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Daniel Biss

friend politician · in 58 videos (2007–2024)

Mathematician friend of John, the 2007 Brotherhood 2.0 "resident mathematician"; later an Illinois politician who ran for governor in 2018.

Speaks in 4 videos; this page lists what is said about them.

Videos by year: 2007: 30 · 2008: 12 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 1

Threads

Also named in the threads: John: finish the first draft of his new novel by Wednesday (2007) · John: eat a blenderized Happy Meal, wax a leg and lick a cat, for a textual communication (2007) · John invites Nerdfighters to write and rewrite Omnictionary (2008) · Obama's Idiots: the brothers' punishments for donations to Democratic candidates (2008) · Hank: dress as Carrie Bradshaw, punishment for his 4:16 video (2008) · Bank of Nerdfighteria: the Nerdfighters' Kiva lending team · John decorates the blank blue wall behind him with objects from vlogbrothers history (2015)

Often together

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

Brotherhood 2.0 (18) · Peeps (6) · Punishment (9) · Happy dance (practice) (4) · An Abundance of Katherines (3) · Republican Party (3) · climate change (4) · perspective-taking (2) · Sarah Urist Green (6) · education (2)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2007

  • 2007-01-08 · Brotherhood 2.0: January 8, 2007 — John says the first draft of his new novel is due on January 21, which Daniel Biss, a mathematician he knows, tells him is 13 days away. (playful) — 00:01:27
  • 2007-01-15 · Brotherhood 2.0: January 15th — Hank: In a 'Brotherhood 2.0 agreement moment', Hank backs John's idea of doing their happy dances for 3 minutes 30 seconds as a perfect Brotherhood 2.0 project. (hedged) — 00:01:05
  • 2007-01-16 · Brotherhood 2.0: January 16, 2007 — John asks whether they can agree to have their happy-dance compilation video done around the end of February. — 00:02:37
  • 2007-04-16 · Brotherhood 2.0: April 16: Brotherhood of Traveling Shirts — announcement: John shares that 'our resident mathematician' Daniel Biss is running for state representative in Illinois, able to pass legislation helpful to brothers, nerds and video blogs. — 00:02:27
  • 2007-08-07 · August 7th: Curd Fighter Nurt — Hank reports that John's page on Daniel Biss's ActBlue profile has had over 100 donations for over $2,000. — 00:00:56
  • 2007-08-08 · August 8th: The Lawn and the Fury — announcement: John: Contributions to Biss's ActBlue page before midnight Eastern on Friday count toward John's punishment, as do contributions by non-US people and minors to the Fund to Decrease World Suck. — 00:03:31
  • 2007-08-10 · August 10th: Bears!!!! — John admits he never expected this punishment, not thinking so many would give to Daniel's campaign; he underestimated the Nerdfighters, a lesson for everyone. — 00:01:41
  • 2007-08-27 · August 27th: Thanks Yous and Cameos — announcement: Hank says it probably won't be the last secret project: he and John are working on an idea, with more later this week (week of 27 August 2007). (hedged) — 00:02:28
  • 2007-09-06 · September 6th: The Book Club Returns — John: After calling Daniel, John says that if everyone in the world owned cars at the American rate, there would be about five times as many cars as now. (hedged) — 00:01:30
  • 2007-11-30 · Nov. 30th: A CHRISTMAS RANT — announcement: John says he was supposed to finish the happy dance project by December 1 but will not; he will finish it in December instead. — 00:00:00
  • 2007-12-24 · THE NERDFIGHTER HAPPY DANCE PROJECT — announcement: both: The brothers present the Brotherhood 2.0 Happy Dance Project at long last: Nerdfighters from six continents sharing the dance they do when really happy. — video description
  • 2007-12-28 · Dec. 28th: John's Last Brotherhood 2.0 Video — John has come to think a lot of life is about doing things that don't suck with people who don't suck, which is why he enjoyed the Happy Dance Project and the Project for Awesome. (hedged) — 00:03:11
  • …and 50 statements more in 2007 — all statements of 2007

