vlogbrothers
Season 2012
Two brothers who reconnected via YouTube and now connect with hundreds of thousands of awesome people every day.
Where to Watch Season 2012
111 Episodes
- Changes to Vlogbrothers
E1Changes to VlogbrothersIn which John discusses some changes to 2012 (that is, twenty twelve) vlogbrothers, including a location for the evil baby orphanage and--SORRY--a slight reduction to two videos a week so we can devote more time to the community and its projects (and also so I can hopefully get a better stomach). - Kill your TV
E2Kill your TVIn which Hank is astounded by how extremely unfriendly, exploitative, annoying, expensive, and useless digital cable systems are these days. I literally could not believe how annoying it was. It's clearly an industry not just ripe for, but in great need of, revolution. And I suppose that's what we're doing here. And that dog at the end is Sam, who is the dog of my friends Heather and Dave who are the owners of said TV. Sam just had a bit of surgery but he's doing fine now! - TFiOS PARTY!
E4TFiOS PARTY!"The Fault in Our Stars is John Green at his best. You laugh, you cry, and then you come back for more." -- Markus Zusak, bestselling and Printz Honor winning author of The Book Thief "An achingly beautiful story" SLJ Starred Review "A smartly-crafted, intellectual explosion of a romance." Kirkus "Green shows us true love...and it is far more romantic than any sunset on a beach." -- NYTimes Book Review THANKS TO EVERYONE... Who came or is coming to see us on tour or who has gotten / purchased / read / reviewed / shared The Fault in Our Stars. - Thoughts on SOPA From New Orleans
E6Thoughts on SOPA From New OrleansIn which Hank walks around the French Quarter and discusses the freaking sweet internet blackout that resulted in a great number of congresspeople dropping their support for SOPA and PIPA. The internet is coming into its own as a powerful political force, and just in time to face serious threats. Note: All buskers in this video received at least a $5 tip. Posting a video of a busker is a really interesting intellectual property discussion, actually. If I were to take 20 videos of that one man band and create a YouTube channel all about him and then make a bunch of money off of it and not give him any, that would clearly be wrong, but it would not (as far as I can tell) be illegal. He's performing in a public space and I am thus allowed to record him. It's another example of the rule "don't be a dick" being far more important than any law congress can pass on copyright reform. We are entering a brave new world here, thank you for standing up for the internet, helping to defeat SOPA and PIPA, and thinking deeply about these issues. - How It Felt
E9How It FeltIn which John makes a video for future John, future Hank, and future Katherine about what happened at the 2012 Tour de Nerdfighting and how it felt. Thanks to everyone who came out for the tour this year, to all the awesome independent bookstores and theaters that hosted us, and to the nice nerdfighter who held the camera. - Life is Weird. Also beautiful.
E15Life is Weird. Also beautiful.In which John Green describes his years-long relationship with Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which began with the James Joyce novel Ulysses and now includes the top two spots of the new York Times bestseller list. Both The Fault in Our Stars and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children are available at your local bookstore or online. TFiOS: http://dft.ba/-tfios Miss Peregrine: http://amzn.to/xuSvdA - CUTE-OCALYPSE!
