UM And in the third version, 64 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: the third iteration, Oh boy, you get into a lost city. 65 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: Is it lu Maria Limiria that that is featured in 66 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: that one? Or is it Atlantis? It is a lost 67 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: city in the wild desert of the Middle East, a 68 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: city that was rumored to be home to Jinn, A 69 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: city that was rumored to have untold wealth before it 70 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: was cursed by the divine. We won't spoil it too much. 71 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: I believe you can still get at least Uncharted one 72 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: through three for free on PlayStations. UH special looking out 73 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: for you during the quarantine deal. So I recently replayed this. 74 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: It's a It's a fantastic game. If you're a fan 75 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: of Indiana Jones. If you're not really a fan of 76 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: UM video games, but you do like film and films 77 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,799 Speaker 1: like Indiana Jones, then think of that almost as at times, 78 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: it's more like an interactive movie, you know what I mean. 79 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: It's a journey and you, and you can set the 80 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: uh let if you're particularly unmotivated for video games stuff, 81 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: you can set the levels low enough such that you're 82 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: just kind of sitting through a movie where you occasionally 83 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: push buttons. Well, you know, it's like, what was that 84 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:55,119 Speaker 1: Dragon's Layer? That's another old, old one. But you're right, Matt, 85 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: lost cities, they play a big part and uncharted because 86 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: lost cities play a huge part in human civilization. Like typically, 87 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: right when you hear people talk about ancient lost cities, 88 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: let's say you're flipping through television, you're flipping through your books, 89 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: and you you come across that phrase lost city, lost civilization. 90 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: In the modern day, we tend to dismiss that concept 91 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: like right out. You know, places like you mentioned Lemuria 92 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: or It's um the Beatles to its rolling Stone, Atlantis 93 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: and so on. These are all kind of thought to 94 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: be legends, right, and we've done stories on those in 95 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: the past. I think we actually we got to a 96 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: pretty surprisingly solid answer on the mystery of Atlantis a 97 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: while back. But lost cities, lost civilizations. The the amazing 98 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: and disturbing thing about this is they're not that crazy. 99 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: It turns out our species, as you said before, cartoonishly 100 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: good at losing things, whether we're talking about car keys, passwords, technologies, cities, 101 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: entire civilizations. The vast span of human history is this 102 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: like long running joke about us making stuff and then 103 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: completely forgetting about it, or at least mostly forgetting about it. Yeah, 104 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: I mean you can look at almost every major civilization space. 105 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: So a place where a civilization began, you can look 106 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: even if it's a city. Now, let's say in a 107 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: place like Atlanta, just as an example, there are versions 108 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: of Atlanta that exist below it, that were built on 109 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: top of, you know, for for cities to exist. London 110 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: is a really good example of that, New York where 111 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: there's a version of that place of history that literally 112 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: went away or went underground essentially. Um. And you can 113 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: think about all kinds of things that we've lost over time, um, 114 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: you know, entire technologies that have come and gone, you know, 115 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: even just an entire civilization of a whole place where 116 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: humanity grew and thrived for a while and just went 117 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: away for one reason or another. And sometimes even when 118 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: we know the uh, the location of a lost place 119 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,239 Speaker 1: quote unquote lost, even when we know where the ruins are, 120 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: we still can run into mysteries about why tens of thousands, 121 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of people one day just just left. Right. 122 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered because 123 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: history is alive. Right in today's episode, we're exploring a 124 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: city that some people may not have heard of, but 125 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: but a city that occupies a unique place in folklore 126 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: and in science. Here in the modern date. In fact, 127 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,079 Speaker 1: we call this a lost city, but it may have 128 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: already been found. And where better to start with this 129 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: story than with a legend. So here are the facts. 130 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: There was once, according to legend, a place known as 131 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: Iram of the Pillars, was also known as Ubar or 132 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: you Bar for short. We're going to be calling it 133 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: Ubar in this uh in this story, but it was 134 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: also known as wu Bar with a w irem ireum Uh. 135 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: Sometimes it was just known as the city of the Pillars. 136 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: It was this legendary place Uh it was, or it 137 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: has been, over the course of history, taken as this 138 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: indisputable fact that there was a true place a thing 139 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: that existed by one of these names um generally by 140 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: people who follow in the faith of Islam. It's explicitly 141 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: mentioned by the way in the Quran, which is a 142 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: good thing to know for the rest of this story. Here. Um. 143 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: The specific phrase, by the way that that's found there 144 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: is iram dot al imad uh, sometimes translated to you know, um, 145 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: maybe a less prestigious sounding phrase called iram of the 146 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 1: tent poles. Yeah, not so not so cool. Sounds much 147 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: better when it's ali mahd, but the English translation of 148 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: its meant. But we've got it actually here, we've got 149 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: the English translation of it's mentioned in the Koran. Right, Yeah, 150 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 1: here's how the explicit mentioned in the Koran reads in English. 151 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: Quote uh, and we're because of the differences between English 152 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: and Arabic, there are gonna there's gonna be some slippage here. 153 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: There are some um words or pieces of sentence structure 154 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: that don't quite translate. But we'll give you the gist. Quote. 155 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: Have you not considered how your lord dealt with a 156 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: ram who had lofty pillars, the likes of whom had 157 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: never been created in the lands, And with the mood 158 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: who carved out the rocks in the valley, and with Pharaoh, 159 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: owner of the stakes, all of whom oppressed within the lands, 160 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 1: and increase therein the corruption. So your lord poured upon 161 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: them a scourge of punishment. Indeed, your Lord is in observation. 162 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: That's the that's the words of the prophet right in 163 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: in the Koran. That's the story of the story of 164 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: this kind of warning to the reader. It's like, hey, 165 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: think about what happened to this place, Think about what 166 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: happened to this guy. Uh. And that last line comes 167 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: off I think a little bit mild where it says indeed, 168 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: your Lord is an observation. Maybe a more direct way 169 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: to say that in American English today would be, you know, 170 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: watch out, God is watching you. You know, yeah, it 171 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: always feels like somebody's watching me, because it is an 172 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: be stated here that he she it is indeed. There's 173 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: another version of of this. By the way, where or 174 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: I guess that the story of the led and where 175 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: Ubar was the center of trade, of wealth of society. 