00:00.00 archpodnet Welcome back to episode 97 a life and ruinins podcast we're talking with Nicholas Carbon and on this we obviously know know of you because of Tiktok and we definitely want to talk about your experiences on Tiktok you know, telling people and. Learning people about archaeology for using the wrong verbs for that. But you know that's just it's just what it is um so what do you think is like some of the positives and negatives that you kind of have about creating content on on Tiktok right. 00:23.60 Nick With. 00:34.47 Nick Right? So positive is that like I love like when I like post a video and like people comment and they're like oh my god like you know like you like I learned something or like you know like you know like when helping like like people. Like sorry hang him. Um, when people like learn something or they get something out of it and like they let me know that it's like a really rewarding thing and it makes me like want to make more um but 1 of the hardest. Ah, like parts of doing it at the same time is that obviously Tiktok is a very it's conducive to like very short videos. Um, you know and I try to keep mind like a minute or under just because you can't hold. People's attention for like longer than that really especially on like on like topics like this. Um and it's really really difficult sometimes like fitting in all of the information. 01:29.60 Whoopsi Goldberg A. 01:44.00 Nick That I want to fit into a video in under 60 seconds it's like it can get like really hard and sometimes I spend like a day working or or more just like trying to figure out how to even word a script that I'm like writing um just because I do I write scripts and then I like it's. 01:57.12 Whoopsi Goldberg So you write scripts. 02:03.27 Nick I Don't know why I do I should just get like a teleprompter something but I I memorize them and so I have to like take the time to memory. It's like a whole process. So I could I could make it way more efficient I Just don't. 02:09.38 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, it it comes off like you like I assumed it was just yeah that you don't think you need a teleprompter but I mean it always helps I guess but yeah, um. 02:19.86 Nick Yeah, yeah, now his safe time. 02:22.95 archpodnet And well it's really impressive Vic to to can to be concise and to be to get everything that you want into there like I can't I it hurts my brain like ah like you guys doing that stuff is really really interesting to me because it's I always feel like I need like. Context everything but you don't if you're trying to teach folks, you can give them enough information to ultimately at least like lead them down the right rabbit hole right. 02:49.64 Nick Right? exactly and that's that's a big thing like um and and Tiktok there is a lot of like Bs and misinformation I'm as I'm sure David knows if anyone's on anyone on Tiktok knows um, especially in archeology. Yeah. 03:01.92 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, that's why I have any anxiety meds. Yeah. 03:09.49 Nick Yeah, ah and so and that's the thing like and there's like a lot of like great creators. Um, who get in like like who do really great work like debunking and like conspiracy busting like you know like Mar Ski You guys had him on um he he does that mini minuteman. 03:22.30 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, he's intense. Yeah. 03:27.31 Nick Yeah, you know and he and like and they you know and like they need like we need that like you know people like there to like I'm not a very combative person. So I have a hard time doing it. Um. 03:35.20 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, we've reached out to a mini minute man too to see if like he would want to come on and he's a little more combative with people or like would be what's it combative. He's just more like you're wrong I'm really funny here's why? um. 03:47.95 Nick Duke. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no I'm this on the same same thing like I can't do it I would just I would just fold like um and like I remember like when there was that person. Oh my God There was like the it. 03:52.28 Whoopsi Goldberg And like we we need that out there I Just don't want to be that guy. But. Yeah, yeah, oh the Indigo Bruno Saga Um, right? yeah. 04:07.88 Nick Yeah, yeah, yeah, or or that or that one in the the ancient Rome never existed that one that happened to that was yeah, there's there's a bunch of them. Um, yeah. 04:17.89 Whoopsi Goldberg I I didn't know that existed and somebody tried to like they sent it to me and they're like hey are you familiar with this person and can you get a hold with them so I can strangle them and I was like ah I've never seen that Connor are you familiar with this? um Nick probably knows more than me but like somebody. 