World's Most Interesting Places: Vol. 9 | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Chess Country 11s

• Chess has been around for 500 years, but until a couple of summers ago, the game was still mostly a mystery to the folks of rural Franklin County, Mississippi, where a chess board was as out of place as a skyscraper 18s.
• A tall stranger, Dr. Jeff Bulington, arrived from Memphis to bring chess to the country, believing the game could transform a community, and was initially met with skepticism 42s.
• Less than two years later, a chess boom is underway in the unlikeliest of places, with Dr. Bulington teaching the kids of Franklin County a new subject, chess 51s.
• Franklin County is a remote area in the southwest corner of Mississippi, with a population of 7,000 people, where the trains don't stop anymore, and half the county is covered by a national forest 1m2s.
• Dr. Bulington showed up at the local elementary school to teach the kids chess, and everyone was surprised, as no one had played chess before, except for seeing it on TV 1m32s.
• The kids, including Donovan Moore, Braden Ferell, Parker Wilkinson, and Benson Chakre, didn't know what to make of Dr. B when he first appeared in 2015 1m54s.
• Dr. Bulington was lured to Franklin County by a wealthy benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous, who had seen how Bulington had molded chess champions in Memphis 2m35s.
• The benefactor convinced Bulington to give a few demonstration lessons in Franklin County, and afterwards, Bulington was asked if he thought the kids could have a chess program, to which he replied, "Of course, they're as smart as any other kids I've ever met" 3m7s.
• Motivated by the challenge, Bulington signed a 10-year contract with the benefactor and left the city for the country to teach chess 3m11s.
• Bulington has taught chess for the better part of 25 years and is a master of using chess to tell a narrative, especially with beginners 3m21s.
• He uses storytelling to teach chess, such as adapting Little Red Riding Hood to the chessboard, to make the game more engaging and fun for the kids 3m35s.
• Initially, it was expected that maybe 12 kids would play chess, but now a couple hundred kids are playing, and students flock to Bulington because, at heart, he's one of them, having grown up in rural Indiana 4m12s.
• Bobby P, a part-time preacher and full-time assistant chess coach, works with Bulington, who has opened up a new world to his kids through chess, teaching them history, geography, science, and math using the game 4m45s.
• Despite initial doubts that Bulington's team could succeed in Mississippi due to the state's poor statistics, the team proved them wrong by winning the Mississippi state championships 5m12s.
• Rebecca Griffin, a fifth-grader at the time, played against much older high school players and won, with her opponents initially underestimating her due to her age 5m42s.
• Griffin didn't feel bad about beating the older kids, stating she's okay with "crushing people's spirits" 6m21s.
• Franklin County dominated the state championships, with Mitch Ham, a parent, believing the victory served as a milestone for the kids, helping them realize their potential 6m31s.
• The teachers reacted with surprise, with some stating they didn't know the kids were capable of such achievements, highlighting that some kids have been underestimated or written off for false reasons 7m6s.
• Chess has helped Bulington players see there's more to themselves than they've seen before, with one player stating that chess has improved their grades and given them a sense of confidence 7m34s.
• The chess players, including Bradden Rutland, plan to attend college someday, a rare achievement in Franklin County, where only seven of 93 graduates from the high school went on to a 4-year college last year 8m10s.
• Bradden's mom, Jennifer Rutland, believes her son won't be flipping burgers for a living and is proud to see her kids dream bigger than the county line 8m20s.
• Chess has become a vehicle for kids to set higher goals and explore a wider world beyond their current circumstances, filling a social void and giving a community a pulse, as seen in the town of Meville, where a new chess center opened in October 9m10s.
• The chess center has become a beacon in the county, providing daily instruction to kids with the desire and aptitude for the game, with students becoming so immersed in chess that they continue playing at home 9m32s.
• The possibility of the best chess player in the world coming from Franklin County is considered "super possible" by some, but before that, they would need to face the nation 9m55s.
• 33 of Franklin County's chess players and their parents traveled to Nashville for the national championships, a 10-hour journey that marked their biggest test yet 10m6s.
• The national championships featured over 1,500 players from 644 schools, with every grade from K to 12 competing for a national title, and the best teams coming from top schools in New York City 10m50s.