176 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: It was located along this really lucrative trade route that 177 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 1: existed at the time in which it was a place 178 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: that was you know, thriving um and it's you know, 179 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: it's where merchants would transport all kinds of things or 180 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: or this this trade route is where merchants would trade 181 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: all kinds of things and Ubar was a major stop 182 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: there and one of the big things that they traded 183 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: was frankincense. And this is has been mentioned a lot, 184 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: or at least is a major point of this one 185 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: version of the legend. Yeah. Oh, they were balling out. 186 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: They were making so much money off this frankincense trade, 187 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: which included mr uh you know for people who people 188 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: were fans of the three the three wise men. Then 189 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: then you you'll notice that frankincense and mir which are 190 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: not super big commodities to a lot of people today, 191 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: were profoundly in press. It gives back then they were 192 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: you know, they were status symbols. They were associated with 193 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: things that were holy and so being a part of 194 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: this trade and the people of Ubar made a lot 195 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: of money. They uh, they obtained many riches, jewels, etcetera. Uh. 196 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: And and this story follows, you know, the kind of 197 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: Pixar version. Once upon a time, as you said, matt 198 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: Ubar was the center of the trade in frankincense, and 199 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: every day they got wealthier and wealthier and wealthier, until 200 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: one day a prophet arrives. And there's a pre Islamic prophet, 201 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: by the way, in this legend, a prophet arrives and 202 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: fore tells that the city and the entire civilization of 203 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 1: Ubar would be destroyed by God as punishment for their wicked, 204 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: wicked ways. The king, who was not aware that he 205 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: was to be the last king of Ubar, ignored the 206 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: prophet in a short while later, the city disappeared from 207 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: the historical record. It was buried under the shifting sands 208 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: of the empty Quarter. In Arabia, they called it that, 209 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: but Saudi Arabia we call it now. It's a it 210 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: feels maybe at first glance or first listen as a 211 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: similar parable that has existed in a couple of different 212 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,479 Speaker 1: holy books and a couple a couple of different societies 213 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: and kind of historical records, where there's this place that 214 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: became so wealthy. Uh, they just were bored in some 215 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: ways because they had so much time on their hands, 216 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: and they started to do the things that idle hands do, 217 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: which is generally considered you know, the devil's work or 218 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: the bad things, the wicked, evil things. Um. And then 219 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: it gets destroyed because a force of good in this case, 220 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: God comes through and says no, um. But and you know, 221 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: but if you continue along the legend, even though it 222 00:14:55,720 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: was destroyed it you know, if it, if it was real, 223 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: then it would still exist out there somewhere, right, at 224 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: least according to legend, right somewhere out there in the 225 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: dry ocean of the desert, one may still discover the 226 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: ruins of ancient Ubar, all the riches within, and possibly 227 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: all the all the curses and consequences you would run 228 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: into for uh, for violating the wishes of the divine 229 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: and and you know, I'm mad, but but mostly mostly 230 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: all those all those vases full of that dank, frankincense, 231 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: dankinsense that would be the dame of the company we start, dankinsense. Uh, yeah, 232 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: we'll find something for Mirr as well, because Mirrors still 233 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: is very much of the game in this part of 234 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: the story. But you're right, so the details of the 235 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: disaster are are naturally vague, the idea, you know, at 236 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: the time this story takes place, when it's traced to antiquity. 237 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: Usually natural disasters are always seen as happening for some 238 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: sort of reason. No one is ever saying, hey, uh, 239 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: we have famine because we couldn't grow crops because of 240 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: the drought. They say, oh, we are encountering famine because 241 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: we have crops because of the drought, because God is 242 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: super poed at us, you know, because we didn't make 243 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: the right sacrifices, or you didn't propitiate the right prayers 244 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: at the right time in the calendar, etcetera. Um. And 245 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: that's there's nothing wrong with that. That's just the human mind, 246 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: because humans have always been you know, these are still 247 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: Homo sapien there very much like us. There is still 248 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: trying to categorize and frame and understand the world. Uh 249 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: So when you hear details about Ubar's demise, you might 250 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: you'll hear people say, you know, well, it was God 251 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: that struck them down. And then we'll hear other people say, 252 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: oh is God who struck them down. But God did 253 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: it this way, right through an earthquake maybe, or through 254 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: a sandstorm that never stopped. It's kind of like Atlantis, right, 255 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: that's another example. Or Sodom and go mora. It's a 256 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: it's a yeah, yeah because as the wickedness, right, and 257 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: it's and it's still you know, it's a story that's 258 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 1: common to what they call people of the book, right, 259 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: Udeo Christian Islamic belief systems. But Bar has a couple 260 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,400 Speaker 1: of things in its legend that make it different. First, 261 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: speculation about Ubar has continued, you know, since the writing 262 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 1: of the Quran, which really popularized it, because that is 263 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: that is a book that is fundamental too many civilizations, 264 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: and then some other lost city legends just by contrast. 265 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 1: They claim that there are ancient origins to them, but 266 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: they end up being examples of embellishment maybe or outright hoaxes. 267 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: This is not the case here. I mean aram Ubar 268 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: was popularized in the West in the thirties and really 269 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: picked up some modern UH shine in PRTLC in the 270 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: ninety nineties. But again it's been known in the Middle East. 271 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: The West alone is not the world. It was known 272 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: in the Middle East since l Kros. Since before then 273 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: it assumed it's more modern interpretation. Way back during the 274 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: aggregation and um dissemination of the anthology we know of 275 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: as one thousand and one nights Uh fantastic book that 276 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: was composed over centuries during the Islamic Golden Age. We 277 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 1: still don't know to to be completely clear, how that 278 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: book was formed. It's a mystery of its own. But 279 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: that's not the only reason Ubar is unique. Yeah, there 280 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: are some some pretty old maps that actually placed a 281 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: physical location of Ubar on these maps. Um, there was 282 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: there's one where it's depicted as Omanum and Oreum there 283 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 1: and that's on Ptolemy's lap P T O. L. E. 284 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: M y his map of the world. Um, this guy 285 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: Claudius Ptolemy, he was born in Greece, lived in Egypt. 