Did aliens from the tiny star Sirius B visit humans in the distant past, imparting the knowledge of civilization to peoples thousands of miles apart? And did they leave behind a vital clue in the form of a word that's embedded in languages all over the globe?

When Spanish Conquistadors obliterated the historical record of the Maya in the 16th century, did they wipe out evidence that ancient people traveled to the Americas from all over the world--and in flying craft provided by extraterrestrial visitors?