Explore all emails from We're Here

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from the Kono District in Sierra Leone. Your correspondent is exhausted from travel but incredibly grateful for the opportunity to see up close all the work to strengthen the healthcare system in this district and beyond. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the Maternal Center of Excellence for the first time. In just two months, over 500 babies have been born at the MCOE. Today, I saw the warehouse supported by our community’s fundraising project. Warehouses may not be the sexiest part of the healthcare system, but they are incredibly important. Being able to store medication at appropriate temperatures allows that medication to last longer, and this warehouse, with over 35,000 ft.² of space, completely transforms what is possible in Kono. I keep thinking on this trip that it takes all of us. It takes the women who built the Maternal Center of Excellence. It takes the staff, stuff, and systems to make a healthcare system. It takes ambulance drivers. And it takes you. Your support, whether directly at [pih.org](https://act.pih.org/hankandjohn) or through [Awesome Socks](https://good.store/collections/awesome-socks-club-fun-socks-and-undies), made this dream real. It is the proudest moment of my life. I hope it is a proud one for you, too. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Michelle Khare [ran The Great World Race](https://youtu.be/3zDt-QeJIw4?si=lSUa3jSf7ZJNQVRF): seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. (YouTube) * A polar bear at the Oregon Zoo [took a polar plunge](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXNGsmrEYQf/?hl=en). (Instagram) * PBS Terra took us to [America’s most toxic lake](https://youtu.be/ivoV1rwiYJk?si=JmYRovQV_4dUpdPD) and explained why scientists want what’s inside. (YouTube) * A rare [split-color lobster](https://www.tiktok.com/@nbcnews/video/7631512071108168974) was caught off the coast of Cape Cod and will soon call an aquarium home. (TikTok) * A singer-songwriter used all of the words in a game of Connections to [write a song](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXSJnuPichy/). (Instagram) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9JOkZjU2P/?hl=en) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Many countries are “leapfrogging” landlines and going straight to mobile phones ###### Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Arriagada View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/bc407884-0bf4-4a81-9350-52c19dc2d53f/leapfrogging-landlines.png?t=1776312193) Caption: The concept of “leapfrogging” is popular in development. It suggests that, as they develop, lower-income countries can skip intermediate technologies or systems and go straight to the modern equivalent. One example of this is the use of landlines and mobile phones. The landline telephone was invented in 1876 and became a dominant form of communication across Europe and North America. As you can see in the chart, it was increasingly adopted in the United States and the United Kingdom throughout the 20th century. However, mobile phone adoption increased rapidly in the 1990s, and landlines have declined since the millennium. Mobile phones have become a substitute. But many countries have almost skipped landline adoption entirely. Ghana and Nigeria are good examples: landline subscriptions have remained extremely low, and instead, mobile phone adoption has exploded. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly The SciShow Team dusted off the old Balto VHS and gave it a watch while writing this Deep Dive on the Nome, Alaska serum run. They’re sorry to report that this childhood classic is almost entirely made up. But the real story behind the 1000km journey of chaos is out now! Youtube: It's Amazing Anyone Survived the 1925 Nome Serum Run (https://youtu.be/-zOWRc3c1u8?si=DR8fI2nNSuEdz5Iv) Nobody has made it to the center of the Earth—but not for lack of trying. In this episode of Crash Course Geology, we’ll journey through the crust and mantle that make up ⅔ of our planet’s insides. We’ll uncover how these layers affect our lives on the surface, and how geologists discover more about them without traveling into Earth’s depths themselves. Youtube: Earth's Crust and Mantle Explained: Crash Course Geology #3 (https://youtu.be/bouvNyq8xCY?si=E99R327H0jGeUOQf) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Metazooa](https://metazooa.com/) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/c120b704-36bb-420f-bda1-2c759c2def55/Gubbins__92_.png?t=1775191352) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Morgan. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Moon Joy In the last issue of We’re Here, we asked for Moon art to celebrate the success of the Artemis II mission. Thank you to everyone who sent a little Moon joy to our inbox! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e732a97c-094d-4b14-a8eb-0d9639288976/1000019772.jpg?t=1776401879) Caption: from Sarah “For the first time in months, whether from renewed joy in humanity's collective achievement or a gift borne back from darkened sea, I slept well the night the astronauts returned.“ — from Duncan View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/613c926d-6348-450a-b52c-5cc94fceae5c/1000008345.png?t=1776401343) Caption: from M View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e4d797e4-2e08-453e-bf92-341d2616a454/1000005064.jpg?t=1776401398) Caption: from Heather View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/cf39b87b-ebf4-4ea2-b2f8-088560020aff/image0__25_.jpeg?t=1776401748) Caption: from Ellie “A Lunar Love Letter Dearest Moon look at you shine... To think...in time you will disappear, but right here in this moment we can marvel at your beauty and face uncertainty while on pause. And I can ask you with love and longing to guard the souls I haven't seen in an eternity. Dearest Moon you are here. Goodness, am I happy To be here with you.“ — from Ella View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8d6da035-fc9a-4948-8fc4-657fe9c4fa56/IMG_2058.jpeg?t=1776401527) Caption: from Olivia View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fa239529-40e9-49f5-a87a-0dd2ff1eeeca/IMG_5292.jpeg?t=1776401582) Caption: from MacKenzie  View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4ee316f4-2a46-4f0f-a09b-65e383a1d577/A0314FB3-5342-4473-90EB-42E64CF15191.jpeg?t=1776445035) Caption: from Yona “Now we are framed by the trees. I look up the hill and see you, and you peer down upon me. From here you seem impossibly close, bathing me in your borrowed light. I beam back at you in return. Faithfully I move closer, drawn by your brilliance. Gone only for a few moments, hidden by earth I cannot move. You have become more distant, from where I now stare unblinking. Perspective I know in my mind, but not in my heart.“ — Mitchell View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/1c5c9a61-b98c-437c-8274-6c888fe95f49/image0__24_.jpeg?t=1776401639) Caption: from Claire View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/468e319a-278d-4bfe-92ec-6dcc0c18695e/IMG_6322.png?t=1776445418) Caption: from Rachel View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Strong, Soft, and Entirely Tree-Free View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ea462dce-f1fd-4470-9a85-81c5f61d8c73/image.png?t=1776918283) Caption: Bamboo is a fast-growing, resilient plant and offers a more renewable path to something you use every day: paper towels and toilet paper. With no added scents, no PFAs, and no pesticides, you can shop smart knowing you’re buying clean, thoughtful materials that care for your home and the forests beyond it. This limited-time collaboration with Good Store and Save Trees is only available through April 30th. [Shop here!](https://good.store/collections/save-trees) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! Have you experienced a moment of pride recently? Tell us about it! ==Send your proud moment to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/moon-joy-and-toxic-lakes

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from Pittsburgh, the setting for parts of my just-announced book [Hollywood, Ending](https://hollywoodendingbook.com). I've been traveling around the city with my family, visiting some of the locations I write about in the book. H,E (I haven't thought of a great abbreviation yet) is about two young people who meet in Pittsburgh while making a movie called Andy Warhol Never Gets Old. The movie, about the last year of Andy Warhol's life, gives them both occasion to see some of the extraordinary art in this city. There's a [Joan Mitchell triptych painting ](https://carnegiemuseums.org/carnegie-magazine/winter-2021/closer-look-a-tour-de-force-of-color/)at the Carnegie Museum of Art that I've been obsessed with for over a decade, for example, and of course the Andy Warhol Museum itself. Hollywood, Ending (my first novel in nine years?!??!) is about art and why we make it and what we lose in the commodification of it. It's also about what happens when creative production is mediated by huge companies that need to turn a profit—whether that be a publishing house, a movie studio, or TikTok. And it's about the delicate and messy business of falling in love when the world is watching. I'm so excited for you to read it in September. In the meantime, there is the small business of finishing the final edits, which I've got to get back to. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * An artist shared his[ infinite sketch book](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWeaGeSDghQ/), which you can now explore for yourself. (Instagram) * Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell [recorded a message](https://www.instagram.com/p/DW1oxf3lHtk/?hl=en&img_index=1) for the crew of Artemis II. (Instagram) * A student and their mom [created a custom mug](https://www.instagram.com/p/DW0CsaNjbnx/?hl=en) for the best bus driver. (Instagram) * An aspiring future astronaut in a pink spacesuit [watched the Artemis II launch](https://www.tiktok.com/@kgrogers19/video/7624206133363854606?lang=en). (TikTok) * The 2026 Tuberculosis Hill Day gathered around 300 advocates, experts, and survivors at the U.S. Capitol to [advance the fight against TB](https://www.pih.org/article/tb-hill-day-2026-congress-funding). (pih.org) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DWWm4fDAHwk/?hl=en) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Coal power has effectively died in the United Kingdom ###### Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Arriagada View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d601be48-ca7c-44c3-92e0-28046373591b/death-coal-power-uk.png?t=1775099405) Caption: The United Kingdom was the birthplace of coal. It has now, effectively, died there. As shown in the chart, in the late 1980s, around two-thirds of the UK’s electricity came from coal. By the time I was born in the 1990s, this had dropped to just over half. The use of coal has plummeted in my lifetime. It now makes up around 0.1% of the UK’s electricity. Coal was first replaced by gas, but is now being pushed out by wind, solar, and biomass. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly There’s no place like Earth—and we’ve got the planet’s spectacular, one-of-a-kind geology to thank for it. In this episode of Crash Course Geology, we’ll explore how geology touches our lives, helps us solve mysteries about the planet’s past and its future, and puts our world’s life in perspective. Youtube: Intro to Geology: Crash Course Geology #1 (https://youtu.be/ypH6dR7YGfU?si=KTho9CXBHCR7D_Ww) Is the okapi cryptozoology's greatest success story? If the locals were always just describing a giraffe relative from their backyard, was it ever a cryptid at all? Who decides that an animal is "real"? Youtube: Who "Discovered" the Okapi? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc6S7gGKWIw) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [The Daily Spell](https://www.the-daily-spell.com/) (by Jamwitch) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ab7aeb8f-c654-4234-8c51-9c3bb42be052/Gubbins__93_.png?t=1775866565) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Alexis. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Eye-Catching Trees In the last We’re Here, John talked about his appreciation for trees, so we asked We’re Here readers to send us photos of trees that caught their eye. Thank you to everyone who made our inbox a forest! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0080ae62-2201-40e5-b1ce-6afd07cf94f0/IMG_1613.jpeg?t=1775188766) Caption: from Destiny View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7147088c-72d8-442e-9708-670886b7646e/1000005760.jpg?t=1775188809) Caption: from Willow View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7683d273-7035-4c39-bac9-7486c0fa8f7d/3182.jpg?t=1775188890) Caption: from Sukriti View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/37b332c6-0f8d-435a-a0b3-4c5bb7f3f515/image0__22_.jpeg?t=1775188953) Caption: from Katie View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d7fa282b-7dc3-4fd4-a4f7-7c09a16d219d/1000029590.jpg?t=1775189099) Caption: from Jasmine View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/74287909-1219-48a8-9067-3c19d2cbd590/1000068824.jpg?t=1775189056) Caption: from Roux View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6cf80729-465a-4cef-8806-7be088d434a3/DSCF2906_copy.jpg?t=1775189004) Caption: from Pieter View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2cdf5795-e5a6-4653-9785-8216862759b9/2499.jpg?t=1775189170) Caption: from Colin View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/130e04fd-c667-401c-873c-13e64a3a0971/85800.jpg?t=1775189250) Caption: from Krupa View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/840db5c9-f709-4031-a3e4-01197c92eba7/image0__23_.jpeg?t=1775189480) Caption: from Ashley View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! In celebration of the Artemis II mission success, we’d love for you to send us Moon art this week. It could be a painting, a poem, or something else! ==Send your Moon art to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/astronauts-and-bus-drivers

