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Viewer questions, 2026

54 viewer questions, requests and challenges answered in 9 videos uploaded in 2026, grouped by topic (the domain of the part of the video the answer is in), in upload order within a topic. Each question is followed by the answer as summarised, with the speaker and timestamp. Question Tuesday marks the Q&A series. Back to the overview.

Topics: Nerdfighteria (20) · Science & nature (7) · Global development (5) · Internet & YouTube (5) · Personal life (5) · Books & writing (4) · Pop culture (4) · Projects (2) · Economics (1) · Philosophy & meaning (1)

Nerdfighteria

  • Q [request]: “Hank, please re-upload your.” (05:20:50) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 2!
    • Hank: Asked to re-upload his songs, Hank says they are trying to figure out what is going on with his music on Spotify, a long story. (05:20:50)
  • Q: “Maybe what animal are you a centaur of and are you taking the front half or the back half?” — asked by Tyler Thrasher (05:34:25) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • Hank: Asked what kind of centaur he would be, Hank chooses front half human and back half hyena, for its durability, speed, compact size, vicious nature and quick healing. (05:36:53)
  • Q: “You are in a fight between one of two characters, and I want to know which one you think you would best survive against.” — asked by Tyler Thrasher (05:38:57) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • Hank: Choosing between a fight with Stitch armed with a machete or Donkey Kong with brass knuckles, Hank picks Donkey Kong: he could forge his own brass knuckles into a gun, which could kill Donkey Kong but not Stitch. (05:41:03)
  • Q: “How long does humanity have?” — asked by Tyler Thrasher (05:41:31) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • Hank: Asked how long humanity would last if every shark got four-wheel-drive wheels, hated humans and could stay out of water half an hour per kill, Hank says humanity wins. (05:41:56)
  • Q: “John, do you have any lore to tell us about being in 2027?” (07:59:45) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John (joke): Asked for 2027 lore, John says what a relief it is that every problem was solved by 2027: in February 2026 he doubted civilization would get through, and now everyone lives under the water. (08:00:12)
  • Q: “chad was wondering if they can get a vod with” (01:00:02) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3!
    • John: Asked by a viewer for a perk video of him and Stan, John commits to a special exclusive livestream of them playing Fortnite together, for $15 or in the digital download bundle. (01:00:51)
  • Q: “someone's asked me about why what do i think about using a banana loca from making a stuffed aubergine” (03:22:21) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3!
    • Hank: Asked about stuffing an aubergine with a Banana Loca, Hank says eating eggplant was understandable before we had better foods, but now we have so many other things. (03:22:21)
  • Q [request]: “Can you please play Being Alive? It's such a good song.” (05:28:48) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Before the special guests, Hank plays his song Being Alive on guitar. (06:08:18)
  • Q: “hank if you go back in time what would the you tell yourself after the first project for awesome all those years ago” (05:29:45) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Asked what he would tell himself after the first Project for Awesome, Hank says very little: some intel on certain people he might not want to work with, and that he is headed in the right direction. (05:29:45)
  • Q [request]: “Can you send words of encouragement to my sister Desiree?” (05:30:40) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Encouraging a baker sad about her first negative review, Hank says any opinion that can be had will be had. (05:30:40)
  • Q: “any colonoscopy tips” (05:31:38) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Hank's colonoscopy tip, unique to him: sipping Coca-Cola during the prep helps him get it down in a timely fashion. (05:31:38)
  • Q: “What's your favorite weird fact you've recently learned, Hank?” (05:32:12) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Hank's favorite weird fact of late: colon cells do not metabolize normal sugars but short-chain fatty acids from fermented indigestible fiber; a Hank's channel video on it is coming soon. (05:32:43)
  • Q: “i'm going to med school any advice on how to be a good doctor” (05:33:13) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Asked how to be a good doctor, Hank says in his experience good doctors are the ones who listen, though not surgeons. (05:33:13)
  • Q: “I'd like to pursue a career in science communications. What steps would you recommend?” (05:33:52) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Hank says most people in science communication have no audience: they work at universities, in teaching or in university PR. (05:34:36)
  • Q: “what's the best fact you learned about cancer researching your new book” (05:37:53) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Asked for a fact from researching his new book on cancer, Hank says gene fusions can blast traits into a cancer super fast: that is how Ewing sarcoma works and often how prostate cancer turns aggressive. (05:39:21)
  • Q: “If you had to run for Congress and can't say no, what would you campaign on?” (05:43:16) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: If he had to run for Congress, Hank would campaign on regulating away the structures that serve only to divide us and survive because they are politically useful: gerrymandering and money in politics. (05:43:16)
  • Q: “currently living in ice occupied minneapolis how do i stay focused on finding the good when it feels uh too big to change” (05:49:06) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: To a viewer in ICE-occupied Minneapolis, Hank says change is not one big thing but a million little things, and thanks them for being part of this change. (05:49:06)
  • Q: “What's an unexpected boundary you've had to learn how to set?” (05:52:01) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Hank's boundary: posting is not the end of something, so he won't post unless he also has time to stay and see how it goes. (05:52:37)
  • Q [request]: “Can we get you to sign blank stickers for us and stick in our books?” (03:10:06) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5!
    • John: A viewer suggests John sign blank stickers so international fans can make their books signed; John loves the idea of an unsigned book becoming signed, but it may not ship in time this year (2026), so it is a good idea for next year (2027). (03:10:44)
  • Q: “What was your favorite part of your day of punishment in Target?” (00:02:22) — My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body
    • Hank: Asked his favorite part of his day of punishment in Target, Hank recalls a nerdfighter coming to the Target's Starbucks (not yet a Starbucks then) with little penguin art (as heard) for him: a nerdfighter gathering of three. (00:02:22)

