Openly unsure

310 statements where the speaker says outright that they do not know, or is guessing — stronger than an ordinary hedge. Back to the overview.

2007

2007-08-08 · August 8th: The Lawn and the Fury — John: John claims there are more murders on American TV in a week than actual murders in the Netherlands in a year, admitting he made the statistic up. (playful) — speculative: “I made that statistic up, but I bet it's true” [other hedge] (00:02:55)

2011

2011-03-30 · The Ice Cream Changes — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know why our brains like these progressions, but they obviously do. — explicitly uncertain: “I don't know” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:40)
2011-10-03 · The LHC and Alex's Survey — Hank: Hank says he talked with Joe about the neutrino that supposedly went faster than light; he hasn't discussed it, though asked on Twitter, because he is reserving judgment and finds faster-than-light matter hard to accept. — explicitly uncertain: “I'm reserving judgment” [other hedge] (00:03:05)
2011-11-23 · Why are Barns Red and Kardashians Famous — Hank: Not knowing who Dina and Caroline are, Hank guesses they are fighting because they're not imagining each other complexly. (playful) — speculative: “venture a guess” [other hedge] (00:01:29)

2013

2013-06-21 · New Channels, New Songs, and Just Plain News — Hank: Hank says Grace's video went over four minutes, but he is unsure whether the four-minute rule covers videos on the Vlogbrothers channel or only videos made by the Vlogbrothers. — explicitly uncertain: “I'm still not sure” [other hedge] (00:00:00)

2015

2015-10-16 · Post-NerdCon Haze — Hank: Showing Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker, Hank says it won a staff pick and may have won a Printz or been a Printz honoree, but he isn't sure. — explicitly uncertain: “I'm not sure” [epistemic doubt] (00:01:58)

2017

2017-08-04 · Why Bullets are Good for the Environment — Hank: John texted Hank that he had forgotten Hank is CEO of a board game company and that he is hilarious and amazing; Hank is not sure he is the CEO, just helps make it work. (playful) — explicitly uncertain: “I don't know” [epistemic doubt] (00:03:10)

2018

2018-03-30 · The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Thoughts from Amsterdam — Hank: Hank doesn't know how norms get established, but imagines they are what fits the people who make a place, making them feel valued, healthy and satisfied. — speculative: “I imagine” [epistemic doubt] (00:00:39)

2020

2020-10-13 · Me from the Past: A Pizzamas Miracle — John: On 5 October 2020, with some data but not enough, John guesses AFC Wimbledon might eke out a draw against Swindon Town based on current form. — speculative: “a guess” [other hedge] (00:01:27)

2024

2024-06-14 · Some Reasons why People Suck — Hank: Hank has never heard anyone else say this, but thinks it would be most people's answer if they looked harder. — speculative: “I think” [opinion marker] (00:03:27)
2024-11-01 · Working Through a Crisis with My Brother — John: John predicts something will emerge that he and Hank find interesting and use differently from most people, as community-based video did in 2005, and they will find fulfilment in it. — speculative: “That's my guess.” [other hedge] (00:06:49)

Hedge words not recorded (299)

299 statements are tagged as not asserted (224 explicitly uncertain, 75 speculative) but carry no quoted hedge words, so they have no hedge type. Listed here in full so they are not lost from the hedge counts.

2007 (10)

2007-01-17 · Brotherhood 2.0: January 17th — Hank: Hank greets Maureen Johnson and E. Lockhart and wonders whether that Maureen is the one who told him to build a house out of his misprinted business cards; if so, he has a surprise for her. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:10)
2007-02-01 · Brotherhood 2.0, February 1, 2007 — John: John wonders whether divorce would be like being in Savannah, Georgia for the rest of his life with no Yeti. (joke) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:13)
2007-04-12 · Brotherhood 2.0: April 12th: A Eulogy for Vonnegut — Kurt Vonnegut (quoted): Vonnegut asks the reader, 'my indispensable collaborator', whether their deepest understanding of time, space and destiny is also shaped by earliest experiences of geography and the rules for getting home. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:41)
2007-05-11 · May 11th: Heroes — Hank: Hank asks whether it would be okay to kill baby Hitler ('he's just a baby'), says he doesn't know, and calls this why time-traveling heroism would be so hard. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:26)
2007-07-18 · July 18: Accio Deathly Hallows (no spoilers) — Hank: Hank sings his fears about the ending: what Ron would do if Hermione died, Voldemort killing Hedwig, or Harry's brain being a horcrux. (hypothetical) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:08)
2007-08-10 · August 10th: Bears!!!! — John: John wonders what his experiences would be like if he didn't mediate all of them through a video camera. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:43)
2007-08-17 · August 17: Hmmm...A Secret Project? — Hank: Hank says they are working on the problems people report with the website, but he doesn't know when it will be fixed. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:28)
2007-08-17 · August 17: Hmmm...A Secret Project? — Hank: Hank adds that it is 'about viral marketing' (what 'it' refers to is unclear). — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:12)
2007-12-11 · Dec 11: Secret Project...And More Punching — Hank: Hank is not sure what the brothers will do on the last day of Brotherhood 2.0; it is his day, and he wishes John could be there, but John will be in Chicago. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:12)
2007-12-31 · Dec 31: Goodbye Brotherhood 2.0 — both: The song asks whether the brothers are closer now than they were a year ago. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:24)

2009 (14)

2009-06-14 · Iran Election Fraud: 5 Reasons to Doubt the Results — John: John says the whole story is not yet known and it is possible the elections were somehow not rigged. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:28)
2009-07-22 · Truth or Fail with John! Famous Authors Edition — John: Purported fact one, posed as one of two options: the playwright Tennessee Williams choked to death on a bottle cap. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2009-07-22 · Truth or Fail with John! Famous Authors Edition — John: Purported fact two, posed as the alternative: the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay died a virgin. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2009-08-04 · Twitter Games and Truth or Fail — Hank: Truth or Fail candidate fact one (one of the two is false): the whale shark is the biggest fish that has ever existed. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2009-08-04 · Twitter Games and Truth or Fail — Hank: Truth or Fail candidate fact two: tiger sharks eat almost anything, including humans; one was found with chickens, still in their coop, in its stomach. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2009-08-21 · Truth or Fail: John Green Books — John: Purported fact one, posed as one of two options: American Civil War general John Sedgwick's last words were 'they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist(ance)'. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2009-08-21 · Truth or Fail: John Green Books — John: Purported fact two, posed as the alternative: American poet Emily Dickinson's last words were 'Doctor, do you think it was the sausage?' — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2009-10-02 · Truth or Fail: DRUGS! — Hank: Round one, option one: when an organization tested hundreds of thousands of random US one-dollar bills, four out of five had traces of cocaine (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:25)
2009-10-02 · Truth or Fail: DRUGS! — Hank: Round one, option two: Kinder eggs are illegal in America because the government fears people will smuggle drugs inside them (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:25)
2009-10-24 · Truth or Fail: HOAXES! — Hank: Round one, option one: Poe not only convinced the world a man had flown a gas balloon over the Atlantic, but was a serial hoaxer who tried to fool the news media at least six times (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:37)
2009-10-24 · Truth or Fail: HOAXES! — Hank: Round one, option two: at the Statue of Liberty's 25th anniversary a little girl claimed to have lost her monkey there, and it was closed two days before she admitted making it up (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:37)
2009-10-30 · Truth or Fail: Halloween! — John: Option one: the mask Michael Myers wore in the film Halloween was a William Shatner mask painted white (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2009-10-30 · Truth or Fail: Halloween! — John: Option two: magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween 1926 as a result of being punched in the stomach by a college student (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2009-12-01 · Shaving for Pakistan — John: John says the world wants to help Pakistan but doesn't know where to start (education, infrastructure or corruption); everyone is paralyzed while the Pakistani Taliban kill moderate leaders. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:45)