• Initially, Franklin County's players struggled, losing 30 of their first 32 games, but they eventually bore down, taking more time to probe for openings and watch for threats 11m20s.
• The players' mantra, "let your opponent show you how they'd like to lose," helped them improve, and by the final day, Franklin County's fifth and sixth graders were hovering near the top 10 12m7s.
• Key players, including Parker Wilkinson, Braden Frell, Benson Chakre, and Donovan Moore, delivered crucial wins, with Donovan Moore's victory against a higher-rated opponent from Kentucky being a turning point 12m28s.
• Franklin County's fifth graders ultimately placed eighth in the country, and the sixth graders placed 10th, marking a successful debut on the national stage for Franklin County Upper Elementary 13m2s.
• Jeff Bulington introduced chess to a small county in Mississippi a year and a half ago, and he expresses gratitude for the opportunity to teach and learn from the experience 13m16s.
• The students have shown remarkable capabilities, and Bulington believes they have the potential to be among the top three in their field 13m31s.
• A student from Franklin County is asked about their commitment to the chess program and responds that they do not view it as "sticking it out" but rather as doing what they want to do and being in a place they like 13m35s.
• The student's response suggests a positive attitude towards their involvement in the chess program and a desire to continue participating 13m43s.

Lourdes 13m55s

• The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is a site of 70 medical miracles recognized by the Catholic Church, with a Marian Shrine famous to the faithful, but less well known is the Lord's Office of Medical Observations that investigates claims of cures reported over the years 14m5s.
• The Office of Medical Observations is where world-renowned doctors and researchers conduct decade-long investigations into the countless claims of cures, determining which cases can be medically explained and which cannot 14m19s.
• The small French town of Lourdes draws more than 3 million pilgrims every year, with almost everyone having heard stories of miracles, including the story of Sister Bernardette Moro, who suffered from CA equina, a disorder of the nerves and lower spine 14m50s.
• Sister Moro had exhausted all treatment options and was convinced by her doctor to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2008, where she prayed with others and did not go seeking a miracle, but rather to pray with others 16m3s.
• Pilgrims come from all over the world to Lourdes seeking to be healed by the shrine's natural spring waters and the power of prayer, including Kim Halpin, who has incurable blood cancer and came to cleanse herself in the waters 16m42s.
• Many volunteers aid the sick pilgrims, including the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American volunteers, who helped Jamie Jensen travel from Minnesota for his 18th visit, despite having cerebral palsy 17m29s.
• Jensen's trips to Lourdes have not given him the physical miracle he wanted, but he says he got the miracle he needed, which is inner peace and acceptance, although this does not meet the bar for the Office of Medical Observations 17m58s.
• The sanctuary has three basilicas and 25 chapels, with thousands of faithful lining up at the baths and at the Grotto where the first miracle is said to have occurred, despite the low odds of being recognized as a medical miracle 18m43s.
• The city of Lourdes has a Grand Theater complex with multiple stages offering dozens of pious performances throughout the day, culminating in a candlelit procession every night, all thanks to the influence of St. Bernadette 18m56s.
• According to Catholic lore, in 1858, a mysterious woman appeared to 14-year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous in a grotto, speaking with her several times over five months and claiming to be the Immaculate Conception on March 25, the day of the Annunciation 19m21s.
• When word of the apparition spread, people flocked to Lourdes, and within days, claims of miracle cures began to emerge, including restored ability to walk and sight 19m55s.
• The church established the Office of Medical Observations in 1883 to investigate these claims, which involves applying seven strict criteria to determine whether a cure is truly miraculous 20m10s.
• Sister Benedetta Morio, who was wheelchair-bound, visited Lourdes 14 years ago and reported hearing the voice of Jesus, telling her to give him her suffering and that of her sick brothers and sisters 20m27s.
• After returning home, Sister Morio felt rejuvenated spiritually but physically worse, until she suddenly found the strength to walk to the chapel and pray, and then felt a heat coming into her body, after which she was able to remove her braces and walk without pain 20m59s.
• Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, president and residing physician at the Lourdes Office of Medical Observations, hears stories like Sister Morio's all the time and applies the seven criteria to determine whether they are truly miraculous 21m57s.
