1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,279 Speaker 1: All right, So imagine this. You're walking across your property 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,240 and you know, just had a fire go through, the 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,080 smell of smoke is still hanging in the air, and 4 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,199 you find something totally strange laying there, just a perfectly smooth, 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,199 heavy metal sphere. And at first glance you might think, oh, 6 00:00:16,199 --> 00:00:19,079 this is just some weird industrial parts. Someone lost this thing. 7 00:00:19,519 --> 00:00:22,719 But then weeks go by, and this thing starts humming 8 00:00:22,839 --> 00:00:26,760 when you play music, really starts rolling around on its own, stopping, 9 00:00:26,879 --> 00:00:30,480 changing direction, almost as if it's alive. Wow, And even 10 00:00:30,559 --> 00:00:32,159 some accounts of it rolling uphill. 11 00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 2: No way. 12 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,679 Speaker 1: This is the story of the Bets Sphere, an object 13 00:00:36,679 --> 00:00:40,240 that baffled scientists and the military. And we're going to 14 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,960 do a deep dive on this enigma today based on 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:43,840 the information you share. 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,679 Speaker 2: It's one of those stories that I think as soon 17 00:00:45,719 --> 00:00:47,280 as you hear it, you're just hooked. 18 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:47,759 Speaker 1: Yeah. 19 00:00:47,799 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 2: And what's so interesting is that this is not one 20 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,479 of those stories where you have, you know, people who 21 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,520 are maybe prone to flights of fancy or anything like that. 22 00:00:54,799 --> 00:00:57,079 This is a family who seemed to be pretty down 23 00:00:57,079 --> 00:00:58,280 to earth, right. 24 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: So Antoine and Jerry Betts, Yeah, they owned this eighty 25 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,120 eight acre property on Fort George Island in Florida, and 26 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,079 it's a spring in nineteen seventy four and a fire 27 00:01:07,159 --> 00:01:11,920 had just swept through their property. And Antoine Betts was 28 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:12,599 a marine. 29 00:01:12,359 --> 00:01:15,359 Speaker 2: Engineer, oh so a technical mind, a very technical. 30 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: Mind, someone who you would think would be very grounded, exactly. 31 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,680 And Jerry Betts was an artist. And their home that 32 00:01:21,719 --> 00:01:25,239 they lived in wasn't some little shack. It was a 33 00:01:25,439 --> 00:01:29,280 mansion that they nicknamed the Castle. So these were not 34 00:01:29,359 --> 00:01:33,599 people who were living on the fringes. These were established 35 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:34,680 members of their community. 36 00:01:34,719 --> 00:01:36,439 Speaker 2: And this is important, right because it gives a sense 37 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,640 of credibility to what they're going to encounter in the 38 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,120 store that's going to unfold exactly. 39 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,519 Speaker 1: They weren't looking for attention, just landed in their laps, 40 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,040 and what they find is this sphere about eight inches 41 00:01:47,079 --> 00:01:49,920 in diameters, a little smaller than a bowling ball, and 42 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,239 weighs a surprising twenty one pounds. So that's a heavy 43 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,560 little thing. Yeah. And the way they find it is 44 00:01:54,719 --> 00:01:57,200 their son, Terry, who's twenty one at the time, is 45 00:01:57,239 --> 00:02:00,239 walking the property after the fire and he spots this 46 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,640 thing laying there. Yeah, picks it up and perfectly smooth like, 47 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,280 there's no seams, no wells or anything, just a few 48 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,879 little scuffs on it. And there's one marking on it, 49 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,879 a tiny little three millimeters triangle that looks like it 50 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,319 was maybe etched or stamped into the surface. 51 00:02:15,599 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: And you said, perfectly smooth metal. What kind of metal 52 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:19,280 were talking about. 53 00:02:19,159 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: Well, they don't know at this point. It's just a 54 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,719 heavy metallic sphere. So Terry takes it home, puts it 55 00:02:24,759 --> 00:02:27,120 on his window sill, and for a few weeks it 56 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:28,400 just sits there, just this. 57 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 2: You know, inert curiosity sit in there. 58 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: And then a few weeks later things start to get 59 00:02:32,599 --> 00:02:35,759 really weird. All right, Well, Terry and a friend are 60 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,039 in his room and they're just, you know, casually playing guitar, 61 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,599 and they hear this faint humming sound and they kind 62 00:02:43,599 --> 00:02:45,759 of look around. What is that and they realize it's 63 00:02:45,759 --> 00:02:48,560 coming from the sphere, no way, and then they stop 64 00:02:48,599 --> 00:02:52,319 playing the guitar, listen closely, and after about a minute, 65 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,919 the humming fades away and they probably think nothing of it, right, 66 00:02:56,039 --> 00:02:58,000 maybe it was the house settling or something like that. 67 00:02:58,439 --> 00:03:00,800 But then it happens again, and this Terry starts to 68 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,560 strum his guitar, very deliberately, and he realizes that this 69 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,599 fear is actually vibrating in response to the notes that 70 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,960 he's playing. Wow. And the louder he plays, the more 71 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,680 intense the vibrations become. And then it starts to make 72 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:15,599 this buzzing sound. 