286 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: And this is around a hundred and ten to a 287 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy a d. So that's some time ago. 288 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: Let's say. It's also mentioned by several other Islamic commentators 289 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: throughout the years of the centuries that have existed as 290 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: possibly existing in one place or another and in multiple 291 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 1: versions of it, essentially of the legend. Yeah. Yeah. The 292 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: primary evidence, which you know, we're very thankful for a 293 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: lot of the primary evidence comes from religious or religious 294 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: affiliated text. So there's going to be this ongoing debate 295 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: about translation, you know, and then about like you said, Matt, 296 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: is this is this literally a city? Is this literally 297 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: a civilization? Is this a metaphor you know, is this 298 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: like a a larger version of all those stories that 299 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: even today kids here like don't do act A, B 300 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: or C or else you'll have consequence X y or z. 301 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 1: What if it wasn't a city at all? What if 302 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: it was a region instead? So instead of uh, you know, 303 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 1: like what if or whenever the US falls and you 304 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: fast forward a couple of millennia or something, Uh, what 305 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: if no one remembers the city of Atlanta and they 306 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: talk about the Lost City of Georgia. It's located somewhere 307 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: on this continent and everybody but everybody's got weird ideas 308 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: about it. It would be the lost city of coming 309 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: I think there we go. That stuff happens all the time, 310 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: and then the name we get uh distorted and telephoned 311 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: and it would be like ku mink or kumong or 312 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: something like that. Yeah, that that happens constantly, constantly. So 313 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: maybe it wasn't even reagion. Maybe it was not geographical. 314 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: Maybe it was a name for a people, which also 315 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: happens often, right, because we know that in ancient times 316 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 1: and even now, groups of people, communities and tribes, the 317 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: names that outsiders use refer to the place where those 318 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: people are found, right, and the places where they live 319 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: get named after them. Uh, Israelites, Israel, you know what 320 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: I mean? Like, especially the Middle East is full of 321 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: this stuff. So Ubar has long been associated with a 322 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: group of people called the Ould, spelled like apostrophe a D, 323 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: but pronounced more like ould. And back in the eleventh 324 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: century there was a guy a commentary named Nashwan bin 325 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 1: said him Yari, who said Quoa Bar is the name 326 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 1: of the land which belonged to Ould in the eastern 327 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: part of Yemen. Today it's non trouded desert owing to 328 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: the dying up of its water. There are to be 329 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: found in it great buildings which the wind is smothered 330 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: in sand. Doesn't really mentioned God just mentioned these people 331 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: built some stuff and they're no longer in the game. 332 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: How intriguing is that though? I mean again, like bring 333 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: back Indiana Jones. Just some of these concepts that at 334 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: least I as as a child and then growing up, 335 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: we're so fascinating of, you know, finding being able to 336 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 1: one day maybe chase down some historical place like this, 337 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: or discovering a lost place, a lost people that existed somewhere. Um, 338 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: it's it's it's just such fuel for the imagination. And 339 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: you know, it really just depends on where you look, 340 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: who you ask, who you just want to believe. I 341 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: guess on how you think about Ubar, where it could be, 342 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: what it could be, who the actual people were, and 343 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,199 Speaker 1: what occurred there um or. And it also depends on 344 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: your faith, honestly, depending on you know, the books you 345 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: grew up with, as in the important pillars of your 346 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: your faith and your understanding of the world. But it's 347 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 1: really cool that this place has all of this potential 348 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: built within it. You know, you may you may have 349 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: grown up most familiar with that description in the Kuran. 350 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: You may have you may have been a fan of 351 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: Te Lawrence, the famous and very strange explorer and military officer. 352 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 1: Uh he's the one who I think popularized calling it 353 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: the Atlantis of the Sands. But the most important thing 354 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: about the Atlantis of the Sands is that we're pretty 355 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: sure someone found it. What are we talking about. We'll 356 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: tell you after a word from our sponsor. Here's where 357 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: it gets crazy, Matt. We gotta we gotta talk about 358 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: these searches. Know it's people are out here changing the world. Man. 359 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: One time I fell asleep trying to put on a 360 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,439 Speaker 1: pair of pants like this is this This is a 361 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: great examination of human ingenuity of nothing else. The other 362 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 1: day I fell asleep, I stuck my head into my 363 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: son's rocket ship tent and I was playing with him 364 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: really actively and I totally passed out right there. So 365 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: I feel you've been just saying, uh, maybe maybe we 366 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,439 Speaker 1: should stop falling asleep on our various jobs such as 367 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: pants putting on. But but other people have not been 368 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: sitting around getting drowsy. They've been out there searching the 369 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: desert for stuff, um, which is really really cool. There 370 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: are several individuals who believe they have uncovered this place, uh, 371 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: that was mentioned in the Koran. And you know, there's 372 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: there's debate on who's right, who actually found it, and 373 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: we're gonna go through all that stuff right now. But 374 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: you really can and find people who have claimed, at 375 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: least to have found this legendary place Ubar or Iran 376 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: that was mentioned in the Koran, that specific version of it, 377 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: and they think they found it in the Middle East 378 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 1: in places from Oman to Yemen, uh to Jordan's places. 379 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: In Jordan, the place called the Waddy Room in the 380 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: Wadi Room. This is oh, the infamous Rube What has 381 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: this been? I don't know this, the infamous Rube al Khali. Yeah, 382 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: that's right, the Rube al Khali. We should or the 383 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: Empty Quarter. We should note that, as far as we know, 384 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 1: neither of us are Arabic speakers, unless we had a 385 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: wild weekend and forgot about it. Uh. The Empty Quarter 386 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: is a vast stretch of immensely inhospitable land. And we'll 387 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: we'll talk about in a little bit. But I noticed, 388 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: Matt you pointed out Wadi room, Uh, Wadi rum. Let's 389 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: let's let's talk about this a little bit. So it's 390 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 1: in Jordan's it's its name translates or it's called the 391 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: Valley of the Moon. And this looks otherworldly. It's a 392 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: desert landscape picture a lot of flat sandy valley beds. 393 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: Wadi is Arabic for valley, and they're bordered by these 394 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: enormous red sandstone cliffs. It's the largest valley in Jordan's 395 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: and it also carries the signs of ancient human occupation. 396 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: We've got inscriptions, petrock, Glyff's, ruins of temples, uh, graffiti, uh, 397 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: stuff that dates back as far as twelve thousand years. 398 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: People have been there for a long long time. Yeah, 399 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: and it's one of those places that the glory of, 400 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 1: you know, the natural surroundings in this you know, the 401 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,720 Speaker 1: somewhat starkness of it as well, wasn't really known by 402 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: the West until some guy walked through there who happened 403 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: to be British. Um, a man named T. E. Lawrence. 404 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 1: He's a British military officer. Um. He really brought it 405 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: to the west attention. Who was passing through there during 406 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: the Arab Revolt which occurred between nineteen sixteen and nineteen eighteen. 