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Prompts Used

Prompt 1: Context Setup

You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript. 
I will provide you with part 1 of 1 from a podcast transcript. 
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.

Transcript section:
[00:00:03.360 --> 00:00:06.960] Today, we've got some more feedback and follow-ups for you.
[00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:15.360] Extra information on past shows that may or may not change the final conclusion, but is guaranteed to make each show better.
[00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:27.120] Today, we're going to talk about dingoes eating babies, earthquake prediction technology, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the Loveland Frogman, and more.
[00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:32.400] And all of this is coming up right now on Skeptoid.
[00:00:39.120 --> 00:00:43.920] Join us for an exclusive three-day exploration of historic Death Valley.
[00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.200] From October 21st to 24th, we'll take you from Las Vegas deep into the heart of this rugged, otherworldly landscape.
[00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.120] All transportation, lodging, and meals are included.
[00:00:55.120 --> 00:01:02.880] Your guides will be Skeptoids Brian Dunning, hey, I know that guy, he's me, and Death Valley expert geologist Andrew Dunning.
[00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:11.680] Together, they'll lead you to world-famous sites like Badwater Basin and the Artist's Palette, plus hidden gems that you won't find in any guidebook.
[00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.240] This year's trip features all new destinations with minimal overlap from last year.
[00:01:16.240 --> 00:01:21.440] And here's a bonus: Skepticamp Las Vegas begins the same evening we return to Las Vegas.
[00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:26.640] Make it a two-for-one trip and stick around to hear me talk about my visit to Area 51.
[00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.160] Details at skeptoid.com/slash events.
[00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:31.920] Spots are very limited.
[00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:33.440] Secure yours today.
[00:01:33.440 --> 00:01:41.440] Email help at skeptoid.com with questions and join the conversation with fellow adventurers at skeptoid.com/slash discord.
[00:01:41.440 --> 00:01:43.440] Death Valley is calling.
[00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:46.320] Are you ready to answer?
[00:01:50.160 --> 00:01:51.760] You're listening to Skeptoid.
[00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:55.280] I'm Brian Dunning from skeptoid.com.
[00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.920] A feast of feedback.
[00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:10.600] Welcome to the show that separates fact from fiction, science from pseudoscience, real history from fake history, and helps us all make better life decisions by knowing what's real and what's not.
[00:02:10.600 --> 00:02:15.080] If you're going to do a show like this, you're going to get feedback.
[00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:23.880] Everything ranging from praise to death threats, and from constructive criticism to rambling novel-length screeds.
[00:02:23.880 --> 00:02:41.080] You're also going to get proper feedback, the pointing out of actual mistakes, thoughts from people who were actually central characters in the stories discussed, or descendants of theirs, and people knowledgeable enough to offer relevant feedback or updates on the subject.
[00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:42.440] Those are the best.
[00:02:42.440 --> 00:02:48.440] I've heard from many people over the years who had some connection to the actual urban legend discussed.
[00:02:48.440 --> 00:02:56.440] I've also heard from fellow academics who have researched the same story and had learned either more or less than I had.
[00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:08.280] And frequently, this feedback includes something relevant enough for me to convey here to you, my listener, and to update my original transcript accordingly.
[00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:13.080] So, today we have an episode consisting of feedback and follow-ups.
[00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:16.360] No error corrections, as those will go into a different show.
[00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:21.080] But today's enhancements are equally cool and amazing.
[00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:32.920] So, without further ado, we'll get started with two interesting bits of feedback on the recent episode about an infamous story from the Australian Outback.
[00:03:35.160 --> 00:03:43.720] Episode number 977 was about the origin of the phrase, a dingo ate my baby, or some variation on it.
[00:03:43.720 --> 00:03:54.880] And it turns out that its origin is exactly what it sounds like: a horrifying case of an Australian wild dog killing a baby, way back in 1980.
