Crash Course

channel · in 231 videos (2011–2026)

The brothers' educational YouTube channel, announced in November 2011 and launched in January 2012 with John teaching world history and Hank biology. It later added series with other hosts and subjects, such as statistics, media literacy and European history, and in 2026 Hank hosts Crash Course Scientific Thinking.

Made by: Complexly · Includes: Crash Course coin, Study Hall, Crash Course Lectures, Crash Course Kids, Crash Course Religions, Crash Course Pods: The Universe, Crash Course How to College, Crash Course Scientific Thinking, Crash Course Black American History, Crash Course Botany, Crash Course en Español

Videos by year: 2011: 3 · 2012: 27 · 2013: 19 · 2014: 16 · 2015: 15 · 2016: 16 · 2017: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 25 · 2025: 12 · 2026: 15

Also known as: CrashCourse, Crash Course World History, Crash Course Biology

Threads

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

SciShow (94) · Crash Course coin (36) · Complexly (42) · Subbable (11) · Eons (11) · VidCon (35) · Study Hall (8) · Sexplanations (5) · DFTBA Records (31) · YouTube (46)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2011

2011-11-07 · IS THIS HEAVEN? — announcement: John says the studio he is in is where the Indianapolis episodes of the brothers' new channel, Crash Course, will be filmed. — 00:00:34
- John says the brothers have long dreamt of an educational YouTube channel that is both genuinely informational and genuinely entertaining, and now have the opportunity. — 00:00:34
- John announces that for 40 weeks from late January 2012 he will teach world history and Hank biology on Crash Course, as a very broad introduction. — 00:01:19
- John says that afterwards they will teach other courses, such as literature, chemistry or physics, whatever Nerdfighteria wants. — 00:01:19
- John asks viewers to subscribe to Crash Course and SciShow through links in the doobly-doo and annotations. — 00:02:05
2011-12-14 · Greek Phallic Disco Golf Balls: A Free Association Game — announcement: John: Hank says 'Socrates'; John says it is either Greek or Latin, which Hank will soon find out in episode 3 of Crash Course. (playful) — 00:02:39
…and 1 statement more in 2011 — all statements of 2011

2012

2012-01-02 · Changes to Vlogbrothers — announcement: John says there will be more Vlogbrothers content than ever in 2012 because the brothers will teach biology and world history on their channel Crash Course. — 00:01:37
2012-01-06 · Kill your TV — announcement: Hank says he and John offer at least six YouTube videos a week across vlogbrothers, SciShow and Crash Course (launching January 25), more than doubled with HankGames and Truth or Fail. — 00:03:06
2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — announcement: John plugs the brothers' new show Crash Course, which teaches 'stuff', and plays a preview. — 00:03:08
2012-05-08 · Tiny Chickens Invade, But Still I Vote — John: From his Crash Course research John has become increasingly convinced that the most important actors in human history are microbes, not voters. — 00:01:29
2012-06-08 · How to be More Productive...With Hank! — Hank says he can be more productive because he has help: teams at VidCon, DFTBA Records, SciShow and Crash Course. — 00:02:35
2012-10-16 · Burning Peeps, My OTP, and Velociraptors: It's Question Tuesday — John: From a year of teaching world history, John says humans generally get less miserable when they collaborate and get totally hosed when they choose ideology over actual humans. — 00:03:02
2012-10-19 · Revolutionizing Education...With Weirdos — ask: Hank asks viewers to subscribe to Smarter Every Day, Vi Hart, Vsauce, Veritasium, MinutePhysics and Brady Haran's channels, and to Crash Course and SciShow. — 00:02:41
2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — announcement: John says the brothers are doing a week of Brotherhood 2.0-style daily vlogs as a punishment. — 00:00:00
2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — Hank says this concludes the week of Brotherhood 2.0-style videos; it was really fun and he wishes they could keep going. — 00:03:24
2012-12-04 · Time for AWESOME — John says he and Hank were also privileged to have internet access in 2007 and $249 for cheap video cameras at the end of 2006; without that, Vlogbrothers, Crash Course, SciShow, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and VidCon would not exist. — 00:00:58
2012-12-21 · Meet the Team: The Missoula Office (And P4A and TheBrainScoop) — Hank gives a tour of the Crash Course and SciShow offices in Missoula and introduces the people who work there. — 00:00:00
- Hank says he is grateful to have worked with so many amazing people on projects like the P4A, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, SciShow, Crash Course, DFTBA Records and VidCon, and that he just loves to create and to help people create. — 00:03:01
…and 26 statements more in 2012 — all statements of 2012

