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Register 2014: hedges and bits

Statements from 2014 that are not plain sincere assertions: sincere claims the speaker hedged or marked as uncertain (with the hedge words quoted), and statements made as a bit. Plain sincere, unhedged statements are on the video pages. Back to the overview.

John

957 statements · sincere 84% · playful 15% · other bits 1% · hedged or unsure 14%

Sincere but hedged (122)

Split by hedge type (derived from the quoted hedge words with a fixed word list — see the overview): epistemic doubt 49 · wish / hope 10 · opinion marker 42 · other hedge 19 · hedge words not recorded 2.

Epistemic doubt (49)

real uncertainty about whether it is true

  • 2014-01-21 · Are Poor Countries Doomed? — Quizzing Hank, John says the world did not see fewer than 6.3 million child deaths in 1975 (population 4 billion) or 1900 (1.6 billion), when probably more than 8 million died. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:11)
  • 2014-01-21 · Are Poor Countries Doomed? — John says Earth has not seen a year with so few child deaths in hundreds of years, maybe a thousand. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:25)
  • 2014-01-28 · Question Tuesday! TFIOS Movie Trailer, Penguin Knees, and Backflips — John says that if you want to be a Nerdfighter, you probably already are one. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:02)
  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John gives reasons: the minimum wage is probably near the market rate, low-wage workers spend raises (creating jobs), and higher wages cut turnover costs. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:54)
  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John says the downside is that higher wages go with higher prices for goods relying on low-wage labour, so Hank's corndogs would probably cost a bit more. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:09)
  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John concludes that there is no free lunch, but for reducing poverty without hurting employment, higher minimum wages seem the cheapest lunch available. — hedged: “seem at least” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:51)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — John says Bieber now seems more likely to be on tabloid covers than when he was doing really well, in the 'Baby' era. — hedged: “It seems to me” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:41)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — Without excusing anyone or calling celebrity the worst oppression, John worries that relishing celebrities' problems is bad less for them than for us. — hedged: “I think it might” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:05)
  • 2014-02-18 · 18 Great Books You Probably Haven't Read — John says Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop may be the most important novel about American religion and asks why it isn't required reading for every American high-school student. — hedged: “may be” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:26)
  • 2014-03-04 · Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context — John says the Crimean Peninsula saw much of the fighting of the 1853-1856 Crimean War, 'sort of' Catholic versus Orthodox but mainly Europe fearing Russian expansion as the Ottoman Empire declined. — hedged: “sort of” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:11)
  • 2014-03-04 · Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context — John says Crimea, already an autonomous province, would find independence hard, since its electricity and water come through Ukraine, and rejoining Russia impossible without Ukrainian cooperation, which seems inconceivable. — hedged: “seems” [epistemic doubt] (00:04:56)
  • 2014-03-11 · Question Tuesday: TFIOS Movie, Existential Crises, and Symbolism — Asked if he really thinks the TFIOS film is good, John says he'd find nice things to say even if he didn't like it, but in fact he loves it, though he might be wrong and isn't objective. — hedged: “I might be wrong” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:16)
  • 2014-03-18 · Is the American Dream Real? — John says a female programmer with Slovenian and American passports is probably still best off in the US today, but if trends continue that may not hold in a decade. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:02)
  • 2014-04-01 · VELOCIRAPTORS — John says velociraptors probably did not hunt in packs. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:49)
  • 2014-04-01 · VELOCIRAPTORS — John says the name means 'swift thief', but velociraptors were probably quite slow on short legs. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:15)
  • 2014-04-01 · VELOCIRAPTORS — John says velociraptors belonged to the feathered, bird-like dromaeosaurid family; they could not fly, and their feathers were maybe for attracting mates but probably an evolutionary leftover. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:09)
  • 2014-04-08 · I Don't Even Know — John says the TFIOS film comes out June 6, the promotional travel starts now, and he, Nat, Ansel and Shailene will visit several US places, doing he doesn't know what yet. — hedged: “I don't really know what yet” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:46)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John asks who the good guys were in the American Revolution: the Americans stood for freedom and democracy, except for slaves, who probably would have been better off under English rule. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:04:41)
  • 2014-05-06 · TFIOS Movie Madness, Incongruent, and Headless Hotel People — John says he wants the movie to do well, but ultimately what he wants is for people who care a lot about the book to like it. — hedged: “I guess” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:08)
  • 2014-05-20 · Deserving — John liked Hank's video about the Renaissance and circumstance and has been thinking about luck and deserving, partly because he feels especially undeserving of the nice things happening to him now. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:09)
  • 2014-06-10 · Our Old Friend Complexity: Behind the Beautiful Forevers — John says that in the first 100 pages the greatest mover of the narrative is luck or fate, such as losing a hand as a child at a recycling plant or being falsely accused, rather than corruption or ambition. — hedged: “it seems to me” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:05)
  • 2014-06-24 · In Pursuit of Quiet — John says that on the internet, and maybe outside it, quiet can feel discomforting: getting through even a few seconds requires a focus we are not used to summoning. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:17)
  • 2014-07-01 · Why I Love Makeup — John probably won't wear makeup daily: partly laziness, partly being 'tragically un-immune to social conventions', partly being spoiled by professionals like Bridget. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:07)
  • 2014-07-15 · Exciting Announcements and Mosquito-Borne Illnesses — John says he will make a bunch of videos from the trip, but they probably won't be uploaded while he is travelling. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:31)
  • 2014-07-22 · Ambiguous Victories and Real Progress: Behind the Beautiful Forevers — John hopes to learn and listen a lot on this week's (week of 21 July 2014) trip, and says if he comes home with straightforward answers and simple solutions he is probably doing it wrong. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:31)
  • 2014-08-12 · EBOLA! (...meningitis) — Ebola is not a terrifying, uncontrollable superbug; John says there is mounting evidence that treatments or vaccines might exist within a year. — hedged: “might” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:15)
  • 2014-08-12 · EBOLA! (...meningitis) — It turns out John almost certainly caught meningitis not in Ethiopia but in Florida, in Orlando, the city of his youth. — hedged: “almost certainly” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:31)
  • 2014-08-19 · Baby Names: Thoughts from Rural Ethiopia — The story tugs at the heartstrings and makes you want to open your wallet, but the truth is maybe less narratively interesting and in a way more encouraging. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:30)
  • 2014-08-19 · Baby Names: Thoughts from Rural Ethiopia — That is maybe an even better sign, since good health records are vital to good health care: heartwarming narratives and boring bureaucracy are not always mutually exclusive. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:34)
  • 2014-08-26 · Food Is Weird: Understanding Agriculture in the Developing World — John, saying he doesn't know much about agriculture, reports that experts and the farmers he met tie the yield gap to good seed and fertilizer, which cost money; saved seed without fertilizer grows waist-high corn. — hedged: “I don't know much about agriculture” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:29)
  • 2014-08-26 · Food Is Weird: Understanding Agriculture in the Developing World — John thinks the WFP project is interesting and can help, but he might be wrong; other things would help too, such as Ethiopia lifting its ban on corn exports. — hedged: “I might be wrong” [epistemic doubt] (00:06:28)
  • 2014-09-02 · MORTIFICATION — John argues self-inflicted mortification can be useful: it is one's ideas about oneself being challenged by the reality of oneself. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:22)
  • 2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — To pass AP Chemistry, John suggests Crash Course might help. — hedged: “might” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:19)
  • 2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — John says colloquial 'slay' is already metaphoric: a Taylor Swift song didn't kill you, but the experience was so awesome you are metaphorically dead. — hedged: “I'm pretty sure” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:08)
  • 2014-09-23 · Looking Away — John suggests that maybe this voicelessness is part of what makes it easier to look away, but regardless, he kept doing it. — hedged: “Maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:12)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John says that at some point in the last six months he started to have a kind of existential crisis. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:36)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John says his usual answer to young people asking what to do with their lives (you don't do just one thing) is a cop-out: honestly he doesn't know what to do with his own. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:40)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John says that in the coming months viewers might see less of his face on Crash Course, but he will still be working a lot on it. — hedged: “might” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:02)
  • 2014-10-07 · I Kind of Hate Batman — John says a realistic facet of the Batman saga is that Gotham never gets better for long: Batman saves Gotham over and over but never improves it. — hedged: “it seems to me” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:26)
  • 2014-10-07 · I Kind of Hate Batman — John asks why no one calls Batman out for spending all his resources on crime in Gotham when he could also fight global poverty, habitat destruction or climate change. — hedged: “I don't know” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:39)
  • 2014-10-21 · Ebola: What IS Terrifying — Citing Bill Gates, John says the collapse of public health care in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea has probably caused more non-Ebola deaths than Ebola has. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:00)
  • 2014-10-21 · Ebola: What IS Terrifying — Harvests and every segment of the affected countries' economies are being hit, and John thinks the outbreak is probably only beginning. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:11)
  • 2014-10-21 · Ebola: What IS Terrifying — The WHO estimates there could be 5,000 to 10,000 new Ebola cases per week by December. — hedged: “could” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:17)
  • 2014-10-21 · Ebola: What IS Terrifying — John hopes we learn that, with communicable diseases today, threats to the health of any humans are threats to the health of all humans. — hedged: “I hope that we might” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:23)
  • 2014-11-28 · Global Health and Human Hair: What the Vlogbrothers are Thankful For — John: we are maybe only 30 or 40 years from the vast majority of poor countries being middle-income countries. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:43)
  • 2014-12-02 · What You Eat Of Those You Love — John says the world is profoundly unjust and probably always will be, but that does not absolve us of responsibility to face painful problems and try to decrease world suck. — hedged: “I imagine” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:35)
  • 2014-12-08 · I'm Home! Time to Get Ready for the 2014 Project for Awesome — John says everyone can give whichever way they prefer and that he will probably give both ways. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:25)
  • 2014-12-23 · Agloe, New York — John says what interests him most is how our incomplete imaginings of other people, and theirs of us, profoundly shape our lives. — hedged: “I guess” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:51)
  • 2014-12-30 · Racism in the United States: By the Numbers — John says he is pretty sure the callback gap is about race, and that studies consistently show racial bias in US hiring and around the world. — hedged: “I'm pretty sure” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:06)

