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Facts taught in 2012

255 sincere fact claims from 2012; 151 come with figures. Each figure is shown as said, with what it measures, who it counts (for) and where it applies (in) when recorded (said, or clear from the context), its as-of date, the source the speaker gives (if any) and the extraction-time check. Where no as-of date was said, the one shown is implied (the date said in the video, else the upload date); relative dates such as "last year" keep their words and are resolved against that same date. "Unchecked" means nobody has checked it yet, not that it is wrong. Back to the overview.

Topics: US politics & society (61) · Science & nature (54) · History & curiosities (43) · Everyday life (17) · World affairs (14) · Economics (12) · Global development (12) · Books & writing (11) · Internet & YouTube (10) · Personal life (9) · Pop culture (5) · Nerdfighteria (4) · Sports (2) · Projects (1)

US politics & society (61)

  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says Canada recently decided to discontinue its penny because it doesn't facilitate commerce and costs 1.5 Canadian cents to make. (00:00:03)
    • 1.5 Canadian cents — cost to make one penny · for Canadian penny · in Canada · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says the FAA, responsible for air traffic control and safety inspections, is mostly funded by a tax on airplane tickets, which he is happy to pay. (00:00:30)
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says the last five years have seen 23 short-term extensions of the FAA ticket tax, mostly because Congress fights about unions, which helps members raise money. (00:00:47)
    • 23 (short-term extensions) — number of short-term extensions of the FAA ticket tax · for FAA funding · in United States · as of the last five years (to 2012) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says Congress let the FAA's funding lapse over the summer, so the ticket tax could not be collected, and airlines raised prices by the exact amount of the tax, keeping the money. (00:01:12)
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says Congress finally passed a long-term FAA budget in February, but by then the dispute had probably cost a billion dollars. — hedged: “probably” (00:01:42)
    • a billion dollars (US dollars) — cost of the FAA funding dispute and lapse · for US taxpayers · in United States · as of February 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says highway funding also runs on inefficient short-term extensions, though no one is fighting about unions, even as everyone agrees long-term deals are cheaper. (00:01:49)
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says everyone agrees Medicare, a popular program giving health care to old people, is unsustainable: by 2020 it could account for 5% of GDP. — hedged: “could” (00:02:34)
    • 5% (percent of GDP) — Medicare spending as a share of US gross domestic product · for Medicare · in United States · as of 2020 (projection) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-03 · Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy — John says the states that spend the least per Medicare patient get the best health outcomes, largely through boring things like preventive medicine and hand-washing. (00:03:03)
  • 2012-05-11 · Your Arguments Are Invalid: Gay Marriage — Hank reports that North Carolina, where the brothers' parents live, has just outright banned gay marriage by writing it into its constitution. (00:00:06)
  • 2012-05-11 · Your Arguments Are Invalid: Gay Marriage — Hank says 30 other US states besides North Carolina have passed laws like this one. (00:03:37)
    • 30 (states) — US states other than North Carolina that have passed laws like North Carolina's gay-marriage ban · in United States · as of 2012-05 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John says 'traditional marriage' as one man and one woman is inaccurate: in the Bible King David married 18 women and Solomon 700, plus 300 concubines. (00:00:17)
    • 18 (women) — number of wives of King David · for King David · as of 2012-05-15 (implied: date said in the video) · source: the Bible · unchecked
    • seven hundred (women) — number of wives of Solomon · for Solomon · as of 2012-05-15 (implied: date said in the video) · source: the Bible · unchecked
    • three hundred (concubines) — number of concubines of Solomon · for Solomon · as of 2012-05-15 (implied: date said in the video) · source: the Bible · unchecked
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John says almost everything associated with traditional weddings, from white dresses and monogamy to scripture readings and saying 'I do', is not very traditional. (00:00:38)
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John says that for most of Christian history until the 16th century marriages rarely happened in churches, with clergy or witnesses; people married by agreeing to, and often told the church, which kept records. (00:00:47)
    • 16th century — period until which Christian marriages rarely took place in churches, with clergy or witnesses · for Christian marriages · as of 2012-05-15 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John says one-man-one-woman assumes everyone is a man or a woman, which was never so: about 0.5% of people have always been intersex (e.g. XXY, XYY, androgen insensitivity syndrome). (00:01:06)
    • 0.5% (percent) — share of the human population that is intersex · for human population · as of 2012-05-15 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John explains that for many religious people, including Christians, Jews and Muslims, marriage is a covenant, a promise to God to stay together for life, and only real marriage if it involves that covenant. (00:01:43)
  • 2012-05-15 · Religion and Gay Marriage — John explains that for lots of those believers gay marriage is impossible, since they hold homosexual relationships inherently sinful, so God cannot bless the union; many religious people and institutions disagree. (00:01:57)
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Hank says that according to the US government there are basically three ways to make money: inheriting it, working (ordinary income) and capital gains. (00:00:07)
    • three (categories) — ways to make money as classed by the US government · in United States · as of 2012 · source: United States government · unchecked
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Examples of ordinary income: YouTube ad money, pay for a job, and turning raw materials like yarn into something worth more, like a TFiOS hat. (00:00:20)
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Hank corrects a misconception: entering a new tax bracket does not move all your income into it, so there's no need to stay below a bracket; the real system is significantly better. (00:00:35)
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — In Hank's chart of the four lowest brackets for a married couple, earning $10,000 a year means a 10% tax rate. (00:00:47)
    • ten thousand dollars a year (USD per year) — example income · for married couple · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 10 percent — income tax rate in the lowest bracket · for married couple · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — A married couple earning $50,000 is in the second bracket, but their first $17,000 is still taxed in the first bracket and only the rest in the second. (00:01:00)
    • fifty thousand dollars (USD per year) — example income in the second bracket · for married couple · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • seventeen thousand dollars (USD) — upper limit of the first tax bracket · for married couple · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Even someone making $500,000, which spans all the brackets, still pays into all the lower brackets before the high ones. (00:01:11)
    • five hundred thousand dollars (USD per year) — example income spanning all tax brackets · for married couple · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Capital gains are money made by buying something, waiting and selling it later for more; most come from the stock market, but also real estate. (00:01:25)
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Hank says that above roughly $30,000 a year in income, capital gains tax is a flat 15% for everybody. — hedged: “like” (00:01:37)
    • like thirty thousand dollars a year (USD per year) — income threshold above which the 15% capital gains rate applies · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 15 percent — capital gains tax rate · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — Hank says capital gains are how really rich people make most of their money: they invest, the asset gains value, they sell. (00:01:46)
  • 2012-08-31 · Why The Rich Pay Lower Taxes — The rationale is that investment is very good for the economy and should be taxed less to encourage it; Hank says there isn't much good data supporting that claim. (00:02:18)
  • 2012-09-21 · You. Must. Vote. — Answering the claim that super PACs and special interests control elections, Hank points out that super PACs get zero votes. (00:00:26)
    • ZERO (votes) — votes cast by super PACs · for super PACs · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-21 · You. Must. Vote. — Hank says the richest, most powerful man in America gets one vote, the same as you, so voting, if nothing else, is fair. (00:00:35)
    • One (votes) — votes per voter · for the richest, most powerful man in America · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-12 · Human Sexuality is Complicated… — Hank says biological sex tends to be binary, though various conditions result in intersex individuals. (00:00:59)
  • 2012-10-12 · Human Sexuality is Complicated… — Hank says many people move across these spectrums, sometimes from year to year, sometimes hour to hour. (00:03:22)
  • 2012-11-02 · Disney Buys Star Wars and DFTVA! — Hank says Lucasfilm's effects studio, Industrial Light and Magic, hired John Lasseter in the early 80s, and he and others created its computer graphics department. (00:00:00)
    • early 80s (decade) — when ILM hired John Lasseter · as of early 1980s · no source named · doubtful
  • 2012-11-02 · Disney Buys Star Wars and DFTVA! — Hank says ILM sold that computer graphics department to Steve Jobs for $5 million, and it became a company whose name is lost in the audio (from context, Pixar). (00:00:00)
    • $5 million (USD) — price Steve Jobs paid ILM for its computer graphics department · as of 2012-11-02 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-02 · Disney Buys Star Wars and DFTVA! — Hank says Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006 and all of Lucasfilm, including ILM, for $4 billion, so Lucasfilm's afterthought became worth more. (00:00:43)