E16CUTE-OCALYPSE!In which Hank discusses the extreme dangers of puppies, kittens, puppies cuddling with kittens and our continuing path toward hypercuteness and what it means for our lives and the lives of our children. Cute-ocalypse image by Vondell Swain! Of course. Sound and campaign poster by Michael Aranda. - LEGO Millenium Falcon Fun
E18LEGO Millenium Falcon FunMichael Aranda (http://www.youtube.com/michaelaranda) recently moved to Missoula to help with the production of SciShow and Crashcourse. I was at Target and I saw this Millenium Falcon and I needed it, so we spent like four hours last night constructing it. And then I spent another four hours this morning making this video. The music, of course, was composed by Michael Aranda. You can get the lego set here: http://dft.ba/-20HD It's cheaper on Amazon, but still pretty dang expensive. But it was really fun! Also, LEGO did not pay me to say any of those things or make this video or anything. If we ever do product placement (which we have always turned down in the past) we will certainly let you know. If you work for Hasbro and would like to pay me to put together lego sets, I have no problem with that. - Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes
E19Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 MinutesIn which John Green provides some historical context to the current civil war in Syria, discussing Syrian independence, the rise of the Ba'ath Party, Syria's relationship with the rest of the Arab world (and Russia), the Presidencies of Hafez al Assad and Bashar al Assad, the Arab Spring protests in Syria, and the many flags of the Syrian nation. - The Future of Manned Space Exploration
E20The Future of Manned Space ExplorationIn which Hank discusses NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion space vehicle, which are (unlike the space shuttle) designed exclusively for deep-space missions to places including our moon, the asteroids, and Mars. In other news, I also made a video about the Invisible Children / Kony 2012 campaign because, of course, how could I help myself. It will be at http://www.youtube.com/hankschannel - Actually Free Money! (Really.) The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Quarterly Report
E21Actually Free Money! (Really.) The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Quarterly ReportIn which John delivers the Bank of Nerdfighteria's quarterly report, discussing our charitable efforts through the Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck, which this year distributed more than $88,000 to charities chosen by the nerdfighter community, and the astonishing growth of the nerdfighter kiva group, which you can now make a loan with ENTIRELY FOR FREE by clicking the link above. Nerdfighteria, your commitment to increasing awesome and decreasing suck through volunteerism, philanthropy, microlending, and so much else continues to inspire us, so thanks! Oh, also I tell a story about my son and a stuffed honey badger. - Sharpie Face Question Tuesday
E23Sharpie Face Question TuesdayIn which John Green answers real questions from real nerdfighters about his new book The Fault in Our Stars, the new education channel crashcourse, writing, reading, grammar, Batman, movie deals, librarians, and much more, all while slowing covering his face in Sharpie, the odor of which slowly drives one mad. - Disgusting Cookies - The 2012 Hungry Games
E24Disgusting Cookies - The 2012 Hungry GamesHank and Michael make some really disgusting and really amazing cookies, and then they play Hungry Hungry Hippos to decide who eats which cookie. All in honor of the release of a great movie (based on a great book.) If you haven't seen the Hunger Games, I heartily suggest it...that is, as long as you read it first :-p Sorry this video is a bit disjointed in places, we recorded like an hour of footage and it was quite hard to edit down to four minutes. Music by Michael Aranda, camera work by The Katherine. - Wrong but Right: Thoughts from Places Amsterdam
E25Wrong but Right: Thoughts from Places Amsterdam(It occurred to me while editing that you are not actually able to confirm that I ever put on pants.) In which John travels to Amsterdam--where he lived for two months while finishing The Fault in Our Stars--to promote the Dutch edition of the book. Along the way he visits places that were important to him and to the made-up people in his novel, including the Spui Square, the Beninghof, a bathroom that you must pay to enjoy, the Vondelpark, the Anne Frank House, the hotel de Philsosoof, takes a ride on a canal boat, and listens to a mathematician discuss infinity. Thanks, as always, to the extraordinary community of Dutch nerdfighters for their support, and to my Dutch publisher Lemniscaat for bringing me back to the city I love so much. CORRECTION: What I meant to say is that Hazel incorrectly concludes that the set of numbers between 0 and 1 is smaller than the set of numbers between 0 and 2. In fact, they are the same size. (Check out the wikipedia article about infinite cardinality for a few proofs of this mind-blowing fact.) Anyway, I don't know why I said whole numbers when I meant to say numbers. Presumably because I am an idiot. - Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy
E27Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our EconomyIn which John discusses Canada's heroic elimination of the penny and how divisive political discourse--on both sides of the aisle--hurts both the American people and the American economy. Examples of poor policy making include congress's failure to secure long-term funding for the FAA (which should be easy, since it's paid for entirely by a tax that most travelers are more than content to pay), Congressional Republicans' refusal to pass a long-term highways bill (which makes road work more expensive than it needs to be), and by congressional Democrats refusal to consider sensible medicare reform that might bring better health care outcomes to more older Americans while bringing cost savings to Medicare. (To be fair: Some congressional democrats want to reform medicare; a few congressional republicans thought the whole FAA debacle was an embarrassment; and one noted Democrat, President Barack Obama, has consistently expressed support for smart reform of Medicare, despite huge blowback from his party.) All this while biking a 30-mile loop around the great city of Indianapolis. - Can I be Space President?
