Show Notes
First, we discuss media coverage of Minneapolis, and also fake news among schools of tropical fish. Then Kyle Polich of "Data Skeptic" joins us to talk about a topic we've had simmering for a bit. What is going on with the data?? First, what is data, and can it ever really be neutral -- and even if it is, will the public ever trust it? Data on some topics, like public health studies on American gun violence, have been suppressed for years, while the past twelve months or so have seen a huge decrease in state-funded data collection. Between climate science, the EPA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the CDC, there are several high-profile examples we look at. How will this play out? Kyle brings nuance to how data is collected an analyzed, and also reassures us that statisticians and data analysts are hearty folk, highly employable in the private sector . . . already, we see many contributing their time and talents to alternatives to the CDC and becoming "data preservationists." And there are things you, too, can do to help us get through this data drought.
More from Squaring the Strange
First, Ben and Celestia chat about current events involving clowns, Noah's ark, psychics, measles, moon hoaxes, and more. Then we welcome Sharon Hill and Darren Naish, both of whom published books on cryptozoology and monster hunting around a decade ago. We talk about the evolution of that field, including the depletion of actual experts and rise of influencers in their place. Monsters and cryptids have come to represent a sense of community and local pride, artistic and pop culture expression, and a fantasy escapism from news and everyday life. In many ways, we are living through a similar period America went through in the 1970s. We hit on the "paranormal unified field theory" and the "scientification" of folklore. How is the rise in dogmen sightings connected to Bigfoot, and how have debunkings and evidence affected the community?
After some current events discussion about AI images in real estate and RFK Jr. mentioning chemtrails, we welcome friend of the podcast Amy Frushour Kelly. She's a longtime editor turned AI writing consultant, and has watched what the new models have done to the average editor's workload. We ask some questions on what AI writing means in terms of authenticity, honesty, and contractual obligations. How accurate are the tools that supposedly determine whether something has been written with AI, and what makes humans "get a feeling" something has been crafted by an LLM? Fair warning: we three editors end up getting really geeky about our craft in a few places. And we also get philosophical: what does AI writing mean to the future of cultural transaction and complex thought itself?
First, we recount a tiny bit of the beautiful chaos that was Dragon Con. Then, after a few current event tidbits related to 9-11, we are joined by Andy Taylor of Geekshock and (retired Klingon) Paul Mattingly of Matt & Mattingly's Ice Cream Social. With our geeky nerd power tripled, we discuss all flavors of sci-fi and how various franchises have approached critical thinking, gullibility and other skeptic-adjacent topics. Does Kubrick's dense cinematic style attract lovers of conspiracy thinking and, thus, invite moon hoax theories? Did the communicator really inspire the flip-phone? How much of the Nostradamus-like predictions in sci-fi are simply due to the writers being keyed into pop culture, the latest scientific advances and common sense?
First, housekeeping about our upcoming visit to DragonCon in Atlanta next week (come say hello if you plan on going!). Ben and Celestia lament the latest measles news, pay respects to Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, and discuss the ever-present "rule of threes" when it comes to celebrity deaths. Then for our main topic Ben talks about Jose Escamilla and his decades-long obsession with what he termed "Roswell rods" or "skyfish." They were an ill-defined phenomenon, somewhere between UFOs, interdimensional cryptids, and light-speed bacteria. Still, Escamilla took them seriously enough to make several films and set up scientific-ish protocols to guide his research -- which, weirdly, led him to Tiger Woods. A unique thing about Roswell Rods is that even the fringe believers couldn't quite swallow this particular mystery, leading to a public debunking by Joe Rogan himself. So, what can we learn from Escamilla and the strange, short life of Roswell rods?
First, we chat about what's making us skeptical these days, from the latest executive order targeting vaccine access to a really creative way to fund a biology lab. Oh, and we didn't experience zero gravity for seven seconds this week, did you? Then we bring on the legendary private investigator Bob Nygaard, who parlayed his career as a New York City cop into a busy life as the world's most effective psychic buster. And we don't mean he spills their secrets -- we mean he gets them put behind bars. Bob has been instrumental in getting many millions of dollars returned to victims and persuading district attorneys to press charges against the generational syndicates who orchestrate this type of crime. He explains to us their methodology and the skills he acquired that help him tie all the parts of a case together, often working against reluctant bureaucrats at every step. Laws against fortune telling and financial crimes vary in different jurisdictions, and victims are often reluctant to fight for themselves. Blending empathy with hard-nosed investigation work and dogged persistence, Bob shares success stories and some tips for spotting psychic criminals before they can get their hooks into a mark.