    • $7.4 billion (USD) — price Disney paid for Pixar · as of 2006 · no source named · unchecked
    • $4 billion (USD) — price Disney paid for Lucasfilm (including ILM) · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — John says ordinary income, usually money from a job, is currently taxed at 35% above $388,000. (00:00:00)
    • 35% (percent) — top US federal income tax rate on ordinary income · for income over $388,000 · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — Obama's deficit-reduction plan would cut most families' taxes but tax income over $388,000 at 39%; Romney's would cut that top marginal rate to about 28%. (00:00:00)
    • 39% (percent) — top income tax rate under Obama's deficit reduction plan · for income over $388,000 · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
    • about 28% (percent) — top marginal income tax rate under Romney's tax plan · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — For a married couple with one kid making $500,000, John says Obama's plan means about $5,000 more tax and Romney's about $36,000 less; most people are unaffected. (00:00:29)
    • about $5,000 more (USD per year) — change in tax under Obama's plan · for married, one kid, $500,000 a year · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
    • about $36,000 less (USD per year) — change in tax under Romney's plan · for married, one kid, $500,000 a year · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — John says Obama's plan would take tax rates back to where they were in the 1990s and Romney's to about where they were in the late 1980s. (00:00:29)
    • where they were in the 1990s (historical level) — income tax rates under Obama's plan compared with the past · in United States · as of 2012-11-04 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • about where they were in the late 1980s (historical level) — income tax rates under Romney's plan compared with the past · in United States · as of 2012-11-04 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — John says money from selling a company (say, YouTube to Google) or appreciated stock is capital gains, currently taxed at 15%, far below the ordinary income rate. (00:01:56)
    • 15% (percent) — US capital gains tax rate · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — Showing a graph, John says the capital gains tax is at its lowest point since 1972. (00:02:26)
    • lowest point since 1972 (historical level) — US capital gains tax rate · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-04 · Policy and Politics: Brotherhood 2.0 Week Begins — Obama would raise the capital gains rate back to 20%, its level in 1997-2002; Romney would keep 15% but eliminate all tax on capital gains under $250,000. (00:02:26)
    • 20% (percent) — capital gains tax rate proposed by Obama · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
    • 20% (percent) — US capital gains tax rate · in United States · as of 1997-2002 · no source named · unchecked
    • 15% (percent) — capital gains tax rate kept under Romney's plan · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · unchecked
    • $250,000 (USD) — capital gains below which Romney would eliminate all tax · in United States · as of 2012 proposal · no source named · doubtful
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank calls the election one for the history books: the first female amputee in Congress, first female Asian American senator, first openly gay senator, first second term for a black president, and first legalizations of recreational marijuana and gay marriage. (00:00:00)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank notes that Puerto Rico remains, in effect, a US colony and in its 500-year history has been an autonomous country for only four weeks, between Spain giving it up and the US taking possession. (video description)
    • four (weeks) — time Puerto Rico has been an autonomous country · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 500 (years) — length of Puerto Rico's history · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank adds that the ballot question was odd: a two-part question whose first part a majority answered in favour of a status change, while many skipped the second, so the statehood majority may have been outweighed by those wanting no change, independence or a different commonwealth status. — hedged: “may have been” (video description)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank says the share of Puerto Ricans favouring statehood keeps rising, and it is an issue the US will have to face some day. (video description)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico are American citizens: they use American money and passports, can serve in the US military and must obey American laws. (00:00:31)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — The UN, opposed to colonization, says this is not really okay (hence a French island is the Eurozone's southernmost point), but Puerto Ricans had always said the status quo was fine, so the UN accepted it. — hedged: “sort of” (00:01:00)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank says Puerto Ricans have it pretty well: universal health care, a longer life expectancy than Americans, and they pay into and receive Social Security. (00:01:21)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — But Puerto Rico has 13% unemployment and per capita income two-thirds that of the poorest US state. (00:01:29)
    • thirteen percent (%) — unemployment rate · for labour force · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • two thirds (ratio) — per capita income relative to the poorest US state · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012 · no source named · doubtful
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — The UN, President Obama, Governor Romney and both the Democratic and Republican platforms all agree Puerto Rico should decide for itself whether to become a state. (00:01:35)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank says Puerto Rico has now apparently decided for statehood, raising issues beyond fitting an extra star on the flag. — hedged: “apparently” (00:01:46)
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank expects the opposition to cite $20 billion of extra Medicare and Medicaid costs, but says the bigger issue is the balance of Congress. — hedged: “I think” (00:01:56)
    • twenty billion dollars (USD) — extra Medicare and Medicaid costs of Puerto Rican statehood · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · source: the opposition (as Hank expects) · unchecked
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — As a state Puerto Rico would get two senators, making 102, and five or six representatives in the House. (00:02:07)
    • two (senators) — Senate seats a state of Puerto Rico would get · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 102 (senators) — size of the Senate with Puerto Rico as a state · in United States · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • five or six (representatives) — House seats a state of Puerto Rico would get · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Those representatives would come out of other states' districts rather than be added, cutting their representation, which Hank thinks many states would be upset about. — hedged: “I think” (00:02:13)
    • five (representatives) — House seats that would be taken from other states · in United States · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · doubtful
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Hank says granting statehood takes not 51% of the vote but two-thirds. (00:02:33)
    • 51% — share of the vote needed to grant statehood (rejected) · in United States · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · speaker error
    • two thirds (fraction) — share of the vote needed to grant statehood · in United States · as of 2012-11-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · speaker error
  • 2012-11-07 · The 51st State — Statehood remains extremely divisive inside Puerto Rico, which just elected a governor, 'basically their president', who is not in favor of statehood. (00:02:46)
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — The House started with 65 seats, about one per 60,000 of America's roughly four million people in 1790. (00:00:58)
    • 65 (seats) — number of seats in the House of Representatives · in United States · as of 1790 · no source named · unchecked
    • 60,000 (people per seat) — constituents per House seat · in United States · as of 1790 · no source named · unchecked
    • four million-ish (people) — population of the United States · in United States · as of 1790 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — Had a seat kept being added for every 60,000 new people, Hank says, the House would now have over 5,000 members. (00:01:27)
    • over 5,000 (members) — House size if one seat per 60,000 people had continued · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — Around 1910 Congress capped the House at its then size, 435 seats, where it still is; the number isn't in the Constitution but has long been in place. (00:01:27)
    • 435 (seats) — number of seats in the House of Representatives (cap) · in United States · as of 1910 to 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 1910 (year) — year the House size was capped · in United States · as of 2012-11-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — With population growing and seats fixed, there is now one representative for roughly every 700,000 people. (00:01:56)
    • roughly every 700,000 people (people per representative) — constituents per House seat · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — A State of Puerto Rico, with about four million people, would automatically get two senators and at least one representative, and deserve four or possibly five representatives. (00:02:26)
    • about four million (people) — population of Puerto Rico · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • two senators — Senate seats a State of Puerto Rico would get · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • one representative — minimum House seats per state · in United States · as of 2012-11-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • four or possibly five (representatives) — House seats a State of Puerto Rico would deserve · in Puerto Rico · as of 2012-11-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-09 · The Stadium of Representatives: The End of B20 Week :-( — Since the 435 can't grow, seats would be taken from other states; citing an online report, Hank says Florida, Washington, Texas, California and Minnesota would each lose one. (00:02:55)
    • one representative each — House seats each named state would lose if Puerto Rico became a state · in Florida, Washington, Texas, California, Minnesota · as of 2012 · source: a nice detailed report that I found on the internet · unchecked

Science & nature (54)