Wish / hope (10)

a wish about the future, not a claim about what is true

  • 2014-01-07 · Warm Things for Cold Times — John hopes the movie is good; he hasn't seen it yet but says it should be good. — hedged: “I hope” [wish / hope] (00:00:30)
  • 2014-01-07 · Warm Things for Cold Times — John hopes Nerdfighters of Kingston, Wimbledon and Greater London will go to the game, so there is Nerdfighter support at the first official Nerdfighter game. — hedged: “I hope” [wish / hope] (00:01:55)
  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John says raising the minimum wage won't fix that problem, but hopes it can at least start a nuanced conversation about it. — hedged: “I hope” [wish / hope] (00:03:38)
  • 2014-04-15 · Walking the Red Carpet: Thoughts from Los Angeles — John tells Nerdfighteria the film's attention will be weird and hopefully awesome, but they should focus on continuing to do what they are good at. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:02:44)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John says the UN last week (week of 14 April 2014) approved an 11,000-member security force that will hopefully end the violence, which for now continues. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:04:28)
  • 2014-06-17 · Old. — John has a little crisis about being old because he wants to be a Nerdfighter for the rest of his life, and hopes and thinks there are other old Nerdfighters. — hedged: “I'm hoping” [wish / hope] (00:02:23)
  • 2014-07-15 · Exciting Announcements and Mosquito-Borne Illnesses — John says he hopes to learn a lot on the trip and make a bunch of videos. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:00:57)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — Without making a survey, John asks viewers what the brothers should do less of, so he can write a book and have more time to be a Nerdfighter. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:03:31)
  • 2014-11-28 · Global Health and Human Hair: What the Vlogbrothers are Thankful For — John thanks Nerdfighters for letting him sign so many things in the last year and hopes to keep it up for the rest of his life. — hedged: “I hope” [wish / hope] (00:03:16)
  • 2014-12-08 · I'm Home! Time to Get Ready for the 2014 Project for Awesome — John hopes viewers who can afford it will consider donating through the Project for Awesome Indiegogo, which will have awesome perks. — hedged: “I hope you'll consider” [wish / hope] (00:01:04)

Opinion marker (42)

marks a view as the speaker's own; not doubt

  • 2014-01-14 · Giving Away Over $700,000 — John went to Los Angeles a couple of days ago to watch a movie he doesn't think he is allowed to name; he hints that it comes out on June 6th. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:00:00)
  • 2014-01-28 · Question Tuesday! TFIOS Movie Trailer, Penguin Knees, and Backflips — On Franny and Zooey's line about the courage to be an absolute nobody, John says it takes tremendous courage to do worthwhile things rather than worry about being celebrated. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:02)
  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John says the United States is a rich country and that growing evidence suggests the US does not benefit from having poor workers. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:31)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — John says he doesn't think he has ever heard a Justin Bieber song, so he listens to Bieber's top five songs on camera. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:01:06)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — 'Baby' featuring Ludacris seems familiar, perhaps from a cover, so John concludes he has heard one Justin Bieber song, he thinks. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:45)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — John feels that a relatively small number of people raise someone to celebrity, and then everyone gets to participate in relishing their downfall. — hedged: “I feel like” [opinion marker] (00:02:32)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — John doesn't think relentless public chastising helps anyone: if it did, we would see this happen less, and we don't. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:03:18)
  • 2014-02-11 · A Middle Aged Man — John says it is really hard to choose what we pay attention to, but it is among the most important choices we make. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:23)
  • 2014-02-18 · 18 Great Books You Probably Haven't Read — John recommends Eudora Welty's The Optimist's Daughter: out of fashion, but in his view the best book by one of the best 20th-century writers. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:55)
  • 2014-03-04 · Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context — John says he is not making a false equivalence but thinks it is really important to understand both narratives. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:06:03)
  • 2014-03-11 · Question Tuesday: TFIOS Movie, Existential Crises, and Symbolism — John thinks there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth, calling it a beautiful question that makes him grateful to apprehend the universe; more info in the description. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:19)
  • 2014-03-11 · Question Tuesday: TFIOS Movie, Existential Crises, and Symbolism — Revealing he is a secret IndyCar fan, John predicts Tony Kanaan will win the Indy 500 for the second time and Will Power will take the series title. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:58)
  • 2014-03-25 · I Gotta Go: Signing Off and Thinking about Inspiration — John says Americans feel obliged to praise individuals, but individuals mostly process their influences and build on them, hoping to make things helpful to others. — hedged: “I don’t think” [opinion marker] (00:02:55)
  • 2014-03-25 · I Gotta Go: Signing Off and Thinking about Inspiration — John defines art not as great individuals making their mark but as many people working together across time and space to make the world suck less. — hedged: “I don’t think” [opinion marker] (00:03:06)
  • 2014-04-08 · I Don't Even Know — John says nonprofits often pitch funny outreach, like a GIF of poop on a stick for clean water, but he doubts funny stuff works: people want you to talk about what you care about. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:00:14)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John speculates that one reason we don't hear about the Central African Republic is that its story is complicated; we like narratives such as Rebels versus Empire or Harry versus Voldemort. — hedged: “this is speculation, but I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:24)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John thinks news stories that don't fit a heroes-and-villains narrative are often ignored, because good guys and bad guys are so central to how we understand ourselves and the world. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:45)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John thinks interest lags when international stories lose narrative power: rooting for Tahrir Square's rebels is easy, but rebuilding a state, as in Egypt, gets less attention. — hedged: “I also think” [opinion marker] (00:00:56)
  • 2014-04-29 · Influence, Airports, and the Nerdfighter Book Club — As an extra-credit assignment, John suggests reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers alongside Maximum City, another book about Mumbai. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:42)
  • 2014-04-29 · Influence, Airports, and the Nerdfighter Book Club — John says readers should resist the urge to extrapolate: the book is about a few people in one community, not about slums or India in general. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:05)
  • 2014-05-20 · Deserving — That belief is very bad for others but, John thinks, also bad for oneself: when unjust things happen, believing you deserved the good things implies you deserve the bad. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:37)
  • 2014-06-03 · The Fault in Our Stars Movie Premiere — John says he loves the movie and finds it amazingly faithful to the book, powerful, funny and moving; its makers cared about the story and each other. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:41)
  • 2014-06-10 · Our Old Friend Complexity: Behind the Beautiful Forevers — Reading a kid's 'roses' line and Boo's image of rising condominiums, John infers that for cheap consumer goods the rich need the poor to stay poor, a discomforting idea not to look away from. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:05)
  • 2014-06-24 · In Pursuit of Quiet — John notes people's quietest places were loud, usually with nature sounds, and thinks we don't count nature sounds as sounds but as a kind of 'loud-quiet'. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:01)
  • 2014-07-01 · Why I Love Makeup — John tells makeup artist Bridget he is super into getting his makeup done; he had it done throughout the movie tour, with touch-ups all day, and felt so good about himself. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:17)
  • 2014-07-01 · Why I Love Makeup — John tells Hank he thinks Hank is super cool for having worn makeup in high school. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:24)
  • 2014-07-22 · Ambiguous Victories and Real Progress: Behind the Beautiful Forevers — John thinks data is probably ultimately a better guide than anecdote to what works, though data can also be manipulated. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:16)
  • 2014-08-12 · EBOLA! (...meningitis) — John thinks people are obsessed with Ebola because it is novel and very fatal, but also because diseases endemic to the developing world seem Other. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:28)
  • 2014-08-26 · Food Is Weird: Understanding Agriculture in the Developing World — Noting his own privilege is easy; harder is working out how each of us can help more people lead healthy, productive lives. Easy narratives are oversimplified; there is no magic bullet for poverty. — hedged: “in my opinion” [opinion marker] (00:05:49)
  • 2014-09-02 · MORTIFICATION — John says being mortified by others, through cruel words, reading your diary or sharing private pictures, is very different: nothing is gained and a lot is lost. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:02:39)
  • 2014-09-02 · MORTIFICATION — John argues nobody can always be their public self in private without going mad; everyone needs a real private self different from the selves projected in public. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:02:52)
  • 2014-09-23 · Looking Away — John thinks he looked away partly because the moments felt private, though people gave permission, but also because it was hard to watch kids suffer and feel powerless. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:52)
  • 2014-09-23 · Looking Away — John understands the urge to look away but thinks changing the world means grappling with it as we find it; a world without children dying of diarrhea and malaria won't come from looking away. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:49)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John says the TFIOS movie was awesome mostly because it felt like Hollywood making a $15 million present for Nerdfighteria, and thinks the Paper Towns movie will be the same or more so. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:14)
  • 2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John says raising money and attention for charities, the next survey choice, is a hugely and increasingly important part of their work, so maybe they're good there. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:52)
  • 2014-10-21 · Ebola: What IS Terrifying — John doesn't think it irrational to be terrified of infectious diseases: they are terrifying. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:00:06)
  • 2014-11-11 · Lacey and Angela Question Tuesday: Pizzamas Day 2 — John says Jaz Sinclair and Halston Sage play Angela and Lacey, roles he thinks are bigger in the movie than in the book. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:39)
  • 2014-11-19 · The Future of the Project for Awesome: Pizzamas Day 8 — John sees two problems: it is hard to get matching money from wealthy private donors, and comment-spamming leaves too little attention for voting on charities. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:24)
  • 2014-11-28 · Global Health and Human Hair: What the Vlogbrothers are Thankful For — John: for Black Friday everything is 20% off at DFTBA.com through Monday, which he thinks is great news. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:06)
  • 2014-12-02 · What You Eat Of Those You Love — John says getting rehydration solution to the children who need it is, like everything in global health and poverty, fiendishly complicated, but complexity should not stop or intimidate us. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:02:09)
  • 2014-12-23 · Agloe, New York — John says that back in 2008 he published a story about how the merely imagined can become really real. — hedged: “in my opinion” [opinion marker] (00:01:59)
  • 2014-12-30 · Racism in the United States: By the Numbers — John says statistics matter, but we must also listen to people affected by racism: data is cold in a way humans are not. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:32)