73 00:03:16,159 --> 00:03:17,159 Speaker 2: That's wild. 74 00:03:17,439 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, And to add another layer of weirdness, the family 75 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:24,439 dog at this point is starting to whine and act 76 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:25,800 very agitated by this. 77 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 2: That's so interesting because you know, sometimes animals they can 78 00:03:28,759 --> 00:03:31,599 perceive these subtle cues, these subtle things going on, whether 79 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,039 it's sound, vibrations, whatever, it is, right that we as 80 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:35,759 humans we don't pick up on. So I think that's 81 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,039 a really interesting detail. 82 00:03:37,439 --> 00:03:39,479 Speaker 1: Definitely adds to the mystery for sure. 83 00:03:39,639 --> 00:03:40,039 Speaker 2: Yeah. 84 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,479 Speaker 1: And so Terry, being you know, further intrigued by all this, 85 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,479 decides to tap it with a hammer, oh, just gently, 86 00:03:46,639 --> 00:03:49,360 and instead of like a dull thud you know what 87 00:03:49,479 --> 00:03:52,120 you would expect from a solid metal ball, it makes 88 00:03:52,159 --> 00:03:55,280 this clear, ringing sound. Wow, almost like a bell. Okay, 89 00:03:55,319 --> 00:03:57,199 And this kind of suggests that there is something going 90 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,680 on inside that it's not completely. 91 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: Solid, right, It's not what it appears to be on 92 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:01,800 the outside. 93 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, And the sounds of vibrations were just the beginning. 94 00:04:04,599 --> 00:04:07,199 Perry brings the fear into the living room to show 95 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,960 his parents. Yeah, he sets it down on a table 96 00:04:10,479 --> 00:04:13,039 and they're all looking at it, and before anyone can 97 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,240 even touch it, the sphere starts to move on its own. 98 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:20,040 No one's touching it, there's no strings attached to it 99 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,639 or anything. This thing just starts rolling across the table. 100 00:04:22,879 --> 00:04:25,639 Speaker 2: So this is the point where it moves beyond just 101 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,879 making sounds and you know, responding to stimuli, to actually 102 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,759 having this sort of what appears to be volitional movement. 103 00:04:33,439 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: Self motivated movement. 104 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. 105 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,879 Speaker 1: And the way it moves is also really strange. 106 00:04:36,959 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 2: Okay. 107 00:04:37,439 --> 00:04:40,319 Speaker 1: It'll roll away and it'll stop abruptly, vibrate for a 108 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,800 little bit, and then change direction. And sometimes it'll roll 109 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:45,680 away from you and then roll back to you. 110 00:04:45,639 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 2: Like it's coming back to you. 111 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Wow. And the duration of this varies. Sometimes it's 112 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,600 just a few seconds, sometimes it can last for five minutes. 113 00:04:52,879 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 2: Okay. 114 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,879 Speaker 1: On one occasion, it was reported to have moved on 115 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,480 its own for twelve minutes twelve minutes before finally coming 116 00:04:59,519 --> 00:05:00,000 to a stop. 117 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 2: So that suggests some kind of internal source of energy 118 00:05:04,319 --> 00:05:08,279 or preculsion. That's keeping it going for that length of time. 119 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's not like you know, if you put 120 00:05:10,879 --> 00:05:12,680 a ball on a table and it rolls off the edge, 121 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,399 that's gravity at play. But this is just moving around 122 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,000 on a level surface, seemingly level surface for you know, 123 00:05:20,079 --> 00:05:21,079 up to twelve minutes. 124 00:05:21,319 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 2: Right. 125 00:05:21,759 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: So they initially the family thinks, okay, maybe this is 126 00:05:24,199 --> 00:05:27,720 some sort of gyroscope, but then they quickly realize that 127 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,000 gyroscopes don't chase people or respond to music exactly. So 128 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:34,720 they decide to do some more experiments, and they put 129 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,839 the sphere on their glass topped coffee table and they 130 00:05:38,879 --> 00:05:41,519 push it toward the edge, and instead of falling off 131 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,600 the edge, it rolls right up to the brink and 132 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:46,160 then stops like it knows right, and then it'll turn 133 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:48,000 around and roll back to the center of the table. 134 00:05:48,199 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 2: So it seems to be reacting to its environment in 135 00:05:50,959 --> 00:05:53,399 some way, like it can sense those boundaries. 136 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: But here's where things go from just weird to bananas, 137 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,040 as Jerry Bett's put it. Okay, they lift up one 138 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,879 end of the table to create an incline, thinking okay, well, 139 00:06:03,879 --> 00:06:05,639 now it's just going to roll off, but instead of 140 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,720 rolling down the incline. It rolls up the incline no way. Yeah, 141 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,519 so it's seeming to defy gravity. 142 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,759 Speaker 2: That's the detail that really blows your mind. That's where 143 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,079 you really have to kind of re examine everything you 144 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,279 think you know about how the world works. 145 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: And then Jerry Betts also described when she would shake 146 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,959 this fear and put it back down. Yeah, she said 147 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,240 it felt like a huge Mexican jumping bean trying to 148 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:29,000 get away from her. 149 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 2: So there's something going on inside, right, that's responding to 150 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:34,240 that kind of education. 