yes

yes

I stopped licking poop

Essentially, I had started to lose the ability to differentiate dreams from reality. For some reason, I was in the room in both.

I dreamt that someone (not anyone I'd ever met, but someone who seemed familiar in the dream) had come into the room and told me I was done. That 72 hours was up. But then I woke up. But I didn't realize that I'd woken up. I saw the door closed and wondered why they'd left and closed the door behind themselves. I figured everyone was just busy or something and that I could come out when I felt like it.

So I opened the door but it was so dark and nothing was moving. I was really confused and anxious about being confused. Who had been in the room? Why was I alone? I had been so certain that I was finished. That I could come out. But no. I was still alone. Always had been.

I received it. thank you.

A few times a month. Depends on where I go. Public places like museums and restaurants are more common than like, when I'm commuting or on a subway or something where people are all busy and rushing around.

Everyone who's said hi has always been so nice about it. If you've recognized me in public and said, "hi," thanks for being so respectful. Oh, and of course, thanks for watching. It's so great to meet the actual flesh-and-blood that's out there watching. Since I'm always working on my next video, I usually start giving them spoilers as to what it'll be about and my favorite things about it.

A few times a month. It's awesome! I love giving 'spoilers' about the next video I'm working on (actually I'm just running things by them to see if they find it interesting or if I should take a different approach). Very few (none, I think, really) have ever just STARTED with Hey, Michael, ___ here." It sounds really weird and stilted to talk like that in real life :)

I want to make a video about death. I really admire a friend of mine from college who wrote a great book about working in a crematory. We are afraid of death. Of dying. Of things that are dead. But death is important. It's the most significant thing, in fact. When I die, please film me dying. All of it. And don't stop. Show how my body changes. Where my body is taken. Who the professionals are we trust with our dead. Leave no curious soul's questions about what it looks like and feels like unanswered. I want to interview scientists, authors, pastors, mystics, moms, dads, young people, old people about death. Death is obvious and unavoidable and necessary for life and yet we can't easily study it scientifically. At least not the conscious experience of it. For that matter, what is life? What defines whether something is living? Ought we even ask? Can we even pretend that there's an adequate answer to that question?

Surprisingly, yes, I did. I stayed up really late the night I got out talking about the experience with my wife. Slept well. The next day I was very clear and happy. FYI: this is the video we're talking about.

Its population is 2,816

It's a popular spring break destination

It has a warm humid subtropical climate

Is the Earth flat?

There are six of us now:

Me, Kevin, and Jake.

Eric, who helps with 3D graphics, production, editing, etc.

Hannah, who writes, researches, and edits DONG

and Alisha, who coordinates everything (especially the Curiosity Box) and keeps the company running smoothly

Ideas come from things I've read or heard or seen, people I've met ... anything that makes me confused or surprised and then turns out to be a challenge to wrap my head around is something I want to make a video about.

I've been hanging aROUND a lot of circles lately. And playing with them and thinking about them a lot. Spheres too. So simple and important and useful in geometry.

I learned to meditate better. And panic less.

In the room, whenever I wasn't sleeping or pacing I was watching memories play in my head like movies. Things that really happened ... but then they'd take on a life of their own. Waking dreams.

I think (just guessing here) that that process is good for your brain. Perhaps it's its way of sorting things out. Arranging experiences. Very interesting.

the human bottom is magnificent

It's always been my mantra. Even before I heard it articulated so clearly. At first, it wasn't about accidentally teaching, it was just about the fact that being funny or asking weird questions (aka good video topics and titles and thumbnails) brought more people in.

my own

The brachistochrone was a dream come true. There was NO way I could have built something like that in any reasonable amount of time with any reasonable amount of quality. It took Adam about 2 seconds to know what to do and where to find everything we needed in his shop.

Besides that, we just spent the last couple days diving really deep into our upcoming live show, Brain Candy. Seeing the pieces all falling together and the mechanisms being built is really thrilling.

Besides even THAT, it's his stories about things he's built, people he's met, ideas he's had. The guy's about a million times smarter than me so hanging out is like free experience/knowledge/idea-osmosis. If that makes sense.

Bachelors in English Literature and bachelors in Neuropsychology.

Both from the University of Chicago.

That's exactly right. He's contagiously enthusiastic -- but also very thoughtful. Not sure where he gets the energy. It's crazy.

exactly.

I haven't noticed this. Hmm... perhaps it's like how we enjoy/don't mind the smell of our own farts dislike other people's? I'm probably too close to my own voice to really understand it or know it.

My vocal style on Vsauce is pretty much just how I talk in real life (Would you agree, Adam? If you others want proof come to Brain Candy and say, "hi!").

I'd be interested to see if there's any research on what kinds of cadences/accents/etc. keep people's attention the best. Or leave them with the most comprehension or retention.