Science & nature

Global development

  • Q: “Jen asks, how am I doing? And what have I done to prepare for Project for Awesome?” (00:04:53) — Has Anyone Ever Accidentally Seen me Naked (Question Tuesday on a Friday) · Question Tuesday
    • Hank: For P4A Hank sought a high-quality possum mask (two-month lead time, too late), and has a list of balloon gags, very weird peanut butter someone sent him, and weird fruits from Miami Fruit. (00:04:53)
  • Q: “Bighetti says, did Hank use a beef day for a non pizza with left beef?” (00:15:23) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 2!
    • Hank: Asked whether he used a beef day for his None pizza with left beef, Hank says he did, and it was not worth it. (00:15:23)
  • Q [request]: “John, could we hear you read Romantasy?” (02:45:00) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John: John has written no romantasy but would like to; the things he loves writing and reading most are romance and mystery novels, though he says he is not very good at either. (02:45:22)
  • Q: “You and your brother and your whole community, you do it over and over again. So I'm going to ask you that question in a minute.” — asked by Gary (03:36:41) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • Hank: Asked why he keeps at it, Hank says that in many ways he works for his audience, this community, which is tricky because it is a lot of bosses who don't all agree on everything. (03:39:38)
  • Q: “How long is the power boost after?” (07:15:17) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4!
    • Hank: Hank says the power boost stays active until the Tiltify reaches $1.5 million, which it might not, leaving matching money on the table, and urges viewers to push to $1.5 million. (07:15:17)

Internet & YouTube

Personal life

Books & writing

  • Q: “What's the new book?” (02:56:57) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John: John says the novel he has not finished is about Hollywood, about two kids who are in a movie; he is trying to finish it and would like it published someday, though that is never certain. (02:57:23)
  • Q: “John, would you like signing so much if you were forging a signature over and over instead?” (08:12:30) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John: John says he could not enjoy forging someone else's signature: touching paper a reader will touch makes the exchange physical, and signing his own book has felt great since he was nine. (08:12:30)
  • Q: “What's the best city in North America in your rather educated opinions?” (00:03:19) — My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body
    • John: Having been from Maine to Florida to Idaho to Southern California in the last month, John says the best city in North America by a country mile is Indianapolis, where all his people are. (00:04:07)
  • Q: “John, what is your best or most memorable food experience on tour?” (00:04:07) — My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body
    • John: John's publicist Elyse Marshall Pfeiffer, to whom Hollywood, Ending is dedicated, loves Uncrustables, so every tour stop has them; John eats the leftovers, even five, right before bed. (00:04:07)

Pop culture

Projects

Economics

  • Q: “Is zombie corns available only through P4A?” (02:35:23) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John: John believes he released Zombicorns under a Creative Commons license, so it belongs to the public, but having it emailed is possible only during a P4A. (02:36:09)

Philosophy & meaning

  • Q: “What would your last words be?” (02:39:02) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!
    • John: Asked for his last words, John says the cheesiest are 'I love you', but he would most want his family to know he loved them and the world. (02:39:02)