Also named in: Thoughts on Growing up

2013

2013-05-07 · The Clif Bars Go in the Jar Because Mice: An Office Tour — announcement: John says he will soon be on paternity leave, but the things made in the office will continue to be made while he is away. — 00:02:51
2013-05-24 · What's Up with Start Ups — Hank says he and John know their only asset is the viewers; without them there would be no Sanditon, DFTBA Records, Crash Course, SciShow or even 2D Glasses. — 00:02:31
2013-06-04 · A New Nerdfighter Baby — announcement: John: During the leave there will be a Crash Course US History video every Thursday, a mental floss video every Wednesday, and Swindon Town Swoodilypoopers FIFA games every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. — 00:00:55
2013-07-26 · Introducing Subbable — Hank: Cultural changes need activation energy and catalysts; Hank feels Nerdfighteria, now a powerful force, could be the activation energy and Subbable the catalyst. (hedged) — 00:01:00
- Subbable launches with only Crash Course, the brothers' educational show, which is very expensive to make. — 00:01:45
- The Google grant that paid for Crash Course for the last two years is ending; without Subbable and its fans' support they cannot keep making it. — 00:01:50
- Crash Course will stay free on YouTube; the hope is that enough people who can pay will, so that everyone can have access. (hedged) — 00:02:03
2013-08-30 · Raw Onion, Twerking, and Speech Jam — announcement: Hank says Subbable had a snafu with Amazon and recurring payments: monthly subscriptions were cancelled because they were not following all of Amazon's rules; now they are. — 00:03:00
- Hank asks Subbable subscribers to sign back in and re-up their subscriptions; Subbable has been very successful, and if everyone re-subscribes Crash Course will be safe, but only 50% have so far. — 00:03:12
2013-09-03 · Bigger Pizzas: A Capitalist Case for Health Care Reform — John: freed from saving every dollar against bankruptcy, Hank could invest in DFTBA Records, VidCon, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Crash Course, SciShow, the Foundation to Decrease World Suck and more; none could have happened without publicly subsidized health insurance. — 00:02:55
2013-10-11 · TFiOS Movie, Emma Approved, Subbable Update, etc — Hank says Subbable has averaged $100,000 a month paid out to partners over the last two months. — 00:00:29
2013-11-15 · I Have a Band? — announcement: Hank is making the album with some of his favorite musicians: Nick Jenkins (who films, edits and directs Crash Course Chemistry), Rob Scallon, Joe DeGeorge of Harry and the Potters, and Andrew Huang of Songs To Wear Pants To. — 00:00:23
…and 23 statements more in 2013 — all statements of 2013

Also named in: New Channels, New Songs, and Just Plain News

2014

2014-05-20 · Deserving — announcement: John: Crash Course is about to teach a ten-episode Big History series, made possible by a grant from one of Bill Gates' organizations, charting the universe from the Big Bang to now. — 00:02:08
2014-05-30 · Nerdfighteria Census 2014 Results! — Hank says 40% of respondents don't know Subbable, which has been so successful that SciShow, Crash Course and Sexplanations would not exist without it. — 00:01:48
2014-07-08 · The Future of Nerdfighteria — announcement: John: Three: teachers and students want non-video materials - essays, primary sources, worksheets - to go with Crash Course; Khan Academy has helped some, and they want to do much more in the coming year. — 00:01:09
- John asks whether and how to run pre-rolls; options: keep things as they are, delete ads entirely, or run pre-rolls and give all the money to the Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck or to education and Nerdfighter projects, or a mix. — 00:02:17
- John asks Nerdfighters to take the survey linked in the doobly-doo on ads and on what they want from Crash Course and education content on YouTube. — 00:02:50
2014-07-15 · Exciting Announcements and Mosquito-Borne Illnesses — announcement: John reports that tens of thousands answered his question from last week (week of 7 July 2014); they voted overwhelmingly to turn on vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and split the income between the Foundation to Decrease World Suck and a fund for educational video projects. — 00:00:13
2014-07-18 · EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! — Hank: Nerdfighteria loaned the million dollars, so each brother had two punishments; they cleared one by making six videos in a week, three each, leaving one punishment each. — 00:03:34
2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John asks whether he should focus on Mental Floss, Crash Course, The Art Assignment, Vlogbrothers or the Wimbly Womblys, and whether doing all of them means doing none well. (unsure) — 00:01:38
2014-11-07 · New Crash Course and Pizzamas! — Hank recalls that almost three years ago he and John set out to do something hard; Crash Course became a thing used by many teachers and students, and it has been kept free. — 00:00:02
- People chose to give money through Subbable; Hank says Crash Course relies hugely on that support, which lets it make better and more content, and he could never be more grateful. — 00:02:02
- Hank announces a significantly larger relationship with PBS Digital Studios that will basically double Crash Course content; PBS is likewise viewer-funded and partnered with them on Frankenstein MD and The Art Assignment. — 00:02:18
- Hank says that in 2015 they hope to make four Crash Courses: Government with Craig Benzine (WheezyWaiter), Astronomy with Phil Plait, Physiology with Hank, and hopefully Economics. (hedged) — 00:02:37
…and 19 statements more in 2014 — all statements of 2014