E28Can I be Space President?In which Hank discusses his trip to Northrop Grumman and how odd it is that the same people responsible for the most important space-based mission of the next 20 years are also the people who make bombs for the united states government. At 2:26 the talented Amber Straughn is misrepresented as a Northrop Grumman employee when in fact she actually works for NASA as Deputy Project Scientist for Education and Public Outreach - A Surreal Descent into Madness: Reviewing Children's TV
E29A Surreal Descent into Madness: Reviewing Children's TVIn which John explores the best and most popular television shows designed for toddlers, and in doing so uncovers a strange and disturbing world through exploring shows including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Octonauts, Team Umizoomi, and Dora the Explorer, Diego, Ni Hao Kai Lan, Oswald, Phineas and Ferb, and the Backyardigans, among others. - This is How You Load a Dishwasher - A Song
E31This is How You Load a Dishwasher - A SongIn which Hank takes The Oatmeal's advice for what sort of content people might enjoy, which is probably always a good idea. Also, Hank addresses the recent scourge of "OMG THE WORLD IS SO BROKEN BECAUSE FIVE PEOPLE TWEETED SOMETHING STUPID!" re: Racist Hunger Games tweets and people not knowing the Titanic was real and not just a movie. - Thoughts on Romance and Sex in an Airport
E32Thoughts on Romance and Sex in an AirportIn which John answers your questions about love, romance, sex, and romantic relationships while in the Indianapolis Airport. Included are hints on how to tell if your boyfriend or girlfriend is an asshat, how to find out if people like you, and my (refusal to) stand on birth control pills. - Beneath an Abandoned Hospital: Thoughts from Places
E34Beneath an Abandoned Hospital: Thoughts from PlacesIn which John visits an abandoned hospital, and the steam tunnels beneath it, with his friends Ransom Riggs (author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) and Elyse Marshall. This is as close to a horror movie as a vlogbrothers video will ever be. - Moon Farts: Being Charlie While Running Errands
E36Moon Farts: Being Charlie While Running ErrandsIn which John Green pretends to be Charlie McDonnell by answering the same questions Hank asked him, while signing a lease at his new office and getting the movie option for The Fault in Our Stars signed and notarized. Also, John tells a story about the astronaut who farted on the moon. And yes, since apparently a lot of you did not know this, the movie rights to my new book The Fault in Our Stars were optioned by Fox 2000. The script is being written by the nice young lads behind (500) Days of Summer. - It's HANKO DE MAYO!!!!!
E38It's HANKO DE MAYO!!!!!It's Hanko de Mayo! We all know Hank loves the James Webb Space Telescope, so hopefully he'll like our gift. In addition to his gift, nerdfighteria is celebrating Hank's birthday by letting our elected officials know that Increasing Awesome through scientific exploration is important to us. You'll find the email I wrote my congressperson and senators below. - Religion and Gay Marriage
E41Religion and Gay MarriageIn which John discusses marriage equality, what a traditional marriage actually is, and what role (if any) theological understandings of marriage play in the legal definition of marriage. Let's continue this conversation in comments, but in doing so, let's remember that nerdfighteria is about respect and generosity. Thanks. - The Subway Where I Used To Go (Somebody That I Used To Know / Gotye Parody)
E43The Subway Where I Used To Go (Somebody That I Used To Know / Gotye Parody)In which Hank breaks up with Subway in favor of Jimmy John's (through a parody song) and then talks about advertising for a while. Because advertising is very interesting and a little bit disturbing. - Adorable Squirrel and Table Topics
E45Adorable Squirrel and Table TopicsIn which Hank and John answer questions from Table Topics (http://dft.ba/-2JZe) in Seaside Florida. Also, there is a really adorable squirrel. Herein we discuss product placement, Diet Dr. Pepper, time travel, marriage, nerdfighteria, psychics, sentence fragments, parties, and farts. - The Dangling Rope of Terror: It's Question Tuesday
E46The Dangling Rope of Terror: It's Question TuesdayIn which John answers a wide variety of your questions as he travels to beautiful New York City for Book Expo America, where a rope dangling from outside his skyscraper hotel room window terrifies him. Issues addressed include romantic relationships, the cover of An Abundance of Katherines, the banning of Looking for Alaska, favorite YouTubers and Beatles albums, etc. - Chris Colfer, John Green, Mob Wives, and Jeffrey Eugenides: Thoughts from Places Book Expo
E48Chris Colfer, John Green, Mob Wives, and Jeffrey Eugenides: Thoughts from Places Book ExpoA Thoughts from Places video in which John Green attends Book Expo America in New York City, also known as BEA, where he thinks about celebrity and secular worship after meeting the super-cool Chris Colfer from Glee, as well as some of his favorite writers, including Darin Strauss and Jeffrey Eugenides. Also discussed are writers M. T. Anderson, Shannon Hale, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Michael Chabon, Kadir Nelson, Ally Condie, and Lois Lowry. And some so-called real housewives. Boy, that's a lot of name-dropping. - Flinching in the Shower
