1 00:00:07,940 --> 00:00:05,300 welcome to Towson Toronto I'm your host 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:07,950 Nick West my guest today is Brian 3 00:00:12,530 --> 00:00:10,170 Dunning host of these skeptoid podcast 4 00:00:14,299 --> 00:00:12,540 and the associated in fact YouTube 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:14,309 channel he's written several books 6 00:00:19,519 --> 00:00:16,890 including conspiracies Declassified 7 00:00:21,950 --> 00:00:19,529 which is the one I'm most interested in 8 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:21,960 and he has a new documentary film coming 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:24,510 out soon called science friction so 10 00:00:28,519 --> 00:00:26,490 Brian welcome to the podcast 11 00:00:30,890 --> 00:00:28,529 Hey thank you for having me it's great 12 00:00:34,370 --> 00:00:30,900 to finally be here after all these years 13 00:00:36,590 --> 00:00:34,380 it is it is and our paths of kind of 14 00:00:38,299 --> 00:00:36,600 crossed a few times but not really that 15 00:00:40,910 --> 00:00:38,309 much you know over the years it's kind 16 00:00:43,729 --> 00:00:40,920 of interesting that we have in some ways 17 00:00:45,529 --> 00:00:43,739 kind of similar similar backgrounds and 18 00:00:49,069 --> 00:00:45,539 they were both kind of tech guys who 19 00:00:50,869 --> 00:00:49,079 gone into into debunking things very 20 00:00:53,330 --> 00:00:50,879 much you know I was using I was using 21 00:00:56,529 --> 00:00:53,340 made a bunk as a resource for a lot of 22 00:00:59,090 --> 00:00:56,539 my podcasts and as a listed reference 23 00:01:01,610 --> 00:00:59,100 probably four years before I realized 24 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:01,620 that it was your project I just thought 25 00:01:05,630 --> 00:01:03,449 it was an internet forum or just random 26 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:05,640 people posted and I was really surprised 27 00:01:09,740 --> 00:01:07,770 at the quality of the content it's like 28 00:01:11,450 --> 00:01:09,750 boy they the first article on all of 29 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:11,460 these threads is really thorough and 30 00:01:16,670 --> 00:01:14,130 very well done and very well sourced and 31 00:01:18,649 --> 00:01:16,680 also yeah I was pleased to finally know 32 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:18,659 oh there's actually a guy here and he's 33 00:01:22,969 --> 00:01:20,250 someone who we share a lot in common 34 00:01:24,859 --> 00:01:22,979 with so yeah no thank you yes no so not 35 00:01:28,130 --> 00:01:24,869 all me of course but I do write a lot of 36 00:01:30,020 --> 00:01:28,140 the first posts it's kind of kind of 37 00:01:33,550 --> 00:01:30,030 like my blog in a way but also with a 38 00:01:35,810 --> 00:01:33,560 bunch of other people but your your 39 00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:35,820 endeavors are very much all about you 40 00:01:41,300 --> 00:01:38,670 and it's really very obvious like 41 00:01:44,270 --> 00:01:41,310 skeptoid yeah I don't I don't have the 42 00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:44,280 advantage of well advantage and 43 00:01:49,340 --> 00:01:46,110 disadvantage it's definitely a two-edged 44 00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:49,350 sword of a bunch of collaborators 45 00:01:54,740 --> 00:01:51,060 working on it all the skeptoid podcast 46 00:01:57,170 --> 00:01:54,750 episodes are researched and written and 47 00:01:59,060 --> 00:01:57,180 done entirely by me I've got a I've got 48 00:02:02,270 --> 00:01:59,070 a Google Group that I will post 49 00:02:04,639 --> 00:02:02,280 questions to but not that often maybe a 50 00:02:07,190 --> 00:02:04,649 couple times a month and there's I don't 51 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:07,200 know 500 or so people on there anyone 52 00:02:11,630 --> 00:02:09,450 can join it and occasionally I'll get 53 00:02:13,850 --> 00:02:11,640 some really amazing stuff like I'll need 54 00:02:15,770 --> 00:02:13,860 some really obscure 55 00:02:18,050 --> 00:02:15,780 reference or some some particular book 56 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:18,060 found or something like that and that's 57 00:02:22,370 --> 00:02:19,890 that's when that use that when that list 58 00:02:24,590 --> 00:02:22,380 comes in most hopeful yeah I said I 59 00:02:27,590 --> 00:02:24,600 think crowdsourcing is it's a very 60 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:27,600 useful thing didn't we can yeah yeah 61 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:29,370 it's kind of one of the great benefits 62 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:31,290 of the Internet is that it's not just 63 00:02:35,180 --> 00:02:32,670 that you can look things up so quickly 64 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:35,190 but you can get so many people looking 65 00:02:38,780 --> 00:02:37,650 at as an issue and I think that's you 66 00:02:41,090 --> 00:02:38,790 know it's kind of we've got pros and 67 00:02:44,420 --> 00:02:41,100 cons would you say like because the 68 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:44,430 assembly people can can solve problems 69 00:02:48,350 --> 00:02:46,050 but so many people can also can I get 70 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:48,360 you know sucked down into and magnify 71 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:53,250 them yeah I mean if if if you're if I 72 00:02:58,729 --> 00:02:54,930 was going to be doing something like if 73 00:03:00,890 --> 00:02:58,739 I had a forum for example of for 74 00:03:02,540 --> 00:03:00,900 research for each upcoming podcast like 75 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:02,550 doing it a little bit different from of 76 00:03:06,380 --> 00:03:03,930 the way you do it but let's say I had a 77 00:03:08,270 --> 00:03:06,390 forum for sirs that have not yet been 78 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:08,280 produced and I'm waiting for you know 79 00:03:11,900 --> 00:03:10,410 the whole thread wind-up and everyone to 80 00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:11,910 learn everything and do all the research 81 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:16,440 I would have limited confidence in the 82 00:03:22,039 --> 00:03:19,410 quality of the information and that's 83 00:03:25,060 --> 00:03:22,049 probably a paranoid on my part and it 84 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:25,070 probably would be very good quality but 85 00:03:29,539 --> 00:03:27,690 it's tough because just as the Internet 86 00:03:32,509 --> 00:03:29,549 is it provides the democratization of 87 00:03:34,670 --> 00:03:32,519 content as you and I enjoy with with 88 00:03:36,140 --> 00:03:34,680 distributing our materials and the 89 00:03:38,090 --> 00:03:36,150 ability to compete with major media 90 00:03:41,660 --> 00:03:38,100 outlets and stuff like that it it also 91 00:03:43,910 --> 00:03:41,670 it has the Wikipedia issue of you know 92 00:03:45,530 --> 00:03:43,920 there's nobody is nobody knows too much 93 00:03:49,550 --> 00:03:45,540 about the quality of this newly 94 00:03:51,650 --> 00:03:49,560 democratized content yeah your podcast 95 00:03:52,940 --> 00:03:51,660 skeptoid there's a wonderful resource I 96 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:52,950 was just going through all the episodes 97 00:03:57,710 --> 00:03:54,330 you've got nearly seven hundred episodes 98 00:03:59,990 --> 00:03:57,720 now I'm working on number 700 this 99 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:00,000 morning in far right yeah that's quite 100 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:02,370 amazing that's you've been doing it 101 00:04:08,270 --> 00:04:05,910 since like what 2006 2006 yeah we just 102 00:04:10,039 --> 00:04:08,280 celebrated our 30th birthday and through 103 00:04:14,330 --> 00:04:10,049 the year through the month of October 104 00:04:19,759 --> 00:04:14,340 yes you did it 24 hour forecast Athan 105 00:04:23,750 --> 00:04:19,769 third 13 hour but yeah as soon as we 106 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:23,760 have that idea and I say we because um 107 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:26,970 I've got I've got three employees now 108 00:04:30,390 --> 00:04:28,110 here it's capital 109 00:04:32,550 --> 00:04:30,400 they work on fundraising they don't work 110 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:32,560 on the content side but as soon as we 111 00:04:38,190 --> 00:04:35,290 had that idea to do this 13 our video 112 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:38,200 marathon I you know initially I thought 113 00:04:42,990 --> 00:04:39,970 oh great that'll be lots of fun and then 114 00:04:45,390 --> 00:04:43,000 it sounds like okay how's my voice gonna 115 00:04:48,390 --> 00:04:45,400 hold up for 30 hours that's a low it's 116 00:04:50,010 --> 00:04:48,400 looking it's a lot of talking yeah so it 117 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:50,020 was it was brutal but it was fun and 118 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:50,710 well worth it 119 00:04:54,930 --> 00:04:53,410 yeah so you you you need you invited a 120 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:54,940 bunch of people and I was one of the 121 00:04:59,160 --> 00:04:56,890 people you invited but when I went to 122 00:05:00,570 --> 00:04:59,170 sign up for the thing the only thing 123 00:05:02,490 --> 00:05:00,580 that was left I think was something like 124 00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:02,500 3:00 in the morning my time so it was 125 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:06,160 yeah job I I should have been inviting 126 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:08,050 people in waves according to their time 127 00:05:13,340 --> 00:05:11,050 zones and I I didn't do that and I it's 128 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:13,350 the people they were like my my 129 00:05:18,780 --> 00:05:17,170 second-tier invitees many of whom I 130 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:18,790 realized oh gosh they really should have 131 00:05:27,690 --> 00:05:21,070 been my first you ended up offending a 132 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:27,700 number of my friends I guess you over 133 00:05:32,550 --> 00:05:29,010 the years you must have a lot of friends 134 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:32,560 like you know we get to sceptical 135 00:05:38,660 --> 00:05:35,710 conferences it's interesting like the 136 00:05:42,690 --> 00:05:38,670 the community the skeptical community 137 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:42,700 how do you kind of feel yourself fitting 138 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:44,530 into the skeptical community like things 139 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:47,470 like yes icon and the old the amazing 140 00:05:54,660 --> 00:05:49,150 meetings and things like that is that 141 00:05:56,730 --> 00:05:54,670 you know I hope your people it is I mean 142 00:05:59,780 --> 00:05:56,740 I'm brie Embry you know every blue 143 00:06:02,040 --> 00:05:59,790 people has that's sort of one of my 144 00:06:04,890 --> 00:06:02,050 ongoing theme that seems to get 145 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:04,900 reinforced for me all the time so when I 146 00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:08,410 when I go to the conferences typically I 147 00:06:11,340 --> 00:06:10,030 only go to the conference if I'm if I'm 148 00:06:13,650 --> 00:06:11,350 working there I'm if I'm either a 149 00:06:15,810 --> 00:06:13,660 speaker or if we have a table for 150 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:15,820 skeptoid or something I I rarely go to 151 00:06:19,980 --> 00:06:18,130 conferences just as an attendee for fun 152 00:06:22,590 --> 00:06:19,990 but if I did the reason would be just to 153 00:06:25,950 --> 00:06:22,600 see friends really yeah as you point out 154 00:06:28,110 --> 00:06:25,960 I've met a ton of people in 13 years of 155 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:28,120 doing this pretty much everyone in our 156 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:32,110 world of sort of the skeptical end of 157 00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:35,230 science communication and you know 158 00:06:38,580 --> 00:06:37,180 science communication blurs off into so 159 00:06:40,050 --> 00:06:38,590 many different genres you know that's 160 00:06:41,610 --> 00:06:40,060 got the whole science fiction it's got 161 00:06:43,260 --> 00:06:41,620 the whole cosplay the make 162 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:43,270 community and I know people in all of 163 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:46,090 these worlds and that's really been the 164 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:48,130 most rewarding and funnest part of this 165 00:06:55,469 --> 00:06:50,770 is getting to make so many extraordinary 166 00:06:57,030 --> 00:06:55,479 friendships so it's a blast yeah yeah 167 00:06:58,890 --> 00:06:57,040 now this is gonna reason I enjoy going 168 00:07:00,390 --> 00:06:58,900 to the conference's I missed this this 169 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:00,400 last si si con because I have something 170 00:07:05,189 --> 00:07:03,310 else going on but it look like fun and I 171 00:07:07,050 --> 00:07:05,199 kind of regretted not not going there 172 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:07,060 and seeing it already again are you 173 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:08,410 going to tell us anything about what 174 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:09,970 