2008

  • 2008-02-08 · QUESTION TUESDAYS (On Friday) — John introduces Daniel Biss as Brotherhood 2.0's resident mathematician and future state congressperson, asks whether his new baby looked awesome on the ultrasound, and concludes babies are born awesome. (playful) — 00:03:12
  • 2008-02-14 · The Puff Pwns Gravity — John reports that on Super Tuesday (5 February 2008) Daniel Biss won his primary election 100% to 0%, while admitting he was unopposed. — 00:01:36
    • John asks all Nerdfighters to vote for Daniel against stiff competition; in one category he is nominated alongside John McCain, John Edwards and Mitt Romney's five sons. — 00:01:36
  • 2008-03-04 · SETTING THE QUESTION TUESDAY WORLD RECORD — John: Asked whether Daniel Biss can make a cameo in a video, John says absolutely. — 00:01:56
  • 2008-06-16 · Maine Inspires Deep Thoughts — ask: The description asks viewers to give to Daniel Biss via an ActBlue page and says that if $1,000 is reached Hank will dress up as Carrie and go to see the Sex and the City movie. — video description
  • 2008-06-19 · Memo to the Fourteenth Century (and to the Tobians) — John recalls that Daniel Biss, the brothers' 'resident mathematician', was one of the very first Nerdfighters and is running for state representative. — 00:01:12
    • John asks viewers to consider donating to Daniel via ActBlue, adding that it would be very funny if Hank went to the Sex and the City movie dressed as Carrie Bradshaw. — 00:01:41
  • 2008-08-18 · This Video Comes in Threven Parts — announcement: Hank says John started a new, European scavenger hunt; the first clue, in Sweden, has been found and deciphered, giving the letter B, whose meaning is unknown. — 00:03:32
  • 2008-08-20 · Scavenger Hunting — announcement: The description announces that the scavenger-hunt clue has been found and links to a Nerdfighter Ning forum thread for discussion. — video description
  • 2008-08-26 · The Catcher in the Rye, Part 2 — John has Willy tell Nerdfighters that the next scavenger-hunt clue is taped to a sign in Daniel Biss's front yard. (playful) — 00:03:15
  • 2008-09-21 · The Pwning of Oprah — Daniel Biss confirms he is a professional mathematician with a PhD from MIT and that 41,818 is larger than 41,365. (playful) — 00:01:25
  • 2008-10-24 · Paper Towns MOVIE1!!!11! — John tells Hank he is being punished by having to do something he once agreed to: dress as Carrie Bradshaw for the Sex and the City movie, at home since it has left theaters. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • …and 12 statements more in 2008 — all statements of 2008

2009

2010

  • 2010-10-13 · On Hope and Chile — John reasoned relationships have few outcomes, so a formula predicting who ends one should be possible; he wrote a novel about someone who could, with the formula by Daniel Biss. — 00:01:12
  • 2010-11-15 · Hey! You! Fix the Budget! — announcement: John: Saying the deficit shows the need for more mathematicians in power, John announces that Brotherhood 2.0 resident mathematician Daniel Biss is now a state representative-elect. — 00:02:56
  • 2010-12-22 · I Was on Jeopardy!!!! — John: Not being a mathematician, John phones 'Brotherhood 2.0 resident mathematician' and state representative-elect Daniel Biss to ask whether $135,000 is a lot; on hearing yes, John cheers. (playful) — 00:00:47

2011

  • 2011-07-27 · 150,000 Autographs — announcement: Daniel Biss, called in as 'Brotherhood 2.0 resident mathematician', works out that signing 150,000 copies means 2,000 books a day. — 00:01:54
  • …and 1 statement more in 2011 — all statements of 2011

2012

2014

  • 2014-07-18 · EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! — Hank: In March John missed a video while hospitalised and replied to Hank on a forum, so he ate a blenderized Happy Meal, waxed his legs and licked a cat; Hank is unsure why three, possibly Daniel Biss donations. (hedged) — 00:01:03

2015

  • 2015-09-29 · Writing, Walling, Racing, and Wizard Schooling — John tours the wall's relics: Willy, a puppy-sized elephant, a card of Hank humping Peeps, Daniel Biss's 'bloated triangles' paper, an Agloe road map, An Imperial Affliction 'stolen' from the movie set. (playful) — 00:01:35
  • 2015-10-20 · Nerdfighteria's Resident Comptroller? — John says Daniel believed government service was noble; in 2008 Nerdfighteria helped raise money for his campaign and he lost, but he won in 2010 and was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2012. — 00:01:03
    • John says Daniel turned out to be an effective politician: he passed a retirement savings bill, a ban on conversion therapy for LGBT youth, and a bill requiring warrants for police surveillance drones. — 00:01:30
    • John says Daniel has kind of made him believe in politics again: in an age of American ideologues he is practical and sensible, wants to make lives suck less, and avoids inflammatory rhetoric. (hedged) — 00:01:43
    • Daniel Biss: In a clip, Daniel says that when frustrated he asks whether something is broken and corrupt or he just doesn't get to be Emperor; when it's the latter, that's good, because it means no Mussolini. — 00:02:35
    • Daniel Biss: Daniel says people of goodwill must accept the slowness of the political process, or it gets taken over by people deliberately trying to steal from it. — 00:02:44
    • John announces Daniel is now running for Illinois Comptroller, which John explains is basically the state's chief financial officer. — 00:03:00
    • John wants Daniel to win not because he's a friend but because he's a smart, independent voice and very good at math, useful for a comptroller. — 00:03:07
    • John will hold a fundraiser for Daniel next month (November 2015), his last public appearance before VidCon; tickets are $40 and every attendee gets An Abundance of Katherines signed by both. — 00:03:32
    • John hopes to see some viewers at the fundraiser and says they can also donate to Daniel's campaign directly at danielbiss.com. — 00:03:42
    • John says one thing he has learned from Daniel is that good, honest people in politics really can make a difference. — 00:03:53
  • 2015-11-18 · SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8) — announcement: The description reminds Chicagoans that John will be talking with Daniel Biss this weekend in Highland Park. — video description
  • …and 9 statements more in 2015 — all statements of 2015