04:27.83 Nick Me. 04:28.84 archpodnet I No I have I have no idea what you guys are even talking about. 04:37.62 Whoopsi Goldberg It was this person saying that ancient Rome never existed. It was all Spain or something like that. 04:40.72 Nick Ah, they were like oh it's like it's an invention of the catholic like of like the medieval catholic church like it was never a thing it was they were like they basically said like that like ancient Rome was like a theme park been vened by the church and yeah, it was like a they were like they were like the main character of Tiktok for like four weeks 04:54.77 Whoopsi Goldberg Whoa. 04:58.29 Whoopsi Goldberg Man. 04:58.32 Nick Was really obnoxious. Yeah yeah I get there was there was like hundreds of hours of of like worth of videos that just went into like just like just like pulling but taking apart the that. 05:00.29 archpodnet That's that's it. There's a lot of bad takes out in this world and that is probably the worst take like like that is that's not you Oh my god. 05:16.14 Nick Thing and and people like work up like like were asking me like oh like Ja gear you you gonna like make a response to this and I was like absolutely not um I'm not getting involved I'm just gonna make videos about Ancient Rome and offer this and just like ignore it because the more ah it I I didn't want to breathe more more. Ah. 05:18.63 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah. 05:34.88 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, and that's a good way to um, go about it like I have multiple like mentors that are like just don't like don't even mention the pseudoscience stuff because like you're only giving it more air I think just like you said, but um. 05:35.52 Nick Life into it this bit die. Yeah. 05:47.88 Nick Yeah, yeah, unless like unless like you are like completely like going like if that's like stick your whole thing where like where you just deconstruct these which is important and people need to do that and I just I really commend people who can. 05:55.62 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, yeah. 06:01.22 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, yeah. 06:01.26 archpodnet Yeah, yeah, that's just not my. That's not my personality as well. So it's like ah we had Dr Anderson on who who does a lot of that and you know, ah archae wolf who's I'm glad that those people exist. It's ah probably a very thankful thankless job. But. 06:15.19 Nick Like yeah. 06:15.92 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, um, the bruno saga too was ah he Connor he was the kid that was like um I keep saying kid but he was the guy that was like with the easter island heads saying that they all have beards and it's connected to like like the whole ancient civilization thing and. 06:33.75 archpodnet Oh it was he he had like the airpods that he or like the headphones that he hung right here right. 06:35.00 Whoopsi Goldberg Yada yada and like everybody. Yeah, oh yeah, he's like like what how does that even happen yet like ah I was like the 1 guy I like made responses to because I was just like oh my god like. 06:36.31 Nick Ah, was he the one that was like yeah, always yelled super loud is those screaming into the Mike is that him or is that a different like it. 06:53.97 Nick Um. 06:54.60 Whoopsi Goldberg But we're we're friends now on like Tiktok and like we chatted it up and he was like that mini minute man guy like ripped me up and I was like yeah and he was like I appreciated what you did because you just made like made it funny. You didn't like rip me to shreds and like we'll chat but like his his whole thing is like he does like. The universe is all math like Vitney host and stuff like that. So Easter Island wasn't his forte. But yeah. 07:13.17 Nick Like yeah. 07:15.49 archpodnet But didn't you had hit a response video to you like where he mentioned you and was like thank you for like teaching me kind of thing right. 