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Silver Supernova – H2
Silver Supernova – H2
Currency, sports, and medicine are all linked to silver in this full episode of Big History from the folks at H2.
As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
Think about the following questions as you watch the video
Why did settlers traveling west place a silver coin in their supply of milk?
How is silver formed?
Why is gold more rare than silver?
Where are deposits of silver and gold likely to be found?
How did the discovery of a rich silver deposit help the Greeks defeat the Persians in 580 BCE?
Where does the word dollar come from?
Where does the dollar sign come from?
After discovering large quantities of silver in South America, where were the Spanish trading this silver?
As British supplies of silver started to run low, they looked for other goods they could use to trade with China. What did they try to use and what was the result?
: >> CRYPTIC IMAGES MARK THE
: WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS CURRENCY.
: BUT THE DOLLAR HAS OTHER
: MYSTERIES...
: HIDDEN LINKS THAT CONNECT
: COUNTRIES ON FOUR CONTINENTS,
: THEIR DOLLARS, AND A SYMBOL
: THAT SIGNIFIES WEALTH AROUND
: THE WORLD.
: IT'S A SECRET BORN BILLIONS OF
: YEARS AGO AND REVEALED...
: BY BIG HISTORY.
: WE THINK OF HISTORY AS A
: TIMELINE, A SERIES OF EVENTS
: STRETCHING A FEW THOUSAND YEARS
: INTO THE PAST.
: IT'S TIME TO THINK BIGGER.
: INSTEAD OF A LINE, IMAGINE A WEB
: OF INFINITE CONNECTIONS,
: INTERACTING OVER BILLIONS OF
: YEARS, LINKED TOGETHER TO
: CREATE EVERYTHING WE'VE EVER
: KNOWN--
: OUR UNIVERSE, OUR PLANET,
01.533: AND US.
02.533: HISTORY AS WE KNOW IT IS ABOUT
05.166: TO GET BIG.
09.700: GOLD GETS ALL THE GLORY.
12.266: IT'S THE METAL OF THE GODS.
15.133: AND AS TRADITIONAL HISTORY TELLS
16.733: US, IT'S A PRIZE THAT MILLIONS
20.266: HAVE RUSHED TO CLAIM.
23.366: BUT WHILE WE GO FOR THE GOLD,
26.633: FIRST ISN'T ALWAYS BEST.
29.600: BIG HISTORY REVEALS THE POWER
31.666: OF OUR SECOND PLACE METAL.
41.566: SILVER IS SHINIER, HARDER, AND
47.100: STRONGER THAN GOLD.
50.400: AND SILVER HAS AN UNUSUAL
52.700: PROPERTY: IT KILLS GERMS.
58.733: >> WHEN AMERICAN FAMILIES WERE
: CROSSING THE WILDERNESS, THEY
: OFTEN INVESTED IN ONE GOOD
: SILVER COIN, WHICH THEY WOULD
: PLOP INTO THEIR MILK JUG.
: AND THAT ACTUALLY PREVENTED
: THE MILK FROM SPOILING ON THEIR
: JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.
: >> SILVER CAN DO SO MUCH.
: BUT GOLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE
: VALUABLE...
: BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH HARDER TO
: FIND.
: THERE'S OVER TEN TIMES MORE
: SILVER ON EARTH THAN GOLD.
: WHY IS THERE MORE SILVER THAN
: GOLD?
: BIG HISTORY LOOKS TO THE STARS.
: THIS STAR, SEVERAL TIMES MORE
: MASSIVE THAN OUR SUN, IS AN
: ELEMENT FACTORY.
: INSIDE THE STAR, GRAVITY AND
: HEAT CRUSH AND RESTRUCTURE
: ATOMS, FORMING ELEMENTS
: INCLUDING METALS LIKE ALUMINUM
: AND IRON...
: THAT WILL SPREAD OUT INTO
: THE COSMOS.
: WHEN THE STAR COLLAPSES AND
: EXPLODES AS A SUPERNOVA...
: THE SUPERNOVA'S ENERGY
: TRANSFORMS MORE ATOMS.
: >> IN THIS PROCESS, ALL OF THESE
: OTHER ELEMENTS ARE COOKED UP, IF
: YOU LIKE, INCLUDING SILVER.
: >> BUT SUPERNOVAS DON'T MAKE
: GOLD.