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from Indianapolis, where Spring has tentatively arrived. Someone told me once that as you enter middle age, you either become a tree person or a bird person. I lack the pattern recognition and visual intelligence to immediately identify a flash of red feathers as a cardinal or a red-bellied woodpecker or whatever, but middle age has found me deeply enamored with trees. Trees, which make space for each other through the phenomenon of crown shyness. Trees, which through interconnected root systems cooperate for resources as well as compete with them. Trees, which along with other plants, dominate the planet, comprising over 80% of Earth's life by mass. So as the weather has begun to warm, I've been outside more. Most of the trees are still barren of leaves, but a few buds have emerged. Each year, when Spring returns, I am reminded that the metaphor of Spring is tired but apt: Nothing lasts forever. Not even winter. I hope it's temperate in your neck of the woods. The next time you find yourself in the shade of a tree, please say hi for me. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Melbourne hosted [a cake picnic](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWIf7J1EfCa/?hl=en) with a “no cake, no entry” rule. (Instagram) * Howtown discussed the [Moon's weird origin story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghW7BEC0byg). (YouTube) * There’s a new statue in the spot where a dog was saved from drowning by people who [formed a human chain](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWUiJlXCUM_/?hl=en&img_index=1) to pull him to safety. (Instagram) * A friend group celebrated a birthday by [dressing as birds](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWR4qKPkhKS/?hl=en) and throwing a “bird day party.” (Instagram) * Celebrate Goodall Day on April 3rd, [Jane Goodall’s birthday](https://janegoodall.org/home/goodallday/), by doing good all day! (janegoodall.org) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DWPt5R3DFFc/?img_index=1) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Outside rich countries, widespread informal work means unemployment rates are low ###### Esteban Ortiz-Ospina View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6375f00b-5500-492e-9570-6f088059c2e0/share-of-workers-in-informal-employment.png?t=1774503287) Caption: Last year, three-quarters of the world’s countries had unemployment rates below 10%, according to data from the International Labour Organization. Colombia, where I come from, is in that group. I initially found Colombia’s relatively low unemployment rate surprising, because it didn’t match what I could see around me: many people doing extremely precarious work. This chart offers an explanation. It shows, for a selection of countries of different income levels, what share of workers hold informal jobs, meaning work that lacks social protection and basic employment rights (no guaranteed benefits, no formal safety net). As the chart shows, in Colombia, that share is almost 57%. In many lower-income countries, the share is far higher. The reality is that low unemployment and widespread informal work can, and often do, happen at the same time. The reason this isn't paradoxical comes down to how these statistics are defined. To count as employed in labor statistics, a person only needs to have worked for at least one hour during the survey’s reference period, often the past week. The definition is broad and includes self-employment, selling things on the street, and unpaid work in a family farm or family business. Both formal and informal jobs are included. This means the unemployment rate can remain relatively low in poor countries, not because most workers have found stable, protected jobs, but because many have been absorbed into informal employment. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Rachel Bilson joins Hank on Ask Hank Anything to ask him why her mouth itches when she eats eggplant, how to stop a sneeze, how there is always room for dessert, and more! Youtube: How Do I Stop a Sneeze? | Rachel Bilson Asks Hank Anything (https://youtu.be/a64tcJp-FmU?si=llP7jQuPOEKEpMVD) What do you have to do to avoid ironing your clothes? Is it wearing certain materials? Filling the washing machine less? Drying your clothes in a machine rather than on the line? Here's the data! Youtube: A Scientist’s Guide to Wrinkle-Free Clothes (https://youtu.be/_TF8AX-ktEk?si=OQ4JNUhav7nO33c0) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [2025 Connections ](https://thomaswc.com/2025.html)(by Thomas Colthurst) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7c997035-9705-4299-8fcf-3bcae7d86b4c/Gubbins__91_.png?t=1774585690) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Maxim. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Our Priorities Last week, we asked what your top priorities are and how you maintain focus on those things. Thank you to everyone who emailed us! “Right now my top priority is my mental health. I have not been doing well so I have taken steps to remove some stressors in my life. One of the big ones is I don't really get on social media anymore. I spend maybe an hour on YouTube shorts and that's it. And then I have a couple of discord channels I talk to people on but even there I intentionally mute channels. I know that are not good for my mental health. I have now taken that time to start doing things that are good for my mental health like art projects, doodling, reading, listening to music and shooting basketball hoops at the nearby park even though I'm terrible.“ — Heather “My priorities are "Do your reading, go for a walk, take your pills, watch the show you're currently watching". In order to remember, I have a note called (quite literally) "Stuff You Like Doing", and I check it every day.“ — Steve “Always getting in a nap, especially on weekends Eating a good, full meal every week Playing video games to rest my mind Talking to at least one person in a day (sometimes it’s harder than you think!) Making sure I’m enjoying life more than I’m stressing about it“ — Fizz “I’m in my 20s and my life until now has been school, and as soon as I was able to, to take care of my siblings, then as they got older, to take care of my grandparents. I’m only now learning my priorities are not what others are telling me are important, they’re not what I have to do, my priorities are what I choose. My life is mine, and it is just as important as those I care for. I am learning to be my priority- not my only one, but a bigger one than I’ve been to myself, ever. Today I took a nap! I had things to do, but I felt I needed one, so I took one. Baby steps :)“ — Mikah “Like many other people, I'm sure, I'm trying to spend less time scrolling on my phone, so my partner and I have started doing Analog Fridays. After work on Friday, and for the entire evening until bedtime, we put our phones down and turn off the tv and do something analog. Part of the evening is spent making dinner together while listening to music (we often choose an artist we like and do a deep-dive into their catalog), then the rest of the time can be anything we want: playing board games, reading a book, going for a walk in the neighborhood, organizing or decluttering a room, making something with our hands, etc. Having a dedicated time where screens are "off limits", allowing us to decompress rather than doomscroll, has been really lovely and we look forward to it every week. Highly recommend!“ — Stephanie “I try to keep my priority short and simple so it’s easy to keep on my mind. I want to help people. Whether it’s doing extra chores around the houses or giving a friend a surprise gift, I always try to ask myself if I am helping others as it always ends up helping me as well. Not to say I am always productive or helpful, not by a long shot! But the framing helps me see value even in the small things.“ — Austin “I get to do a job that I love and set my own hours, but that also makes it really hard to not get distracted by all the little things that feel kinda productive but are secondary. These days, I'm just trying to get myself to my desk as early as possible every morning. Once I open my notebook, the magic happens. Morning me has to trust that afternoon me will take care of emails, errands, meetings, etc. Evening me has to go to bed on time so that the magic can happen in the morning. It's hard, but the more I do it, the easier it gets.“ — Rehmat “Centering silly Reminding myself I’m a good mom Watching my baby boy brush his teeth (he finds it absolutely hilarious and fascinating) Not being embarrassed by my enthusiasm (it’s at a high level) Before bed I think of something from the day that was good (tonight it’s friends and flowers and my mom) I pay attention to this stuff by reminding myself to go slow. I practice catching myself rushing for no good reason and instead insert pause and think about one of the above.“ — Cassie “I keep a note that reminds me all the people I want to connect with, color coded by those I mean to talk with daily, weekly, and monthly. It is a lot of people, and while I rarely catch them all, the note, at the front of my planner reminds me every day of what matters, fills me with delight, and makes me pick up the phone.“ — Emily “As a chronically ill person, a lot of my goals involve tedious and frustrating tasks that are necessary to convince the right people I'm sick and need support. If I'm not careful that can become my whole life, so I make sure my priorities also include a range of soul enriching things: * mindfulness exercises * playing board games with my husband * visiting my in-laws and their bouncy puppy (photo included below!) * watching Dimension 20 episodes and Banana Ball games * going to concerts and other events These things keep me going and remind me that I'm a full human being, not just a walking illness!“ — Ellen View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f8641fa4-7c1a-4b87-9b30-71b58b32d52d/1000008687.jpg?t=1774584509) Caption: View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # You made it to the end! When you see a tree that catches your eye, send us a photo. We’d love to see it! ==Send your tree to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: [You can find We’re Here merch here!](https://store.dftba.com/collections/vlogbrothers) ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/cake-picnics-and-bird-parties

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! I cannot help but always be reminded of the one thing that matters in 2026, which is how easy something is to pay attention to. For example, this week there was a big hubbub about a guy who perhaps slowed the progression of his dog’s cancer by developing an mRNA vaccine with the help of some large language models and, though this part was less discussed, a whole bunch of cancer scientists. This certainly could potentially be cool, but it is also possible that the dog’s partial response was due, at least in part, to another treatment… a checkpoint inhibitor, which was given alongside the vaccine. But of course, the reason this story went viral was less “dog might live longer” and more “what if the reason people are still dying of cancer isn’t that cancer is hard, but that bureaucracy is in the way?” And look, cancer treatment really is slowed down by logistics, regulation, manufacturing, cost, and caution. And it might seem like this story is easy to pay attention to because, if it pans out, it would be very good. But I'm worried that one reason this story is easy to pay attention to is mostly because, if it were true, it would be terrible. It would mean that the barrier between us and dramatically better cancer care was mostly paperwork. That would be disgusting, and disgusting gets clicks. As proof of this, here’s a cancer story from this week that got vastly less attention. Researchers published a study showing that they could use CRISPR to create cancer-fighting CAR-T cells directly inside the bodies of mice with a simple injection. CAR-T is one of the coolest things we do in cancer medicine. We take immune cells, genetically reprogram them to recognize cancer, and put them back in. In some blood cancers, it can work astonishingly well. But it is also slow, custom, and extremely expensive. Doctors have to remove a patient’s T cells, ship them off to a specialized facility, engineer them, and ship them back. That can take weeks and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. So this new result is exciting, not because it means cancer was easy all along, but because it might make one of our best cancer treatments less logistically absurd. Instead of doing all that engineering outside the body, the researchers used delivery particles to send CRISPR machinery and new instructions directly into T cells inside the mice. In some of the animals, the results were dramatic. Now, mice are not people. This might not work in humans. Safety still matters. Trials are still slow. Cancer is still hard. But to me, this is what real progress usually looks like. Not a secret miracle being held back by bureaucracy, but careful engineering aimed at an actual bottleneck. It isn’t that cancer is easy and institutions are stupid. Cancer is hard, and we get better at it every day. Hank ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Westlock Library [pranked the internet ](https://www.tiktok.com/@westlocklibrary/video/7618057952565480724)with a wholesome book bit. (TikTok) * Louis the cat [breaks international law daily](https://youtu.be/0RLbXvUBzaY?si=E-6hQFG3WAoZLdqD) as he crosses back and forth from the US to Canada to hunt mice. (YouTube) * Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace & Gromit, discussed the [particular clay they use](https://youtu.be/fgsft69o-xI?si=wVzvyFN2NtJT-1as) for their claymation and how it almost went away forever. (YouTube) * We were reminded that sometimes the best thing you can do is solve the [problem right in front of you](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVgIPd5jhs5/). (Instagram) * Partners In Health is hosting a [World TB Day livestream](https://act.pih.org/worldtbday2026) featuring TB experts and activists on March 24 at noon ET. (act.pih.org) * Humans are hosting [a writing contest](https://www.dearaliens.net/) to find the best document to send to aliens, and there’s a prize for the winner. (dearaliens.net) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DWBfnFcD3W6/?hl=en) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # In 2025, solar and wind produced more electricity than fossil fuels in the European Union ###### Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5e166618-d7bb-4afe-b357-f85dddf4b85e/eu-solar-wind-overtake-fossil.png?t=1773814984) Caption: Just a decade ago, almost three times as much electricity in the European Union was coming from fossil fuels as from solar and wind. But last year, for the first time, solar and wind produced more than coal, gas, and oil combined. They accounted for just over 30% of total electricity production. You can see this rise of solar and wind — and fossil fuels’ decline — in the chart. This record happened despite a poor year for wind output _[due to low wind speeds](https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/)_ and a slight increase in gas to compensate for lower hydropower output from dry conditions. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly We know smoking causes cancer. But the journey to that knowledge is way wilder than you think. In our last episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we’ll explore what happens when scientific research clashes with public opinion, individual values, and corporate interests. Youtube: What Happens When Science Clashes with the Public?: Crash Course Scientific Thinking #7 (https://youtu.be/NaMcw8_10Yg?si=g-ARG-aHSv5KGzL6) At the Solnhofen formation in Germany, over 500 fossils of 15 pterosaur species have been found. But it might be hiding a dark secret, one that’s been massively distorting our view of who was living and dying there, and why they left so much evidence behind. Youtube: The Mystery of the Deadly Pterosaur Lagoon (https://youtu.be/wiBgx05-JJs?si=ecdKLA8BD5sBqf2E) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Metazooa](https://metazooa.com/) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/01fc3cd2-8398-49c5-ba80-feaed5769fc1/Gubbins__90_.png?t=1774023999) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Gia. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Good Things Are Happening Last week, we featured an email from the We’re Here inbox about a “good things always happen to me” list, and encouraged readers to join in! Thank you to everyone who shared their list with us. “My favorite item on my list is a good thing that happened to someone else that I got to watch. I had just parked in my local library parking lot, and I looked up to catch a kid (probably between 8 and 12 years old) running down the front steps while pumping a stack of books over his head like it was a trophy he just won. Every time I remember it, the memory fills me with my own childhood joy of getting a new stack of books from the library.“ — Hannah “My good things are always happening to me list: When my kids come up to give me a completely unexpected hug. When the sun shines. Your silly best mate that you fancied in high school? Yeh you married them. That first, slow-sipped morning coffee. Spring flowers, crocuses and daffodils are sprouting!“ — Abby “I call my list “joys that are mine”. I started in the pandemic when it felt like everything was out of our control, and these little things were mine. peonies in spring poetry the smell of rain on concrete giving good gifts “My path of transformation is self nurturing” good coffee fireplaces games with friends surprise dinner dates in Vancouver pumpkin carving good craft beer introspective conversations Leslie Odom Jr.’s music the romantic idea of writing a book french fries and fried chicken records in the living room open windows in spring iced coffee… the list goes on ♥️“ — Amanda “I love Nancy’s list idea and have something I can add to it immediately. I have been in corporate America for about 8 years (straight out of college) and have felt miserable for a bit. I volunteered for a long time with a local food bank and then started volunteering with the Red Cross Jan 2025. After about a year of applying to non-profit jobs with no luck, I received an interview invitation this afternoon with the Red Cross! In the face of so much sad happening, it’s hard to find the good, but it’s there if you look hard enough!