that was because there was there was 175 00:07:19,110 --> 00:07:11,530 speculation and there was there was 176 00:07:22,260 --> 00:07:19,120 discussion uh no I was just meeting some 177 00:07:26,129 --> 00:07:22,270 people in New York for something which 178 00:07:27,990 --> 00:07:26,139 might be revealed in the future okay 179 00:07:32,129 --> 00:07:28,000 top secret top secret meeting with the 180 00:07:34,050 --> 00:07:32,139 Illuminati or something that's there 181 00:07:35,430 --> 00:07:34,060 were some top secret things going on in 182 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:35,440 Vegas as well 183 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:37,330 Kenny Biddle was doing some stuff I mean 184 00:07:41,219 --> 00:07:38,410 I don't know if you'd want me to say 185 00:07:42,719 --> 00:07:41,229 anything so I won't but yeah I was like 186 00:07:46,740 --> 00:07:42,729 the only person not involved in anything 187 00:07:47,820 --> 00:07:46,750 Tufts barely I guess that means that 188 00:07:50,629 --> 00:07:47,830 you're not actually a member of the 189 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:50,639 Illuminati is that you know that type of 190 00:07:53,969 --> 00:07:52,330 accusation you know that you're a 191 00:07:56,580 --> 00:07:53,979 government shill is that something 192 00:07:59,550 --> 00:07:56,590 you've you still get I'm shooting is 193 00:08:04,080 --> 00:07:59,560 amazing yeah yeah daily literally daily 194 00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:04,090 mmm if I look at my if I look at my I 195 00:08:08,430 --> 00:08:06,400 have a number of Twitter accounts one 196 00:08:10,409 --> 00:08:08,440 that I can just look at that's totally 197 00:08:13,740 --> 00:08:10,419 unfiltered and everything and when I 198 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:13,750 look at that I realized wow 15 people 199 00:08:17,310 --> 00:08:15,610 called me a government shill today here 200 00:08:18,930 --> 00:08:17,320 whatever I don't see it on my normal 201 00:08:20,490 --> 00:08:18,940 Twitter feed because it's all it has a 202 00:08:24,180 --> 00:08:20,500 million people muted I don't block 203 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:24,190 anyone but I knew tons of people so yeah 204 00:08:30,029 --> 00:08:28,090 it it's incredible because you know with 205 00:08:32,010 --> 00:08:30,039 with with skeptoid with the podcast 206 00:08:34,260 --> 00:08:32,020 covering such a diverse range of topics 207 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:34,270 you know everything from all the hard 208 00:08:38,279 --> 00:08:36,610 sciences to all the urban legends and 209 00:08:40,949 --> 00:08:38,289 everything it's all these very many 210 00:08:42,959 --> 00:08:40,959 genres and for each of them there's 211 00:08:45,660 --> 00:08:42,969 people who believe I'm some paid shill 212 00:08:48,810 --> 00:08:45,670 I'm a paid shill for Monsanto if I talk 213 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:48,820 about GMOs I'm a paid shill for big 214 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:51,970 pharma if I talk about homeopathy I'm a 215 00:08:55,380 --> 00:08:54,490 paid shell from the government if I talk 216 00:09:00,420 --> 00:08:55,390 about the alien 217 00:09:05,510 --> 00:09:00,430 at area 51 Minh you look at the logic of 218 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:05,520 that so I'm doing an episode on on 219 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:08,290 Holocaust denial of course I was a paid 220 00:09:14,370 --> 00:09:10,210 shill for the State of Israel or 221 00:09:17,070 --> 00:09:14,380 whatever it was the Zionists and I think 222 00:09:19,740 --> 00:09:17,080 okay does that make sense that they 223 00:09:22,260 --> 00:09:19,750 would be so desperate for PR that they 224 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:22,270 would hire someone to do a podcast about 225 00:09:28,170 --> 00:09:26,050 Bigfoot and stuff for 13 years just to 226 00:09:31,890 --> 00:09:28,180 have them slip in one episode about 227 00:09:33,750 --> 00:09:31,900 Holocaust denial just kind of just a 228 00:09:35,430 --> 00:09:33,760 fart in the breeze of this whole giant 229 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:35,440 stream of content would that be worth 230 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:38,080 what it would cost to hire me for 13 231 00:09:41,970 --> 00:09:39,130 years yeah 232 00:09:43,260 --> 00:09:41,980 the logic I don't quite follow yeah it 233 00:09:44,730 --> 00:09:43,270 doesn't really make sense of course it 234 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:44,740 could be that all these different people 235 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:46,210 are paying you at different times like 236 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:54,090 but eggs ology has to keep Bigfoot 237 00:10:00,090 --> 00:09:56,770 suppressed oh yeah rent money there's 238 00:10:02,700 --> 00:10:00,100 kind of a thing in skepticism called 239 00:10:04,550 --> 00:10:02,710 Bigfoot scepticism which is kind of like 240 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:04,560 a derogatory term that people use for 241 00:10:10,020 --> 00:10:07,810 like looking at things like Bigfoot or 242 00:10:12,660 --> 00:10:10,030 UFOs when they feel like you should be 243 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:12,670 looking at things like like I don't know 244 00:10:17,580 --> 00:10:15,130 alternative medicine or political 245 00:10:20,310 --> 00:10:17,590 conspiracies how do you feel about about 246 00:10:23,220 --> 00:10:20,320 that criticism it's that's that's a 247 00:10:24,930 --> 00:10:23,230 theme that comes up a lot and I just did 248 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:24,940 an episode last week I think it comes 249 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:28,510 out next week on a particular ghost ship 250 00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:31,330 this old legend about a ghost ship that 251 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:34,000 there's probably nobody who you know is 252 00:10:38,340 --> 00:10:36,010 passionate about this their belief in 253 00:10:40,110 --> 00:10:38,350 this ghost ship to the point that they 254 00:10:42,450 --> 00:10:40,120 go insane on the internet about it it's 255 00:10:43,590 --> 00:10:42,460 it's a relatively unimportant topic as 256 00:10:46,770 --> 00:10:43,600 you and you could say the same thing 257 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:46,780 about Bigfoot so why why waste time 258 00:10:52,620 --> 00:10:48,490 talking about something like that that's 259 00:10:54,450 --> 00:10:52,630 obviously fake and the reason as I often 260 00:10:56,430 --> 00:10:54,460 point out on the show when I do these 261 00:10:59,220 --> 00:10:56,440 episodes is that these it's the same 262 00:11:01,230 --> 00:10:59,230 thought processes that lead to belief in 263 00:11:04,170 --> 00:11:01,240 Bigfoot that lead to belief in 264 00:11:07,290 --> 00:11:04,180 alternative medicine 9/11 true thing etc 265 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:07,300 etc etc and so no matter who the 266 00:11:11,090 --> 00:11:08,550 listener is 267 00:11:13,550 --> 00:11:11,100 they can find an episode of skeptoid 268 00:11:15,590 --> 00:11:13,560 that does not challenge any of their 269 00:11:18,230 --> 00:11:15,600 cherished beliefs I don't go after any 270 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:18,240 of their sacred cows but it still 271 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:20,490 teaches them the lessons that they need 272 00:11:24,860 --> 00:11:23,250 to learn and understand so that they can 273 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:24,870 come to challenge their sacred cows on 274 00:11:29,750 --> 00:11:28,110 their own and so I think that there's 275 00:11:33,050 --> 00:11:29,760 always going to be a place for for 276 00:11:34,700 --> 00:11:33,060 Bigfoot skepticism plus it's fun it's 277 00:11:37,070 --> 00:11:34,710 just fun to talk about some of these 278 00:11:38,180 --> 00:11:37,080 these urban legends that that you know 279 00:11:41,300 --> 00:11:38,190 maybe we heard about when we were kids 280 00:11:44,900 --> 00:11:41,310 or read about or saw on Leonard Nimoy's 281 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:44,910 show or you know it's it's fun it is 282 00:11:50,870 --> 00:11:47,250 yeah and that's yeah I guess the reason 283 00:11:53,810 --> 00:11:50,880 a lot of people you know do skepticism 284 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:53,820 in that area and let UFOs and things 285 00:11:59,870 --> 00:11:57,930 what we you into this as a child like 286 00:12:01,940 --> 00:11:59,880 what were your kind of the childhood 287 00:12:05,420 --> 00:12:01,950 interest like UFOs and things like that 288 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:05,430 usually III had all the books on Bigfoot 289 00:12:10,250 --> 00:12:08,310 all the books on UFOs all the books on 290 00:12:12,770 --> 00:12:10,260 ghosts and hauntings and everything I 291 00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:12,780 watched all the TV shows I believed 292 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:15,480 every word of it every word of it and I 293 00:12:21,260 --> 00:12:17,970 would go about my daily life being 294 00:12:22,850 --> 00:12:21,270 amazed that the adults around me didn't 295 00:12:25,010 --> 00:12:22,860 seem to care that there's these huge 296 00:12:31,070 --> 00:12:25,020 hairy monsters running around in forests 297 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:31,080 and the so you know and of course when 298 00:12:34,340 --> 00:12:32,490 you're into that you seem to always be 299 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:34,350 into science fiction - that seems to be 300 00:12:38,690 --> 00:12:36,930 the the other common thread and you say 301 00:12:40,670 --> 00:12:38,700 you grow up with a group of people in 302 00:12:42,710 --> 00:12:40,680 this group of people just we all tend to 303 00:12:45,110 --> 00:12:42,720 go into the sciences in some way shape 304 00:12:46,790 --> 00:12:45,120 or form and so I was just kind of along 305 00:12:48,260 --> 00:12:46,800 that journey I was you know floating in 306 00:12:49,550 --> 00:12:48,270 that River along with everyone and it 307 00:12:50,870 --> 00:12:49,560 took me to the same place it takes 308 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:50,880 everyone on this path which is 309 00:12:56,390 --> 00:12:54,210 eventually coming to just love science 310 00:12:59,090 --> 00:12:56,400 and and love the idea of doing research 311 00:13:01,940 --> 00:12:59,100 and finding the answers to difficult 312 00:13:05,590 --> 00:13:01,950 questions solving mysteries 313 00:13:08,450 --> 00:13:05,600 I've solved mysteries on skeptoid that 314 00:13:10,340 --> 00:13:08,460 blew my mind when I was a child 315 00:13:15,260 --> 00:13:10,350 hmm and that's giving myself a present 316 00:13:17,620 --> 00:13:15,270 after you know 40 years so I just I I 317 00:13:20,630 --> 00:13:17,630 cannot enjoy it more than than what I do 318 00:13:24,199 --> 00:13:20,640 what would you say is the best mystery 319 00:13:31,910 --> 00:13:30,439 I always go back to I'm spacing on the 320 00:13:36,079 --> 00:13:31,920 name of the house the most haunted house 321 00:13:37,910 --> 00:13:36,089 in England Borle rectory alright I I'd 322 00:13:42,609 --> 00:13:37,920 read all the books about Borle rectory 323 00:13:46,009 --> 00:13:42,619 and about the the the the the biggest 324 00:13:47,929 --> 00:13:46,019 the biggest thing that that blew my mind 325 00:13:50,179 --> 00:13:47,939 and that was the automatic writing 326 00:13:53,090 --> 00:13:50,189 appearing on the walls and the book even 327 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:53,100 had photographs of this writing on walls 328 00:13:58,039 --> 00:13:55,410 that was said to have appeared while 329 00:14:00,019 --> 00:13:58,049 people watched so here you got you know 330 00:14:03,710 --> 00:14:00,029 photograph of the wall and there in this 331 00:14:06,579 --> 00:14:03,720 wallpaper and you see what did it say it 332 00:14:12,829 --> 00:14:06,589 said maryann get help things like that 333 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:12,839 and to me that was beyond skepticism 334 00:14:19,239 --> 00:14:14,970 people were watching as the words 335 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:19,249 appeared and I thought there could be no 336 00:14:24,199 --> 00:14:22,170 no none paranormal explanation to that 337 00:14:25,939 --> 00:14:24,209 mhm and when I finally did the research 338 00:14:28,129 --> 00:14:25,949 on that I learned two things first of 339 00:14:30,499 --> 00:14:28,139 all all the books on Borle rectory were 340 00:14:34,189 --> 00:14:30,509 written by this one guy Harry price who 341 00:14:38,949 --> 00:14:34,199 was a career basically PT Barnum making 342 00:14:41,210 --> 00:14:38,959 stuff up and then I in in somewhere else 343 00:14:44,150 --> 00:14:41,220 some other skeptical work that had been 344 00:14:46,789 --> 00:14:44,160 published before I found a detailed 345 00:14:49,910 --> 00:14:46,799 description of the seance in which this 346 00:14:53,359 --> 00:14:49,920 automatic writing had appeared and it 347 00:14:55,369 --> 00:14:53,369 wasn't on a wall it was on wallpaper but 348 00:14:57,319 --> 00:14:55,379 simply because a roll of wallpaper was 349 00:14:58,819 --> 00:14:57,329 the biggest convenient roll of paper 350 00:15:02,679 --> 00:14:58,829 that they had available they rolled it 351 00:15:04,879 --> 00:15:02,689 out on a table and they were using a 352 00:15:06,350 --> 00:15:04,889 planchette basically the Ouija board 353 00:15:08,659 --> 00:15:06,360 failure they all put their hands on it 354 00:15:10,669 --> 00:15:08,669 and was holding the