407 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: And he he, you know, was moved by the experience 408 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: of going through that area, and he wrote a book 409 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 1: about his experience called Seven Pillars of Wisdom. And then 410 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: we get into a a weird circumstance here, a little 411 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: bit of a pr move because there's a formation at 412 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: Wady Room called the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. That's what 413 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: it's called today. It's great for tourism. That's not its 414 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: original name. Its original name was like Jibral all moms 415 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: are the mountain of the plague, and so nobody wants 416 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: to visit the mountain of the plague. But you know, 417 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's another mountain of a plague somewhere. So 418 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: this was this was renamed even though the the formation 419 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: that's mentioned has nothing to do with the Seven Pillars 420 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: actually mentioned in Lawrence's book, even in like later editions, 421 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: it is all about tourism there. It is a hugely 422 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 1: popular tourist destination, and it's of course an enormously important 423 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: side of human civilization. It's also something that you, fellow 424 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: conspiracy realists, have probably seen before. You just didn't know it. 425 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: You might have thought it was Planet Mars in the 426 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,959 Speaker 1: Martian you might have thought it was any number of 427 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: backdrops for films set in the Middle East or on 428 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: our red neighbor just just to plan it away. It's 429 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: also in um It's in some famous ones. Oh yeah, 430 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: there's a Star Wars movie, Rogue one that used it. 431 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: The Transformers Revenge of the Fallen featured this, and my 432 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: favorite one, even though it wasn't my favorite movie, but 433 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: my favorite version of it is seen in Prometheus. I 434 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: really liked the way it was treated there, at least 435 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: on camera. Yeah. Also, of course it's in the Aladdin reboot, 436 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: the live action. I forgot about that one. I never 437 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: asked your you know, I forgot to ask your opinion 438 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: that I know that we both love that film growing up, 439 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: and I still think it holds up. But what did 440 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: you see the remake hottake. I suffered through it until 441 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: Will Smith's like tenth line, and then I turned it off. 442 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: I didn't turn it off. My son and my wife 443 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: continued to watch a little bit, but I left the 444 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: room and handle it in silent protest. No, it wasn't. 445 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: It wasn't very silent. It was definitely like and then left. Yeah, 446 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: Robin Williams left some big shoes to fill. And I 447 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: don't think it's I mean, it's funny because I really 448 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: liked I really enjoyed all the other actors in there. 449 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: I thought they nailed it. And for some reason, again 450 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: that's just one person's opinion. Uh, we'll have to get 451 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 1: Paul's about this off are too. Uh. It just felt 452 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: like they were trying to make it. Will Smith plays 453 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: Will Smith as a genie. I mean, to be fair, 454 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 1: That's that's what Robin Williams was doing too. I just 455 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: I like the earlier songs. Yeah, me too. Uh. It's 456 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: a real Mountain of the plague seven Pillars of Wisdom scenario, 457 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 1: you know, the translation, just story and to change up 458 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: just didn't didn't play as in this case, didn't play 459 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: as well. Yeah yeah, true. Uh, but again visually you know, 460 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: they're they're stunning scenes in there, and and again, I 461 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: think the vast majority of the actors nailed it. So 462 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to be unfair. I just I just 463 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: I think I figured out how I like my culturally 464 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: appropriated idea of Jenn in Disney films, because it's not 465 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: like it's not like the Robin Williams genie is in 466 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: any way accurate to begin with. Uh. Indeed, but if 467 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: you're gonna if you're gonna make a scary version like 468 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: the scariest version of a Jin, which is the one 469 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: that this genie is supposed to inhabit, and you're gonna 470 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: make them like a family friendly, friendly g version, then 471 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: you know, go all the way with it. Just think 472 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: I'm super happy and transforming into all kinds of different 473 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: Western characters from pop culture. That's right. So I've benna 474 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: watch that later. Uh. As long as we don't get disappeared, 475 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: I think we can close the book. Though. On the 476 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: Wady Room, it's definitely an historically significant site, but it 477 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: is probably not the Atlantis of the Sands, as T. 478 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: Lawrence called it. It's probably not a lost city. There 479 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: are some ancient temples there, but The fact is, there's 480 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: so much tourism there now that if there were an 481 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: ancient empire or gigantic city, it would have been found 482 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: like the the I mean, people travel from around the 483 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: world to visit and film there. I would say that 484 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: just going with the name the Mountain of the Plague 485 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: may make you think if you put yourself in the 486 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: shoes of maybe someone exploring the area who isn't fully 487 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: familiar with it, may make you think that, well, you know, 488 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: this place was named the Mountain of the Plague. Perhaps 489 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: there was something that happened here a long time ago 490 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: that we don't fully understand. I can imagine that scenario, 491 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: or at least that thought process totally totally, and I agree. 492 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, when you get to a place 493 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: that has had human beans for that long, I'm sure 494 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: there were several plagues, you know what I mean. I'm yeah, 495 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: I don't think somebody probably didn't make that name up 496 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: for fun. I didn't think it was cool. They remembered 497 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: when people died of the plague in the area, and 498 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: they were like, don't don't even get to where you 499 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: can freaking see that mountain, bro, it's messed up. I 500 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: could totally. See history is filled with ghosts there, and 501 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: now we shoot movies there. Now we shoot movies there, 502 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: so UH there are also a lot of films shot 503 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: around the area of the empty quarter. The rulebuck Cali. 504 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: If if you're going just off the oral traditions and 505 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: the legends, it makes a lot of sense to think 506 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: that uh city might have been there and vanished, because 507 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 1: it feels like the easiest place for human human beings 508 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: to vanish. It's it's vast, it's a sand desert. It 509 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: covers most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula 510 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: and eaties huge. It's like two hundred and fifty thousand 511 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: square miles. That means it goes across Saudi Arabia, goes 512 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,800 Speaker 1: across the United Arab Emirates, goes across Aman Yemen, and 513 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 1: today it's it's a rough neighborhood for humans. It's actually 514 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: rougher for humans now than it was in ancient times. 515 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: And even then it was no walk in the park. 516 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: It rains like or sorry in rain, and the precipitation 517 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: is like maybe one point four inches on a good year. 518 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: The temperatures can reach as high as fifty one degrees 519 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: Celsius for everyone in bad right, for everyone in the States, 520 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:42,359 Speaker 1: that's a hundred and twenty four degrees fahredheit. Uh and 521 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 1: then and it gets cold af at night. It's like 522 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: one of those places in the world where, if you 523 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,840 Speaker 1: look at it objectively, are humans supposed to be here? 524 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 1: Are we really do we need to go out here? 525 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: You know? Like I don't know, man, I really don't know. Well, 526 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 1: maybe not anymore. But back before the intense desertification, desertification 527 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: that's been occurring out there, and you know, on a 528 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 1: continual level and increasing um, it was a pretty cool 529 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: place to be, a good place to at least travel 530 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 1: through in a lot of the areas of it because 531 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: guess what. Guess what they did. They traded things in 532 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:32,280 Speaker 1: caravans like uh, frankincense and M and M and mer. 533 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: I don't know why. It feels like it feels like 534 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 1: there's a Simon and car Funkle thing going on with 535 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: frank It sets of murder. Or maybe it's like if 536 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 1: we were selling a box of frank It sets, who 537 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: would say, like frank It SAIDs now with murr and dude, no, 538 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: I'll tell you a better one. It's it's hall and oats. Wow, 539 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: because it feels so healthy. It's or something like extra. 