151 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: And then they also discovered that the sphere has a 152 00:06:36,639 --> 00:06:40,199 magnetic field. Okay, so paper clip will stick to it, yeah, 153 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,680 but you can easily remove it. But if the sphere 154 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,759 had been rolling around for a while, the magnetic field 155 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,199 would strengthen m So they noticed at one point that 156 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,639 the lid from a mayonnaise jar stuck to it so 157 00:06:52,759 --> 00:06:54,639 strongly they couldn't even pry it off. 158 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 2: That's crazy. 159 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, So it's a magnetic field that isn't constant. 160 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,959 Speaker 2: Right, variable depending on what this fear is doing. 161 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: And then they even start to think maybe this thing 162 00:07:05,319 --> 00:07:08,920 is solar powered because they notice when they put it 163 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,480 in the sun, they can feel it vibrating, and it'll 164 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,199 make that humming sound again, almost like a tiny motor 165 00:07:15,279 --> 00:07:16,120 running inside. 166 00:07:16,199 --> 00:07:16,879 Speaker 2: Wow. 167 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: And then the crazy thing is after they bring it 168 00:07:18,959 --> 00:07:22,079 back inside, it would remain warm to the touch for 169 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:22,759 three days. 170 00:07:23,399 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 2: That's so strange. That kind of heat retention is not 171 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:29,680 something you would typically expect from just solid piece of 172 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,199 metal unless it has an incredibly high thermal capacity or 173 00:07:34,279 --> 00:07:37,800 some internal process generating heat exactly. 174 00:07:38,439 --> 00:07:41,319 Speaker 1: So at this point the Betts family they know they've 175 00:07:41,319 --> 00:07:42,879 got something really strange on their hands. 176 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, this has gone way past a simple curiosity. 177 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,279 Speaker 1: And so after a few days of this going on, 178 00:07:48,079 --> 00:07:53,240 a family friend contacts the local newspaper, the Jacksonville Journal, Okay, 179 00:07:53,279 --> 00:07:56,439 and they send out a photographer, Lon Anger, who is 180 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:58,680 a very experienced photographer and skeptic. 181 00:07:58,800 --> 00:07:59,879 Speaker 2: Okay, so he's seen it all. 182 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,639 Speaker 1: He's probably seen his fair share of tall tales and 183 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,240 things like that. But when he goes to the Bets 184 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:08,839 house and sees this sphere rolling around on its own, 185 00:08:09,279 --> 00:08:10,240 he becomes a believer. 186 00:08:10,399 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: He can't deny what he's seeing, right, And so he 187 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,879 publishes this article on the paper, And I'm assuming this 188 00:08:15,959 --> 00:08:19,000 is what really kind of catapults the story into the 189 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:20,199 public eye. 190 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: It blows up. It's an instant media sensation. 191 00:08:23,639 --> 00:08:23,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. 192 00:08:24,199 --> 00:08:27,319 Speaker 1: The Bets family's phone is ringing off the hook, and 193 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,000 among all these calls, they get one from the US military. 194 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 2: Oh boy, here we go. 195 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: And they want to examine the sphere, I bet, and 196 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,240 Jerry Betts is understandably hesitant at first. 197 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,399 Speaker 2: I mean, I would be too, right. You have this 198 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:40,519 strange thing. 199 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,639 Speaker 1: Who knows what it is, and you've got all this 200 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:44,879 attention now, and who knows what the military is going 201 00:08:44,919 --> 00:08:46,759 to do with it exactly. But with all this media 202 00:08:46,759 --> 00:08:49,240 attention and with the thought that maybe this could be 203 00:08:49,279 --> 00:08:52,960 some kind of unexploded ordinance, she agrees to loan it 204 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,519 to the navy. Okay, but she sets some very specific conditions, right, 205 00:08:57,639 --> 00:09:00,120 says they can have it for two weeks. Okay, they 206 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,000 have to determine if it's military property, and if it's not, 207 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,840 they have to return it to her. And she has 208 00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:07,639 them sign a contract to this effect. 209 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: Wow. So she's not messing around. Nope, she wants answers. 210 00:09:11,159 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: She wants answers, and she wants that sphere back. Yeah, 211 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,440 and she also demands a full report detailing all of 212 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,519 their findings. Good for her, So the Navy takes the 213 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:21,679 sphere and they do a bunch of tests on it. 214 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,159 They start by taking very precise measurements, confirming that it 215 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,600 is seven point nine six inches in diameter and twenty 216 00:09:28,639 --> 00:09:32,320 one point three four pounds, so that lines up with 217 00:09:32,399 --> 00:09:36,120 what the family had found. And then their analysis reveals 218 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,320 that the outer shell is made of a magnetic stainless 219 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:45,240 steel alloy, specifically Grade four thirty one, and they determine 220 00:09:45,279 --> 00:09:49,399 that this material is incredibly strong, capable of withstanding extreme 221 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,559 temperatures and pressures up to one hundred and twenty thousand 222 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:53,799 pounds per square inch. 223 00:09:54,039 --> 00:09:55,399 Speaker 2: Wow, that's a lot of pressure. 