2015

2015-01-02 · Why is The Alphabet In Alphabetical Order? Eight Completely Arbitrary Things — ask: Hank urges viewers to study broadly and deeply and to watch Crash Course World History, all of Crash Course, and SciShow. — 00:03:37
2015-02-06 · You Will Be Forgotten ...And That's OK — Hank lists his successes: touring in a rock band, being written about in the New Yorker, helping raise over 2 million dollars for charity, Crash Course in thousands of schools, interviewing the President. — 00:01:16
2015-03-13 · Screaming Into Pillows — announcement: Hank says SciShow Kids and Crash Course Kids took months of work they weren't allowed to discuss (funding, defining them, character development, hiring for animation) and are now real. — 00:01:36
- Hank says that as SciShow, Crash Course, VidCon and DFTBA have grown, more complicated infrastructure leaves him less freedom to talk about them. — 00:02:38
2015-03-17 · What Are Paper Towns? — ask: John asks viewers who support Crash Course or SciShow through Subbable to move their subscription to Patreon, which he calls like Subbable only better. — video description
- John reports that yesterday (16 March 2015) Subbable was acquired by Patreon, which he calls great news. — 00:00:07
2015-03-20 · A Sacrifice of Individuality and the Internets — Hank says it isn't the crowd or the culture but individuals: a few people, less than one percent of the shows' viewers, with the ability and enthusiasm to give money they don't have to. — 00:01:59
2015-08-18 · The Cold War of Nerdfighteria — John says the brothers use the Census every year to choose Crash Course topics and Vlogbrothers videos and to understand Nerdfighteria's interests, and thanks everyone who fills it out. — 00:01:37
2015-09-04 · Addicted to Outrage — Hank: People love Crash Course, and the vast majority of census respondents have suggested it to friends or family. — 00:03:23
2015-12-08 · The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Semiannual Report — John says Crash Course and SciShow are primarily supported not by advertising but by voluntary Patreon subscriptions from those who can afford it, so others watch free. — 00:00:41
- John tells Hank that although many said Patreon funding would never work, it is working great: Crash Course and SciShow are now fully sustainable thanks to Patreon. — 00:00:55
2015-12-18 · We're All Gonna Die - A Song — announcement: Hank is making SciShow and Crash Course episodes and has just started shooting the new series Crash Course Philosophy, which will not be uploaded for a while. — 00:02:23
…and 11 statements more in 2015 — all statements of 2015

Also named in: Becoming Someone Else

2016

2016-01-19 · The Looking for Alaska Movie, Davos, and Hufflepuff Shade: It's Question Tuesday — announcement: John says this summer Crash Course will do another Crash Course Literature mini-series: Huckleberry Finn, Invisible Man, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Their Eyes Were Watching God and some Shakespearean sonnets. — 00:02:43
2016-02-05 · Honest YouTube Talk Time — Hank says he is now the CEO of a media company without quite knowing how: with VidCon, SciShow, Crash Course, DFTBA Records and other productions they have about 30 employees. — 00:00:17
- Hank admits it is always easiest to turn attention and money to the brothers' own new things, like NerdCon, Dear Hank and John, SciShow and Crash Course. — 00:01:48
2016-03-01 · Question Tuesday: The Potato Edition — John hates Lord of the Flies and openly reviles it, yet has to teach it this year (2016) in Crash Course Literature, which will be very challenging. — 00:02:07
2016-03-29 · My New Book, Marriage Advice, and Hamilton: 50 Snapchat Questions Answered! — announcement: John says there will be more Crash Course with him: more literature this summer, and they are reading the books now. — 00:03:37
2016-05-03 · No Fumar — John says few people know that their dad basically ran their company until a year ago, doing the payroll, budgeting and spreadsheets that made Crash Course and SciShow possible. (hedged) — 00:00:44
2016-09-06 · How We're Spending Your Money: The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Quarterly Report — announcement: John announces that from September 1 all Crash Course Patreon money raised for the rest of 2016 will fund a 2017 expansion to five videos a week by spring 2017. — 00:01:35
- John announces Crash Course released its first full curriculum last week (week of 29 August 2016), covering AP World History with readings, primary sources and assessment tools for students and teachers. — 00:02:44
2016-10-07 · Changing Our Business a Bit — Hank says thousands of chances to figure out who he is before people he respects, and their kind judgement, made him a kinder, more enthusiastic, more compassionate person. — 00:00:58
- Hank announces that this week (week of 3 October 2016), after years of failing to settle on a name, the company that produces their content is renamed Complexly. — 00:03:10
- Hank gives the name's reasons: the world is not simple, we will never fully understand the universe, each other or ourselves, the process matters as much as the outcome, and they want to help others imagine complexly. — 00:03:18
2016-12-30 · The Most Interesting Thing I've Ever Done — Hank lists the dream-like things of his ten years: friends, touring in a rock band, Carnegie Hall, a first home, creating VidCon, SciShow and Crash Course, a bobblehead, 2D glasses, interviewing the president. — 00:00:09
…and 25 statements more in 2016 — all statements of 2016