: THESE DO--THE RUINS OF TWO
: SUPERNOVAS, EACH 1/2 MILLION
: TIMES MORE DENSE THAN THE EARTH.
: THEY'RE CALLED NEUTRON STARS,
: AND WHEN THEY COLLIDE,
: THEY RELEASE MORE ENERGY THAN
: OUR SUN RELEASES IN ITS
: LIFETIME, CREATING ELEMENTS
: HEAVIER THAN SILVER, INCLUDING
: GOLD.
: BUT THESE COLLISIONS ARE RARE.
: THERE ARE FAR MORE SUPERNOVAS...
: WHICH IS WHY THERE'S MORE SILVER
: THAN GOLD IN THE UNIVERSE AND
: ON EARTH.
: INTENSE HEAT HELPS CREATE SILVER
: IN THE COSMOS...
: AND STEERS SILVER AND OTHER
: METALS AROUND THE EARTH.
: UNDERGROUND VOLCANOES SPREAD
: THEM THROUGH THE CRUST, ALONG A
: HIGHWAY OF SUPERHEATED LAVA.
: >> THAT MELTING PROCESS, AMONGST
: OTHER THINGS, TENDS TO
: CONCENTRATE DIFFERENT MINERALS
: TOGETHER.
: VEINS OF SILVER APPEAR, AND OF
: COURSE, THEN IT PLAYS A HUGE
: ROLE IN HUMAN SOCIETIES.
: >> SO DEPOSITS OF METALS LIKE
: SILVER APPEAR IN PLACES WHERE
: THERE'S BEEN HIGH VOLCANIC
: ACTIVITY--
: FROM THE PACIFIC RING OF FIRE...
: TO THE MEDITERRANEAN.
: BIG HISTORY CONNECTS THE
: CHEMISTRY OF THE COSMOS TO
: GEOLOGY AND THE PRECIOUS METAL
: THAT WILL UNITE THE WORLD.
: WE ARE NOW IN ANCIENT GREECE
: ON THE EVE OF AN EPIC INVASION.
: PERSIA IS ON THE MARCH.
: IT'S THE MIGHTIEST ANCIENT
: EMPIRE WITH THE LARGEST ARMY
: AND NAVY THE WORLD HAS EVER
: SEEN.
: THE GREEKS WILL BE NO MATCH FOR
: AN INVASION FORCE OF OVER 1,200
: SHIPS WITHOUT A SECRET WEAPON.
: THREE YEARS EARLIER, AS THE
: PERSIANS PREPARE FOR WAR,
: THE GREEKS DISCOVER A BURIED
: TREASURE.
: HISTORY'S SECOND-RANKED METAL IS
: ABOUT TO MAKE A POWER PLAY.
: THE WORLD'S FIRST COINS ARE MADE
: OF GOLD.
: BUT GOLD IS SO RARE, THE SUPPLY
: CAN'T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.
: SILVER IS THE SOLUTION.
: >> GOLD IS A STRATEGIC RESOURCE,
: BUT SILVER'S MORE COMMON THAN
: GOLD, SO YOU CAN HAVE IT IN
: CIRCULATION MORE.
: >> SILVER BECOMES THE CURRENCY
: OF CHOICE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
: AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR THE
: GREEKS.
: >> THEY WERE MINING FOR SILVER,
: WHICH IS A VALUABLE CURRENCY,
: AND THEY HIT A PARTICULARLY RICH
: VEIN OF IT.
: >> GREECE SITS ON A HOT SPOT OF
: VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.
: THE MINES OF LAURIUM NEAR
: ATHENS CONTAIN MORE SILVER THAN
: ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE ANCIENT
: WORLD.
: [hammer clanging]
: THE GREEKS MINT IT INTO COINS...
: TO PAY MEN...
: TO BUILD WARSHIPS...
: TO FACE THE PERSIANS AND WIN.
: VICTORY MEANS THAT GREEK IDEAS
: SURVIVE.
: >> SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW,
: WESTERN DEMOCRACY WAS SAVED BY A
: SILVER MINE.
: >> THESE LOADS OF SILVER
: ALLOWED CLASSICAL GREEK
: CIVILIZATION TO PASS MANY OF THE
: GREAT IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHIES
: ON TO THE ROMAN WORLD AND
: EVENTUALLY ON TO EUROPE.