224 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: It's huge. 225 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 2: What kind of temperatures are we talking about. 226 00:09:58,039 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: I don't know the exact number, but very high temperature. 227 00:10:00,039 --> 00:10:02,039 Speaker 2: Okay, so this is not your average stainless deal. 228 00:10:02,159 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: No, this is something that has been very carefully and 229 00:10:05,759 --> 00:10:10,440 specifically engineered. And they confirm the sphere's magnetism, and they 230 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,559 make this interesting discovery that it have four magnetic poles 231 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,799 or too positive and too negative. 232 00:10:15,879 --> 00:10:16,919 Speaker 2: That's strange, isn't it. 233 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: And they say that the configuration and the strength of 234 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,360 these poles is unusual. 235 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, because typically you'd expect like a north and a 236 00:10:23,879 --> 00:10:25,759 south pole right in a magnet. 237 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, so they're already baffled by that. And then they 238 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,240 go to x ray the sphere, and their initial attempts 239 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:34,600 to do this fail. Really yeah, they can't x ray it. Wow, 240 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:36,679 So they have to bring in a more powerful X. 241 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,279 Speaker 2: Ray machine, suggesting that it's either incredibly dense or there's 242 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,440 something about it that's interfering with the X rays. 243 00:10:43,759 --> 00:10:47,759 Speaker 1: And so the two weeks go by and the Navy 244 00:10:47,799 --> 00:10:51,519 concludes that the sphere is not theirs and it doesn't 245 00:10:51,519 --> 00:10:54,840 seem to pose any danger. Oh okay, so they return 246 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:55,679 it to the BET's family. 247 00:10:55,759 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 2: All right. 248 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: But here's where we get another twist. The navy serviceman 249 00:11:00,279 --> 00:11:04,320 who brings the sphere back he's carrying a manilla envelope. 250 00:11:04,919 --> 00:11:07,120 And you'll remember that the Navy said they couldn't x. 251 00:11:07,159 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 2: Ray this thing, right, couldn't get a clear image. 252 00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: But inside this envelope are X ray images. 253 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,039 Speaker 2: So they figured out a way to x ray it. 254 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,759 Speaker 1: Apparently that show the entire internal structure of the sphere. 255 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,879 And what they allegedly show is pretty amazing. 256 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:21,639 Speaker 2: Lay it on me. 257 00:11:21,879 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: The sphere has a very thick outer shell about half 258 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:29,120 an inch, and inside there are multiple layers of steel 259 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,759 with different densities, And at the very center there is 260 00:11:32,799 --> 00:11:35,480 a hollow area about the size of an apple. And 261 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,320 inside that hollow area are three smaller spheres. 262 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 2: Wow. 263 00:11:40,039 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: And each of these smaller spheres has tiny little wires 264 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:44,240 attached to them. 265 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 2: Hold on, how did they even get in there? 266 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,919 Speaker 1: That was the question. There are no seams, no weld marks, 267 00:11:50,039 --> 00:11:52,120 no drill holes anywhere on this thing. 268 00:11:52,519 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 2: You said that earlier. 269 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,399 Speaker 1: So how do they get these three smaller spheres inside? 270 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:58,159 Nobody knows. 271 00:11:58,399 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 2: Did they ever try and figure that out, Navy or 272 00:12:00,759 --> 00:12:01,320 anybody else? 273 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,159 Speaker 1: Well, the Navy scientists, they're baffled by this, and they 274 00:12:04,159 --> 00:12:06,000 want to drill into the sphere to get a better 275 00:12:06,039 --> 00:12:09,840 look at these internal components. But Jerry Betts says, absolutely not. Really, 276 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,000 you know, this thing is already acting crazy. Who knows 277 00:12:13,039 --> 00:12:13,639 what's going to happen. 278 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,159 Speaker 2: If they drill into it, you might unleash something who 279 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:16,960 knows exactly. 280 00:12:17,039 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: And as all this is unfolding, as you might imagine, 281 00:12:19,799 --> 00:12:21,799 theories about the sphere start popping up. 282 00:12:22,039 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 2: I bet alien origin story number one. 283 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: Right. Well, given that the Navy can't explain it, and 284 00:12:27,039 --> 00:12:28,720 they don't know what it is, and it's doing all 285 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,000 these strange things. The idea that it might be extraterrestrial 286 00:12:32,039 --> 00:12:34,159 in origin is a popular theory. 287 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 2: It's a natural conclusion to jump to. 288 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: People are speculating maybe it's an alien listening device, or 289 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,399 a probe, or some kind of unknown technology. The Betts family, 290 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,879 at first, they're skeptical of these ideas, but after everything 291 00:12:46,919 --> 00:12:50,360 that's happened, they're starting to think, well, maybe it's possible. 292 00:12:50,519 --> 00:12:53,159 Speaker 2: I mean, at that point, what other explanation is there? 293 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: And so, still looking for answers, they reach out to 294 00:12:56,879 --> 00:12:57,879 the scientific community. 