  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank says the observable universe is what we can conceivably see, since photons must travel to us; it is a sphere centred on the observer, so each of us is its centre. (00:00:00)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank compares the observable universe to the observable ocean: a horizon seen from the beach doesn't mean there is nothing beyond it. (00:00:34)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Answering the common objection that an expanding universe must expand into something, Hank says it isn't expanding into anything; the Big Bang was not an explosion with more stuff in the middle. (00:01:03)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank says there is no centre: after the Big Bang everything was evenly spaced and remains so apart from gravitational clumps; expansion means the fabric galaxies exist in is stretching. (00:01:33)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank says the physical place where the Big Bang started would be everywhere. (00:01:33)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank says scientists aren't sure whether the universe is infinite, though current data suggests it is, so it may be both infinite and expanding; some infinites may be larger than others. — explicitly uncertain (00:02:02)
  • 2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank says the universe might instead be finite, with an edge somewhere beyond where we can see. — hedged: “might” (00:02:02)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank's list of featured animals names the tiny frog Paedophryne amauensis as the smallest vertebrate. (video description)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the world's smallest chameleon was recently discovered in Madagascar, one reason for this video about the tiniest things. (00:00:12)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the chameleon is not the smallest reptile: that is the Virgin Islands dwarf gecko, shown full-grown on a dime. (00:00:30)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the smallest vertebrate is a frog or a fish depending on the side of a controversy, and that it makes sense it lives in water, where gravity matters less. (00:00:40)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the male anglerfish is smaller than the frog and the smallest vertebrate, though most biologists don't count it because it relies on sexual parasitism to survive. (00:01:16)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the smallest warm-blooded creature is the bee hummingbird. (00:01:43)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the smallest mammal is harder to determine: by length it is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, by mass the Etruscan shrew, which he picks. (00:01:51)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says there was once a smaller mammal, the long-extinct Batodonoides vanhouteni, a kind of shrew he mentions because of the name Van Houten. (00:02:07)
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank says the world's smallest primate is Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, which weighs just over an ounce. (00:02:15)
    • just over an ounce — body mass of Madame Berthe's mouse lemur · for Madame Berthe's mouse lemur · as of 2012-02-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-02-17 · World's Smallest Animals — Hank names domestic record-holders: Ducky, the current smallest dog at 1.4 pounds, and Thumbelina, a miniature horse just 17 inches tall, which he says does not sound healthy. (00:02:31)
    • 1.4 (pounds) — weight of the smallest living dog · for Ducky · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 17 (inches) — height of the miniature horse Thumbelina · for Thumbelina · as of 2012-02-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says NASA announced the new Space Launch System in September 2011, a next step whose crews will travel beyond the space station's routine trips. (00:00:00)
    • September of 2011 (date) — NASA announcement of the Space Launch System · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says the SLS is the most powerful rocket ever designed: taller than the Statue of Liberty, big enough to hold nine school buses, with 286,000 pounds of cargo lift. (00:00:38)
    • nine (school buses) — interior capacity of the SLS · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 286,000 (pounds) — cargo lift capacity of the SLS · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says the SLS is the launcher, not the spaceship; the spaceship is the new 20,000-pound four-seat Orion crew vehicle, wingless because returning from deep space it will move 9,000 mph faster than the shuttle ever did. (00:01:08)
    • 20,000-pound — mass of the Orion crew vehicle · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • four-seater — crew capacity of Orion · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 9,000 miles per hour (mph) — re-entry speed of Orion from deep space compared with the space shuttle · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says Orion has four times the mass and more than twice the interior volume of the Apollo capsule. (00:01:08)
    • four times (ratio) — mass of Orion relative to the Apollo capsule · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • more than two times (ratio) — interior volume of Orion relative to the Apollo capsule · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says the Moon's mysteries have grown since Apollo: it is seismically active, almost certainly holds frozen water, and its airless surface preserves its whole history, including meteorites. — hedged: “We're almost certain” (00:01:37)
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says it has been 40 years since humanity had a spacecraft able to carry humans beyond near-Earth orbit, and now it will have one again. (00:01:37)
    • 40 years — time since a crewed spacecraft able to go beyond near-Earth orbit · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says Ceres, a spherical dwarf planet 600 miles wide in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, may contain a subterranean ocean, and an unmanned probe will reach it in 2015. — hedged: “possibly” (00:02:23)
    • 600 miles — diameter of Ceres · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 2015 (year) — arrival of an unmanned probe at Ceres · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank calls Mars the juiciest scientific fruit in the solar system: a third the size of Earth, with an atmosphere and a day of 24-point-something hours. (00:02:52)
    • a third the size of Earth (fraction of Earth) — size of Mars relative to Earth · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · doubtful
    • 24 point something hour — length of a day on Mars · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-09 · The Future of Manned Space Exploration — Hank says astronauts took about three days to reach the Moon while Mars takes about seven months; such missions are difficult, dangerous and expensive, so we proceed with caution. (00:02:52)
    • about three days — travel time to the Moon for astronauts · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • like seven months — travel time to Mars · as of 2012-03-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-06 · Can I be Space President? — Hank says the escorts were there not to protect a space telescope but because Northrop Grumman makes most of its money making tools and weapons for the US military. (00:01:23)
    • most of its money (share of revenue) — share of Northrop Grumman revenue from making tools and weapons for the US military · for Northrop Grumman · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-04-06 · Can I be Space President? — Many NASA contractors are also defense contractors: the missions differ, maybe antithetically, but building advanced one-of-a-kind machinery poses surprisingly similar technical challenges. (00:01:23)
  • 2012-05-05 · It's HANKO DE MAYO!!!!! — John says the James Webb Space Telescope is being built primarily by Northrop Grumman and funded by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, with about 17 countries involved. (00:00:00)
    • like 17 (countries) — number of countries involved in the James Webb Space Telescope · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-05 · It's HANKO DE MAYO!!!!! — Light travels about 186,000 miles per second and the Sun is about 93 million miles away, so sunlight takes about eight minutes to reach Earth: we see the Sun as it was eight minutes ago. (00:00:44)
    • about 186,000 (miles per second) — speed of light · as of 2012-05-05 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • about 93 million (miles) — distance from the Sun to Earth · as of 2012-05-05 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • about eight minutes — travel time of light from the Sun to Earth · as of 2012-05-05 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-05 · It's HANKO DE MAYO!!!!! — Objects about 13 billion light years away are seen as they were 13 billion years ago, so Webb will see the earliest galaxies forming. (00:00:44)
    • like 13 billion (light years) — distance of the most distant objects discussed · as of 2012-05-05 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 13 billion (years) — how far into the past such objects are seen · as of 2012-05-05 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says there are only four forces in the universe (strong, weak, gravity, electromagnetism) and only three types of particles, so it is remarkably simple. (00:00:35)
    • four forces (count) — number of fundamental forces in the universe · as of 2012-07-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • three types of particles (count) — number of types of fundamental particles · as of 2012-07-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says quantum mechanics showed fields aren't what we imagine: a magnet's field is a fog of virtual photons from a point source; forces are carried by virtual particles called gauge bosons. (00:00:35)
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says every force carrier has been observed except the graviton, which probably will never be seen, so we may never really know whether it exists. — hedged: “Probably” (00:01:04)
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says a top quark is 350,000 times more massive than an electron (earlier: hundreds of thousands of times), although both are the same size. (00:01:54)
    • hundreds of thousands of times (ratio) — mass of the top quark relative to the electron · as of 2012-07-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 350,000 times (ratio) — mass of the top quark relative to the electron · as of 2012-07-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says in the 1960s scientists including Higgs theorized an evenly distributed field filling the universe; particles get mass by interacting with it, and photons, which don't, travel at light speed. (00:01:54)
    • In the 60s (decade) — when the Higgs field was theorized · as of 2012-07-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says the equations showed that without this field all particles would move at the speed of light, making everything we know impossible. (00:02:23)
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says the Higgs boson is not the part of the system that gives particles mass; it is the observable part that confirms the Higgs field exists. (00:02:52)
  • 2012-07-06 · The Higgs Boson — Hank says that because mass and energy are the same, slamming particles together with enough energy excites the Higgs field, and the new particle has now been seen. (00:02:52)
  • 2012-07-20 · The Universe is Weird: A Song — In the song Hank says a quark never exists by itself: the energy needed to separate two is just enough to create two more that join them. (00:00:00)
  • 2012-07-20 · The Universe is Weird: A Song — Hank sings that a photon has no mass and travels at light speed, so from its view it is emitted and absorbed in the same instant, even across 13 billion light years. (00:00:00)
    • 13 billion light years — distance a photon may travel while being emitted and absorbed in the same instant (from its perspective) · as of 2012-07-20 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-20 · The Universe is Weird: A Song — Hank sings that an electron has a charge as strong as a proton's and a tiny but non-zero mass, yet apparently no size. (00:00:46)
  • 2012-07-20 · The Universe is Weird: A Song — Hank sings that the mundane mass and energy we know and understand is only 4% of what the universe has. (00:00:46)
    • 4% (percent) — share of the universe's mass-energy that is ordinary, understood mass and energy · in the universe · as of 2012-07-20 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank says cows cannot simply be tipped: they are big, strong, surprisingly smart animals that sleep lying down; it would take many people, and bothering one is unwise. (00:01:00)
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank says you can fry an egg on the sidewalk in many places in hot summers, since cooking an egg takes little heat, and points to a video of soldiers' boots melting in Iraq. (00:02:00)
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank says you can, in a manner of speaking, die of a broken heart: grief is stressful, and in the 24 hours after losing a loved one, heart-attack risk is 21 times higher. (00:02:17)
    • 21 times (times more likely) — relative risk of heart attack · for people in the 24 hours after the loss of a loved one · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank says cellulite can be addressed by keeping a healthy body weight or expensive plastic surgery, but creams do no good; everybody has it. (00:02:37)
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank says farts can be lit because they include flammable methane and hydrogen, but warns that holding a flame to your pants is dangerous. (00:02:59)
  • 2012-09-07 · Can You Really Light a Fart? — Hank debunks a viral video of a burning orange filled with lighter fluid: oranges are mostly water; their fructose and cellulose burn only if dehydrated. (00:03:23)
  • 2012-12-07 · Thoughts from Dead Animals — Emily Graslie: Emily says the museum has about 21,000 specimens in one tiny room alone. (00:00:42)
    • about 21,000 (specimens) — specimens held in one room of the museum · in Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-07 · Thoughts from Dead Animals — Emily Graslie: Emily says the museum has 7,000 bird specimens, mounted on sticks so they can be picked up. (00:00:47)
    • 7,000 (bird specimens) — bird specimens in the museum collection · in Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-07 · Thoughts from Dead Animals — Emily Graslie: Emily says the bird specimens dating from before the 1960s were preserved with arsenic. (00:00:55)
    • before the 1960's (date) — period in which the museum's bird specimens were preserved with arsenic · in Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum · as of 2012-12-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-07 · Thoughts from Dead Animals — Emily Graslie: Emily says the hyena skull shows a scavenger that ate bones: worn-down teeth, bone loss and dental abscesses that hyenas often get. (00:01:29)
  • 2012-12-07 · Thoughts from Dead Animals — Emily Graslie: Emily says possums have more teeth than any other mammal. (00:02:18)