2017

  • 2017-04-04 · Why I Won't Run for Office — John recalls Brotherhood 2.0's resident mathematician Daniel Biss, his friend, a successful University of Chicago math professor who left to run for office and became a successful state senator. — 00:00:00
    • John says Daniel Biss is now running for governor of Illinois, complete with fancy campaign ads. — 00:00:13
    • John finds this surprising because Daniel is the smartest person he knows and governor of Illinois seems like a terrible job. (hedged) — 00:00:19
    • John says what interests him most is that Daniel, deep down, wants to work in government to help people and because he believes in democracy. — 00:00:40
    • John says that as a state senator Daniel led the passage of legislation to increase retirement savings and a ban on so-called conversion therapy for LGBT people. — 00:00:48
    • John says that to accomplish anything Daniel has had to wade through the vast, gridlocked swamp of US politics and attend many, many meetings. — 00:00:56
    • John says the only elected official he knows is among the kindest, most thoughtful people he has met, and anyone would be lucky to have him as governor. — 00:02:51
    • John says too many politicians fit our caricatures, but our system of government depends on Daniel and many like him, passionate, honest public servants willing to attend meetings; we desperately need them. — 00:02:59
    • John thanks Daniel and wishes him luck: he is running against a few billionaires, but John believes in him. — 00:03:16

2018

  • 2018-02-20 · When Your Friend Runs for Governor — John recalls meeting mathematician Daniel Biss through a mutual friend at a Chicago bar about 15 years ago (around 2003), and being surprised how much he enjoyed talking to him. — 00:00:00
    • The description says donations to Daniel's campaign made now will be matched, linking an ActBlue page. — video description
    • John says making friends in adulthood is hard and he has never been good at it, but over a poor game of pool he felt he was making a friend, and they have been friends for over a third of their lives. — 00:00:22
    • John calls Daniel the smartest person he has known: at 25 he had an MIT math PhD and taught at the University of Chicago, yet always treated John as an intellectual equal. — 00:00:33
    • John says Daniel once called with the worst idea he had ever heard: leaving his good University of Chicago job to run for the Illinois State House. (playful) — 00:01:01
    • John thought it a bad idea because Daniel is nerdy, while in his mind politicians were slick and wore tailored suits. (playful) — 00:01:13
    • At Daniel's campaign announcement, John saw his eloquence and intelligence but thought, driving home, that Daniel might eventually return to abstract mathematics. (hedged) — 00:01:23
    • John says that over eight years Daniel has become a brilliant politician and an extraordinarily effective legislator in a state where it is famously hard to get anything done. — 00:01:48
    • John says Daniel is now running for governor of Illinois. — 00:02:04
    • John says Daniel has a very good chance of winning the March 20th Democratic primary, though his opponents are a billionaire who spent tens of millions on ads and a literal Kennedy. (hedged) — 00:02:09
    • John says imagining electoral politics that way can be a self-fulfilling prophecy: he didn't think Daniel should run because Daniel didn't seem the kind of person who would succeed. — 00:02:41
    • John says that if people like Daniel don't run for office, or aren't elected, we end up with the comic book version of electoral politics. — 00:02:53
  • …and 6 statements more in 2018 — all statements of 2018

2022

  • 2022-02-04 · How John and I Talk About Ideas — Hank describes emperor of the world ideas, good only if everyone got out of the way and agreed: not really bad ideas, just fantasies; the phrase comes from Daniel Biss talking to John. — 00:02:48

2024

  • 2024-06-25 · taking a break — John recently spoke with Brotherhood 2.0's resident mathematician Daniel Biss, now mayor of Evanston, Illinois, who explained why he left Twitter. — 00:01:27
    • Daniel Biss (quoted): Biss thought he brought clean water daily to Twitter's toxic lake, but realized he was only raising the toxic lake's level while ruining a bit of clean water. — 00:01:56