Other hedge (19)

a hedge that matches none of the word lists

  • 2014-01-07 · Warm Things for Cold Times — John urges Nerdfighters of Greater London to see AFC Wimbledon play Torquay, saying they should be able to just show up and get standing-room tickets. — hedged: “at least as I understand it” [other hedge] (video description)
  • 2014-01-21 · Are Poor Countries Doomed? — John says once-'incurably poor' Brazil now has, by some measures, a healthier book publishing landscape than many European countries, benefiting YA novelists in Indianapolis too. — hedged: “by some measures” [other hedge] (00:03:27)
  • 2014-03-04 · Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context — John closes that the arc of history is long and hopes it bends toward peace. — hedged: “let's hope” [other hedge] (00:06:53)
  • 2014-03-18 · Is the American Dream Real? — John worries systemic inequality of opportunity will deny promising future innovators their chances and make the US progressively less appealing to the most skilled. — hedged: “I worry” [other hedge] (00:02:45)
  • 2014-04-22 · Understanding the Central African Republic — John hopes the UN peacekeepers arrive soon and live up to their name. — hedged: “Let’s hope” [other hedge] (00:05:16)
  • 2014-05-20 · Deserving — John argues we don't deserve the terrible things either: Hank doesn't deserve ulcerative colitis, no one deserves chronic pain, dementia or poverty; deserving may not be the best way to imagine it. — hedged: “I would argue” [other hedge] (00:01:53)
  • 2014-05-20 · Deserving — Everything not burning inside the Sun is on the far edge of the good-fortune bell curve; to John it is not about deserving, because you are not your luck: whatever your circumstances, you are valuable and worthy of love. — hedged: “To me at least” [other hedge] (00:02:37)
  • 2014-05-27 · ALL THE SHIRTS (and some paths to community) — For John the best connections are not just about feeling less alone but about seeing the universe more broadly and enthusiastically; it's less about what you like than how you like it. — hedged: “at least for me” [other hedge] (00:03:17)
  • 2014-05-27 · ALL THE SHIRTS (and some paths to community) — Responding to Katrovas, John says he'd like to think the human heart has more than one true nature. — hedged: “I'd like to think” [other hedge] (00:03:49)
  • 2014-06-10 · Our Old Friend Complexity: Behind the Beautiful Forevers — John says the TFiOS film looks set to be the number one movie in America this week (week of 9 June 2014), beating films that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. — hedged: “it looks like” [other hedge] (00:00:10)
  • 2014-06-24 · In Pursuit of Quiet — John finds what he judges the quietest place in Indianapolis International Airport, by gate A4, and shares a minute of silence with Hank. — hedged: “as far as I can tell” [other hedge] (00:01:32)
  • 2014-07-08 · The Future of Nerdfighteria — John says pre-roll ads are about 99% of YouTube's revenue, and that with them vlogbrothers could earn five or six times what it does now (he can't give actual numbers). — hedged: “like” [other hedge] (00:02:08)
  • 2014-07-29 · Listen: Thoughts from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Saying he is no expert, John credits Ethiopia's seriousness about health and groups like the Gates Foundation and Save the Children helping execute an Ethiopian strategy rather than imposing one. — hedged: “I'm obviously no expert” [other hedge] (00:01:37)
  • 2014-08-26 · Food Is Weird: Understanding Agriculture in the Developing World — The hope is that sustainable higher yields bring Ethiopia growth and poverty reduction like China, Brazil and India; the program seems to be working but is extremely complicated. — hedged: “From what I can tell” [other hedge] (00:04:41)
  • 2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — John says the Paper Towns film looks really likely to happen: they have hired a director, Jake Schreier, who made Robot & Frank. — hedged: “looks like” [other hedge] (00:00:54)
  • 2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — John says the Paper Towns film is supposedly coming out on July 31, so it might actually happen. — hedged: “supposedly” [other hedge] (00:01:02)
  • 2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — John argues most humans love metaphors because so much human thinking is symbolic, e.g. imagining a meningitis headache as a vice gripping the head. — hedged: “I would argue” [other hedge] (00:01:46)
  • 2014-12-23 · Agloe, New York — John says about forty years later Rand McNally put Agloe on its map; threatened with a lawsuit, it said Agloe was real, because people looking for it had built a place called Agloe. — hedged: “like forty years” [other hedge] (00:01:00)
  • 2014-12-30 · Racism in the United States: By the Numbers — John says that, as far as he can tell, whether systemic bias against African Americans exists in the US is not really debatable, so he will look at data. — hedged: “so far as I can tell” [other hedge] (00:00:24)

Hedge words not recorded (2)

marked as unsure, but the hedge words were not quoted

Satire (2)

a mock position (e.g. a fake moral panic) — the opposite of what is meant

Joke (6)

a gag; not a claim

Hypothetical (3)

a thought experiment or "what if"

  • 2014-02-04 · Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? — John imagines Hank opening a fast-food restaurant, 'Corndogs and Sodium', to ask what raising the federal minimum wage would do to him and his employees. (00:00:14)
  • 2014-08-26 · Food Is Weird: Understanding Agriculture in the Developing World — With made-up numbers: bad seed earns $500 a harvest, good seed and fertilizer $1000 for $100 of inputs, a no-brainer — except a farmer who made $500 last year (2013) lacks the $100. (00:01:51)
  • 2014-10-07 · I Kind of Hate Batman — John says that as a billionaire he would first pledge 90% of his money to charity, then build a racetrack, fund an AFC Wimbledon stadium and a house with secret rooms, and still be super rich. (00:00:20)

Playful (139)

a real point made in a joking way; the paraphrase records the meant core

Hank

820 statements · sincere 84% · playful 15% · other bits 1% · hedged or unsure 13%

Sincere but hedged (96)

Split by hedge type (derived from the quoted hedge words with a fixed word list — see the overview): epistemic doubt 40 · wish / hope 6 · opinion marker 33 · other hedge 15 · hedge words not recorded 2.