: SO SILVER EFFECTIVELY ALLOWED
: GREEK CIVILIZATION TO BECOME
: EMBEDDED AT THE HEART OF WESTERN
: CIVILIZATION, EVEN TODAY.
: AND THIS IS THE SORT OF
: PERSPECTIVE THAT BIG HISTORY CAN
: BRING.
: >> SILVER IS THE UNSUNG HERO
: THAT SAVES DEMOCRACY...
: THE SECOND PLACE METAL WITH
: FIRST-CLASS IMPACT THAT DECODES
: A POWERFUL SECRET HIDDEN IN
: THE MOST FAMOUS MONEY IN
: THE WORLD.
: >> BIG HISTORY USES SCIENCE TO
: CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD.
: IT REVEALS THAT SILVER'S SECOND
: PLACE RANK AMONG METALS...
: LINKS TO THE BIRTH OF THE
: ELEMENTS IN EXPLODING STARS...
: SUPERNOVAS THAT CREATE SO MUCH
: SILVER, WE CONSIDER IT LESS
: VALUABLE THAN GOLD BUT MORE
: USEFUL FOR EVERYDAY MONEY.
: A COSMIC CONNECTION THAT'S
: ENCODED IN THE U.S. DOLLAR.
: TRADITIONAL HISTORY SPECULATES
: ABOUT THESE MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS--
: THE STRANGE PYRAMID WITH THE
: ALL-SEEING EYE--BUT BIG HISTORY
: LINKS TO GEOLOGY TO REVEAL THE
: ORIGINS OF THE DOLLAR.
: A CENTRAL EUROPEAN VALLEY IN
: WHAT IS NOW THE CZECH REPUBLIC.
: HERE, PREHISTORIC VOLCANOES HAVE
: LEFT BEHIND SOME OF THE RICHEST
: SILVER STASHES ON EARTH.
: IN THE 16TH CENTURY, SILVER
: COINS MINTED HERE STIMULATE
: TRADE.
: THEY SPREAD ALL OVER EUROPE.
: THE COINS ARE CALLED "THALERS"
: BECAUSE THEY COME FROM
: A SILVER-RICH VALLEY, AND
: THE GERMAN WORD FOR VALLEY
: IS "THAL."
: SOON THE WORD IS USED FOR ANY
: SILVER COIN.
: AND IN ENGLISH, "THALER"
: BECOMES "DOLLAR."
: THE DOLLAR BECOMES THE
: OFFICIAL CURRENCY OF THE U.S.
: IN 1785, BUT AT THE TIME, THERE
: IS NO U.S. MINT.
: AMERICA CAN'T MAKE ITS OWN
: COINS, SO THE FIRST AMERICAN
: DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY SPANISH
: PESOS.
: >> THESE COINS ARE ALMOST 100%
: PURE SILVER, AND SO THEY BECOME
: LIKE STANDARD UNITS OF VALUE.
: >> THE PESO IS A TEMPORARY FIX
: THAT LEAVES A PERMANENT MARK.
: THIS IMAGE OF COLUMNS DRAPED BY
: ROYAL BANNERS IS BELIEVED TO BE
: THE ORIGIN OF THE DOLLAR SIGN,
: A SYMBOL USED BY COUNTRIES
: AROUND THE WORLD.
: SO HOW DOES A SIMPLE SPANISH
: COIN GET SO MUCH POWER?
: BIG HISTORY CONNECTS THE SPREAD
: OF MONEY TO ANOTHER SILVER
: HOT SPOT...
: THE ANDES MOUNTAINS, ALONG
: THE RING OF FIRE.
: [gunshot]
: [men grunting]
: IN THE 16TH CENTURY, SPANISH
: CONQUISTADORS ARRIVE IN THE NEW
: WORLD WITH ONE THING ON THEIR
: MIND: GOLD.
: BUT AS WE'VE SEEN, THE STARS
: HAVE GIVEN US FAR LESS GOLD
: AND FAR MORE SILVER...
: CONCENTRATED IN PLACES WHERE
: VOLCANOES HAVE MOVED METALS,
: LIKE THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.
: >> THE SPANIARDS STUMBLED ACROSS
: A MOUNTAIN THAT IS AS CLOSE TO A
: MOUNTAIN OF PURE SILVER AS
: GEOLOGY ALLOWS.
