00:00.00 archpodnet Welcome back to the pseudo archeology podcast episode 104 and today we've been talking about the mystery spot over in the hills overlooking Santa Cruz California and we've talked about. History of the mystery spot. We've talked about my own experiences at the mystery spot and now we're at the point where we have to ask? what should we do with the mystery spot should we cancel the mystery spot. Should we write things on Twitter about how problematic the mystery spot is now the mystery spot is fun. Let's be honest, right? it again. It reminds me so much. Of the thing and other kind of roadside attractions. It's americana you know of that sort of age of the of the cheap automobile and the family taking a trip right. Roadside attraction buy the t-shirt buy the bumper sticker and say you've been to the mystery spot you've experienced it. You've experienced it move. You've experienced the mystery of the mystery spot right? Which honestly. 01:25.37 archpodnet That brings us to a bit of a conundrum in this whole pseudo archeology thing doesn't it is every pseudo archeology example out there truly terrible. No, you know, maybe there is a little bit of balance I have to say I mean as as kids as we were there at the mystery spot for that day bringing our compasses we were young people who were interested in science and. The debunking of it was part of the process of going hey look how cool we are look how cool science is you know and we were by far, not the only ones to do this right? as I told you there was a guy who walked by doing the same thing and he was like 40 you know so it's it's. It's part of it I think I think it engenders interest in science in its own backwards way right? It engenders interest in how do the things that the mystery spot actually happen it these days obviously is going to engender. A bunch of ah Wikipedia searches on what is a gravity hill how does it work. How does this sort of sleight of hand of the mystery spot work and that's interesting and that only adds to the the sort of scientific education now I know that the cover story. 02:55.11 archpodnet Is very silly. You know the the ah meteorite has struck there and planes cannot fly over. You're in a gravity vortex I know man I know but but. I think most of us are grown up enough to have fun with that. You know I'm sure you could find some super crazy website that talks about the gravity vortex of the mystery spot. But most people aren't going to fall for that. At this point I really don't think they are. Really going to think they're going to go for it for the fun and for the history of it and for hey, let's have a laugh on a Saturday afternoon. So what this means is that we really have to walk a fine line as professional archeologists and professional scientists. You know we we have to of course promote real science and real archeology. But I think there's a moment where we can't take ourselves too seriously right? where if we poo poo every single thing we will start to lose friends. You know. I mean hey it's the mystery spot you have chill out and have a little mystery afternoon for yourself. You know, um and this public interest offshoot of it I think is is good. You know. 04:27.10 archpodnet It it gets people into the science or into the archeological world. These things. It's not it. It's not the worst things it it engenders this sort of sleuth aspect of it of hey I'm going to figure out the mystery and that's that's a good thing it gets you into the debunking mindset and that's ah that's a good thing too you know how many people have brought compasses with them up to the mystery spot to to show that it's that it's fake. You know that that has its own fun I mean I think back for myself I was totally into the whole charade of the mystery spot I didn't even as a fourteen year old I didn't pooh pooh it. You know I wasn't like oh the mystery spot sucks I can't believe this is all fake. We we laughed with it and none of us today are still like there I was in the gravity vortex right? No we we're like I was fun. It was it was cool I I go back to at that time in my life I I loved watching in search of. Which is total pseudo archeology but it hooked me so this of course doesn't mean we suddenly agree with pseudo archeology and go oh yeah, pyramids will be built by aliens. Oh yeah, no I know right? We we don't do that. But I think because some of these things are so popular we use it for our own needs right? We go? Yeah, that is of course fake but I hear yeah it was fun. Wasn't it. 06:00.74 archpodnet And I think that keeps the door a little wider open and is a little bit more inclusive and lets people in right? We don't We don't just point out how stupid you are for thinking that you were in a gravity vortex Moron. Don't you know it was a gravity Hill We all know that you see you got to make friends in the scientific World. You know what? I mean you gotta let people in and in my own personal experience I've found this to really really work where people get excited By. Pseudo archeology stuff and instead of saying no, you're stupid. You go Yes I can see that and check this out. Check out the reality and check out how awesome that is so you got to have a little foolish. Fun. With the mystery spot right? Relax a little interesting archeology side note in 2014 The mystery spot was made a California Historic Landmark ah, which I think is very fair. Right? It's because it's historically important everyone in the area knows that thing and so many of us have actually seen the bumper sticker. There is a very specific I believe it's yellow. 07:25.30 archpodnet Mystery spot bumper sticker that that generations of kids in that area have seen over the years you know where is that the mystery spot. So it's a piece of California culture. You know and and I think the historic landmark is great I would not want them to tear down the mystery spot. You know I want to enjoy it. As what it is a fun roadside attraction. So now that I've thoroughly destroyed myself as a worthwhile host for anything called a pseudo archeology podcast. Well I guess I may or may not see you next time. But I hope you had a little fun with the mystery spot as me and my 14 year old friends did and just relax in the simple pleasures. Of being simple and I'll see you next time after I buy a bumper sticker. 08:33.69 archpodnet Let me say that end one more time I might have garbled it and I'll see you guys next time after I buy a bumper sticker.