[00:03:55.200 --> 00:04:02.160] Why then, we asked, is the quote normally used comedically when it's from such an unspeakable tragedy?
[00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:11.200] Listener Stephen thought it had to do with the movie version of the story, which starred Meryl Streep as the mother, Lindy Chamberlain.
[00:04:11.200 --> 00:04:21.360] For Australians, a particular issue with a dingo took my baby was that the pronunciation of this by Meryl Streep grated with Australian ears.
[00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:29.360] So there was an element of taking the Mickey by Australians initially in building the popularity of the phrase.
[00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:37.840] Now, the funny thing is that I heard this from several Australian listeners: that Meryl Streep's accent was so bad it was hilarious.
[00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:51.360] However, I also heard the opposite from at least two Australians who noted that the Chamberlains were originally from New Zealand, and given that, they thought Meryl Streep's accent was spot on.
[00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:59.200] So I have no idea what to think here, but it is one good theory for why it's considered funny.
[00:04:59.840 --> 00:05:08.000] Another email came from listener Chris about one piece of evidence in the lengthy murder trial Lindy Chamberlain had to endure.
[00:05:08.320 --> 00:05:17.360] If the Chamberlains are truly innocent, which it sounds like was proved beyond a reasonable doubt, why was the blood found in the car?
[00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:20.400] Of course, this only matters if it was the baby's blood.
[00:05:20.400 --> 00:05:22.880] If not, it's just noise.
[00:05:23.520 --> 00:05:33.240] In the episode, I said forensics experts had found traces of blood on the seats of the car, and this was a key piece of evidence for the prosecution.
[00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:35.560] In fact, it wasn't blood at all.
[00:05:35.880 --> 00:05:44.120] It was dofix, a sound-deadening compound sprayed on various parts of that model of car during manufacture.
[00:05:44.440 --> 00:05:52.520] The defense showed that other examples of this same car also had overspray of doofix in the same places.
[00:05:53.160 --> 00:06:07.480] The forensic examiner who misidentified it as blood had made all kinds of blunders, several of which she later admitted, and the case has become known as one of the most significant forensic failures in Australian legal history.
[00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:21.320] Flawed scientific analysis and bad testing protocols can and do lead to wrongful convictions, as we discussed in Skeptoid number 821 on forensic pseudoscience.
[00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:41.160] Episode number 873 was about the prediction of earthquakes, particularly about crackpots on the internet who claimed to have developed some method for accurately predicting specific earthquakes, something which even today remains impossible.
[00:06:41.160 --> 00:07:03.720] However, about a year after my episode came out, an article appeared in Nature Communications by Garona and Dramoni, who claimed to have developed an artificial intelligence model that was able to accurately predict major earthquakes months in advance, all by looking at patterns in low-magnitude seismicity preceding them.
[00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:11.480] The world headlines ate it up with a spoon, happily declaring that earthquake prediction had finally been cracked.
[00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:21.600] So, with such headlines out there, it's not surprising that quite a few Skeptoid listeners emailed to tell me I should either correct or retract my episode.
[00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:30.400] Well, as I've mentioned before, my son happens to be a seismologist, so I went straight to him for the real scoop.
[00:07:30.400 --> 00:07:32.320] He hooked me right up.
[00:07:32.640 --> 00:07:40.560] Gorona and Dramoni's article had become something of a laughing stock in the world of seismology because it was so horrible.
[00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:44.080] It did not remotely support their claims.
[00:07:44.080 --> 00:07:51.680] They made their software and data freely available, so geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith Hubbard reran their programs.
[00:07:51.680 --> 00:08:05.280] They had made about 20 different machine learning models, all based on actual historic seismic data preceding two major quakes, a 2018 one in Alaska and a 2019 one in California.
[00:08:05.280 --> 00:08:09.600] 19 of the models failed to predict either quake.
[00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:14.560] Model number 20 worked on both, but with some important problems.
[00:08:14.880 --> 00:08:19.040] The Alaska prediction was based on partial data only.