Epistemic doubt (40)

real uncertainty about whether it is true

  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Hank says he and Michael made the film for the Worldbuilders campaign, which he likens to the Project for Awesome but run by authors instead of YouTubers. — hedged: “kind of like” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:57)
  • 2014-02-07 · Kill All The Humans — Hank rejects the view that intelligence is just one valued trait among others (cheetahs fastest, blue whales biggest, barnacles longest penises), believing people know humans are special. — hedged: “I think those people probably know” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:16)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank asks why being good at skiing and then shooting is more valuable than being good at Flappy Bird, and guesses the answer is cultural agreement. — hedged: “I guess” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:55)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Showing The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Hank says deckled edges make books harder to read yet come on pricier books; paying more for less function makes no sense. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:10)
  • 2014-02-28 · The Cost of Fun — Since other entertainments cost much more, Hank thinks it's probably OK to pay full price for the book, only about 67 cents more per hour. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:45)
  • 2014-02-28 · The Cost of Fun — Hank concludes there doesn't seem to be much correlation between the dollars paid and the value delivered, which is why a lot of the best things in life are free. — hedged: “I guess” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:49)
  • 2014-03-07 · Thoughts from a Cruise — Hank says such community maybe doesn't have to come from a fuel-guzzling boat, but he doesn't know how else to pull it off, and will be thinking about that. — hedged: “Maybe not” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:55)
  • 2014-04-04 · Mass Incarceration in the US — Hank argues that because today's prisoners are tomorrow's neighbors, corrections should be the most important part of incarceration, but it is not. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:47)
  • 2014-04-04 · Mass Incarceration in the US — Hank says the cost goes beyond dollars, to people, communities and families; the policy seems to be giving up on anyone who has committed a felony. — hedged: “seems to be” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:38)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank says that since whether someone wants to date you is basically random, it is a terrible thing to base your self-worth on, whatever your gender. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:42)
  • 2014-04-18 · What is The Oldest Song? — Hank says the first human songs are lost: they were probably improvised, so the first melody was probably lost right after it was made. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:38)
  • 2014-04-18 · What is The Oldest Song? — Hank says the oldest complete song is a brief composition preserving both music and lyrics, unusually, on a burial cylinder probably placed in a man's wife's grave by the man. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:21)
  • 2014-04-25 · I Love Science (Clean Version) (Uncensored link in the Description) — Hank announces the band's tour after VidCon: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Denver, Salt Lake City and possibly Eugene, with a ticket link in the description. — hedged: “possibly” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:47)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank says the animutation was probably the first internet-native genre of video, pioneered by Neil Cicierega, later known for The Mysterious Ticking Noise. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:31)
  • 2014-07-04 · 13 Things to Know about Concerts — Hank says concerts carry a lot of cultural knowledge and feel like a thing cool people do; part of coolness seems to be hiding the dos and don'ts from 'normal people', which he hates. — hedged: “It almost seems” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:37)
  • 2014-07-18 · EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! — In March John missed a video while hospitalised and replied to Hank on a forum, so he ate a blenderized Happy Meal, waxed his legs and licked a cat; Hank is unsure why three, possibly Daniel Biss donations. — hedged: “possibly” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:03)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank argues people base opinions on their values, not on the best course of action or explanation; that is fine, but it might be silly to think values turned into a vision find the best course. — hedged: “it might be a little silly” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:44)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank suggests that with such people the best course may be just to be friends, and even to ask them about what they've built, since it is immensely valuable to them. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:50)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank finds it unfortunate for Slater, who hauled heavy expensive equipment far, but thinks Wikimedia's argument makes sense: it's everybody's photo, which is why he can use it here. — hedged: “it seems to me” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:27)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank says the iPhone 5C is 'kind of' the value edition of the iPhone, with a less fancy camera, processor and design. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:17)
  • 2014-09-19 · The Oculus Rift is Freakin Me Out — Hank says virtual reality could do a great job of giving online occurrences physical space. — hedged: “COULD” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:55)
  • 2014-09-19 · The Oculus Rift is Freakin Me Out — Hank admits he is extra excited after a weird new experience and tells viewers to take his enthusiasm with a grain of salt. — hedged: “probably take this with a grain of salt” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:31)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says that for this to keep working Hong Kong has to be something China finds uncomfortable, free: the arrangement called 'one country, two systems'. — hedged: “kinda” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:59)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says that in America mocking a politician on TV can make them seem stronger, but in tightly controlled China such criticism makes a politician look extremely weak; its culture accepts no derision. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:10)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says China's government mixes immense pride with vulnerability, a fear of falling apart that might be warranted since many areas of China don't want to be part of it. — hedged: “might” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:45)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says the protest probably hurts Beijing, though maybe less than it imagines, since Hong Kong and mainland people no longer get along well, partly over shopping excursions. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:29)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says he has not yet given the trigger for last Sunday's (28 September 2014) protests because, with all this background, the protest starts to feel inevitable. — hedged: “kind of” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:39)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says Hong Kong has a proud history of protest since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, so the police response may have scared people more than not electing leaders they never could elect. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:04:28)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank notes some hope Hong Kong, a testing ground for China's capitalism, could test Chinese democracy, but says the cultural gap between China's control and Hong Kong's freedom may be too big. — hedged: “may” [epistemic doubt] (00:04:48)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says that because Hong Kong's protesters protest in very calm and stable ways, there seems to be some agreement that stability is good. — hedged: “seems” [epistemic doubt] (00:05:33)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says few call for Hong Kong to secede, though China may fear it; mostly Hong Kong wants to be itself, with a bit more control over its destiny for the first time. — hedged: “may” [epistemic doubt] (00:05:39)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank hopes that, as China found ways to allow actual capitalism within its borders, there may be a way for actual democracy too: a fantastic outcome. 'I guess we'll see.' — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:06:13)
  • 2014-10-24 · #Octothorpe - A Symbolistic Journey — Because it meant little, # became a catch-all non-confusing symbol, which is probably how it became known as the 'number sign'. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:16)
  • 2014-10-31 · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) — Hank sympathises with people done with gridlock and cynicism: campaigns seem to energise the base by angering and frightening it, turning off moderates, especially the young, who are needed to end partisanship. — hedged: “seem to be” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:54)
  • 2014-10-31 · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) — Hank says the power lies with us, that this is what democracies are, and that because you can make the country better you kind of have an obligation to. — hedged: “kinda” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:02)
  • 2014-11-10 · The Woman Without a Face - Pizzamas Day 1 — Hank says he is late and a little worried he might not finish and upload the video in time, but hopes he will. — hedged: “I'm a little worried I might not make it” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:25)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank: there may be more forms of John than of any other name, e.g. Jane, Gianni, Juan, Ivan, Janice, Joan, Ian and Yanni. — hedged: “might” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:53)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank says 2014 will very likely have been the warmest year ever recorded. — hedged: “very likely possibility” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:28)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank says 2014 was probably the best year ever to be a nerd, listing TV and film returns, a comet landing, Curiosity's lakebed, a female Thor and a black Captain America. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:05)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank says every year has good and bad and we talk more about the bad; maybe that leads us to fight it so there is less in 2015, though the bad will again be what we mostly discuss. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:33)

Wish / hope (6)

a wish about the future, not a claim about what is true

  • 2014-03-14 · Sexual Abuse, Consent, and Culture — Hank prefaces that he is not a doctor or counselor and hasn't experienced sexual abuse; he is just a person with thoughts that hopefully could help someone. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:00:01)
  • 2014-03-14 · Sexual Abuse, Consent, and Culture — Hank says they are looking to partner with existing sexual assault organizations to bring their work and resources into the community, and hopefully other online communities. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:03:20)
  • 2014-08-22 · Kidneys, LlamaJohn, Frankenstein, Back to School, and The Nerdfighter Online Video Workshop! — Hank hopes people will collaborate, critique each other and workshop their online video; he loves this world and wants people who care about it invited in. — hedged: “I hope” [wish / hope] (00:02:36)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank hopes the ad subconsciously persuaded viewers that science is still cool and that they are still curious about the world. — hedged: “Hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:01:35)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank hopes the campaign is good for SciShow, because he thinks more SciShow is better for the world: society needs more scientific literacy, and SciShow does that fairly well compared with TV science. — hedged: “I hope it is because I think” [wish / hope] (00:02:32)
  • 2014-11-07 · New Crash Course and Pizzamas! — Hank says that in 2015 they hope to make four Crash Courses: Government with Craig Benzine (WheezyWaiter), Astronomy with Phil Plait, Physiology with Hank, and hopefully Economics. — hedged: “hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:02:37)