• The criteria include a diagnosis of a severe disease with a severe prognosis, a sudden and complete cure, and no possible explanation for the cure 22m16s.
• The archives at the Office of Medical Observations hold thousands of recorded claims of cures, but only 70 have been officially recognized as miracles by the church 22m50s.
• What separates these miracles from the other claims is an extensive amount of medical documentation and patients willing to put their lives under a microscope, undergoing multiple tests and examinations 23m9s.
• Sister Morio's case was reviewed by a group of 33 doctors and professors called The International Medical Committee of Lourdes to determine whether her cure was medically unexplained, with the committee ultimately concluding that it was after eight years of investigation 24m0s.
• The International Medical Committee of Lourdes, also referred to as the "devil's advocates," consists of medical professionals such as Dr. Michael Moran, a surgical oncologist, Dr. ASC Mwin, a professor of Urology at John's Hopkins, and Dr. Kieran Morari, a renowned addiction specialist 24m22s.
• The committee's investigation of Sister Morio's case involved scrutinizing her medical history to determine if there was anything that could have caused her response to treatment, with the conclusion that no treatment would be that effective that quickly 24m41s.
• The committee's medical conversation is separate from their personal beliefs, with a focus on technical details and objectivity, similar to a forensic pathologist 25m4s.
• The investigation of Sister Morio's case, as well as other cures, is done on a purely medical basis, with the possibility of peer review by other physicians 25m25s.
• At least 300 physicians have reviewed Sister Morio's case, with all information and files available for review by other medical professionals 25m42s.
• In 2018, a decade after her cure, Sister Morio's case was declared the 70th Miracle of Lourdes, with the declaration of a miracle being an acknowledgment that God intervened in the healing process 26m18s.
• The declaration of a miracle is separate from the medical investigation, with the church having the final say in determining whether a miracle occurred 26m30s.
• The response to skeptics is to be open-minded and consider the possibility that there are aspects of the world that cannot be explained by science or visible evidence 26m45s.

The Power of Grimsby 27m25s

• President Biden signed a sweeping climate bill in August, prioritizing offshore wind power, with the goal of generating enough power for 10 million American homes by 2030 using the force of the wind in the open seas 27m26s.
• There are currently only seven offshore wind turbines off the coast of the United States, compared to nearly 6,000 in Europe, with critics arguing they are expensive to build and maintain, unpredictable, and ugly 27m47s.
• The largest offshore wind farm in the world is located along the northeast coast of England, known as the Hornsey wind farm, featuring over 300 turbines spread across 335 square miles, generating enough electricity to power more than 2 million homes a day 28m35s.
• To understand the power, size, and upkeep of this technology, a visit was made to the Hornsey wind farm, where 24-year-old Briy Salmon, a turbine technician, scales and services the turbines, having been selected from a pool of 500 applicants for an apprentice program 29m7s.
• Briy's family has a history of working in the area, with her great-grandfather working on the Grimsby docks and her dad owning a 100-year-old smoked fish shop in town, and she decided to apply for the apprentice program after bartending 29m36s.
• The apprentice program combines classroom instruction with hands-on work at sea, but the weather in the North Sea is ever-changing, making every day different and requiring adaptability 30m5s.
• The turbines are massive, standing nearly 600 ft high with spinning fiberglass blades roughly the length of the world's largest passenger jet, each weighing almost 30 tons, and are partially assembled on shore before being shipped out to sea 30m55s.
• The turbines are attached with surgical precision to the top of the turbine, with every angle needing to be perfect to generate maximum power, and keeping them spinning is critical, with one revolution able to power one home in the UK 31m17s.
• Offshore wind turbine technician Bridey works on maintaining turbines in the North Sea, often in harsh weather conditions, and must climb an 8-story ladder to reach the top of the turbine while harnessed to a cable 31m32s.
• The job requires careful inspection and servicing of the turbine's lights and other components, and can be physically demanding and scary due to the height, wind, and motion of the tower 32m31s.
• Ben Sykes, Vice President of Offshore Wind at Ørsted, a Danish-based global energy supplier, notes that extraordinary efforts are needed in extraordinary times to address the energy crisis in Europe and Britain 33m13s.