2017

2017-01-20 · Behind the Scenes of My Life — Ceri says she is editing Crash Course Film. — 00:00:53
- Hank says Vlogbrothers is still just him, but VidCon, SciShow, Crash Course, DFTBA.com and the rest need many people to happen. — 00:03:25
2017-02-21 · Does Human Life Have Real Meaning? — announcement: John: Asked about another season of Crash Course Literature, John says there probably will be one. (hedged) — 00:01:59
2017-03-31 · No Cut Confessional: Priorities — Hank says one obligation is to a new idea he can uniquely pull off: almost an obligation to the idea or the universe to make it exist, which drives his art, SciShow and Crash Course. — 00:00:50
2017-04-04 · Why I Won't Run for Office — announcement: John announces more Crash Course Literature coming this fall. — 00:01:41
2017-04-21 · The Adpocalypse: What it Means — Hank says he is not a huge fan of advertising as an institution, yet built an entire business on ad revenue to make SciShow, Crash Course and more. — 00:00:00
- Hank says if the value proposition breaks, creators will find (and already are finding) new support: subscriptions like Rooster Teeth's First, YouTube Red, Patreon, and creator-brand relationships communities like. — 00:03:12
2017-05-23 (said on 2017-05-14, implied) · Boxes, Butterflies, and Regular Aunts: Live from the Past, It's Question Tuesday — John: At VidCon John most looks forward to the annual Nerdfighter meetup, where they talk about future plans for Crash Course and more. — 00:01:42
2017-07-07 · My Earthquake Story - (And Thoughts About Numbers) — Hank: As AP scores come back, Hank gets many tweets saying Crash Course helped; he thanks them, giving the students most of the credit. — 00:01:23
2017-09-01 · What Everyone Gets Wrong About Global Warming — recommendation: Hank recommends Crash Course Film Production with Lily Gladstone as so good. — 00:03:50
2017-11-08 · Follow Hank All Day — Hank really enjoys shooting SciShow and Crash Course, even though it is pretty draining. — 00:02:05
2017-12-01 · Let's Talk About Stress! — recommendation: Hank: For more on stress and our physiological responses to it, Hank recommends a SciShow video on how persistent stress harms our bodies and his own Crash Course episode on emotion, stress and health. — video description
…and 5 statements more in 2017 — all statements of 2017

2018

2018-02-13 · What Can't a Billion Dollars Buy? — announcement: John says Adriene Hill has just started hosting a new Crash Course series on statistics, whose episode Mathematical Thinking helped him understand differences between big numbers. — 00:00:01
2018-04-13 · Who is in Control? — announcement: Hank tells John the new Crash Course media literacy series with Jay Smooth is good and fascinating and will change how viewers see the world: less cut and dried, but more accurate. — 00:03:37
2018-05-11 · Looking for Alaska Movie (BUT BETTER) and YouTuber Things — announcement: Hank says he has a book, which is very exciting, and Crash Course and SciShow are doing amazingly well. — 00:01:05
2018-07-13 · Why Do So Few Countries Have Nukes? — recommendation: Hank recommends a series on the US court system on youtube.com/complexly, Complexly's new YouTube channel where the production company can try new things. — 00:09:40
2018-09-04 · The Eisenhower Matrix — John's many urgent problems include getting his kids to school, Crash Course script deadlines, emails marked urgent and an urgent desire to eat several times a day. (playful) — 00:00:07
2018-11-06 · Taking a Year Off — announcement: John is hosting more Crash Course next year (2019). — 00:02:55
2018-11-07 · A New Thing? — announcement: Hank: Complexly, the production company behind SciShow and Crash Course, puts the questions together. — 00:01:27
2018-12-14 · Cute Goth Shock Collar Trivia Punishment for Charity — Hank: Asked how many courses of Crash Course there have been, Hank answers 18. — 00:00:58
…and 1 statement more in 2018 — all statements of 2018