07:22.45 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, yeah, I liked that and that's what I liked about your Tiktok too. Man is like it's just your videos are consistent. You're teaching and like you're thrilled about it. You're not like I mean I love archaeo wolf like I'll put it up. And watch him just rip a kid to shreds but then like it's just a nice brush. A fresh breath of fresh air to just learn something and I think being that extending the olive branch to those people who are just you know, completely like irreparably wrong. It's better than being combative I think but. 07:39.66 Nick It. 07:53.70 Nick Yeah, yeah, um, yeah, and it's just like I don't know and that's that's part of my my kind of mission with it is like to the extent that I have a mission with this um is just like. I yeah I want to like fill people's feeds with like genuine like you know, just genuine like like as truthful as I can possibly make it you know I mean um, the content and and and that's that's getting to the heart of this is like I firmly believe that like. Archeology is interesting and fascinating and really entertaining like in its own right? and you don't need pseudoscience. You don't need like all this like just b s to like make it interesting because that's the thing like with Tiktok like Tiktok. Um, has the shortest attention span of any social media platform like your average Tiktok user does is is not you know I mean um and I he's a goldfish um and so and and and unfortunately because of that and like all social media suffers from this but like because of that. 08:54.95 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, yeah. 09:07.61 Nick Um, Tiktok is I think so especially susceptible to like misinformation and like and conspiracies because it's the most like like like like tantalizing eye catching clickbaty stuff that can like really catch your catch catch you on the for you page? um and like. 09:11.47 Whoopsi Goldberg A. 09:22.88 Whoopsi Goldberg Ah. 09:26.65 Nick I I think my like what I want to do with dig the past is just like show people that you don't have to buy into that to like have fun with archeology and have fun learning about archeology like you don't need that stuff to to have it be entertaining. Like the truth and like and like not the truth but like the factual information and like scientific like science is like you know, entertaining in its own right? and you don't yeah. 09:53.82 archpodnet Yeah I was to say I completely grieve because like you don't need aliens that there it's just that how people lived in the past and not knowing about that and trying to figure out little facets of it is. 09:53.90 Whoopsi Goldberg Think you hit the nail in the head date Eric Conor you go? yeah. 10:11.74 archpodnet Something that is exciting enough for me to just exist as is because it's so like you said it's interesting. It's fascinating I don't need my aliens to come in there and tell me that that things are different. It's just that's what what we're gonna say David. 10:20.55 Nick Um, yeah. 10:21.47 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, ah, yeah, just saying same thing like that's my whole philosophy with it like it's all I almost thought you're going to say this too. But I mean it's along the same lines anthropology is the study of humans so like therefore anything in anthropology. Ah, could be presented in a way of like why this matters to you like astrophysics. Some people are just never going to care but like like you can always say like this is how people use to live like as like families like the head dogs and stuff like that and it's like relevant to you and a lot of people miss the mark not kind of capitalizing on that. Um. And like good Tiktok and Youtube channels and stuff like Stefan's and stuff like your. That's good. It's a yeah. 11:05.38 Nick Yeah, know that's the thing is it's it's because that's because yeah and I think the most like the the videos are like the content that resonates with people the most is the stuff that's like most relatable and like all you like you said David like all of anthropology is relatable because it's humans. Um. 11:21.55 Whoopsi Goldberg Ah. 11:24.19 Nick And so yeah, no, totally? Um, yeah. 11:25.85 archpodnet It and I think I think what you're talking about with like the stuff in New England Ah, it also gives you a connection to where you live like a physical connection to where you live. That's not just historical. It can be prehistorical. You know it can really like try and understand how people lived on a landscape to me like hurts my brain. 