295 00:12:57,919 --> 00:12:59,399 Speaker 2: Okay, they want to get to the bottom of this. 296 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,799 Speaker 1: Yes. The first scientist to examine the sphere is a 297 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,480 doctor Carl Williston, representing the Omega minus one Institute. Okay, 298 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,039 and he spent six hours conducting tests, and he reports 299 00:13:13,039 --> 00:13:14,399 some really interesting findings. 300 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:15,279 Speaker 2: Okay, let's hear it. 301 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,919 Speaker 1: He says that the sphere is emitting radio waves. 302 00:13:18,039 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 2: Wow. 303 00:13:18,879 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: He confirms the four magnetic polls, but can't explain their configuration. 304 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 2: Right. 305 00:13:23,879 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: He says it defies the laws of physics. He sees 306 00:13:27,159 --> 00:13:30,639 this sphere moving independently on its own. Confirms that the 307 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:34,840 exterior is stainless steel grade four thirty one. Right, But 308 00:13:34,879 --> 00:13:37,720 then he also says that he's found traces of an 309 00:13:37,879 --> 00:13:41,440 unknown element, an unknown element that's extremely heavy. And this 310 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,000 is where it gets even weirder. Okay, there is no 311 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:50,039 record that a doctor Carl Williston ever existed, really, and 312 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,879 no record of this omega minus one institute. 313 00:13:53,039 --> 00:13:56,559 Speaker 2: So this mysterious doctor Williston shows up, does all these 314 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,080 tests and then disappears. 315 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:02,279 Speaker 1: It's possible that doctor Willison and was an alias, possibly 316 00:14:02,279 --> 00:14:05,639 a foreign operative, maybe trying to get information about this sphere. 317 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: Interesting. 318 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,759 Speaker 1: So the next scientist to end of the scene is 319 00:14:08,799 --> 00:14:12,240 doctor James Harder, who is an engineering professor, and he 320 00:14:12,279 --> 00:14:14,159 becomes a trusted advisor to the Betts family. 321 00:14:14,279 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 2: So they're bringing in somebody who they feel like they 322 00:14:16,039 --> 00:14:16,720 can rely on. 323 00:14:16,919 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're at a point where they need some guidance. 324 00:14:19,559 --> 00:14:24,559 And he reportedly confirms some of doctor Willison's findings, including 325 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:29,240 the strange magnetic polls, but his analysis of the internal 326 00:14:29,279 --> 00:14:31,720 spheres is really shocking. He says that they appear to 327 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,679 be made of a material with an atomic number of one, 328 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:35,720 forty one. 329 00:14:35,679 --> 00:14:38,679 Speaker 2: Or forty Okay, so for context, the highest atomic number 330 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,960 on the periodic table naturally occurring element is ninety two 331 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,440 which is uranium, and scientists have created some elements artificially, 332 00:14:46,919 --> 00:14:48,320 but I think the highest they had gotten to at 333 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:49,879 this point was one hundred and eighteen. 334 00:14:49,639 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, in nineteen seventy four. 335 00:14:50,919 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 2: So one is way beyond anything that was known on 336 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:54,919 Earth at that time. 337 00:14:55,039 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: And so doctor Harder speculates that maybe this fear is 338 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,799 a damage alien probe or even an anti gravity device, 339 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,000 given that it was seen rolling uphill. 340 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:06,879 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, if it did have this element with 341 00:15:06,879 --> 00:15:08,799 an atomic number of one hundred and forty, who knows 342 00:15:08,799 --> 00:15:10,200 what kind of properties it would have. 343 00:15:10,399 --> 00:15:13,279 Speaker 1: And then a third scientist enters the picture, doctor j 344 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:14,120 Allen heinek. 345 00:15:14,279 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 2: Okay, Now this is a name that people might recognize, a. 346 00:15:17,279 --> 00:15:20,399 Speaker 1: Very famous astronomer and professor, and most people know him 347 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,279 for his work as a UFO advisor to the US. 348 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 2: Air Force, right like Project Blue Book. 349 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, so his involvement kind of lends this air of, 350 00:15:29,279 --> 00:15:32,600 you know, serious scientific credibility to the whole thing. And 351 00:15:32,679 --> 00:15:35,399 he comes in and he also confirms some of the 352 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,879 previous findings. But while all this is going on, we 353 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,159 have another weird incident. Okay, this group of men show 354 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,519 up at the Betts house and they say they're scientists. 355 00:15:45,639 --> 00:15:45,879 Speaker 2: Whoa. 356 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: And they offer Jerry an astounding seven hundred and fifty 357 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,159 thousand dollars in cash for the sphere. 358 00:15:55,399 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 2: Wow, that's a lot of money. 359 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and in today's money that would be almost four 360 00:15:59,639 --> 00:16:00,440 million dollars. 361 00:16:00,679 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: That's a serious offer. 362 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,639 Speaker 1: But something about these guys makes Jerry suspicious. 363 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 2: I mean, I'd be suspicious too, right, And. 364 00:16:08,799 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: So when they ask to see the sphere, she tells 365 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,919 them it's not available right now and declines their offer, 366 00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:17,120 which makes them very angry. And after they leave, the 367 00:16:17,159 --> 00:16:19,639 family looks into their backgrounds and it turns out their 368 00:16:19,679 --> 00:16:20,840 story was totally made up. 369 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:23,399 Speaker 2: Wow, so they weren't scientists at all. They were posing 370 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:24,320 as scientist And. 371 00:16:24,279 --> 00:16:27,639 Speaker 1: This incident really freaks out the Betts family. I bet 372 00:16:27,799 --> 00:16:30,519 they're thinking that maybe a foreign government is after the 373 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:35,200 sphere or some other powerful entities, and so, feeling increasingly 374 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,159 vulnerable and still not having any answers, they make the 375 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,200 decision to send their son Terry with the sphere to 376 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,440 a UFO panel organized by the National Inquirer. 