Opinion marker (33)

marks a view as the speaker's own; not doubt

  • 2014-01-03 · The Golden Gate Bridge Didn't Collapse!! — Hank thinks confirmation bias is why many people tried to poke holes in John's last video: it did not fit their worldview that the world is going downhill. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:05)
  • 2014-01-10 · Global Warming and the Polar Vortex — Hank thinks the problem is that 'global warming' is a terrible name for the thing: it makes it sound like things will just get warmer. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:13)
  • 2014-01-10 · Global Warming and the Polar Vortex — Hank feels people would accept the idea more if it were framed as an energy increase, separate from everyday experience, though 'average global atmospheric energy increase' isn't catchy and he could be wrong. — hedged: “I feel like” [opinion marker] (00:03:09)
  • 2014-02-07 · Kill All The Humans — Hank thinks humans are ultimately pretty good at creating more than they destroy, and getting better at it. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:26)
  • 2014-02-28 · The Cost of Fun — Hank thinks 20 hours of reading a book is probably more enriching than 20 hours of playing Grand Theft Auto. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:44)
  • 2014-03-14 · Sexual Abuse, Consent, and Culture — Hank thinks much of the joy of romance comes from excitedly discovering that both parties are into it, which the missile/kitten script does not encourage. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:04)
  • 2014-03-14 · Sexual Abuse, Consent, and Culture — Hank argues that assuming the pursued will run whether or not they want to enables abuse, and in his opinion is one big reason, though not the only one, why sexual abuse is so common. — hedged: “In my opinion” [opinion marker] (00:01:27)
  • 2014-03-21 · The Great Goose Migration — Hank says he hates daylight saving time, finds it ridiculous and thinks it should never be done. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:09)
  • 2014-04-04 · Mass Incarceration in the US — Hank writes that America's 40-year policy of mass incarceration is deeply unethical, not very effective, and secures the few at the expense of the many. — hedged: “I believe” [opinion marker] (video description)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank says everyone deals with insecurity, but many young women on YouTube have been told all their lives to base their self-worth on whether men admire them. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:09)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank thinks basing self-worth on attractiveness is more of a problem for women. — hedged: “I do think” [opinion marker] (00:01:51)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank says boys without makeup don't look better than girls without makeup, but our culture holds women's value to rest significantly on beauty and their purpose on attracting men, which is messed up. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:17)
  • 2014-04-18 · What is The Oldest Song? — Hank says singing is innate and uniquely human: there are no cultures on Earth that do not sing. — hedged: “I don’t think” [opinion marker] (00:00:18)
  • 2014-04-25 · I Love Science (Clean Version) (Uncensored link in the Description) — Hank sings that he loves Charles Darwin, that it is not bold to question being told the world is a thousand years old, and that science is a process, not an ideology. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:00:40)
  • 2014-04-25 · I Love Science (Clean Version) (Uncensored link in the Description) — Hank sings that he loves Carl Sagan because it is great to look up at the sky and never stop wondering why. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:09)
  • 2014-05-16 · The Myth of Greatness — Hank grants that political, economic, cultural and historic forces made Florence the Renaissance's seat, but believes, as he thinks most historians would agree, it was not because of a random collection of really great people. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:13)
  • 2014-05-16 · The Myth of Greatness — Hank thinks of Missoula as a little Florence full of unnoticed da Vincis; what separates the great people he remembers from those everyone remembers is, he thinks, 100% circumstance. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:42)
  • 2014-05-30 · Nerdfighteria Census 2014 Results! — Hank announces The Night Before Our Stars: US-only screenings (not everywhere, not Missoula) on June 5, the day before release, then a livestream with John, Nat Wolff, Ansel Elgort, Shailene Woodley and Josh Boone. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:58)
  • 2014-06-06 · Thoughts from the TFiOS Premiere! — Hank thinks the long-running trend has been to hide complexity for an illusion of effortless perfection: technology in beautiful boxes, entertainment as magic show, celebrities as perfect embodiments of cool. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:24)
  • 2014-06-06 · Thoughts from the TFiOS Premiere! — Hank says the film opened up the mysteries of life, love and hurt for examination and understanding, which he thinks the world needs more of. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:26)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank does not count the dancing baby among the really fantastic things. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:13)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank calls this a prehistory of internet video and thinks it is important to understand it and know where it all came from; it is also fun. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:26)
  • 2014-07-04 · 13 Things to Know about Concerts — Hank calls 'don't worry about looking cool' the most important concert advice: it's about being excited about something together with other people who are also excited. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:33)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank is glad humans want to understand the world, which yields great things, but thinks we often mix up thinking something with knowing it. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:10)
  • 2014-09-19 · The Oculus Rift is Freakin Me Out — Hank expects many people to say virtual reality will destroy civilization and many to say it will save it. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:38)
  • 2014-09-26 · Gettin' Real with Hank — Hank says he doesn't think he struggles with depression: he has a normal amount of sadness and sometimes feels unmotivated and undeserving. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:01:52)
  • 2014-09-26 · Gettin' Real with Hank — Hank thinks feeling undeserving is rational, since nothing special about him means people should watch him, but he doesn't want to feel he's faking it. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:02:07)
  • 2014-10-10 · I Kinda AM Batman — Hank says John's video used Batman to argue individuals cannot and should not have the power to change everything alone; celebrating that idea in media is not odd, Hank thinks, but complicated. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:27)
  • 2014-10-10 · I Kinda AM Batman — Hank says to sell the most tickets movie Batman must be broadly representative, an average of cultural values, with hot, buff, rich, white, male traits treated as desirable or default - where trouble starts. — hedged: “which is I think where we start running into trouble” [opinion marker] (00:02:05)
  • 2014-10-24 · #Octothorpe - A Symbolistic Journey — In Hank's opinion 'octothorpe' is a better word for the symbol than any other option. — hedged: “in my opinion at least” [opinion marker] (00:02:44)
  • 2014-11-18 · How to Never Feel Embarrassed Again — Hank thinks the difference is mostly confidence: being confident when you're wrong is one of the most amazing things a person can be. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:22)
  • 2014-11-18 · How to Never Feel Embarrassed Again — Hank thinks owning it is the number one thing to do, and others should tell people admitting embarrassing things that they're awesome and not to worry. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:23)
  • 2014-11-20 · Announcing VidCon 2015! — Hank thinks VidCon 2015 will be fantastic: a great team is assembled and already designing amazing content. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:13)

Other hedge (15)

a hedge that matches none of the word lists

  • 2014-02-07 · Kill All The Humans — Hank suspects most people don't spend much time worrying whether they should feel bad for existing, but he does. — hedged: “My suspicion is” [other hedge] (00:00:44)
  • 2014-03-28 · New Album, New Channels, New Fabric, New Internet Thing! — Hank says the album should come out at the end of April or in May, barring unforeseen circumstances (he first misspeaks 'March'). — hedged: “barring unforeseen circumstances” [other hedge] (00:02:55)
  • 2014-04-04 · Mass Incarceration in the US — Hank calls solitary confinement arguably the most devastating punishment the US uses, yet one with no appeals process. — hedged: “Arguably” [other hedge] (00:01:42)
  • 2014-05-30 · Nerdfighteria Census 2014 Results! — Hank reports that slightly more respondents have read J. K. Rowling's books than John Green's, and something like 92% have read The Fault in Our Stars. — hedged: “something like” [other hedge] (00:02:46)
  • 2014-07-04 · 13 Things to Know about Concerts — Tip 8: shows have no fixed schedule; generally doors open about an hour before the show and the main act plays two-plus hours after doors; expect to leave at least three hours after doors. — hedged: “Generally” [other hedge] (00:01:55)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank wonders whether a work made by a non-human that a human owns, like a dog, would pass to its owner, as output of software belongs to whoever owns the software - which would not change this case, since no one owns that monkey. — hedged: “curious” [other hedge] (video description)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank says the picture became David Slater's most famous and most successful photograph ever, at least by some measures. — hedged: “At least, by some measures” [other hedge] (00:00:51)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank really hopes to see John on Tuesday because he doesn't want to do this by himself anymore. — hedged: “hope” [other hedge] (00:03:46)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank says Uber and Lyft are pretty much the same: newfangled ways to get taxis that people are surprisingly excited about. — hedged: “As far as I can tell” [other hedge] (00:02:47)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank is a little ambivalent: as the YouTube community grows into plural communities, YouTube as a thing becomes a little less special if it is mainstream. — hedged: “I'm a little ambivalent about that” [other hedge] (00:03:10)
  • 2014-10-31 · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) — Hank says people born after 1980 make up about 30% of the electorate, but only 21% of people under 24 are expected to vote in this election. — hedged: “like” [other hedge] (00:03:12)
  • 2014-11-07 · New Crash Course and Pizzamas! — Hank says Crash Course was funded for its first two years basically by a Google grant; when that ran out, the brothers asked fans to give a little so it could keep existing for everyone. — hedged: “basically” [other hedge] (00:01:35)
  • 2014-12-06 · A Brief History of Homestar Runner — Hank says Homestar Runner pioneered the online video industry, doubts many of us would be here without it, and says it predates YouTube by five years yet still feels fresh. — hedged: “I doubt” [other hedge] (00:03:33)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank ventures that 2014 is the first year in decades that America broadly decided to confront its racism. — hedged: “I'll also venture to say” [other hedge] (00:01:26)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank says discussion of systemic sexism advanced with Emma Watson's HeForShe speech at the UN and a video of a woman harassed walking around New York that got about 30 million views. — hedged: “like 30 million” [other hedge] (00:02:15)

