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Essential videos of 2013

34 of the 107 videos uploaded in 2013 were judged high on "words matter": the ideas are the point of the video, so reading or watching for the argument pays off — a reading guide, not a best-of list. Each entry gives the thesis (with a link to where the argument starts) and one line on why it was judged idea-dense. Back to the overview.

Main speaker: Hank: 17 · John: 17

  • 2013-01-01 · John · Why Does Congress Suck? · US politics & society, explainer
    • John argues that Congress has become historically ineffective largely because state legislatures draw safe 'landslide' districts, so members fear only primary challengers and will not compromise; he urges viewers to vote in the state elections that draw the lines. (00:01:28)
    • Why it is here: A sustained causal argument (district-drawing and primary incentives explain congressional gridlock) with several numeric claims and a civic call to action.
  • 2013-01-11 · Hank · On the Ownership of Ideas · Internet & YouTube, letter vlog
    • Hank argues that people have the same ideas concurrently and constantly borrow (DFTBA came from John's friend Katie), that feeling ownership differs from owning, that the internet's derivative culture is making strict copyright obsolete while corporations decide what is allowed, and that free ideas are better for society. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay on idea ownership and copyright (simultaneous ideas, DFTBA's borrowed origin, Disney and copyright extension, Content-ID-style monetisation, collaborative creation), a recurring stance of Hank's.
  • 2013-01-25 · Hank · How to Make Friends · Everyday life, letter vlog
    • Hank argues that real friendship - uncovering and liking each other's brokenness - is rare and undervalued compared with romance; making friends needs repeated, unplanned interactions, initiative, vulnerability and hard questions, and spouses should be best friends. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay with practical advice: a definition of friendship, a cited finding (two to three close friends; repeated unplanned interactions), a partial disagreement with John, and concrete steps.
  • 2013-01-29 · John · Across Three Continents: A Tale of Tumblr, Copyright, and Excellent Posters · Internet & YouTube, letter vlog
    • Replying to Hank's video on the ownership of ideas, John agrees copyright law is broken but says creators need protection; telling how a TFIOS fan poster made across three continents reached DFTBA through a royalty deal, he argues that until the law improves people must be fair to each other and never let copyright make them afraid to create. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: An argued reply on copyright: protection is needed, flat-fee design sales are unfair, money changes what fans may do, and the community must police itself until the law improves; told through a concrete royalty case.
    • Replies to: 2013-01-11 On the Ownership of Ideas
  • 2013-03-12 · John · Understand the Sequester (Spoiler: It's Bananas.) · US politics & society, explainer
    • John explains the US budget, its long-term (not short-term) debt problem and how Congress created sequestration, arguing that its indiscriminate cuts are a self-made, embarrassing crisis that fails to address the real long-term problem. (00:03:51)
    • Why it is here: A number-dense explainer of the federal budget, the debt and the origins and effects of the 2013 sequester, with a clear argued verdict.
    • Replies to: 2012-10-23 Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit
  • 2013-03-15 · Hank · Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes · Internet & YouTube, letter vlog
    • Hank worries that YouTube is drifting toward the old media system of a few big, rich players and argues that viewers and creators should keep it open; he launches two creative contests, plans daily April vlogs and asks for help and discussion on a better funding model than advertising. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: Hank's argument about the concentration of online video money, his rejection of advertising as the model and his call to rethink funding frame the brothers' later work on the business of content.
  • 2013-03-20 · John · Ads Work...but for Whom? · Internet & YouTube, letter vlog
    • Answering Hank's call to discuss funding, John argues that advertising rewards the most views rather than the best, weighs five funding models from the comments and favours a public-radio-style model in which people support what they value because they want it to thrive. (00:00:39)
    • Why it is here: A compact argument about advertising's incentives and a comparison of paywall, crowdfunding, volunteer, merchandise and public-radio models for funding online video.
    • Replies to: 2013-03-15 Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
  • 2013-03-22 · Hank · How Much is a Human Life Worth? · Economics, explainer
    • Hank surveys ways of pricing a human life (wages, organs, ad-sold attention, economists' risk-premium and willingness-to-pay methods, both near $10 million) and argues that valuing life is not crass: its value lies in enabling life, not in preventing inevitable death. (00:01:51)
    • Why it is here: A numbers-driven explainer of how lives and time are priced (minimum wage, ad rates, value of a statistical life, willingness to pay) ending in an argued position on death and value.