pencil and that was 355 00:15:11,409 --> 00:15:10,679 when the writing appeared while people 356 00:15:13,699 --> 00:15:11,419 walked 357 00:15:15,650 --> 00:15:13,709 that's very generally kind of left out 358 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:15,660 that detail in the Harry Price version 359 00:15:22,009 --> 00:15:19,290 of the book and somewhere along the line 360 00:15:23,989 --> 00:15:22,019 that detail got lost and now when you 361 00:15:26,780 --> 00:15:23,999 read any any modern account written 362 00:15:28,999 --> 00:15:26,790 about Borle rectory it it doesn't make 363 00:15:30,559 --> 00:15:29,009 that connection it made the same mistake 364 00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:30,569 that I made when I was a kid which is 365 00:15:35,539 --> 00:15:32,910 that this wall the writing appeared on a 366 00:15:35,900 --> 00:15:35,549 wall automatically while people were 367 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:35,910 watching 368 00:15:39,740 --> 00:15:37,530 with no hand holding a pencil or 369 00:15:43,670 --> 00:15:39,750 anything so that that difference between 370 00:15:45,470 --> 00:15:43,680 wall and wallpaper was was really the 371 00:15:47,270 --> 00:15:45,480 key and that's that's the thing that 372 00:15:50,390 --> 00:15:47,280 I've enjoyed the most that's the single 373 00:15:52,370 --> 00:15:50,400 biggest wow moment for me in all the 374 00:15:54,860 --> 00:15:52,380 years of skeptoid yeah it's fascinating 375 00:15:56,870 --> 00:15:54,870 I think it's very interesting how it 376 00:15:58,640 --> 00:15:56,880 shows that these stories kind of grow 377 00:16:02,270 --> 00:15:58,650 over time and they change over time and 378 00:16:05,450 --> 00:16:02,280 that's yeah you're people's memories of 379 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:05,460 them change over time you know one thing 380 00:16:11,750 --> 00:16:09,630 with all these stories they get recycled 381 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:11,760 a lot and every time they get recycled 382 00:16:14,630 --> 00:16:13,650 it's like someone writes a new article 383 00:16:16,430 --> 00:16:14,640 on this and they're just kind of 384 00:16:18,260 --> 00:16:16,440 incorporating older articles and then 385 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:18,270 the new article becomes the more 386 00:16:24,260 --> 00:16:21,330 authoritative one and then it kind of it 387 00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:24,270 morphs and evolves I guess and the more 388 00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:27,030 popular ones survive and the more 389 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:29,910 popular ones that might be the ones that 390 00:16:33,110 --> 00:16:31,650 have the more interesting features in 391 00:16:34,910 --> 00:16:33,120 them like writing on some wallpaper 392 00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:34,920 isn't interesting but writing appearing 393 00:16:39,770 --> 00:16:36,840 on a wall it's fascinating so that story 394 00:16:42,290 --> 00:16:39,780 dies and then this story carries on I 395 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:42,300 love that that particular detail I'm 396 00:16:46,190 --> 00:16:43,710 sure was an honest mistake 397 00:16:47,570 --> 00:16:46,200 yeah because in Summit County said the 398 00:16:49,940 --> 00:16:47,580 writing was appeared on the wallpaper 399 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:49,950 and to any normal person reading that 400 00:16:53,540 --> 00:16:51,930 you assume that the wallpaper is mounted 401 00:16:55,220 --> 00:16:53,550 on a wall right you would yeah the next 402 00:16:58,010 --> 00:16:55,230 author just said wall instead of 403 00:16:59,900 --> 00:16:58,020 wallpaper but yeah as you say all of 404 00:17:02,510 --> 00:16:59,910 these stories the way they get copied 405 00:17:04,820 --> 00:17:02,520 and pasted and and and rewritten it's 406 00:17:07,220 --> 00:17:04,830 just this giant game of telephone going 407 00:17:09,410 --> 00:17:07,230 over the decades the story changes and 408 00:17:12,610 --> 00:17:09,420 changes a little bit each time so few 409 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:12,620 people are doing original research now 410 00:17:18,380 --> 00:17:16,530 this ghost the ghost ship episode that I 411 00:17:22,750 --> 00:17:18,390 mentioned that I just finished working 412 00:17:24,980 --> 00:17:22,760 on it's popular in the Bermuda Triangle 413 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:24,990 literature and that that's essentially 414 00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:27,810 the only place you find it now and when 415 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:30,300 I found the actual route that this ship 416 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:32,490 took it went straight across the North 417 00:17:37,670 --> 00:17:35,250 Atlantic you know basically kind of 418 00:17:39,770 --> 00:17:37,680 going north from England and been coming 419 00:17:42,260 --> 00:17:39,780 down south to New York it never went 420 00:17:44,540 --> 00:17:42,270 remotely near the Bermuda Triangle 421 00:17:47,750 --> 00:17:44,550 it's just what nobody thought to check 422 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:47,760 that yeah I guess it sounds it sounds 423 00:17:52,890 --> 00:17:49,370 good though it sounds like a fit so 424 00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:52,900 that will take it it's one of ours yeah 425 00:17:59,680 --> 00:17:57,110 yeah so yeah I like what you were saying 426 00:18:01,060 --> 00:17:59,690 about the culture of types of people who 427 00:18:03,550 --> 00:18:01,070 get into this thing I mean it's kind of 428 00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:03,560 like like nerd culture really for want 429 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:05,060 of a better thing you're talking about 430 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:08,810 things like you know makers and cosplay 431 00:18:12,130 --> 00:18:10,130 and things like that this is the type of 432 00:18:16,450 --> 00:18:12,140 things you would see on the Big Bang 433 00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:16,460 Theory and very much yeah yeah it's it's 434 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:19,310 funny how there's such a there's such an 435 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:22,510 intersection between straight-up 436 00:18:30,940 --> 00:18:27,490 sci-fi fantasy fiction and hard science 437 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:30,950 would you go to going to Dragon Con I 438 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:32,510 think is a great example of that because 439 00:18:37,660 --> 00:18:34,370 that is where you will see some of your 440 00:18:41,740 --> 00:18:37,670 favorite hard scientists disguised as 441 00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:41,750 some character from a video game it's 442 00:18:46,330 --> 00:18:44,300 it's really a fun angle that a lot of 443 00:18:48,310 --> 00:18:46,340 people that either would appreciate more 444 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:48,320 if they knew more about it yeah I think 445 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:50,450 a lot of people who grew up reading 446 00:18:54,820 --> 00:18:52,850 science fiction go into the sciences 447 00:18:56,650 --> 00:18:54,830 because of that I mean I know I my 448 00:19:00,040 --> 00:18:56,660 interest in science now is very much 449 00:19:02,410 --> 00:19:00,050 rooted in reading science fiction as a 450 00:19:03,790 --> 00:19:02,420 as a young young boy essentially what my 451 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:03,800 dad had a big collection of science 452 00:19:08,890 --> 00:19:06,890 fiction books it's kind of older stuff 453 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:08,900 as well like back from the fifties and 454 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:12,170 sixties and reading that canopy fly 455 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:16,250 interest and yeah then again watching 456 00:19:23,850 --> 00:19:20,810 stuff like Doctor Who on TV was was was 457 00:19:26,650 --> 00:19:23,860 a very very important part of my youth 458 00:19:30,310 --> 00:19:26,660 who among us was not in love with Sarah 459 00:19:35,980 --> 00:19:30,320 Jane Smith for its way for decades yeah 460 00:19:42,610 --> 00:19:35,990 indeed yes the I was looking over your 461 00:19:44,380 --> 00:19:42,620 your last 700 episodes on skeptoid and I 462 00:19:47,370 --> 00:19:44,390 start looking over your your YouTube 463 00:19:50,890 --> 00:19:47,380 channel yeah you only have about 60 464 00:19:52,180 --> 00:19:50,900 videos do you do you like I suppose it 465 00:19:54,610 --> 00:19:52,190 takes a lot more work to do the videos 466 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:54,620 is that why there is it does and and 467 00:20:00,990 --> 00:19:56,810 it's it's a lot more work as you point 468 00:20:03,220 --> 00:20:01,000 out it's it's a lot more expensive and I 469 00:20:06,130 --> 00:20:03,230 really don't have time 470 00:20:09,370 --> 00:20:06,140 or it so what I do is those are all 471 00:20:12,789 --> 00:20:09,380 crowdfunded and I only produce one after 472 00:20:14,409 --> 00:20:12,799 the thermometer is filled and you know 473 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:14,419 there's a lot of video content on 474 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:18,110 YouTube and it's it's it's something 475 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:19,610 that I just really never hit critical 476 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:22,730 mass on I still produce them there's 477 00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:24,970 still valuable resources to be out there 478 00:20:29,890 --> 00:20:28,070 and part of the reason we're going to 479 00:20:31,270 --> 00:20:29,900 continue doing that and continue doing 480 00:20:32,919 --> 00:20:31,280 them better because you know there's 481 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:32,929 been quality issues with a lot of them 482 00:20:37,659 --> 00:20:35,330 and things like that it's because that 483 00:20:40,570 --> 00:20:37,669 we're a non-profit at skeptoid media and 484 00:20:43,150 --> 00:20:40,580 everything that we do what we promise to 485 00:20:45,789 --> 00:20:43,160 our donors is that we provide it as 486 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:45,799 educational material to teachers as part 487 00:20:50,110 --> 00:20:48,410 of these free material packages so if 488 00:20:52,299 --> 00:20:50,120 why don't we make a video and if it gets 489 00:20:55,180 --> 00:20:52,309 15 views on YouTube that's fine I don't 490 00:20:56,770 --> 00:20:55,190 really care because it's it's it's real 491 00:20:59,890 --> 00:20:56,780 purpose is being provided as part of 492 00:21:03,310 --> 00:20:59,900 this educational package so everything 493 00:21:06,010 --> 00:21:03,320 we do ideally always working toward this 494 00:21:08,140 --> 00:21:06,020 better and better is is dual purpose 495 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:08,150 it's intended to be fun and entertaining 496 00:21:11,350 --> 00:21:09,770 for the general public and it's also 497 00:21:14,169 --> 00:21:11,360 intended to be part of a formalized 498 00:21:16,090 --> 00:21:14,179 education package yeah that's great and 499 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:16,100 it's I think it's really good to have 500 00:21:21,340 --> 00:21:19,850 resources available like that for some 501 00:21:24,159 --> 00:21:21,350 of the more obscure stuff cussing course 502 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:24,169 like on on YouTube it used to be a bit 503 00:21:29,350 --> 00:21:27,710 of a dark pit of of nonsense and they've 504 00:21:31,419 --> 00:21:29,360 kind of cleaned it up a bit recently and 505 00:21:34,180 --> 00:21:31,429 I think there's kind of been down 506 00:21:37,659 --> 00:21:34,190 ranking some of the didn't your videos 507 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:37,669 get taken down because it's a yeah one 508 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:40,130 day line that's that's happened a lot 509 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:42,650 lately when they started they really 510 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:46,250 ratcheted up their their automated yeah 511 00:21:52,210 --> 00:21:49,130 taking down in videos and they really 512 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:52,220 just go by the title so my video on 513 00:21:59,610 --> 00:21:57,290 Holocaust denial got taken down and my 514 00:22:02,080 --> 00:21:59,620 whole channel got demonetized 515 00:22:03,669 --> 00:22:02,090 because of the titles of a number of 516 00:22:05,500 --> 00:22:03,679 these episodes now there's no human 517 00:22:07,330 --> 00:22:05,510 being actually involved in the process 518 00:22:09,580 --> 00:22:07,340 you know you can you can appeal the 519 00:22:13,510 --> 00:22:09,590 process and in a few days they almost 520 00:22:15,070 --> 00:22:13,520 always reverse that but I was able to 521 00:22:17,149 --> 00:22:15,080 get most of it taken care of through 522 00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:17,159 just kind of a back-channel connect 523 00:22:21,769 --> 00:22:19,470 with a friend with friends in high 524 00:22:23,509 --> 00:22:21,779 places who said none another skeptoid 525 00:22:26,509 --> 00:22:23,519 channel really needs to be whitelisted 526 00:22:29,659 --> 00:22:26,519 and and that's helped basically solve 527 00:22:32,659 --> 00:22:29,669 the problem the only thing now is when 528 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:32,669 there's episodes like debunking 