Hedge words not recorded (2)

marked as unsure, but the hedge words were not quoted

  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank says he doesn't know how he feels about being on TV, buses and subway cars: part of him knows it's a big deal but can't find a feeling about it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:18)
  • 2014-11-12 · The History of Pizza John! — Hank does not know why Pizza John happened: such things happen and we want to explain them but can't, and if we could they would be less special. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)

Satire (6)

a mock position (e.g. a fake moral panic) — the opposite of what is meant

Joke (3)

a gag; not a claim

  • 2014-02-28 · The Cost of Fun — Hank jokes that books saw last week's (week of 17 February 2014) video, in which he said mean things about them, and left a nasty comment; as an apology he will discuss the best entertainment investments. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-09-05 · REUNION TUESDAY! FRIDAY! WHATEVER! — Asked who plays Margo in the Paper Towns movie, Hank jokingly claims the role, purely for the money, as 'the Nick Cage of John Green movies'. (00:01:16)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank jokes that Walking Dead zombies need some power source - photosynthesis, dark energy? - and that zombies on hamster wheels chasing a brain would give infinite free power and a utopia. (00:01:46)

Playful (121)

a real point made in a joking way; the paraphrase records the meant core

  • 2014-01-03 · The Golden Gate Bridge Didn't Collapse!! — In a mock news bulletin Hank reports that the Golden Gate Bridge did not collapse today: 110,000 vehicles crossed its 8,000 feet, after more than 76 years of weather and vibration. (00:00:03)
  • 2014-01-10 · Global Warming and the Polar Vortex — Hank says it is nice in Montana, where it gets to about -20 once every year, so he doesn't know what everyone is complaining about. (00:00:02)
  • 2014-01-17 · 54 JOKES! In Four Minutes! — Hank says it has been over a year since he last told John jokes, so he will try to beat his record again with 54 jokes in under four minutes. (00:00:00)
  • 2014-01-24 · The Naughty Professor: Hank and John at the Beach - REUNION! — Asked why Dave Green is never in the videos, Hank explains Dave is a 'third unsuccessful brother' made up by a Tumblr; John is surprised to have an imaginary brother. (00:01:22)
  • 2014-01-24 · The Naughty Professor: Hank and John at the Beach - REUNION! — Hank thanks John for taking him to Florida, where he says he probably got a sunburn in the last twenty minutes; John wore sunscreen. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:14)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Mock-upset, Hank says his short film with Michael Aranda came out around the same time and feels it was overshadowed by TFiOS mania, so he shows it: Hank and the Tree. — hedged: “I feel, like” [other hedge] (00:00:07)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Hank calls the TFIOS trailer amazing and says he has watched it something like 50 times. (00:02:21)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — In his 'in-depth review', Hank notes Hazel's mom drives a sensible 2012 Honda Accord and Monica a green Mitsubishi Eclipse, unlike her car in the book. (00:02:32)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Hank points out Hazel's Imagine Dragons poster from a Denver show, a Hectic Glow poster, and her expected wardrobe: Chuck Taylors, a purple bra, a 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' shirt. (00:02:51)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Hank says Augustus wears his signature leather 'pterodactyl jacket', so called because people at the warehouse noticed it looks like a pterodactyl from a certain angle. (00:03:01)
  • 2014-01-31 · In Depth Viewing of the TFiOS Trailer — Hank lists TFIOS landmarks in the trailer: the Anne Frank House, a bridge where John once stared at viewers, the Literal Heart of Jesus and the 'vaguely paedophilic swing'. (00:03:12)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank and Katherine plan to spend Valentine's Day Tim Tam slamming Bailey's Irish Cream while watching the Olympics: being an adult is pretty cool. (00:00:20)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank finds curling ridiculous but admits it is objectively no weirder than ice dancing or hockey, his two favourite events. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:18)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank says NBC's mini-documentaries make him care about events he otherwise wouldn't: one about pop star and world-class skier Tina Maze made him root for her. (00:01:37)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank, who doesn't watch much TV, says the only problem with the Olympics is the constant commercials, such as McDonald's selling a frappe after feats of athleticism. (00:02:30)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank says an Olympic athlete, burning about 8,000 calories a day, could probably eat McDonald's advertised 880-calorie frappe; the rest of us couldn't. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:02:45)
  • 2014-02-14 · Happy Third Chocolate Day! — Hank tells viewers to enjoy 'Olympic Chocolate Day': play games, read a book, be with people they love, and not let athletes make them feel bad about the couch and chocolate. (00:02:56)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank reads a lot, though apparently, according to a Staples test, he is mildly dyslexic enough to read at a third-grade level. — hedged: “apparently” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:03)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank says humans have made books for thousands of years, so the process should be perfected, yet he has complaints for publishing companies. (00:00:09)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank says Looking for Alaska's description avoids spoilers, but one edition prints spoiler-laden reader questions on the page facing the author bio, which readers may check first. (00:00:43)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank shows something on his bookshelf (visual only) that he calls the worst thing there: the books are all first editions, and the publisher just made a mistake. (00:01:31)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank says a high-quality fantasy epic shouldn't have a half-naked guy on a horse with a sword on the cover: he won't believe it's a good book. (00:01:44)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank tells publishers to stop with 'decapitated YA fiction ladies' on covers and with books made to look like Twilight when they aren't. (00:02:02)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank calls The Casual Vacancy's back-cover line that it 'became a #1 worldwide bestseller' misleading: a J.K. Rowling novel topping the charts surprised nobody. (00:02:45)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Ironically listing faults books don't have (batteries, pop-up ads, pre-rolls), Hank declares books a far superior medium to most, except Vlogbrothers videos. (00:03:11)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank says he learned 'penultimate' doesn't mean 'ultimate' when someone laughed at him during an oral presentation. (00:03:32)
  • 2014-02-21 · Ranting about Books — Hank notes that 'the Yeti' (Sarah) has a YouTube channel: who would have guessed? (00:03:52)
  • 2014-02-28 · The Cost of Fun — Hank says no one pretends time watching TV compares to time enjoying VidCon: hopefully 20 hours of VidCon is more than ten times as entertaining as 20 hours of TV. — hedged: “Hopefully” [wish / hope] (00:02:33)
  • 2014-03-07 · Thoughts from a Cruise — Hank says environmentalist Hank rebels against the very existence of the ship, while scientist Hank wants to know how such a thing works and was ever created. (00:00:51)
  • 2014-03-07 · Thoughts from a Cruise — Back in Missoula, Hank will also be thinking about sunshine: the weather is terrible and his surroundings are 'just a lake now'. (00:03:00)
  • 2014-03-14 · Sexual Abuse, Consent, and Culture — Hank says our culture has a messed-up relationship with sex, casting sexual relationships as predator and prey: a 'cruise missile of desire' chasing a chaste kitten who runs away; a dumb system. (00:00:38)
  • 2014-03-28 · New Album, New Channels, New Fabric, New Internet Thing! — Hank says anyone who calls YouTube a black hole of culture should be shown The Art Assignment, or the rest of YouTube, which is pretty cool. (00:01:37)
  • 2014-03-28 · New Album, New Channels, New Fabric, New Internet Thing! — Hank lists what else is going on: Crash Course Psychology, Crash Course Literature, Emma Approved, keeping his colon healthy and a village in the game Banished. (00:03:27)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank notes a whole YouTube genre tells women what men like to see in them; since those videos do well, he jokingly joins the bandwagon. (00:00:17)
  • 2014-04-11 · What Boys Look For in Girls — Hank says cultures also differ in beauty standards for men, joking that in England men wear really tight pants. (00:01:19)
  • 2014-04-18 · What is The Oldest Song? — Hank says that on the scale of things oldies are very new, and that the oldest song is an impossible question: it was probably sung by a bird, maybe a dinosaur. — hedged: “probably” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:04)
  • 2014-04-18 · What is The Oldest Song? — Hank says the theme of the oldest song we have is basically YOLO: the more things change. (00:03:05)
  • 2014-04-25 · I Love Science (Clean Version) (Uncensored link in the Description) — Hank sings that asked which century he'd pick to live in, the answer is easy, right now: if you like hot running water, memory foam beds, TV, cell phones and not being dead, you love science. (00:00:52)
  • 2014-05-09 · Oh JK Rowling - Kinetic Typography — In the song Hank tells JK Rowling that giving her money to charity is fine, but asks her to crack a laptop and write something more, for the kids, charity or the HPA. (00:00:11)
  • 2014-05-09 · Oh JK Rowling - Kinetic Typography — The song gives Rowling 'absolute creative freedom': a screenplay, a prequel Broadway musical, a comic with Joss Whedon or a BBC miniseries, but no cartoons and no MMORPG. (00:00:37)
  • 2014-05-16 · The Myth of Greatness — Hank says 70,000 is oddly considered a small number of people; it is actually a lot, though some stadiums hold more. (00:00:10)
  • 2014-05-16 · The Myth of Greatness — Hank tells John his life seems like a bit of a grapefruit right now: don't freak out, stay sane. (00:03:40)
  • 2014-05-23 · My Freakish Talent — Hank presents talking as a remarkable skill, a lifetime's work needing intricate muscle control, that only one of every 8.7 million species on Earth can do. (00:00:12)
  • 2014-05-23 · My Freakish Talent — We have words for everything, Hank says, pointing out the parts of a book (paper, cardstock, embossed cover, spine, blurbs), and words for words: parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms. (00:00:38)
  • 2014-05-23 · My Freakish Talent — There is a word for words that mean their own opposite, and even a word for when there isn't a word for a thing, so unusual a situation that most people don't know the word exists. (00:01:28)
  • 2014-05-23 · My Freakish Talent — There is a word for the best possible word to use in any situation, so the best word to describe the best possible word describes itself. (00:01:47)
  • 2014-05-23 · My Freakish Talent — The hard part, Hank says: autological's antonym heterological cannot consistently be said to describe itself or not; luckily there is a word for that too. (00:02:21)
  • 2014-05-30 · Nerdfighteria Census 2014 Results! — Hank shows the outfit he plans to wear to John's New York movie premiere, joking that Montanans dress 'with a dead cow on them', plus a TFiOS-colors tie. (00:00:00)
  • 2014-05-30 · Nerdfighteria Census 2014 Results! — Hank jokes that 100% of respondents called his new album Incongruent a masterful work of genius (the only option), then plugs it because many didn't know it exists. (00:00:43)
  • 2014-06-06 · Thoughts from the TFiOS Premiere! — Hank points out TFiOS clouds in Central Park, jokingly calling them a permanent city installation, and a Times Square advertisement for the film of his brother's book. (00:00:37)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank makes cinnamon toast two ways and champions the soggy technique (butter, cinnamon and sugar first, then toaster) over the crunchy one: Team soggy for life. (00:00:22)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank says he posted his cinnamon-toast method on Tumblr and people criticized him, saying to toast before buttering, which he calls ludicrous. (00:01:00)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank says there is a lot of animosity between Team soggy and Team crunchy, admitting he may be projecting other stress onto it. — hedged: “It may be” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:18)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank learned toaster ovens don't exist everywhere; he excuses toaster-only Team crunchy but suggests broiling in an oven, which is so much better. (00:01:48)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank says his defense mechanism under stress is getting really sleepy; he prefers unconsciousness to lying in bed thinking. (00:02:52)