E49Flinching in the ShowerIn which Hank talks about Flinch (http://dft.ba/-flinch) and Foo Camp and takes a very VERY cold shower. This video, I admit, isn't terribly well held together, I go a lot of places, not including the shower. But my point is, we have to become more effective people not for ourselves, but because the world needs more effective people. Effective, intelligent, good-willed, and kind. That's what we need and don't have enough of. - Hank is Maybe Crazy
E51Hank is Maybe CrazyIn which Hank talks about dreams, super hearing heroes, blu-tac, ticky tacky, artificial sweetners, obseity, scishow, lizzie bennet, science, vidcon, quarks, shirts, tripods, dan, french moustaches, business cards, and crazyness. It's been a long time since I just sat down in front of the camera and talked...but that's what I did here. Things are pretty crazy with VidCon and Lizzie Bennet right now, so I didn't have time to prepare anything, but sometimes that's when the best videos happen. Of course, they're much harder to edit because it's like "OK, I have a bunch of weird ranting...now to make this into an intelligible, structured piece of communication!" I don't think I did very well with that here, except to convey that I'm stressed out and weird. - Online Video about Online Video
E53Online Video about Online VideoIn which Hank does not show you lots of clips from VidCon because that would just be mean...also because there's no way he'd have enough time to edit a vlog like that in time to put it online. Good lord I am tired, but VidCon is awesome, I wish you were all here. - The Physics of Book Clubs and Vidcon
E54The Physics of Book Clubs and VidconIn which John discusses his Vidcon experience, thanks his brother, and announces that you (yes, you!) need to read Part I of Ray Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451 by next Tuesday to prepare for our discussion in the Nerdfighter Book Club. (if you've read the book before, I encourage you to try reading it again with us!) Vidcon was amazing. Thanks to everyone who was there, and let us know in comments if you were there, and what your favorite moments were. DFTBA! - The Higgs Boson
E55The Higgs BosonThe video is exactly 4:00 - YouTube adds a second. In which Hank takes a few minutes out of his busy vacation to talk about the Higgs boson, the Higgs field, and what they mean. We know a remarkable amount about this universe, but as of this week, we officially know a lot more. It's pretty freaking exciting, and I'm very pleased that our world is still committed to this kind of pure science and discovery. Thanks to Henry Reich of Minute Physics for looking this video over and making sure I'm not totally full of crap. - Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander
E56Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the SalamanderIn which John discusses Part 1 of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, "The Hearth and the Salamander," including discussions of Guy Montag, Clarisse, the complicated relationship between technology and nature, and more. Huzzah for the Nerdfighter Book Club! - An Army of Mindless Drones
E57An Army of Mindless DronesIn which Hank discusses his feelings after the first parts of Fahrenheit 451, argues with John, and takes a bite out of a banana. I worry that, since Ray Bradbury appears to think that all humanity can be stripped of people, that some people will assume that all humanity /has/ been stripped from people. In my discussions with people of all sorts, I have not found that to be even a little bit possible, no matter how much mindless entertainment they consume, or how averse they are to the idea of deep thinking. I worry about the implications of dehumanizing an entire society. I also think that, as a SciFi novel, the culture itself isn't very well sketched out, but it is quite a short book, and maybe I should save that discussion for next time. - The Treadmill Desk! Fitness for Nerds
E60The Treadmill Desk! Fitness for NerdsIn which John responds to Hank's newfound fitness and buffitude by purchasing, and walking on, a treadmill desk. I've been writing on the treadmill desk for more than a week now, and I love it! So far today I've walked more than six miles, and I am walking while typing this. You're not going to be the only fit one in this family, Hank Green! - EXTRA! Thoughts from Tour
E64EXTRA! Thoughts from TourHank's tour diary from the very quick, three-day tour he took with Harry and the Potters and Potter Puppet Pals. They're still on tour (and will be for a while) without me, and the show is REALLY REALLY GREAT! Tickets are generally $10 and VERY WORTH IT http://harryandthepotters.com/shows/ - An Open Letter to Students Returning to School
E65An Open Letter to Students Returning to SchoolIn which John Green gives advice to students returning to school for summer break, discusses the reasons public education exists, and celebrates the landing of the Mars rover Curiosity, among many great things that have happened to humans since we began to invest in public education. - John and Rainn Wilson Talk Romance
E67John and Rainn Wilson Talk RomanceIn which John has a very special Monday talk (which does not supersede John's Tuesday video) with Rainn Wilson of Soul Pancake about the big stuff, namely romantic advice. While Rainn's advice is sound, the video takes a turn for the decidedly unromantic, and the draining of cysts is discussed. Romance takes a back seat, but bromance ensues. - To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012
E68To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012In which John discusses the surprises and pleasures of being anything at all while attending the Harry Potter conference LeakyCon and walking around downtown Chicago. Also, I read from some humiliating high school fiction. - Is College Worth It?