9/11 529 00:22:38,749 --> 00:22:35,970 truth advertisers don't necessarily want 530 00:22:41,599 --> 00:22:38,759 their ads on that content whether it's 531 00:22:43,039 --> 00:22:41,609 pro science or not it's just a subject 532 00:22:46,580 --> 00:22:43,049 that want to avoid so a number of those 533 00:22:48,769 --> 00:22:46,590 episodes are demonetized which is which 534 00:22:50,989 --> 00:22:48,779 it's fine I mean we make you know a 535 00:22:53,539 --> 00:22:50,999 matter of hundreds of dollars a month on 536 00:22:55,460 --> 00:22:53,549 YouTube it's not it's not a major source 537 00:22:59,019 --> 00:22:55,470 of income for us it's mostly just to 538 00:23:01,219 --> 00:22:59,029 have the content out there yeah yes I 539 00:23:03,729 --> 00:23:01,229 don't say it's all on one page your 540 00:23:06,739 --> 00:23:03,739 video say it's interesting kind of see 541 00:23:08,769 --> 00:23:06,749 how styles and shirts have changed over 542 00:23:11,749 --> 00:23:08,779 the last 10 years 543 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:11,759 you seem to have got better fitting 544 00:23:16,479 --> 00:23:14,369 shirts over the years I would say that 545 00:23:20,810 --> 00:23:16,489 that's the biggest comment I get on my 546 00:23:22,759 --> 00:23:20,820 2008 video my god he goes 2008 now that 547 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:22,769 video I did called here be dragons which 548 00:23:26,619 --> 00:23:24,570 is a 40 minute video I made the whole 549 00:23:31,430 --> 00:23:26,629 thing myself with a camera on a tripod 550 00:23:33,619 --> 00:23:31,440 and scripts taped to the camera yeah it 551 00:23:35,389 --> 00:23:33,629 was like a zero resource production but 552 00:23:40,609 --> 00:23:35,399 the most common comment is how I'm 553 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:40,619 wearing a different shirt really that's 554 00:23:42,919 --> 00:23:42,570 what you're focusing on okay fine lesson 555 00:23:45,409 --> 00:23:42,929 learned 556 00:23:47,830 --> 00:23:45,419 always the same shirt yeah I guess it 557 00:23:52,989 --> 00:23:47,840 could be a distraction for people thank 558 00:23:56,769 --> 00:23:52,999 ya so let's talk about your book 559 00:23:59,180 --> 00:23:56,779 conspiracies Declassified this is like 560 00:24:00,529 --> 00:23:59,190 it's kind of like a skeptoid style thing 561 00:24:02,149 --> 00:24:00,539 and that you do like a whole bunch of 562 00:24:05,629 --> 00:24:02,159 different things and you do a nice neat 563 00:24:07,700 --> 00:24:05,639 kind of explanation of each one there's 564 00:24:09,409 --> 00:24:07,710 a trying to reach for my copy there's my 565 00:24:11,539 --> 00:24:09,419 dog-eared copy the one that I had to do 566 00:24:12,820 --> 00:24:11,549 whenever I have an author's reading or 567 00:24:14,869 --> 00:24:12,830 something I take this it's got all my 568 00:24:18,379 --> 00:24:14,879 writing and scribblings throughout it 569 00:24:21,349 --> 00:24:18,389 but yeah so this this was something that 570 00:24:23,570 --> 00:24:21,359 just kind of came to me out of the blue 571 00:24:26,749 --> 00:24:23,580 Simon and Schuster called and said hey 572 00:24:28,609 --> 00:24:26,759 we're doing this series of 50 of this 50 573 00:24:29,950 --> 00:24:28,619 of that and we want to do 50 conspiracy 574 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:29,960 theories 575 00:24:36,010 --> 00:24:31,850 do you think you can think of 50 576 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:36,020 conspiracy theories laughs I did an 577 00:24:41,140 --> 00:24:39,290 export from the skeptoid database with 578 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:41,150 the conspiracy theory category and it 579 00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:43,490 was about 200 different trades I had 580 00:24:48,310 --> 00:24:46,220 already done so it became a matter of 581 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:48,320 whittling it down to the the most 582 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:52,370 popular 50 it was it was a lot of fun it 583 00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:54,410 was you know I'd already done all of the 584 00:25:00,160 --> 00:24:57,490 research so I really just had to rewrite 585 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:00,170 episodes reformat them change it because 586 00:25:05,170 --> 00:25:02,570 each chapter in this book is it's like 587 00:25:08,140 --> 00:25:05,180 you know what's what's the what's the 588 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:08,150 theory what's the truth what's the the 589 00:25:13,210 --> 00:25:10,850 explanation so I'd to break it all down 590 00:25:16,180 --> 00:25:13,220 into these sections for the one on 591 00:25:17,890 --> 00:25:16,190 flatter thing for the explanation I 592 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:17,900 wanted just one sentence I just want to 593 00:25:23,050 --> 00:25:21,290 say the world is round it's gonna be the 594 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:23,060 shortest chapter of the book and they 595 00:25:29,110 --> 00:25:25,850 wouldn't let me do that so it's 596 00:25:30,460 --> 00:25:29,120 interesting cuz I hey I said okay main 597 00:25:31,630 --> 00:25:30,470 issue you have with the plot surface is 598 00:25:34,030 --> 00:25:31,640 that it's very difficult to take them 599 00:25:36,010 --> 00:25:34,040 seriously because they're yeah they're 600 00:25:37,330 --> 00:25:36,020 obviously so obviously wrong but then I 601 00:25:39,610 --> 00:25:37,340 guess you could say the same thing about 602 00:25:42,550 --> 00:25:39,620 a lot of things like the supernatural 603 00:25:44,710 --> 00:25:42,560 stuff yeah no that's a good point and 604 00:25:47,650 --> 00:25:44,720 I've sort of modified my opinion on that 605 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:47,660 because it makes sense to treat it 606 00:25:51,070 --> 00:25:49,250 seriously in the same way that you do 607 00:25:54,270 --> 00:25:51,080 like the the Bigfoot subjects that we're 608 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:54,280 talking about so it actually does have 609 00:26:00,670 --> 00:25:57,290 fascinating sociology behind it it has 610 00:26:03,130 --> 00:26:00,680 really interesting history into how and 611 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:03,140 when the theory you know appeared and 612 00:26:08,170 --> 00:26:05,090 then disappeared was gone for decades 613 00:26:10,510 --> 00:26:08,180 and then reappeared in what was it 2005 614 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:10,520 I think was sort of the cases around 615 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:12,770 that this guy that made a YouTube video 616 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:15,650 and and a PDF document that this 617 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:17,810 released at the same time and you look 618 00:26:24,010 --> 00:26:20,690 in Google Trends and Flat Earth was 0 619 00:26:25,900 --> 00:26:24,020 for decades until suddenly boom and then 620 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:25,910 you can see each of those early videos 621 00:26:30,750 --> 00:26:28,370 appearing on YouTube and the huge spike 622 00:26:34,020 --> 00:26:30,760 in search terms for Flat Earth and 623 00:26:37,510 --> 00:26:34,030 that's the way kind of all these stories 624 00:26:39,850 --> 00:26:37,520 appear and get spread and so it's not a 625 00:26:41,860 --> 00:26:39,860 matter of gee don't people have any 626 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:41,870 science education it's a matter of how 627 00:26:44,950 --> 00:26:43,010 does misinformation 628 00:26:46,930 --> 00:26:44,960 spread in society and that is an 629 00:26:49,300 --> 00:26:46,940 important subject that's worthy of 630 00:26:50,620 --> 00:26:49,310 worthy of study so I don't laugh at the 631 00:26:53,380 --> 00:26:50,630 flatterer thing anymore it's it's 632 00:26:55,450 --> 00:26:53,390 something that's you know obviously you 633 00:26:58,450 --> 00:26:55,460 laugh at the idea of it but as far as a 634 00:27:00,790 --> 00:26:58,460 subject for skeptical analysis it's very 635 00:27:05,350 --> 00:27:00,800 valid here I went for the same process 636 00:27:06,790 --> 00:27:05,360 myself like I originally posters a long 637 00:27:08,350 --> 00:27:06,800 kind of explanation of why I thought it 638 00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:08,360 was ridiculous leap and talk about it 639 00:27:13,060 --> 00:27:10,370 and this was I think maybe like four or 640 00:27:14,710 --> 00:27:13,070 five years ago I did this and then kind 641 00:27:15,910 --> 00:27:14,720 of it just kind of crept in and you 642 00:27:18,610 --> 00:27:15,920 realized that more and more people 643 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:18,620 actually do believe it it wasn't just 644 00:27:22,420 --> 00:27:20,570 people like joking around even though 645 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:22,430 there's a lot of that in there there's 646 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:24,650 there's people who you know for some 647 00:27:27,820 --> 00:27:26,090 reason and they can't wrap their heads 648 00:27:29,470 --> 00:27:27,830 around the idea that the earth is 649 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:29,480 actually round and that the scientists 650 00:27:33,730 --> 00:27:31,850 have it right and you know it is 651 00:27:36,100 --> 00:27:33,740 actually worth worth addressing and now 652 00:27:39,250 --> 00:27:36,110 I now I have this huge section of my 653 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:39,260 forums I think it's also it's kind of 654 00:27:44,140 --> 00:27:42,890 fascinating too nerdy types because you 655 00:27:47,650 --> 00:27:44,150 get to do all this fun little bits of 656 00:27:49,660 --> 00:27:47,660 geometry and like working out the math 657 00:27:52,870 --> 00:27:49,670 on things and you think you think you 658 00:27:54,100 --> 00:27:52,880 can explain it to people but it's it's 659 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:54,110 very very difficult because they don't 660 00:27:58,660 --> 00:27:57,170 really understand the math so it's it's 661 00:27:59,560 --> 00:27:58,670 kind of like bashing your head against a 662 00:28:02,970 --> 00:27:59,570 brick wall it's gonna frustrate 663 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:02,980 frustrating do you remember there was a 664 00:28:08,980 --> 00:28:06,890 there was a theory or a guess or 665 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:08,990 something that that the Flat Earth 666 00:28:12,550 --> 00:28:10,610 Society and the people who believe in 667 00:28:14,470 --> 00:28:12,560 the Flat Earth they don't really think 668 00:28:17,470 --> 00:28:14,480 that they're just doing it as a sort of 669 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:17,480 logical rhetorical exercise yeah I never 670 00:28:22,870 --> 00:28:19,970 found any any evidence that that ever 671 00:28:25,210 --> 00:28:22,880 existed I heard plenty people say that 672 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:25,220 or proposed that but I don't recall ever 673 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:27,890 coming across anyone actually treating 674 00:28:32,740 --> 00:28:30,170 it that way there was a Canadian Flat 675 00:28:36,780 --> 00:28:32,750 Earth Society which I think was in the 676 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:36,790 seventies otherwise which was actually 677 00:28:41,890 --> 00:28:39,530 thought to do that it was like some some 678 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:41,900 guy like a philosopher and he set up 679 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:43,910 this organization he didn't really 680 00:28:47,770 --> 00:28:45,770 believe it but he wanted to make people 681 00:28:51,970 --> 00:28:47,780 like question science and things like 682 00:28:55,750 --> 00:28:51,980 that so that one was actually that and I 683 00:28:57,480 --> 00:28:55,760 think I was the guy that tried to pick 684 00:28:59,800 --> 00:28:57,490 up from 685 00:29:01,240 --> 00:28:59,810 I'm forgetting their name the elderly 686 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:01,250 couple that lived in the California 687 00:29:06,940 --> 00:29:03,890 desert that their house Noel me I'm not 688 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:06,950 sure if it was but it's it's in it's in 689 00:29:12,550 --> 00:29:10,010 that the book you know beer what was it 690 00:29:15,430 --> 00:29:12,560 like the history of a dangerous idea the 691 00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:15,440 Flat Earth book yeah yeah but it wasn't 692 00:29:19,570 --> 00:29:17,270 that but it was that's the book you're 693 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:19,580 talking about yeah yeah come on where 694 00:29:24,130 --> 00:29:21,530 it's cool anyways but yeah it's the that 695 00:29:26,890 --> 00:29:24,140 have actually been people who did it for 696 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:26,900 philosophical reasons and some people 697 00:29:32,230 --> 00:29:28,490 you know they start out with this this 698 00:29:35,830 --> 00:29:32,240 philosophy of is the Texas ism which is 699 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:35,840 you know terrible word no yes it a poor 700 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:37,250 podcasting workers no one can pronounce 701 00:29:43,930 --> 00:29:40,370 it it's a test ISM no never mind without 702 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:43,940 that word and that you know they they 703 00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:45,290 don't believe in anything basically 704 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:47,630 unless they can prove it for themselves 705 