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12/4/2020
3 : 34
From Muhammad to ISIS: Iraq’s Full Story
The full, full, full story on Iraq. Hey readers, In the summer of 2014, I went to five countries and wrote a long post about each of them for a series I called Odd Things in Odd Places. Earlier in the
11/23/2020
9 : 41
Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think
We all care way too much what other people think of us. Here's why. Hey readers, This week from the greatest hits, an issue we need to work on: caring less about what other people think of us. This
11/8/2020
14 : 14
Horizontal History
Looking at history from a whole new direction. This week from the greatest hits: a visual take on history. If you imagine history as a vertical timeline going downwards into the past, we usually study
11/1/2020
14 : 4
The Great Perils of Social Interaction
No matter how diligently you try to follow the Social Rulebook, you're gonna get into some of these massively awkward situations. This week from the greatest hits: A topic we're all dealing
10/25/2020
13 : 14
7.3 Billion People, One Building
This isn't gonna be pleasant for anyone. This week from the archive, I ask the age-old question: “Just how big a building would you need in order to fit all of humanity inside?” The answer awaits:
10/19/2020
2 : 24
Why Cryonics Makes Sense
The more I read about cryonics—ie freezing yourself after death—the more I realized it's something we should all be talking about. This week from the archive, cryonics—ie why I think I might be
10/11/2020
13 : 4
How I Handle Long Email Delays
Things can get paranoid real quick. This week from the archive, a rare short WBW post! This one's a comic about the crisis I go through every time someone takes a long time to respond to an email
10/4/2020
13 : 4
Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy
Say hi to Lucy. This week from the greatest hits: WBW's greatest hit. Ever. I wrote this post in September of 2013, when the site was two months old, in an attempt to explain why I thought
9/30/2020
15 : 44
New Post: The Trump-Biden Debate
Morning, readers. I wasn't planning to do this again, but last night's debate left me with no choice. The Trump-Biden Debate Subscribe Over it/me? Un-subscribe here. Copyright © 2020 Wait But
9/27/2020
13 : 4
What Could You Buy With $241 Trillion?
If you combine every human's wealth together, what does that number look like in cash, gold, potatoes, pizza, and tortoises? This week from the archive: a post about money. It turns out that if you
9/22/2020
18 : 54
New post AND a new toy
You know how sometimes you get a new toy and you like the toy and it makes you happy? Well a few months ago, we teamed up with the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt with one goal: make a toy that will make
9/20/2020
13 : 4
10 Types of Odd Friendships You’re Probably Part Of
When you're young, you make friends kind of by accident. Then they stick. This week from the archive: A post about friendships. Specifically, some of the odd friendships that we all seem to be a
9/13/2020
13 : 4
The Fermi Paradox
Scientists estimate that there are over 100000 intelligent alien civilizations in our galaxy alone—but we've never heard anything from any of them. Hey readers, This week from the greatest hits, we
9/6/2020
13 : 9
The Bunny Manifesto
If for one second you think bunnies are normal-looking, cute, or likable, you're horribly wrong. This week from the archive, One of the most important topics on all of WBW: Bunnies and how they
9/4/2020
7 : 57
3 Things
1) In case you missed the last email, we're making The Story of Us into a book. It's really coming out nicely, in part because of so much useful reader feedback on the parts already posted. We
8/30/2020
13 : 9
Everything You Should Know About Sound
We all know what sound is. Except actually, no we don't. Let's fix that. This week from the archive: A post that explains everything about sound and how it works. Kind of a really relevant
8/23/2020
13 : 9
Why You Secretly Hate Cool Bars
Going to bars is so often a bad life experience. So why do so many people do it? This week from the archive: You know how sometimes you go to a bar and it's loud and dark and crowded and horrible
8/16/2020
13 : 9
Putting Time in Perspective
Humans are good at a lot of things, but putting in perspective is not one of them. Hey readers, One of the most popular posts on the site isn't a post at all—it's a huge infographic. The
8/9/2020
13 : 9
Mailbag #1
I answered 46 reader questions about almost everything. Hey readers, In 2016, I asked readers to send questions for me to answer. We ended up with a ton of great questions about a wide range of topics.
8/2/2020
13 : 4
Your Family: Past, Present, and Future
The past, present, and future of your family tree are all far more fascinating than you realize. This week from the archive: A post about your family tree—your full, extra big one. It turns out that