540 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,879 Speaker 1: They don't need you just want the hall. So yes, 541 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:04,479 Speaker 1: I getta. You know. It's like it's like people will 542 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: eat the eat the oats, but yeah, we're here for 543 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 1: the halls. That makes that makes a lot of sense. 544 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: Like so maybe that's it. Maybe that's it, But your 545 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,359 Speaker 1: point is right. Desert desertification, the process of becoming more 546 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 1: desert like, has increased over time to the present level today. 547 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:28,399 Speaker 1: Before then it was still very much waste land, but caravans, 548 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,799 Speaker 1: often on camel back would would be able to traverse 549 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 1: established roots here to get that sweet sweet frankensense emmer 550 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 1: and move it to uh, move it to more densely 551 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 1: populated areas where it would fetch a great premium as 552 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:49,800 Speaker 1: much as for its rarity as for its smell and these. 553 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: This trade occurred till around and estimated like three people 554 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:57,359 Speaker 1: were doing this. But the problem with the empty quarter 555 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: is the same thing that makes made people think that's 556 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 1: where a rom could be or who bar could be. 557 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: It's that it is. It is huge. In the days 558 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: before satellite observation, it would be really difficult for early explorers, 559 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 1: especially as you said, the British guys, the Aristos, who 560 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 1: are walking in and quote unquote discovering all this stuff, 561 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 1: it would be really tough for them to systematically comb 562 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:29,480 Speaker 1: the desert without without dying of thirst starvation when they 563 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,399 Speaker 1: got lost. Now, the native people, the Bedouin, knew their 564 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: way around, right, But yeah, exactly, especially if you're trying 565 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 1: to do it, you know Spaceball's style and combing the 566 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: desert like that, that would be a rough gig. It's 567 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 1: a rough gig. It takes a lot of people in 568 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,879 Speaker 1: a lot of time. So, yeah, there could be an 569 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: ancient oasis in the area. We know there are oases 570 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: all around the edges of the Empty Quarter. That's what 571 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: defines the Empty Quarter. It's the empty parts and the 572 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: stuff around the edges has stuff there. But if you 573 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,960 Speaker 1: were going to find something, if you're gonna find an 574 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 1: ancient city, uh, where would you start looking? How would 575 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: you find it? This leads us to, uh, the various 576 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 1: attempts to discover it. So we've nailed down that it's 577 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: probably not in the Empty Quarter, at least so far 578 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,080 Speaker 1: as we know. It's unlikely that it would be. And 579 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: then it's probably not in uh waddy room in Jordan's. 580 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 1: But we've got we've got a bunch of pretty moneyed 581 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: British explorers who have nothing, who have no other goals 582 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:46,360 Speaker 1: other than to make some money off the native cultures, 583 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: and later bragged to their friends at the Royal Geographic 584 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:53,280 Speaker 1: Society and they were all about this. And we also 585 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: have satellite technology now and other you know, advanced technology. 586 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:01,719 Speaker 1: Uh So that's a bit of a spoiler, and we'll 587 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: tell you about the potential discovery after a word from 588 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:16,959 Speaker 1: our sponsor. We're back. So let's start in nine. There 589 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 1: is an explorer named Bertram Thomas. Bertram Thomas has the 590 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: goal of being the first European in his opinion, to 591 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: officially cross the sands of the Empty Quarter. He's at 592 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: the southern edge of the area. And I'm just saying 593 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: in his opinion because I take issue I take issue 594 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,439 Speaker 1: with the idea of him being the first person ever 595 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: from Europe to do that, because this is and there 596 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:47,759 Speaker 1: was a lot of stuff that happened before he got 597 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:53,400 Speaker 1: this idea. Anyway, So he starts this journey and he's ready, 598 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: and he's guys, camels, guys, entourage and stuff. People who 599 00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,719 Speaker 1: are who are native to the land and members of 600 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 1: his Bedouin entourage tell him about the story of this 601 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:08,960 Speaker 1: lost city, and he says, ah, well, I don't find that. 602 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,280 Speaker 1: That's gonna be something I can rag to the rest 603 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: of my my lads about back home. He didn't find it, 604 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:20,320 Speaker 1: but he did tell te Lawrence about it. T Lawrence 605 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: is the guy who popularized the phrase the Atlantis of 606 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 1: the Sands. He didn't just tell him about it, he said, right, 607 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: old Chap and he marked a map for Lawrence with 608 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: the supposed location. Lawrence again, very weird, dude. I don't 609 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:39,879 Speaker 1: want to kink shame anyone. I don't want to yuck 610 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:44,759 Speaker 1: anyone's yum, as Chuck would say. But Lawrence was a 611 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 1: smart dude, and he immediately knew what we had just 612 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: talked about, the vast difficulties of finding this needle of 613 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: civilization in this haystack of the wild. So we said, 614 00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,080 Speaker 1: you know, the only way we're gonna be able to 615 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 1: find this is if we somehow get in the air. 616 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:03,840 Speaker 1: We searched by like airship, by a blimp, but he 617 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,320 Speaker 1: never followed through with it. You know, again, it's nineteen thirties, 618 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:09,759 Speaker 1: nineteen forties. A lot of stuff's going down in the 619 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: Middle Eastern Europe. But these statements that he made and 620 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:18,600 Speaker 1: that other explorers made cemented the idea of this lost 621 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:22,799 Speaker 1: Arab city in the Western zeitgeist. So people were obsessed 622 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: with it. Yeah, and remember t Lawrence that we spoke 623 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 1: about earlier, is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom guy in 624 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,360 Speaker 1: the Waddy room that we talked about. Same same dude, 625 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 1: same British military officer, um who who tended to write 626 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,040 Speaker 1: a lot about these kinds of things. So that's why 627 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 1: it makes sense that it kind of expanded out there 628 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: in the minds of people in the West. But it 629 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,799 Speaker 1: didn't stop there, everybody. Let's jump forward sixteen years to 630 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:53,840 Speaker 1: nineteen forty six and to another English explorer, wiest fellow 631 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 1: named named Wilfrid Fessiga. Actually, uh uh, maybe it's Wilfred 632 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 1: this the seizure. I don't know how to say. Wow, 633 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:10,839 Speaker 1: it's it's English messenger maybe little British Polish on it. 634 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 1: I think he nailed it. It It couldn't. It could be 635 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:23,000 Speaker 1: the Seeger. Well, we'll call Wilfordsager. Well, so, uh, he's 636 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:27,240 Speaker 1: hanging out in a place called Shissir. It's in southern 637 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,879 Speaker 1: Oman he's hanging out by this well, that's that's over there, 638 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,400 Speaker 1: just in an area, let's an undefined area. And he 639 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:38,680 Speaker 1: notes that he's seeing some kinds of crude stone, some 640 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 1: kind of ruins maybe from a fort. You see him 641 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 1: on this rocky eminence. That's a quote there about the 642 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:49,399 Speaker 1: eminence and some of the things that he finds there, 643 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 1: let's let's call them shards. Uh, some