[00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.400] Bradley and Hubbard filled in the missing data, and the prediction vanished.
[00:08:24.400 --> 00:08:28.880] The California prediction was based on only a small amount of local data.
[00:08:28.880 --> 00:08:35.120] When Bradley and Hubbard provided the complete regional data, that prediction vanished as well.
[00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:41.440] In other words, everything Garona and Dramoni tried failed 100% of the time.
[00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:46.320] There was not even a false positive as we'd expect from random chance.
[00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:52.640] So, no, artificial intelligence has not cracked earthquake prediction.
[00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.160] Fall is here, and Skeptoid has you covered.
[00:08:58.160 --> 00:09:06.600] Literally, our back to school sale is happening all September long with 20% off everything in the Skeptoid store.
[00:09:06.920 --> 00:09:17.080] Grab a cozy hoodie for those chilly mornings, sip your favorite roast from a Skeptoid coffee mug, or sport one of our shirts that proudly promotes critical thinking.
[00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:23.640] Just use the code Skeptoid20 at checkout and save 20% on your entire order.
[00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:26.840] Don't wait, this sale ends September 30th.
[00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:32.600] Head to skeptoid.com/slash store and get your gear today.
[00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:49.960] Episode number 702 was about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT, where you put a person into a pressurized chamber of pure oxygen.
[00:09:49.960 --> 00:10:06.200] It is approved as treatment for 13 different conditions, but unfortunately, it's also one of those therapies that the quacks have gotten hold of and sell it for just about anything and everything you can imagine, most of which are backed by zero science.
[00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:11.640] It's just one more way that charlatans take advantage of people who are suffering.
[00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:20.280] Listener Olivier wrote in about a tragic news item: I was looking into this because of an interesting case happening in my city.
[00:10:20.280 --> 00:10:24.840] A young boy was found at the bottom of a pool at the house rented by his parents.
[00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:30.440] The hospital considered the boy brain dead and suggested the parents consider organ donation.
[00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:39.960] The parents ended up moving their boy down to Louisiana for HBOT treatment, and they are adamant the boy is improving.
[00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:57.760] Evidence that HBOT can help restore dead brain tissue is sorely lacking, and it's a treatment that is only sold by clinics who also claim it can cure autism, ADHD, cancer, and all kinds of things it most certainly does not.
[00:10:57.760 --> 00:11:07.920] For each of these, there are a few small published studies supporting it, usually of poor quality and always in opposition to larger, high-quality studies.
[00:11:07.920 --> 00:11:10.960] This is the case with brain injuries as well.
[00:11:11.280 --> 00:11:21.280] The brain has a certain amount of neuroplasticity and can, in some cases, regain lost function by retasking undamaged parts of the brain.
[00:11:21.280 --> 00:11:30.800] The claim that HBOT can facilitate this is not entirely implausible, but it remains unsupported by any compelling evidence.
[00:11:30.800 --> 00:11:40.400] Whatever Louisiana clinic these parents took their child to is almost certainly just ripping them off, taking advantage of the grieving.
[00:11:43.280 --> 00:12:01.680] Episode number 473, guest hosted by Ryan Haupt, was about the Loveland frog, sometimes called the Loveland Frogman, said to have been a group of frog-like humanoid creatures just over a meter tall that were seen in Loveland, Ohio in 1955.
[00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:09.600] Then, in 1972, a police officer, Mark Matthews, claimed to have shot such a creature.
[00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:20.880] Soon thereafter, however, Matthews admitted he'd made that up, and that what he actually shot was simply a large but otherwise ordinary iguana that was missing its tail.
[00:12:21.520 --> 00:12:28.640] This story came up in the news again in 2016, just about a year after Ryan's episode.
[00:12:28.640 --> 00:12:37.240] Some people playing Pokemon Go claimed to see it and even produced a video of something standing in a lake exhibiting bright eyeshine.