History & curiosities (43)

  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says the Quran does not say all martyrs get 72 virgins in heaven; the tradition comes from a hadith, a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, which is very poorly sourced. (00:00:11)
    • 72 (virgins) — virgins said to await each martyr in heaven (the misconception) · for martyrs · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · source: a hadith (per John), not the Quran · unchecked
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John adds that some people argue the word 'virgins' is mistranslated and actually means something like 'white grapes'. (00:00:29)
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says .999 repeating is not less than one but equal to it, since .333 repeating is one-third and three thirds make one. (00:00:36)
    • equal to one — value of 0.999 repeating · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • one-third — value of 0.333 repeating · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says ostriches don't bury their heads in sand to hide from predators; they put them there to dig nests because they have no hands. (00:00:49)
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says the idea that sharks don't get cancer, so eating shark prevents it, is wrong: sharks do get cancer, though how often is unknown because everyone keeps killing them. (00:00:59)
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John grants that apparently the universe has no edge, says he still doesn't understand how, and is sure Hank will explain it to him. — hedged: “apparently” (00:01:37)
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says Einstein did not fail mathematics but was very good at it, quoting him that he had mastered differential calculus before age fifteen. (00:01:43)
    • fifteen (years of age) — age before which Einstein had mastered differential calculus · for Albert Einstein · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · source: Albert Einstein (quoted by John) · unchecked
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says Al Gore never claimed to have invented the internet; he claimed to have taken the initiative in creating it, an exaggeration but not the one he is accused of. (00:01:55)
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says late in the winter of your seventeenth year you are sixteen, not seventeen, since in your first year you are still zero. (00:02:07)
    • sixteen (years old) — age during one's seventeenth year of life · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • zero (years old) — age during one's first year of life · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says humans have far more than the five senses Aristotle identified, including thermoception, a sense of body and limb position, and equilibrioception (balance). (00:02:21)
    • way more than five (senses) — number of human senses · for humans · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • five (senses) — number of senses identified by Aristotle · as of 2012-02-07 (implied: upload date) · source: Aristotle · unchecked
  • 2012-02-07 · 10 Misconceptions Debunked! — John says George Washington's dentures were not wooden but more disturbing: gold, lead, hippopotamus, ivory, dead people's teeth and donkey teeth. (00:02:51)
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John says the many rumors about Hitler's sex life were mainly thought up by Allied propaganda to discredit him and are probably not true, but he will repeat them anyway. — hedged: “Probably not” (00:00:41)
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John rejects The Pink Swastika's case that Hitler was secretly gay and Nazism a homosexual agenda: 100,000 were arrested for being gay, many killed in camps, and prominent gay Nazis executed. (00:00:52)
    • 100,000 (people) — people arrested for being gay · for gay people · in Nazi Germany · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John says Hitler probably had two testicles, at least according to his personal physician. — hedged: “probably” (00:01:41)
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John says Hitler was controlling, possessive and domineering, with all the hallmarks of an abusive relationship; four of the six women he most likely had sex with killed themselves, including Eva Braun, married 40 hours before. (00:01:59)
    • six (women) — women Hitler most likely had sex with · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • four (women) — women among them who committed suicide · for the six women Hitler most likely had sex with · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 40 hours — time between Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun and their joint suicide · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John says of the other two likely lovers, Maria Reiter attempted suicide during her break-up with Hitler, and Erna Hanfstaengl tried to kill or overthrow him in 1943. (00:02:22)
    • 1943 (year) — year Erna Hanfstaengl tried to kill or overthrow Hitler · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-17 · Hitler and Sex! — John says Hitler's half-niece lived with him for two years while he grew possessive; he forced her to cut off her friends and she eventually committed suicide. (00:02:37)
    • two years — time Hitler's half-niece lived with him · as of 2012-07-17 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — Hank says Armstrong got his pilot's license before he could legally get a driver's license, when he was 16. (00:00:28)
    • 16 years old — Neil Armstrong's age at his pilot's license · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — Armstrong was the youngest in his squadron in the Korean War and flew 78 missions; on one, hit by artillery fire, he flew back to base and ejected. (00:00:48)
    • 78 missions — Korean War combat missions flown by Neil Armstrong · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — As a test pilot Armstrong flew over 200 different types of planes and almost died around three times. (00:01:00)
    • over 200 (aircraft types) — types of planes flown by Neil Armstrong as a test pilot · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • around 3 times (incidents) — near-deaths during Armstrong's test-pilot career · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — His near-misses: a muddy salt-flat touch-and-go with Chuck Yeager, an X-15 bouncing off the atmosphere 40 miles off course with little fuel, and a landing-gear collapse. (00:01:10)
    • 40 miles — distance off course of Armstrong's X-15 flight · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — On Gemini 8, the first mission to dock two vehicles in space, Armstrong as command pilot stopped a spin of one revolution per second by aborting, separating and correcting the roll. (00:01:31)
    • 1 revolution a second (revolutions per second) — Gemini 8 spin rate · for Gemini 8 · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • first mission to ever dock 2 vehicles (rank) — first docking of two vehicles in space · for Gemini 8 · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — Testing the LLRV, 'basically a chair strapped to a jet engine', a side jet failed; Armstrong ejected about 30 feet up, and ejecting 0.5 seconds later would have killed him. (00:01:55)
    • like 30 feet — altitude of Armstrong's LLRV ejection · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 0.5 seconds — margin by which Armstrong's LLRV ejection saved his life · for Neil Armstrong · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · source: later analysis · unchecked
  • 2012-08-27 · Six Reasons Neil Armstrong was a BADASS — Before walking on the moon, Armstrong landed the LEM by overriding the computer, diverting from a crater of car-sized rocks and landing with 30 seconds of fuel left. (00:03:11)
    • 30 seconds (seconds of fuel) — fuel remaining at the first lunar landing · for Apollo 11 lunar module · as of 2012-08-27 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-09 · Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C. — John says Ai Weiwei could not attend the opening because the Chinese government refused to give him a passport. (00:00:19)
  • 2012-10-09 · Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C. — John says that although Washington and Lincoln seem to belong to different epochs, Lincoln was born just ten years after Washington died. (00:02:10)
    • 10 years — gap between George Washington's death and Abraham Lincoln's birth · as of 2012-10-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-09 · Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C. — John says the inventor of the boat-car was the American Oliver Evans, who designed the first steam-powered amphibious vehicle in 1805. (00:02:25)
    • 1805 (year) — year the first steam-powered amphibious vehicle was designed · as of 2012-10-09 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-09 · Attacked by Squirrels and Neoclassicism: Thoughts from Places, Washington D.C. — John reports an exhibit at the National Museum of American History explaining that the US has been at war to some degree pretty much constantly for 250 years. (00:02:47)
    • 250 years — period during which the United States has been at war to some degree · in United States · as of 2012-10-09 (implied: upload date) · source: National Museum of American History exhibit · unchecked
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says almost every apple anyone has eaten descends from wild apple trees in Kazakhstan, so apples are immigrants rather than 'American as apple pie'. — hedged: “I can almost guarantee” (00:00:35)
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says the oldest known apple pie recipe was written in 1381. (00:00:44)
    • 1381 (year) — date of the oldest known apple pie recipe · as of 2012-10-26 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says apples may have been the first cultivated fruit tree in human history. — hedged: “may” (00:00:49)
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says that until the 17th century the word for apple in Old English and Latin was a generic term for all fruits (berries excepted, nuts included), making ancient texts ambiguous. (00:00:58)
    • until the 17th century — period in which the Old English and Latin word for apple meant any fruit · as of 2012-10-26 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says Johnny Appleseed, unlike Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill, was a real person: John Chapman, a businessman, nomad and missionary who crossed the American frontier in the early 1800s supplying apple saplings. (00:01:38)
    • early 1800s (period) — time of John Chapman's travels across the American frontier · in United States · as of 2012-10-26 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says many American settlers were required to plant fruit trees on their property as a sign they were improving land they had claimed. (00:01:54)
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank explains apples' extreme heterozygosity: a seedling's apples taste nothing like the parent's and are by default terrible, so good apples are cloned by grafting buds or limbs onto rootstock. — hedged: “appears to” (00:02:11)
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says farmers who found a tree with tasty eating apples won a kind of cosmic lottery and often got rich selling grafts and apples. (00:02:57)
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says every McIntosh apple descends from one tree Scotsman John McIntosh found on a farm in Canada in 1796. (00:03:10)
    • 1796 (year) — year John McIntosh's farm in Canada (where he found the original McIntosh tree) was purchased · in Canada · as of 2012-10-26 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-26 · Apples! CGP Grey Style — Hank says the McIntosh apple inspired the naming of the Apple Macintosh, the kind of computer he is editing this video on. (00:03:24)
  • 2012-11-23 · Black Friday: An Accident of History — In 1621 the first English settlers in America had a bountiful crop on a Thursday and were thankful, inspiring the holiday; Hank calls this somewhat mythological. — hedged: “Apparently.” (00:00:15)
    • 1621 (year) — year of the harvest celebration said to have inspired Thanksgiving · for first English settlers · in America · as of 2012-11-23 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-23 · Black Friday: An Accident of History — Because Thanksgiving is a Thursday holiday, the Friday becomes a de facto day off, since going back to work for one day before the weekend is dumb. (00:00:51)
  • 2012-11-23 · Black Friday: An Accident of History — In the 1960s so many people travelled or shopped that day that the traffic mess led police and taxi drivers to call it Black Friday. (00:00:59)
    • '60's (decade) — period when police and taxi drivers began calling the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday · in United States · as of 2012-11-23 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-23 · Black Friday: An Accident of History — Black Friday is billed as the biggest shopping day of the year, but Hank says that is untrue: Americans procrastinate, so Christmas Eve is the biggest. (00:01:30)
    • Christmas Eve (day) — biggest shopping day of the year · for US shoppers · in United States · as of 2012-11-23 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · doubtful
  • 2012-11-23 · Black Friday: An Accident of History — Hank thanks Jonas Salk for giving away the patent to his polio vaccine so it could be made more cheaply, and Tim Berners-Lee for doing basically the same with the internet. (00:03:04)
    • giving away the patent to his polio vaccine — whether Jonas Salk patented the polio vaccine and gave the patent away · as of 2012-11-23 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · doubtful