  • 2014-06-13 · How to Make Cinnamon Toast (two ways) — Hank asks commenters: Team soggy or Team crunchy, and is the chewed poster worth more or less now? (00:03:22)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank claims, self-mockingly, that old online video is better than anything made today, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:58)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank describes Homestar Runner as a bizarre alien thing in Free Country, USA, with friends including Marzipan, Coach Z, The Cheat and Strong Bad, who answers emails weekly. (00:01:27)
  • 2014-06-20 · Pre-History of Online Video — Hank has to go back to VidCon work and, playfully, would rather keep making this video. (00:03:43)
  • 2014-06-27 · My Day Before VidCon — Hank is without his hotel key, shoes or badge; without the badge he can't get into any of the places he needs to go. (00:00:34)
  • 2014-06-27 · My Day Before VidCon — Hank finds John and notes his own badge has higher clearance than John's. (00:01:42)
  • 2014-07-04 · 13 Things to Know about Concerts — Hank says today is his first day off in about four weeks; after being repeatedly kept from a full night's sleep, he finally slept. (00:00:06)
  • 2014-07-11 · Touring with a Rock Band in 1,8X&,00B Simple Steps — Hank shows a tour morning: waking very early, stuffing everything into one bag, packing the van, breakfast in the car, and long hours sitting in the van. (00:00:12)
  • 2014-07-11 · Touring with a Rock Band in 1,8X&,00B Simple Steps — The band tries to get Ethiopian food but the restaurant is closed, and they end up in a very hot parking lot. (00:00:51)
  • 2014-07-11 · Touring with a Rock Band in 1,8X&,00B Simple Steps — Hank shows setting up the merch stand, getting VIP bracelets, a green room that is purple, and tuning guitars. (00:01:40)
  • 2014-07-11 · Touring with a Rock Band in 1,8X&,00B Simple Steps — After the show Hank goes out to sign and take pictures with people; at the hotel the group, starving, looks for a place to eat, goofs around and has second dinners, then sleeps and does it all again. (00:03:04)
  • 2014-07-18 · EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! — Answering John's claim that he owes a punishment, Hank says the brothers have been doing this so long, with so many punishable infractions, that it is getting confusing. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank declares that saying 'I don't know' is liberating and calls himself a towering mountain of ignorance. (00:00:04)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank lists things he doesn't know: why Mario is the best-known video game character, why guitars are shaped as they are, why Iggy Azalea is popular. (00:00:09)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank thinks he knows a lot of things, yet he is surprisingly unhelpful when he plays pub trivia with his friends. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:00:20)
  • 2014-07-25 · Towering Mountains of Ignorance — Hank's example: explaining Harry Potter's popularity by its school setting, good writing and a desire for wizards amounts to saying it is popular because it's Harry Potter. (00:00:44)
  • 2014-08-01 · PUNISHMENT OF PAIN AND SCIENCE! — Hank says today's video, inspired by a comment on John's video about Hank needing to be punished, explains the science of pain while he experiences pain. (00:00:02)
  • 2014-08-03 · Happy Esther Day! — Hank says John apparently told people at LeakyCon that Hank had a problem with showering at age 10 — true, but John could have kept it to himself. (00:00:20)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank says that, for a first time ever on Vlogbrothers, he has three videos in a row, because of Esther Day and John's missed video; it's like the Hank Show and he doesn't like it. (00:01:59)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — Hank says he will do it again, in the spirit of questionable copyright, with the help of 'my friend Calvin Harris'. (00:02:45)
  • 2014-08-08 · Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! — In his song Hank lists meningitis symptoms: pounding head, stiff neck, sensitivity to sound, rising cranial pressure, falling blood pressure, a brain starved of oxygen — but you will rebound. (00:02:52)
  • 2014-08-15 · The Bizarre State of Copyright — Last week (week of 4 August 2014) Hank made John a song about his inflamed nervous system using the instrumental of Calvin Harris's 'Summer' — a blatant copyright violation that is somehow okay. (00:00:00)
  • 2014-08-15 · The Bizarre State of Copyright — That is why he could use Calvin Harris's song: Calvin Harris gets the video's money, and Hank need not negotiate with a record label at ten at night on a Thursday. (00:03:14)
  • 2014-08-15 · The Bizarre State of Copyright — Frankly it's kind of cool: Hank can violate copyright without losing his channel, YouTube avoids being sued out of existence, and rights holders get another revenue stream (for fancier yacht parties). (00:03:40)
  • 2014-08-22 · Kidneys, LlamaJohn, Frankenstein, Back to School, and The Nerdfighter Online Video Workshop! — Hank calls this a boring video and goes outside to make it more interesting, saying he won't ride a helicopter with Bill Gates, dump ice water on his head or do sock puppets. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-08-22 · Kidneys, LlamaJohn, Frankenstein, Back to School, and The Nerdfighter Online Video Workshop! — Hank takes the ice bucket challenge on camera, screaming that his ear exploded and his brain is on fire. (00:03:06)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank went to Google to ask a 'what's the difference' question, got distracted by others' questions, and decides to answer one for every letter of the alphabet. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank says crows and ravens are different species: crows come in annoying groups, ravens alone or in pairs and are huge. (00:00:19)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Answering 'you and me', Hank says humans are biologically very similar to each other. (00:01:50)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank admits he does not know what NAS and SAN are beyond something to do with IT infrastructure. (00:01:55)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank explains 'too' means excessively or also, and 'to' is for all other uses unless you mean 'two'. (00:02:42)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank predicts taxis will be mostly driven by robots in ten years. (00:02:50)
  • 2014-08-29 · What's the Difference Between A and Z — Hank ends the alphabet by saying green and yellow zucchini differ in color, and a zucchini is a squash. (00:03:21)
  • 2014-09-05 · REUNION TUESDAY! FRIDAY! WHATEVER! — Hank says Arlo was his first car too, and afterwards he got the same car again, white and smelling more like vomit. (00:00:40)
  • 2014-09-12 · Hanging with High School Hank — In the description Hank says the new house will have more room for projects, adding that he doesn't mean small-human projects. (video description)
  • 2014-09-12 · Hanging with High School Hank — Hank shows his teenage art: a crater city during the terraforming of Mars, many-abbed aliens, They Might Be Giants fan art and ASCII art of Magic mana. (00:00:42)
  • 2014-09-12 · Hanging with High School Hank — Finding a binder of notes from friends, Hank calls note-passing, done before Tumblr and texting, a lost art. (00:02:06)
  • 2014-09-12 · Hanging with High School Hank — Hank's childhood life timeline set goals by year: find five new tropical fish by 2014 (unmet, though he has a fish tank) and find the Loch Ness Monster in 2018. (00:02:17)
  • 2014-09-19 · The Oculus Rift is Freakin Me Out — Hank says physical spaces change slowly but the internet does not: a YouTube redesign feels like someone redesigned his house and moved the bathroom. (00:01:57)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank finds it 'kinda hilarious' that in the 1990s Hong Kong's appointed governor began praising democracy after 150 years of colonial rule; China found it annoying, wanting to have its economic cake and eat it. (00:00:37)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says that for China's National Day this week (week of 29 September 2014) 10,000 doves were released in Tiananmen Square, each cavity-searched for explosives. (00:02:33)
  • 2014-10-03 · Hong Kong Protests Explained — Hank says that in a country that checks pigeons for explosives, a seven-million-person region outside central control might be a completely foreign concept. — hedged: “maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:06:00)
  • 2014-10-10 · I Kinda AM Batman — Hank thanks John, tongue in cheek, for making their most disliked Vlogbrothers video ever, apparently just by insulting a fictional vigilante. (00:00:00)
  • 2014-10-10 · I Kinda AM Batman — Hank tells John he got Batman pretty much entirely wrong: Bruce Wayne does help the city's infrastructure as much as he can amid its deep-rooted corruption. (00:00:07)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank says the hotel clerk asked if he was there to party and, not joking, listed twenty nearby parties; he was staying at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel, advertised as celeb-friendly. (00:00:06)
  • 2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank says he is extremely happy Vlogbrothers is too weird ever to be mainstream, and that they are dedicated to keeping it weird. (00:03:29)
  • 2014-10-24 · #Octothorpe - A Symbolistic Journey — Hank says the world is fascinating: drill down far enough into almost anything and you find convoluted tales of hilarity and intrigue. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-10-24 · #Octothorpe - A Symbolistic Journey — Hank refuses to accept the name 'number sign': marking a number as a number is extremely non-useful. (00:01:27)
  • 2014-10-24 · #Octothorpe - A Symbolistic Journey — Hank prefers language defined by cheeky 1960s nerds to the whims of social media, so for him the symbol will always be the octothorpe. (00:03:05)
  • 2014-10-31 · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) — Hank answers 'I don't want to vote for the lesser of two evils': choose the lesser evil, since not voting is like half a vote for the greater one. (00:00:22)
  • 2014-10-31 · Ten Terrible Reason to not Vote (and two good ones) — Hank says this is proof millionaires can't buy elections: they go to the polls because they know voting is the only way people get elected. (00:01:37)
  • 2014-11-07 · New Crash Course and Pizzamas! — Hank will post Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week (week of 10 November 2014), then Tuesday and Thursday; expect lots of Paper Towns set, with quality decreasing as they go a little insane. (00:03:28)
  • 2014-11-10 · The Woman Without a Face - Pizzamas Day 1 — Viewers sent Hank Tumblr asks wanting his promised video; he answers that it is still Monday and the video has to be made. (00:00:26)
  • 2014-11-12 · The History of Pizza John! — Hank: the world is complicated and understanding it is important, but having a good time matters too (delivered as a deliberate tautology). (00:01:25)
  • 2014-11-12 · The History of Pizza John! — Asked how long he will keep doing this or what his five-year plan is, Hank says he will be doing it forever, picturing a toothless 81-year-old Hank mumbling about Pizzamas 2061. (00:03:24)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank: stars don't actually twinkle; their brightness is constant and our atmosphere makes them look like they twinkle, so 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' is a lie told to children. (00:00:29)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank calls the tortoise and the hare another lie told to children: however much the hare messes around it wins; fast and steady, not slow and steady, wins the race. (00:00:38)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank: at 45 mph a hare would need only 13% of its five-year lifespan to beat Jonathan's lifetime distance, so even in that hypothetical the hare wins. (00:01:20)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank: maybe the fable's real moral is that slow and steady loses the race, but who cares as long as you're not dead. — hedged: “Maybe” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:38)
  • 2014-11-14 · A Surprise Relationship Between John and Hank! — Hank teases John for telling a history of Johns and forgetting 'the oldest John ever', Jonathan the tortoise: 'you're slacking'. (00:01:44)
  • 2014-11-18 · How to Never Feel Embarrassed Again — Hank tells John people have been enjoying his green-screen time and are calling it 'John Greenscreened'. (00:00:01)
  • 2014-11-28 · Global Health and Human Hair: What the Vlogbrothers are Thankful For — Hank is thankful for human hair, which he thinks is pretty and functional, and for people who work in customer support. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:01:12)
  • 2014-12-19 · BUTFARTMAN Is Coming To Town! — In a clip Hank says he heard guests promised to eat a bowl of crickets if $10,000 was raised; Steve Zaragoza says 'that was this guy' and Matt Lieberman says he said he would eat it. (00:00:11)
  • 2014-12-19 · BUTFARTMAN Is Coming To Town! — Hank, in a onesie-like outfit, explains Butfartman: wear two very similar shirts, one on top and one on the bottom, and you too can be Butfartman. (00:02:47)
  • 2014-12-19 · BUTFARTMAN Is Coming To Town! — Hank announces that 'Fartmas' is trending worldwide. (00:03:06)
  • 2014-12-26 · The Best and Worst of 2014 — Hank says we landed a probe on a comet and Curiosity confirmed it is roving on an ancient Martian lakebed. (00:01:17)