of the things 644 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,480 Speaker 1: he finds an area maybe in his opinion, they may 645 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,720 Speaker 1: be early Islamic. And you know, he tells the Royal 646 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: Geographic Society do but nothing you know, official comes out 647 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 1: of it. There's no like exploration in the moment because 648 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:14,880 Speaker 1: of this guy Wilfred passagers experience. But people remember, right, people, 649 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:21,239 Speaker 1: people are keeping no. Just two years later, party of 650 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:26,920 Speaker 1: Bedouins and oil company employees are traveling there. They're surveying 651 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:31,280 Speaker 1: no far province. This is of course, part of Western 652 00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 1: Europe's um state sponsored push to divide up the territories 653 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:42,800 Speaker 1: for resource acquisition. Right. And they first see this place, 654 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:48,440 Speaker 1: sir or also called ash this year. Uh. They're approaching 655 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:50,759 Speaker 1: it from the south and the the first thing they see 656 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 1: is this white cliff in the distance. As they get 657 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,920 Speaker 1: closer they say, Hey, this cliff is not just a cliff, 658 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,240 Speaker 1: it's man made. It's the wall of a ruined fort, 659 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:05,840 Speaker 1: and it's built above this large cave, and there's an 660 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: entrance to this cave, but it's obscured by a sand dune. 661 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:13,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just I am pictured. I don't know 662 00:44:13,200 --> 00:44:15,320 Speaker 1: about you guys, but I am picturing like this crazy 663 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:18,359 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones music in my head. They found the fort 664 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,440 Speaker 1: had been built from the same white rock as that cliff, 665 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:26,160 Speaker 1: and this gave them this to them, it seemed to 666 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 1: indicate that this whole thing was a single structure. One 667 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,640 Speaker 1: of the geologists said, you know, there are no houses 668 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:37,799 Speaker 1: or tents or people here. There's just this tumble down 669 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 1: ruin and the spurt Islamic fort wamp wamp. Because the 670 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:46,799 Speaker 1: geologists didn't have modern satellites. God, we're throwing so many 671 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 1: spoilers in this. They didn't have archaeological equipment. They were 672 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: unimpressed by the ruin. They were like, there's not even 673 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:59,359 Speaker 1: oil here. Bro uh. In fact, their guides and them, 674 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 1: they all referred to it as quote difficult water because 675 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 1: it was the only watering hole for miles and miles 676 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 1: and miles around and they had to spend three days 677 00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:16,080 Speaker 1: trying to get water from this dying well for their camels. 678 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,600 Speaker 1: So it's like they they stopped in a place because 679 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:23,440 Speaker 1: it had one thing that they needed they barely had that. 680 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 1: They wrote down a one star review of it in 681 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 1: their Yelp travel journal, and then they dipped out. But 682 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:36,160 Speaker 1: all of those things that happened, we're still on a record. 683 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 1: Fast forward, uh to the eighties and nineties. Yeah, that's right, 684 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:48,680 Speaker 1: zero Michelin stars for just served before that. Now jump 685 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:54,160 Speaker 1: to same area. There's a just before we get into this, 686 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 1: there is a fantastic New York Times Old School are 687 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: Goal from nine two. I think there was written about 688 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:05,560 Speaker 1: this that we recommend you go check out. The title 689 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,680 Speaker 1: of it is on the Trail from the Sky Rhodes 690 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,879 Speaker 1: Point to a Lost City. So if before we talk 691 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:13,839 Speaker 1: about it, if you want to read it, hey, good 692 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 1: stuff in there. Um. So, there's there's a filmmaker from 693 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:22,920 Speaker 1: Los Angeles named Nicholas Clapp. Uh really really cool spelling. 694 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:24,759 Speaker 1: By the way. I don't know if he spells it 695 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:28,160 Speaker 1: that way because of a Screenwriter's Guild thing, but C 696 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 1: L A P. P is his last name. Um, you know, 697 00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: he's one of those guys. It's it's the nineties. This 698 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: guy has grown up with a fascination of you know, 699 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 1: the the romantic mystery that exists out there in ancient 700 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:46,920 Speaker 1: you know, Arabia and the sands as well as you 701 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,759 Speaker 1: know this the concept of these huge caravanning um Frankensten's 702 00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:56,879 Speaker 1: trade that that's occurring, right. Um. And he goes out 703 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:01,400 Speaker 1: to that same areas, just sir. And really what he 704 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:03,839 Speaker 1: wants to do is use that new technology that has 705 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: been developed since people have been looking at this place, 706 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 1: and he wants to you know, he really just wants 707 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,320 Speaker 1: to discover this place, right, and he ends up finding 708 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:17,720 Speaker 1: things things that have never been found out there before. Yeah. 709 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 1: So he assembles this, um, this crew of of specialists, 710 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:29,399 Speaker 1: as you said, to investigate. Uh. They include financial backers. Uh. 711 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:35,839 Speaker 1: They also include uh, scientists from JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratories. 712 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:40,520 Speaker 1: And then he also gets with Randolph Finds, who yes, 713 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 1: is related to the actor Ralph Finds who plays Voltemore. 714 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:47,720 Speaker 1: I thought you would enjoy that, Paul. He also plays 715 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:52,080 Speaker 1: a protect the antagonist in Red Dragon. Uh in the 716 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:56,600 Speaker 1: Silence of the Lamps franchise. Anyhow, Uh, he has his relative. 717 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:00,160 Speaker 1: Randolph finds he's a well to do European and he 718 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:04,799 Speaker 1: is also affiliated with the Sultan of Oman, so he's 719 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: kind of their fixer on the ground. So they get 720 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:13,360 Speaker 1: together and they're they're reviewing this footage from the satellites 721 00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:15,640 Speaker 1: and again there's a very early days of this. This 722 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:19,080 Speaker 1: is before your widespread use of a lot of other 723 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:22,400 Speaker 1: technologies that people have today. But they see things that 724 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:24,359 Speaker 1: you wouldn't see if you're walking on the ground. One 725 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:26,840 Speaker 1: of the most important things they find is a network 726 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:32,879 Speaker 1: of ancient camel tracks caravan roots that seem to converge 727 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:35,480 Speaker 1: on a couple of different places. One of them is 728 00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:40,840 Speaker 1: Asta Sure in Oman. And this is like they you know, 729 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,280 Speaker 1: they do all the ground, they do all the mental 730 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: legwork they can before they go there because it's a 731 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:49,959 Speaker 1: bit of a journey. So their first ground exploration takes 732 00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:53,919 Speaker 1: place in they learned so much stuff and that's where 733 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,880 Speaker 1: we get to that that breathless like old school in 734 00:48:57,120 --> 00:49:00,560 Speaker 1: yt headline on the Trail from the Sky own points 735 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:03,880 Speaker 1: to a lost city and then it begins with this 736 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:08,480 Speaker 1: beautiful quotation. It's the first sentence is just is just 737 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 1: solid gold. Mattieve do you have maybe like a I 738 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:15,520 Speaker 1: almost hate to ask, do you have a Transatlantic voice 739 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:18,680 Speaker 1: for this one? Yeah, okay, I'll do it. Guided by 740 00:49:18,719 --> 00:49:23,000 Speaker 1: ancient maps and sharp eyed surveys from space, archaeologists and 741 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:27,120 Speaker 1: explorers have discovered a lost city deep in the sands 742 00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:32,399 Speaker 1: of Arabia. They are virtually sure it is Ubar, the 743 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:37,720 Speaker 1: fabled entropos of the rich frankincense trade thousands of years 744 00:49:37,719 --> 00:49:43,520 Speaker 1: ago and it continues. Yes, and now doesn't seem to 745 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:46,839 Speaker 1: be much question that we have discovered or monum emporium, 746 00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:51,800 Speaker 1: says Dr Joris ar Artist, the expeditions chief archaeologist Losight. 747 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,799 Speaker 1: He has is very rich, no doubt about it. So 748 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:59,200 Speaker 1: is this the real Ubar? You know? Under the direction 749 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:04,080 Speaker 1: of Doctor's errands, the team starts digging. They excavate the 750 00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:07,919 Speaker 1: walls and towers of this fortress. They're working fast. They 751 00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:11,400 Speaker 1: find a site that dates back more than two thousand years. 