: >> THIS IS POTOSI, A
: 13,000-FOOT-HIGH TREASURE CHEST,
: BUT THE EARTH HAS THIS TREASURE
: ON LOCKDOWN BECAUSE THE SAME
: HEAT THAT BROUGHT THE SILVER
: HERE BONDS ITS ATOMS WITH
: OTHER, LESS VALUABLE METALS
: LIKE LEAD.
: >> THE GEOLOGY COMPONENT OF BIG
: HISTORY SHOWS US THAT THIS
: UNIQUE CHEMICAL BONDING TAKES
: PLACE BETWEEN SILVER AND LEAD,
: AND IT'S QUITE DIFFICULT TO
: SEPARATE, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT
: THAN JUST MINING AND USING GOLD,
: FOR EXAMPLE.
: >> THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE
: SILVER IS ANOTHER ELEMENT THAT
: CAN DRAW ITS ATOMS AWAY FROM
: THE LEAD.
: BIG HISTORY ZOOMS IN.
: >> MERCURY ATOMS AND SILVER
: ATOMS ARE ATTRACTED TO EACH
: OTHER, AND THEY WILL KIND OF
: GLOM ON TO EACH OTHER.
: MERCURY IS ALSO A LIQUID, SO
: IT'S GOOD AT GETTING IN NOOKS
: AND CREVICES INSIDE MINERALS
: AND KIND OF SCOURING FOR EVERY
: LAST SILVER ATOM.
: AND YOU CAN SEPARATE OUT AND
: GET THE SILVER OUT THROUGH
: ANOTHER PROCESS.
: >> BUT RELEASING A MOUNTAIN'S
: WORTH OF SILVER WILL TAKE
: TWICE AS MUCH MERCURY.
: AND BIG HISTORY REVEALS THE KEY.
: BECAUSE THE SAME VOLCANOES THAT
: CREATE POTOSI ALSO BUILD A
: MOUNTAIN OF MERCURY LESS THAN
: 800 MILES AWAY.
: >> AND FROM, AS THEY SAID, "THE
: MARRIAGE OF THESE TWO
: MOUNTAINS," CAME THIS ABSOLUTE
: RIVER OF SILVER.
: >> THE SPANISH COME TO THE NEW
: WORLD FOR GOLD BUT FIND ALMOST
: 90 TIMES MORE SILVER.
: IN JUST 150 YEARS, THEY EXPORT
: 16,000 TONS, WORTH $7 BILLION
: TODAY.
: A RIVER OF SILVER THAT CONNECTS
: THE WORLD LIKE NEVER BEFORE,
: LINKING THE SILVER-RICH WEST
: WITH THE SILVER-HUNGRY EAST
: AND FEEDING A GROWING DEMAND
: IN ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL
: EMPIRES ON EARTH: CHINA.
: >> THE SILVER WAS COMING ACROSS
: IN HUGE TREASURE GALLEONS ACROSS
: THE PACIFIC TO MANILA, IN THE
: PHILIPPINES.
: FROM THERE, IT WAS BEING BROUGHT
: TO THE GREAT PORT CITIES OF
: SOUTHERN CHINA, WHERE THE
: CHINESE WERE DEMANDING SILVER
: AS PAYMENT FOR HIGHLY VALUABLE
: CHINESE EXPORTS.
: >> CHINA HAS LONG BEEN ISOLATED
: FROM THE WEST, BUT THE RIVER OF
: SILVER...
: BEGINS TO SHIFT THE BALANCE OF
: POWER IN THE WORLD.
: >> IN THAT MOMENT IS THE
: BEGINNING OF GLOBALIZATION.
: MOST PEOPLE MY AGE KIND OF
: THINK OF GLOBALIZATION AS
: SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR
: THE LAST 15 OR 20 YEARS, BUT IN
: FACT, WE'VE BEEN LIVING IN A
: FAIRLY GLOBALIZED WORLD FOR 400
: YEARS OR MORE.
: AND BIG HISTORY PERSPECTIVE
: HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
: >> BUT AS SO MUCH SILVER FALLS
: INTO THE HANDS OF ONE EMPIRE,
: THIS TREASURE...
: BECOMES A TICKING TIME BOMB.
: >> BIG HISTORY IS A NEW WAY TO
: SEE THE WORLD, REVEALING HOW
: VOLCANIC ACTIVITY BUILDS
: MOUNTAINS OF SILVER THAT TURN
: THE SECOND PLACE METAL...