2019

2019-01-01 · How to Make Goals, Not Resolutions — announcement: John wants to edit and host 46 episodes of a new Crash Course History series about Europe. — 00:03:15
2019-01-08 · I Quit Social Media. Here's How It's Going — announcement: John: For the next 10 weeks John hosts a Crash Course series on navigating digital information, with an evidence-based approach to judging online information and spotting misinformation. — 00:02:58
- The tools from the series improved how John researches and what he ingests, more than any blocked website; he hopes viewers check it out. — 00:03:24
2019-02-01 · We Have Destroyed Copyright Law — recommendation: Hank recommends the Crash Course Intellectual Property episode explaining how unsimple fair use is and other ways copyright law works poorly today. — 00:08:08
2019-03-15 · Why We Stopped Making Explainers: EXPLAINED — The description says they once planned a separate business making only explainers, but explainers proved difficult and expensive without a trusted face, and the project died in favor of Crash Course and SciShow. — video description
2019-04-12 · Escalators: We're Not Doing it Wrong (Mostly) — Hank says Crash Course, Destin of Smarter Every Day and many others realize we must take this seriously and notice how content pushes our buttons; taking clicks seriously could start the revolution. — 00:03:16
2019-04-26 · It's Time to Care About "Business" — announcement: Hank's office has spent months on a business Crash Course that isn't business school, on 'soft skills'; after working on its videos, staff walk into meetings asking why no one explained this to them. — 00:02:26
2019-06-11 · Why I Haven't Written a New Book — John says he partly hasn't written a novel because of other work (Crash Course European History, the Partners In Health project, TV and movie adaptations), though he has had some kind of day job for most of his writing life. — 00:00:29
2019-11-07 · I took a year off social media. Here's what happened. — John: This year (2019) he has written more words he is proud of than in any year since 2011, and hosted Crash Course series on European history and on navigating digital information. — 00:01:33
2019-12-17 · The Best Days of My Decade — John: Many favorite moments were little: a Joan Mitchell show with Sarah, sprawling at VidCon with Rosianna, hamburgers with Hank, the Pettibon spiral, his mom's painting of his La-Z-Boy, laughing while filming Crash Course with Stan. — 00:03:18
…and 2 statements more in 2019 — all statements of 2019

2020

2020-01-03 (said on 2020-01-02, implied) · Re-Thinking our YouTube Channel — Hank lists what that togetherness has produced: Life's Library, the Project for Awesome, the work with Partners in Health, the ideas that helped him understand the world, Dear Hank and John, SciShow and Crash Course. — 00:01:47
2020-01-07 · Endings · Beginnings — announcement: John will finish Crash Course European History this year (2020): it has been great fun and taught him to shift perspectives in history, but it ends as it approaches the present. — 00:00:31
2020-01-17 · It's Like Shark Tank, but for Charity — recommendation: Hank thinks everyone should watch Crash Course Business: Entrepreneurship, a 17-episode series hosted by Anna Akana on the basics of starting a business and of business in general. — 00:03:35
2020-04-03 · 11 Little Tips for Better Video Chat (For Teachers...and Everybody Else) — recommendation: Hank: Tip eleven: use every resource available, learning from, connecting with and helping the many other teachers doing this, and using the internet's educational videos like Crash Course. — 00:03:00
- Hank announces Crash Course is launching Study Hall with Arizona State University: learning playlists on writing and composition, algebra, chemistry and data literacy, with the first composition episode out now. — 00:03:20
2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says it is also true that following trends is part of his work: it feeds some of the best parts of his novels, and Complexly, SciShow and Crash Course need to understand how people get information. — 00:00:14
2020-09-04 · Go Play! — The description says Crash Course lacks math courses because teaching math for tests is very different from teaching its beauty and joy; they want both and have found that very hard, though not impossible. — video description
2020-10-02 (said on 2020-10-01, implied) · I ain't she was with well and I so and it's and but so and I'll and — Hank says the goal of Vlogbrothers is creating a community, which feels less real past some size: a breeding ground for ideas, weirdness, community and change that enables things like Crash Course. — 00:02:13
2020-10-27 · The time I met Joe Biden — John flew to somewhere like St. Louis for the Q&A and was editing a Crash Course script backstage when someone asked if he'd like to meet Vice President Biden. (hedged) — 00:00:29
2020-12-08 · A Love Letter to My Brother, Basically — John lists ideas Hank has realized: VidCon, NerdCon, Subbable, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Truth or Fail, Crash Course, SciShow, a podcast, card games, T-shirts, Eons, books and coffee mugs. — 00:01:27
2020-12-18 · How to Change What you Want — Hank has found ways to alter his wants: to want to work more on Crash Course he engages with education through podcasts and talks about making college accessible, and the more he engages, the more he wants it. — 00:00:58
2020-12-29 · Looking Back at My 2020 Goals — John did finish Crash Course European History, though the last several episodes were filmed in his basement and directed by Stan over Zoom. — 00:00:29
…and 6 statements more in 2020 — all statements of 2020