[00:12:37.880 --> 00:12:46.760] Ryan wrote me that this refresh of the story prompted the police officer, Mark Matthews, to come forward with more information.
[00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:53.640] In my episode, I referenced Matthews recanted his story back in the day, but didn't have a definitive source.
[00:12:53.640 --> 00:13:03.080] He says he had already told the full true story to the author of a book on urban legends, but the part where he clarifies that it was an iguana was left out.
[00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:12.040] I had discounted the idea that an iguana could have survived the Ohio winters and concluded that a mangy coyote was more likely.
[00:13:12.040 --> 00:13:30.840] But with the officer's more clear admission that what he shot was a tailless iguana and the idea that a factory may have been discharging warm water into the river, I would say that the possibility that a sickly escaped or released pet that was barely hanging on by the river increases.
[00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:33.640] So, there we have it.
[00:13:33.640 --> 00:13:39.400] Once again, we keep having to repeat the true explanation behind an urban legend.
[00:13:39.400 --> 00:13:42.760] Nobody seems to want to hear the true version.
[00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:50.360] The process of fracking has come up in a number of skeptoid episodes.
[00:13:50.360 --> 00:14:00.360] This is pumping pressurized water into natural gas-bearing rock in order to carry sand down there to prop open the fissures and release more gas faster.
[00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:04.680] Oil companies love it, environmentalists hate it.
[00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.160] One of its aspects is the final disposition of this water.
[00:14:09.160 --> 00:14:14.440] Today, it's generally too expensive to treat it so that it can be used by farmers, etc.
[00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:26.560] And so it's typically disposed of by pumping it into super deep injection wells, a process which has now definitively been linked with clusters of small earthquakes.
[00:14:26.880 --> 00:14:37.600] In 2020, the EPA published a report following years of feedback from all the various stakeholders about what we really should be doing with these wastewaters.
[00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:50.080] I wish I could report that there's a clearer direction or that any one particular discharge or reuse option is preferred, but the best way to summarize this report is that very little has changed.
[00:14:50.400 --> 00:15:02.080] Some states, native tribes, and industry stakeholders favor expanded options, mainly because water is a crucial resource and water shortages continue to be a bigger and bigger problem.
[00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:14.160] And many NGOs and some native tribes favor the continued superdeep injection of the contaminated wastewater due to concerns about environmental and human health impacts.
[00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:28.000] Often, people ask if fracking should be allowed or not, with the anti-fracking crowd often exaggerating or even making up terrifying environmental impacts like earthquakes or poisonous groundwater.
[00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:38.160] It absolutely does need to be stopped because it's the best way to extract methane, and methane is currently the greenhouse gas of greatest concern.
[00:15:38.160 --> 00:15:49.760] But more than fracking, the entire fossil fuel industry needs to be given the heave-ho as climate change is already giving us the worst environmental disaster in history.
[00:15:49.760 --> 00:15:52.240] That's the bigger issue than fracking.
[00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:57.760] But if banning fracking can at least slow things down, then we need to do that.
[00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:08.360] We continue with one more piece of feedback that I would never include on the regular show for obvious reasons in the ad-free and extended premium feed.
[00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:14.520] To access it, become a supporter at skeptoid.com/slash go premium.
[00:16:19.640 --> 00:16:34.040] A great big Skeptoid shout-out to our premium supporters, including Randy in Squim, the other Brian Dee, Murray Sondergaard in Calgary, Canada, and, of course, the NARTMaster.
[00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:44.360] Sustainability is a popular theme in science, and the support from these premium members is what pays the bills of our nonprofit and makes Skeptoid sustainable.
[00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:52.920] Please join them by becoming a member for just $5 a month at skeptoid.com and click Go Premium.
[00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:58.280] The most tax-friendly way to support a charity is to donate stocks.
[00:16:58.280 --> 00:17:06.920] When you donate appreciated stocks, you may pay zero capital gains tax and still be able to deduct the full appreciated value.