  • 2013-04-05 · Hank · North Korea: Explained · World affairs, explainer
    • Hank answers the most-searched questions about North Korea during its 2013 threats: it almost certainly won't attack, its worst threat is to its own people, it is a hereditary dictatorship rather than communist, and it needs the US as an enemy; giving in to its tantrums may only encourage more. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: A compact explainer with checkable claims (missile reach, reasons for the escalation, child height gap, hereditary punishment camps, one-candidate elections) and an argument about rewarding threats with concessions.
  • 2013-04-09 · John · Inside North Korea · World affairs, letter vlog
    • Prompted by Hank's North Korea video, John retells Shin Dong-hyuk's escape from Camp 14 (Escape from Camp 14) and argues the story shows not the strength of the human will but its fragility: Shin's morality was developed after his escape, not innate. (00:01:06)
    • Why it is here: A compact argument that the will is fragile and moral sense is learned, built on specific (checkable) claims about Camp 14 and Shin's life, plus a point about why torture yields unreliable information.
    • Replies to: 2013-04-05 North Korea: Explained
  • 2013-04-16 · John · Flags and Helpers · World affairs, letter vlog
    • Reacting to the Boston Marathon bombing, John argues that the race's 96 side-by-side flags stand for a larger "us" that needs no "them", that some flags came down not from the blast but when helpers tore down barricades to reach the injured, and that we can always look in hope to the helpers and try to be among them. (00:00:29)
    • Why it is here: A short, tightly argued essay: flags as symbols of an us and a them, the marathon flags as a larger us, and the helpers as the answer to attacks, with checkable casualty claims.
  • 2013-05-10 · Hank · Some Mind-Bending Earth GIFs · Science & nature, letter vlog
    • Hank shares time-lapses from Google's new Earth Engine (built on NASA's Landsat) showing 25 years of human change to the planet and argues that seeing the change, not just knowing the statistics, may help us understand and act better. (00:02:01)
    • Why it is here: An argued reflection: humans have a profound, largely negative effect on life on Earth, and people do not grasp statistics, so seeing the change may lead to better decisions.
  • 2013-05-21 · John · Poetry Makes Nothing Happen: Thoughts on Ai Weiwei from the Indianapolis Museum of Art · Pop culture, documentary visit
    • Walking through Ai Weiwei's 'According to What?' at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, John argues that Ai's rebar work for the Sichuan earthquake's dead children 'makes nothing happen' yet gives form to love, anger and grief, which is why good art matters. (00:02:54)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay on what art is for (Auden's 'poetry makes nothing happen'), with checkable claims about Ai Weiwei's life, works and the Sichuan earthquake.
  • 2013-05-24 · Hank · What's Up with Start Ups · Internet & YouTube, letter vlog
    • Hank argues that tech platforms are valued not for revenue but for the users' time they capture, a weird and worrying model; he prefers businesses that treat users as people they need, as he says Vlogbrothers does. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: An argued critique of platform valuations (Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram) and attention monetization, with the brothers' own business principle (no pre-rolls, users as people).
  • 2013-05-31 · Hank · Optimism is Not Insane · Global development, letter vlog
    • Hank says his earlier video on humanity's impact on Earth was paralyzing and wrong in spirit: our brains overweight bad news, humans keep solving problems together, and working for a better future comes from optimism. (00:00:25)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay on negativity bias, human progress, collective problem-solving and optimism, correcting Hank's own earlier video.
    • Replies to: 2013-05-10 Some Mind-Bending Earth GIFs
  • 2013-07-05 · Hank · Egypt....Explained! · World affairs, explainer
    • Hank explains the week's upheaval in Egypt through its four power groups (old regime, Muslim Brotherhood, military, young activists), from Mubarak's fall to Morsi's removal, and argues revolutions bring only incremental change. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: A dense factual explainer with many checkable claims (vote shares, petition counts, the military's share of the economy) and one closing argument about revolutions.
  • 2013-07-26 · Hank · Introducing Subbable · Projects, announcement
    • Hank, answering John's request to fix online video's dependence on advertising, introduces Subbable, a pay-what-you-want subscription system launching with Crash Course, and argues that advertisers value views rather than viewers, so Nerdfighteria could drive a cultural shift to voluntary payment. (00:00:33)
    • Why it is here: States the brothers' case against ad-funded media ('advertisers value views, not viewers') and the founding rationale and rules of Subbable and Crash Course funding.