11:33.70 Nick Are. 11:43.62 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah. 11:44.42 Nick Yeah, yes. 11:44.43 archpodnet But it's also fascinates me, you know like I just pictured little tracks in my head of like where people are walking and where they're moving through stuff like that. That's that's a sad place that is my brain and. 11:53.88 Nick And I yeah I do that to you know envis like like walking anywhere and just and like go like I stop for a second I'm like oh what did this place look like five thousand years ago and trying to. Reconstruct the environment in my head and like like reconstruct. How people would have moved on the landscape and yeah I do that all the time. It's just it's this just archeology brain like yeah, okay. 12:13.31 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, sounds like you've got it. You've got the Itis so that we we all think the same way. Um, what was I dude ad H D It's fun to have um, can't remember what I was gonna see yeah take it please. 12:13.32 archpodnet Oh for sure. 12:27.59 archpodnet Could I ask can I ask a question. Ah so what was your favorite Tick Tock that you created I know we we like like in like in our podcasts we don't we try not to we love them all. Equally. 12:32.85 Whoopsi Goldberg Ah. 12:35.78 Nick Um. 12:36.10 Whoopsi Goldberg There we go. 12:43.86 archpodnet You know, except for the the one with the guy who talks about the red thing but we're not gonna talk about Bernie Taylor you know that's a whole thing. We're not going to just just not even gonna deal with that. Um, but what is your like your kind of favorite video that you created through this right. 12:57.90 Nick To be honest with you I I think it's the boilston street fish we and that's my first one and it's you know it's you know it's my first one that posteds my favorite but like it really is is because I think it's it's you know it's it was on his face like a relatively simple thing. It's like oh it's this like fishing. Contraption that like you know is underneath Boston but like it really resonates with me one because like I'm living in Boston right now and like every time like I I go past boyston street all the time and it's just like it's just it's so fascinating for me because I like I've i. Found out about the about the boilson street fish. We were like a while ago I never even knew it existed and then I found out about it and I was like that's the most interesting thing to think about like this used to be like this ancient shoreline. It looks completely like 100 % totally different from how it does now. Um. And I what I love about that video is like it kind of makes you like it makes you reenvision like the city and like think about how it used like like what the landscape it makes it makes you think about. 14:14.12 Whoopsi Goldberg Chair. 14:14.58 Nick Deep time of the place and and I think that's just like my favorite like thought exercise is just like is this thinking about like how deeply ancient everywhere you everywhere you go is like every single place that you walk has been or has been there for forever really. 14:25.80 Whoopsi Goldberg A. 14:33.19 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, um, as a kid like in New York city like I saw a little plaque I forget what museum was at or maybe it was just at central park. But what Manhattan looked like like when people would have from Europe like arrived. 14:34.39 Nick Um, and yeah. 14:47.61 Nick Yeah. 14:50.00 Whoopsi Goldberg And like it's just like to think about the skyline of Manhattan the entire island is just metal right now and concrete. But before that it was just trees and like Boston was the same way. Yeah, oh really like. 14:58.54 archpodnet Well Boston was Boston was an island like at least in like the 1776 like it was like there was like a small little is Smiths that I think actually went to boston proper even in like the seventeen hundreds. It's been built on built up and and and things like that. So even like that short amount of time. 14:58.58 Nick That that. 15:18.29 archpodnet It's changed like that. It's crazy. 15:19.00 Nick Yeah, no, and it's in the ends. that's all yeah that's all filled yeah you're right that's all filled in yeah David that's the ah the mana hatta project right? It was like where they like 169 like when Adrian block it came to yeah. 15:31.31 Whoopsi Goldberg Oh it's something big that I remember like hearing about or seeing somewhere as a kid. Yeah, um. 15:38.19 Nick Yeah, and so that's a that's like ah that's a kind of so that's something that I would love to see applied like more like in more places because like I because I like I Love paleo Environmentalal reconstruction stuff in general. Um. 15:50.73 Whoopsi Goldberg O. 15:55.49 Nick And so yeah, that's just that's so interesting to me. 15:56.61 Whoopsi Goldberg It really is um and I guess you know Donny dust right? like on Tiktok. The guy makes all the tools and so we had him on and like 1 of the cool things that we chatted about was like knowing the indigenous people. 