[00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.480] Be sure to consult with your tax advisor.
[00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:14.520] To learn more, visit skeptoid.com/slash giving.
[00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:17.640] Skeptoid's a production of Skeptoid Media.
[00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:21.960] Director of Operations and Tinfoil Hat Counter is Kathy Reitmeyer.
[00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:25.880] Marketing guru and Illuminati liaison is Jake Young.
[00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:30.040] Production Management and All Things Audio by Will McAndlis.
[00:17:30.040 --> 00:17:32.440] Music is by Lee Sanders.
[00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:35.800] Researched and written by me, Brian Dunning.
[00:17:35.800 --> 00:17:42.960] Listen to Skeptoid for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or iHeart.
[00:17:42.520 --> 00:17:48.160] You're listening to Skeptoid, a listener-supported program.
[00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:52.400] I'm Brian Dunning from skeptoid.com.
[00:17:55.600 --> 00:17:57.520] From PRX.

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:03.360 --> 00:00:06.960] Today, we've got some more feedback and follow-ups for you.
[00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:15.360] Extra information on past shows that may or may not change the final conclusion, but is guaranteed to make each show better.
[00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:27.120] Today, we're going to talk about dingoes eating babies, earthquake prediction technology, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the Loveland Frogman, and more.
[00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:32.400] And all of this is coming up right now on Skeptoid.
[00:00:39.120 --> 00:00:43.920] Join us for an exclusive three-day exploration of historic Death Valley.
[00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.200] From October 21st to 24th, we'll take you from Las Vegas deep into the heart of this rugged, otherworldly landscape.
[00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.120] All transportation, lodging, and meals are included.
[00:00:55.120 --> 00:01:02.880] Your guides will be Skeptoids Brian Dunning, hey, I know that guy, he's me, and Death Valley expert geologist Andrew Dunning.
[00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:11.680] Together, they'll lead you to world-famous sites like Badwater Basin and the Artist's Palette, plus hidden gems that you won't find in any guidebook.
[00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.240] This year's trip features all new destinations with minimal overlap from last year.
[00:01:16.240 --> 00:01:21.440] And here's a bonus: Skepticamp Las Vegas begins the same evening we return to Las Vegas.
[00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:26.640] Make it a two-for-one trip and stick around to hear me talk about my visit to Area 51.
[00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.160] Details at skeptoid.com/slash events.
[00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:31.920] Spots are very limited.
[00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:33.440] Secure yours today.
[00:01:33.440 --> 00:01:41.440] Email help at skeptoid.com with questions and join the conversation with fellow adventurers at skeptoid.com/slash discord.
[00:01:41.440 --> 00:01:43.440] Death Valley is calling.
[00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:46.320] Are you ready to answer?
[00:01:50.160 --> 00:01:51.760] You're listening to Skeptoid.
[00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:55.280] I'm Brian Dunning from skeptoid.com.
[00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.920] A feast of feedback.
[00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:10.600] Welcome to the show that separates fact from fiction, science from pseudoscience, real history from fake history, and helps us all make better life decisions by knowing what's real and what's not.
[00:02:10.600 --> 00:02:15.080] If you're going to do a show like this, you're going to get feedback.
[00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:23.880] Everything ranging from praise to death threats, and from constructive criticism to rambling novel-length screeds.
[00:02:23.880 --> 00:02:41.080] You're also going to get proper feedback, the pointing out of actual mistakes, thoughts from people who were actually central characters in the stories discussed, or descendants of theirs, and people knowledgeable enough to offer relevant feedback or updates on the subject.
[00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:42.440] Those are the best.
[00:02:42.440 --> 00:02:48.440] I've heard from many people over the years who had some connection to the actual urban legend discussed.
[00:02:48.440 --> 00:02:56.440] I've also heard from fellow academics who have researched the same story and had learned either more or less than I had.