Wish I could say I already knew and was using that knowledge on Vsauce, but I'm just talking to the camera the way I'd talk to you if you ran into me on the street and asked me to talk about infinity or books or juvenoia or whatever :)

My credit card had been declined while I was trying to get a gift for my wife (sunglasses). It was very annoying. Hope I wasn't a huge grump!

thanks for linking that answer!

at this very moment I'm really digging "Mood" by Porches

And to be honest, vaporwave. I mean, what's going on when I listen to it? It's like the past trying to get ahold of me. It's like the past but easier to analyze and take seriously. It's like being a kid again with the brain of an adult. Or not. I don't know yet but it really helps me write and edit and think.

Just wanted to add one more thing. I discovered the sound by stumbling on a channel called b0dyg0d years ago. I have no idea who it is or who made the songs, but the way they're stretched, the way they repeat the same phrase over and over again like a chant, the melancholy ... I love it. I made a playlist of it all so I could just let it play. For the last few years I've used that playlist when writing.

I met Kevin because I was a fan of Jerry Bloop. I contacted him about working with Vsauce (which was 'gaming' 'comedy' at the time). He's incredibly talented and a top-notch researcher. Want something? He'll find it.

As for Jake, Vsauce gets a tax break for hiring felons.

JUST KIDDING. That was a goof. Jake started working at YouTube and sat next to me and started helping me edit episodes of DONG. It became clear that he would be a great fit for something we really wanted to do: cover the science and ideas and questions behind fictional creations. Thus, Vsauce3 was born.

Thank you for that recommendation!

I don't know, but I really want to try a dark room. It's not a fun thing, though. It's not a carnival ride. It's a serious adventure into your head.

It's a sandwich. But not a sandwich sandwich.

(1) Psychology
(2) Of course

hahaha, okay so that was caused by me having multiple tabs of this AMA open. Oh well, DOUBLE ANSWER! How embarrassing would it have been if they'd contradicted each other?

Mind Field was filmed in one month. September of 2016. Before that, there were months of planning, talking, writing, researching, experts to reach out to, ideas to have and then scrap (or fall in love with).

Editing took a couple months. Unlike my regular videos (which I edit myself -- though often with the 3D graphics help of the talented Eric Langlay), Mind Field had a team of people (great talented ones) working with me in post-production. That was VITAL. So much footage and so many camera angles and episodes... it was a lot of work to mold it all together into the story I wanted to tell.

Basically, I start with a topic or question and then I begin gathering books, articles, experts I can email/call/meet/tweet at/etc.

Then I start jotting down everything about the topic that surprises me or that I don't understand. Then I start figuring out what needs to be dove into deeper and explained. And how. I try my best to blend it all together, but in the end it's just the highlights of what I've been up to for the last few weeks. It's like meeting a friend and asking what they've been doing.

I will say that as a result, I think my information-finding and -synthesizing skills have really improved. If I had to say what one skill is most worth exercising and working on, it's your ability to ask questions more articulately and find answers more efficiently. Step one is to admit when you don't understand something. If you're not 100% satisfied that you could explain it to someone else, keep reading. Eventually you'll find someone who's explain it or approached the topic in a way that helps you. Keep looking.

Both have my respect and admiration but the cat is subjectively my favorite. I have two: Elsie and Corn.

I don't. I believe I do. But I wouldn't feel comfortable saying that I know I do.

Because you all aren't Vsauce. You're reddit. Though I agree that "What is an AMA" would have been nice :)

"How to Count Past Infinity"

I got to talk with Hugh Woodin. A legend. He's got sizes of infinity named after him! He was so good at helping me understand the topic.

I also spoke with David Eisenbud. Both of them were so eager to help and importantly: they were patient with me as I tried to better learn and understand the topic. I am so appreciative of their time.

Running the nocebo demonstration for Mind Field. The episode isn't out yet, but that was the most uncomfortable I've been. However, the results were very very powerful and the participants were incredibly helpful and understanding of the test's significance. We took extreme care to debrief everyone and keep everyone safe.

In a few words, the nocebo effect is when 'nothing' produces a detrimental effect. The detrimental effect we were able to cause in people who thought what we were doing was serious and dangerous (it was, in reality, almost comically trivial) was a real testament to the power of imagination and the fragility of our conception of what's real.

To everyone who participated, I thank you. And science thanks you.

Moon Men by Jake Chudnow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbSn72UdErg

I still don't think we've got a good understanding of the Zipf mystery

In my opinion, it is burnt bread which is a kind of toast. Or at least, on the toast spectrum. I suppose this makes "burnt toast" a tautology, though. Hmm... how much of a 'well made' piece of toast is actually 'burned'? What is burning? A certain reaction between carbon in the bread and oxygen in the air? I would need to learn more about the physics of 'toasting' to be confident.

