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Curiosity is the Greatest Human Quality

2013-10-18 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:41 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: Internet & YouTube, Nerdfighteria) · mode: Personal essay · tags: community lore, punishment or challenge, civic or action cta, on location

After a YouTube education event and a visit to the Exploratorium with fellow educational creators, Hank argues that inspiring curiosity is the heart of education and that curiosity may be the finest human quality, the opposite of judgment.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Last week at YouTube headquarters: an event on educating through online video, teachers, a swag headband

  • ★★ Last week (week of 7 October 2013) Hank went to YouTube headquarters, where people gathered to talk about educating through online video, which matters a lot to him. — 00:00:00 · YouTube
  • ★★ Hank found the event fantastic and inspiring, especially talking to teachers about how they use the brothers' content in their classrooms. — 00:00:18

00:00:32 — The event ends at the Exploratorium with Vi Hart, Veritasium, Smarter Every Day, CGP Grey and MinutePhysics, as curious as second graders

  • ★★ YouTube ended the event with a visit to the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 'like the original Science Center', built for students to teach themselves and get excited about learning. — 00:00:32 · YouTube
  • ★★ Touring it with Vi Hart, Derek of Veritasium, Destin of Smarter Every Day, CGP Grey and Henry of MinutePhysics, Hank saw that these brilliant adults are as curious as the most curious second grader. — 00:00:55

00:01:15 — Education is mainly about inspiring curiosity; curiosity may be the finest human quality, better than love, the opposite of judgment

  • ★★★ Hank says education is about learning, teaching and knowing, but its most important piece is inspiring curiosity and understanding how important curiosity is. (hedged) — 00:01:15 · education, curiosity
  • ★★★ Hank thinks curiosity may be the finest human quality. (hedged) — 00:01:30 · curiosity
  • ★★ Love is a rival candidate, but Hank says love is limited, comes with control and envy, and much hatred is born in love. — 00:01:33

  • ★★★ Hank says curiosity is in some ways the opposite of judgment: you can't hate something you're curious about, and you can be curious about everything. — 00:01:43 · curiosity

    “Curiosity, in some ways, is like the opposite of judgment.”

  • ★★ Hank admits curiosity can lead to the creation of terrible things, but thinks only as a side effect. (hedged) — 00:01:55 · curiosity

  • ★★ Seeing the world as a puzzle begging to be solved is lovely to Hank: a favourite hobby is taking information, scrunching it into interesting shapes and sharing it back. — 00:02:01 · curiosity
  • ★★★ Hank thinks spreading curiosity, more people who want to know for knowing's sake, is a really good path for the world to become better. (hedged) — 00:02:13 · curiosity

00:02:28 — Thanks; John is filming in Amsterdam; Hank loved John's video; the community is unique

  • ★ Hank thanks the event's organisers and tells John he is sorry John couldn't come, though filming a movie in Amsterdam is a pretty good excuse. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:28 · The Fault in Our Stars (film), Amsterdam
  • ★★ Hank loved John's video this week (week of 14 October 2013) and thinks it was important for them as brothers and for the whole community. (hedged) — 00:02:39 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ Hank loves explaining things but also doing things never done before, because the community is so interesting and, he feels, unique in history; coming together to do cool things is their best opportunity. (hedged) — 00:02:45 · Nerdfighteria

00:03:02 — Punishment suggestions will go to a poll; Nerdfighter pumpkin carving contest on Our Pants; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank says there are lots of genius and terrifying punishment suggestions; they are going to gather them and then hold a poll. — 00:03:05 · Punishment
  • ★★★ Since it is October and pumpkin-carving season, Hank announces a Nerdfighter pumpkin carving contest with a post on Our Pants. — 00:03:12
  • ★★ Hank asks Nerdfighters to post their pumpkin carvings in the Our Pants thread linked in the description. — 00:03:19 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ The top 10 carvings by forum upvotes will get a book from Hank's bookshelf, inscribed to them, and the pumpkins will be featured in a video. — 00:03:25

In the description and comments

  • ★★ In the description Hank suggests viewers get to their local science center and enjoy it as soon as possible. — video description
  • ★ The description lists educational YouTubers viewers should follow, starting with Vi Hart and CGP Grey. — video description · YouTube

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: curiosity · Exploratorium

Also: People: CGP Grey · Derek Muller · Destin Sandlin · Henry Reich · Vi Hart

Projects: Our Pants

Works: The Fault in Our Stars (film)

Organizations: YouTube

Rituals: Punishment

Concepts: education · love

Places: Amsterdam · San Francisco

Events: YouTube Education Summit

Replies to

Later videos replying to this one

Part of an exchange of 8 videos, 2013-10-08 – 2013-11-01.