2010 (10)

2010-01-25 · Name My Dog! — Hank: The first round offers two dog 'facts', one a lie: Chewbacca's vocalizations were based on an Alaskan Malamute's, or all dogs are ambidextrous; the answer is not given here. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:17)
2010-02-06 · Truth or Fail: SUPERBOWL — Hank: Round one, option one: 5'6" Darren Sproles is the smallest player in the NFL today (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:44)
2010-02-06 · Truth or Fail: SUPERBOWL — Hank: Round one, option two: William 'the Refrigerator' Perry was the largest NFL player of all time (one option is false). (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:44)
2010-03-15 · Cute OVERLOAD: The Ultimate Concern Edition — John: John asks whether an ultimate concern should be limited to family, extend to politics, community, nation or species, weigh other species equally, or yield to self-preservation. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:24)
2010-03-17 · Side-Boob is Not my Ultimate Concern — Hank: Truth or Fail candidate facts: one four-leaf clover per 100 three-leaf clovers; by legend St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to pagan Irish. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:16)
2010-06-21 · You're Gonna Die — John: Truth or Fail option one, one of two purported facts: the US goal against England in the 1950 World Cup 'Miracle on Grass' was scored not by an American but by a Haitian. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:57)
2010-06-21 · You're Gonna Die — John: Truth or Fail option two: the term 'soccer' derives from early football players often playing in their socks rather than cleats. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:08)
2010-11-24 · Babies and Catacombs: VIENNA (Thoughts from Places) — John: John says hearing this made him think about how the dead haunt us, and asks how we best honor them: near our sacred spaces, or by marveling at what they made for us? — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:52)
2010-11-24 · Babies and Catacombs: VIENNA (Thoughts from Places) — John: Saying it is not a rhetorical question, John wonders what, if anything, we owe the dead. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:52)
2010-12-03 · Giant Squids OF LOVE — John: John asks whether, from an evolutionary perspective, an efficient mating system helps a species more than other adaptations, such as the giant squid's huge eye. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:12)

2011 (9)

2011-02-18 · Thoughts from Places: Small Town America — John: Unsure which of Valva or Mona was the man in a 61-year marriage, John wonders whether it was Knightstown's first same-sex marriage: probably not, but he hopes so. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:00)
2011-03-16 · Why Did Fukushima Explode? — Hank: Hank says he has made no judgement on nuclear power because he does not know whether its benefits outweigh its risks, though he understands both sides well. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:56)
2011-04-01 · Many Truths, 1 Lie! — John: John says Marie Curie is the only person to win Nobel Prizes in both chemistry and physics, and her daughter Irene also won one, making Curie the only Nobel winner who is mother of a Nobel winner; then asks 'Or is it?' (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:14)
2011-04-20 · Tulipomania — John: The description calls the 1636-37 flower bubble the original irrational exuberance, then asks whether it was irrational. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2011-10-10 · Animal Mating and Librarian Talking — John: First purported fact (one of two in the game): the desert grassland whiptail lizard is an all-female species that self-fertilizes its eggs, so each offspring is a clone. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:05)
2011-10-10 · Animal Mating and Librarian Talking — John: Second purported fact (one of two in the game): male red-sided garter snakes are so rare that females must mate with any male they meet, usually a father or brother. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:05)
2011-11-16 · Top 5 Zombie Apocalypses OF ALL TIME — John: John wonders whether zombies, being 'ex-human', are still people, and says he loves zombie apocalypses because they ask the big questions. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2011-12-26 · Project for Awesome and Truth or Fail — Hank: Truth or Fail option one: PNC Wealth Management yearly prices the gifts in The Twelve Days of Christmas, and this year (2011) the seven swans a-swimming were the most expensive at $6,300. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:18)
2011-12-26 · Project for Awesome and Truth or Fail — Hank: Truth or Fail option two: The Twelve Days of Christmas, written in 1909, is still under copyright after repeated extensions and cannot be performed on the show. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:18)

2012 (4)

2012-02-10 · How Big is the Universe? — Hank: 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 (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:02)
2012-02-28 · On Cuties and Cooties — John: John asks why as a student he worked far too hard to be liked but not to read great novels or grasp the universe's edgelessness, and has no answer. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2012-03-06 · Know Your News! Understanding the Syrian Revolution in Under 4 Minutes — John: John says violence continues with no clear path forward: Syria was expelled from the Arab League and sanctions will hurt its economy, but it is unclear whether Assad will resign or stability return. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2012-07-10 · Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander — John: John asks whether we have replaced intellectual engagement with superficial browsing, and whether sustained attention is possible amid distractions, where a CSI episode can be rewatched unrecognized. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:39)

2013 (5)

2013-01-01 · Why Does Congress Suck? — John: John warns that Americans would lose faith in their ability to govern themselves gradually, as a process, and that this would be far worse than any fiscal cliff. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:21)
2013-02-05 · Headless Statues and Elton John's Piano: Seeing Sights in London (Thoughts from Places) — John: John wonders how different Tower Bridge really is from a photograph; after 30 hours awake he can't decide whether sights need seeing or virtual experience is enough. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2013-03-15 · Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes — Hank: Hank worries that only big content will be self-supporting, with 99% of people watching the same boring, TV-like 1% of content, no innovation, and rich people invested in keeping it that way. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:36)
2013-08-13 · Shailene's Hair, Unfair Monopoly, and the Just World Fallacy — Lupe Fiasco (quoted): Lupe Fiasco, in a tweet John reads, asks whether people who harness power can only do so in the tradition of those before them, yielding the same results. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:40)
2013-10-08 · Applying for Health Insurance: Then and Now — John: In the description John says it is too soon to tell which option will be cheaper or offer the best coverage; he wanted to compare the still very glitchy exchanges with the pre-ACA experience. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)

2014 (5)

2014-09-02 · MORTIFICATION — John: John wonders whether he has already told that story in a vlogbrothers video, admitting he does not know what has been in his own videos. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:42)
2014-09-16 · It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains — John: John says he does not know much about the Looking for Alaska film. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:54)
2014-09-30 · Keeping it EVEN REALER — John: John asks whether he should focus on Mental Floss, Crash Course, The Art Assignment, Vlogbrothers or the Wimbly Womblys, and whether doing all of them means doing none well. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:38)
2014-10-17 · MY FACE ON A BUS — Hank: 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: 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)

2015 (8)