Watching documentaries, reading, solving disentanglement puzzles ... sometimes the best is pacing around one of our studios alone talking out loud to myself. It's not always even coherent, but there's no audience. For some reason it's really relaxing and recharging. Takes the stress away. What do I talk about? Usually I talk through some problem or issue I'm having (like venting but to no one). OR I attempt to explain something that I'm trying to get better at explaining for a script.

In a way, my favorite is always just my newest because I'm so close to it and so freshly obsessed with that topic. But when I sit back and reflect, "If" is on the top list. Along with "The Banach–Tarski Paradox" and "Cruel Bombs"

most of them. I accept so much. There just isn't time to investigate everything. We need to trust others and those who teach and observe the world have a gigantic responsibility to be honest and objective.

Supreme tacos. I love sour cream.

Louis Theroux's Extreme Love: Dementia

Theoretical physics. But first, math. Lots and lots of math. I want to go back to college and study mathematics.

mainly just to avoid jump cuts (i.e. if I have to stop and start over I'll just 'pop in')

It also helps keeps my energy up.

Bill Nye really inspired me. He was the first voice I heard that was educational AND funny. And in a clever, dry, sometimes ironic way that I always thought was cool (not lame and socially ostracizing). Especially as a kid. Even the kids who made fun of 'smart kids' or learning or reading or chess club or whatever always LOVED when Bill Nye was shown in the classroom. Beakman's World was also really influential. Paul Zaloom could be a rapid-fire goof that entertained you and then ... yep ... you'd realize you just learned a lot and were fired up to learn more.

Thanks for watching!

If I wasn't a youtuber I'd probably be a teacher who did some theater acting on the side.

Mathematics. Specifically set theory.

Both. BUT: the virtual worlds we create and explore will be richer and more popular and easier to navigate. Of course, if faster than light travel is possible in some form maybe they'll be nearer to equal....

I sure hope so. I have more than enough ideas (and bigger & better ones now that I have the experience of season 1 and have met the people I know I need to make it possible). Now that I've had a taste, I'm hungry to show more and do more. Be even more ambitious. No matter what, I will find a way to document the studies I want to do next.

I really want to collab with 3Blue1Brown. We're actually already talking over email. Shout out to Henry from Minute Physics for introducing us!

Oh, and I also want to get e-doops on Vsauce.

just one, unfortunately. I keep saying I'm going to learn Spanish, but I haven't yet. It's a real disadvantage to only know one language. I'm definitely going to give my kids (none yet) as many opportunities to learn other languages as possible!!

Yes. I have the treatment. It's the book I've always wanted to write (well, at least since I made "Our Narrow Slice".

It's an idea that works best as a book. Not as a video. I would only do a book if that were the case. But it's not something I can throw together in a few weeks. Perhaps while on the road with Brain Candy ...

More. Unfortunately we couldn't record my thoughts and how scrambled they were. And I can't now, with a clear head and voice, get across just how lethargic but nonetheless panicked and lonely I was. Being separated from the Earth's cycles and any feedback as to my sense of time was disorienting. I felt perhaps like animals feel (or don't. we don't know. But I wish we did). I had no idea how long ago things had happened or how far away the future was. every moment was the same. I believe that a life like that is one in which death is much less scary.

Brain Candy has turned us into friends. Before we'd ever met, I heard that he was looking for a touring partner. I was obviously interested but didn't expect anything. A couple months later I got a text from him asking to chat. We talked on the phone and went over our backgrounds, out goals, and it became obvious that our styles and approaches would fit really well together. We can both talk about things and tell stories, but Adam can BUILD things and ENGINEER things and MAKE things. It's a great combo :)

honestly, wikipedia. It's a great jumping-off point and so full of hyperlinked connections. And sources to learn more and go deeper.

My best memory was pretty much every forensics tournament. I did informative speaking and oration. I especially loved the stakes at national-qualifying tournaments. I highly recommend participating in speaking competitions. Articulation and writing and preforming in front of people are VERY powerful skills to hone.

it's an uphill battle. I'm fine with pi but yes, I prefer tau.

I owe my opinions on the matter to Vi Hart, of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG7vhMMXagQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUh_CSjaSw

I used to live in Islington! I now live in LA. Do you remember what movie you saw? If it was during the day it could have been when I saw Mad Max: Fury Road there.

Not concerned at all. He's a pro. If he'd been nervous I would have had second thoughts, though :)

We didn't have to. I could always just be myself. I think only a couple recognized me and it didn't make a difference. They just understood that I was doing a study. But they didn't necessarily know what was REALLY being studied. That's the part that matters.

shadows that burn

http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

Yes. But stronger.

Seriously though, Mark Douglas and I have been kicking around a really cool idea (not the Bearded Nun, sadly) that I hope to get back on top of because I really think it's gold. And really needed today and really different but better in certain ways that what I'm already doing. Stay tuned...

clam chowder and potato.