Wait But Why

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7/29/2020
20 : 9

Update!

Popping in with a fun update. Hey readers, Popping in with a fun update. The Story of Us has one (big) chapter left (it was gonna be two but I ended up combining them into one). That chapter is just
7/26/2020
13 : 4

My TED Talk

Procrastinators and TED Talks—not a good match. Hey readers, In February of 2016 I did a super scary thing: I gave a TED Talk. I detailed the full traumatizing experience here: Doing a TED Talk: The
7/19/2020
13 : 4

How to Pick Your Life Partner

The choice of life partner is the most important thing in life to get right, but so many smart, otherwise-logical people end up getting it so wrong. This week from the archives: One of the most popular
7/12/2020
13 : 6

The Death Toll Comparison Breakdown

Which killed more, the American Civil War or the Korean War? Hurricane Katrina or the Titanic sinking? This week from the archive: A huge infographic I made comparing the death tolls from all the
7/5/2020
13 : 7

The Elon Musk Series

When you pick up the phone, you don't expect Elon Musk to be on the other line. Hey readers, In mid-2015, I got one of the most surprising calls a random blogger can receive—it was from a woman who
6/28/2020
13 : 7

How to Name a Baby

Meet the Name Fad. This week from the archive: A post not just for pregnant people called “How to Name a Baby.” I named it “How to Name a Baby” because I wrote this back in 2014 when we were still
6/14/2020
13 : 6

The Tail End

No matter what your age, you may, without realizing it, be enjoying the very last chapter of the relationships that matter most to you. This week from the WBW archive: A post I wrote in only one day
6/7/2020
13 : 7

From 1,000,000 to Graham’s Number

Graham's number is so big, we need a whole new set of tools to even discuss it. Hey readers, This is probably the most fun I ever had writing a WBW post, and it's the least fun a lot of people
5/31/2020
13 : 6

What Makes You You?

What is it that makes ? Your body? Your brain? The info in your brain? Your soul? It turns out this is not an easy question. This week from the archive, the post that boggles my mind the most of any
5/24/2020
13 : 7

20 Things I Learned While I Was in North Korea

I was only in North Korea for five days, but that was more than enough to know that it's every bit as weird as I always thought it was. Hey readers, In late 2014, I went to North Korea for five of
5/17/2020
13 : 6

Your Life in Weeks

4680 weeks are all you have. Are you making the most of them? This week from the archive, I present you with an existential crisis in a single cute diagram. Details here: Your Life in Weeks if you want
5/10/2020
13 : 6

The American Presidents

Who were the first 24 US presidents, what did they do, and what do they hope history has forgotten? This week from the WBW archive, the first 24 US presidents and what each of their deal is. The first
5/4/2020
15 : 7

Why Procrastinators Procrastinate

The full story about why procrastinators routinely ruin their own lives. This week from the archive, the post that in some ways has come to define the entire site, as well as my entire upsetting
5/4/2020
15 : 7

Why Bugs Ruin Everything

Some might say I'm "overreacting" when I say that bugs make life "basically not worth living," but I'm not. Here's why. Hey readers, This week from the WBW archive, we