Truth Hurts
So goes the old saying, anyway. Shira Lazar and I found that out the hard way, when director Ryan Johnson turned us into test dummies. The idea for this pilot series episode was to see if binaural beats — audio files that purport to change your brain function — work as advertised.
Shira tested a binaural beat file that says it will make you drunk, while I did the real thing. I went into the hotel bar and got hammered with 9 drinks of Patron 1800 tequila, while Shira repaired to the hotel spa for some hot tub soaking with her iPod. We did before and after tests at the local Boomers amusement park – testing miniature golf skills, climbing, go karts, and batting cages. We did it sober, and drunk. Did the binaural beats affect Shira’s performance as much as it did mine? Watch to find out.
You can reach the cast & crew at http://truthhurts.tv/.
Looks like a great show!
Oh wow, looks good. No offense to Brian, but having a pretty face involved might make the message easier to swallow.
If the tone in the left ear is the same frequency as the tone in the right ear, but slightly delayed by a fraction of a wavelength, then you’ll just hear a pure tone coming from the right. Beats happen when the two tones are slightly different frequencies.
One of the most annoying sounds I’ve heard was the beeping of a garbage truck backing up. It didn’t seem to have a regular pattern. Then, I realized that it was actually two different tones beeping at different but constant rates.
Drinking . . . FOR SCIENCE!
That’s the kind of research I can support!
I’m a former TV producer (I’ve done many shows for major cable networks including the science channel), and I like this a lot. My only criticism is that Shira is being sold as a “believer” in the beginning of the episode, and by the end, she appears to be more of a skeptic. It’s important that her angle be fully established and honestly portrayed in order to avoid appearing wishy-washy. I think the idea of a “believer” and a skeptic on the same show is quite good, but we want Mulder and Scully-like commitment to the respective viewpoints. We need someone defending the “woo” as it were, in order to give the show some suspense over the outcomes.
As for the writing, I think it’s good. It could use some polishing and tightening-up, but overall it’s pretty solid and the show engages the viewer pretty well. I think with a budget this thing could be pretty spectacular.
A final note: Be very aware of what would get you compared to Mythbusters and do what you can to stand out as your own show. Mythbusters is a serious player in the critical thinking game and they’re going to be what you’ll get compared to the most if you’re not careful. I think your content will be the key to standing out, and judging by the content of this pilot, you should be good if you just stay the course.
Just my two cents. Keep up the great work!
I strongly agree. I was completely sold on the “skeptic & believer” duo pitch, but was very disappointed with this demo. The believer’s delivery looks very, very scripted while not acknowledging that it is (or given context) – something that just screams Straw Man. This just won’t fly with the believers in the audience and, in my opinion, insults the intelligence of skeptics. Maybe consider finding an actual skeptic and shooting unscripted material?
Also, this is a personal thing – but having listened to most of Brian Dunning’s material, I’m strangely uncomfortable with his appearance. To clarify, he’s quite attractive, but I keep getting the impression that he’s dubbed because his voice is too Mr. Moviefone-like, with a radio host quality. Is he straining it to sound better? I might be the only one who feels this way, but this just adds to how contrived these scenes look.
Please do keep up with the idea, though!
This movie didn’t convince me to settle on one opinion or the other. It was entertaining and the hosts seem likable, but the “investiogation”, I’m sorry to say, came across as sloppy at best.
The tests appeared to be chosen for their entertainment value and done in a pretty uncontrolled manner (and don’t even mention sample size or double blind). I believe such a presentation would be great illustrate something (for the memorable effect and to reach the less scientifically inclined) _after_ coming to a conclusion by consulting known research and doing controlled tests
I think at least showing some statistics or explaining how a result was found before departing for the tests-for-fun wouldn’t make the show worse.
What made me mentally file this as inconclusive was that there had been no EEG analysis during the binaural beats application and that the female presenter didn’t have her headphones on during the tests.
Alcohol stays in your system until it is catabolized. Thus, the male presenter’s brain was still being chemically influenced during the tests, whereas the female presenter would have nothing preventing her brain from returning to normal operation the moment she takes off her headphones (if there was any effect at all).
I’m surprised no one got in a driving simulator with the binaural beats playing. At the very least they both should have taken the roadside sobriety test.
Now had Shira been picked to do the tequila shooters, Just watching Brian squirm, (especially if she tended to get a bit affectionate), would have been a show both entertaining, and educational.
The effect sound has on people isn’t woo, as anyone who has experienced music, or a chalky blackboard screech, or just sheer DB’s can attest to. Sound, at least music, is both very real and very magical. It can effect us emotionally in ways I’m not sure science is able to explain.
The leap to selling “woo-sounds” to the gullible, true believers is probably, in many cases quite short.
I think you’re on the right track with this. Making critical thinking fun and entertaining is a worthwhile project. Best wishes on future episodes.
I have to agree with the commenter’s statement that Shira’s position is inconsistently portrayed.
Fianlly, Brian should climb the rock wall in a thong next time.
I have to agree that the Shira didn’t come across as a “true believer” but she was introduced as having an “open mind”.
Maybe you need 3 hosts, a skeptic, a real true believer and someone in-between i.e. “open mind” ?
Either way, I thought it was pretty entertaining.