2015-03-13 · Screaming Into Pillows — Hank: Hank doesn't know whether it is better to talk about this, since now viewers know he is keeping things from them. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:04)
2015-05-05 · Reunions! Birthdays! Podcasts! Mountains! Happy 35th Birthday, Hank — Hank: Hank proposes that each episode cover people who share a name, and two names to confuse people: 'The Sydney and Jesse Podcast with John and Hank Green'. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:30)
2015-07-07 · Understanding the Financial Crisis in Greece — John: John jokes that he was the third best economist among C students at the 1994 Alabama academic decathlon, and says he does not know how the Greek crisis should or will end. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:10)
2015-07-21 · PAPER TOWNS IS HERE AND JOHN IS A BALL OF ANXIETY — John: Having been photographed a lot, John says the commodification of the self in the marketing business is something he doesn't really understand and hasn't processed yet. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:28)
2015-08-28 · ALL of Wikipedia in One QR Code? — Hank: Hank says he's not entirely sure and could have got something wrong, and thanks Henry from MinutePhysics for helping with the maths. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:41)
2015-09-24 · Continents are Dumb — Hank: Hank says the definition makes some sense for Australia, but doesn't know whether it is a really big island or a really tiny continent. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:16)
2015-10-27 · Understanding YouTube Red: Paid Subscriptions and the Future of Online Video — John: John says he genuinely doesn't know whether YouTube Red is a step toward or away from that ideal and looks forward to continuing the conversation in comments. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:35)
2015-11-13 · Feeling About Paris — Hank: Hank says there is nothing useful he could say, tentatively offering 'hatred is not the correct response to hatred' and 'the world is broken, but hope is not crazy', calling one 'a John Green one'. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:53)

2016 (10)

2016-02-05 · Honest YouTube Talk Time — Hank: Hank wonders whether the lost meritocracy is creating frustration and reducing the number of people taking chances on weird, wonderful things on YouTube. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:41)
2016-04-22 · Clinton vs. Sanders: POLICY IS EXCITING! — Hank: Hank says US health costs are so complicated that it is impossible to know whether the new taxes would pay for universal health care or more revenue would be needed. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:12)
2016-04-22 · Clinton vs. Sanders: POLICY IS EXCITING! — Hank: Hank suggests that people worrying less about health care or retirement might make the economy healthier, but says he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:32)
2016-04-22 · Clinton vs. Sanders: POLICY IS EXCITING! — Hank: Hank says something you will never hear on cable news: he does not know which plan is best for the country and its future. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:07:01)
2016-09-20 · Failing to Follow Up The Fault in Our Stars — John: John says this is hard to discuss because such stories usually end in greater success after failure; he is not sure his will, and doesn't know if he'll publish another book. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:41)
2016-10-04 · Drowzees and Masterpieces: Thoughts from London — John: John says he cannot tell whether he loves a famous Van Gogh self-portrait or is just excited to see in real life something he has seen in so many reproductions. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:50)
2016-11-09 · My Post-Election Thoughts — John: John says he doesn't know how to make the community more inclusive without opening it up to cruelty and hatred. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:24)
2016-11-18 · Are Pets Ethical? — Lex Croucher: Lex asks whether it is better for an animal to have a long, comfortable life that is not instinctive, or a short, natural one running free and terrified. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:28)
2016-12-02 · Logging Off — Rosianna Halse Rojas: Rosianna wonders whether Twitter was a shortcut that didn't quite work, and whether we need more long hard work to get its benefits, like hearing more voices and community organizing, instead of seeing the pyramid as complete. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:28)
2016-12-02 · Logging Off — Rosianna Halse Rojas: Rosianna says the truth is she doesn't know, and she is curious to hear John's thoughts. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:53)

2017 (17)

2017-01-06 · Too Excited about Pears! (Question Tuesday with Hank) — Hank: Asked whether Bernie would have won, Hank sings that he doesn't know and nobody does; anyone sure is wrong, since it is too easy to be certain of the unprovable. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:17)
2017-02-03 · Are We Making Things Worse? — Hank: In the description Hank says that having a platform means he never really knows how much he should use it to effect change. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2017-02-21 · Does Human Life Have Real Meaning? — John: John spends much of his free time wondering whether he is made of his thoughts and whether his thoughts belong to him, without reaching any conclusions. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2017-02-21 · Does Human Life Have Real Meaning? — John: John says he doesn't know when his new book will come out. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:20)
2017-02-21 · Does Human Life Have Real Meaning? — John: Asked whether his greatest hope or greatest fear would win a duel, John says he doesn't know who would win between absolute oblivion and a cure for malaria. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2017-03-10 · Do I Have ADHD? — Hank: Asked whether he has ADHD, Hank answers maybe. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:51)
2017-03-14 · Green Brothers Reunited! — John: Neither brother knows which Pokémon looks most like Hank; John says he is excited to find out from his viewers. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:27)
2017-03-17 · Trump's Budget Explained — Hank: The description says Hank doesn't really know what the budget is meant to do beyond sharply raising military spending while keeping total spending almost exactly the same. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2017-03-21 · My Information Diet — John: The description says John is not sure whether others share his social media malaise, and is trying to sort out whether the social internet's architecture makes it inherently unhealthy for him or this is just a phase. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2017-04-21 · The Adpocalypse: What it Means — Hank: Hank asks whether the content-brand relationship, designed for radio, is a useless holdover from another century, forcing new ways to turn created value into spendable value. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:46)
2017-04-25 · Pokemon, Reviewed by a Dad Who Knows Nothing about Pokemon — John: John casts Pokémon as a near-future influx of cute, talented species of unknown origin: not an alien Noah's Ark, since many resemble Earth life, maybe a radiation event. (joke) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:39)
2017-04-25 · Pokemon, Reviewed by a Dad Who Knows Nothing about Pokemon — John: John lists questions he can't answer: how Pokémon evolve, and, if this is identical to fishing, why not just fish. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:31)
2017-05-02 · The Life Changing Magic of Thumbs Up — John: John has no physiological explanation for the effect except that it works: thumbs-upping should tire him but just makes him feel great. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:18)
2017-06-02 · The Paris Accord: What is it? And What Does it All Mean? — Hank: Hank says the agreement is an investment with costs, and we don't know exactly what the price will be or how much better off we will be. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:49)
2017-09-26 · Trump and Russia: An Introduction to What We Know (and What We Don't) — John: What we don't know is almost everything: what was discussed, whether any American accepted a thing of value or colluded, even what a thing of value is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:08:22)
2017-11-17 · Why Are Taxes So Complicated? (The Musical?) — Hank: Hank says Republicans in Congress want people like him to pay much less tax on money made by their corporations; he does not know why, since it is still income to him. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:47)
2017-12-22 · Christmas Questions Answered (With Katherine and Hank) — Hank: Several viewers asked about the Christmas pickle; Hank doesn't know what it is and wonders if they are being messed with. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:19)

2018 (31)