2021

2021-02-02 · I Predicted the Pandemic (over and over and over again) — John recalls predicting the pandemic: in mid-2019 on Dear Hank and John he said everyone must prepare for the coming global disease pandemic, and a year earlier he listed one among his chief fears. — 00:00:00
2021-06-01 · My Two Favorite Books of the Year — recommendation: John: How the Word Is Passed, by Clint Smith of Crash Course Black American History, is about how the US does and doesn't reckon with the history of slavery. — 00:00:20
2021-06-15 · VLOGBROTHERS REUNITED!!!! — announcement: Hank says they launched a new project the day before: the Crash Course coins. — 00:01:45 · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated
- Hank says Crash Course reaches about 70 million students a year, and they want to keep being able to do that. — 00:02:27
2021-06-25 · The Surprising Origin of Crash Course — Hank replied that it was a great idea, John said he would do it, and that, Hank says, is how Crash Course was born. — 00:00:29
- Hank thinks Crash Course could have succeeded on venture capital, but then a lot of it would be behind a paywall now. — 00:01:12
- Thanks partly to John advocating for Crash Course over Hank's terrible other ideas, they never had to take investment, which kept Crash Course focused on staying free. — 00:01:12
- Hank says today is the last day of the Crash Course coin: a $100 and a $500 coin, each a piece of the budget to reach 2,000 or 10,000 students. — 00:02:54
- Hank says that after Friday, June 25 the coins are gone, but viewers can still support Crash Course on Patreon. — 00:03:39
2021-08-06 · Remembering What's Special — Hank: Crash Course is by any measure a bigger deal than Vlogbrothers, but not to Hank: Vlogbrothers is the core of what they do, and without it Crash Course would not exist. — 00:01:56
2021-09-03 · What the Heck am I doing? — Hank: Working on Crash Course's partnership with ASU has given Hank insight into how US education really functions and where it lets people down. — 00:01:16
2021-12-14 · MAKE. BELIEVE. — John says the census helps them understand the community's values and priorities and has hugely affected everything from Crash Course to their work with Partners In Health. — 00:03:24
…and 22 statements more in 2021 — all statements of 2021

2022

2022-03-25 · US College Students Need Help — announcement: Hank announces a new Crash Course course, Crash Course How to College, covering the options a person in the US faces about their future, from financial aid to admissions to majors and careers. — 00:01:56
- Hank announces that, in partnership with Arizona State University, they are launching a new YouTube channel called Study Hall. — 00:01:56
- Hank asks viewers to check out Crash Course How to College and the Study Hall channel and send them to everyone who might go to college soon, including themselves. — 00:02:55
2022-05-31 · A Casting Announcement — John says that in 2021 alone Crash Course helped tens of millions of people learn, about everything from organic chemistry to Black American history. — 00:02:38
- The 2022 Crash Course coin is on sale for two weeks: a $100 coin sponsors 2,000 learners and a $500 coin 10,000; its design draws on the Lascaux cave paintings. Coin funding helped launch three series last year (2021). — 00:03:07
2022-06-10 · My Embarrassing Dermatology Story — Hank says starting Crash Course as YouTubers mattered: on YouTube you compete by grabbing and holding attention, and by doing it inexpensively. — 00:00:58
- Hank says holding attention with educational content means making it really good, and doing it cheaply means cutting everything else; that produced Crash Course's focus on lowering barriers to education. — 00:00:58
- Hank says the coin is minted in Arkansas from hand-engraved dies, and the 10,000-learner coins have sold out. — 00:02:55
2022-07-22 · What are These Boys Doing?? — Hank: Crash Course would never have got funding or its initial viewership without this community: it is something Nerdfighteria built, like many of their projects, which Hank sees as things 'we' did. — 00:02:20
2022-09-02 · How A YouTube Company Actually Makes Money — Hank: Funders who see that Crash Course generates far more value than it can capture give grants; grant income fluctuates, but last year (2021) it was about 29% of revenue, about the same as YouTube. — 00:00:48
- Just under 20% of revenue is crowdfunding through Patreons or the Crash Course Coin, given because people know their work isn't sustainable under current internet business models. — 00:01:17
- Complexly is selling five calendars for five shows: Eons and Bizarre Beasts art, James Weiss's Microcosmos microphotography, and SciShow and SciShow Space images, printed in the US with facts, shipping everywhere. — 00:02:16
…and 21 statements more in 2022 — all statements of 2022

