Despite the fact that the United States Army no longer protects the nation's gold at the Fort Knox military base, the army—which still maintains the U.S. Army Armor School on site—conducts tours and seems quite open and affable.

Don't let their friendly façade fool you: the security maintained on the base is among the highest in the world. Fort Knox may have more military guards than any other military base does—no matter the country or army. Why? If the gold is long gone what are they guarding?

The answer, according to some researchers, is so stunning it seems like a scenario penned by a desperate Hollywood screenwriter after an all night binge: Fort Knox is no longer