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:51,410 so there's a long history over it was 706 00:29:55,150 --> 00:29:53,090 the name of the Australian skeptics 707 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:55,160 magazine for a long time the Zeit etic 708 00:30:04,120 --> 00:29:57,290 yeah okay I can't imagine a worse name 709 00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:04,130 back off the shelf in interest I thought 710 00:30:07,930 --> 00:30:05,750 actually the original skeptical Inquirer 711 00:30:11,740 --> 00:30:07,940 was was called that either that or 712 00:30:14,110 --> 00:30:11,750 skeptic magazine in in America okay 713 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:14,120 that's maybe the Australian one hmm yeah 714 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:17,510 but yeah it's is it splatter earth is a 715 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:20,690 very extreme thing and you know I didn't 716 00:30:23,710 --> 00:30:21,770 do it at first 717 00:30:25,990 --> 00:30:23,720 are there any conspiracies now that you 718 00:30:28,810 --> 00:30:26,000 think are kind of beyond the pale that 719 00:30:33,700 --> 00:30:28,820 you wouldn't you don't talk about it but 720 00:30:36,010 --> 00:30:33,710 I don't talk about like I don't know 721 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:36,020 lizard people did you talk about that 722 00:30:41,830 --> 00:30:38,480 one I you know I did I did an episode on 723 00:30:45,340 --> 00:30:41,840 the lizard people very early on in in 724 00:30:49,060 --> 00:30:45,350 skeptoid and with you know there's a 725 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:49,070 certain amount you can say about David 726 00:30:55,210 --> 00:30:52,370 Icke and you know looking at the blurry 727 00:30:57,430 --> 00:30:55,220 lines the video artifacts and a VHS tape 728 00:30:58,960 --> 00:30:57,440 you know we don't really have that sort 729 00:31:00,880 --> 00:30:58,970 of video artifacting anymore with my 730 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:00,890 technologists I don't hear that so much 731 00:31:07,270 --> 00:31:03,850 so my episode focused more on the the 732 00:31:09,010 --> 00:31:07,280 genesis of this idea of lizard people 733 00:31:11,380 --> 00:31:09,020 living in underground 734 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:11,390 cities particularly underneath Los 735 00:31:18,130 --> 00:31:14,770 Angeles and underneath Mount Shasta and 736 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:18,140 I did come up with a with a really 737 00:31:23,980 --> 00:31:20,210 interesting history going all the way 738 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:23,990 back to as far as I could tell the first 739 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:26,210 time that that became a thing which was 740 00:31:34,090 --> 00:31:29,530 in in the gold rush days in Los Angeles 741 00:31:36,970 --> 00:31:34,100 a guy who was he got a lot of press in 742 00:31:38,290 --> 00:31:36,980 the in in the whatever if the newspaper 743 00:31:40,030 --> 00:31:38,300 was still called the Los Angeles Times 744 00:31:43,390 --> 00:31:40,040 and I don't remember he got a lot of 745 00:31:45,790 --> 00:31:43,400 newspaper press with his theory and he 746 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:45,800 produced a map of all these tunnels 747 00:31:51,940 --> 00:31:48,530 underneath Los Angeles that and 748 00:31:54,940 --> 00:31:51,950 locations of big caches of gold stored 749 00:31:59,050 --> 00:31:54,950 in these tunnels and he had found these 750 00:32:01,270 --> 00:31:59,060 all using his his x-ray photography 751 00:32:03,970 --> 00:32:01,280 camera or something like that which 752 00:32:05,380 --> 00:32:03,980 turned out to be a dowsing pendulum that 753 00:32:07,740 --> 00:32:05,390 he just held and for some reason he 754 00:32:11,860 --> 00:32:07,750 called out an x-ray photography device 755 00:32:13,830 --> 00:32:11,870 and where he got this information this 756 00:32:18,820 --> 00:32:13,840 story about the people who built this 757 00:32:21,430 --> 00:32:18,830 underground tunnel came from a guy who 758 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:21,440 as far as I can tell was pretending to 759 00:32:26,710 --> 00:32:24,170 have been from the Navajo Nation I was 760 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:26,720 able to track down the Navajo Nation 761 00:32:32,410 --> 00:32:30,530 actually has a fascinatingly accessible 762 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:32,420 public database of birth and death 763 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:36,530 records going back as far as they've 764 00:32:41,260 --> 00:32:38,690 been able to go and and I was able to 765 00:32:43,510 --> 00:32:41,270 try and find verify that no such person 766 00:32:45,130 --> 00:32:43,520 as this guy had ever been in those 767 00:32:47,710 --> 00:32:45,140 databases I think he said he was an 768 00:32:49,510 --> 00:32:47,720 Apache and I believe that's included in 769 00:32:52,690 --> 00:32:49,520 the Navajo Nation archives I hope I'm 770 00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:52,700 remembering that correctly and he had a 771 00:32:58,570 --> 00:32:55,550 story about an ancient Native American 772 00:33:00,640 --> 00:32:58,580 belief and I went to the relevant Native 773 00:33:02,740 --> 00:33:00,650 American texts talking about all of 774 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:02,750 their folklore and found no mention of 775 00:33:06,910 --> 00:33:04,130 anything remotely like what he was 776 00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:06,920 talking about so I believe that that 777 00:33:14,380 --> 00:33:10,670 ended up being sort of case zero for the 778 00:33:16,060 --> 00:33:14,390 the idea of the lizard clan living 779 00:33:18,340 --> 00:33:16,070 underneath Los Angeles and Mount Shasta 780 00:33:21,670 --> 00:33:18,350 so that was that was a really fun really 781 00:33:22,810 --> 00:33:21,680 fun episode yeah that's that's 782 00:33:25,299 --> 00:33:22,820 interesting 783 00:33:29,620 --> 00:33:25,309 quickly Mount Shasta and Los Angeles 784 00:33:31,029 --> 00:33:29,630 Manchester is kind of like I Drive past 785 00:33:33,070 --> 00:33:31,039 Mount Shasta a lot because I Drive up to 786 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:33,080 Southern Oregon because I have family 787 00:33:36,759 --> 00:33:33,850 there 788 00:33:39,009 --> 00:33:36,769 and I never like in the Shasta area it's 789 00:33:41,169 --> 00:33:39,019 a very alternative culture area lots of 790 00:33:43,419 --> 00:33:41,179 kind of thinking of hippie types and 791 00:33:44,529 --> 00:33:43,429 new-age types and a lot of people who 792 00:33:47,620 --> 00:33:44,539 believe in the chemtrail conspiracy 793 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:47,630 theory only that snow probably 794 00:33:52,180 --> 00:33:50,330 influenced by the presence of local 795 00:33:54,070 --> 00:33:52,190 underground aliens or my aliens just 796 00:33:55,539 --> 00:33:54,080 lizards I haven't actually heard that 797 00:33:56,799 --> 00:33:55,549 though from just from Shasta I think 798 00:34:01,269 --> 00:33:56,809 maybe it's something that they forgotten 799 00:34:04,869 --> 00:34:01,279 about they're in there with the with the 800 00:34:06,340 --> 00:34:04,879 Lemurians and the of course there's that 801 00:34:07,930 --> 00:34:06,350 there's the Bigfoot and then there's an 802 00:34:10,809 --> 00:34:07,940 invisible race and then there's a race 803 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:10,819 of of like tiny gnomes and then there's 804 00:34:15,010 --> 00:34:12,770 the Nordic aliens Mount Shasta 805 00:34:19,450 --> 00:34:15,020 apparently is just full of full of 806 00:34:21,129 --> 00:34:19,460 beings yeah like a lot of this book it's 807 00:34:23,950 --> 00:34:21,139 quite a dramatic mountain if you've ever 808 00:34:26,109 --> 00:34:23,960 driven by it it's you can imagine that 809 00:34:28,419 --> 00:34:26,119 people people would definitely think 810 00:34:30,869 --> 00:34:28,429 it's a magical place but unless speaking 811 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:30,879 of chemtrails like I was looking through 812 00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:33,770 skeptoid for episodes on chemtrails I 813 00:34:38,290 --> 00:34:35,260 think there's any there's anyone 814 00:34:40,629 --> 00:34:38,300 chemtrail episode I typically don't 815 00:34:42,579 --> 00:34:40,639 repeat episodes yeah and I haven't 816 00:34:44,169 --> 00:34:42,589 there's so many basic subjects I still 817 00:34:47,649 --> 00:34:44,179 haven't covered yet that I don't I don't 818 00:34:49,599 --> 00:34:47,659 go back and do a new one so I do updates 819 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:49,609 and things like that and occasionally 820 00:34:56,379 --> 00:34:53,510 I'll put updates on a transcript but you 821 00:34:57,940 --> 00:34:56,389 know yeah often aren't it's like it's 822 00:35:01,960 --> 00:34:57,950 not like there's no new science about 823 00:35:04,210 --> 00:35:01,970 chemtrails it's true I haven't Ashley 824 00:35:06,099 --> 00:35:04,220 yeah I wrote loads about chemtrails as I 825 00:35:09,670 --> 00:35:06,109 have this contrails science web so yeah 826 00:35:10,839 --> 00:35:09,680 yeah and I I haven't updated it for a 827 00:35:12,670 --> 00:35:10,849 long time and haven't really written 828 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:12,680 very much about them on on meta bank 829 00:35:18,430 --> 00:35:15,170 because nothing's really happening it's 830 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:18,440 almost like it's run its course in a way 831 00:35:21,849 --> 00:35:20,210 and kind of settle down into this steady 832 00:35:23,470 --> 00:35:21,859 state where it's just going to become 833 00:35:25,809 --> 00:35:23,480 this conspiracy that some people believe 834 00:35:27,190 --> 00:35:25,819 in but nothing's really happening 835 00:35:30,309 --> 00:35:27,200 there was one what part of it like 836 00:35:31,870 --> 00:35:30,319 speaking about Shasta is that the one of 837 00:35:33,849 --> 00:35:31,880 the guys behind there the conspiracy 838 00:35:35,690 --> 00:35:33,859 theory had this idea that there was all 839 00:35:37,579 --> 00:35:35,700 this UV radiation coming down 840 00:35:39,470 --> 00:35:37,589 burning up all the trees and all the 841 00:35:40,940 --> 00:35:39,480 trees were gonna die over the next few 842 00:35:42,710 --> 00:35:40,950 years and he pointed to some trees that 843 00:35:45,289 --> 00:35:42,720 like we're dead and said this tree has 844 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:45,299 been killed and he was like this very 845 00:35:49,460 --> 00:35:47,250 popular guy promoting the Kentrell 846 00:35:51,109 --> 00:35:49,470 theory and he made this kind of a 847 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:51,119 prediction I guess like like three years 848 00:35:55,039 --> 00:35:52,890 ago saying that all the trees are gonna 849 00:35:56,569 --> 00:35:55,049 die without was during the droughts and 850 00:35:58,099 --> 00:35:56,579 then like the last year or two if had 851 00:36:00,260 --> 00:35:58,109 we've had pretty good rains over the 852 00:36:02,690 --> 00:36:00,270 winter and then I drove through Chester 853 00:36:04,819 --> 00:36:02,700 like a few weeks ago and it's just 854 00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:04,829 beautiful verdant green everywhere and 855 00:36:08,450 --> 00:36:07,049 there's no problem whatsoever so he must 856 00:36:09,710 --> 00:36:08,460 be seeing this every day I mean if 857 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:09,720 there's any kind of cognitive dissonance 858 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:12,210 going on there with or with that but you 859 00:36:16,250 --> 00:36:13,890 know I think I think like some 860 00:36:19,910 --> 00:36:16,260 conspiracy theorists do do run their 861 00:36:22,819 --> 00:36:19,920 course and they kind of like yeah just 862 00:36:24,829 --> 00:36:22,829 become like JFK for example did you have 863 00:36:26,750 --> 00:36:24,839 you ever written about JFK like this yes 864 00:36:28,460 --> 00:36:26,760 I did that was one that I resisted to 865 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:28,470 answer your earlier question I resisted 866 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:31,770 that for years yeah you know that's 867 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:35,130 Bugliosi x' book on that is mmm 1600 868 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:37,290 pages I think you know it's a it's 869 00:36:41,329 --> 00:36:39,450 literally that thick and I'm going how 870 00:36:43,609 --> 00:36:41,339 am I going to distill that into a 15 871 00:36:47,030 --> 00:36:43,619 minute podcast I just thought there's 872 00:36:50,569 --> 00:36:47,040 just no way to do it and so I when I 873 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:50,579 finally did my episode on JFK I did not 874 00:36:54,980 --> 00:36:53,250 attempt to specifically debunk any of 875 00:36:58,010 --> 00:36:54,990 the claims because their countless 876 00:37:00,950 --> 00:36:58,020 there's hundreds hundreds of of these 877 00:37:02,660 --> 00:37:00,960 JFK conspiracy theories instead I just 878 00:37:04,309 --> 00:37:02,670 talked about the general you know the 879 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:04,319 general phenomenon of how and why they 880 00:37:07,670 --> 00:37:05,970 appear I felt that was really the only 881 00:37:10,789 --> 00:37:07,680 the only way I could do any sort of 882 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:10,799 justice to that topic yeah I I don't 883 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:14,010 talk about JFK at all or really 884 00:37:16,789 --> 00:37:15,210 investigate