Looking for Skeptics

[Donn]

I mention the file type because it will tighten the focus. Once the basic format is decided, we should look at the properties of that type under which flaccon can hear the voices. i.e. the compression and whatnot.

It seems a waste of time to do otherwise. In a vast field of time-sinks.

 

[tuxcat]

You should feed My Little Pony episodes into your webcam via fiber optic cable ... and make them pay for it.

I could scar them for life by taking my t-shirt off. Put it this way, I could easily be mistaken for Bigfoot

 

[Cassidy]

No, there was no exclusive agreement I had with flaccon. I haven't posted them before only because of convenience. There are now two new files at the Box.com file collection previously set up.

VolumeUpInt.wav is the file flaccon and scrappy stated was transformed on their computers. 2013-07-06 21-26-30.144 - Copy.wmv is the most recent file flaccon requested, a recording of "silence" but in the WMV format.

I think I sent you VolNorm and the WMV back this morning. VolNorm here and at Mr Roberts does have significant differences, and a silent few seconds at 21 seconds. The WMV file you sent, from 1 to 6 seconds it has interferences, and at 6 seconds it has a quiet but hearable beep.

I have the recording here, if there is a way to upload it to this site, we could both upload and compare any differences?

 

[Daylightstar]

Got the files also, I'll have a listen later.

 

[tuxcat]

I think I sent you VolNorm and the WMV back this morning. VolNorm here and at Mr Roberts does have significant differences, and a silent few seconds at 21 seconds. The WMV file you sent, from 1 to 6 seconds it has interferences, and at 6 seconds it has a quiet but hearable beep.

I have the recording here, if there is a way to upload it to this site, we could both upload and compare any differences?

Flaccon can you please fill out this form so we know what your claim is. Press quote and fill in the spaces with the relevant information. If you can do this that'll be a great help to us all.

My claim is:



I can test my claim by doing this:



I can rule out paredolia by doing this:



I can rule out hallucinations by doing this:



I know I will have been successful because:

 

[Daylightstar]

flaccon, since you're online: see below quoted post including the there embedded quotes:

^{Hilites by Daylightstar}
flaccon, do you have in your possession a file in which such a sentence can clearly (and apparently repeatedly) be heard?

If so, I'd like to hear it. Could you email that file (email address via the icon below my post count) to me?
I'll extract the audio and post it here.

 

[laca]

Yup, I have a certain long term intimacy with encryption. And I am 44 if you must know.

I wasn't questioning your expertise, but your tone.

MD5 is really encryption.

Also, hashing is not encryption.

It most certainly is, and if you cannot figure out why, you don't get the priviledge of having an opinion.

Now I'm questioning your expertise. At the very least, I'll learn something new, which is never bad.

Could you explain to me how to decrypt a "MD5 encrypted" data? Take for example 09690bc3f15379e4c824bdc19e64df6e. To make it easy, the "encrypted" data in this case is less than the 16 bytes of the MD5. I wouldn't want to start with asking you do decrypt a 4GiB movie from a 16 byte MD5 "encryption".

This is not the forum to have a discussion on encryption vs hashing. Please take it to the appropriate subforum.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Lisa Simpson

 

[Daylightstar]

I could scar them for life by taking my t-shirt off. Put it this way, I could easily be mistaken for Bigfoot

You'll find a way to exploit that

 

[tuxcat]

Sound files identical - we don't need the claim form any more so removing it to save 14.5kb on JREF servers.

 

[jsfisher]

I think I sent you VolNorm and the WMV back this morning. VolNorm here and at Mr Roberts does have significant differences, and a silent few seconds at 21 seconds. The WMV file you sent, from 1 to 6 seconds it has interferences, and at 6 seconds it has a quiet but hearable beep.

I have the recording here, if there is a way to upload it to this site, we could both upload and compare any differences?

Ah! So it was the recording with the microphone volume at mid scale. I will add that to the Box.com collection.

As for the .WMV file, I was using the Microsoft LifeCam camera and software to make the recording. Every recording I made had the same sort of vague shuttering / bubbling sound at the beginning (and only the beginning) eventually ending with what could be described as a beep or click. Didn't matter how long a recording I made; always a similar first few seconds.

 

[Daylightstar]

...
VolumeUpInt.wav is the file flaccon and scrappy stated was transformed on their computers. 2013-07-06 21-26-30.144 - ...

I assume that the above is the file to which:

... scrappy claiming ... the word, "Robin", at 38 seconds, ...

applies, correct?