Other voices

94 statements · sincere 89% · playful 10% · other bits 1% · hedged or unsure 9%

Sincere but hedged (8)

Split by hedge type (derived from the quoted hedge words with a fixed word list — see the overview): opinion marker 4 · other hedge 4.

Opinion marker (4)

marks a view as the speaker's own; not doubt

  • 2014-09-29 · Bill Gates and John Green Discuss Progress — Bill Gates: Gates says it is a very positive story, one he doesn't think most people know about. — hedged: “I don't think” [opinion marker] (00:02:55)
  • 2014-11-11 · Lacey and Angela Question Tuesday: Pizzamas Day 2 — Halston Sage: Halston Sage's advice for the heartbroken: surround yourself with friends and family and remember you can love again. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:07)
  • 2014-11-11 · Lacey and Angela Question Tuesday: Pizzamas Day 2 — Jaz Sinclair: Jaz Sinclair's advice for the heartbroken: use it rather than wait for the pain to pass, by writing, painting, drawing, singing or crying; such intense emotions are rare and not necessarily bad if used. — hedged: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:15)
  • 2014-12-09 · Question Tuesday with Cara Delevingne of Paper Towns — Cara Delevingne: Cara says she relates to Margo, which she thinks is why she got the part: she has lived many of the character's stories, said many of the script's lines, and like Margo runs on instinct. — hedged: “I think that's why I got the part” [opinion marker] (00:00:30)

Other hedge (4)

a hedge that matches none of the word lists

  • 2014-09-09 · Bill Gates and John Green Discuss Global Health — Bill Gates: Gates says health is not the only thing but the central thing a country must get right, or it cannot keep its children alive and support itself. — hedged: “in my view” [other hedge] (00:02:09)
  • 2014-09-29 · Bill Gates and John Green Discuss Progress — Bill Gates: Gates hopes to get polio certified eradicated by 2018; the credibility and energy from that would let them take new tools and go after a malaria plan. — hedged: “we hope” [other hedge] (00:00:10)
  • 2014-09-29 · Bill Gates and John Green Discuss Progress — Bill Gates: Gates says Ethiopia should be able to get childhood death below 2%. — hedged: “should be able to” [other hedge] (00:02:08)
  • 2014-09-29 · Bill Gates and John Green Discuss Progress — Bill Gates: Gates says finding children who aren't growing, getting nutritious food out and improving agricultural productivity ought to virtually eliminate malnutrition. — hedged: “ought to be able to” [other hedge] (00:02:23)

Joke (1)

a gag; not a claim

Playful (9)

a real point made in a joking way; the paraphrase records the meant core