• Ørsted decided to sell off its oil and gas business and focus on renewable energies about six years ago, and has invested in the Hornsea Wind Farm off the coast of Grimsby, a depressed fishing town in the UK 33m44s.
• Grimsby was chosen as the location for the wind farm due to its good port, geographical location, water depth, wind resource, and proximity to the National Grid 33m58s.
• The UK has a strategy to use 100% clean or renewable electricity by 2035, and offshore wind is a key part of this plan due to its ability to be built at a large scale, similar to a nuclear power station 34m17s.
• Offshore wind is unique in that it can be built at a large scale, making it a viable option for meeting energy demands, and is also one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK 34m31s.
• The cost of constructing, transmitting, and decommissioning offshore wind farms is not passed on to consumers, as it is privately funded by Ørsted and its investment partners 35m12s.
• Political consensus and investor confidence have been key factors in the growth of the offshore wind industry in the UK over the past decade 35m29s.
• The UK's power supply is still largely dependent on gas and nuclear energy, but 14% of Britain's energy has come from offshore wind this year, with only China producing more offshore wind power than the UK 35m46s.
• Offshore wind power works by using wind to turn blades around a shaft inside a turbine, which generates energy that travels down cables buried under the seabed to an offshore substation and then to a power station on land 35m58s.
• The UK can predict extremely accurately how much wind power will be generated over the next few days using satellites and other technology, allowing grid operators to make clear plans about demand and supply 36m28s.
• The turbines in Hornsea operate 98-99% of the time, making them a reliable source of energy 36m43s.
• The town of Grimsby was once home to the largest fishing fleet in the world, with 700 trawlers and a port that hosted a visit from the Queen, but the industry declined after Iceland enforced fishing restrictions in their waters 36m52s.
• Dennis Avery and Bob Forby, two retired fishermen, recall the tough but rewarding work of fishing and the devastating impact of the industry's decline on the town 37m17s.
• The decline of the fishing industry led to widespread unemployment and economic hardship in Grimsby, with many businesses suffering as a result 38m11s.
• The offshore energy company Ørsted has invested over $18 billion in local wind farms and created 600 jobs in Grimsby, but some people worry about the environmental impact of the wind turbines and the lack of job creation 38m34s.
• Retired fishermen Avery and Forby are concerned that the benefits of wind power have not been felt by local residents, with electricity bills increasing rather than decreasing 38m59s.
• The UK government has announced plans to drill for more oil and gas in the North Sea and speed up the development of offshore wind farms in response to fears of blackouts following the war in Ukraine 39m41s.
• Ben Sykes plans to invest $17 billion in wind farms over the next eight years and add more than 300 jobs in Grimsby. 39m54s
• The town of Grimsby is transitioning from a fishing town to a powerhouse of the north, with a focus on offshore wind projects. 40m21s
• The fishing industry was once fantastic for Grimsby, but that era has passed, and the town is now looking to create a new chapter in its life and the country's life through the development of wind farms. 40m6s
• The development of wind farms is expected to play a significant role in shaping the town's future and fortune. 40m29s
• The transition of Grimsby's economy is seen as an amazing development, with the town proud to be a part of it and contributing to the country's growth. 40m27s

The Wolves of Yellowstone 40m42s

• Wolves have had an image problem since ancient times, being portrayed as fearsome and voracious predators in fables, legends, and the Bible, with the story of the big bad wolf being the most memorable and frightening of all the fairy tales told by the Brothers Grimm 40m42s.
• In the early 20th century, wolves were wiped off the landscape in America, trapped, poisoned, and hunted until there was not a single one left in the American West 41m6s.
• The National Park Service brought wolves back to Yellowstone Park almost exactly 25 years ago, following a bitter debate between wildlife groups who wanted them restored and ranchers who did not 41m20s.
• The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park has had an impact that almost no one saw coming, with wolf tourism pumping $35 million a year into the local economy, much of it spent in the winter, which is prime wolf-watching time 43m18s.
• Yellowstone Park was the world's first national park, founded in 1872, and it remains one of the most visited, with millions of people coming every summer, but they used to leave it to the wildlife in the winter until the wolves came back 42m17s.