2018-01-05 · Making a Better YouTube — Hank: Hank says he doesn't actually know how to solve those problems. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:22)
2018-02-06 · Sawdust Bread — John: John falls down research rabbit holes, ending up looking up 5,000-year-old grain-paste recipes until his kids ask him to make breakfast. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:06)
2018-03-09 · John's Best Gift to Me — Hank: Hank senses the band aims to create something simple to enjoy with a lot of complexity within it. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:48)
2018-05-08 · Old Man Yells at Cloud — John: John doesn't know how viewers should live what Mary Oliver called 'your one wild and precious life', or even how to live his own, but he knows he likes his garden. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:26)
2018-05-22 · The Liger Delusion — John: John says this is where he would find reasons for hope and make a call to action, but he doesn't know how. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:34)
2018-05-25 · Please Unsubscribe — Hank: Hank doesn't know why and won't say it is YouTube's fault: subscriptions seem fairly front and center on desktop and mobile. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:17)
2018-05-25 · Please Unsubscribe — Hank: Hank speculates that this may be because the home page is getting better or the subscription feed worse. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:13)
2018-05-29 · How to Cook Eight Peas — John: Of a picture he owns, John first thought it was about Hollywood coming for YouTube, then about YouTube coming for Hollywood, and now doesn't know what he thinks. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:47)
2018-06-08 · Intentionally Ignorant: Does Free Will Exist? — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know whether he or anyone can do anything that wasn't predetermined from the moment of the Big Bang. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:08)
2018-06-08 · Intentionally Ignorant: Does Free Will Exist? — Hank: Hank doesn't know whether this video served that purpose, but he tried. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2018-06-26 · How's the Water? — John: Especially about 21st-century life, John has no idea what we are swimming in: he doesn't know if the social internet is good or bad. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:59)
2018-06-26 · How's the Water? — John: John doesn't know whether outrage eventually leads to better human lives. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:01)
2018-07-03 · How Does This End? — John: John asks whether that is how things end online, still present but relevant only as nostalgia, and whether it will happen to Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:52)
2018-07-03 · How Does This End? — John: John doesn't know whether he wants to be making YouTube videos at 80 — or maybe he does. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:57)
2018-07-06 · This Ends in Death — Hank: Hank is very uncomfortable with the idea that the Vlogbrothers channel will end in the death of one of the brothers and doesn't know how to feel about it, which he guesses is a pretty big part of the human experience. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2018-07-06 · This Ends in Death — Hank: Hank doesn't know how he will take vacation: flexible space may not be good for him, since he needs to know exactly what he has to do. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:44)
2018-07-13 · Why Do So Few Countries Have Nukes? — Hank: Hank is not saying sanctions should be done a different way; he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:18)
2018-07-31 · On Prepositions — John: John lacks the words for phone life and doesn't know whether understanding leads to language or the reverse; for life in his phone he has neither adequate understanding nor language. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:08)
2018-08-03 · How Do Adults Make Friends? — Hank: Hank guesses that as we age, meeting more people not worth befriending and valuing romance, money, power or Instagram likes, we less readily value others or are valued by them. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:29)
2018-08-31 · Beautiful if Damp: Answering Questions in Melbourne — Hank: Asked if he would let An Absolutely Remarkable Thing become a movie, Hank doesn't know: he hasn't said yes yet; it would be cool but, he has seen, a lot of work. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:47)
2018-09-14 · Our Rivalry — Hank: Hank says the comparison has not happened between him and John, and he can't say why. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:53)
2018-09-18 · On the Participation Trophy — John: John does not know how the experience affected him, though he thinks he turned out mostly okay. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2018-09-25 · You Did It! — John: John guesses the meter of 'Roses are red' calms some reptilian part of his brain, though the poem itself is terrible. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2018-09-25 · You Did It! — John: John doesn't know why he finds the joke construction completely irresistible. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2018-11-07 · A New Thing? — Hank: Hank says there is a chance no one wants this; if not enough people sign up, they won't be able to do it. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2018-11-09 · I Don't Know What Work Is — Hank: Hank asks whether turning what he loves into work is a good habit that supports his family and makes great things, or something gross: needing monetization to justify his joy. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2018-11-16 · Doing This Makes Me Happy, but Maybe it Doesn't' Seem that Way? — Hank: Hank is more worried about the future of humanity than ten years ago, and doesn't know whether that is age or other changes. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:10)
2018-11-23 · Four Jokes from a Two year Old — Hank: Hank doesn't know what Cards Against Humanity is doing for Black Friday, having recorded the video the night before, but expects something weird. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:39)
2018-11-30 · We just had our first interstellar visitor...and it's weird. — Hank: Hank offers his own conjecture: maybe it tumbles slowly because its senders wanted it seen and chased, an interstellar greeting card going unreceived. (hypothetical) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:55)
2018-12-11 · When the Internet Came Home — John: Unsure whether it is his age or the internet now travelling with him everywhere, John increasingly finds himself reading Wordsworth's 'The world is too much with us'. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:41)
2018-12-14 · Cute Goth Shock Collar Trivia Punishment for Charity — Hank: Asked when he and John were first in a Vlogbrothers video together, Hank guesses it was in the Dominican Republic. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)

2019 (15)

2019-01-11 · What is Burnout? — Hank: Hank admits he doesn't know what burnout is: he thought it was working until mind or body collapsed, but he has worked through burnout and been burned out on one part of life but not another. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2019-02-12 · Are Textbooks Obsolete? — John: John says he has no idea how this will turn out and is terrible at predicting the future. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2019-03-22 · How to Get a Colonoscopy — Hank: Hank names his doctor (Aaron Stone, as heard), jokes he could have studied stones, and says they must have used the extra smooth insertion scopes from Olympus. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:55)
2019-04-19 · Making your Nothings into Somethings — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know how to set up passive somethings; he has had a lot of practice and is still not great at it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:27)
2019-07-05 · You Need to Know About This Ridiculous Fish — Hank: Hank guesses the two look alike because they share a low-quality, abundant, slow food source, so the mola mola evolved for efficiency, not speed: such flippers are slow but use little energy. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2019-07-05 · You Need to Know About This Ridiculous Fish — Hank: Hank wonders about convergent evolution: turned on its side a mola mola swims much like a sea turtle, as if its odd shape has a good reason. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:32)
2019-07-23 · What to Love and How — John: John asks whether you can be a Christian without damning those who aren't, a Liverpool fan without hating Manchester United, and whether an us can survive without a them. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:25)
2019-08-06 · Uncertain and Afraid — John: John doesn't know how we unwind from this labyrinth of terror and outrages, but believes we will. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2019-09-03 · Death, Love, and John's Religion: The Big Questions Take Over Question Tuesday — John: John says the female Stegosaurus may have lain on her side, or they may have backed up into each other, but we don't really know. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:27)
2019-09-06 · Trump is Abnormal, It's His Superpower — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know the way through; he is only describing a situation. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:13)
2019-10-15 · I'm Having a Lot of Feelings — John: John may understand his anxiety differently in the future; he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2019-10-31 · Book News! — Hank: Asked when the book is out, Hank says he doesn't know: much sooner now the draft is done, but much remains, including many people reading it first. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2019-11-04 · This Cat Makes No Sense — Hank: Hank says nobody knows how Pallas's cats ended up with their round pupils. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2019-11-08 · Trolling Through John's YouTube History...GUESS WHAT I FOUND!? — Hank: Hank finds a Bob Ross-like yellow-paint piece, a couple's channel he doesn't know, sailing videos though John dislikes water, and several Auld Lang Syne performances he guesses are research. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:36)
2019-11-19 · Kylie Jenner Shows Me What's Wrong with Reddit — John: John doesn't know how the story got published: maybe a source exaggerated, maybe a miscommunication. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:11)

2020 (25)