“ — Burke “Good things are always happening to me My cat snored while sleeping in my office My five month old daughter laughed I thrifted a beautiful dress I was able to drink my coffee while it was still hot My shower was warm I got to eat pizza with my husband Leeks are in season The weather is slowly warming My daughter fell asleep in my arms This week’s episode of Perfect Person made me belly laugh for the first time in a long time I was able to find some of my favorite books from my childhood to read with my daughter A book I’ve been looking forward to reading came in at the library I have found my perfect combination of blankets and pillows for comfortable sleep I started writing the story I have percolating in my head and I actually enjoy reading it back“ — Sarah “Good things are always happening to me It stopped raining in time for my walk last night Getting invited on a coffee date with pastries, deep conversations, laughter and lots of “me too!” exclamations My mum texted to invite me for dinner next week when my husband is out of the country My children are giggling in their room A dad from my daughters nursery overheard that I had a flat tyre on my bike and then dropped by and fixed it for me All the magnolias are blooming and it is making me so happy“ — Britta View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Keats & Co subscribers will get an exclusive video from John on World TB Day View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/9f5b91f5-299a-47e7-91df-ff045b9c7929/image.png?t=1773814808) Caption: Poet John Keats died of tuberculosis at the tender age of 25. He was a prolific poet whose life was cut short by the disease. John Green loves his poetry very nearly as much as he hates tuberculosis, which is why we created Keats & Co Coffee & Tea, named after John Keats, with the promise that 100% of profits fund TB testing and treatment. On World Tuberculosis Day (Tuesday, March 24th), we will send our coffee and tea subscribers an exclusive video of John Green reading his favorite John Keats poem. Not subscribed? You can still get in on the fun. Receive delicious tea or coffee, help fight TB, and get a bit of Keats as a treat. [Shop tea and coffee.](https://good.store/collections/keats-and-co-loose-leaf-tea-and-coffee) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! What are your top priorities, and how do you make sure you’re paying attention to those things instead of everything else that steals your time? Tell us about it! ==Send your priorities to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/book-pranks-and-writing-contests

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! As you may know, I am the unpaid Tumblr intern for [Keats & Co](https://good.store/collections/keats-and-co-loose-leaf-tea-and-coffee), a company that makes the world's best coffee and tea and then donates 100% of its profit to combat tuberculosis in impoverished communities. (By the way, if you subscribe before March 24th or are currently subscribed, you'll get a video of me reading and discussing my favorite John Keats poem.) But lately I've been using Tumblr for more than just coffee promo. It seems to be the only online space other than YouTube where I can make stuff without deleting it. When I'm on Threads, or Instagram, or TikTok, or whatever, the urge to delete my posts becomes so intense that I almost always delete them within a few minutes. I worry maybe I'll be misread, or maybe I've misspoken, or maybe maybe maybe maybe. But on Tumblr—which has not historically been the safest or most fun place to hang out online, at least for me—I've been feeling fancy-free and really enjoying myself, perhaps because fewer people use the site and so it feels less like shouting in a public square and more like chatting with a (large) group of friends. I don't know how to solve the social internet's current problems, which I feel are profound. Often, I find myself simply opting out (or else participating and then quickly deleting). But I still like being online with people, just as I did twenty years ago. I still want to find a way to make it work. And for the moment, strangely enough, that way for me is a creaky, dilapidated website that reached its highwater mark some 15 years ago. I hope you're doing okay. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * We got to experience a [sunset from a coral reef](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVndKc5EhLp/), and were reminded that oceans aren’t silent. (Instagram) * Kids at Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity painted [pebbles for the penguins ](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVl0FS4CWK6/?hl=en)at Edinburgh Zoo. (Instagram) * Alveus Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary & virtual education center, got a [new animal ambassador](https://youtu.be/h7bYkkjcIKQ?si=-NUAzPt5l5I2jlvg). (YouTube) * The second edition of the [Internet Phone Book](https://internetphonebook.net/), a directory of websites, is open for submissions! (internetphonebook.net) * John started playing Red Dead Redemption 2 as a pacifist on [his YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@johnschannel1007). You can catch up by watching [the first livestream](https://www.youtube.com/live/xYuergBVIAQ?si=M-kTAhOXC41JjCg2)! (YouTube) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DVMMFvfjAKr/?hl=en) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # The world has made huge progress in reducing extreme poverty; could this be coming to an end? ###### Hannah Ritchie View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/088d4213-9a1c-4bf7-a5e5-56845441730f/number-extreme-poverty-2000-2020-2040.png?t=1773204126) Caption: At the turn of the millennium, 2.2 billion people in the world lived in extreme poverty. In international statistics, this means they survived on less than $3 per day (in today’s money). In the two decades that followed, this number more than halved. You can see this decline in the chart. This huge reduction was driven by rising incomes and poverty alleviation across East and South Asia. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the opposite happened: while the [share living in extreme poverty](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-population-in-extreme-poverty?tab=line&country=~WB_SSA&mapSelect=~WB_SSA) declined, the total number increased. Looking ahead, based on the latest available projections from researchers at the World Bank, this reduction in global extreme poverty is expected to end. In fact, numbers in 2040 might be higher than they are today. This is because most of the extremely poor today live in countries with stagnant economies. If these do not see much stronger economic growth, the world will have nearly one billion living in dire poverty for decades to come. Note that these projections are based on the latest growth projections from the World Bank and the IMF. From 2031 onward, poverty projections are based on the average growth rates observed from 2015 to 2024. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly It takes a lot to make SciShow, and the team definitely couldn't do it without its audience. Now, more than ever, SciShow needs your help to keep making the trustworthy science content you know and love. If you're a SciShow fan, consider [supporting the show with a donation](https://complexly.org/postcard/) for a postcard or a spinner! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b4db89c9-c067-4dba-8663-92b8af64078c/Horizontal_-_SciShow_Postcard_2026_Announcement.jpg?t=1773444275) Caption: Youtube: The Most Important Picture in the History of Science (https://youtu.be/sfztRvrkGgw?si=CqPkhCwBattTM15b) Josh Scherer of Mythical Kitchen joins Hank on Ask Hank Anything to ask if human meat can be vegan, if "nothing" is a hot dog topping, what the first question ever asked was, and more! Youtube: Is Human Meat Vegan? | Josh Scherer Asks Hank Anything (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4iwRD1X_7A) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Queens Ultimate ](https://queensultimate.com/)(by Hey, Good Game) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4a1dffd3-1c48-4d5f-87e3-17ce19fe3416/Gubbins__89_.png?t=1773204712) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by D. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Things That Keep Us Going Last week, we asked for your best mood-boosting activities. Thank you to everyone who shared their mood booster with us! “The world is a crazy place, but humans are so beautiful. My foolproof mood booster is to simply exist with other people. Connecting with humans fills my heart with so much joy and love, and sharing a laugh is such a powerful feeling.“ — Zoe “My mood booster is crocheting. I do it all the time, in the car, at school, at home, etc. It makes me feel productive and in control. Plus, the things I make are great gifts!“ — Halo “Going outdoors is the simplest, quickest, most effective way to lift my mood. Even just stepping out the front door. I have a lot of walkers in my neighborhood and just seeing all the people doing their daily walk somehow makes me feel the world is still okay.“ — Cameron “When life is chaotic and the world is heavy, I take a deep breath, make a cup of tea, sit in the sunshine, share love with my students, drink water, head out for a run, read a book, write it all out, dance with my kids, and take a deep breath.“ — Karissa “I make dinner for someone. When things are hard you have to put good things in your own way. It doesn't have to be fancy dinner. Send an invite to a friend, put it on the calendar, the preparation will take care of itself.“ — Sarah “I ride my bike to boost my mood. You can clean the mind of whatever dirt was on it by cycling it through a mixture of physical exercise and beautiful scenery. The joy of moving myself along by bike and seeing the world from a very lovely perspective never fails to boost my mood“ — Ben “My mood booster depends on my energy level. When my energy tank is low, I go to my cats (or, rather, they come to me). Watching them be cute and enjoy some pets always brightens my mood. On days where my energy is overflowing and my brain is going a little too fast, I turn to crafting. Soap making, candle making, coloring, diamond painting, embroidery, or any other craft I can focus all of my attention to while I'm doing it. It never fails to cheer me up for the following few days.“ — Liz “I can't remember where I saw this, but someone said they created a document in their notes app called, "Good things are always happening to me" where they keep track of the little wins they have daily. Like maybe on your drive to work you don't meet a single red light, or maybe someone paid you a really nice compliment that made your day, or even as simple as you managed to find just the right angle for your broken charger to work. Anyways, I've created my own document, and now when I'm having a hard day, I go back to that list and remember that good things are always happening to me.“ — Nancy “When the world is heavy and I feel quite small, I always lean towards what I call “animal therapy”. Whether I go visit my friends farm and see the horses, see my sister’s dogs, or run into a cat while on a walk. Being around animals has helped immensely with my mood and mental health. It also allows me the opportunity to think outside myself and also…get outside! Gotta enjoy nature while we can I guess.“ — Remi “When the world is chaotic and busy, I like to take time to do something slow and thoughtful. My favorite ritual for this is simply tea and coffee (sorry Hank and John, I'm not picking sides, I like both) Something about an intentional ritual brings order to chaotic times. Slower is better, perhaps.“ — Renee View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # That’s all, folks! If you’d like, start a “good things are always happening to me” list (inspired by Nancy’s answer to last week’s prompt). Spend some time over the next week adding stuff to your list, and then share it with us! If you already have a list like this, we’d love to read it. ==Send your list to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/phone-books-and-painted-pebbles

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! I was a junior in college when a small group of terrorists hijacked four airplanes and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth, United 93, was probably headed for the U.S. Capitol, but passengers fought back, and the plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania instead. It wasn’t long before it was pretty clear that my country was going to war. I remember being fairly lonely in my opposition to this outcome, but I also remember it feeling inevitable. Congress approved the Authorization for Use of Military Force just three days later, with the Senate voting 98 to 0 and the House 420 to 1. Public opinion rallied hard behind military action... when the war in Afghanistan began on October 7, Gallup found 90% approval. Internationally, our allies invoked NATO’s Article 5 for the first and only time in the alliance’s history, while the U.N. Security Council also moved quickly to condemn the attacks. It was not long before we were truly at war, and we were at war for a long time. If you listen to people who have some amount of credibility in topics like these, they all seem to say fairly similar things. War is a liar. It lies to you about what is possible. War asks you to imagine a future, and it is very easy to imagine a future where it is impossible that such a dramatic step will be taken without getting the outcome you want. I think that the US is a great nation. Everyone knows my country is the most powerful nation in the world, and so it seems impossible that we would take a step as dramatic as starting a war and not quickly end up with the outcome we expect. Eventually, the nation came to regret these wars. The Taliban, who were in power when we began our war in Afghanistan, are once again in power. But war is a liar. And as Ezra Klein recently put it, “The great lie of war is that you will get what you want out of it.” Unsaid in that sentence is who it is lying to. The ones most susceptible to the lie of war are the ones who are so powerful that no one around them can tell them when they are making an obvious and massive mistake. I have found myself, in the last week, sitting up and suddenly staring into the distance in disbelief, thinking, “We really are doing this again.” Except this time, we are doing it despite the fact that it seems like no one wants to. Our European allies urged restraint and de-escalation rather than rallying behind the war. Congress was never even asked whether we should start this war. And when it comes to public support, there is nothing like the consensus that existed after September 11. A recent poll showed 56% of Americans oppose the operation. I want to say, to everyone who was not around when our last round of wars began in the Middle East: This all feels horribly familiar. The language is familiar. The confidence is familiar. The sense that events have their own momentum is familiar. The only thing that feels different is that this time, it seems like everyone already knows this is a mistake. And yet, somehow, we are moving forward anyway. I wish I had more to offer than that. This is the main thing I want to say. This is what it feels like when it happens. The big difference is that, this time, no one even wants it. Hank ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Astrid Lundberg shared a poem called “[Small Mammal Paleontologist](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVR68W6iW9_/?hl=en).” (Instagram) * Pop star Zara Larsson joined [the Portland Bike Bus](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVjIVWNkpPd/) for a ride. (Instagram) * A pink pony [played Pink Pony Club on the piano](https://www.tiktok.com/@baumanna000/video/7611296137529609503) in a school talent show. (TikTok) * A curious cat went [on a journey](https://youtu.be/j4peeTNUEmU?si=SyEryuL3jAX7-hJ5) into a paper world. (YouTube) * Evan and Katelyn made the [most uncomfortable keyboard ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRwBRjIrqXg). (YouTube) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DVjG9ArCJE4/?hl=en&img_index=1) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # A record number of objects went into space in 2025 ###### Edouard Mathieu and Pablo Rosado View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7eb34351-0364-4780-ad82-992e8089e4c0/yearly-number-of-objects-launched-into-outer-space-mobile.png?t=1772600580) Caption: 4,510 objects were launched into space in 2025, surpassing the previous peak of 2,903 objects in 2023 by a large margin. The data shows that US agencies and companies were responsible for launching 3,708 of these objects — 82% of the global total. The vast majority of these American launches consist of small satellites deployed as part of large commercial “constellations”. These interconnected networks of satellites now account for the bulk of all objects sent into orbit. The rapid growth of satellite constellations makes it possible to expand Internet connectivity, but it also increases concerns regarding space debris and the congestion of Earth’s orbital environment. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Why is there consensus around atoms existing, but not around if chocolate is good for you? In this episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we’ll explore why there are still things we don’t know about topics we know a lot about, and why scientific consensus is the closest thing to “the truth.” Youtube: How Scientists Build Consensus: Crash Course Scientific Thinking #5 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wSAeV0xX0M) Bizarre Beasts explained that braconid wasps are so intertwined with the survival of a virus that they partly share a genome. And this extreme teamwork is all for the sake of being better parasites. Youtube: These Parasitic Wasps Are Part Virus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmQNrI4aIzo) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Agent Caesar](https://agentcaesar.com/) (by Fox Point Games) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/600a4ea8-7131-4ff6-893b-013080669637/Gubbins__88_.png?t=1772688579) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Arly. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Taking the Next Step Last week, John talked about making it through a stressful situation by focusing on the next step. Thank you to everyone who shared a “next step” story with us! “I use the "take the next step" approach a lot because I get easily overwhelmed. :P The biggest things I used it for were when I decided to go back to school at 39 to finish my bachelor's degree, and when I was in grad school (not part of the original plan!). I really, really struggled writing my thesis (MFA program, so my thesis was a novel), and I could only get through it a sentence at a time. Narrowing my focus to just the next step made it a little less difficult. I wasn't looking at my deadline or my word count, just drilling down on the exact moment I was in. And thanks to taking the next step, along with a saintly academic advisor and an amazing thesis advisor, I finished and was able to graduate on time!“ — Sarah “After going through mental health issues, losing friends, and struggling for a while, I am finally getting help. I don't expect it to be quick or easy, but what matters is that I'm taking the next step.“ — Atlas “Almost every part of living with chronic illness is just about "the next step". When I first got sick, I was too unwell to even process what it meant for me, how things would change, it was all I could do to take the next step. On the micro level, it was "take the next step and eat breakfast", "ok, now brush your teeth" "take your meds". On a macro level, it was seeing doctors, convincing them I was sick, taking steps to get the care I need, all while existing in a failing body. Some days there's nothing else to do, so you just hang on. And take the next step.“ — Kate “I am a psychotherapist and have been working online since the pandemic began. I have also worked in schools and universities since then, but my initial plan was always to open my own therapy office. In January, I was forced by our government to open an office in order to work. And it was a very stressful process. I didn't have enough money, I needed to find a place that met all the requirements, and getting the permits was very difficult. But throughout this time, I tried to focus on what the next step was and how I could take that step. Some days I would just turn on the computer, download documents, and file them. The next day, how I would proceed would become a little clearer. Today, before my session, I am sitting in my office, reading your newsletter and preparing for the day. Reaching the end of a path can often seem very difficult, but we need to take that first step and see that we can actually take it.“ — Suna “I am terrified of driving. I got my license at one point and proceeded not to use it for years, but a few months ago I got a job that I couldn't reach with public transport. What I did was make a list of things that I had to practise from least to most scary, from driving in an empty parking lot to going on the highway for a long time. I still don't like driving and there are things that scare me, but I go to work without any problems every day. This morning I was even singing along to System of a Down while I drove!“ — Silvia “Things are simple when the next steps are laid out for you - school, uni, work, family. But when I realised how sick I was, the next step turned towards me. I’d hit a brick wall , I didn’t know what to do. When things got worse, and climbing my brick wall became unbearable, unending - my next steps were simple. Coffee in the mornings, three meals a day, clean when you can, get groceries once a week, pay rent once a month. Showers after breakfast and a walk before dinner. Always take time to appreciate nature. Through routine, little steps, every so often I would be able to slip in something extra. Seeing a friend, messaging a family member, sitting down and watching a movie. Lately, I’ve been throwing myself some bigger steps! Booking appointments, organising that one surgery I need, getting in touch with specialists and seeing my friends. I always take time to enjoy the little things, and am trying to enjoy the climb >:)“ — Lee “In my freshman year of college, the mental illness I'd been anxiously ignoring became too severe for me to function anymore. I would later be diagnosed with OCD, but at the time all I knew was that something horrible was happening to me, and I was terrified to find out what it was. I had put in the number for the counseling center many times, but couldn't make myself actually call. Finally one cold, windy day I sat down in the small botanic garden my university had and made a deal with myself: I could call the counseling center and go home, or I could sit in the cold until the garden closed in three hours. It took about 30 minutes, but I made the call. I made my appointment with a therapist. I took the first step off what felt like a cliff's edge, and found that I didn't fall. It was probably the most important first step of my entire life.“ — Tempest “I had a hard time writing my dissertation. It took four solid years of just _thinking_, and then another six months of trying to get my thoughts into writing and failing. But then, in late 2019, I had a revelation: it's just one word at a time. Then 2020 happened, and since I couldn't have any other big summer commitments, I wrote one word at a time until it was done. Like so many big things, it took the repetition of tiny things to assemble it.“ — Dr. Ruth View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Share A Pair this Month: Awesome Socks + Awesome Undies View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f67b554f-5965-4161-824d-fba0a0cff419/image.png?t=1772843221) Caption: We need to talk to you about butts and feet—specifically, your butt and feet. The Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone is officially open (real patients, real babies, real lifesaving work), and a meaningful part of that happened because thousands of people subscribed to [Awesome Socks](https://good.store/products/awesome-socks-club-monthly-sock-subscription), and now [Awesome Undies](https://good.store/products/awesome-undies-club-monthly-underwear-subscription), turning everyday essentials from Good Store into steady support for charity. This month, new members to either club can get 50% off their first pair with code **SHAREAPAIR** (first pair half off, future pairs regular price). Already a member? Thank you. You helped make this real. Now tell a friend with feet. Or a butt. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # You made it to the end! When life is chaotic and the world is heavy, what’s something you do to lift your mood? Tell us about it, and then plan a time to do that thing! ==Send your mood booster to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/pink-ponies-and-weird-keyboards

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from sunny Indianapolis. It's been a strange week here—I was a witness in a federal fraud trial (???) and then spent the rest of the week traveling for work and family stuff. When things are stressful for me, I sometimes use a trick I learned in therapy years ago: In time with my breathing, I'll say, "Take the next step." If the next step is to fly somewhere to visit a sick family member, get on the plane. If the next step is to go to the doctor, go to the doctor. In really tough times, the only thing we can do sometimes is the next thing, but that's also the RIGHT thing to do. I remember when Hank was diagnosed with cancer, I took a walk to try to calm myself down, and I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I could hardly take a step. But I did take one, and then another, until I'd gone on a walk. I didn't feel better exactly, but I'd taken the next step. Sometimes, that's enough. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Dutch Bros gave all the dogs at a Humane Society [pup cups](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVFfdfPkd-7/?hl=en). (Instagram) * We learned what happens when you [cast salt like metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaY-gvgS6JY). (YouTube) * There are only 236 kākāpō left in the world, and you can spend time with one thanks to a [live nest cam](https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/what-we-do/kakapo-cam-live-from-the-nest/)! (doc.govt.nz) * A seven-month-old [macaque monkey named Punch](https://www.tiktok.com/@abcnews/video/7611295280897576223) and his stuffed orangutan from Ikea stole our hearts. (TikTok) * The Monterey Bay Aquarium gave us [two hours of lo-fi snailfish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCfPTi14rdE). (YouTube) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DVJkLKvjAcD/) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Deforestation is no longer inevitable ###### Max Roser View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/9b20dfa8-1626-436b-99de-9f0b6fbb4dba/changes-forest-areas-1990.png?t=1772082720) Caption: In the past, forests around the world were cut down _[on a massive scale](https://ourworldindata.org/world-lost-one-third-forests)_. We lost some of the world’s richest ecosystems. In recent decades, the picture has become more complex. Deforestation has not ended, but it is no longer happening everywhere. Since 1990, some regions have continued to lose large areas of forest, while others have slowed this long-run trend — and even reversed it. The map shows regional changes in forest area based on the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Deforestation has been particularly large in South America and Africa. At the same time, the forested area has expanded in Europe, North and Central America, and large parts of Asia. These gains show that deforestation is not inevitable. When pressure on land falls, forests can return. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Jason Mantzoukas joined Hank on Ask Hank Anything to ask him if he should wipe his dog's butt, why we still have food allergies, if he can retrieve lost memories, and more! Youtube: Should I Wipe My Dog’s Butt? | Jason Mantzoukas Asks Hank Anything (https://youtu.be/RuuyCOnuBDA?si=9f-2F8SGWHLEuK9I) We often hear that birds "mate for life," but in reality, all kinds of things can break up a happy couple. Here are the reasons birds can get divorced. And yes, they really call it that. Youtube: Birds Get Divorced Too (https://youtu.be/IKzpYNmG29k?si=RGheGGUVg-7tnrT4) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Battleships](https://lukerissacher.com/battleships) (by Luke Rissacher) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8e441602-ef0a-4b07-a764-84b86593127f/Gubbins__87_.png?t=1772083244) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Wendellyn. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Secretly Amazing Things Last week, we asked for things you love that don’t get as much appreciation as they should. Thank you to everyone who shared something amazing with us! “I _love_ the bus. I grew up in a town with absolutely no public transit, and though my college city is relatively small, it has reliable buses throughout town that can take me everywhere! I've been on almost every route, am the only person I know to have seen the same drivers and passengers multiple times, and I have used the bus to see what there is to see. I love the freedom it gives me to be around people even if I'm too shy to talk to them, and I have grown much more corageous in public since my bus travels started last year!“ — Bella “I love crowds. I love being in them so intensely that it's the only thing I ever crave to do. You can feel alone in a crowd, or so very connected to everyone else because you're part of something bigger than yourself. You get to choose. Somehow, the chaos quiets me. I'm reminded I'm insignificant in the best way, but that people together are not. The energy is infectious. The hope and joy are palpable. Everything about crowds is so viscerally human. Concerts, protests, tourist attractions, theme parks, parties–let me be a part of it all.“ — Sadie “One thing that I absolutely love is the sport of curling. With the Winter Olympics happening right now, it's getting more attention and respect, but so many people still think it's silly or dumb. I couldn't disagree more! Curling is a sport built entirely on community, and curlers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. Curling clubs are such lovely, welcoming places, and are always happy to have new people! I never feel more at home than when I'm with my curling community. After games, you sit and share a meal or a drink with the team you played against, and everyone is friends, no matter how the game went. Not to mention the sport itself is amazing! It's all logic and math and physics and it makes it all so fascinating. It's such a game of strategy, so much thought is put into every moment of every game, and it's one of few sports where the playing field is constantly changing and evolving as you play. It's a great mental workout for both players and spectators, a good physical workout, and a wonderful exercise in community and camaraderie. I think curling absolutely deserves to be recognized and loved even after the Olympics are over, and I think everyone should give it a try or at least watch a game! I've never found anything like it, and I love it with all my heart.“ — Anissa “The liver!! It's amazing and never gets the credit it deserves. It's literally named LIVER and for good reason. It can regenerate to an amazing capacity! It breaks down toxins and builds things you need to live like clotting factors and bile and bilirubin. It can make its own glucose! It has so so many different roles in your body it is my favorite organ and I think it needs to be appreciated more.