  • 2013-08-13 · John · Shailene's Hair, Unfair Monopoly, and the Just World Fallacy · Economics, letter vlog
    • John argues from rigged-Monopoly experiments that the just world fallacy makes the advantaged feel deserving and that power wields people; he wants Nerdfighteria to resist that pull, and backs Shailene Woodley's hair donation to Children With Hair Loss. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay: research claims about rigged Monopoly games and the empathy of the rich, the just world fallacy, 'power is wielding people', and a stated aim for Nerdfighteria plus a concrete donation ask.
  • 2013-08-20 · John · Why Are American Health Care Costs So High? · US politics & society, explainer
    • John argues US health care costs so much because everything costs more and the US does not negotiate prices centrally (save Medicare), not because of overuse, obesity or malpractice alone; the problem is complex, with no simple fix. (00:01:03)
    • Why it is here: A data-heavy explainer: international price and spending comparisons, cost estimates by category, the negotiation and inelastic-demand argument, and a closing case against simple explanations.
  • 2013-08-23 · Hank · Thoughts from Bath: The Legacy of Wealth · Economics, documentary visit
    • Touring Bath with Charlie McDonnell, Hank argues that the Roman Baths and other monuments are artifacts of concentrated wealth we both enjoy and rightly criticise, notes how extreme global inequality is, and says our greatest legacy should be peace, plenty and equality. (00:01:58)
    • Why it is here: A Thoughts from Places essay: the Roman Baths as monuments to wealth, cultural legacy as an artifact of concentrated wealth, and global inequality figures.
  • 2013-09-03 · John · Bigger Pizzas: A Capitalist Case for Health Care Reform · US politics & society, explainer
    • John argues that tying health insurance to big employers and denying coverage for pre-existing conditions keeps would-be entrepreneurs like Henry Reich and Hank from innovating, so publicly subsidized coverage and the ACA grow the economic "pizza". (00:00:58)
    • Why it is here: A sustained policy argument with a capitalism framing, two worked examples (Henry Reich and Hank), the ACA under-26 and 2014 rules, Montana's $10,000 cap and a closing thesis on employees vs entrepreneurs.
    • Replies to: 2013-08-20 Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?
  • 2013-09-13 · Hank · Syria in Five Minutes · World affairs, explainer
    • Hank explains the background of the Syrian civil war and the 2013 chemical-weapons crisis, argues that anyone claiming to know the right course is disingenuous or uninformed, and asks viewers to help displaced Syrians through the UN Refugee Agency. (00:04:30)
    • Why it is here: A dense current-events explainer: Syria's sectarian history, Cold War alliances, the chemical-weapons red line, the Russia-brokered offer, a verdict of radical uncertainty about intervention, and a refugee-aid ask.
  • 2013-09-24 · John · Started from the Bottom: Benjamin Franklin and Drake Compared · Books & writing, letter vlog
    • John compares Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography with Drake's "Started from the Bottom", argues that neither man started from the bottom and that success narratives rarely acknowledge privilege, and calls the self-made individual a deeply flawed idea. (00:01:27)
    • Why it is here: An argued comparison of two success narratives: Franklin's and Drake's unacknowledged privilege, and the claim that the self-made-individual myth makes us collaborate too little and judge too much.
  • 2013-09-27 · Hank · Invalid Arguments: Climate Change · Science & nature, list
    • Hank says humanity must first agree that climate change is a real, human-caused problem, rebuts ten common arguments against it, and argues for using fossil fuels less while expressing faith that humanity can solve the problem. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: A point-by-point rebuttal of climate-change denial arguments with checkable claims (CO2 and past warming, the hottest decade, 1970s cooling predictions, Antarctic sea versus land ice) and a stated position on fossil fuels.
  • 2013-10-01 · Hank · The Lowdown on the Shutdown · US politics & society, explainer
    • In a 'special edition of Let's Understand the News', Hank explains the October 2013 US government shutdown: the Republican-led House tied the continuing resolution to delaying Obamacare and the Senate refused; he blames gerrymandered, radicalized districts and calls the shutdown embarrassing but survivable. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: A dense news explainer with many checkable claims (how budgets and continuing resolutions work, the Obamacare rider, what closes and what keeps running, about 800,000 people out of work) and a stated root cause (gerrymandering).