it there's a couple of 885 00:37:19,670 --> 00:37:16,799 things on that event but it there's so 886 00:37:21,380 --> 00:37:19,680 much being written about it you know the 887 00:37:23,839 --> 00:37:21,390 book he mentioned and the case closed 888 00:37:25,490 --> 00:37:23,849 book I could be just yeah or you could 889 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:25,500 read either one of those books and you 890 00:37:32,599 --> 00:37:27,890 get a great overview of what's going on 891 00:37:35,089 --> 00:37:32,609 but you mentioned we're talking about 892 00:37:37,970 --> 00:37:35,099 the new information coming up I was 893 00:37:40,940 --> 00:37:37,980 about to do an episode on the the Tom 894 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:40,950 shoed case the Somerton Man because 895 00:37:45,829 --> 00:37:43,410 people have been repeatedly asking for 896 00:37:47,450 --> 00:37:45,839 that over the years which was you know 897 00:37:49,010 --> 00:37:47,460 it was a body that washed up on the 898 00:37:49,470 --> 00:37:49,020 beach in Australia 899 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:49,480 where 900 00:37:56,070 --> 00:37:52,570 and he had like a weird encoded thing in 901 00:37:57,359 --> 00:37:56,080 his in his pond and you know I I don't I 902 00:37:59,970 --> 00:37:57,369 don't remember too much about it because 903 00:38:02,430 --> 00:37:59,980 I haven't done an episode on it and I 904 00:38:04,590 --> 00:38:02,440 was just about to do that episode when 905 00:38:06,420 --> 00:38:04,600 suddenly boom up pops in my Google 906 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:06,430 Alerts there's new news on that now 907 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:09,970 after decades some researcher has gotten 908 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:12,730 permission to get his body exhumed so 909 00:38:16,620 --> 00:38:15,490 they can do DNA testing because the main 910 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:16,630 part of mystery is that he's totally 911 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:18,130 unidentified there's no one he could 912 00:38:23,099 --> 00:38:21,130 possibly be so they might actually crack 913 00:38:25,650 --> 00:38:23,109 that case so I'm kind of glad that I 914 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:25,660 didn't do an episode on that yet yeah 915 00:38:29,010 --> 00:38:27,310 but that's rare that's about the only 916 00:38:33,720 --> 00:38:29,020 case I can think of where you take an 917 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:33,730 old old you know cold case and all of a 918 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:37,210 sudden the episode becomes screwed up 919 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:38,770 because there's actually new information 920 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:40,450 that's just it just doesn't happen yeah 921 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:42,130 I think you can happen with Bigfoot 922 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:43,570 they're not gonna find a Bigfoot you 923 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:44,650 know they're not gonna catch a ghost 924 00:38:49,050 --> 00:38:46,210 they're not I'm not worried about most 925 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:49,060 of the episodes something people ask me 926 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:51,130 a lot is like you know what are you 927 00:38:55,740 --> 00:38:53,650 gonna do when when it's UFOs are 928 00:38:59,820 --> 00:38:55,750 disclosed how are you gonna feel when 929 00:39:02,340 --> 00:38:59,830 you prove to be wrong 930 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:02,350 suppose people tell you about that tell 931 00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:04,450 you that about every single topic that 932 00:39:08,730 --> 00:39:06,730 you that you cover which must be a lot 933 00:39:10,349 --> 00:39:08,740 of a lot of egg on your face when 934 00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:10,359 finally everything is revealed to be 935 00:39:15,990 --> 00:39:13,900 true I'm one guy challenged me to drink 936 00:39:18,270 --> 00:39:16,000 a drink a six-pack of Diet Coke 937 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:18,280 every day for a month and see if you're 938 00:39:23,310 --> 00:39:21,310 still alive I said not Diet Coke but 939 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:23,320 diet dr. pepper is pretty much my fuel 940 00:39:28,830 --> 00:39:25,450 I've been doing at least 10 a day for 10 941 00:39:30,599 --> 00:39:28,840 years yeah I used to drink probably at 942 00:39:34,170 --> 00:39:30,609 least a six-pack of diet coke every day 943 00:39:36,210 --> 00:39:34,180 I stopped just because it was kind of 944 00:39:38,220 --> 00:39:36,220 pointless really it was just kind of get 945 00:39:39,870 --> 00:39:38,230 a habit I was doing but yeah I had a 946 00:39:41,099 --> 00:39:39,880 private Ridge full of Diet Coke and I 947 00:39:43,650 --> 00:39:41,109 would be going there and drinking diet 948 00:39:45,630 --> 00:39:43,660 coke all the time I actually it became 949 00:39:47,190 --> 00:39:45,640 like a motif in some of my 9/11 950 00:39:49,770 --> 00:39:47,200 debunking videos because I always used 951 00:39:51,599 --> 00:39:49,780 these diet coke cans to simulate various 952 00:39:53,490 --> 00:39:51,609 aspects so I would build like little 953 00:39:55,290 --> 00:39:53,500 towers a diet coke counter or stand on 954 00:39:56,730 --> 00:39:55,300 them and say this represents World Trade 955 00:39:58,520 --> 00:39:56,740 Center 7 but now I've stopped drinking 956 00:40:01,040 --> 00:39:58,530 diet coke so 957 00:40:03,380 --> 00:40:01,050 I have to I had the I to stock up on 958 00:40:05,630 --> 00:40:03,390 empty Diet Coke and before I gave it up 959 00:40:07,610 --> 00:40:05,640 so I've got enough to continue my my 960 00:40:13,730 --> 00:40:07,620 candy experiments in the future so what 961 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:13,740 did you switch to water I can't can't 962 00:40:17,750 --> 00:40:15,330 seem to get through with just water no 963 00:40:20,690 --> 00:40:17,760 you just you just could have like get 964 00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:20,700 used to it it's uh I was inspired to do 965 00:40:24,590 --> 00:40:22,710 this by Stephen Fry indirectly because 966 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:24,600 he and in one of his books he said like 967 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:26,970 the way to give up sugar in coffee is 968 00:40:31,430 --> 00:40:29,130 just simply don't do it for a week and 969 00:40:32,780 --> 00:40:31,440 then you get used to it which which 970 00:40:34,220 --> 00:40:32,790 worked I tried I used that I should 971 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:34,230 agree my coffee all the time and then I 972 00:40:37,910 --> 00:40:36,510 you know stopped it and got used to it 973 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:37,920 and then I did the same thing with with 974 00:40:41,780 --> 00:40:40,530 with diet coke that took longer I must 975 00:40:43,610 --> 00:40:41,790 say it was probably like a couple of 976 00:40:46,610 --> 00:40:43,620 months before the cravings for another 977 00:40:48,860 --> 00:40:46,620 diet coke actually went away but now now 978 00:40:50,660 --> 00:40:48,870 they're gone well it was a long time ago 979 00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:50,670 that I switched from regular dr. pepper 980 00:40:54,770 --> 00:40:52,710 to diet dr. pepper and that was a hard 981 00:40:57,380 --> 00:40:54,780 change to make because it was disgusting 982 00:41:00,260 --> 00:40:57,390 but it didn't take long at all before a 983 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:00,270 regular dr. pepper is just disgustingly 984 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:02,730 sickly sweet I couldn't drink one I 985 00:41:07,550 --> 00:41:05,610 couldn't force one down yeah yeah yes 986 00:41:09,650 --> 00:41:07,560 it's an interesting thing like the human 987 00:41:10,970 --> 00:41:09,660 brain does get used to things and this 988 00:41:12,260 --> 00:41:10,980 that kind of bringing it back to the 989 00:41:14,870 --> 00:41:12,270 whole conspiracy theory thing like 990 00:41:16,490 --> 00:41:14,880 something yeah some advice that people 991 00:41:18,500 --> 00:41:16,500 give to people is to take a break from 992 00:41:20,060 --> 00:41:18,510 conspiracy theories like a lot of people 993 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:20,070 I think because they do it over and over 994 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:22,290 again they're consuming my YouTube 995 00:41:26,150 --> 00:41:24,210 videos just the same way I consume Diet 996 00:41:30,590 --> 00:41:26,160 Coke you get used to having that little 997 00:41:32,510 --> 00:41:30,600 fix of of conspiracism and if you can 998 00:41:34,550 --> 00:41:32,520 get someone just to take a break from it 999 00:41:35,990 --> 00:41:34,560 for more like even just a week you can 1000 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:36,000 actually really help them kind of move 1001 00:41:39,500 --> 00:41:38,850 away from from that type of thing that's 1002 00:41:41,210 --> 00:41:39,510 a good idea 1003 00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:41,220 get out into the world you know meet 1004 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:44,730 some friends at the pub don't different 1005 00:41:51,310 --> 00:41:47,370 friends yeah 1006 00:41:56,150 --> 00:41:51,320 so speaking of friends like your 1007 00:41:59,810 --> 00:41:56,160 documentary science friction this yeah 1008 00:42:02,180 --> 00:41:59,820 you you previewed it at a saikhan last 1009 00:42:06,220 --> 00:42:02,190 week we did we had we had about a 45 1010 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:06,230 minute 48 minute cut which is about 1011 00:42:12,140 --> 00:42:09,690 probably half or so what its final 1012 00:42:14,990 --> 00:42:12,150 length will be 1013 00:42:15,620 --> 00:42:15,000 it was a rough cut but it held together 1014 00:42:17,450 --> 00:42:15,630 really well 1015 00:42:19,339 --> 00:42:17,460 and it gave the the audience we had 1016 00:42:22,190 --> 00:42:19,349 about 110 people in the room were mostly 1017 00:42:24,620 --> 00:42:22,200 people who had donated to the film so we 1018 00:42:26,150 --> 00:42:24,630 really wanted to you know it's been in 1019 00:42:27,260 --> 00:42:26,160 production for so long we really wanted 1020 00:42:28,670 --> 00:42:27,270 to give them something say here look 1021 00:42:32,150 --> 00:42:28,680 here we are doing what you what you're 1022 00:42:34,490 --> 00:42:32,160 paying is to do and the the reception 1023 00:42:36,770 --> 00:42:34,500 was fantastic it was but you know I'm 1024 00:42:39,079 --> 00:42:36,780 like one of the creators of it so I've 1025 00:42:40,849 --> 00:42:39,089 got this you know hyper critical vision 1026 00:42:42,410 --> 00:42:40,859 of it and everything I hate everything 1027 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:42,420 about it oh this all needs to be better 1028 00:42:46,339 --> 00:42:45,210 so I don't I see that but the audience 1029 00:42:49,069 --> 00:42:46,349 didn't see that at all they were they 1030 00:42:51,799 --> 00:42:49,079 loved it and I was super pleased at the 1031 00:42:56,089 --> 00:42:51,809 reception that it got and even even in 1032 00:42:58,220 --> 00:42:56,099 its dramatically uncompleted state it's 1033 00:43:00,230 --> 00:42:58,230 going to be such a great film the the 1034 00:43:03,940 --> 00:43:00,240 interviewees that we have are so 1035 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:03,950 fantastic and their stories are so good 1036 00:43:08,809 --> 00:43:07,650 yeah so these and just we didn't great 1037 00:43:11,539 --> 00:43:08,819 mentioned what these actually owed out 1038 00:43:13,940 --> 00:43:11,549 which is the point I will mention what 1039 00:43:16,059 --> 00:43:13,950 it's about it's is it's all interviews 1040 00:43:19,069 --> 00:43:16,069 with scientists who have been 1041 00:43:21,829 --> 00:43:19,079 misrepresented on television basically 1042 00:43:23,990 --> 00:43:21,839 they go on a Shark Week show and they 1043 00:43:26,329 --> 00:43:24,000 get edited to make it sound like yes 1044 00:43:29,210 --> 00:43:26,339 scientists do believe that the monster 1045 00:43:30,950 --> 00:43:29,220 shark does still exist and and many of 1046 00:43:32,690 --> 00:43:30,960 these cases are dramatic where they'll 1047 00:43:34,700 --> 00:43:32,700 just they'll make these little razor 1048 00:43:36,260 --> 00:43:34,710 blade edits and someone's sentenced to 1049 00:43:38,150 --> 00:43:36,270 make it sound like they said the exact 1050 00:43:39,950 --> 00:43:38,160 opposite of what they said and they'll 1051 00:43:44,029 --> 00:43:39,960 cover it with these little video edits 1052 00:43:47,779 --> 00:43:44,039 so we got we've got all kinds of cases 1053 00:43:51,859 --> 00:43:47,789 from going back a couple of decades in 1054 00:43:54,769 --> 00:43:51,869 some of these and even from today there 1055 00:43:58,069 --> 00:43:54,779 is a series running right now I won't 1056 00:44:02,390 --> 00:43:58,079 say which which has a number of experts 1057 00:44:05,059 --> 00:44:02,400 and experts in in each episode and two 1058 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:05,069 of them that are running this season we 1059 00:44:09,079 --> 00:44:06,930 had our own hidden camera and hidden 1060 00:44:11,329 --> 00:44:09,089 microphones set up to record what was 1061 00:44:13,430 --> 00:44:11,339 actually said so part of my job is 1062 00:44:15,650 --> 00:44:13,440 watching every episode of this show as 1063 00:44:17,539 --> 00:44:15,660 it drops each week scrolling through 1064 00:44:18,650 --> 