16:03.35 Nick Yeah, yes, yeah. 16:13.57 Whoopsi Goldberg And like about the culture and the history of the area you're at if like civilization were to collapse or like you know, just something like a emp just any kind of disaster. You know how to survive in that area just solely based on archeology like here's how you build houses here's how you get the food here's it like. 16:25.15 Nick Exactly. 16:30.33 Whoopsi Goldberg And I just wish more people knew that So I guess that's your goal too. 16:32.23 Nick Yeah, no, that's that's the thing like there's history everywhere and that's why I I you know obviously I'm interested in North American Archeology and that's why I post about it. But at the same time I also post about it a lot because obviously most of my audience is in the United States and there's this like really. Like kind of sad conception that like you have to go somewhere else to experience archaeology or to experience history or like like deep time like oh like you know like I want to go like as cool as italy is or as cool as Greece is and like in terms of its archaeology. it's it's it's right here. It's it's right here if you know where to look. Um. You know it's it's it's under the suburbs. It's under. It's under Manhattan um, yeah, no, it's just such and that was like such a cool and that's why I kind of um, switched like to like doing north american archeology was just that's just such a. Like like intellectual like just like thought provoking thing just to study. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 17:32.80 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah, keeps you up at night. 17:33.70 archpodnet Yeah, Ah yeah, absolutely and you know I think we'll kind of segue to to ending the shows. Thank you so much for coming on and and and chatting with us. But but before we end the show. What are a couple sources. Um that you would recommend for you know anyone interested in Anthropology and archeology. 17:51.50 Nick Let me pull up my list and so okay, um, first I would ah recommend. Um, Connecticut's indigenous peoples what archeology history and oral traditions teach us about their communities and cultures that's by Dr Lucenne Lavin who I met actually briefly. Um, she's the ah I don't know what her exact her director or something she was like in charge of the institute for American Indian Studies where I worked um and that's sort of a really good um like introduc yeah, kind of like an introductory book to the to Connecticut archeology for anyone who's like from new england like Southern New England in general who's like interested in the archeology of Connecticut or like where like like local to you. 18:33.82 archpodnet Are. 18:43.40 Nick Um, yeah, no, that's that's a great book. Lots of pictures. Um, and you know it's ah that's a really good one. Um, then I would also say ah becoming an archeologist a guide to professional pathways by Joe Flatman um that yeah, it's just like it's like a little career advice book. Um that I found really helpful. 18:48.29 archpodnet Um, from. 18:55.61 Whoopsi Goldberg Never heard of that. 19:02.97 Nick I probably read it I should have read it sooner than I did um is it gives you like a rundown of like the realities of working in Crm. Ah, the realities of trying to like get a job in academia. Um, you know that kind of thing. Um. 19:18.60 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, yeah. 19:20.92 Nick And yeah, it' is it was eyeop. It was an eyeopen read. It's it's very like in your face like real like you know, like look like this is the reality of the situation. It's not easy. Um, yeah, so that's a really good one like if you're like a perspectiveive or like if youre if you're an undergraduate like me definitely read that. Um, and then. Lastly, ah David I loved you are Youtube video um is like anthropologist explains adh d depression and imposter syndrome short film. Um, that got me through or helped get me through um my last semester with all that research as someone who also has adhd um. 19:47.45 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah. 19:57.89 Whoopsi Goldberg I Could tell? Yeah yeah. 20:00.61 Nick Yeah, yeah, um, yeah, no, and yeah, it is just like yeah that I felt very seen. Um, and yeah, actually I've I've discovered you first through Youtube um, and then because like I had like Ben watched I had like passively like watching your Youtube channel. 