[00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:08.280] And frequently, this feedback includes something relevant enough for me to convey here to you, my listener, and to update my original transcript accordingly.
[00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:13.080] So, today we have an episode consisting of feedback and follow-ups.
[00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:16.360] No error corrections, as those will go into a different show.
[00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:21.080] But today's enhancements are equally cool and amazing.
[00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:32.920] So, without further ado, we'll get started with two interesting bits of feedback on the recent episode about an infamous story from the Australian Outback.
[00:03:35.160 --> 00:03:43.720] Episode number 977 was about the origin of the phrase, a dingo ate my baby, or some variation on it.
[00:03:43.720 --> 00:03:54.880] And it turns out that its origin is exactly what it sounds like: a horrifying case of an Australian wild dog killing a baby, way back in 1980.
[00:03:55.200 --> 00:04:02.160] Why then, we asked, is the quote normally used comedically when it's from such an unspeakable tragedy?
[00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:11.200] Listener Stephen thought it had to do with the movie version of the story, which starred Meryl Streep as the mother, Lindy Chamberlain.
[00:04:11.200 --> 00:04:21.360] For Australians, a particular issue with a dingo took my baby was that the pronunciation of this by Meryl Streep grated with Australian ears.
[00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:29.360] So there was an element of taking the Mickey by Australians initially in building the popularity of the phrase.
[00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:37.840] Now, the funny thing is that I heard this from several Australian listeners: that Meryl Streep's accent was so bad it was hilarious.
[00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:51.360] However, I also heard the opposite from at least two Australians who noted that the Chamberlains were originally from New Zealand, and given that, they thought Meryl Streep's accent was spot on.
[00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:59.200] So I have no idea what to think here, but it is one good theory for why it's considered funny.
[00:04:59.840 --> 00:05:08.000] Another email came from listener Chris about one piece of evidence in the lengthy murder trial Lindy Chamberlain had to endure.
[00:05:08.320 --> 00:05:17.360] If the Chamberlains are truly innocent, which it sounds like was proved beyond a reasonable doubt, why was the blood found in the car?
[00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:20.400] Of course, this only matters if it was the baby's blood.
[00:05:20.400 --> 00:05:22.880] If not, it's just noise.
[00:05:23.520 --> 00:05:33.240] In the episode, I said forensics experts had found traces of blood on the seats of the car, and this was a key piece of evidence for the prosecution.
[00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:35.560] In fact, it wasn't blood at all.
[00:05:35.880 --> 00:05:44.120] It was dofix, a sound-deadening compound sprayed on various parts of that model of car during manufacture.
[00:05:44.440 --> 00:05:52.520] The defense showed that other examples of this same car also had overspray of doofix in the same places.
[00:05:53.160 --> 00:06:07.480] The forensic examiner who misidentified it as blood had made all kinds of blunders, several of which she later admitted, and the case has become known as one of the most significant forensic failures in Australian legal history.
[00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:21.320] Flawed scientific analysis and bad testing protocols can and do lead to wrongful convictions, as we discussed in Skeptoid number 821 on forensic pseudoscience.
[00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:41.160] Episode number 873 was about the prediction of earthquakes, particularly about crackpots on the internet who claimed to have developed some method for accurately predicting specific earthquakes, something which even today remains impossible.
[00:06:41.160 --> 00:07:03.720] However, about a year after my episode came out, an article appeared in Nature Communications by Garona and Dramoni, who claimed to have developed an artificial intelligence model that was able to accurately predict major earthquakes months in advance, all by looking at patterns in low-magnitude seismicity preceding them.
[00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:11.480] The world headlines ate it up with a spoon, happily declaring that earthquake prediction had finally been cracked.
[00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:21.600] So, with such headlines out there, it's not surprising that quite a few Skeptoid listeners emailed to tell me I should either correct or retract my episode.
[00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:30.400] Well, as I've mentioned before, my son happens to be a seismologist, so I went straight to him for the real scoop.