Everyday life (17)

  • 2012-04-13 · This is How You Load a Dishwasher - A Song — Hank reports that recently some teenagers did not know the Titanic was a real event and thought it was only a movie. (00:02:35)
  • 2012-04-13 · This is How You Load a Dishwasher - A Song — Hank notes that only twenty of Twitter's one hundred million active users turned out not to know about the Titanic. (00:03:16)
    • twenty (users) — Twitter users who did not know the Titanic was real · for active Twitter users · as of 2012-04 · no source named · unchecked
    • one hundred million (users) — active users on Twitter · for Twitter users · as of 2012-04 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-06-15 · Flinching in the Shower — Hank says that, apparently, Fifty Shades of Grey, basically Twilight fan fiction turned into a novel, has now sold more books than Ray Bradbury did in his entire life. — hedged: “apparently” (00:03:27)
    • more books than Ray Bradbury did in his entire life (books sold) — Fifty Shades of Grey copies sold compared with Ray Bradbury's lifetime book sales · as of 2012-06 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-07 · An Open Letter to Students Returning to School — John says primary education became mandatory for all American children in 1918. (00:00:08)
    • 1918 (year) — year primary education became mandatory for all children · for American children · in United States · as of 2012-08-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-07 · An Open Letter to Students Returning to School — John says Germany had compulsory primary education from the late 18th century, that thanks to the Meiji reforms 90% of Japanese kids were in school by 1900, and England followed around 1880. (00:00:14)
    • the late 18th century — start of compulsory primary education · for children · in Germany · as of 2012-08-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • 90% (percent) — share of children in school · for Japanese kids · in Japan · as of 1900 · source: thanks to the Meiji reforms · unchecked
    • around 1880 (year) — start of compulsory primary education · for children · in England · as of 2012-08-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-07 · An Open Letter to Students Returning to School — John says that everywhere primary education became a requirement only after 1775, so compulsory education covers a short slice of history since the agricultural revolution: a roughly 250-year period. (00:00:23)
    • sometime after 1775 (year) — earliest compulsory primary education anywhere · for children · in the world · as of 2012-08-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
    • two hundred and fifty year — length of the period with compulsory education anywhere · in the world · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-07 · An Open Letter to Students Returning to School — John says Adam Steltzner, lead engineer of the Curiosity rover's descent and landing team, went to a publicly funded high school and got his bachelor's and doctorate from publicly subsidized universities. (00:00:55)
  • 2012-08-07 · An Open Letter to Students Returning to School — John tells students they are special, chosen for a mission (schooling) denied to 99.9% of all humans ever, and that we need, believe in and count on them. (00:03:21)
    • 99.9% (percent) — share of all humans ever denied (compulsory) schooling · for all humans ever · in the world · as of 2012-08-07 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-21 · Is College Worth It? — John says outside the US university is free or very inexpensive, while US education is subsidized but much less so. (00:00:17)
  • 2012-08-21 · Is College Worth It? — John says Indiana University costs about $10,000 for Indiana residents and about $30,000 a year for others. (00:00:29)
    • about ten thousand dollars (USD) — Indiana University cost (in-state) · for Indiana residents · in Indiana · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • about thirty thousand a year (USD per year) — Indiana University cost (out-of-state) · for non-residents of Indiana · in Indiana · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-21 · Is College Worth It? — John says most studies show that on average college is still very much worth it, though some for-profit universities and misleading vocational programs probably aren't. — hedged: “probably” (00:01:49)
  • 2012-08-21 · Is College Worth It? — With about half of humans living on less than $2.50 a day, John calls the chance to study formally a gift, even if a very expensive one. (00:03:38)
    • about half (share of people) — share of humans living on less than $2.50 a day · for all humans · in the world · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-04 · The Five Worst Places to Vomit — The worst place to vomit is your own lungs, because it can be fatal: aspiration of vomit killed Jimi Hendrix and many others. (00:00:29)
  • 2012-09-04 · The Five Worst Places to Vomit — Vomiting in space is a big problem because the inner ear can't handle floatiness; after Gherman Titov, second person in space, first vomited there, the Soviets paused their programme for a year. (00:01:27)
    • second (ordinal) — order of Gherman Titov among people in space · as of 1961 · no source named · unchecked
    • for a year (duration) — length of the Soviet space programme pause after Titov's space sickness · in Soviet Union · as of 1961 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-04 · The Five Worst Places to Vomit — Many astronauts have puked; vomiting in a spacesuit can be fatal through aspiration, so NASA added air currents around the suit's face to push vomit away. — hedged: “it could also be fatal” (00:01:41)
  • 2012-10-02 · What To Do With Your Life — John says William Carlos Williams was both a poet and a doctor. (00:02:24)
  • 2012-10-02 · What To Do With Your Life — John says Julia Child, besides being an extraordinary chef, was a spy for the United States. (00:02:26)