20:11.52 Whoopsi Goldberg Okay. 20:18.85 Nick like for the last like six months or whatever. Um, and then like I knew then I saw you on Tiktok and whatever. But yeah, no that that's a great video I love that that was really well put together. Yeah, yeah, yeah, know that helped that really helped me. 20:25.95 Whoopsi Goldberg Shit Dude that's gonna make me Cry I didn't realize like it was that impactful to people. Um, cool Damn didn't know that I also didn't see that my name was on here I Just saw the big anthropologist explains. Um damn well I appreciate that I had. That whole idea adh D wise like came to me in the shower and I was like talking to myself as the prehistoric dude and me just like arguing and like I'm I'm fully insane and I was like I got ah I have to record this or I film that whole thing like in a night because I was just I have to get it out. Um, yeah I appreciate that? um. 20:57.98 Nick Um, yeah. 21:04.79 Whoopsi Goldberg Was gonna say to you the whole time like you remind me of me and like I your videos are so articulate. They're really well-researched. You're clearly got a good head on your shoulders with everything you've been doing so I don't know you but I'm proud of you keep it up and yeah, yeah, right. 21:16.83 Nick Thank you David thank you appreciate it. That's that's thanks to my my partner. She ah she picks out all of my sweaters. So it's that's not this I'm not taking credit for it. Yeah. 21:18.95 archpodnet And your sweater game is on point on point. 21:23.26 Whoopsi Goldberg Me and Connor wanted to talk about that. Yeah. 21:31.33 Whoopsi Goldberg Well, it's awesome because yeah, keep it up. Um, and where can our listeners find you on social media. 21:36.28 Nick So you can find me at dig the past on Tiktok. Um I don't have a Youtube or Instagram yet. But I'll make those soon at some point. So yeah, but go to my Tiktok and yeah, follow me on Tiktok. 21:47.68 Whoopsi Goldberg Okay, Instagram is whereas old people are so ah, it's fun on there. But yeah. 21:54.80 Nick Yeah, if yeah, if. 21:55.58 archpodnet Yeah, the ogs. Ah so because this is a life and ruins we have to ask you the most daunting question that you'll ever be asked. So if you were given the chance again would you still choose to live a life in ruins. 22:09.32 Nick 100% absolutely there's sometimes where I'm like like I'm going into this field I'm not going to make any money but then it's like you can't put a price tag on on like what an anthropological education gives you. It's it's just such a wonderful experience. So yes. 22:28.32 archpodnet ah for sure so ah yeah we just interviewed ah Nicholas Carbo you could find him at at dig the past on Tiktok and yeah Dave. 22:28.64 Whoopsi Goldberg Yeah. 22:29.28 Nick Yes. 22:39.14 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, guys you know what time it is ah it is time for me to beg you to give us itunes reviews on Apple or podcast reviews to say again I will extend the olive branch if you write us a review and send us a screenshot in the podcast Dms on Instagram or Twitter or whatever. Or email us or smoke signal I don't care I will send you a sticker of the show and Carlton now has a stack of freshly clean mad at a life and ruins podcast stickers which he would gladly send you to so that's a free sticker if again if you. Go to the podcast on Apple and give us a review so we can you know appease the Zuck all right. Thanks guys? Um, he's not he'st run apple anyway. 23:20.86 archpodnet Up so there's ah, there's a place to give reviews or rate things on Spotify now please make sure and do that and with that we are out. 23:34.58 Whoopsi Goldberg Conor's a wait I got to set you up for this right here I'll let nick do it. Um, you have listened to the podcast. So just be like I heard like I don't know just say something about Connor's joke so we can segue into it. Yeah. 23:35.66 archpodnet No. 23:44.29 Nick Wait wait wait on me. Ah wait So like what exact like and I know this is like that I know this like the I could think the closer. Ah what exactly do I mean to do like. 23:53.86 Whoopsi Goldberg Um, when it gets edited. It's always just kind of choppy where we're like Connor just comes in with a joke. So just like you could just be like hey what about the funny joke and then we can. Um yeah, that's one. 23:59.98 Nick Ah, okay, okay, got you? yeah a connor but the the joke. 24:11.42 archpodnet Yeah I I could I could do a joke I could do a joke. So so why should you never date a tennis player. Love means nothing to them. 24:20.55 Nick Y. 24:24.59 Whoopsi Goldberg Oh wow, that's pretty good. Ah and I'll do it I guess and and with that Connor I think we're finally out. 24:25.77 Nick Um, Wow damn. 24:30.58 archpodnet But and that the.