Go Fact Yourself – Ep. 168.80: Helen & J. Keith as Guests?! Plus: Help us make our #MaxFunDrive goal!

Release Date: March 28, 2025
Podcast: Go Fact Yourself
Hosts: J. Keith van Straaten (B), Helen Hong (A)
Special Guest Host: Jim Newman (C)

Overview

This special mini episode of Go Fact Yourself flips the traditional format: hosts J. Keith and Helen are quizzed as guests on their favorite trivia topics. The quiz is uniquely AI-generated, demonstrating the difference between human-crafted and machine-generated trivia. The episode doubles as a rousing call for support during the final days of the MaxFunDrive, highlighting why listener contributions matter for show production.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. MaxFunDrive Appeal and Listener Support (00:24 – 08:21)

• J. Keith and Helen stress the importance of listener support, especially as MaxFunDrive wraps up.

• Multiple membership benefits are outlined: bonus content, entry to the listener tournament, live streams, exclusive collectibles, and opportunities to interact with the show.

• Details about upcoming live shows and incentives, such as collectible pins and an autographed baseball card for pre-paid annual members.

• The episode reveals candid insights into the personal and financial demands of running a beloved indie podcast.

  “We think it’s important to support the art and entertainment that you enjoy because if you don’t, who else will? Audience support is the best way to make art...” – Helen (07:21)

  “Look, we love making this show... but that also means it’s a lot more work, more than ever, to make the show that we want to make.” – J. Keith (06:34)

• The team is not quite at their goal of 500 new/boosted/upgraded memberships:

  “Ooh, we are not quite where we would like to be. We’re at about 400-ish. But we might not make our goal of 500...” – J. Keith (07:38)

2. Introducing the AI-Generated Host Quiz (08:21 – 08:39)

• Jim Newman, the show's co-creator and producer, is introduced as quizmaster.

• For this experiment, the quiz questions and fun facts are generated by Google’s AI, Gemini.

  “I want to demonstrate the value you get by having J. Keith and I put in multiple hours researching and writing the questions for each episode. I put a prompt into Gemini...” – Jim (09:58)

• Jim and the hosts underline how human oversight is crucial for fact-checking and creating engaging content.

3. Quizzing the Experts: AI vs. Humanity (08:41 – 25:46)

Helen’s Topics: The Last of Us (TV) and Star Trek: The Next Generation

J. Keith’s Topics: Mark Cohn and Next to Normal (musical)

A. The Last of Us TV Series (10:41 – 16:04)

• AI struggles with accuracy and context:

  • Misleading/mistaken questions (e.g., identifying the quarantined city, a song playing on a non-existent musical watch).
  • Fun facts and hints often unhelpful or outright wrong.

  “His watch is not a musical watch. It’s set in 2003, before smartwatches.” – Helen (13:06)

  “I gotta say, I am delighting in AI’s failure at this.” – Helen (17:53)

• Example of bad hinting:

  • “The city is known for its space exploration history” (incorrectly linking Austin with space history).

• AI’s inconsistencies trigger laughter and demonstrating why show research is valuable.

B. Mark Cohn Trivia (16:18 – 19:35)

• Questions mostly reasonable but sometimes misattribute lyrics and context.

  • J. Keith points out inaccuracies with lyric references and gives detailed corrections.
  • Some questions are well-phrased (e.g., Mark Cohn’s birthplace, “Walking in Memphis”), others not so much.

  “That may be the answer. I guarantee you that is not in the lyric. And I have seen his handwritten lyrics...” – J. Keith (17:51)

C. Star Trek: The Next Generation (19:39 – 22:49)

• AI produces a string of easy “Who is this character?” questions.

  • Correct and straightforward, but repetition and lack of challenge noted by all hosts.
  • Some fun facts and hints are a bit off or backward.

  “Right. What’s the name of the holodeck character Professor Moriarty creates to challenge Data?” – Jim (20:13)

  • Both Jim and J. Keith critique the question structure and hints.

D. Next to Normal (22:51 – 25:28)

• The questions probe knowledge on key characters and themes but sometimes ask the same fact more than once, or present vague questions.

  • J. Keith provides nuanced answers accounting for the musical’s complexity.
  • Amusement at the AI’s generic hints and facts.

  “That’s not a great question. Because she struggles with both schizophrenia and depression and bipolar disorder. ... but I would probably say bipolar disorder.” – J. Keith (23:00)

  • “Besides bipolar disorder, what other significant theme...?” AI awkwardly repeats covered material; the hosts handle with humor and professional insight.

4. Reflections: Why Human-Made Trivia Matters (25:29 – End)

• After the quiz, the hosts and Jim underscore why real research and thoughtful question writing make for a better, more engaging podcast.

  “Did we prove why we need to put in the work that we do to make the trivia for each episode of GFY? We need your help to do it.” – Jim (25:27)

• Final reminder to listeners: contribute to MaxFunDrive to sustain the show’s quality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Helen on AI’s struggles:
  “I gotta say, I am delighting in AI’s failure at this.” (17:53)
• J. Keith, on trivia accuracy:
  “I guarantee you that is not in the lyric. And I have seen his handwritten lyrics...” (17:51)
• Jim, on workloads:
  “We have a show in two days and it’s about half booked and about zero written.” (08:51)
• Jim, on the value of human curation:
  “Perhaps you’ll see why we dedicate ourselves to finding facts and why AI isn’t quite ready to take over the world.” (10:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:24 – 08:21: MaxFunDrive appeal, live show announcements, why membership matters
• 08:41 – 10:39: Introducing Jim, setup for the AI-generated trivia quiz
• 10:41 – 16:04: The Last of Us trivia – AI confusion highlights
• 16:18 – 19:35: Mark Cohn trivia – correcting AI errors
• 19:39 – 22:49: Star Trek: The Next Generation trivia – easy questions, structural criticism
• 22:51 – 25:28: Next to Normal trivia – nuanced human expertise vs. AI ambiguity
• 25:29 – 26:05: Show reflection on trivia writing, final MaxFunDrive call-to-action

Episode Tone

Upbeat, self-referential, and playful, with hosts and producer sharing genuine exasperation and delight at AI’s imperfect attempts to mimic their craft. A behind-the-scenes look at the passion and precision behind the podcast, as well as a heartfelt appeal for listener support.

Takeaway

This episode serves as a fun meta-commentary on quiz show production, a showcase for the hosts’ expertise, and a timely rallying cry for audience-supported, human-centered entertainment.