2023

2023-01-27 · An Announcement 3 Years in the Making — announcement: Hank announces that GoStudyHall.com launched this week (January 2023), letting learners go from College Foundations videos to an online course earning transferable ASU college credit. — 00:02:40
2023-01-31 · I'm Going Back to College? — John calls Hank's newly announced Study Hall, a Complexly, ASU and Google partnership linking educational YouTube videos to college credit, brilliant. — 00:02:35
- John says this can lower the cost of US college and, critically, spares students loans before they learn whether a program's approach suits them. — 00:02:35
- Overwhelmed by how awesome it is, John has signed up for two Study Hall classes starting in March, one in American history up to 1865. — 00:03:04
2023-03-17 (said on 2023-03-16, implied) · This is a Video!! — announcement: Hank announces Crash Course in Spanish, starting with chemistry (química), produced in Spanish from the ground up; a few episodes are up and more are being made. — 00:01:51
2023-05-23 · Rough Week — announcement: John asks people to spare a thought for the employees of DFTBA and Complexly, who now have him, a store-brand Hank Green, as temporary CEO. (playful) — 00:02:55
2023-05-30 · How Does He Do It? — John lists Hank's roles: CEO of Complexly and DFTBA.com, founder of the Awesome Socks and Coffee Clubs and Sun Basin Soap, host of Crash Course, SciShow, Journey to the Microcosmos, Vlogbrothers and an advice podcast. — 00:00:08
- John says he did not and could not make Crash Course happen: to become and remain real it needed Hank and thousands of collaborators, from writers and animators to teachers and supporters. — 00:01:18
- John announces this year's (2023) Crash Course Coins, available only for the next 11 days and minted in Arkansas from hand-engraved dies; he finds them beautiful. — 00:01:58
- John asks viewers who can afford it to get a coin at crashcoursecoin.com, with no worries if they can't, to help Crash Course reach more learners. — 00:04:11
- John says that is the story of Crash Course, of JWST, and of how almost everything worth doing gets done: together. — 00:04:48
2023-11-03 · We Need to talk about Sarapocial Relationships — Hank: By capable Hank means the community can act for itself and the world, from TB access to Crash Course, SciShow and the clubs funding maternal health in Sierra Leone; membership should feel valuable. — 00:03:57
…and 22 statements more in 2023 — all statements of 2023

2024

2024-01-23 · Breaking News: Complexly Signs Major Tetris Athlete — announcement: John: Complexly is now the lead sponsor of Willis's Twitch and YouTube livestreams, with Complexly's logo prominently featured. — 00:03:35
2024-03-19 · Our $80,000,000 Bet — announcement: John announces Crash Course Lectures, a new Crash Course format of long deep dives into a single topic with very beautiful graphics. — 00:03:53
2024-04-12 · Feeling Like a Failure (During an Eclipse) — Hank: Outsiders may think Good Store, Crash Course or the iPhone are inevitable, but from inside, with Nerdfighteria supporting them and people at DFTBA and Complexly working on them, they exist through sheer force of will. — 00:04:42
2024-04-23 · Full Hank — announcement: John announces his new show, The Universe, a Crash Course podcast about the universe, coming out tomorrow. — 00:02:10
2024-04-27 · Katie Mack Explains The Big Bang To John Green — announcement: John says the clip is from The Universe, a new limited-series Crash Course podcast in which theoretical astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack walks him through the history of the universe; it is available now. — 00:03:44 · also in: We’re Here Because... Something Broke, The Weird Timescales of the Universe
2024-05-31 · The People I Hate Most in the World — ask: Hank invites viewers who think Crash Course's work by dozens of people is worth more than YouTube ads deliver, and who can help, to buy one of three coins. — 00:02:55
2024-06-07 · Eating an 11,000 Year Old Fruit — ask: Hank says today is the very last day to get the Crash Course coin; each coin lets Crash Course reach 2,000, 10,000 or 20,000 learners, and the coins will never be available again. — 00:04:01
2024-08-02 · My Letter to the Future — announcement: Hank announces that Complexly, maker of SciShow, Crash Course and Eons, has launched its own store, with products up to 50% off to kick it off; purchases help Complexly keep existing. — 00:03:49
2024-08-23 · Is Google Training AI on YouTube Videos? — Hank says his company has more videos in the dataset than almost anyone: Marques Brownlee 9, MrBeast 19, Mark Rober 24, MinutePhysics 85, against Vlogbrothers 188, SciShow over 300, Crash Course 982. (hedged) — 00:02:26
2024-08-26 · Welcome to the Learn-a-Thon — announcement: Hank announces the Learnathon, a fundraiser over the next few weeks for Complexly's mission of accessible education, celebrating its staff with livestreams and behind-the-scenes videos. — 00:00:51
2024-09-06 · I feel like I can't talk about this… — ask: Hank: The Complexly Learnathon ends today; Complexly is not launching a streaming service, but viewers can pretend and give $60 for a year of Complexly. — 00:02:55
2024-11-05 · Why Do I Still Make YouTube Videos? — John says Crash Course has helped educate hundreds of millions of people and Good Store has donated over $8 million to support stronger healthcare systems. — 00:04:23
…and 51 statements more in 2024 — all statements of 2024