World affairs (14)

  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Syria declared independence in 1946 and was briefly a parliamentary republic that never took, with four constitutions in its first ten years and many changes of government. (00:00:00)
    • 1946 (year) — Syrian declaration of independence · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • four (constitutions) — number of constitutions in the first ten years of independence · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says that in 1956 Syria signed a pact with the Soviet Union in exchange for weapons. (00:00:00)
    • 1956 (year) — Syria-Soviet pact signed · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Syria and Egypt merged as the United Arab Republic in 1958, Syria seceded in 1961, and coups followed until the Ba'ath Party took control in 1963. (00:00:29)
    • 1958 (year) — Syria and Egypt form the United Arab Republic · in Syria; Egypt · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 1961 (year) — Syria secedes from the United Arab Republic · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 1963 (year) — Ba'ath Party takes control of Syria · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John defines Ba'athism as a secular political philosophy advocating a socialist, pan-Arab state ('Ba'ath' means renaissance) and says the hoped-for Arab utopia did not work. (00:00:29)
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says defense minister Hafez al-Assad became president in a bloodless coup in 1970 and oversaw Syria's first stable period, a new constitution and a state-run economy with significant per capita GDP growth. (00:00:58)
    • 1970 (year) — Hafez al-Assad becomes president via coup · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Hafez al-Assad also killed many dissidents, disastrously invaded Israel in 1973 and in 1976 entered the Lebanese Civil War, switching sides. (00:00:58)
    • 1973 (year) — Syrian invasion of Israel · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 1976 (year) — Syria enters the Lebanese Civil War · in Lebanon · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says this began a Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasting almost 30 years, unpopular partly because Syria assassinated Lebanese politicians. (00:01:27)
    • almost 30 years — duration of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon · in Lebanon · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Hafez al-Assad was Alawi, a Shia sect with unusual beliefs: unlike most Muslims, Alawis don't hold praying five times a day mandatory and they celebrate Christmas. (00:01:27)
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Assad tried to bring Alawism into the mainstream, praying in public and building mosques, but many Sunni and even Shia Muslims still see Alawis as apostates. (00:01:56)
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says that when Hafez died in 2000, parliament cut the presidential minimum age from 40 to 34, his son Bashar's age, and Bashar was elected with 97.9% of the vote with no other candidate allowed. (00:01:56)
    • 2000 (year) — death of Hafez al-Assad · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 40 (years of age) — minimum age for president of Syria, before the change · in Syria · as of 2000 · no source named · unchecked
    • 34 (years of age) — minimum age for president of Syria, after the change · in Syria · as of 2000 · no source named · unchecked
    • 97.9% (percent of vote) — Bashar al-Assad's vote share in his first presidential election · in Syria · as of 2000 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Assad responded to the pro-democracy Arab Spring protests of early 2011 by executing soldiers who would not fire, bombing towns, torture and mass arrests; the UN estimates over 10,000 killed in a year, mostly unarmed civilians. (00:02:26)
    • early 2011 (date) — start of the pro-democracy protests in Syria · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • tens of thousands (people) — people arrested in the crackdown · in Syria · as of 2012-03-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • more than 10,000 (people) — people killed in Syria in the last year, most of them unarmed civilians · in Syria · as of 2012-03 · source: UN · unchecked
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says the fight is not about religion, but most of the pro-democracy opposition is Sunni while Assad keeps significant support among many Alawis and Christians. (00:02:55)
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John says Syria is now in a civil war and the UN Security Council has tried to act, but Russia and China have vetoed every resolution on Syria. (00:02:55)
  • 2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John suggests the vetoes may stem from old Cold War ties, from what Russia and China see as a failed intervention in Libya, and from Russia's only Middle East naval port being in Syria. — hedged: “possibly because of” (00:02:55)

Economics (12)

  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John defines debt as the total of outstanding liabilities and the deficit (or surplus) as the difference between what the government spends and takes in. (00:00:28)
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says the current US national debt is around $16 trillion. (00:00:38)
    • around 16 trillion dollars (USD) — US national debt · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says the largest single holder of US government debt is the federal government itself, via trust funds like Social Security; without that about $11 trillion remains. (00:00:45)
    • about 11 trillion dollars (USD) — US national debt excluding debt held by the federal government · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — Contrary to the guess 'China', John says the plurality of that debt is owned by American individuals and institutions; China owns about 8%, Japan 7% and the UK 1%. (00:01:05)
    • about 8% (percent) — share of US government debt (excluding intragovernmental) owned by China · in China · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 7% (percent) — share of US government debt owned by Japan · in Japan · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • 1% (percent) — share of US government debt owned by the UK · in United Kingdom · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says the US also owns foreign debt, including about $235 billion of Chinese and Hong Kong sovereign debt; for every $1 of foreign-owned US debt, the US owns about 89 cents of foreign debt. (00:01:17)
    • about 235 billion dollars (USD) — sovereign debt of China and Hong Kong owned by the US · in China and Hong Kong · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • about 89 cents (USD per USD) — foreign debt owned by the US per $1 of US debt owned by foreign countries · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says the US paid about 3% total interest on its debt in 2011, less in 2012, and the one-year treasury bond yield is 0.17%, 'literally cheaper than free'. (00:01:52)
    • about 3% (percent) — total interest paid on US debt · in United States · as of 2011 · no source named · unchecked
    • 0.17% (percent) — yield on a one-year US treasury bond · in United States · as of 2012-10 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says China cannot call in US debt on a day of its choosing, since treasury bonds are repaid only at term, so despite commentators this is not really a risk to the US economy. (00:02:10)
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says paying back the debt would cost about 2% of GDP, and the US has done it before. (00:03:23)
    • like 2% of GDP (percent of GDP) — cost of paying back the US national debt · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says a debt spiral might be much worse for the US than for Greece, because it enjoys the world's most trusted currency: most US paper currency circulates abroad, keeping its debt cheap. — hedged: “might” (00:04:01)
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says the federal deficit was about $1.3 trillion in 2011, about $1 trillion this year (2012), and will be about $900 billion in 2013 whoever is president. (00:04:21)
    • about 1.3 trillion (USD) — US federal budget deficit · in United States · as of 2011 · no source named · unchecked
    • about a trillion (USD) — US federal budget deficit · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • about 900 billion (USD) — US federal budget deficit (projected) · in United States · as of 2013 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says Obama and Romney both favour unspecified spending cuts; Romney also favours a 20% across-the-board tax cut, Obama rolling back the Bush-era tax cut on income over $250,000. (00:05:25)
    • 20% (percent) — tax cut across the board proposed by Romney · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • $250,000 (USD) — income threshold above which Obama would roll back the Bush-era tax cut · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-23 · Understanding the National Debt and Budget Deficit — John says Obama wants a 39% top marginal income tax rate, which was over 50% every year from 1945 to 1986; Romney wants 28.5%, its level in 1989. (00:05:48)
    • 39% (percent) — top marginal income tax rate proposed by Obama · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • over 50% (percent) — US top marginal income tax rate · in United States · as of every year 1945-1986 · no source named · doubtful
    • 28.5% (percent) — top marginal income tax rate proposed by Romney · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · doubtful
    • 28.5% (percent) — US top marginal income tax rate · in United States · as of 1989 · no source named · doubtful

Global development (12)