2020-01-10 · The Thing I would Like to End — Hank: Hank would like to end a couple of things on a national level, but personally he doesn't know what he wants to end. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:13)
2020-02-25 · A weird YouTube thing? — John: Asked whether other Complexly channels will ask for likes, John says maybe if the effect is huge, but asking for likes pulls learners out of the learning experience. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-03-10 · A Strong but Fleeting Flavor: A Reunion Video — Hank: Asked how boxed cake directions would differ on Mars, Hank guesses you would need a different mix: with lower pressure and more oxygen in the hab, the cake would rise fast and big like a giant muffin. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:55)
2020-06-19 · Only Shooting Stars — Hank: Hank doesn't know what share of the daily dust is that old and doesn't think anyone does: it is burned up by the atmosphere, so we only get to watch it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:02)
2020-06-26 · You Might as Well Swim! — Hank: How much the four parts overlap, and how four nervous systems communicate, is not known. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2020-07-03 · My World's on Fire — Hank: Hank figures something must have gone wrong with the electricity of the light, not the bulbs. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:04)
2020-08-18 · what's wrong with taking the back streets? — John: In a comment John says he thinks he will then make an artwork with the death count since 8/16, then another, and so on until it is over. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-08-21 · The Water's Getting Warm — Hank: There are some standout 'crap faces', but we don't know, and may never know, the ultimate impact of their terrible behavior. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:43)
2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John: In a comment John guesses SpaceX might send a rocket to Mars in 2026, assuming it is still solvent and growing, and notes even SpaceX has stopped saying 2022. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-09-01 · get the show on — John: In a comment John says the book can not yet be pre-ordered on Bookshop.org, which awaits a third-party data feed, and hopes it will be possible within a couple of days. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-09-01 · get the show on — John: In a comment John thinks the book will be available in Brazil and says he really hopes his Brazilian publisher Intrinseca will publish it. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-09-04 · Go Play! — Hank: Hank jokes that while some say Pythagoras was visiting a palace, he puts a 90% chance on him pooping. (joke) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:58)
2020-09-04 · Go Play! — Hank: Asked whether math exists, Hank says he doesn't know: did Pythagoras discover or invent his theorem, is math an artifact of our minds or of reality? — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:46)
2020-09-18 · They Say it Gets Colder — Hank: Hank describes the hypothesis: microbes might live in the droplets, go dormant as spores when falling droplets evaporate, and be tossed back up into the nicer atmosphere. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:39)
2020-09-29 · How 'bout Yours? — John: In a channel comment John says the poem acknowledges collective effort, which made the bridge and village; maybe collective effort must work around the essential unshareability of each consciousness. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2020-09-29 · How 'bout Yours? — John: John says this week (week of 28 September 2020) the weather is worse and he is better, but he doesn't know why; these days he barely knows how he is, let alone why. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:31)
2020-10-02 · I ain't she was with well and I so and it's and but so and I'll and — Hank: The description says Hank doesn't know what Trump's diagnosis means; he is sick of this year's (2020) uncertainty but shouldn't pretend to know things he doesn't. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2020-10-13 · Me from the Past: A Pizzamas Miracle — John: John says we'll be left wondering whether algorithms wanting us scared, to capture and monetize our attention, came before or after our political, social and economic instability. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2020-10-20 · How to Sign Your Name 150,000 Times — John: John wonders whether all the signing is just a publicity stunt: where is the line between sharing your work and commodifying yourself or your audience? — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:25)
2020-10-30 · Four Years Ago — Hank: Hank doesn't want to have been thinking about Trump that day, but was, and doesn't know whether he should have been. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:36)
2020-12-01 · The Utah Monolith, What It Means, Why It Matters, and Whether It's Aliens — John: In a comment, John says the Romanian monolith seems likely a copycat: its steel was not buffed to a mirror finish and it had not been hidden for years, though he'd love to be wrong. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-12-01 · The Utah Monolith, What It Means, Why It Matters, and Whether It's Aliens — John: John speculates on why it disappeared: maybe the makers feared the legal and ethical ramifications of art made without permission on public land, maybe they made it for themselves, maybe aliens. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:28)
2020-12-11 · The /W/orst Letter — Hank: Hank's unsupported pet theory: printers had more V's lying around because U's were more useful, so using two U's would use up all their U's; he admits making the video partly for that line. (joke) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:58)
2020-12-15 · America's Capital of Dead Vice Presidents — John: In a channel comment John says former vice president Dan Quayle, who lives in Arizona but has deep roots in Indianapolis, could end up buried at Crown Hill. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2020-12-15 · America's Capital of Dead Vice Presidents — John: In a channel comment John says Mike Pence will probably be buried in Columbus, where he is from, rather than at Crown Hill. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)

2021 (23)

2021-01-05 · SUPERIOR FISH BEINGS — John: John imagines the fish beings telling us to weigh the long-term consequences of our actions, especially large-scale changes to rivers and lakes. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2021-01-05 · SUPERIOR FISH BEINGS — John: They might also explain dark matter and how to better account for the value of natural resources in economic systems. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2021-01-05 · SUPERIOR FISH BEINGS — John: John grants the fish beings could crush or conquer us, or humanity could foolishly fight and lose, but he imagines them answering our questions with loving guidance, not orders. (hypothetical) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2021-01-08 · In Which Hank Worries for a Little Bit and then Looks at Microbes — Hank: Hank gets a live shrimpy creature with little arms under the cover slip but still cannot tell what it is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:22)
2021-01-29 · The Gamestop Short Squeeze in 4 Minutes — Hank: In a comment Hank says he has heard shorting helps the market value companies; he does not feel it is true but does not know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2021-02-16 · A Lovely Winter Walk — John: Living in this strange and extremely difficult time, John doesn't know what it means, how we will look back on it, or when. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:35)
2021-03-02 · What's Not in the Frame — John: Not going into detail feels like teasing a mystery; John doesn't know how to tell viewers a time is difficult without violating anyone's privacy. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:57)
2021-03-09 · Hank Rebranded Without Any of Us Noticing — John: John doesn't really know how to navigate having pieces of his past, from books to tweets, floating around in other people's present. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2021-03-12 · A Crisis of Branding — Hank: Hank has forgotten much lore: was he into My Little Pony for a while, or did people tell him to back off? (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2021-03-26 · Why I'm Worried about 2021 — Hank: Whether carrying on as before with flu was right, Hank doesn't know, but we acted as if it was. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2021-04-27 · What is my new book about? — John: John doesn't know what the book is about; perhaps whether E. E. Cummings was right about snow's indifference, and Mary Oliver's one shared world where everything becomes part of everything else. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2021-05-28 · Aliens — Hank: Hank does not know whether they are aircraft: they might be, they might not be. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:16)
2021-06-04 · Is Twitter Redeemable? — Hank: The description says Hank has no good answer: everyone's experience of Twitter differs, and there are reasons to be pretty angry right now. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2021-06-04 · Is Twitter Redeemable? — Hank: Hank doesn't know that heightened emotions are helping right now; maybe they are, it's not clear. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:45)
2021-06-25 · The Surprising Origin of Crash Course — Hank: Hank admits it is really challenging: some days he thinks the cost barrier may be necessary, and he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:00)
2021-06-29 · Sneezing is not normal. — John: John calls this a diagnosis, not a treatment, because he doesn't know the treatment for thinking of the line every time he sneezes. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:44)
2021-06-29 · Sneezing is not normal. — John: John asks, not rhetorically, whether he made the world worse in a minor way by sharing Sarah's story on the podcast and again in a YouTube video. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2021-07-09 · Wrong on the Internet — Hank: Hank says we don't know exactly what to do about climate change: he doesn't know what he or anyone else should do, or what any of us would do with sole power to act. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2021-07-23 · The Last 25 Questions I Asked Google — Hank: Of his search 'what is college', Hank says he doesn't know, but thinks we should be asking the question. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:35)
2021-10-07 · We're Thinking About Facebook Wrong — Hank: Hank doesn't know if the world would be better without the many-to-many communication system, but knows his life would be very different without it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:20:50)
2021-10-08 · On February 3rd, 2020, I Wrote a Video I Didn't Make. Here It Is. — John: John has no idea what the world will look like 20 months from now, and rather than saying he can't wait, says he can wait. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:33)
2021-10-22 · A Tool with No Blood on It — Hank: Hank shares that hunger but doesn't know that such a tool exists or can exist. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2021-12-07 · Reading Hank's Decade-Old Tweets — Hank: Of his 2011 tweet praising a hit dance song, Hank doesn't know whether he was being a little ironic because it was already big or was catching the wave. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:22)