[00:07:30.400 --> 00:07:32.320] He hooked me right up.
[00:07:32.640 --> 00:07:40.560] Gorona and Dramoni's article had become something of a laughing stock in the world of seismology because it was so horrible.
[00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:44.080] It did not remotely support their claims.
[00:07:44.080 --> 00:07:51.680] They made their software and data freely available, so geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith Hubbard reran their programs.
[00:07:51.680 --> 00:08:05.280] They had made about 20 different machine learning models, all based on actual historic seismic data preceding two major quakes, a 2018 one in Alaska and a 2019 one in California.
[00:08:05.280 --> 00:08:09.600] 19 of the models failed to predict either quake.
[00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:14.560] Model number 20 worked on both, but with some important problems.
[00:08:14.880 --> 00:08:19.040] The Alaska prediction was based on partial data only.
[00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.400] Bradley and Hubbard filled in the missing data, and the prediction vanished.
[00:08:24.400 --> 00:08:28.880] The California prediction was based on only a small amount of local data.
[00:08:28.880 --> 00:08:35.120] When Bradley and Hubbard provided the complete regional data, that prediction vanished as well.
[00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:41.440] In other words, everything Garona and Dramoni tried failed 100% of the time.
[00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:46.320] There was not even a false positive as we'd expect from random chance.
[00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:52.640] So, no, artificial intelligence has not cracked earthquake prediction.
[00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.160] Fall is here, and Skeptoid has you covered.
[00:08:58.160 --> 00:09:06.600] Literally, our back to school sale is happening all September long with 20% off everything in the Skeptoid store.
[00:09:06.920 --> 00:09:17.080] Grab a cozy hoodie for those chilly mornings, sip your favorite roast from a Skeptoid coffee mug, or sport one of our shirts that proudly promotes critical thinking.
[00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:23.640] Just use the code Skeptoid20 at checkout and save 20% on your entire order.
[00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:26.840] Don't wait, this sale ends September 30th.
[00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:32.600] Head to skeptoid.com/slash store and get your gear today.
[00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:49.960] Episode number 702 was about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT, where you put a person into a pressurized chamber of pure oxygen.
[00:09:49.960 --> 00:10:06.200] It is approved as treatment for 13 different conditions, but unfortunately, it's also one of those therapies that the quacks have gotten hold of and sell it for just about anything and everything you can imagine, most of which are backed by zero science.
[00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:11.640] It's just one more way that charlatans take advantage of people who are suffering.
[00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:20.280] Listener Olivier wrote in about a tragic news item: I was looking into this because of an interesting case happening in my city.
[00:10:20.280 --> 00:10:24.840] A young boy was found at the bottom of a pool at the house rented by his parents.
[00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:30.440] The hospital considered the boy brain dead and suggested the parents consider organ donation.
[00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:39.960] The parents ended up moving their boy down to Louisiana for HBOT treatment, and they are adamant the boy is improving.
[00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:57.760] Evidence that HBOT can help restore dead brain tissue is sorely lacking, and it's a treatment that is only sold by clinics who also claim it can cure autism, ADHD, cancer, and all kinds of things it most certainly does not.
[00:10:57.760 --> 00:11:07.920] For each of these, there are a few small published studies supporting it, usually of poor quality and always in opposition to larger, high-quality studies.
[00:11:07.920 --> 00:11:10.960] This is the case with brain injuries as well.
[00:11:11.280 --> 00:11:21.280] The brain has a certain amount of neuroplasticity and can, in some cases, regain lost function by retasking undamaged parts of the brain.
[00:11:21.280 --> 00:11:30.800] The claim that HBOT can facilitate this is not entirely implausible, but it remains unsupported by any compelling evidence.
[00:11:30.800 --> 00:11:40.400] Whatever Louisiana clinic these parents took their child to is almost certainly just ripping them off, taking advantage of the grieving.