E70Is College Worth It?In which John ponders whether a college degree is worth the high tuition, student loans, opportunity cost, and low-paying entry-level positions involved. Is the cost involved worth the returns? Is this even a simple economic question, or are there intangible benefits that come along with education? - Happy Birthday John Green!
E71Happy Birthday John Green!HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN! Lower-than-actual resolution (but still very high) image available here: http://hankgreen.com/johnmosaicbig.jpg Chewie Solo 2012! http://dftba.com/chewie Thank you to everyone who is a part of what we do, no one does anything alone, but I feel like that's more true for the two of us than anyone, like, ever. Just wanted to take the time to say it on John's birthday. And thanks to all the people who participated in the mosaic! Try to find yourself! - Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS
E72Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASSThis video contains the word "BADASS." I just wanted to add a bit to all of the discussions surrounding Neil Armstrong. We shouldn't forget that he was perfect for this mission not only because he was humble and would make a great symbol for our country and the world, but that he was also an amazing, highly skilled, tried by fire, pilot with NERVES OF FREAKING STEEL! - In Which the Candle Dies
E73In Which the Candle DiesIn which John discusses the end of the Looking for Alaska candle and the coming of the box set designed by nerdfighter Karen Kavett (http://www.youtube.com/xperpetualmotion). Also, John takes you on a whirlwind international tour of TFIOS translation covers. In a shocking twist, none of them feature feet OR whispering girls. In addition to all this, John offers a compromise in regard to the outstanding punishments. - Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes
E74Why The Rich Pay Lower TaxesIn which Hank takes on some fascinatingly boring stuff about the U.S. tax code, what sorts of incomes there are, how tax brackets work, and why rich people pay a substantially lower tax rate than most people in America. And then he makes some value judgements and expresses some opinions which are not necessarily the opinions of his brother, and are obviously the opinions of a guy who is not an economist. But really? It just doesn't seem fair. - Can You Really Light a Fart?
E76Can You Really Light a Fart?In which Hank answers the top questions asked to Google beginning with "Can You Really..." They include! Can you really sell your soul (no) Can you really tip a cow (no) Can you really curve a bullet (lord...NO!) Can you really make money blogging (yes!) Can you really fry an egg on the sidewalk (depends on where you are) Can you really die from a broken heart (oddly enough, yes) Can you really get rid of cellulite (yes) Can you really get a free iPad (almost certainly not) Can you really light a fart (OF COURSE!) Can you really start a fire with an orange (no) - The Abandoned Ferris Wheel Spins Anyway
E77The Abandoned Ferris Wheel Spins AnywayIn which the ferris wheel from the long-abandoned Berlin amusement park Spreepark continues to spin, thereby providing inspiration to us all. (the best i could do with both camera and computer broken. RIP My Computer, June 2012 - September 2012) - 1000 VIDEOS!!!