2022 (16)

2022-03-11 · Is it All Hopeless? — Hank: Hank says this is a hard moment, bad on different scales for different people; he doesn't know what to do, and experts say they don't know how to fix it or what's ahead. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:47)
2022-03-15 · Ukraine and Russia: What Caused the War? — John: John doesn't know how the war will end, only that it has already caused tremendous suffering; he hopes for a way forward other than more suffering but doesn't know what it is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:07:18)
2022-04-01 · I Don't Have a Good Title for This Video. — Hank: Hank doesn't know what the right way to see these things is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:56)
2022-04-01 · I Don't Have a Good Title for This Video. — Hank: Hank doesn't know which to see more, or whether he sees the right amounts of joy, harm, grief or aid. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:48)
2022-04-12 · Utter Chippy Butty Chaos — Hank: Asked about the upcoming F1 season, Hank knows only that it is a car thing, somewhat dependent on Russian oligarchs. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:32)
2022-04-15 · Are You Stuck in The Sad Gap — Hank: Hank doesn't know how far this comes from how people communicate and how far from how the social internet is built. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2022-05-27 · The Time for Politics — Hank: The description says those playing these politics have been well rewarded for it, and Hank is honestly not sure what can be done. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2022-06-14 · Should Hank and I ... box each other?? — John: John imagines Hank coming back to beat him in a sequel, as in Rocky II, and millions watching a trilogy fight on pay-per-view. (joke) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2022-07-08 · Sad COVID Boy Hank Green Eats Foods He Hates but Can't Taste — Hank: Since the foods he dislikes tend to be vinegary and vinegar is very sour, Hank guesses he will still hate vinegary foods. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2022-09-16 · Here's Why Younger People are Getting Shingles — Hank: Hank guesses the shingles vaccine will eventually be available to younger people. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:13)
2022-09-30 · COMMIT TO THE BIT — John: John recalls a Dear Hank and John listener who planned to secretly learn the fiddle and surprise their family with a concert; he doesn't know if they did, but enough time has passed. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:17)
2022-10-06 · The Pizzamas Magic Is Almost Over… — John: Asked whether social media's creation outweighs its harm, John says it doesn't matter because we can't get rid of it; he doesn't know, and would need to only if an off button existed. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:19)
2022-12-02 · I Know How to Fix YouTube Rewind — Hank: Hank guesses YouTube must have known people would dislike the 2018 Rewind, but did it anyway because it was the thing they do. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:36)
2022-12-09 · Things are Changing Very Fast — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know what those perspectives will be, what questions need asking, or their answers. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2022-12-09 · Things are Changing Very Fast — Hank: Hank lists open questions: can you sue an AI for this, is training on copyrighted works without consent okay, should artists opt out, is it illegal or a call for new law, who will it help or hurt; he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:27)
2022-12-16 · What I Would Have Tweeted — Hank: A would-be tweet asks whether bubble water is addictive; Hank would like scientists to tell him. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)

2023 (22)

2023-01-06 · After 12 hours in LA I'm a stand-up comic doing ASMR with a side gig as a music promoter — Hank: Hank wonders whether people were as freaked out when computers first did math problems as they now are when AI writes a requested poem. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:00)
2023-01-06 · After 12 hours in LA I'm a stand-up comic doing ASMR with a side gig as a music promoter — Hank: Hank imagines a living computer would be huge news on Friday and not even new gossip by Wednesday (11 January 2023), the gossip 40 years from now still being Harry Styles and Taylor Swift doing something; a year later, introducing a computer friend would be nothing weird. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:35)
2023-01-10 · Introducing: The Format — John: John wonders what we do not know now that would be very obvious if only we had a way to know it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:10)
2023-01-17 · John Green Answers the Most Searched Hank Green Questions — John: John does not know whether Hank is vegan. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2023-01-31 · I'm Going Back to College? — John: John does not know whether he can pass college math; they will find out starting in March. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:28)
2023-02-03 · My Mid-Afternoon Existential Crisis — Hank: In his promised existential crisis, Hank says he doesn't know which of his projects is most important or which he enjoys most, a weird thought for a bunch of chemical reactions. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:10)
2023-02-28 · Empathy and its Limits — John: John wonders whether birds dwell on past failures or feel low-level background anxiety, and says he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)
2023-03-10 · Is it Good or Bad that we Haven't Met Aliens? — Hank: Hank says the great filter could be AI, global warming, nuclear weapons or social media, maybe TikTok; we don't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:59)
2023-03-10 · Is it Good or Bad that we Haven't Met Aliens? — Hank: Hank suggests advanced species with advanced philosophies may favor quality over quantity: there may be many civilizations in the Milky Way that simply aren't loud. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:58)
2023-03-31 · The Coming AI Invasion — Hank: Hank says there is almost certainly a teenager in Orlando, Florida running the leaked model at home and teaching it to behave however they want. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:12)
2023-03-31 · The Coming AI Invasion — Hank: Hank asks what a society looks like with such entities roving in it, controlled by anyone from the Orlando teenager to Vladimir Putin, and says he does not know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:18)
2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank: Hank is unsure whether to give it attention, since those he votes for won't be Montana's majority soon, and the others win points for this and like the attention. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:07)
2023-05-19 · So, I've got cancer — Hank: Hank does not know whether he will make Vlogbrothers videos, Dear Hank and John, SciShow or Tangents during treatment; he is playing it by ear. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:14)
2023-05-23 · Rough Week — John: John tells Hank he will see him soon, whether or not he sees him on Friday. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:51)
2023-05-26 · My Cancer Press Tier List — Hank: Hank guesses the NPR author, Tilda Wilson, is already in the community: a They Might Be Giants lyric in the Twitter bio, and they follow him. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2023-06-30 · Bon Your Vivant — Hank: Hank agrees he has been more troubled of late and says he doesn't totally know what's going on. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:21)
2023-08-03 · I love you, Hank. Happy Esther Day. — John: John suspects part of Esther's thinking was that the two nerds found it hard to say 'I love you' to each other, so she made them do it yearly. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:29)
2023-08-25 · Remission — Hank: Asked whether there is cancer inside him now, Hank says he is also confused: nobody knows whether cancer remains, whether his immune system will clear it, or whether he will relapse. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:41)
2023-10-02 · The Hottest Place and the Coldest Place in the Universe are the SAME PLACE — Hank: Hank says that sometimes humans seem clearly insignificant on the scale of the cosmos and sometimes nothing seems more significant, and he is really not sure which it is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:31)
2023-10-04 · A Messy and Unhinged Introduction to Geoengineering — Hank: Hank asks what if stratospheric injection cooled the planet a degree but dried up Southeast Asia's monsoon, leaving hundreds of millions food insecure. (hypothetical) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:10:21)
2023-10-17 · My Next Book — John: John doesn't know if he will ever publish another novel. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:46)
2023-12-22 · Let's Talk About Death — Hank: Hank wonders whether the selves who had experiences he has now forgotten, like those in online clips of him, are already dead. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:24)