“ — Sam “This last year I got into birdwatching in my early 30's. I always thought it was a lame thing for retirees, but it's actually awesome. It's a free (nearly free if you get a pair of binoculars) disability friendly activity that gets you outside mindfully enjoying the nature near you. You also get to contribute to community science as you log what you see on apps like Merlin/ebird (also free). Next time you're out, try to notice how many different species there actually are - there's more than just pigeons in cities and mallards in a duck pond (also look up a photo of a wood duck-you won't be disappointed).“ — Nikki “I have a deep appreciation for public toilets. To me, they are little slices of culture. In school, people doodle all over the walls of the toilet stalls, and you can see conversations play out between people on the wall. They're often pretty horrible, but not always. One time, someone wrote "You're gay" on the wall, and four people replied affirming that yes, they are, and they're proud of it. It gives me a sense of hope. You can find humanity even in pretty nasty places.“ — Theo “BONEFOLDERS. I am a school librarian, and my first bonefolder has been a game changer. Need to put that crinkly plastic wrap on a book all nice and neat? BONEFOLDER. Need to make sure a label doesn’t have bubbles or wrinkles? BONEFOLDER. Making the world’s most precise paper airplane? BONEFOLDER. Need a fun word to say to confuse a colleague? BONEFOLDER.“ — Matherly “MINECRAFT YOUTUBE!! story telling through this beautiful sandbox game!! everybody just wants to look at the drama surrounding the creators but look at what a beautiful medium they've discovered!!“ — Suhani “I know many people (including John), don't like Canada Geese. For most people, their reaction to a goose ranges from, "I don't care for them," to "I hate those annoying a**holes." Me? They are my favorite animal. They've been my favorite since I was 9 and saw the movie Fly Away Home. Then my family moved to a house that was directly behind a cemetery (with mostly flat headstones, not upright ones, so it looked more like a field). Our back door faced east and in the winter the sun would come up on the snow and shine through the trees and memorial flowers on all the geese sleeping. We would watch them take off and come in for landings. Geese are silly and awkward on land but so graceful in the air. They may be jerks and hiss at you, but only when people bother them. They just want to protect their babies. They aren't afraid to speak up when people get in their space and I like that. I will always love them even if most people find them silly.“ — Amanda “I love the Virginia Opossum. It’s the only marsupial native to North America and while it looks scary, it is so cool! They eat a wide variety of food and are just chill little critters. I got to hold one that was brought to a rehab and couldn’t be released back into the wild. She visited the school I taught at as a librarian when the whole school read the book Appleblossom the Possum. Best day ever!“ — Melissa View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! Tell us about a time when you had to get through something big in your life by just taking the “next step.” What did you learn through that experience? ==Send your next step story to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/pup-cups-and-lo-fi-snailfish

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello everyone! Some days are pretty weird. Today, I discovered that someone made a [very lovely and funny animation ](https://youtu.be/dqqT6r568rY?si=0WIDtu_KnTsSVNBK)of Brennan Lee Mulligan and me talking about flying in water. Also, people have very much enjoyed [my Mola Mola video](https://youtu.be/wR9MilgXEm0?si=U1a1MQGH1QQFR5Ub) and the [accompanying shirt](https://store.dftba.com/products/hank-green-mola-cult-shirt) (so much so that some part of me wants to launch a Mola Mola-centered fashion brand). And then there's reading various (mostly positive) reactions to the... I don't even know what to call it... data visualization code-based [explainer thing I made](https://www.hankgreen.com/crc) to help explain what the heck is going on with colon cancer in young people. That cool stuff is just sorta sitting there next to the topic of [my video today](https://youtu.be/Z0scq03Z6Ow?si=hzgmRVoYW4MSKXt8), which was that, after many years of work, the [Maternal Center of Excellence](https://www.pih.org/maternal-center-excellence) in Sierra Leone opened its doors seven days ago. While we were having a blast raising money during the Project for Awesome, women who previously may have simply died in childbirth went to the MCOE. Some mothers travelled for hours to reach the new hospital, some were transported by ambulance, and some came from nearby clinics as their deliveries turned complicated. And one young woman came in with a premature baby who was delivered at home and who was able to receive immediate care that would not have been available_ _**the day before**. This is something that this community has been working on for years. It's our biggest project yet, and I am so grateful to all of the people who helped make it possible. Simply by turning your attention toward it for this long, you are one of those people. But mostly I am grateful to the people actually doing that work. I'm glad to have something good to turn my attention toward, but the MCOE only exists because people turned their attention toward a real problem. So good, y'all. So good. Hank View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/48692ffc-b0ab-446b-8af8-0d028bab0734/IMG_5614.jpeg?t=1771631583) Caption: View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e92c2084-fe2c-4057-8862-ca5d7eababdd/IMG_5615.jpeg?t=1771631609) Caption: View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/43e7e91e-871f-4fda-b0e3-7654685d9b7f/IMG_5616.jpeg?t=1771631646) Caption: ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * A trash collector’s dog was [given a safety vest](https://www.instagram.com/p/DU4NqqpEggU/?img_index=1) so she could match her human. (Instagram) * Rabbit Hole explained [why office chairs have 5 legs](https://youtu.be/kKt46Lch2bo?si=NEYZ8e2FOUuaBe2f). (YouTube) * The Burke Museum showed us [what dinosaur skin looked like](https://www.tiktok.com/@theburkemuseum/video/7608274049910836511). (TikTok) * Tasting History ate like the [builders of Stonehenge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3L1g62Sy58). (YouTube) * Someone used[ literal Apple Pay](https://www.tiktok.com/@adventuresandhygiene/video/7608616936569589006) to buy their coffee. (TikTok) * The 2026[ Project for Awesome](http://projectforawesome.com) ended with a grand total of $4,216,082.19! Thank you to everyone who participated. (projectforawesome.com) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DUv8ooik01B/) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # What is the most common religious affiliation in each country? ###### Hannah Ritchie and Lucas Rodés-Guirao View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e74d5dfb-ef03-47d6-a2dc-61895e2f2cf6/most-common-religion-di.png?t=1771560877) Caption: Three-quarters of people worldwide say they are religious. But rates of religious identity can vary a lot across countries, and so do the particular religions people follow. In the map, you can see the most common religious affiliation for each country. This can include the “unaffiliated” who do not identify with any specific religion. This data is sourced from the Pew Research Center and is based on how people describe their own identity, regardless of their particular practices or beliefs. As you can see, Christianity is the most common across much of Europe, the Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Islam is the most common across North Africa and the Middle East, while Hinduism and Buddhism dominate across much of South Asia. In East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea, the religiously unaffiliated are the biggest group. That doesn’t mean these populations hold no religious beliefs; they may still engage in activities that can be considered religious or spiritual, but they don’t describe themselves as belonging to any one in particular. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly In 2010, a NASA-backed study boldly announced that we’d found alien life right here on Earth. So where are all these aliens? In this episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we search for the truth and learn how science is an ongoing quest for knowledge that double-checks itself through peer review. Youtube: Peer Review and the Quest for Truth: Crash Course Scientific Thinking #4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsgjKBvxnYA) Brain-eating amoebas sound scary. I mean, they eat your brain! That doesn’t mean you have to let them keep you up at night. These amoebas /are/ deadly, but there are a lot of reasons not to panic. Here’s why you should, and shouldn’t, be terrified. Youtube: How Worried Do You Need To Be About Brain Eating Amoebas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJEe511Z-uM) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Clues By Sam](https://cluesbysam.com/) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/65712286-7f7e-42f2-af55-170b9b6e4ae0/Gubbins__86_.png?t=1771564823) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Gia. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Poems About Community Last week, we asked for poems about community. The Project for Awesome is a wonderful reminder of what we can accomplish together, so thank you for sending us your poetry and helping that feeling of community extend through this week. “Decrease World Suck with Internet Shenanigans Project for Awesome We're here because we want to make a difference in a world of suck Happy P4A! Don't Forget to Be Awesome All You Nerdfighters“ — Elise “**An ode to my hometown’s cafes** The warm scent of coffee, the whoosh of the milk frother, the soft clink of mugs against saucers Orders called out by the friendly barista behind the bar Chalk dust floating from a board covered in menu items and local events Laughter between friends and strangers alike Healthy debates between the laughs Muted conversations through laptop mics, just catching up or doing the work Books being read, newspapers and websites being perused Pens to paper, fingers to keyboards, writing the next novel, the next poem, the next dissertation Patio tables to watch the world pass by while enjoying the sun or sky Inclusive signs carefully hung in frames like paintings, welcoming all Wholesome treats to soothe empty stomachs and inspire hungry minds and hearts The way every table is filled with someone who feels safe, who feels like they belong The way relationships begin or end or continue over lattes and scones The way community thrives and hope lives and love lingers“ — Amanda “Laughter at dinner Tears shed when heart is heavy Hope flows through held hands.“— Robin “Moving cross country for the third time - Home. A terrifying undertaking, More than worthwhile. One friend, becomes two, becomes too many to count. Wednesday nights, a show I hate, People I love. We watch the news, we cry. We are together, we are safe. We don’t know how to change this. We have each other. It has to be enough for now. We find the strength to wake up, The strength to fight.“ — Alex “Groups of people in places choosing to be near Their many hands a mosaic make Cemented in fellowship to witness joy and assuage fear A journey together for together's sake“ — Ben “I know why the whale sings, Imploring to the deep, I know why the blackbird whistles, As it rises from its sleep, Many problems has the world, But none belong to me, For it isn't for man to fix the world, But all humanity. It's a brittle thing to be alone, And stand against the dark, But as a smaller part of a bigger whole, We can make a deeper mark, I know why the whale sings, And what it does portend, It calls out to the other whales, To band together 'til the end.“ — Zave “People, villagers, helpers, revellers, look For Anyone bringing what you need to the party“ — Teeeeeeg View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! Inspired by Hank’s Mola Mola video, we’d love to hear about something you think is amazing that may seem weird or silly to other people. Tell us why you love that thing, and why we should, too. ==Send your actually amazing thing to wereherenews@gmail.com.== ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/safety-vests-and-apple-pay

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from STILL COLD Indianapolis, where I have lovely news: The 19th (??!?!?!) Project for Awesome is live now, as you read these words—as long as you're reading them between Friday and Sunday. The P4A has long (long long) been a source of comfort and encouragement to me. Each year, thousands of folks get together to raise millions of dollars for great organizations like Partners in Health and Save the Children. And we have a lot of fun in the process. Our little corner of the Internet gets to do some real good this weekend, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it for the 19th time. For me, the Project for Awesome is a reminder of what online communities can do, and what they can be: Nerdfighteria is a gift in my life, but it is also a gift in the world. So come [join us](https://projectforawesome.com/live) during the livestream, [donate](https://tiltify.com/+p4a-producers/project-for-awesome-2026) if you're able, and I'll see you in the chat! DFTBA, John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Wick’d Confections is celebrating Black History Month by making [lost Black American recipes](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUc0VlDDgF4/). (Instagram) * Someone played the 2014 Super Bowl at their [Super Bowl party](https://www.tiktok.com/@jadenangelina/video/7604729815035432222), and it took over an hour for people to notice. (TikTok) * The Conservation Foundation explained [how trees survive](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUbjVMAkXQF/) the winter. (Instagram) * If you’d be interested in nearly 30 minutes of rare bird facts, HGModernism made the [perfect video for you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNopPMnmp1s). (YouTube) * The Minnesota Orchestra [surprised a group of children](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUWnbj-jYVf/) by playing a song from KPop Demon Hunters. (Instagram) * If you read this before Sunday at noon EST, the [Project for Awesome livestream](https://projectforawesome.com/) is happening now! (projectforawesome.com) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DUZFJcOkvk9/?img_index=1) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # The global trade of plastic waste has fallen dramatically in the last decade ###### Hannah Ritchie and Veronika Samborska View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/a15c0a95-a927-49c3-9468-1ae019dba9b1/plastic-waste-trade.png?t=1770780919) Caption: It might seem odd that countries would agree to import plastic waste from other countries, but many do so for the cheap materials or to feed specific manufacturing processes. Environmentally, the trade in plastics has often been a concern, as it allows rich countries to effectively “dump” waste on poorer countries with weaker waste management systems. The good news is that trade in plastic waste has fallen by more than two-thirds over the last decade. You can see this reduction in the chart. China has been the biggest driver of this. It was once a large importer, but after a steep decline in trade in 2016 and a ban in 2018, many countries lost their largest export market. In 2024, around 5 million tonnes of plastic waste were traded worldwide. For context, that is around 1% of the total plastic waste generated. What’s perhaps surprising is that most trade is now between high-income countries, which reduces the risk that this waste leaks into the environment. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). Want to receive even more Data Insights like this from Our World in Data directly in your inbox every few days? [Sign up for their newsletter](https://ourworldindata.org/subscribe)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Angela Giarratana joins Hank in the new Ask Hank Anything! She asks whether she is talented, who the first person to sing was, what her dog thinks of her, and more. Youtube: Do You Think I'm Talented? | Angela Giarratana Asks Hank Anything (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqOAor_Vytc) Sometimes experiments radically change our understanding of the world. But there’s much more to them than singular scientists. In this episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we’ll learn why Louis Pasteur wasn’t a lone genius, and why it’s very difficult to design a study that gets us closer to the truth. Youtube: How Does Science Really Work? The Myth of the Great Experiment: Crash Course Scientific Thinking #3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba1YKP28RKY) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Animal List](https://rose.systems/animalist/) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/44f05ba4-6acb-4abb-acc8-2c71102469c9/Gubbins__85_.png?t=1770952138) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Gia. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Our Favorite P4A Moments Last week, we asked for standout memories from past Project for Awesome livestreams, OR what you’re looking forward to this weekend. Thank you to everyone who emailed us! “I am excited for the P4A for the familiar reason of the digital download bundle, particularly the exclusive podcasts :) This year especially I am looking forward to watching youtube in a way that feels good for a few days instead of....the increasing horrors and slop.“ — Jess “My first P4A was at the start of medical school. I bought a Decrease Worldsuck pin, with the promise to wear it on my short white coat for the duration of school, to keep me focused on the big picture. John read my promise aloud and the live chat was full of people cheering me on. I kept my promise, and just this week started my first post-training doctor job!“ — Scott “During the P4A of 2014, I was working abroad in South Korea so I got to witness every single silly wacky sleep deprived hour of the wee morning. I saw all the stuff I usually would have missed back in Canada (not for a lack of trying). I witnessed the discovery and birth of Butfartman, and then Hank, Matthew Gaydos and Michael Aranda attempted to sing my Butfartmas carol - to the tune of Carol of the Bells (Traditional). I still remember how surreal and exciting that felt. One for the books!“ — Nat “I'm really excited about the Project for Awesome because it's the first year I will be watching it in full. Just three days ago I moved in with my partner, who is also a big fan. It's our first proper weekend together in our new apartment and the perfect chance to have the P4A on all weekend long and share the experience with someone who understands.“ — Silvia “2025 was my first P4A, so my favorite memory is all the first time joy and excitement! Though I was also pretty excited to add to my pressed penny collection with some P4A pennies so they might be my second favorite memory :)“ — Eva “My favorite Project for Awesome memory is from my very first one in December of 2012. I was a freshman in college and got to watch the streams all weekend with my best friend/next door neighbor who had gotten me into Nerdfighteria just a few months before (Hi Abby!)“ — Carolyn “I've been around since the first P4A in 2007 (how on earth has it been 19 years?!) and I think my favorite memory of P4A was the feeling I got when I logged on to YouTube and saw the entire home page covered in P4A thumbnails. I'm really glad that it's grown into such an impactful project, and I think that was the right call. But watching normal people build something up from almost nothing, to influence (without permission from anyone in charge) a global platform, honestly changed how I see the world and all the people in it.“ — Alex “Although I've been with nerdfighteria for a long time andI can't even remember how many P4A's I've participated in (definitely more than 10), this is the first time I'll have someone who will watch it with me irl I am visiting my long-distance girlfriend and we'll watch P4A together this year :) looking forward to that!“ — Miguel “I think last year’s surprise twins moments with the mustache and the second Banana Loca are hard to beat, but my favorite moment might be one of my earliest: in 2021, my first P4A, Hank asked for name suggestions for a lil guy on his desk, and was duly horrified by my contribution.“ — Beanedict Cumbfurbatch “Last year my family was at an all inclusive resort during the P4A, where I spent 48 hours ignoring the pool, eating meals with headphones on and explaining excitedly what was going on to my supportive, but slightly confused family. My sister stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to watch Hank and Brennan Loco Banana; we ordered room service and ate in the huge bath tub in our room.“ — Jay View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! In the spirit of P4A, we’d love for you to write a poem about community and what that means to you. ==Send your poetry to wereherenews@gmail.com.== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/lost-recipes-and-super-bowls

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! They're calling it the "reverse OpenAI." John and I announced this week that the educational media company we started over 15 years ago is becoming a non-profit organization. This is a decision we made quite a while ago, but there were a lot of hoops to jump through to actually make it happen. But now the world knows, and the reception has been really wonderful. We've had many kind comments and a not insignificant number of founding donations. If there's been any pushback, it's been from people asking, "Well, if you didn't ever take profit out of Complexly, how does this actually change anything?" I've had a bunch of thoughts about this while making this decision with John, Julie, and the rest of Complexly, but I was just on a phone call with someone, and I had a thought that clarified it even further. Now, first of all, there are good practical reasons. We can take tax-deductible donations. The Crash Course Coin campaign will just make more sense functionally. When people ask, "Wait, am I donating to your profit distribution?" we don't have to explain that John and I (the sole owners) elect not to take profit distributions. But there's something bigger than that. As long as we were a for-profit company, the door was always open to us acting more and more like a for-profit company. That's fine, honestly. If we had wanted to go that direction, I think we could have done plenty of good that way. But it also kept us from making certain decisions because they felt a little too much like closing the door on someday becoming a non-profit. We've never wanted to build infrastructure around our videos because that felt too much like heading off in the start-up direction. That might sound a little silly, and maybe it is, but now we know that we /can't/ do that. This opens up a lot of doors for us to do things that are just about impact that might have otherwise been really hard to do without prioritizing profit. With any huge decision, there's a time when making the choice is a bad call because you want to leave your options open. But eventually that point passes, and "keeping your options open" is actually holding you back. I think we could have done this a little sooner, but it feels like we got the timing pretty close to right, which feels very good. Remember, having your options open doesn't really do you any good unless, eventually, you choose one of your options. And once you choose, you're through the door, and then things can get a whole lot clearer. Thanks so much to everyone for your support this week. It has felt very, very good. And if you'd like to get Complexly's newsletter, or donate, you can check out our new website at [Complexly.org](https://Complexly.org). That's right, DOT ORG!!! Hank ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * A high school teacher is spreading kindness to honor her late sister through the [$20 Kindness Challenge](https://www.20dollarkindnesschallenge.org/). (20dollarkindnesschallenge.org) * A Greenland sled dog launched its vlogging career by [stealing an Associated Press camera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzOM4khQSbE). (YouTube) * The Action Lab explained the viral chocolate and vanilla [ice cream cones trick](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdWUnCb9Ly8). (YouTube) * A science teacher created a scale [model of the solar system](https://www.tiktok.com/@studentofwhim/video/7601192338987322632) using food. (TikTok) * The Tennessee Aquarium now hosts [river otter nap livestreams](https://tnaqua.org/livestream/river-otter-falls/)! (tnaqua.org) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DUWB6UxDlk3/?img_index=1) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # William Foege, the physician who saved many millions from smallpox ###### Hannah Ritchie View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/290bb49d-1082-44fa-92fb-2f71009fbfcb/bill-foege-smallpox-eradication.png?t=1770426306) Caption: William Foege, who sadly died last month, is one of the reasons why this map ends in the 1970s. The physician and epidemiologist is best known for his pivotal role in the global strategy to eradicate smallpox, a horrific disease estimated to have killed 300 million people. Despite the world having an effective vaccine for more than a century, smallpox was still widespread across many parts of Africa and Asia in the mid-20th century. Foege played a crucial role in developing the “[ring vaccination strategy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_vaccination)”, which focused on vaccinating people around each identified case, rather than attempting a population-wide vaccination strategy, which was difficult in countries with limited resources. This strategy, combined with increased global funding efforts and support for local health programs, paved the way: country after country declared itself free of smallpox. You can see this drop-off through the decades in the map. The disease was declared globally eradicated in 1980. William Foege and his colleagues’ contributions are [credited with](https://www.taskforce.org/bill-foege-tribute/) saving millions, if not tens of millions of lives. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/76d57df7-fce2-4198-977b-79c896c51309/FAQCarousel_05.jpg?t=1770184055) Caption: For over a decade, Complexly has created educational content rooted in curiosity, accuracy, and trust, and we’re excited to announce that **Complexly is now a 501c3 nonprofit!** As a nonprofit built on the idea that good information is worth it, we can keep making the educational videos that matter most. Learn how you can support our ongoing work at [Complexly.org](https://Complexly.org). Youtube: We Just Sold Our Company for $0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eziN5NJBI5U) In the latest College Journeys episode, John sits down with journalist Joss Fong to talk candidly about his relationship to education. From being labeled a “gifted” kid, to embracing a bad-boy phase, to struggling with anxiety and OCD, John reflects on how great teachers and curiosity-driven classes reignited his love of learning and helped him find his voice as a writer. But before he became an acclaimed author, he was enrolled in divinity school with the goal of becoming a preacher! Find out what diverted him from that path and how he became a YouTuber/philanthropist instead. Youtube: Divinity School Dropout John Green On His College Journey (https://youtu.be/0ah7dGWwImM?si=8Yy0E0_R8n_vR-tk) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Thinky Dailies](https://thinkygames.com/dailies/) (by Thinky Games) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8aab2c0b-97a4-4dd2-95a3-56f5fdbdce19/Gubbins__84_.png?t=1770271988) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Jameson. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # The things we’re made of Last week, we shared art that featured the saying, “I am a museum of everything I’ve ever loved.” Thank you to everyone who shared the things their museum is made of with us! “I am a museum of weird snacks, 90s sitcoms, and bluegrass. Oh, and also muppets. Many, many muppets.“ — Mickie “I have been showing my friend Supernatural episodes out of order (just the best ones lol), and I've had to explain the context of what's happening since we're jumping around. Apparently I am a fountain of knowledge of the Supernatural universe, the writers, the tumblr drama, popular headcanons and interpretations, and bloopers. Who knew I had all that stored up in a dusty corner of my brain! I am a museum actively trying to archive my scattered knowledge in a coherent way to present to my roommate when trying to explain why Sam and Dean are mad at each other in any given season...“ — Cas “I think although I am a museum of media that I've loved (shows, games, books, etc) I'm especially a museum of everyone I've ever loved. A lot of my clothes are gifted or second-hand because I don't like to buy myself clothes, and I love to accessorize so a lot of people buy me accessories. A necklace from my boyfriend, a friendship bracelet made with my best friend. Even when a clothing item or accessory is something I've bought for myself I can usually link my interest back to a person. I bought an Arcane hoodie about a year ago, and I can think back to my wonderful memories watching Arcane with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. Or my batman pins I can link to my friend who also loves batman. When I look at my outfits lately I've been seeing pieces of everyone.“ — Arlan “I'm a museum of the love for my children. It's written on my face. It's carved on my skin Marking the place I kept them safe. Betraying the worry and revealing the joy of loving them more than I could have ever imagined.“ — Paula “I'm a museum of museums! I studied museology in school and have worked, volunteered or interned at four different museums. Everywhere I travel I try to find a museum to visit. I don't care if it's The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with its massive budget and buildings full of experts, or The Cranberry Museum run out of an old barn by Bob, who really loves the history of his town's cranberry industry--I love them both! The Museo De Las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico and The National Museum of Ireland in Dublin are two of my favorites. A good museum tells a story about the past or present that helps us build a better future.“ — Stef “It’s funny how you can love many things throughout your life and only recognize the connection between them after a long time. For me, it was sci-fi. I’ve always loved sci-fi, but I didn’t know I did. I didn’t realize all my favorite movies and books were sci-fi. For movies, I’ve had my phases with The Martian and Blade Runner. For books, Frankenstein, Project Hail Mary and Dune are my favorites. Only recently I learned that sci-fi is my favorite genre, and life is better because of that. Self awareness is important, it makes you more you. Your museum is better with it. Study yourself.“ — Glória “I'm a nature guide in Portugal and the first thing that came to mind was that I am a museum of my own country. I'm always learning new things to add to my museum, and always sharing them with people. I love to talk about it, choose incredible food and drinks for people to taste, and show them our beautiful landscapes.“ — Susana “I am a museum of copies Little Women. I’m a librarian, and it’s my favorite book. My mom died the spring that I was 17, and that summer, I reread a bunch of kids books, including Little Women. The story of sisters and their mother hit me at the right moment, and it’s been my favorite ever since. Because it’s in the public domain, there are thousands of versions available, so every bookstore I go into, I check for versions that I don’t own. I have 127 copies from 11 countries and in 6 different languages. My oldest copy doesn’t have a copyright page but is inscribed with “Merry Xmas 1924.” My favorite copy is my mom’s childhood copy.“ — Hannah “I'm a museum of all the characters I have written. As a writer, I have so many stories that I love to tell myself in my head and so many characters I develop. It's how I explore other lives, and I have the most fun just creating a (metaphorical) museum of experiences and memories to walk through in my spare time.“ — Mia “My husband and I foster orphaned neonatal kittens. I’m a museum for every one of those little lives; I have loved them all to distraction. The ones who are closest to my heart are those who didn’t make it. I think of them every single day.“ — Laura View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # We Can End Tuberculosis View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2dad8e37-36af-4fa8-841b-188f7789a8e9/TBFighters-Bundle-site1.jpg?t=1770183646) Caption: [TBFighters](https://tbfighters.org/) is a community of Nerdfighters and global health activists committed to fighting the structural causes of tuberculosis. TB has been curable for decades, but continues to kill 1.2 million people each year because of human choices. [TBFighters have brand new merch](https://store.dftba.com/collections/tbfighters)! This merch is being sold at cost with the goal of increasing awareness about TB. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! In honor of the [Project for Awesome](https://projectforawesome.com/) livestream being one week away, tell us one of your favorite P4A memories. If you’ve never participated, let us know what you’re looking forward to about this year’s P4A! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/ice-cream-and-otter-naps