: INTO THE FIRST METAL TO UNITE
: THE WORLD.
: BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE
: SILVER RUNS OUT?
: BIG HISTORY CONNECTS BACK...
: TO 1839.
: THE MOUNTAIN OF SILVER CALLED
: POTOSI, ONCE THE WORLD'S
: TREASURE CHEST, HAS SHRUNK 1,000
: FEET AFTER ALMOST 300 YEARS OF
: NONSTOP MINING.
: THE RIVER OF SILVER IS DRYING
: UP...
: AND A SHORTAGE TURNS INTO
: A CRISIS.
: TRADITIONAL HISTORY CALLS IT THE
: OPIUM WAR.
: BUT BIG HISTORY REVEALS IT'S
: SILVER THAT SPARKS THE FIGHT.
: THE BRITISH EMPIRE SPANS THE
: GLOBE, ITS FAR-FLUNG COLONIES
: LINKED THROUGH TRADE.
: CHINA TRADES WITH BRITAIN, BUT
: WHILE IT SELLS ITEMS LIKE TEA,
: IT BUYS ALMOST NOTHING.
: CHINA ONLY WANTS ONE THING FROM
: THE WEST...
: PAYMENT IN SILVER.
: SO WHEN THE GLOBAL SHORTAGE
: CAUSES BRITAIN'S SILVER TO RUN
: LOW, THE BRITISH MUST FIND
: SOMETHING ELSE TO TRADE FOR TEA.
: >> THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT CAME
: UP WITH THIS UNIQUE IDEA OF
: REPLACING SILVER WITH OPIUM AND
: BEGAN TO FORCE CHINESE EXPORTERS
: TO TAKE LARGE CHESTS OF OPIUM
: INSTEAD OF SILVER.
: >> 4 MILLION CHINESE ARE
: ALREADY ADDICTED TO
: BRITISH OPIUM.
: CHINA'S GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT
: MORE PEOPLE GETTING HOOKED.
: >> EVENTUALLY THE CHINESE
: REACTED, TRIED TO DESTROY THE
: OPIUM CHESTS.
: [cannons firing]
: >> THE BRITISH RESPOND WITH
: FORCE.
: THEIR SUPERIOR WEAPONS
: OVERWHELM THE CHINESE, AND
: CHINA, WEAKENED, CAN NO LONGER
: RESIST.
: >> FOR MUCH OF THE PAST 5,000
: YEARS, CHINA HAS BEEN
: UNDOUBTEDLY THE WEALTHIEST, MOST
: POWERFUL STATE ON THIS PLANET.
: THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS NOW
: UTTERLY SHIFTED, AND THIS IS
: STAGGERING NEWS TO THE CHINESE
: AT THE TIME, WHO WERE REALLY
: NOT PREPARED FOR THIS.
: >> THE BRITISH AND OTHER WESTERN
: POWERS FLOOD INTO ASIA.
: THEY CLAIM COLONIES AND RICHES.
: THE BIG HISTORY PERSPECTIVE
: REVEALS HOW A BRUTAL WAR OVER
: SILVER...
: AND THE CENTURY OF UPHEAVAL
: THAT FOLLOWS HAS AN IMPORTANT
: LEGACY.
: IT TEARS DOWN THE DIVIDE BETWEEN
: EAST AND WEST...
: AND LEADS TO A GLOBALIZED
: FUTURE.
: WHILE THE HISTORIC QUEST FOR
: GOLD FIRST DRAWS US ACROSS
: OCEANS, BIG HISTORY REVEALS HOW
: SILVER...
: OUR SECOND PLACE METAL,
: GETS A CHANCE TO SHINE...
: AS ATOMS CHANGED IN
: SUPERNOVAS...
: CHANGE OUR WORLD.
: BUT THE STORY OF SILVER IS JUST
: THE BEGINNING.
: THERE'S A MUCH BIGGER PUZZLE
: HIDDEN IN BIG HISTORY.
: EACH EPISODE UNLOCKS A CLUE.
: EVERYDAY THINGS LIKE SALT,
: GOLD, AND HORSES HOLD THE KEY.
: WATCH THEM ALL, AND YOU'LL SEE
: THIS GRAND MYSTERY REVEALED.
: THE BIG HISTORY OF TIME,
: OF SPACE.