2024 (26)

2024-01-02 · Being Old on YouTube — John: John never expected to be making YouTube videos at 46 and doesn't know whether he will be at 50 or 56. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:12)
2024-01-16 · The Bank of Nerdfighteria — John: Supposing Nerdfighteria's share of that change were 20%, John reckons advocacy created a bigger financial win for global health equity than Good Store and the Project for Awesome combined. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:42)
2024-03-08 · I Believed These Four Lies — Hank: Hank guesses the graph began as a mistake that went viral for its dramatic divergence, then kept going viral because people saw that posting it worked. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:48)
2024-05-20 · Hang on tight, spider monkey, it's the P4A 2024 MEME REVIEW!! — Hank: Hank tries to recall Jarrod's lore: dying of TB, he was saved by vampire possums who turned him into a vampire; it isn't clear in his head. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:14:29)
2024-05-21 · Getting Personal about Getting Personal — John: John says he really doesn't know how much such sharing is healthy or sustainable, does not judge how others navigate their core relationships, and is still figuring it out at 46. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:40)
2024-05-28 · A Midlife Crisis — John: The description says John isn't sure how to square the benefit of reading a book with the benefit of giving birth in a safe, well-supported environment. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2024-05-28 · A Midlife Crisis — John: Entering the second half of his life, John constantly asks what his priorities will be, and says he has no answer, hence a smidge of a crisis. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2024-06-04 · how it all ends — John: John guesses ancient humans, like us, couldn't hope in forever but hoped in themselves and future generations; we embody their hope as future generations will embody ours. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:22)
2024-06-07 · Eating an 11,000 Year Old Fruit — Hank: Hank says that so far we can't be sure which fig variety is the one from that tree. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:12)
2024-06-18 · The Tea — John: John asks, not rhetorically, whether they can support two very long-term projects, and says he doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:53)
2024-06-18 · The Tea — John: John hopes they can do both well over time but doesn't know that they can; resources are limited, including money and attention. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:14)
2024-06-25 · taking a break — John: John genuinely doesn't know whether he should be making anything, or whether his work helps anyone or only raises the level of the toxic lake. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2024-07-12 · My Identity Crisis — Hank: In a comment Hank agrees the roles aren't who he truly is, but says he has no idea who he truly is. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2024-08-16 · I Have Uncovered an Olympics Mystery… — Hank: Hank says it could be something else; he does not know, and would not know how to design the study or do the statistics. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:57)
2024-08-23 · Is Google Training AI on YouTube Videos? — Hank: In a channel comment, Hank says no one knows whether AI training is copyright infringement; the lawsuits will decide. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (creator comment)
2024-08-23 · Is Google Training AI on YouTube Videos? — Hank: Hank says no one knows whether training AI under a derivative-works license is legal; many lawsuits on it are under way. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:07:55)
2024-08-23 · Is Google Training AI on YouTube Videos? — Hank: Hank knows many YouTubers don't want their content used to train LLMs, but doesn't know if they're right or what he would choose; some uses he'd favor, some would infuriate him. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:25:16)
2024-08-30 · The Two Coolest Things we Know About Sharks — Sofishtication: Jaida hypothesizes the eye denticles protect the eyes from pathogens and parasites. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:46)
2024-09-26 · Something Very Strange Has Been Happening to Me — Hank: Hank says they kept the Kickstarter as simple and cheap as they could and he has no idea how it will go. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:40)
2024-09-30 · Put a little bit of cinnamon in it — Hank: Hank says he has no idea what they will do for backers who got the book with the wrong shipping. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:30)
2024-10-04 · Trees are Destroying the Earth (Again) — Hank: Hank doesn't know that humans will stop themselves, at least not as fast as needed. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:52)
2024-10-18 · My Ballot Made Me Angry — Hank: Since Montana is a red state where Republicans are generally in power, Hank's first thought was that those in power were ordering the ballot to give themselves an advantage. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:14)
2024-11-03 · Hank's very messy post-cancer year of mistakes, meaning… — Hank: Even with no reason to be scared, Hank's anxiety searches for things to fear; he doesn't know whether they are irrational or real. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:08)
2024-11-15 · Whales are Fish (and Everything Else is Beetles) with Lindsay Nikole — Hank: Hank imagines the first flying insect able to hide its wings as a big unlock; Lindsay bets beetles did it first, and Hank says that is what let them take over. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:28)
2024-11-29 · I am Grateful for My Worry — Hank: Hank says he is the last person to give an objective take on whether he is a good person, and he has no idea. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:09)
2024-12-13 · TIL Some People Have an 'Inner Monologue' — Hank: As an example of his wordless thinking, Hank says the idea of an internal monologue might attract the idea of aphantasia, raising the question whether people with aphantasia are more or less likely to have one. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:58)

2025 (19)