 

[Alderbank]

I think I sent you VolNorm and the WMV back this morning. VolNorm here and at Mr Roberts does have significant differences, and a silent few seconds at 21 seconds. The WMV file you sent, from 1 to 6 seconds it has interferences, and at 6 seconds it has a quiet but hearable beep.

I have the recording here, if there is a way to upload it to this site, we could both upload and compare any differences?

Excellent! This is the way to make progress!

Before sending you the file, js made an MD5 hash. This is like electronic sealing wax on an envelope. He can now listen to the altered file and check whether the seal is broken.

There are 3 possibilities:

1. If the recording has changed and the MD5 seal is unbroken, that would be our first evidence so far that something paranormal is going on.
   
2. If sound and seal are both unchanged, the evidence would be that the changes are not real but are in your head.
   
3. If sound is changed and seal is broken this is not paranormal. Someone human has simply altered the file contents

Very interesting whatever the outcome and points the way for the next trial

 

[pakeha]

Do you know that they are more than voices on computer? Even if I was to ignore my Father et al, it would not stop. If you feel your assumptions to be correct, then so be it, I do not.

Sorry, flaccon, but if you really believe this, I urge you to negotiate a protocol to establish just what it is you're hearing.

Just a quick note in case anyone is confused that the DRCOG does not make a GP into a obstetrician or a gynae. I think it means they have gained a diploma that helps with anti/post natal clinics and such like. They would need a quite a bit more to be a qualified obstetrician/gynae.

Thanks for the infors, Patchwork Moth.

All exactly what would be expected if it was pareidolia. That's why something more than just having people listen to recordings and say if they can interpret some of the noises as words is going to be required to rule it out.


Has your GP ever definitely stated that it isn't pareidolia? If it's having a placebo effect on your physical health any decent GP would be reluctant to endanger that improvement by disagreeing with you.

This.

We don't know what "altered" means. And yes, if you hear voices in noise, it is always pareidolia. Well, so far. Perhaps you are willing to prove otherwise, but we'll need more than a testimonial. Have you not read the thread?

Here's hoping flaccon will help establish a working protocol to test those claims.

 

[Cassidy]

Js, can you identify any background noises and any digital artifacts, before you send a silent WMV file?

 

[jsfisher]

I assume that the above is the file to which:

applies, correct?

I had thought so. Turns out is was the VolumeNormInt.WAV file for both. Box.com now has that file, too, along with the copy flaccon mailed back to me.

Now that I am looking at the correct file, I can understand flaccon's claim of 6 seconds of silence. For whatever reason, the noise does change character and level at about where flaccon noticed, and then it developed a sequence of digital spikes as the recording continued.

Audacity gives a good visual accounting of all this with the amplify effect enabled.

Given that the VolumeUpInt.WAV file has its own artifact at around the 21 second mark, too, I wonder if it isn't some sort of automatic gain control or level adjustment kicking in. Perhaps someone with a real understanding of audio software can comment.

 

[Donn]

I feel thick. I can't tell what file started where or was altered or on which end.

Anyone want to summarize for the moron?

 

[tuxcat]

Flaccon have you downloaded the form or replied to post 3205 so that we know what your claim is and how you're going to disprove it being hallucinations or paredolia?

 

[jsfisher]

Excellent! This is the way to make progress!

Before sending you the file, js made an MD5 hash. This is like electronic sealing wax on an envelope. He can now listen to the altered file and check whether the seal is broken.

There are 3 possibilities:

1. If the recording has changed and the MD5 seal is unbroken, that would be our first evidence so far that something paranormal is going on.
   
2. If sound and seal are both unchanged, the evidence would be that the changes are not real but are in your head.
   
3. If sound is changed and seal is broken this is not paranormal. Someone human has simply altered the file contents

Very interesting whatever the outcome and points the way for the next trial

The MD5 hashes match. Remember, too, that scrappy heard nothing unusual in the file when he first played it. It was only after flaccon reported a different result that he heard what she had heard.

 

[Cassidy]

I just heard Alderbank thinks I put him on an ignore list? I have no idea what this is yet, I havn't put no one on ignore?

Anyway, bs aside, I have just got permission to upload Robins files to here. Will do Js first.

 

[Alderbank]

The MD5 hashes match. Remember, too, that scrappy heard nothing unusual in the file when he first played it. It was only after flaccon reported a different result that he heard what she had heard.

What's your opinion? Can you identify any difference in file sound or waveform?