00:44:17,549 finding our experts and listening 1065 00:44:21,140 --> 00:44:18,660 carefully to how they're being 1066 00:44:23,570 --> 00:44:21,150 represented and so far they've been 1067 00:44:25,370 --> 00:44:23,580 honestly represented this season 1068 00:44:27,020 --> 00:44:25,380 but it's happened to both of them in the 1069 00:44:29,020 --> 00:44:27,030 past hoping it's going to happen to them 1070 00:44:31,670 --> 00:44:29,030 this season because we've got great 1071 00:44:33,590 --> 00:44:31,680 backup video and backup audio of what 1072 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:33,600 was actually said to compare with in the 1073 00:44:38,420 --> 00:44:36,570 film and I should point out we always do 1074 00:44:39,950 --> 00:44:38,430 this in accordance with state laws for 1075 00:44:41,330 --> 00:44:39,960 recording people with or without their 1076 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:41,340 knowledge we have to follow that very 1077 00:44:48,980 --> 00:44:46,290 carefully and you've got got people like 1078 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:48,990 do you know Ken fader the archaeologist 1079 00:44:55,580 --> 00:44:52,770 no he is probably the most animated fun 1080 00:44:57,350 --> 00:44:55,590 speaker you'll ever encounter for his 1081 00:44:59,990 --> 00:44:57,360 interview we just set up the camera and 1082 00:45:02,150 --> 00:45:00,000 said go Ken and sat back and I think 1083 00:45:05,270 --> 00:45:02,160 it's an 11 minute long clip in the film 1084 00:45:07,550 --> 00:45:05,280 it's just telling this one story and 1085 00:45:09,650 --> 00:45:07,560 it's really the highlight of the film so 1086 00:45:13,010 --> 00:45:09,660 that's got some great personalities in 1087 00:45:15,770 --> 00:45:13,020 it with some great stories so it's being 1088 00:45:19,220 --> 00:45:15,780 a feature film it's gonna it is intended 1089 00:45:20,570 --> 00:45:19,230 for a commercial release it probably 1090 00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:20,580 won't be in theaters but it'll probably 1091 00:45:24,350 --> 00:45:23,310 be on Showtime HBO something like that 1092 00:45:27,530 --> 00:45:24,360 and then it'll know to the streaming 1093 00:45:29,930 --> 00:45:27,540 services so we're just trying to bring 1094 00:45:32,570 --> 00:45:29,940 The Skeptical message to a broader 1095 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:32,580 audience and it's kind of what great 1096 00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:35,850 that we're all about here and and get it 1097 00:45:40,340 --> 00:45:37,170 off the internet and get it out into the 1098 00:45:41,870 --> 00:45:40,350 world yeah I you know I've had similar 1099 00:45:43,220 --> 00:45:41,880 experiences myself like being 1100 00:45:44,330 --> 00:45:43,230 interviewed and obviously they cut 1101 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:44,340 things down because they interview you 1102 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:45,930 for like an hour and then they use you 1103 00:45:52,430 --> 00:45:48,210 for like like a couple of seconds 1104 00:45:55,070 --> 00:45:52,440 sometimes do you like from from doing 1105 00:45:56,570 --> 00:45:55,080 all this research for the film do you 1106 00:45:59,120 --> 00:45:56,580 have like advice for people who are 1107 00:46:00,410 --> 00:45:59,130 going to be on one of these show is like 1108 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:00,420 how they should act and what they should 1109 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:03,810 what they should say well obviously you 1110 00:46:11,990 --> 00:46:08,130 need to be very careful I did a sting 1111 00:46:14,060 --> 00:46:12,000 myself for this show where I said nobody 1112 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:14,070 believes this but and I gave the editor 1113 00:46:20,210 --> 00:46:18,450 of pause you know blah blah blah some BS 1114 00:46:22,070 --> 00:46:20,220 idea and then I gave the editor of pause 1115 00:46:24,770 --> 00:46:22,080 and then I said and of course that's not 1116 00:46:28,490 --> 00:46:24,780 true because of this trying to bait them 1117 00:46:30,500 --> 00:46:28,500 to use that but you can do that without 1118 00:46:32,150 --> 00:46:30,510 leaving the pauses for the editor as 1119 00:46:34,490 --> 00:46:32,160 long as you're just very careful about 1120 00:46:36,260 --> 00:46:34,500 how you phrase every sentence and as you 1121 00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:36,270 know from your experience 1122 00:46:40,069 --> 00:46:38,130 the director is gonna sit there and 1123 00:46:42,799 --> 00:46:40,079 prompt you can you say it this way can 1124 00:46:45,020 --> 00:46:42,809 you say it that way yes would it be 1125 00:46:46,670 --> 00:46:45,030 valid to say this and he'll just keep 1126 00:46:48,710 --> 00:46:46,680 making you answer the same question the 1127 00:46:51,260 --> 00:46:48,720 same sentence a hundred times until he 1128 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:51,270 gets something he thinks he can use so 1129 00:46:58,490 --> 00:46:55,170 you can do that you can you can ask them 1130 00:47:01,010 --> 00:46:58,500 if you can record your own audio I did 1131 00:47:03,470 --> 00:47:01,020 it once you they typically don't like 1132 00:47:04,970 --> 00:47:03,480 that but I did it once and hey this is 1133 00:47:09,740 --> 00:47:04,980 for my own real I'm trying to expand my 1134 00:47:11,990 --> 00:47:09,750 real do you mind if I set this up so ask 1135 00:47:14,540 --> 00:47:12,000 if you can do that you know them you 1136 00:47:17,900 --> 00:47:14,550 expect not tell them that you expect not 1137 00:47:19,609 --> 00:47:17,910 to be edited out of context and be very 1138 00:47:22,970 --> 00:47:19,619 upset about it if you are tell them that 1139 00:47:25,670 --> 00:47:22,980 after the you do the interview yeah I 1140 00:47:28,190 --> 00:47:25,680 think I got you it gives you an 1141 00:47:29,720 --> 00:47:28,200 interesting perspective like having been 1142 00:47:32,150 --> 00:47:29,730 on these shows when you see how the 1143 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:32,160 sausage is made it kind of in a way not 1144 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:34,650 you know we can almost ruins like that 1145 00:47:38,150 --> 00:47:36,450 type of show for me now because now you 1146 00:47:39,650 --> 00:47:38,160 can tell when someone says something 1147 00:47:41,030 --> 00:47:39,660 that there's a producer just off to the 1148 00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:41,040 side who's prompted them to say 1149 00:47:44,270 --> 00:47:42,780 something in a certain way yeah this 1150 00:47:46,130 --> 00:47:44,280 this really amazing thing looks like 1151 00:47:46,970 --> 00:47:46,140 it's coming out of the ocean you know 1152 00:47:48,859 --> 00:47:46,980 that's not what they're actually 1153 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:48,869 thinking that's something that the 1154 00:47:54,289 --> 00:47:51,450 producer is somehow contrived for them 1155 00:47:56,390 --> 00:47:54,299 to actually say and it's a you know it's 1156 00:47:57,400 --> 00:47:56,400 uh it gives you a very different 1157 00:48:00,170 --> 00:47:57,410 perspective 1158 00:48:02,150 --> 00:48:00,180 another thing that it's done is when 1159 00:48:05,329 --> 00:48:02,160 when we're watching these shows now and 1160 00:48:07,490 --> 00:48:05,339 there's someone who briefly appears with 1161 00:48:09,230 --> 00:48:07,500 to say something you don't know who this 1162 00:48:11,030 --> 00:48:09,240 person is anymore because no matter what 1163 00:48:13,849 --> 00:48:11,040 they're saying they could be a scientist 1164 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:13,859 who actually knows what's going on who 1165 00:48:17,990 --> 00:48:15,690 is just being you know kind of 1166 00:48:20,180 --> 00:48:18,000 deceptively edited or just using a 1167 00:48:23,270 --> 00:48:20,190 corner of one sentence or it could be a 1168 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:23,280 total lowest person it's kind of broken 1169 00:48:28,010 --> 00:48:25,290 down the barrier between who's an expert 1170 00:48:31,039 --> 00:48:28,020 and who's not it's democratized 1171 00:48:33,380 --> 00:48:31,049 expertise oh yeah and the little of the 1172 00:48:35,270 --> 00:48:33,390 titles they give you I think I've had 1173 00:48:37,670 --> 00:48:35,280 like three different titles I had like 1174 00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:37,680 like I think well chemtrail expert 1175 00:48:45,319 --> 00:48:40,290 contrail expert aviation expert and 1176 00:48:49,309 --> 00:48:45,329 video expert maybe like I'm a chem trail 1177 00:48:49,940 --> 00:48:49,319 expert but I got to tell you my favorite 1178 00:48:55,700 --> 00:48:49,950 my face 1179 00:48:57,140 --> 00:48:55,710 story from this I was doing I was 1180 00:48:58,700 --> 00:48:57,150 talking one of these shows these 1181 00:49:01,540 --> 00:48:58,710 producers we're talking to me they 1182 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:01,550 wanted to come and interview me for I 1183 00:49:08,390 --> 00:49:06,210 don't even remember what it was and we 1184 00:49:10,940 --> 00:49:08,400 were all set up to do it and they were 1185 00:49:12,740 --> 00:49:10,950 they missed a couple of calls that we 1186 00:49:14,690 --> 00:49:12,750 had and I called them up and said hey 1187 00:49:16,130 --> 00:49:14,700 you know my schedules filling up did you 1188 00:49:18,170 --> 00:49:16,140 still want to do this or not and they 1189 00:49:19,730 --> 00:49:18,180 said well I'll be honest with you 1190 00:49:21,050 --> 00:49:19,740 everyone knows about science friction 1191 00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:21,060 nobody will touch you with a 10-foot 1192 00:49:27,050 --> 00:49:24,890 Pole and on the one hand I said great 1193 00:49:30,290 --> 00:49:27,060 great that everyone knows about science 1194 00:49:32,270 --> 00:49:30,300 friction first of all but the other 1195 00:49:35,500 --> 00:49:32,280 thing that happened is that then about a 1196 00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:35,510 week after that call I see on Twitter 1197 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:38,970 somebody says hey my favorite guy Brian 1198 00:49:46,460 --> 00:49:40,410 Dunning is on mysteries at the museum 1199 00:49:48,589 --> 00:49:46,470 right now I go on the streets so I do a 1200 00:49:50,839 --> 00:49:48,599 little searching online I find the 1201 00:49:54,230 --> 00:49:50,849 episode and downloaded they had an actor 1202 00:49:57,859 --> 00:49:54,240 portray me they had some guy sitting at 1203 00:49:58,790 --> 00:49:57,869 a desk and then who's the narrator on 1204 00:50:02,930 --> 00:49:58,800 mysteries at the museum 1205 00:50:06,859 --> 00:50:02,940 what's his name whoever he is great guy 1206 00:50:09,410 --> 00:50:06,869 I like him he's a science writer Brian 1207 00:50:11,720 --> 00:50:09,420 Dunning did some research and he found 1208 00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:11,730 this out and they keep cutting back to 1209 00:50:16,849 --> 00:50:14,130 this guy and it's a some guy who doesn't 1210 00:50:20,030 --> 00:50:16,859 look anything like me of course with his 1211 00:50:21,890 --> 00:50:20,040 Windows PC and his dial telephone and 1212 00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:21,900 all these things that are exactly my 1213 00:50:26,780 --> 00:50:25,410 desk and his bright pink shirt they keep 1214 00:50:28,700 --> 00:50:26,790 cutting back to him and easting outgoing 1215 00:50:30,020 --> 00:50:28,710 aha guy try this is so difficult to 1216 00:50:34,870 --> 00:50:30,030 figure out where he's talking on the 1217 00:50:37,190 --> 00:50:34,880 phone it was it was comical I love ya 1218 00:50:39,410 --> 00:50:37,200 did they did they put like a little 1219 00:50:41,809 --> 00:50:39,420 reenactment thing at the bottom of the 1220 00:50:43,430 --> 00:50:41,819 screen and and I believe I am unique 1221 00:50:45,380 --> 00:50:43,440 among all of my friends in science 1222 00:50:47,960 --> 00:50:45,390 communication that I have been now 1223 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:47,970 portrayed by an actor that's very 1224 00:50:54,950 --> 00:50:52,890 impressive so they can't claim that must 1225 00:50:56,540 --> 00:50:54,960 be misquoted with me well I guess in the 1226 00:50:58,040 --> 00:50:56,550 future they could they could make a deep 1227 00:51:02,250 --> 00:50:58,050 fake every well they could prob'ly do 1228 00:51:03,599 --> 00:51:02,260 that now yeah which would have been less 1229 00:51:05,550 --> 00:51:03,609 yeah what do you say what do you think 1230 00:51:09,359 --> 00:51:05,560 about deep fakes and like it's gonna be 1231 00:51:17,130 --> 00:51:09,369 a big thing in the future four four four 1232 00:51:19,349 --> 00:51:17,140 bunk production it it it it is but most 1233 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:19,359 of the most of the best research that I 1234 00:51:25,490 --> 00:51:21,970 have the best research materials when 1235 00:51:28,770 --> 00:51:25,500 I'm doing a subject are from books 1236 00:51:30,470 --> 00:51:28,780 especially books and articles written at 1237 00:51:34,250 --> 00:51:30,480 the time when the event occurred and 1238 00:51:38,609 --> 00:51:34,260 watching the story grow and change 1239 00:51:40,260 --> 00:51:38,619 through documentary research that's not 1240 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:40,270 going to be impacted at all by deep 1241 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:41,530 fakes 1242 00:51:48,380 --> 00:51:46,090 kind of the same influence that we're 1243 00:51:50,820 --> 00:51:48,390 getting right now by you know the 1244 00:51:53,070 --> 00:51:50,830 Russian articles on Facebook and that 1245 00:51:54,990 --> 00:51:53,080 kind of thing it's going to continue to 1246 