2025-01-07 · The Format but it hurts to stand up — John: John imagines telling grandkids that as a child he had no pocket-sized magic wands, or that it snowed regularly in Indianapolis. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:50)
2025-02-07 · What Trump's Doing — Hank: Hank does not know whether USAID is a good first target for this, since it does not immediately affect many Americans and so has few defenders at home. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:46)
2025-04-11 · How Actually Crazy is This Mess? — Hank: Hank's only explanation is that Trump values loyalty to himself above loyalty to the country, the Constitution or the rule of law. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:14:22)
2025-05-02 · I Found the Dumbest Time Zone — Hank: Hank says he is still unclear why Kiribati chose UTC+13 and +14 rather than UTC+12. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:31)
2025-05-20 · The Double — John: John wonders whether he and Stuart, having aged since the first double, still have the endurance, and says only time will tell, but he will enjoy every minute. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2025-06-17 · My Religion — John: John does not know why evil exists, and it bugs him. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:22)
2025-06-20 · 'Influencer' Must Die. — Hank: Hank admits he has no good word for creators and does not know what to call them; he has started saying 'maker of things', which sounds ridiculous. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:32)
2025-06-24 · Am I Cigarettes? — John: John says he has no solution or resolution to offer, and suggests Hank may have one on Friday. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:57)
2025-07-25 · The Molecule that Changed Everything — Hank: Hank says he does not know whether this will become a second apocalypse-level event caused by the same trees, and he does not like not knowing. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:40)
2025-08-22 · Are Languages Alive? — Hank: The description adds that languages differ from life in not competing inside an ecosystem, or maybe a language is an ecosystem whose words compete and fall out of use. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2025-08-22 · Are Languages Alive? — Hank: The description wonders whether words rather than languages are alive, a language being a superorganism of words, but says it's probably best not to worry about it. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2025-09-09 · Sorry, Hank, but Coffee Is Just Better — John: John offers a theory he admits has no evidence: tea stays more popular because it is older and better established in cultures, not because it is better. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:56)
2025-09-12 · This Might Actually be Happening — Hank: Hank says planets swap material through impact ejecta, so life might have moved from Earth to Mars, Mars to Earth, or from elsewhere to both. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:13:00)
2025-09-16 · After seven long years… — John: John wonders what the next seven years hold, hopes they are less dramatic, and wonders whether he will still be on YouTube at 55. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2025-09-16 · Don’t tell John. Let him have this. — Hank: Hank doubts John's video will do it and asks viewers to subscribe quickly, implicitly so John can believe his video worked. (playful) — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2025-10-03 · Is It Time to Retire? — John: John says maybe MatPat is right that he will just know, but he doesn't know how to calculate it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:22)
2025-10-03 · Is It Time to Retire? — John: John guesses the channel may taper from a few weeks off to most weeks off, or end abruptly; whenever it ends he hopes they still have projects together and will feel much gratitude. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:50)
2025-11-28 · Three Things! (Wait, no, actually four...) — Hank: Hank thinks the show starts around six, West Coast time, but does not know for sure. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:52)
2025-12-12 · The Economics of a YouTube White Noise Video — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know if this will work, and maybe it won't. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)

2026 (30)

2026-01-06 · Hope Is Not a Feeling — John: John does not know what to say to his friend going through hell; the old line about keeping going through hell has some wisdom. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:23)
2026-02-03 · Does the truth still matter? — John: John doesn't know whether answering memes and deepfakes with one's own is right: it may undermine credibility with opponents or encourage resistance to an increasingly authoritarian government. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2026-02-03 · Does the truth still matter? — John: John says he doesn't know whether this means he should be on Twitter or X, or whether this video makes anything better or worse. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2026-02-13 · Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! — John: Asked about a second 100 Days, John says he doesn't know: at 48 he can't move as he did at 39, when he made 100 Days, but he could maybe do it with Henry. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (03:05:49)
2026-02-13 · Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! — Hank: Hank guesses that the helium sold at Michaels is not a high percentage of helium, since helium is an element and cannot be good or bad, yet his balloons deflate so fast. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (03:59:22)
2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! — John: John wonders why people use negative words like sick, stupid and ridiculous for good things, and would love a linguist's view. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:58:53)
2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! — Hank: Hank is working on something about these attention systems but does not know whether it will be a full book, a short book or a series of YouTube videos. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (02:32:55)
2026-02-15 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! — John: Asked how to volunteer at the Maternal Center of Excellence, John says he does not know; he thinks the focus now is training local people, and suggests asking Partners In Health. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (02:40:17)
2026-03-10 · Is Hank Green Running for Congress? — John: John says it is unclear how or whether the administration will actually spend the money Congress appropriated. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:31)
2026-03-31 · I've Been Keeping a Secret… — John: The description says the book will be published internationally, including the UK and Brazil, but John doesn't yet know if or where signed copies will be available there. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2026-03-31 · I've Been Keeping a Secret… — John: John doesn't know how to make signed editions available internationally, given the complexity of international publishing, and apologizes. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2026-04-07 · I've Been Pooping All Wrong — John: John's big question: whether his OCD is partly caused by his gut bacteria, a problem of his gut as much as of his head. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2026-04-24 · The AI Question that No AI Person Asks — Hank: The description says Hank has no idea whether AI significantly changes the structure of these problems: it might help, hurt, or change nothing. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (video description)
2026-04-24 · The AI Question that No AI Person Asks — Hank: AI is clearly powerful, but no one can know its impacts: will it let wisdom flourish, or let the powerful route around wisdom as they tend to? Hank doesn't know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:07:58)
2026-05-29 · Chemo Cow Body Odor YouTube Helen Hunt Commute — Hank: Since dogs experience the world largely through smell, Hank wonders whether going through chemotherapy changes how a dog feels about its owner; he wishes we knew more. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:22)
2026-06-02 · The Instagramification of Human Experience — John: From health updates to gender reveals we render 3D experiences into 2D posts; John asks what that does for us and to us, questions Hollywood, Ending tries to answer. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:21)
2026-06-05 · The Things We Don't Discuss — Hank: In the podcast Hank asks whether Mark Twain may have had something to do with the brothers' success, through John understanding his life. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:10)
2026-06-13 · Wait...How Do You Pronounce Turkey??? — Hank: Hank says he doesn't know what to do about the discourse over such names: Chile, Qatar, Georgia or Sakartvelo. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:24)
2026-06-23 · A Very French Reunion — John: Asked whether the US is good at soccer now, John says he has no idea how good Paraguay and Australia are. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:23)
2026-07-24 · One Must Imagine Sisyphus Important — Hank: Hank calls it a mystery why and how evolution selected for sensation: other solutions are imaginable, and it is unclear where experience arises. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:57)
2026-07-24 · One Must Imagine Sisyphus Important — Hank: Setting aside the hard problem of consciousness, Hank says experience exists for him; whether it is an illusion, like a rainbow of light off raindrops, he does not know. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:26)
2026-07-24 · One Must Imagine Sisyphus Important — Hank: Hank asks whether, if the observer is the illusion, the illusion becomes real the moment it observes. — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:02:55)
2026-08-14 · Pain in the _____ — Hank: Hank says he does not know how language decides what it will become, but it does, and one can always look deeper. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:05:50)
2026-08-14 · Pain in the _____ — Hank: Hank guesses 'patootie' and 'tush' are cratering because people are now more afraid of being cringe. (playful) — speculative (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:19)
2026-08-18 · My Nemeses — John: John asks Hank, not rhetorically, how to respond to professional provocateurs, saying he genuinely does not know even after all this time. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:03:27)
2026-08-18 · My Nemeses — John: John says that even after 30 years in these waters he does not know how to use the social internet's tools or how to reduce the power of professional provocateurs, which adds to his anxiety. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:25)
2026-08-21 · Not (Just) Dunking on Jeff Bezos — Hank: Hank cannot say whether we should care more about the total amount of thriving in the universe or only the thriving of beings who exist, and hopes philosophers agree it is open. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:06:38)
2026-09-11 · Our Last YouTube View… — Hank: Asked how long YouTube will last, Hank does not know; it could be thousands of years, and people will still watch some videos, but not on YouTube. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:01:00)
2026-09-25 · Who Has Signed Their Name the Most Times? — Hank: Hank says balancing enough information to make people want to spend time on a work against ruining it is tricky, and he doesn't know how to do it. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:00:00)
2026-10-16 · Is Happiness the Goal? — Hank: Hank admits he is not sure how to create space in his life to feel, a different and tricky challenge. — explicitly uncertain (hedge words not recorded) (00:04:36)