377 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 2: Okay, that's an interesting choice. 378 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:51,919 Speaker 1: I know it sounds strange. We all know the Inquirer's reputation, 379 00:16:52,639 --> 00:16:55,519 but this particular panel was made up of some pretty 380 00:16:55,559 --> 00:17:00,440 respected figures, including doctor Heinek and doctor Harder and a 381 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,720 bunch of PhD holders and a former Supreme Court justice 382 00:17:03,759 --> 00:17:05,359 and a former US Attorney General. 383 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,319 Speaker 2: Okay, so a pretty impressive lineup. 384 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: So they're thinking, maybe if we bring this thing in 385 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,759 front of all these experts, yeah, we'll get some answers. 386 00:17:12,039 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 2: They're hoping that the scientific rigor of the panel will 387 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,880 kind of outweigh any sensationalism exactly that might come with 388 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:18,519 the inquirer. 389 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,599 Speaker 1: And so they do that. And while Terry is there 390 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,200 with the sphere at this panel, doctor Heinez says that 391 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,759 he thinks it's probably a man made object. Okay, but 392 00:17:28,839 --> 00:17:31,359 this is despite the fact that multiple people at the 393 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,079 panel reported seeing the sphere roll uphill on a piece 394 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:35,960 of plexiglass. 395 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 2: Wait, uphill from a complete standstill. 396 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,759 Speaker 1: From a complete standstill, Yeah, and nobody could explain this. 397 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, that directly contradicts his assessment of it being man 398 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:46,160 made exactly. 399 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,039 Speaker 1: And then when the idea of drilling into the sphere 400 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:54,119 is brought up again, doctor hard He issues a very 401 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:54,960 serious warning. 402 00:17:55,519 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 2: What does he say? 403 00:17:56,599 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: He says that if this sphere really does contain material 404 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,519 with an atomic number of one hundred and forty that 405 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,200 trying to drill into it could cause it to go. 406 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 2: Critical critical, like a nuclear reaction. 407 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 408 00:18:10,079 --> 00:18:10,839 Speaker 2: Oh wow, and. 409 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: This really reinforces Jerry Betts's earlier decision to not let 410 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:15,640 anyone drill into it. 411 00:18:15,799 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, if there's a chance of setting off a nuclear reaction, 412 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,240 and that's probably a good idea to not drill into it. 413 00:18:20,319 --> 00:18:22,279 Speaker 1: And then we have another bizarre twist. Well, Terry is 414 00:18:22,319 --> 00:18:25,480 at the Inquirer's office with fear. Okay, he gets a 415 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,880 phone call saying that his mother has been in an accident. 416 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,359 Oh no, and he tries to call his mom back 417 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:31,319 but he can't get through. 418 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 419 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: And so he flies back home to Florida immediately, leaving 420 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,480 the sphere behind. And when he gets home, thankfully, his 421 00:18:37,559 --> 00:18:39,680 mom is perfectly fine. The call was a hoax. 422 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 2: Wow, So somebody was trying to separate Terry from the sphere. 423 00:18:44,039 --> 00:18:46,240 Speaker 1: Exactly, and Jerry Betts is furious. 424 00:18:46,559 --> 00:18:47,279 Speaker 2: I would be too. 425 00:18:47,559 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: She tells him to go back to the Inquirer immediately 426 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,519 and get the sphere back right. So he flies back 427 00:18:53,559 --> 00:18:57,480 to the Inquirer and they're giving him the run around. Really, Yeah, 428 00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:59,319 they're stalling, and they're not telling him where it is. 429 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:02,839 Eventually they admit that the UFO panel has taken this 430 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,720 sphere to New Orleans for more. 431 00:19:04,599 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 2: Testing, so they basically stole it pretty much. 432 00:19:08,519 --> 00:19:11,039 Speaker 1: So Terry drives down in New Orleans. 433 00:19:11,039 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 2: Wow, he's determined to get this thing back. 434 00:19:13,279 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: Yeah. And when he gets there, he finds the sphere 435 00:19:16,279 --> 00:19:18,519 is being guarded by the Navy. 436 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 2: Wait. I thought the Navy was done with this thing. 437 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 1: They said they were, so. 438 00:19:22,079 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 2: Why are they involved again? 439 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,599 Speaker 1: Oh, nobody knows. They tell Terry that he can't go 440 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:28,839 near the sphere while they're doing. 441 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 2: Tests, even though it's his family's property. 