• Reports of a wolf sighting can produce a traffic jam along the 150-mile stretch of road the park service keeps open in the winter, with visitors gathering with spotting scopes in absolutely frigid weather for a momentary, long-distance view 42m36s.
• Doug Smith runs the Yellowstone wolf research program for the park service and notes that no one predicted the appeal of coming to see the wolves, with hundreds of thousands of people a year estimated to come just to see them 42m57s.
• The first grey wolves captured in Canada were carried into Yellowstone Park on January 12th, 1995, drawing both national attention and fierce opposition, with armed guards posted to protect those wolves 44m2s.
• A total of 41 wolves were released into Yellowstone Park over three years, and there are now 96 wolves in 10 packs, with the population remaining roughly stable at around 100 wolves for the last 10 years 44m29s.
• The 10 packs of wolves in Yellowstone Park are the most closely observed and studied wolves on Earth, with the goal of keeping touch with each pack by attaching radio collars to at least two wolves in each pack 44m43s.
• The process of attaching radio collars to wolves involves flying out in an airplane to find wolves in the open, then radioing a waiting helicopter on the ground, which flies out with a gunner in the back seat to shoot a radio collar onto the wolf 45m0s.
• Yellowstone wolves are tracked and studied using tranquilizing darts, blood samples, and radio collars, which provide valuable information on their behavior and health, with a typical lifespan of about 5 years 45m25s.
• The leading cause of death among Yellowstone wolves is attacks from other wolves, and they are known for their fierce and territorial nature 45m46s.
• Radio collars have helped researchers like Doug Smith's team learn about wolf behavior, and volunteers like Rick McIntyre assist in tracking and locating the wolves 46m6s.
• Wolf packs are typically led by an alpha male and female, who are the only ones that mate with each other, and are known for their social dynamics and personalities 47m0s.
• Wolf packs work together to hunt their favorite prey, elk, by coordinating their attacks and targeting vulnerable prey, such as calves, old, or injured elk 47m51s.
• The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone has had an unexpected side effect, as the reduction in elk populations has allowed plants to recover, benefiting other species like beavers and songbirds 48m32s.
• The recovery of plants has also led to the regrowth of trees and shrubs in areas like gullies, which has had a positive impact on the ecosystem 48m47s.
• Environmentalists have declared wolves the saviors of Yellowstone's ecology, but researchers like Doug Smith acknowledge that the relationship is more complex 49m12s.
• The debate over wolf reintroduction was highly emotional, with some people viewing wolves as a symbol of romance and others seeing them as a threat, but hunters like Randy Newberg argue that wolves are simply a natural part of the ecosystem 49m32s.
• Eric Ca's family has been raising cattle and sheep on their Montana Ranch for 100 years, and he was worried about the return of wolves to Yellowstone, about 100 miles to the south, as he knew they wouldn't stay in the park and would eventually reach his ranch 50m5s.
• Eric anticipated that wolves would follow migrating elk out of Yellowstone and onto his ranch, and he took defensive measures by hiring range riders to watch over his cattle and buying guard dogs to protect his sheep 50m31s.
• Despite his efforts, neighboring ranchers have lost livestock to wolves, and Eric notes that the emotional toll of wolf attacks, including lost sleep and nervousness, cannot be measured or compensated for 51m3s.
• The fear of wolf attacks led to their eradication in the early 20th century, but after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, wolves were listed and a campaign began to restore them to Yellowstone 51m33s.
• After wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, they quickly spread to neighboring states, and there are now nearly 2,000 in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho 51m53s.
• The states eventually won the authority to manage and sometimes kill wolves outside the national park, which has helped to calm emotions and reduce passions around the issue 52m11s.
• The management of wolves includes immediately killing any that attack livestock, and there is also a hunting season for wolves in all three states, which has increased people's willingness to share the landscape with them 52m44s.
• Randy Newberg, who filmed a wolf hunt for his TV show, notes that hunting wolves has increased respect for them and their abilities 52m58s.
• Despite differences between hunters, ranchers, and wolf watchers, there is now agreement that gray wolves are back in Yellowstone for good, and people are drawn to the authenticity and wildness they represent 53m31s.