752 00:50:11,640 --> 00:50:14,840 Speaker 1: How can they work that fast? You know? Archaeological digs 753 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:18,320 Speaker 1: are a huge issue in the Middle East, and because 754 00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:21,399 Speaker 1: there's so many ancient civilizations, because there are so many 755 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:25,440 Speaker 1: modern civilizations of war over history right now, they're able 756 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:30,160 Speaker 1: to do this again because Ranald Finds is buddy buddy 757 00:50:30,239 --> 00:50:34,760 Speaker 1: with the Sultan. What he says goes So doctors Arns 758 00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:40,400 Speaker 1: doesn't just find this this ancient site, he also find 759 00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:43,399 Speaker 1: is able to trace its demise a little bit. And 760 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:47,920 Speaker 1: he says, uh, look, the site has this huge sinkhole 761 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:50,840 Speaker 1: kind of bisecting it if you look at the pictures, 762 00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:55,239 Speaker 1: and he says, it fell sometime between a D three 763 00:50:55,320 --> 00:50:58,280 Speaker 1: hundred in a D five hundred. And if you recall 764 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:01,200 Speaker 1: earlier at the top of the show, we said a 765 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:05,160 Speaker 1: D three is about when the frankincense trade is suspected 766 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 1: to have declined. Interesting, right, And you know, when you 767 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:13,120 Speaker 1: keep thinking about it in this way, if there was 768 00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:17,279 Speaker 1: some kind of cataclysm or a huge earthquake or a 769 00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 1: big sinkhole that formed and sucked in everything pretty quickly 770 00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:24,160 Speaker 1: over the course of you know, even a couple of years, 771 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:28,240 Speaker 1: you can imagine how perhaps that would have been blamed 772 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:31,080 Speaker 1: on an act of God of some sort. Mm hmmm. 773 00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:36,239 Speaker 1: And and he says specifically, it's like, look, you know 774 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:40,040 Speaker 1: there is fossil water here. Uh. Fossil water is something 775 00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:43,439 Speaker 1: we talked about a little bit um and our work 776 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:47,239 Speaker 1: on Libya years ago. Uh. Fossil water is a non 777 00:51:47,320 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 1: renewable source of potable or drinkable water, and says kind 778 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:54,680 Speaker 1: of how this oasis was working, But it was also 779 00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:58,120 Speaker 1: built over limestone, and so is more and more people 780 00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: and animals and agriculture. Because that irrigation schemes, more and 781 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:06,920 Speaker 1: more things started draining more and more water. It probably 782 00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:11,279 Speaker 1: contributed to uh an earthquake, or maybe it was the 783 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:15,520 Speaker 1: primary cause of this collapse. So the thing fell, the 784 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:19,919 Speaker 1: center could not hold. However, doctor Arns himself is quick 785 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:23,440 Speaker 1: to point out that there might be a chicken and 786 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:26,680 Speaker 1: egg thing because if Franken sent straight, if the Franking 787 00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:30,279 Speaker 1: sin Strade was still you know, doing Gangbusters, then there 788 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:33,040 Speaker 1: would have been enough finance, right, there would have been 789 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:41,520 Speaker 1: enough um political will to rebuild this lost place. And 790 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:45,120 Speaker 1: that all depends on whether our modern idea of u 791 00:52:45,200 --> 00:52:50,440 Speaker 1: bar existed at all, because she doc Z is not convinced. 792 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:53,400 Speaker 1: He's not. And by the way, it also depends on 793 00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:56,160 Speaker 1: whether or not they could actually get water if if 794 00:52:56,280 --> 00:53:00,520 Speaker 1: that you know that fossil water was actually the reason 795 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:02,799 Speaker 1: that caused the collapse. But but let's let's talk about 796 00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:06,040 Speaker 1: drs Errands and why he was unsure, because there was 797 00:53:06,120 --> 00:53:09,319 Speaker 1: this great interview with him from Nova. If If you 798 00:53:09,360 --> 00:53:12,400 Speaker 1: haven't watched a lot of Nova and you're listening to this, 799 00:53:12,600 --> 00:53:16,239 Speaker 1: I highly recommend you do. It's really great. Um. They're 800 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:19,040 Speaker 1: not a sponsor, but I very much enjoyed the programming 801 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:22,200 Speaker 1: with with the stuff they put out there. Um. But 802 00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:25,160 Speaker 1: they were speaking with him about Ubar, and we've got 803 00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:27,640 Speaker 1: a quote from him. He says, there's a lot of 804 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:30,920 Speaker 1: confusion about that word talking about Ubar. If you look 805 00:53:30,960 --> 00:53:33,879 Speaker 1: at the classical texts and the Arab historical sources, Ubar 806 00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:36,799 Speaker 1: refers to a region and a group of people, not 807 00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:40,600 Speaker 1: to a specific town. People always overlook that. It's very 808 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:43,400 Speaker 1: clear on Ptolemy second century map of the area, it 809 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:47,480 Speaker 1: says in big letters law Bitarte, and in his text 810 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:50,600 Speaker 1: that accompanies the maps, he's very clear about that. It 811 00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:53,960 Speaker 1: was only the late medieval version of the one thousand 812 00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:57,040 Speaker 1: and one Nights in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that 813 00:53:57,160 --> 00:54:00,640 Speaker 1: romanticized Dubar and turned it into a city rather than 814 00:54:00,680 --> 00:54:04,000 Speaker 1: a region or a people. Instead, he says, she's here. 815 00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:07,279 Speaker 1: The site they found is one of maybe three or 816 00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:12,040 Speaker 1: four major trade and civilization centers of the uber Right 817 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:16,359 Speaker 1: at a time when this tribal group, the uber Rights, 818 00:54:16,719 --> 00:54:22,000 Speaker 1: thrived along the edges of the empty quarter. So he's 819 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:24,520 Speaker 1: saying that they didn't discover the mythical city, but in 820 00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:27,440 Speaker 1: a way that they discovered something more important. They discovered 821 00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:31,600 Speaker 1: the truth that inspired the myth. We have to remember 822 00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:36,120 Speaker 1: that when people saw this city, they were seeing it 823 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:41,960 Speaker 1: after seven eight days journey through utter desolation, no food, 824 00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:46,399 Speaker 1: no water. We also have to understand that when when 825 00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:48,520 Speaker 1: they saw like when you see it now. You can 826 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:52,759 Speaker 1: see photographs of the ruins today along with artist depictions 827 00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:56,839 Speaker 1: of how the actual fortress looked at its time, right, 828 00:54:57,280 --> 00:55:00,880 Speaker 1: and the fortress itself, especially after you've at all these myths, 829 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:04,040 Speaker 1: it looks a little underwhelming, honestly, But you have to 830 00:55:04,080 --> 00:55:08,080 Speaker 1: consider that many of the people who are living there, 831 00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:11,160 Speaker 1: who were populating it, even on a permanent basis, they 832 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:14,960 Speaker 1: weren't living in this relatively small fortress. They were living 833 00:55:15,040 --> 00:55:19,520 Speaker 1: outside around it. They were living in large tents that 834 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:21,640 Speaker 1: you could open up to catch a breeze and things 835 00:55:21,719 --> 00:55:24,200 Speaker 1: like that. They would probably only be in the fortress 836 00:55:24,640 --> 00:55:27,440 Speaker 1: if there were some sort of siege or attack. It 837 00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:30,399 Speaker 1: reminds me like it doesn't okay, it doesn't look like 838 00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:33,279 Speaker 1: a shining city of pillars in the pictures of the 839 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:37,000 Speaker 1: ruins or even in the artistic depictions. Uh. But you know, 840 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 1: then again, for anyone who's seeing the Tower of London 841 00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:43,520 Speaker 1: and stuff, doesn't look like a skyscraper, right, we have 842 00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:47,160 Speaker 1: very different definitions of towers hundreds of years ago, you 843 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:49,960 Speaker 1: know what I mean? Anything over two three three floors 844 00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:53,040 Speaker 1: that's a tower. Oh absolutely. And I really like your 845 00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:56,560 Speaker 1: point there of just to reach that area, no matter 846 00:55:56,760 --> 00:55:59,319 Speaker 1: for what reason you're traveling through or you know, to 847 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:03,160 Speaker 1: get there, you would have been on a perilous journey. Um. 848 00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:05,759 Speaker 1: This is a weird kind of way to think about it. 849 00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:08,520 Speaker 1: But I you shot a picture into my head, been 850 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:11,440 Speaker 1: of a day that I worked a full day, like, 851 00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:15,280 Speaker 1: let's say, eight nine hours, then immediately after that shot 852 00:56:16,120 --> 00:56:20,040 Speaker 1: a film festival forty eight hours thing immediately following a 853 00:56:20,080 --> 00:56:23,279 Speaker 1: full day of work, and I hadn't eaten food in 854 00:56:23,320 --> 00:56:29,040 Speaker 1: like thirty hours or something, and somebody suggested getting popeyees. 