  • 2013-10-15 · John · Thoughts for Nerdfighteria · Nerdfighteria, letter vlog
    • John notes Nerdfighteria is growing fast and fears that communities growing without deepening become less important; he recommits to making things together with Nerdfighteria rather than chasing size, starting with his own punishment. (00:01:35)
    • Why it is here: A short argued statement of what the community should be as it grows (depth over size, collaboration over fame), with concrete examples.
  • 2013-10-18 · Hank · Curiosity is the Greatest Human Quality · Philosophy & meaning, letter vlog
    • After a YouTube education event and a visit to the Exploratorium with fellow educational creators, Hank argues that inspiring curiosity is the heart of education and that curiosity may be the finest human quality, the opposite of judgment. (00:01:15)
    • Why it is here: A compact argued essay (curiosity versus love and judgment, curiosity as education's core) from a concrete visit.
    • Replies to: 2013-10-15 Thoughts for Nerdfighteria
  • 2013-10-29 · John · Perspective · Personal life, story
    • Prompted by Hank's million-seconds video, John tells how at 24, depressed after a breakup in Chicago, he took leave from Booklist, got treatment and watched Harvey, and argues that you can't know what an experience means until time gives you perspective. (00:02:01)
    • Why it is here: A carefully told personal story about depression and recovery that builds to a stated lesson about perspective and time.
  • 2013-11-19 · John · On Middle School Misery · Everyday life, letter vlog
    • Prompted by a message from a student at his old middle school, John recalls being miserable and bullied, argues his bullies were hurting kids and their cruelty was not about him, credits the kindness of others, and says those years need not be the best of your life: the only way out is through. (00:01:17)
    • Why it is here: A short argued reflection on bullying and adolescence with a clear stance (bullies are kids in pain; it is not about you; kindness is common; it gets better).
  • 2013-11-22 · Hank · How to Apologize like a Fartbag · Everyday life, list
    • Hank argues that after hurting someone you either regain your awesome through a real apology or become a 'fartbag' who blames the person they hurt, and lists do's and don'ts for apologizing: accept blame, feel bad, provide context without excuses, and change. (00:00:07)
    • Why it is here: A worked-out set of rules for apologizing, with a coined term and an argument that apology is strength rather than submission.
  • 2013-12-03 · John · Who Owns DFTBA? An Introduction to Trademarks · Nerdfighteria, explainer
    • John explains that the brothers could trademark 'Don't Forget to Be Awesome' to stop companies like Urban Outfitters using it, but won't, because trademarks cannot be enforced selectively and the phrase belongs to Nerdfighteria; the community is defined by its values, not its mottoes. (00:01:15)
    • Why it is here: Argued decision about the community's motto with a legal explanation (selective enforcement, genericization) and a closing claim about what defines the community.
  • 2013-12-06 · Hank · I Am President Snow · Economics, letter vlog
    • Hank argues that, unlike in The Hunger Games, our deeply unequal society has no villain: inequality comes from psychology, sociology, math and complacency, which makes him a kind of President Snow; since it is the path of least resistance and bad for everyone, we need structures to fight it. (00:00:59)
    • Why it is here: An argued essay on the causes of inequality and personal complicity, with a call to build structures against it.
  • 2013-12-17 · John · THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2013 IS UPON US! · Global development, announcement
    • John launches P4A 2013 and argues for Save the Children: the crises in the Central African Republic and among Syrian refugees are complex and no charity will fix them, but helping children there does matter, because distant people are still our neighbors. (00:02:05)
    • Why it is here: A compact charity case with numbers on the Central African Republic and Syrian refugee camps, an argument that complexity does not make help pointless, and the claim that distant people are our neighbors; plus P4A 2013 rules (voting, penny per comment, $125,000 matching).
  • 2013-12-31 · John · GOOD NEWS: 14 Reasons 2014 May Be the Best Year Ever · Global development, list
    • John starts the new year with good news: falling divorce, unintended pregnancy, infant and malaria mortality, poverty, cancer and traffic deaths, rising literacy and internet speeds; this progress is tenuous and partly unsustainable, but real and worth celebrating. (00:00:00)
    • Why it is here: Dense list of attributed statistics (poverty, infant mortality, literacy, fatalities) arguing that human life is improving; many checkable figures.

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