442 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,319 Speaker 1: Right. And so the tests in New Orleans apparently don't 443 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,880 yield any new information. And after a lot of arguing, 444 00:19:38,279 --> 00:19:39,839 Terry finally gets the sphere back. 445 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. 446 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,039 Speaker 1: And as he's leaving the facility, some reporters ask him 447 00:19:44,079 --> 00:19:46,799 to make this spear do some of its tricks. Yeah. 448 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,640 And the Betts family had been transporting the sphere in 449 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,799 a bowling bag because it wouldn't stay still at home, right, 450 00:19:53,319 --> 00:19:55,039 So Terry sends it down on the ground to show 451 00:19:55,039 --> 00:19:56,160 the reporters what it can do. 452 00:19:56,799 --> 00:19:57,039 Speaker 2: Yeah. 453 00:19:57,559 --> 00:20:03,079 Speaker 1: Nothing, It's completely inert it won't vibrate, it won't hum, 454 00:20:03,279 --> 00:20:04,039 it won't roll. 455 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,519 Speaker 2: What could have caused that, right, I mean, what could 456 00:20:06,559 --> 00:20:07,079 have happened? 457 00:20:07,079 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: Nobody knows. 458 00:20:08,039 --> 00:20:10,599 Speaker 2: So the sphere is essentially dead now. 459 00:20:10,559 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: It seems like it. So he takes it back to 460 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,680 Florida and they have it re examined our right again, 461 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,519 and the results are shocking. It no longer has the 462 00:20:19,559 --> 00:20:20,720 four magnetic poles. 463 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 2: They're gone. 464 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the new X rays show a seam on 465 00:20:26,039 --> 00:20:27,680 the surface that was not. 466 00:20:27,599 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 2: There before, So somebody got into it. 467 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: It looks like the sphere was open and resealed or 468 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:33,440 possibly even replaced. 469 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:34,039 Speaker 2: Wow. 470 00:20:34,079 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: And inside, instead of the three smaller spheres, it now 471 00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:38,279 contains only dust. 472 00:20:39,039 --> 00:20:40,799 Speaker 2: So they took the spheres and the wires out. 473 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: It seems like it. Oh my gosh. Yes. So at 474 00:20:43,279 --> 00:20:45,880 this point doctor Harter warns the Bets family to be 475 00:20:46,039 --> 00:20:46,640 very careful. 476 00:20:46,839 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. 477 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:50,079 Speaker 1: He says he doesn't trust doctor Heinech Yeah, and even 478 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,720 suggests that Heinech might have been involved in switching out 479 00:20:52,759 --> 00:20:56,200 the sphere. Interesting. To make this story even weirder. 480 00:20:55,799 --> 00:20:56,319 Speaker 2: There's more. 481 00:20:56,599 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: Years later, after doctor Heinig passes away, his son Paul, 482 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:05,880 reveals that their family had possessed a silver sphere hmm, 483 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,920 that his father claimed was from a UFO case in Florida, Okay, 484 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,359 and this silver sphere was later stolen from doctor Heinick's home. 485 00:21:13,559 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 2: That's very suspicious timing. 486 00:21:15,839 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 1: It is, so the original Betts sphere stops working after 487 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,640 doctor Heinick is alone with it, and then a different 488 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,440 sphere from a UFO case in Florida shows up in 489 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,279 doctor Heineck's possession and is then stolen. And by this point, 490 00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:33,359 the Betts family they're exhausted. They've got the media hounding them, 491 00:21:33,559 --> 00:21:35,279 they're worried about the government watching them. 492 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 2: It must have been overwhelming. 493 00:21:36,759 --> 00:21:39,559 Speaker 1: Jerry Betts is even physically assaulted by someone posing as 494 00:21:39,559 --> 00:21:40,119 a repairman. 495 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 496 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: So they decide to withdraw from public life completely. 497 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 2: It's understandable. 498 00:21:45,319 --> 00:21:47,559 Speaker 1: They sell their house on Fort George Island. Wow, they 499 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,240 leave the area, They stop giving interviews. 500 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 2: They just want to be left alone. And what about 501 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:52,960 the sphere? What happened to that? 502 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: Nobody knows. Jerry Betts is still alive today, and she 503 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,559 has a blog where she talks about her artwork in 504 00:21:59,599 --> 00:22:03,720 her life. Yeah, but she never ever mentions the sphere. 505 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 2: So the mystery continues. 506 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,279 Speaker 1: It does, and to this day, the bet sphere remains 507 00:22:08,279 --> 00:22:08,799 a mystery. 508 00:22:09,039 --> 00:22:11,079 Speaker 2: So do we have any good theories about what this 509 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,079 thing could have been besides aliens? Well, one of. 510 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,519 Speaker 1: The more plausible theories is that it was a piece 511 00:22:17,559 --> 00:22:20,039 of space debris. Okay, maybe a part of a down 512 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:21,200 satellite or something like that. 513 00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, that makes sense. 514 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,599 Speaker 1: But the problem with this theory is that satellites and 515 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,480 things like that are made of metal alloys, right, and 516 00:22:27,519 --> 00:22:30,480 they have scenes rivetts connectors, and the bet sphere was 517 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:31,720 perfectly smooth. 518 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,039 Speaker 2: Right, no signs of any of that exactly, So that 519 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:35,559 kind of pokes a hole in that theory. 520 00:22:35,799 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. And another theory connects it to the food fighters. 