[00:11:43.280 --> 00:12:01.680] Episode number 473, guest hosted by Ryan Haupt, was about the Loveland frog, sometimes called the Loveland Frogman, said to have been a group of frog-like humanoid creatures just over a meter tall that were seen in Loveland, Ohio in 1955.
[00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:09.600] Then, in 1972, a police officer, Mark Matthews, claimed to have shot such a creature.
[00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:20.880] Soon thereafter, however, Matthews admitted he'd made that up, and that what he actually shot was simply a large but otherwise ordinary iguana that was missing its tail.
[00:12:21.520 --> 00:12:28.640] This story came up in the news again in 2016, just about a year after Ryan's episode.
[00:12:28.640 --> 00:12:37.240] Some people playing Pokemon Go claimed to see it and even produced a video of something standing in a lake exhibiting bright eyeshine.
[00:12:37.880 --> 00:12:46.760] Ryan wrote me that this refresh of the story prompted the police officer, Mark Matthews, to come forward with more information.
[00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:53.640] In my episode, I referenced Matthews recanted his story back in the day, but didn't have a definitive source.
[00:12:53.640 --> 00:13:03.080] He says he had already told the full true story to the author of a book on urban legends, but the part where he clarifies that it was an iguana was left out.
[00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:12.040] I had discounted the idea that an iguana could have survived the Ohio winters and concluded that a mangy coyote was more likely.
[00:13:12.040 --> 00:13:30.840] But with the officer's more clear admission that what he shot was a tailless iguana and the idea that a factory may have been discharging warm water into the river, I would say that the possibility that a sickly escaped or released pet that was barely hanging on by the river increases.
[00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:33.640] So, there we have it.
[00:13:33.640 --> 00:13:39.400] Once again, we keep having to repeat the true explanation behind an urban legend.
[00:13:39.400 --> 00:13:42.760] Nobody seems to want to hear the true version.
[00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:50.360] The process of fracking has come up in a number of skeptoid episodes.
[00:13:50.360 --> 00:14:00.360] This is pumping pressurized water into natural gas-bearing rock in order to carry sand down there to prop open the fissures and release more gas faster.
[00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:04.680] Oil companies love it, environmentalists hate it.
[00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.160] One of its aspects is the final disposition of this water.
[00:14:09.160 --> 00:14:14.440] Today, it's generally too expensive to treat it so that it can be used by farmers, etc.
[00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:26.560] And so it's typically disposed of by pumping it into super deep injection wells, a process which has now definitively been linked with clusters of small earthquakes.
[00:14:26.880 --> 00:14:37.600] In 2020, the EPA published a report following years of feedback from all the various stakeholders about what we really should be doing with these wastewaters.
[00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:50.080] I wish I could report that there's a clearer direction or that any one particular discharge or reuse option is preferred, but the best way to summarize this report is that very little has changed.
[00:14:50.400 --> 00:15:02.080] Some states, native tribes, and industry stakeholders favor expanded options, mainly because water is a crucial resource and water shortages continue to be a bigger and bigger problem.
[00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:14.160] And many NGOs and some native tribes favor the continued superdeep injection of the contaminated wastewater due to concerns about environmental and human health impacts.
[00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:28.000] Often, people ask if fracking should be allowed or not, with the anti-fracking crowd often exaggerating or even making up terrifying environmental impacts like earthquakes or poisonous groundwater.
[00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:38.160] It absolutely does need to be stopped because it's the best way to extract methane, and methane is currently the greenhouse gas of greatest concern.
[00:15:38.160 --> 00:15:49.760] But more than fracking, the entire fossil fuel industry needs to be given the heave-ho as climate change is already giving us the worst environmental disaster in history.
[00:15:49.760 --> 00:15:52.240] That's the bigger issue than fracking.
[00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:57.760] But if banning fracking can at least slow things down, then we need to do that.
[00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:08.360] We continue with one more piece of feedback that I would never include on the regular show for obvious reasons in the ad-free and extended premium feed.
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