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from snowy Indianapolis. I've been holed up here for the last few days trying to work on a new book, thinking about why we make art and whether it's valuable to make art. I've mostly been trying to make sense of a life in the arts when so many other pursuits—politics, health, education, scientific research—feel much more critical at the moment. But of course, we've always made art. We saw patterns in the night sky and turned them into images, which we then imagined into stories. Story-making is one of the defining expressions of our species. And part of story's value, I guess, is both escapism and realism: Stories can help me escape our present (which many of us need at the moment), but they can also reveal our moment. I hope that what I'm working on will do a bit of both. We'll see! John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * You can get to know Jackie and Shadow, a bald eagle pair, with Friends of Big Bear Valley’s [live nest cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE). (YouTube) * Ottawa surveyed residents to source names for the city’s [24 snowplows](https://engage.ottawa.ca/name-the-plow?tool=survey_tool). (engage.ottawa.ca) * The extreme cold in Vermont helped [make frozen butterflies](https://www.tiktok.com/@juliedemers/video/7598979549438741790) out of cookie cutters and soap. (TikTok) * A corgi had [zoomies on a racetrack](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUBdV6pgG__/) dug out of snow. (Instagram) * Someone tracked all of their [sneezes in 2025](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT3T_fiDLCo/?igsh=MXY0dzZ2aGdsaTN2dQ) (Instagram) and shared their data. Regardless of these findings, [sneezing isn’t normal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ipMj8HDDM). (YouTube) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTksWRBDcCz/?img_index=1) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Indonesia’s shift to cleaner cooking fuels has greatly improved air quality and health ###### Hannah Ritchie View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/52494ed7-2c9d-4d65-8a56-2538a285ccf5/access-to-clean-fuels-and-technologies-for-cooking-mobile.png?t=1769663080) Caption: In 2000, less than 10% of the population in Indonesia had access to clean cooking fuels. This is now over 90%, as the chart shows. Clean cooking fuels are those that, when burned, emit less than the World Health Organization's recommended amounts of air pollutants. They reduce the burden of air pollution — and its health impacts — for the households that use them. In 2007, the Indonesian government launched a national program to move from kerosene cooking fuels to liquefied petroleum gas. This shift has greatly reduced particulate pollution and improved health outcomes. Death rates from indoor air pollution [have fallen steeply](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/death-rate-by-source-from-indoor-air-pollution?tab=chart&country=~IDN). ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Crash Course Editorial Director Meghan Modafferi recently spoke with Hank on his YouTube channel. Their conversation is a peek behind the curtain of how Crash Course is made and how science gets done. Along the way, they talk about the world of information, pseudoscience, and why we've never done a Crash Course on math. Youtube: Possibly Humanity's Best Idea (https://youtu.be/DpGU8NARX-s?si=-94VFUSc4ZqhwlXx) New Study Hall College Journeys features legendary game master and storyteller Aabria Iyengar! Before becoming a Dungeon Master, Aabria was an elite student athlete who thought her life was mapped out by 17—college sports, the Olympics, medical school—until injuries forced her to ask who she was outside of sports. What followed was a winding, curiosity-driven path through political science, comedy, long-form improv, and finally tabletop role-playing, where she found a new kind of team sport in collaborative storytelling. Hear how Aabria “practiced the pursuit of joy” in this thoughtful, funny, and deeply nerdy conversation with journalist Joss Fong. Youtube: DnD, Sports, and Storytelling: Aabria Iyengar's College Journey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARoXnmjNPE) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Knotilus ](https://knotil.us/) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2860cc68-bf55-4328-aae4-5526f9c93684/Gubbins__83_.png?t=1769752273) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Felix. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Your Wildest Years Inspired by the 2014 episode of Dear Hank and John, we asked you what the wildest year of your life has been so far. Thank you for sending us your stories! “2025! I got married, bought a house, and got a new job. It was amazing but I am also looking forward to going back to my quieter hobbies and routines in 2026.“ — Jackie “I largely cite 2018 as the best year of my life (so far). I did an internship that not only solidified my interest in the industry, but I now work full time for the same company. One of my favourite musicals got a revival that I got to go see. And maybe most importantly, I started dating my now fiance. Wild in a good way“ — T “I'm only 24, so I don't feel like I really have a leg to stand on in this conversation. However, I think 2024 has been the most wild year of my life so far. I graduated college with my BA, moved to a new city with my girlfriend, got my first adult job, and traveled to Rwanda and Tanzania! Lots of moving about and doing things with people I love. It was stressful at times, but I regret nothing.“ — Leila “Last year I dropped out of my university program very suddenly in January, with no plan for the year or my future. By september I was living away from home for the first time ever, doing a completely different program in a tiny town a five hour drive away. On top of that: I extra'ed as a dead body in for a student film project, lucked into a crazy fun science education job I was ridiculously underqualified for, overcame a needle phobia and got my first piercing, befriended a group of fellow unicyclists, went on my first ever date at age 20, joined a varsity rowing team despite never imagining myself doing a serious sport, and learned to do taxidermy. A wild year, and one that's changed the trajectory of my life more than I could have imagined.“ — Elle “In 2011 I did a college exchange called Semester at Sea where for 3 months I lived and took classes on a cruise ship while circumnavigating the globe. I visited 12 countries and went through the Panama Canal. It was epic.“ — K “My wildest year up to this point would probably have been 2021. After a full year of a pandemic, I graduated college, backpacked more than 500 miles of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, walking about 20 miles a day on average. Then I took a job for the last few months of the year on Catalina Island removing invasive plants, which is the longest I have lived outside of Wisconsin. That year was a whole lot of learning and new experiences“ — Cole “7th grade! It’s tough gaining sentience.“ — Joey “The wildest year of my life would be 2009. After many years pining to meet my birth family, I received a letter unveiling my birth mother's name. I was able to locate and call my biological grandmother at her antique shop and a few days later had my first call with my birth mom. I now have an amazing relationship with her, my step dad, and my siblings. I felt like I was a lost puzzle piece finally being placed. It has been everythingI could have hoped for. Oh, and I got to learn from them that I could fold my tongue into a clover.“ — Andrea “My wildest year was 2014. I was a junior in high school, and both my brother and sister were getting married that summer. And both in Illinois (I live in Idaho). So that summer I traveled on a public bus from Idaho to Illinois for 3 days. Drove back with my sister. Then two months later drove to Illinois again, and was a bridesmaid, so I barely slept for three days. And in between the weddings I worked on my senior project (hand painting quotes from 20 books I read while at my school). I was so exhausted by the end of that summer. And it was an adventure I never want to forget!“ — Rachel “This last year I think. I did a TEDx Talk, went to 3 different countries, 6 US cities, spoke at Radio City Music Hall, and finished my 6th short film. But at the same time, had (another) root canal, multiple breakdowns about health insurance costs, and was somehow homeless for 1/3 of the year (not fun). Amazing how things can exist on extreme ends of better and worse concurrently.“ — Piper View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # That’s all, folks! Inspired by the art at the top of the newsletter, what are you a museum of? Tell us about the things (music, books, stories, etc.) you have loved throughout your life. ==Send the things you’ve loved to wereherenews@gmail.com== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects, but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/snowplows-and-sneeze-tracking

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! The most recent episode of [Dear Hank and John](https://pod.link/1002937870) is something I've been wanting to do for a loooong time. I never said that, of course, because what went down in 2014 was a much bigger deal for John than it was for me. But when John brought it up as something he wanted to do, suddenly /I/ got scared and was like, "Really?? You want to do that?" I know to some people it's going to seem esoteric and really inside baseball. I mean, you don't need to know about every bizarre drama of two random internet guys. But the /events/ did have a really big effect on us and how we do this weird internet job. Also, this is certainly not the last time something like that has happened on the internet, and so I think it's not bad to understand some of the mechanisms here. I'm thinking a lot about it, and it's fitting well into one of my big models of the internet. In a world of infinite content but finite attention, what captures attention is much more important than what accurately reflects reality. Some people have been asking why we did it now, and I can't really answer that question since it was John's idea. But I think, more than anything, we just needed a lot of distance. At some point, John woke up and felt like enough time had passed, and it was worth doing. Anyway, to everyone who has sent a note saying they think we did a good job with that episode, thank you. It was pretty freaky to do, we did it all in one take, and I think we did a good job. And to everyone who hasn't checked to Dear Hank and John, if this is your first episode, THEY ARE NOT USUALLY LIKE THIS!! Big thanks to my big bro. What a wild time it has been. Even if there are things I know he would do differently, I remain extremely impressed by him. Hank ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Cleo Abram [visited LIGO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr3iXUcNt2g) to learn how we “hear” gravitational waves. (YouTube) * John and his childhood friend Daniel started a new football (or, depending on where you’re from, soccer) podcast called [The Away End](https://link.podtrac.com/9bqon57s)! (podtrac.com) * A conductor instructed a choir to [sing what they see](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTvuAhTDJ0I/). (Instagram) * Life in Jars explained what happens if you leave an aquarium full of water [alone for seven months](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL0DFZ2OoEs). (YouTube) * Victorians predicted how people would [dress in the future](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTveTvwDJbB/), with a few surprisingly accurate details. (Instagram) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTrxniMDK3D/) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Over 40,000 near-Earth asteroids have been detected since 1990 ###### Edouard Mathieu and Pablo Rosado View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8461fce2-abea-4c95-94c0-9e3a89e542b0/near-earth-asteroids-discovered-over-time-mobile-2026.png?t=1769064917) Caption: Since the late 20th century, astronomers and space agencies have taken steps to monitor the threat of large asteroids passing near Earth. They set up international efforts to find these objects early, track their paths, and learn more about what they’re made of, so we’d have the best chance of spotting a real collision risk in time. As the chart shows, more than 40,000 near-Earth asteroids have been discovered and tracked since 1990. NASA estimates that we’ve already found over 90% of near-Earth objects larger than 1 kilometer. These are the most dangerous ones, because an impact at that size could cause global-scale damage. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly Study Hall has a new College Journey interview featuring STEM communicator and author, Ashley Christine, AKA Modern Day Eratosthenes! When Ashley Christine started college at the University of New Hampshire, she thought the quickest path to money meant working in finance. But after years in a major she hated, a financial crash, a move across the country, and even a brief career as a singer, she found her way back to the subject she loved: math. Then, when the pandemic upended her grad school plans, she found a new unexpected calling: sharing her passion for STEM on social media! Youtube: College Journey of a Mathematician (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZkCsHmDAcA) When it comes to exploring the unexpected in science, some stories are too big to cover in the studio. So we've come together with our friends at HHMI's Tangled Bank Studios to bring you SciShow: Field Trips. Each episode, we'll bring you face-to-face with researchers at the cutting edge of scientific discovery. All episodes are out now! Youtube: New Series SciShow: Field Trips Drops TOMORROW! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KqFFCv7Pio) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Bean Sort](https://coffeefirst.games/bean-sort) (by CoffeeFirst) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8b610f35-ae1a-4e9c-9882-8e72ba752274/Gubbins__82_.png?t=1769136170) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Rottie. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Double the Good: BOGO Socks, Undies, Soap and Bath Bombs! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e3defd76-5e04-4d2b-b3f1-c780868e2611/image.jpeg?t=1768975021) Caption: Good Store’s going to help you double the good this Valentine’s Day with a BOGO deal on Awesome Socks, Awesome Undies, Sun Basin Soap Bars, and Sun Basin Bath Bombs! Grab one for yourself and one for someone you love (or keep both—we won’t tell). [Shop January 23–February 2](https://good.store/) while supplies last and make your Valentine’s gift do twice the good. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Take a Walk With Us Last week, we encouraged everyone to go for a walk and send us a photo of something that caught your eye. Thank you to everyone who sent us a photo! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/bad987b5-0978-4e83-b72c-ef4bf5b66766/1000007714.jpg?t=1769140917) Caption: from Jasmine View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d36d01f7-cf02-4c53-b145-e1067b3193ab/1000005300.jpg?t=1769141083) Caption: from Claire View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/c50113e7-6058-4265-b054-9e50fd4813a9/IMG_1784.JPEG?t=1769140959) Caption: from Azar View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fc56368-f59b-4958-ac0b-5b2bbc80b10e/IMG_4316.jpeg?t=1769140994) Caption: from Avi View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7f1ce71b-def6-42e9-b87b-bb30acb4bc25/IMG_0655_Original.jpeg?t=1769141042) Caption: from Locke View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/bb2aa750-0129-4cb0-8f9b-3fc2cc1a4366/IMG_1871.jpeg?t=1769141163) Caption: from Jennifer View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/c1b85a33-92e7-4dd5-91d6-8e73f01dc256/IMG_3055.jpeg?t=1769141336) Caption: from Bean View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/15cf2ed0-a0e3-4950-83ad-6f2b143d3fe6/6587.jpg?t=1769141306) Caption: from January View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/c027936d-88c0-4143-a722-79301bce3c56/IMG_2864.jpeg?t=1769141260) Caption: from Eliza View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/415e75ec-9297-477a-ba33-e30d2ca92c13/IMG_9690.jpeg?t=1769141402) Caption: from Jennifer View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! What year has been the wildest year of your life so far, and why? Tell us about it! ==Send your year to wereherenews@gmail.com== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/new-podcasts-and-aquariums