521 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,039 Speaker 2: The mysterious lights seen by pilots during World War Two. 522 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,519 Speaker 1: Exactly, But there's no real evidence to connect the food 523 00:22:45,519 --> 00:22:48,000 fighters with this particular sphere. 524 00:22:48,079 --> 00:22:50,279 Speaker 2: It's more like people are grasping its straws trying to 525 00:22:50,279 --> 00:22:51,119 find an explanation. 526 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 1: Right. And then you've got the really out there theory 527 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,839 that it was some ancient alien atomic weapon. 528 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 2: That's a wild one. 529 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, some people point to ancient texts. It's like the 530 00:23:00,519 --> 00:23:04,559 Maha Barata that described these really powerful weapons. 531 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:06,519 Speaker 2: It's a fun theory. 532 00:23:06,599 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 1: But there's no evidence to back it up, right. And 533 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,960 then a more mundane theory is that it was just 534 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:12,759 an industrial ball check valve. 535 00:23:13,079 --> 00:23:14,079 Speaker 2: Okay, what's that. 536 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,519 Speaker 1: It's a piece of equipment used to regulate the flow 537 00:23:16,559 --> 00:23:19,680 of liquids or gases and pipes. And an artist named 538 00:23:19,759 --> 00:23:23,960 James Durling Jones, he claimed that he lost his fear 539 00:23:24,039 --> 00:23:27,319 like this a few years before the Bets family found theirs. Okay, 540 00:23:27,839 --> 00:23:30,000 he said he was collecting scrap metal and it fell 541 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,119 off his Volkswagen bus. All right, But there are some 542 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,759 problems with this theory, like what First of all, Jones said, 543 00:23:34,759 --> 00:23:37,519 his sphere weighed about seven or eight pounds, Okay, the 544 00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:39,079 bet sphere was twenty one pounds. 545 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:40,279 Speaker 2: That's pretty big difference. 546 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: And second, the Bets family found the sphere deep in 547 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:43,519 the woods. 548 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, he said, like a mile from the road, about. 549 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: A mile from the nearest So could a seven pound 550 00:23:47,519 --> 00:23:50,599 spear roll that far on its own through the woods? 551 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,559 Speaker 2: I mean, maybe, but it seems unlikely it does. 552 00:23:54,599 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: And some people have also suggested that maybe this spear 553 00:23:57,079 --> 00:23:59,799 wasn't actually moving on its own, okay, that maybe it 554 00:23:59,839 --> 00:24:02,279 was the uneven tile floors and the Bets's homes. 555 00:24:02,279 --> 00:24:05,079 Speaker 2: Oh, so the sphere was just reacting to the slopes 556 00:24:05,079 --> 00:24:07,519 in the floor, right, But that wouldn't explain how it 557 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:08,839 would change direction. 558 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: Right or stop or roll back to the person who 559 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:12,759 rolled it. Yeah, gravity doesn't. 560 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 2: Explain that, and it also wouldn't explain the accounts from 561 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:17,759 all the other witnesses we saw it move. 562 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,279 Speaker 1: And another interesting point is that after all this happened, 563 00:24:21,799 --> 00:24:25,160 a president of a local supply company showed a reporter 564 00:24:25,599 --> 00:24:30,319 a brand new stainless steel ball made by Belle Howell. Okay, 565 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,599 and it was very similar in size and weight to 566 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:34,359 the Bets. 567 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 2: Sphere, So it could have been something like that. 568 00:24:36,759 --> 00:24:38,920 Speaker 1: It's possible. But the thing is that the Betts family 569 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:39,960 never tried to profit from this. 570 00:24:40,039 --> 00:24:42,599 Speaker 2: Yeah, they never tried to like sell it or write 571 00:24:42,599 --> 00:24:43,880 a book about it exactly. 572 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: They just wanted answers. So it's really a fascinating puzzle. 573 00:24:47,799 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, We've got this strange object. 574 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,319 Speaker 1: Made of this incredibly strong material. 575 00:24:52,079 --> 00:24:54,880 Speaker 2: With this crazy internal structure. 576 00:24:54,519 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 1: And the ability to move on its own. 577 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 2: And react to sound and light, and then it disappears 578 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,720 or gets swapped out right, and we're left with more 579 00:25:01,839 --> 00:25:03,079 questions than answers. 580 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: It's a mystery that endures to this day. 581 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 2: So what do you think happened? 582 00:25:06,759 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, but I think the bet sphere serves 583 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,960 as a good reminder that there are still things in 584 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,880 this world that we just don't understand. 585 00:25:16,039 --> 00:25:18,519 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that some mysteries may never be solved. 586 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: And so we turn it over to you, our listener. Yeah, 587 00:25:21,519 --> 00:25:23,839 what do you think about the bet sphere? What's the 588 00:25:23,839 --> 00:25:26,720 most compelling explanation in your mind? And why? 589 00:25:27,319 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 2: And what kind of evidence would we need to finally 590 00:25:30,039 --> 00:25:31,200 put this mystery to rest. 591 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: It's a fascinating story, and we encourage you to keep 592 00:25:34,759 --> 00:25:37,640 exploring the bet sphere based on what we've talked about today. 593 00:25:37,759 --> 00:25:39,759 Speaker 2: There are lots of resources out there. 594 00:25:39,599 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: And who knows, maybe one day the truth will finally 595 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:42,039 come out. 596 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,279 Speaker 2: I hope so me too.