855 00:56:29,239 --> 00:56:31,279 Speaker 1: I didn't know what that was. I tried it for 856 00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:34,319 Speaker 1: the first time with my wife and it was the 857 00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:36,680 Speaker 1: best piece of chicken I had ever eaten in my life. 858 00:56:37,080 --> 00:56:40,359 Speaker 1: Now is that because it was actually the best piece 859 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 1: of chicken? Or is it because I was starved? Or 860 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:46,880 Speaker 1: I felt starving, and you know, I was so hungry 861 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:50,200 Speaker 1: that this just became a prized thing in that moment. 862 00:56:50,440 --> 00:56:53,480 Speaker 1: I wonder if that experience is correct. And that's it's 863 00:56:53,480 --> 00:56:55,719 Speaker 1: a really great point, Ben, that's I mean, you're making 864 00:56:55,760 --> 00:56:58,359 Speaker 1: a really great point too. And and not to date 865 00:56:58,400 --> 00:57:00,840 Speaker 1: you there, Matt, but that is before of the famous 866 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:03,600 Speaker 1: chicken sandwich that was just like you got a two 867 00:57:03,719 --> 00:57:08,040 Speaker 1: or three piece right with a Biscuit's true? Yeah, I mean, 868 00:57:08,080 --> 00:57:10,560 Speaker 1: I still I stand by Popeyes. This is not an 869 00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:14,759 Speaker 1: advertisement for Popeyees, but I think, at least here in Atlanta, 870 00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:17,439 Speaker 1: one thing we love about Popeyees is you can tell 871 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:19,800 Speaker 1: how good the chickens are going to be by like 872 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:24,240 Speaker 1: how abrasive. The people who work there are the best, 873 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:27,680 Speaker 1: the probably some of the best. Popeyes uh here in 874 00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:30,240 Speaker 1: our our neck of the Global Woods is right down 875 00:57:30,320 --> 00:57:34,080 Speaker 1: the street from our office, where famously, I don't know 876 00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:36,720 Speaker 1: about you, I I went there for lunch one day. 877 00:57:37,040 --> 00:57:38,640 Speaker 1: I was just trying to pick up some neto is 878 00:57:38,680 --> 00:57:41,440 Speaker 1: in a hurry, and when I pulled up at the 879 00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:43,919 Speaker 1: drive through, the person on the other end said, what 880 00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:50,880 Speaker 1: it's a one to one ratio? How good the chicken 881 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:55,120 Speaker 1: is gonna be and how much grief you get. But 882 00:57:55,200 --> 00:57:57,200 Speaker 1: I think you make a really great point about the 883 00:57:57,280 --> 00:58:01,080 Speaker 1: psychology of people. They're because because you know, you are 884 00:58:01,200 --> 00:58:04,240 Speaker 1: going into a place that a looked much more impressive 885 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:08,240 Speaker 1: when it was in its glory days before it collapsed, 886 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:11,440 Speaker 1: back when there were hundreds of people there, there was 887 00:58:11,520 --> 00:58:14,960 Speaker 1: irrigation and stuff. Uh, it looked much better and people 888 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:18,600 Speaker 1: were much more appreciative because some of them probably came 889 00:58:18,640 --> 00:58:21,920 Speaker 1: pretty close to dying while they were risking their lives 890 00:58:21,920 --> 00:58:25,760 Speaker 1: and their fortunes in the Frankinstin's trade. So there really 891 00:58:26,040 --> 00:58:29,440 Speaker 1: was there an ubar of myth? Probably not? Was there 892 00:58:29,480 --> 00:58:33,200 Speaker 1: a real place upon which hubar is based? Yes, and 893 00:58:33,240 --> 00:58:37,400 Speaker 1: we probably found it. This is a real life's case 894 00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:40,360 Speaker 1: of a lost city that was found, like the lost 895 00:58:40,360 --> 00:58:44,360 Speaker 1: City of Troy. And you know, if it looks disappointing, 896 00:58:44,560 --> 00:58:48,680 Speaker 1: and the Tower of London, example, is maybe a little disappointing. 897 00:58:48,720 --> 00:58:52,360 Speaker 1: To let's be further disappointing. The Pyramids used to look 898 00:58:52,400 --> 00:58:55,800 Speaker 1: way better. Those things used to be painted like you know, 899 00:58:55,880 --> 00:58:58,400 Speaker 1: I wish people would point that out more. They used 900 00:58:58,440 --> 00:59:03,360 Speaker 1: to be more colorful. Anyway. Uh, this this fortress was 901 00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:06,760 Speaker 1: surrounded by smaller villages that stretched out as far as 902 00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:11,800 Speaker 1: six miles. It was. Um, it's an example kind of 903 00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:15,240 Speaker 1: of what's called a caravan Sarah that because you know, 904 00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:19,240 Speaker 1: a roadhouse, a stop on the road. Um. You know, 905 00:59:19,280 --> 00:59:22,800 Speaker 1: like the same kind of thing that made Samarcans in 906 00:59:22,880 --> 00:59:28,280 Speaker 1: Rezbekistan a huge global force, regional force it was. It's 907 00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:33,320 Speaker 1: it's like, imagine if the only gas station for hundreds 908 00:59:33,320 --> 00:59:39,720 Speaker 1: and hundreds of miles uh became a town. That's that's 909 00:59:39,840 --> 00:59:41,880 Speaker 1: another way to look at it. And I don't think 910 00:59:41,960 --> 00:59:45,560 Speaker 1: I don't think that's pejorative or dismissive at all. It's amazing. 911 00:59:46,040 --> 00:59:50,360 Speaker 1: So maybe in conclusion, maybe the game of telephone strikes again. 912 00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:53,240 Speaker 1: I know that's disappointed to some people. That's amazing to me. 913 00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:55,600 Speaker 1: I love it. And he only makes me think, Man, 914 00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:58,520 Speaker 1: I don't know about you may wonder what else is 915 00:59:58,520 --> 01:00:01,400 Speaker 1: out there. It's got to be more. That's exactly what 916 01:00:01,440 --> 01:00:03,640 Speaker 1: I was gonna say. Just because we found this one 917 01:00:03,920 --> 01:00:07,120 Speaker 1: doesn't mean other stuff isn't out there. We haven't fully 918 01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:10,560 Speaker 1: light ard that desert yet, at least I'm pretty sure 919 01:00:10,560 --> 01:00:13,120 Speaker 1: we haven't, because it would take a lot of light 920 01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:16,600 Speaker 1: er to go through that desert. But I'm just telling 921 01:00:16,600 --> 01:00:22,120 Speaker 1: you like my excitement for possibilities out there in the 922 01:00:22,200 --> 01:00:25,760 Speaker 1: shifting sands. It remains peaked, and it will stay that 923 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:29,760 Speaker 1: way for a good time. Yeah, And it will probably 924 01:00:29,920 --> 01:00:33,480 Speaker 1: have to stay a sense of excitement and anticipation for 925 01:00:33,520 --> 01:00:36,080 Speaker 1: a while because you know, so much of that part 926 01:00:36,080 --> 01:00:40,680 Speaker 1: of the world is embroiled in political instability. There are 927 01:00:40,720 --> 01:00:45,720 Speaker 1: war zones, you know, in seats of ancient human civilization, 928 01:00:45,920 --> 01:00:48,680 Speaker 1: and we're really they're being destroyed right right, And we're 929 01:00:48,680 --> 01:00:53,120 Speaker 1: really faced with we're faced with a powerful dilemma, which is, 930 01:00:53,680 --> 01:00:57,400 Speaker 1: you know, um, will our species be able to come 931 01:00:57,440 --> 01:01:03,120 Speaker 1: together and save it past? It's collective past, Make no mistake, 932 01:01:03,320 --> 01:01:07,240 Speaker 1: you know, the the ancient history of the Middle East. 933 01:01:07,280 --> 01:01:09,560 Speaker 1: If you're listening to this, it is part of your 934 01:01:09,680 --> 01:01:14,439 Speaker 1: history too. You trace yourself back far enough, it's it's 935 01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:17,920 Speaker 1: part of your history somehow. So it's it's our collective 936 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:20,880 Speaker 1: responsibility to try to keep it around for those who 937 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:23,840 Speaker 1: come after. We're just as we said in the very 938 01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:28,040 Speaker 1: very beginning, we're very very good at losing things. Let's 939 01:01:28,040 --> 01:01:31,200 Speaker 1: hope we get a little bit better at rediscovering and 940 01:01:31,240 --> 01:01:33,919 Speaker 1: preserving them. Um, let us know what you think about 941 01:01:33,960 --> 01:01:37,280 Speaker 1: today's episode. We've run a little long, but we hope 942 01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:39,880 Speaker 1: you enjoyed it. Uh. You can find us on Facebook 943 01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:41,600 Speaker 1: and can find us on Instagram. You can find us 944 01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:45,440 Speaker 1: on Twitter. Were Conspiracy Stuff on Facebook and Twitter. We're 945 01:01:46,040 --> 01:01:50,600 Speaker 1: We're Conspiracy Stuff show on Instagram. But personally, if you're 946 01:01:50,600 --> 01:01:54,240 Speaker 1: a Facebook person, do check out our Facebook page. Here's 947 01:01:54,240 --> 01:01:56,040 Speaker 1: where it gets crazy. You can meet some of the 948 01:01:56,040 --> 01:01:58,400 Speaker 1: best mods in the business and the best part of 949 01:01:58,400 --> 01:02:01,720 Speaker 1: this show. You are fellow less stres. Yes, please do 950 01:02:02,680 --> 01:02:05,960 Speaker 1: if you are a Facebook user. If you're not, and 951 01:02:06,040 --> 01:02:09,160 Speaker 1: you have a cellular phone or a mobile phone or 952 01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:12,479 Speaker 1: a landline, you can call the number one eight three 953 01:02:12,560 --> 01:02:16,160 Speaker 1: three st d w y t K and you can 954 01:02:16,200 --> 01:02:19,160 Speaker 1: leave us a message that Ben and I will certainly hear. 955 01:02:19,320 --> 01:02:22,680 Speaker 1: Noel likely will as well. Paul refuses to listen to 956 01:02:22,720 --> 01:02:27,000 Speaker 1: your messages on on account of principle that his ears 957 01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:29,400 Speaker 1: can only be used for a certain number of hours 958 01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:32,240 Speaker 1: every day and he's generally producing or having to listen 959 01:02:32,280 --> 01:02:35,680 Speaker 1: to us. Uh, but we do look forward to hearing 960 01:02:35,720 --> 01:02:38,760 Speaker 1: from you your thoughts on this episode or on future episodes, 961 01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:41,600 Speaker 1: or just chatting with us, or you know, talking to 962 01:02:41,680 --> 01:02:44,439 Speaker 1: us about your favorite magic the gathering cards, or how 963 01:02:45,280 --> 01:02:48,680 Speaker 1: Thomas middle Dish on the New Special talks about it 964 01:02:48,720 --> 01:02:51,600 Speaker 1: in episode two a lot and it made me smile. Oh, 965 01:02:51,720 --> 01:02:54,560 Speaker 1: just all day long thinking about Thomas middle Ditch playing 966 01:02:54,560 --> 01:03:00,840 Speaker 1: Magic the Gathering. Yeah that's really good. Yeah, do check 967 01:03:00,880 --> 01:03:03,920 Speaker 1: that out. Uh. And also if none of that quite 968 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:07,880 Speaker 1: bags your badgers where if you are more comfortable with 969 01:03:08,080 --> 01:03:12,320 Speaker 1: a little bit more an nimity, please remember you can 970 01:03:12,440 --> 01:03:16,920 Speaker 1: always contact us to talk about law, civilizations, Magic the Gathering, 971 01:03:17,240 --> 01:03:22,280 Speaker 1: Harry Potter, Popeye's Chicken, whatever, whatever crosses your mind. We 972 01:03:22,320 --> 01:03:24,520 Speaker 1: would love to hear from you, and we have an 973 01:03:24,600 --> 01:03:26,560 Speaker 1: easy way for you to do it. It will be 974 01:03:26,600 --> 01:03:28,600 Speaker 1: on as long as we have this show around. It's 975 01:03:28,640 --> 01:03:32,480 Speaker 1: our good old fashioned email address. We are conspiracy at 976 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:54,080 Speaker 1: iHeart radio dot com. Stuff they don't want you to 977 01:03:54,120 --> 01:03:56,919 Speaker 1: know is a production of I heart Radio. For more 978 01:03:56,960 --> 01:04:00,720 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app podcasts, 979 01:04:00,760 --> 01:04:02,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,