  • 2012-03-13 · Actually Free Money! (Really.) The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Quarterly Report — John explains Kiva.org lets regular people lend to developing-world entrepreneurs (he lent to a farmer in Peru and a shopkeeper in South Sudan), who repay, giving them cheap credit others take for granted. (00:01:24)
  • 2012-03-13 · Actually Free Money! (Really.) The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Quarterly Report — John says that on Kiva you get paid back 99% of the time. (00:01:54)
    • 99% (percent) — share of Kiva loans repaid · as of 2012-03-13 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John says that after last year's (2011) Project for Awesome the Foundation to Decrease World Suck gave more than $80,000 to five charities chosen by the YouTube community, leaving it broke. (00:00:29)
    • more than $80,000 (US dollars) — donations by the Foundation to Decrease World Suck after the Project for Awesome · as of after P4A 2011 · no source named · unchecked
    • five (charities) — number of charities receiving the foundation's P4A donations · as of after P4A 2011 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John says the foundation now has $15,000 in the bank plus $60,000 in pledges, which he says should be bigger than last year (2011). — hedged: “should be bigger than last year” (00:00:29)
    • $15,000 (US dollars) — Foundation to Decrease World Suck cash in the bank · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
    • $60,000 (US dollars) — additional pledges to the Foundation to Decrease World Suck · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John says the Nerdfighter Kiva group had just passed $1 million in loans at the last report and is now about to pass $1.6 million. (00:01:27)
    • one million dollars (US dollars) — total loaned by the Nerdfighter Kiva lending team · as of previous Bank of Nerdfighteria report · no source named · unchecked
    • about to pass 1.6 million dollars (US dollars) — total loaned by the Nerdfighter Kiva lending team · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John explains that Kiva lets ordinary people lend to entrepreneurs in the developing world, giving them banking access they would not otherwise have. (00:01:27)
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John says that, often as the inviter, he has lent more than $64,000 through more than 2,000 Kiva loans, and 100% of borrowers have repaid him so far. (00:02:07)
    • more than $64,000 (US dollars) — amount John has lent through Kiva · for John Green · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
    • more than 2,000 (loans) — number of Kiva loans John has made · for John Green · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
    • 100% (percent) — share of John's Kiva borrowers who have repaid so far · for John Green's Kiva borrowers · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-11 · Economics and Dentistry: YOUTUBE'S FAVORITE TOPICS — John says he has lost only $7, to currency fluctuations in South Sudan, so helping $64,000 worth of businesses grow cost him $7. (00:02:37)
    • $7 (US dollars) — John's losses on his Kiva loans (currency fluctuations) · for John Green's Kiva loans · in South Sudan · as of 2012-12 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-17 · THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children. — John says about 1.4 billion people live in absolute poverty, surviving on less than $1.25 a day with inadequate resources for food, water and other basics (last word unclear). (00:00:23)
    • about 1.4 billion (people) — number of people living in absolute poverty · for people in absolute poverty (under $1.25 a day) · in the world · as of 2012-12-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • $1.25 (US dollars per day) — absolute poverty line · for people in absolute poverty · in the world · as of 2012-12-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-17 · THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children. — John explains that the $1.25-a-day line uses purchasing power parity, not exchange rates: it means living on what $1.25 buys in the US, so it does not stretch further in Zambia. (00:00:52)
    • $1.25 (US dollars per day at purchasing power parity) — absolute poverty line (PPP basis) · for people in absolute poverty · in world (valued at US prices) · as of 2012-12-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-17 · THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children. — John says seven million children under five will die this year (2012), most of diseases that can be treated or prevented inexpensively. (00:01:50)
    • seven million (children) — deaths of children under five per year · for children under five · in the world · as of 2012 ('this year') · no source named · unchecked
    • most (share of deaths) — share of under-five deaths from diseases that can be treated or prevented inexpensively · for children under five · in the world · as of 2012 ('this year') · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-17 · THE PROJECT FOR AWESOME 2012 IS HERE! Save the Children. — John says Save the Children works with astonishing efficiency: 91% of donations go directly to programs rather than fundraising or overhead, and it works worldwide, from Pakistan to Angola. (00:02:20)
    • 91% (percent of donations) — share of donations spent directly on programs · for donations to Save the Children · as of 2012-12-17 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked

Books & writing (11)

  • 2012-01-27 · In 'N' Out-Erview — Hank says Time Magazine said John was 'damn near genius', then teases him about the 'near'. (00:01:27)
  • 2012-02-28 · On Cuties and Cooties — John defines cooties, quoting Wikipedia, as a fictitious childhood disease said to infect people perceived as different or socially stigmatized. (00:00:00)
  • 2012-07-03 · The Physics of Book Clubs and Vidcon — John says he got to VidCon before the 7,120 other attendees to see the expo hall, the DFTBA booth, the food, the bouncy castle and the stage. (00:00:03)
    • 7,120 other attendees (people) — VidCon 2012 attendance (attendees other than John) · in Anaheim, California · as of 2012-06 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-03 · The Physics of Book Clubs and Vidcon — John says he learned that if you have two children, both born on a weekend, and one is a boy born on a Saturday, the other is most likely a girl. (00:00:37)
    • most likely a girl (probability (qualitative)) — sex of the other child given two children born on a weekend and one a boy born on a Saturday · as of 2012-07-03 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-10 · Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander — John says Ray Bradbury wrote the book in a library on a typewriter rented for 20 cents an hour. (00:02:25)
    • 20 cents an hour (US dollars per hour) — rental cost of the library typewriter Bradbury used to write Fahrenheit 451 · as of 2012-07-10 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-10 · Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander — John says that when Bradbury wrote, only about a million American households had televisions, and for several hours a day nothing was on TV in most markets. (00:02:30)
    • about a million (households) — American households with televisions · for American households · in United States · as of when Fahrenheit 451 was written · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-10 · Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander — John says today the average American watches 150 hours of TV a month, and the average American household, like Montag's, has more TVs than people. (00:02:44)
    • 150 hours of TV each month (hours per month) — TV watched by the average American · for average American · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
    • more TVs than people (comparison) — TVs per person in the average American household · for average American household · in United States · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-10 · Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander — John says we go outside far less than in Bradbury's day, often with earbuds instead of birdsong, and though we don't burn books we read fewer every year. (00:02:53)
  • 2012-07-13 · An Army of Mindless Drones — Hank says auto-ignition temperature is when something bursts into flame without an ignition source, unrelated to burning; paper's is about 425 to 475 °F, so 451 is too precise. (00:00:00)
    • 425 to 475 degrees Fahrenheit — auto-ignition temperature of paper · as of 2012-07-13 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-08-28 · In Which the Candle Dies — John says The Fault in Our Stars is out in many other languages, including Bulgarian, Danish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, both Portugueses, Hebrew and Swedish. (00:00:58)
  • 2012-08-28 · In Which the Candle Dies — John explains that Kiva lets regular people make loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world, and calls it really cool. (00:01:56)

Internet & YouTube (10)

  • 2012-01-06 · Kill your TV — Hank says an average hour of television is about 36% advertisements if product placements are included. (00:02:21)
    • about 36% (percent) — share of an average hour of television that is advertising, including product placement · for television · as of 2012-01-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-01-06 · Kill your TV — Hank says the average American apparently watches five hours of television a day, so will spend 4.5 years of their life watching advertisements, by his own math. — hedged: “apparently” (00:02:27)
    • 5 hours (hours per day) — average daily television viewing per person · for average person · in United States · as of 2012-01-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 4.5 years — lifetime time spent watching television advertisements · for average person · in United States · as of 2012-01-06 (implied: upload date) · source: Hank (own calculation) · unchecked
  • 2012-01-06 · Kill your TV — Hank says a 15-second pre-roll on a four-minute YouTube video is seven times less advertising than on television. (00:02:39)
    • 15-second — length of a YouTube pre-roll ad on a four-minute video · for YouTube videos · as of 2012-01-06 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
    • 7 times less (ratio) — advertising share of a four-minute YouTube video with a 15-second pre-roll versus television · for YouTube vs television · as of 2012-01-06 (implied: upload date) · source: Hank (own calculation) · doubtful
  • 2012-01-20 · Thoughts on SOPA From New Orleans — The description says the internet blackout resulted in a great number of congresspeople dropping their support for SOPA and PIPA. (video description)
    • a great number (congresspeople) — members of Congress dropping support for SOPA and PIPA after the blackout · for US Congress · in United States · as of 2012-01 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-02-14 · Things I Can Do — John says the real Swindon Town FC is having an amazing season: a good chance of winning League 2, the fourth league of English soccer, and a place in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final at Wembley. (00:00:58)
    • fourth (league tier) — tier of League 2 in English football · in England · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-02-14 · Things I Can Do — John says Gumroad was created by an amazing 19-year-old. (00:03:24)
    • 19 (years old) — age of Gumroad's creator · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-22 · You ARE The Product — John says Facebook isn't actually worth $100 billion, but whatever it is worth is because of its users; it could 'MySpace' tomorrow and be worth nothing. (00:00:50)
    • a hundred billion dollars (USD) — market valuation of Facebook · for Facebook · as of 2012-05 · source: Hank (quoted), disputed by John · doubtful
  • 2012-05-22 · You ARE The Product — John says corporations spent $498 billion on advertising last year (2011): half a trillion dollars says advertising affects behavior. (00:02:05)
    • $498 billion (USD) — annual corporate advertising spending · for corporations · as of 2011 · no source named · unchecked
    • HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS (USD) — annual corporate advertising spending (rounded) · for corporations · as of 2011 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-05-25 · The Subway Where I Used To Go (Somebody That I Used To Know / Gotye Parody) — Hank says YouTube employs thousands of people. (00:02:39)
    • thousands (people) — employees · for YouTube · as of 2012-05 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-10-19 · Revolutionizing Education...With Weirdos — Derek Muller: Derek Muller explains his channel name Veritasium as 'the element of truth': veritas is the Latin word for truth, plus the traditional '-ium' ending. (00:00:58)