E781000 VIDEOS!!!In which Hank celebrates the creation of 1000 Vlogbrothers videos. It's a bit of a clip show. I can hardly believe we've been able to do this. To create such a huge body of work and to be part of an even larger movement of creation, both in terms of the huge growth in online video and what that has allowed, and in terms of the community of Nerdfighters and what we create together. I'm astounded every day by the kindness, intelligence, support, and awesome of this community, and I really can't imagine being any luckier. - Existential Airport Anxiety
E79Existential Airport AnxietyIn which John yells in an airport while discussing the so-called information society, the proliferation of public television screens, and devices of distraction. This is my response to the second half of Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451, which the nerdfighter book club read this summer. Also quoted is David Foster Wallace's excellent if totally unfinished novel The Pale King. - THE EYE OF LONDON: Thoughts from Northern Montana
E82THE EYE OF LONDON: Thoughts from Northern MontanaIn which Hank just vlogs...using the "that makes me think of" style pioneered, of course, by Ze Frank (http://www.youtube.com/zefrank) and then he talks from a chair lift about being afraid to be on a chair lift, and then thinks about paths. - 21st Century Sherlock: A Sherlock / Doors Song
E8421st Century Sherlock: A Sherlock / Doors SongWe recently did a Truth or Fail on Sherlock Holmes (http://www.youtube.com/truthorfail) and one of the rounds was entitled "21st Century Sherlock" which inspired me to do this. I'm just kinda devastated the Season 3 of Sherlock is so far away...it's just a terrible thing to do to a person. - Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C.
E85Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C.In which John is threatened by an utterly fearless squirrel and contemplates the neoclassical architecture of our nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Along the way, he and the Yeti visit several museums; look at the art of China's most important living artist, Ai Weiwei; visit the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the World War II Memorial; and consider the history of cars that are also boats. - Human Sexuality is Complicated...
E86Human Sexuality is Complicated...In which Hank takes on a topic he's been afraid to cover for a while now. How should we talk about sexuality, what is the difference between sex and gender...and between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. It's very interesting...and I think understanding it is a key to decreasing the amount of hate and self-hate out there. - Burning Peeps, My OTP, and Velociraptors: It's Question Tuesday
E87Burning Peeps, My OTP, and Velociraptors: It's Question TuesdayA Question Tuesday video in which John addresses a broad range of questions from nerdfighters, discussing Gandalf, microwaved peeps, dinosaurs, his books, and much more along the way. - Revolutionizing Education...With Weirdos
E88Revolutionizing Education...With WeirdosI am at the conference right now, so I actually can't write a proper description here...but online video education...is good. And exciting. Much love to YouTube for promoting this stuff and much love to all the people below, who everyone should check out. - Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit
E89Understanding the National Debt and Budget DeficitIn which John discusses the US national debt, the federal budget deficit, plans for shrinking or eliminating the deficit, and tries to provide some context to the political rhetoric and statistics that are constantly thrown around in an election season. Along the way, I hope you'll understand why the United States' sovereign debt hasn't led us to an economic crisis, but also why budget deficits need to shrink in order to ensure that credit remains inexpensive and the US continues to enjoy the trust of the world economy. (Friendly reminder: Educational videos, by extensive precedent, are allowed to be longer than 4:00.) Here's why I think the gold standard is a bad idea: 1. By restricting money supply to the supply of gold, you risk shrinking the money supply just because of a shock leading to a disruption in supply from mining. This creates a lot of volatility in the money supply for no reason. 2. The gold standard limits a government's ability to respond to changes in the market, which can (and has) led to unescapable deflationary spirals. 3. Far from inspiring investor confidence, its implementation would crush it - TINY BALLS! Nerds Do Vegas.
E91TINY BALLS! Nerds Do Vegas.In which John visits Las Vegas and discusses proper casino gambling strategies, particularly relating to the game of roulette, which features--like all good and noble things in this world--a tiny ball. John also shows off his mad shaving skills and laments that Paris (Las Vegas) is not Paris (France). For all of you who miss old-school vlogbrothers videos: HERE, I MADE YOU ONE. - Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins
E93Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week BeginsIn which John discusses the tax proposals of the two major candidates for President while arguing against the hysterical rhetoric that marks contemporary political discourse. This is the first of six consecutive daily videos Hank and I will be making to fulfill the first of our two outstanding punishments. Also discussed: the difference between ordinary income and capital gains, and the theory behind taxing capital gains at a lower rate than ordinary income (which both candidates favor, just to different degrees). - Terrible at Frenching: My Spicy Summer Camp Story
E95Terrible at Frenching: My Spicy Summer Camp StoryIn which John discusses his trials and travails as an amateur french kisser and tries to tell an ACTUAL spicy summer camp story, instead of one about freaking spices. Also, he takes you to his polling place, briefly discusses voting with the Yeti, and encourages you to vote. It's all kissing and politics, basically. - The 51st State
E96The 51st StateIn which Hank discusses the historical nature of yesterday's election, and how a bunch of Americans who don't live in America may end up having the most significant impact of all. But then again, maybe not. Not only would Puerto Rico's statehood be a very uphill battle to a supermajority in Congress, it also remains an extremely divisive issue with the commonwealth. But it is fascinating that Puerto Rico remains, in effect, a colony of the United States and has been an autonomous country for all of four weeks (after the Spanish gave it up and before the US took possession) in it's 500 year history. It's important to note that the question on the ballot was an odd one (I didn't have time to talk about this in the video). It was a two-part question, first asking if people wanted to see Puerto Rico's status change (a majority did) and then asking, if it did, how they would like it to change (even if they had just said that they /didn't/ want it to change.) A large number of people did not answer the second question, indicating that the majority that favored statehood may have been overwhelmed by the people who didn't want any chance mixed with the people who wanted full independence or a different commonwealth status. Nonetheless, the portion of Puerto Rico favoring statehood continues to increase, and this is an issue that we will have to face some day. - I Was a Child Poet. And a Bad One.