2025

2025-01-24 · Am I OK? — Hank says all Dear Hank and John ad money goes to Complexly rather than to the hosts, as would be normal for a podcast; ideally not forever, but Complexly needs it now. — 00:05:55
2025-05-23 · I Can’t Believe How Few People it Takes. — Hank says a recent American Historical Association report lists Crash Course as the second most popular resource for history teachers in the US, after US government institutions. — 00:01:36
- Hank says Crash Course is used in over 90% of US high schools and colleges, yet its total budget is less than a single 22-minute sitcom episode. — 00:01:56
- Hank says fewer people support Crash Course financially than live in Havre, Montana, a town of under 10,000 people. — 00:02:26
- Hank says some strategies let a very small number of people have a truly insane impact, as every Crash Course supporter has had. — 00:02:41
- Hank says not making schools pay has big benefits: teachers decide whether to use it, so Crash Course lives by its value to teachers and students, not by selling to school boards. — 00:03:53
- Hank asks viewers who can help to get a Crash Course coin: about a week is left in the campaign as the video goes up. — 00:04:40
- Hank says Nerdfighteria, Crash Course, TB Fighters and the Project for Awesome taught him that small groups of people can bring about tremendous change. — 00:05:20
- Hank says they have promised Crash Course videos will always be free for everyone, and they are not about to launch a paid product, as business people assume. — 00:06:43
2025-09-16 · After seven long years… — John says the channel had about 9,000 subscribers after its first year and about 640,000 when Crash Course launched in early 2012 with The Fault in Our Stars, and only reached a million in March 2013. — 00:01:27
2025-09-30 · WHO ARE WE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING — Hank says that is why he and John quietly take no profit distributions from DFTBA or Complexly and give away all the revenue from the channel. — 00:05:35
2025-11-21 · I Wasn't Always Like This!! — ask: Hank: On the last day of the Complexly Learnathon, Hank shows hand-drawn logo shirts and asks viewers to support Complexly: $60 gets a Pelican pin, SciShow dice set, Endlings bandana or shirt, gone after today. — 00:04:45
…and 36 statements more in 2025 — all statements of 2025

2026

2026-01-30 · Has Anyone Ever Accidentally Seen me Naked (Question Tuesday on a Friday) — announcement: Hank says he hosts the new Crash Course Scientific Thinking, about how science works, how we created it and what it is; two episodes are out. — 00:05:21
2026-02-04 · We Just Sold Our Company for $0 — Hank offered the $20,000 he had just made in affiliate marketing; John took $10,000, which funded the initial test episodes of Crash Course and became the seed of Complexly. — 00:01:17
2026-02-13 · Why Isn't Everybody a Nonprofit?! — announcement: Hank reminds John that Complexly, the company they founded together 15 years ago, just became a nonprofit organization, which they think was a good idea. — 00:01:27
2026-02-24 · Risk Is a Privilege — John is tired of a world where many take risks on him, with the funding that started Crash Course or educational opportunities, and few on Sierra Leone's health system. — 00:03:53
2026-05-05 · Noted Brother Hank Green — John: Often siblings connect over aging parents; for them it is Vlogbrothers, Crash Course, Dear Hank and John and more, and working with someone you trust all the way down is beyond a gift. — 00:01:56
2026-05-22 · Why I Made Crash Course a Non-Profit — Hank confesses that as Crash Course and SciShow grew into Complexly he was hungry with jealousy of BuzzFeed, Vice and Mashable. — 00:00:39
2026-05-26 · Hank Green Is a Fool — John argues becoming a non-profit keeps Crash Course free forever, means the brothers never profit from crowdfunded growth, and makes coin buyers' and donors' money a tax-advantaged donation. — 00:03:16
- John says Complexly became a charity, so Crash Course and the rest of Complexly are now owned by the public it seeks to serve. — 00:03:38
2026-05-29 · Chemo Cow Body Odor YouTube Helen Hunt Commute — ask: Hank says now is the last chance to get a 2026 Crash Course coin, helping people make educational video; the sale ends sometime this weekend, before the next Vlogbrothers video. — 00:06:04
2026-08-07 · Just Trying to Figure Out My Job — Hank says no one is using AI to write Crash Course videos, whatever an AI-generated headline said. — 00:01:54
2026-10-09 · The Productivity Lie — Hank produces things not because productivity matters to him but because Pizzamas, Nerdfighteria, John, cancer treatment, Crash Course, SciShow, 4x3 and the media environment do. — 00:09:38
2026-10-23 · The Best Email I Ever Got — Hank: What Hank needs instead is reviews, kind emails to the Dear Hank and John inbox, and people showing him their Awesome Socks or Beans house or, most of all, saying Crash Course helped them in school. — 00:05:36
…and 48 statements more in 2026 — all statements of 2026