00:51:58,140 --> 00:51:55,000 cause rifts but I don't think it's going 1247 00:52:02,010 --> 00:51:58,150 to have any historical impact I don't 1248 00:52:04,410 --> 00:52:02,020 think it's gonna have any any it 1249 00:52:06,090 --> 00:52:04,420 wouldn't throw me off the track for a 1250 00:52:08,730 --> 00:52:06,100 skeptoid episode I don't think I've ever 1251 00:52:11,670 --> 00:52:08,740 used a video quote of something someone 1252 00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:11,680 said as you know evidence of what 1253 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:13,090 actually took place in some particular 1254 00:52:15,690 --> 00:52:14,290 urban legend 1255 00:52:17,190 --> 00:52:15,700 I don't know I'm probably wrong about 1256 00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:17,200 that I think there's a lot about that 1257 00:52:21,450 --> 00:52:18,850 that we can't really predict what what 1258 00:52:24,150 --> 00:52:21,460 sort of impact it's going to have yeah I 1259 00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:24,160 don't know what do you think it's gonna 1260 00:52:28,470 --> 00:52:26,770 be way more prevalent I think it's gonna 1261 00:52:31,260 --> 00:52:28,480 be kind of a period where people of 1262 00:52:33,900 --> 00:52:31,270 transition between you know trusting 1263 00:52:35,340 --> 00:52:33,910 video of people to not trusting video of 1264 00:52:37,620 --> 00:52:35,350 people and in between there's gonna be 1265 00:52:41,760 --> 00:52:37,630 all this confusion right before like 1266 00:52:44,910 --> 00:52:41,770 people would trust photographs and tell 1267 00:52:46,830 --> 00:52:44,920 they photoshop and editing photographs 1268 00:52:48,599 --> 00:52:46,840 became so easy for people to do that 1269 00:52:50,970 --> 00:52:48,609 everyone was automatically saying you 1270 00:52:53,340 --> 00:52:50,980 know this is fake as is photoshopped so 1271 00:52:56,820 --> 00:52:53,350 there might be a period of confusion but 1272 00:53:00,090 --> 00:52:56,830 it could and no it's it's gonna be 1273 00:53:02,450 --> 00:53:00,100 tricky because people do base things on 1274 00:53:05,370 --> 00:53:02,460 on videos and if you have these 1275 00:53:06,870 --> 00:53:05,380 impossible to detect fakes it's gonna 1276 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:06,880 kind of change the landscape a bit 1277 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:08,890 versus it's hard to say I don't I don't 1278 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:11,410 really know I think perhaps AI might be 1279 00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:13,690 in general might be a bigger thing and 1280 00:53:19,010 --> 00:53:15,850 that you can have a 1281 00:53:21,270 --> 00:53:19,020 that will act like actual people and 1282 00:53:23,790 --> 00:53:21,280 pretends to be people and then we can 1283 00:53:27,090 --> 00:53:23,800 pretend to be videos of people and you 1284 00:53:29,850 --> 00:53:27,100 know I could be talking to you right now 1285 00:53:31,530 --> 00:53:29,860 as an AI I can say I didn't know 10-15 1286 00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:31,540 years time and you will be 1287 00:53:34,530 --> 00:53:32,890 indistinguishable from the real thing 1288 00:53:37,020 --> 00:53:34,540 even down to everything we're actually 1289 00:53:37,890 --> 00:53:37,030 saying and a little laughs and jokes and 1290 00:53:39,180 --> 00:53:37,900 things like that 1291 00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:39,190 a lot of people say I'm already 1292 00:53:45,090 --> 00:53:42,730 indistinguishable for yeah I get that I 1293 00:53:46,500 --> 00:53:45,100 get that sometimes I think there's 1294 00:53:48,210 --> 00:53:46,510 definitely gonna be an interesting arms 1295 00:53:50,910 --> 00:53:48,220 race though between detection 1296 00:53:54,660 --> 00:53:50,920 technologies and and and the faking 1297 00:53:56,850 --> 00:53:54,670 technologies that you know that never 1298 00:53:59,790 --> 00:53:56,860 really we kept seeing stuff when 1299 00:54:01,590 --> 00:53:59,800 Photoshop became bigger and bigger and 1300 00:54:06,210 --> 00:54:01,600 manipulation of photos we kept seeing 1301 00:54:08,130 --> 00:54:06,220 news about detection technologies and I 1302 00:54:09,510 --> 00:54:08,140 assume they're still out there but I 1303 00:54:11,220 --> 00:54:09,520 don't hear news about it anymore 1304 00:54:14,460 --> 00:54:11,230 yeah they're mean there are certain 1305 00:54:16,740 --> 00:54:14,470 tools you can use kind of detects if a 1306 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:16,750 photo has been edited but there's also 1307 00:54:21,330 --> 00:54:18,970 ways around them like a lot of the stuff 1308 00:54:23,100 --> 00:54:21,340 you do is degrading the photograph yeah 1309 00:54:25,170 --> 00:54:23,110 so it can have averages everything out 1310 00:54:28,350 --> 00:54:25,180 yeah and this is these techniques going 1311 00:54:30,750 --> 00:54:28,360 work yeah yeah and some of the you know 1312 00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:30,760 the techniques now like the the the AI 1313 00:54:35,730 --> 00:54:32,770 techniques the deep neural networks that 1314 00:54:37,100 --> 00:54:35,740 they have for kind of faking scenes can 1315 00:54:38,850 --> 00:54:37,110 be used to make it so it's almost 1316 00:54:41,040 --> 00:54:38,860 indistinguishable from the real thing 1317 00:54:43,380 --> 00:54:41,050 you've got a eyes now that can take a 1318 00:54:46,110 --> 00:54:43,390 photo of a landscape in summer and 1319 00:54:47,850 --> 00:54:46,120 change it to the same photo in winter in 1320 00:54:51,270 --> 00:54:47,860 a way that's almost indistinguishable 1321 00:54:53,940 --> 00:54:51,280 both from reality well it's it's 1322 00:54:57,360 --> 00:54:53,950 knowledge of what what landscape looked 1323 00:54:59,880 --> 00:54:57,370 like in winter and summer so yeah I 1324 00:55:02,220 --> 00:54:59,890 don't think well the arms race is 1325 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:02,230 actually going to keep up with with that 1326 00:55:05,730 --> 00:55:04,330 type of thing I suppose like AI doing it 1327 00:55:09,060 --> 00:55:05,740 will be a big thing 1328 00:55:10,410 --> 00:55:09,070 ai debunking is I think something is 1329 00:55:12,660 --> 00:55:10,420 going to be in the future as well like 1330 00:55:15,210 --> 00:55:12,670 yeah I'm hoping to get like eventually 1331 00:55:16,950 --> 00:55:15,220 AI robots like scouring Twitter and 1332 00:55:18,360 --> 00:55:16,960 Facebook and finding people saying 1333 00:55:20,550 --> 00:55:18,370 things that are wrong and then gently 1334 00:55:22,460 --> 00:55:20,560 explaining to them in a nice tone of 1335 00:55:24,900 --> 00:55:22,470 voice that you know why they are wrong 1336 00:55:27,870 --> 00:55:24,910 doing doing you know doing what I do but 1337 00:55:29,790 --> 00:55:27,880 but it's scale but we'll see let's go 1338 00:55:32,220 --> 00:55:29,800 the future you know more about this that 1339 00:55:34,620 --> 00:55:32,230 do you think it's possible that there 1340 00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:34,630 could be something like like a an 1341 00:55:39,510 --> 00:55:37,330 originality key some encrypted key 1342 00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:39,520 embedded in original video that's that's 1343 00:55:43,500 --> 00:55:40,650 authentic 1344 00:55:44,730 --> 00:55:43,510 yeah and they you know fake videos 1345 00:55:46,350 --> 00:55:44,740 wouldn't have that and a lot of real 1346 00:55:48,600 --> 00:55:46,360 videos didn't have that also but at 1347 00:55:51,060 --> 00:55:48,610 least be able to prove originality 1348 00:55:52,590 --> 00:55:51,070 yeah and that there are actually things 1349 00:55:54,690 --> 00:55:52,600 that do that I mean there's there's like 1350 00:56:00,240 --> 00:55:54,700 copyright things that people can embed 1351 00:56:02,250 --> 00:56:00,250 in videos that's that's you could detect 1352 00:56:03,900 --> 00:56:02,260 straight away without having to look at 1353 00:56:05,940 --> 00:56:03,910 the actual content you can kind of get 1354 00:56:08,940 --> 00:56:05,950 these little little modulations of 1355 00:56:11,550 --> 00:56:08,950 things in the video so to embed a key 1356 00:56:15,690 --> 00:56:11,560 you can certainly have something in the 1357 00:56:17,340 --> 00:56:15,700 camera that will sign a video file so 1358 00:56:19,050 --> 00:56:17,350 that if it's edited then it will it will 1359 00:56:20,460 --> 00:56:19,060 know that it's being edited but problem 1360 00:56:22,380 --> 00:56:20,470 with that is that when people take video 1361 00:56:24,210 --> 00:56:22,390 take photos they're always taking very 1362 00:56:26,100 --> 00:56:24,220 large photographs and then they have to 1363 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:26,110 compress them down to a smaller one and 1364 00:56:30,410 --> 00:56:28,330 edit them somehow so you'd have to have 1365 00:56:32,430 --> 00:56:30,420 some kind of chain of custody of keys 1366 00:56:34,350 --> 00:56:32,440 going through that which could be a 1367 00:56:36,720 --> 00:56:34,360 difficult thing couldn't no one's doing 1368 00:56:39,720 --> 00:56:36,730 it now it's it's the adoption of that 1369 00:56:43,860 --> 00:56:39,730 isn't going to really happen so possible 1370 00:56:46,580 --> 00:56:43,870 but not not likely to happen in the 1371 00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:46,590 future I would say imagine a blockchain 1372 00:56:54,660 --> 00:56:50,890 for every image that anyone takes from 1373 00:56:58,080 --> 00:56:54,670 their iPhone yes I would never get quite 1374 00:57:00,470 --> 00:56:58,090 large so what do you what are you doing 1375 00:57:04,350 --> 00:57:00,480 next what's your next project after uh 1376 00:57:07,710 --> 00:57:04,360 science fiction so that's something that 1377 00:57:10,680 --> 00:57:07,720 we're talking a lot about I'm I'm most 1378 00:57:13,500 --> 00:57:10,690 eager to get into producing public 1379 00:57:16,470 --> 00:57:13,510 broadcasting programming mm-hmm so we're 1380 00:57:17,790 --> 00:57:16,480 up here in Central Oregon and OPB Oregon 1381 00:57:20,430 --> 00:57:17,800 Public Broadcasting's actually the 1382 00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:20,440 second largest producer of public 1383 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:26,170 television after WGBH Boston and it's 1384 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:28,210 something we don't know a lot of a lot 1385 00:57:34,740 --> 00:57:32,650 about yet and we don't have a good 1386 00:57:36,690 --> 00:57:34,750 concept for what that show would be yet 1387 00:57:38,940 --> 00:57:36,700 but it's something that my my 1388 00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:38,950 fundraising team is pretty well plugged 1389 00:57:42,490 --> 00:57:41,770 into the public broadcasting scene up 1390 00:57:44,890 --> 00:57:42,500 here and we're 1391 00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:44,900 we're just starting to dip our toe in 1392 00:57:50,290 --> 00:57:47,330 and get our feet wet you know doing a 1393 00:57:52,390 --> 00:57:50,300 podcast is not it's not a business model 1394 00:57:54,970 --> 00:57:52,400 for our company and it's not a career 1395 00:57:56,349 --> 00:57:54,980 for a person so you know I've always 1396 00:57:58,030 --> 00:57:56,359 known that we need to move on to bigger 1397 00:58:00,130 --> 00:57:58,040 and better things the movie is is 1398 00:58:04,089 --> 00:58:00,140 obviously one big step in that direction 1399 00:58:05,589 --> 00:58:04,099 science friction and I just want to 1400 00:58:07,960 --> 00:58:05,599 looking for the next thing that's going 1401 00:58:11,349 --> 00:58:07,970 to be a little bit more sustainable on 1402 00:58:14,950 --> 00:58:11,359 an ongoing basis and PBS programming is 1403 00:58:17,349 --> 00:58:14,960 kind of my my big goal right now yeah 1404 00:58:21,099 --> 00:58:17,359 that'd be great yeah it's a great 1405 00:58:24,010 --> 00:58:21,109 platform and an audience which is just 1406 00:58:26,020 --> 00:58:24,020 good yeah and it has it has long legs I 1407 00:58:29,140 --> 00:58:26,030 mean not that programming gets you know 1408 00:58:33,250 --> 00:58:29,150 rebroadcast for decades yeah yeah 1409 00:58:35,410 --> 00:58:33,260 there's the long tail of PBS yeah well 1410 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:35,420 that's a great very interesting stuff 1411 00:58:39,510 --> 00:58:38,450 and how can people find you on the 1412 00:58:41,920 --> 00:58:39,520 Internet 1413 00:58:44,410 --> 00:58:41,930 best places just to come to skeptoid 1414 00:58:46,599 --> 00:58:44,420 calm that's sort of the home base for 1415 00:58:49,420 --> 00:58:46,609 the podcast and for for everything else 1416 00:58:50,620 --> 00:58:49,430 that we do it's that's where to dive in 1417 00:58:53,609 --> 00:58:50,630 and of course I'm on all the social 1418 00:58:57,220 --> 00:58:53,619 media Brian Dunning and skeptoid both 1419 00:58:59,230 --> 00:58:57,230 yeah so yes I highly recommend skeptoid 1420 00:59:00,790 --> 00:58:59,240 very interesting set of things you can 1421 00:59:02,680 --> 00:59:00,800 just go there look at the full list of 1422 00:59:05,079 --> 00:59:02,690 episodes and just scroll down the whole 1423 00:59:08,140 --> 00:59:05,089 list that's just endless endlessly 1424 00:59:10,150 --> 00:59:08,150 fascinating stuff to look at for pretty 1425 00:59:12,940 --> 00:59:10,160 insane and the nice nice little chunks 1426 00:59:15,160 --> 00:59:12,950 they're like like 12 15 minutes chunks 1427 00:59:17,140 --> 00:59:15,170 which are very very digestible and and 1428 00:59:18,520 --> 00:59:17,150 yet they cover everything and in 1429 00:59:21,670 --> 00:59:18,530 sufficient detail for you to get a good 1430 00:59:23,079 --> 00:59:21,680 overview so I highly recommend it thank 1431 00:59:26,380 --> 00:59:23,089 you all right Brian well thank you very