E99I Was a Child Poet. And a Bad One.In which John shares some of his early writing, including a poem called "Bio Poem" that is well and truly humiliating in its lack of quality. I also discover and share many items from my past, including my old report cards and some Brotherhood 2.0 memorabilia. Also, I celebrate some good news: The Fault in Our Stars has been named one of the ten best books of 2012 by the editors at Amazon: http://t.co/TaDb008x - Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story
E101Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins StoryIn which John discusses the strange story of Florence Foster Jenkins, who gave the worst performance in the history of Carnegie Hall in 1944, and who is famous (and beloved) for being an absolutely fearless, and awful, singer. This video is a kind of response to Hank's brilliant video about creation and fear; also discussed is the importance of finding the places where your talents meet the world's needs and my limited physical flexibility. The bit I sing at the end is from "Love, Love, Love" by--you'll never guess--The Mountain Goats. - Black Friday: An Accident of History
E102Black Friday: An Accident of HistoryIn which Hank answers the age old question "Why, on the day after we spend time being thankful for what we have, do we spend time wanting more?" It turns out it's just an accident of history, and we can thank Abraham Lincoln. - Nerdfighter Book Recommendations: A Gift Giving Guide for Nerdfightastic Readers
E103Nerdfighter Book Recommendations: A Gift Giving Guide for Nerdfightastic ReadersIn which John Green recommends some of his favorite books to some of his favorite people (Crash Course fans, Whovians, Sherlockians, Harry Potter fans, Swoodilypooper supporters, and nerdy readers of all kinds). Recommended books include: The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo Sula by Toni Morrison Mansfield Park and Persuasion by Jane Austen The Blood of the Lamb by Peter de Vries Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Matched by Ally Condie Divergent by Veronica Roth Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon Bossypants by Tina Fey The Magicians by Lev Grossman Harry, a History by Melissa Anelli The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King If I Stay by Gayle Foreman To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS
E107Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICSIn which John delivers the semi-annual-ish report on the Bank of Nerdfighteria's health and various projects, including both of its Charlie McDonnell-like arms, the lending arm and the giving arm. Also, John takes you on a trip in his new Chevy Volt (yay!) to the dentist (boo!). - THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children.
E109THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children.In which John introduces the sixth annual Project for Awesome, when YouTube is taken over for one day by videos about charities. My Project for Awesome charity this year is Save the Children, an organization that has done amazing work with the nerdfighter community over the last five years and hopefully will continue to be a huge part of our community for years to come. - Meet the Team: The Missoula Office (And P4A and TheBrainScoop)
E110Meet the Team: The Missoula Office (And P4A and TheBrainScoop)We've been making Crash Course and SciShow for more than a year now and, of course, we can't do it by ourselves. So I wanted to take you around our offices a bit and introduce the people who help us make this stuff. - Nood Ood, Drums, Donuts, Fish, the USDA, P4A and SLEDDING!
E111Nood Ood, Drums, Donuts, Fish, the USDA, P4A and SLEDDING!In which Hank is a little bit weird and has a hard time concentrating, but does eventually get around to the point...well...actually not really, I don't think there's much of a point to this one. Oh, and to answer the contemplative question I ask myself in the video...if two sets of identical twins got married to each other, the kids they have would be /biologically/ siblings, but of course /geneologically/ cousins. WEIRD RIGHT!!
