S37 E7: Hope in West Texas | The Expert Witness
6/22/202637 min
In Midland, Texas, prosecutor Lisa Borden took a different approach with Cybercheck. After closely questioning Adam Mosher and finding Cybercheck lacked peer review and proper authentication, she refused to use it in court, concluding the technology was not scientifically reliable. Sam Mullins’ gets to sit down with Cybercheck creator Adam Moser. Mosher tells him his backstory as a movie buff. He explains that the technology was inspired by crime TV and movies and built with the help of government grants and technology students. And then just as COVID hit, Moser says, cyber check started reaching out to its first potential clients. But he wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJan Caruana0:01
Surprise! It's me, Jan Caruana. I'll be filling in for Gavin Crawford this week on Because News. It's a news quiz show where we test the news knowledge of some of the funniest people across Canada. This week, I'm joined by comedians Martha Chaves, Tom Hearn, and Chris Siddique. I'll be asking about a new memoir from J.D. Vance, trees from Ontario that smell like vomit, the reunion of the greatest prog rock band of all time, and why protein is being injected into all our foods. Yuck. Listen to me guest host by following Because News on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you download podcasts for free.
Adam Mosher· Guest0:35
[upbeat jingle] This is a CBC podcast.
Sam Mullins· Host0:39
[pensive music] We might have found a tiny bit of hope in a corner of West Texas.
Lisa Borden· Guest0:46
Have you seen the television show Landman?
Sam Mullins· Host0:52
Lisa Borden is a prosecutor in Midland, Texas, and Landman is a prestige drama about the oil business in West Texas, and it stars Billy Bob Thornton just Billy Bob Thornton-ing his ass off. To outsiders, the brutality and grotesque wealth of the oil barons in the show might seem sent up, almost campy, but to Lisa, the series feels more like a documentary.
Lisa Borden· Guest1:19
They nailed it. It is hysterical, and it drives our billionaires crazy.
Sam Mullins· Host1:26
It's a natural world in which to set a gritty oil drama,