Personal life (9)

  • 2012-06-22 · Hank is Maybe Crazy — Stretching Blu-Tack ('ticky tacky') for stress relief, Hank says he read its whole Wikipedia page and that it was created completely by accident, like many of science's greatest accomplishments. (00:00:33)
  • 2012-06-22 · Hank is Maybe Crazy — Citing a recent SciShow episode on Americans' increasing weight, Hank says that if the whole world were the size of North Americans, it would equal almost a billion new people. (00:01:14)
    • almost a billion new people (people (equivalent)) — additional human body mass if the whole world population were as heavy as North Americans, expressed in people · for world population · in the world · as of 2012 · source: SciShow episode · unchecked
  • 2012-06-22 · Hank is Maybe Crazy — Hank says The Lizzie Bennet Diaries gets about the same number of views every episode, rare for a web series: around 70,000, roughly 30,000 short of paying for the show. (00:02:39)
    • like 70,000 (views per episode) — views per episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries · in YouTube · as of 2012-06 · no source named · unchecked
    • like 30,000 (views per episode) — shortfall in views per episode needed to pay for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries · in YouTube · as of 2012-06 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-24 · The Treadmill Desk! Fitness for Nerds — John says people who sit more than eleven hours a day are twice as likely to die from all causes over the next 15 years as those who sit under four hours. (00:01:30)
    • twice as likely (relative risk) — all-cause mortality over the next 15 years · for people who sit more than eleven hours a day vs. less than four hours a day · as of over the next 15 years (resolved: 2012–2027, from the date said in the video 2012-07-24) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-24 · The Treadmill Desk! Fitness for Nerds — John says reclining counts as sitting, and sitting too much increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes and certain cancers. (00:01:46)
  • 2012-09-28 · THE EYE OF LONDON: Thoughts from Northern Montana — Hank notes that the edges between habitats can often be the most productive areas of an ecosystem. (00:02:43)
  • 2012-11-08 · VOLT! A Dream Comes True. — John explains the Volt is an electric car you plug into the wall; it runs on electricity for about 40 miles, then switches to a gasoline-powered generator. (00:00:58)
    • about 40 miles — electric-only driving range · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-13 · I Was a Child Poet. And a Bad One. — The de Grummond collection holds, John says, thousands of famous manuscripts. — hedged: “like” (00:03:25)
    • thousands (manuscripts) — number of famous manuscripts held · in University of Southern Mississippi · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-12-28 · Nood Ood, Drums, Donuts, Fish, the USDA, P4A and SLEDDING! — In the description Hank answers his question: the children of two pairs of identical twins who marry would be biologically siblings but genealogically cousins. (video description)

Pop culture (5)

  • 2012-11-20 · Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story — John reads Wikipedia's first sentence on Jenkins: an American amateur operatic soprano known and ridiculed for her lack of rhythm, pitch and tone and her poor singing. (00:00:04)
  • 2012-11-20 · Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story — John says Jenkins began her singing career at 44, divorced, her parents dead and with inherited money; she had drive, time and money and wasn't afraid to fail. (00:00:42)
    • 44 (years) — age at which Florence Foster Jenkins began her singing career · for Florence Foster Jenkins · as of 2012-11-20 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-20 · Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story — She could not sing at all but truly believed she could; she came on stage wearing wings to sing Verdi, a disaster except that she and the audience had fun. (00:01:00)
  • 2012-11-20 · Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story — After a fairly successful career, Jenkins played a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall in 1944, and she was terrible. (00:01:14)
    • 1944 (year) — year of Florence Foster Jenkins' sold-out Carnegie Hall performance · for Florence Foster Jenkins · in Carnegie Hall, New York · as of 2012-11-20 (implied: upload date) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-11-20 · Great at Being Terrible: The Florence Foster Jenkins Story — Singing was clearly fulfilling for Jenkins, John says: she sang professionally for about 40 years. (00:02:39)
    • 40 (years) — length of Florence Foster Jenkins' professional singing career · for Florence Foster Jenkins · as of 2012-11-20 (implied: upload date) · no source named · doubtful

Nerdfighteria (4)

  • 2012-01-02 · Changes to Vlogbrothers — John says the Philippine island of Luzon contains a lake which contains an island which contains a lake which contains an island. (00:00:00)
  • 2012-03-20 · Sharpie Face Question Tuesday — John says The Fault in Our Stars is currently number 2 on the New York Times bestseller list, behind only Hugo Cabret, a book he really liked. (00:01:41)
    • number 2 (rank) — New York Times bestseller list position · for The Fault in Our Stars · as of 2012-03 · source: New York Times bestseller list · unchecked
  • 2012-09-14 · 1000 VIDEOS!!! — Hank says each video averages 250,000 views, a quarter of a billion in total, which watched through would be 1,500 years of human life. (00:00:40)
    • 250,000 (views) — average views per Vlogbrothers video · for Vlogbrothers videos · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • a quarter of a billion (views) — total Vlogbrothers views · for Vlogbrothers videos · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • 1,500 years (years of human life) — total watch time if every video were watched in full · for Vlogbrothers videos · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-09-14 · 1000 VIDEOS!!! — Hank lists results: $300,000 and thousands of videos for charities through P4A, thousands of This Star Won't Go Out bracelets, over $1,000,000 lent through the Nerdfighter Kiva group, hundreds of Thoughts from Places. (00:01:04)
    • $300,000 (US dollars) — money raised for charities through the Project for Awesome · for Project for Awesome (all years) · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • thousands (videos) — charity videos produced for the Project for Awesome · for Project for Awesome (all years) · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • thousands (bracelets) — This Star Won't Go Out bracelets sold · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • over $1,000,000 (US dollars) — loans made through the Nerdfighter group on Kiva · for Nerdfighter Kiva lending team · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked
    • hundreds (videos) — Thoughts from Places videos ("deep thoughts") · in dozens of places · as of 2012-09 · no source named · unchecked

Sports (2)

  • 2012-07-31 · Nerd Olympics — John says Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu is 71 and competing in the Olympics, though he first qualified in 1964. (00:00:00)
    • 71 years old — age of Olympic equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu · for Hiroshi Hoketsu · as of 2012 Olympics · no source named · unchecked
    • 1964 (year) — year Hiroshi Hoketsu first qualified for the Olympics · for Hiroshi Hoketsu · as of 2012-07-31 (implied: date said in the video) · no source named · unchecked
  • 2012-07-31 · Nerd Olympics — John says men's team handball is the only big Olympic sport at which the US does not field a team. (00:00:58)

Projects (1)

  • 2012-05-04 · Screaming Through VidCon — Hank says the convention center is a quarter-mile-long building, and VidCon has the whole second and third floors, which it is filling up. (00:00:59)
    • a quarter mile — length of the Anaheim Convention Center building · in Anaheim, California · as of 2012 · no source named · unchecked