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Greetings from Indianapolis. I visited my doctor recently, as I am wont to do, and I asked her what kind of exercise makes sense for me at the moment. (I have been nursing an injury.) "Go on a walk with your friends and talk about your problems," she told me. "That's the best thing you can do for your health." So over the weekend, I took a six-mile, urban hike through Indianapolis with two friends. Our route connected two of Indianapolis's great parks—Holliday Park, where part of The Fault in Our Stars is set, and Marrott Park, which has sweeping views overlooking the White River. As we hiked in the bitter cold, we talked about our problems and the world's problems, and although my back was a bit sore the next day, I felt better on almost every level. Here's to taking walks if you're able, and to talking with friends about your problems. John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * The United Nations has designated July 12th as the [International Day of Hope](https://www.un.org/en/observances/hope-day). (un.org) * You can [enjoy tiny treasures](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTRtWTTEaB3/) by taking (and leaving) a trinket in the Phoenix Trinket Trade Box. (Instagram) * A bag was delivered on an airport luggage carousel, [one sock at a time](https://www.tiktok.com/@laysuperstar/video/7594152007074680078). (TikTok) * Dora Kamau gave [a piece of advice](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdbh4oD07z/) to anyone who feels hopeless about the state of the world. (Instagram) * A dog owner reached their full [personalized license plate](https://www.tiktok.com/@rattletooth/video/7594618529043778846) potential. (TikTok) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTZliZ2DFDi/) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # Global deaths from cancer have increased, but the world has made progress against it ###### Hannah Ritchie View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/011b5aef-6fb6-47c1-87ff-c96c4bde2cff/cancer-deaths-up-rates-down.png?t=1768372389) Caption: Over the past four decades, the global number of people dying from cancer each year has doubled. This can look like the world is losing its battle with cancer: people are more likely to develop it, and we’re getting no better at treating it. This isn’t true. There are, of course, almost 4 billion more people in the world than in 1980. And many of those people are older. This matters a lot because cancer rates rise steeply with age. The chart shows three different measures. Total deaths just count how many people died from cancer; this is the number that has doubled. Crude death rates, shown in yellow, adjust for population size; the increase shrinks from more than 100% to around 20%. Age-adjusted rates, shown in blue, also account for the fact that countries have older populations today; we can see that the fully age-adjusted rate has actually fallen by more than 20%. It means that for the average person, the likelihood of dying from cancer in any given year is now lower than it was for someone of a similar age in the past. The world still has a long way to go in preventing and treating cancer, but it’s wrong to think that no progress has been made. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly In a swirl of information, it can feel hard to tell which way is up. On the news, in our FYPs, and around our dinner tables, we’re confronted by scientific claims about our health, safety, and future. Even our own brains can form biases that lead us astray! That’s why we’re bringing you Crash Course Scientific Thinking: a 7-episode miniseries that will help us keep our wits about us and make better decisions when we understand how science actually works. We’ll pull back the curtain on peer review, consensus, what makes sources reliable (or not), and what “correlation doesn’t equal causation” actually means. Check out the course preview now! Youtube: Crash Course Scientific Thinking Preview (https://youtu.be/Y45KrixWRNg) In this special episode of Study Hall: College Journeys, the tables turn—Hank becomes the interviewee! He shares how his path from biochemistry major to environmental science grad student eventually led to a career in science communication, YouTube, and starting many, many new businesses. Youtube: Hank Green’s College Journey: How Curiosity Became a Career (https://youtu.be/ixmyj_GMlCE) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [enclose.horse](https://enclose.horse/) (by Shivers) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/3e75ae04-a18c-4a8b-9413-f4f89216ef8c/Gubbins__81_.png?t=1768459070) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Lesley. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # The P4A website got an upgrade! The 2026 Project for Awesome (P4A) livestream will run from February 13th to 15th, less than ONE MONTH AWAY! P4A is Hank and John’s annual charity event, so join us in raising money and awareness of charities doing much-needed work in this world. In Hank's [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7_15cVPhM) today, he talks about what's changing and what's staying the same this year! You can find everything you need to know about what P4A is, key dates, and how to get involved on [our revamped P4A website](https://projectforawesome.com). Youtube: 2026 P4A Changes! (Plus...GAMES!) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7_15cVPhM) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Your top reads of 2025 Last week, we asked what the best book you read in 2025 was. Thank you to everyone who sent us a title! “Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro“ — Lorelei “Legendborn by Tracy Deonn“ — Nick “The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp“ — Maxwell “The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Choksh“ — AVG “The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune“ — Maurice “How Minds Change by David McRaney“ — Marie “Incting Joy by Ross Gay“ — Emma “Entagled Life by Merlin Sheldrake“ — Siân “When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén“ — Carrie “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin“ — Kiersten View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # You made it to the end! If you can, set aside time to take a walk. Walk with a friend and talk about your problems, or walk by yourself and take time to reflect. Send us a photo of something you notice while you’re out! ==Send your walk photo to wereherenews@gmail.com== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/long-walks-and-tiny-treasures

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! Before recording every episode of Dear Hank and John, I have a conversation with Deboki Chakravarti, who is a research assistant for the show. We go over what she’s discovered about various science questions people have sent in to the podcast so that I don’t end up spouting nonsense. But this week we ended up having a completely off-topic chat about why modern life seems so tense. Why does relaxing feel impossible or, at least, irresponsible? Why does there seem to be so much weight to simple choices? Why are so many people permanently braced for bad news? Even when things are “fine,” they don’t feel fine. Part of the answer we kept circling back to is that maybe this isn’t a malfunction. Maybe being unchill is, in some important ways, a feature. Especially in a world where we (hopefully) assign a lot of value to life, it makes sense to be very tense. A lot is on the line. We are living through a moment where the world keeps presenting us with stories that demand emotional engagement… violence, injustice, instability, suffering, often with no clear resolution. Often, there is no apparent way of pushing back against what certainly seems to me to be a significant movement away from progress. It doesn't seem like being calm in the face of that would be good. It is okay to be disgusted by the state of things. That disgust can be an action, and it can also be the start of an action. But some people will offer the easy path of “there’s no way out, just give up,” and that’s the lie we can’t believe. If life were supposed to be chill, we wouldn’t have been built to care. Hank ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * The Times Square NYE confetti is thrown by hand, and one volunteer gave us a [behind-the-scenes view](https://www.tiktok.com/@kaitlinberry1/video/7590437822520200462). (TikTok) * A dog named Ollie [found a snack](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTJZw2rAMrD/) that happened to be attached to a snowman’s face. (Instagram) * Lincoln Parish Library showcased [all of the bookmarks](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTLt2ZagWVP/) that were forgotten in returned books last year. (Instagram) * Michael Stevens of Vsauce and Professor Hannah Fry discussed [the mystery of magnets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXg_-2fpg-s&). (YouTube) * A nerdfighter created[ a quilted postcard](https://www.instagram.com/p/DS3jj0GDGvc/) inspired by the Auld Lang Syne essay in The Anthropocene Reviewed. (Instagram) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DS8bp5gkgM_/?img_index=3) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # On every continent, food supplies have grown faster than the population ###### Pablo Rosado and Max Roser View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/19864efa-a009-42a8-8de8-d3af74c9fb1a/population-and-calorie-supply-by-continent.png?t=1767763761) Caption: We just lived through the period with the fastest population growth in human history. Six decades ago, there were three billion people on our planet. Since 2022, there have been more than eight billion people — an increase of five billion over this period. It would have been impressive if food supplies had merely kept pace with population growth. But as the chart above shows, they grew even faster. On every continent, food supplies — measured by calories — grew faster than the population. This rise in food production per person was a major reason for the decline of extreme poverty and hunger. To us, this chart documents one of humanity’s most extraordinary achievements. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly The narwhal puts a curious spin on what it means to be classified as a “toothed whale.” The male’s left canine grows out in a long counterclockwise spiral, straight through its face. This tusk is a giant, inside-out, bendy tooth that feels everything and almost exclusively grows in males. But what is it for? Youtube: What Is The Narwhal Even Doing (with its tusk)? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTql5Pv0gf0) Every year, SciShow digs up the most amazing fossil discoveries and explores what they reveal about the ancient past. Here are the winners from 2025! Youtube: The Coolest Fossils of 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVXWidca_Mw) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Wordsmyth](https://playwordsmyth.com/) (by Fox Point Games) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f092bc0b-eddc-425c-819d-de604d93f9aa/Gubbins__80_.png?t=1767848826) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by schwed. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # The Project for Awesome matching fund is open! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/059dd678-4cdc-4514-8ca2-ba5305dd9276/matching_fund.png?t=1767844462) Caption: Hank and John’s annual charity event, the [Project for Awesome](http://projectforawesome.com) (P4A), is coming up soon! From now until Sunday, February 8th at noon EST (UTC-5), anyone interested in giving $500 or more can become a matching donor for P4A. If you become a matching donor, you can help build excitement during the livestream and get thanked in an on-screen graphic (max 30 characters). In previous years, Nerdfighters have even collaborated to make a matching donation together that they couldn't make alone! The P4A matching fund accepts donations via credit card, PayPal, check, donor-advised funds, and foundation grants at [projectforawesome.com/matching](https://projectforawesome.com/matching). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Looking back and looking forward In the final newsletter of 2025, we encouraged you to write a letter reflecting on 2025 and another looking ahead to 2026. Thank you to everyone who shared their letters with us! #### 2025: “You made it a point to try and do a lot of new things for the first time, because this was your year of firsts without your dad. And you wanted some of those firsts to be fun, not just sad. And that was definitely a goal you crushed. I am proud of you for not giving up, and for being so darn creative about it.“ — Jessica “I’m here. I’m really here– you make it. You did the hard thing, the really hard thing, and asked for help. You got that dog in you, man.“ — Rohan “You did good in 2025. I know you don't think so, but if you stop and really reflect on it, you'll realise you did a lot. You got out of the house! You got out of the country. You got to talk to one of your heroes. Despite not feeling great, you didn't let your anxieties hold you back. I'm proud of you.“ — Adele “All of the things I study were being disavowed and defunded, and every news article hit like a sucker punch. I was devastated and hopeless. But I started listening to DH&J, right when John was talking about the collapse of USAID. I used to be a nerdfighter as a teen, and as I caught up to the pod, and started following the We're Here newsletter, and sought out other people fighting these big problems, I was reminded, over and over, that one of the things we can always control is our ability to hope.“ — Rosanna “Reflecting on this year really has made me realize how much I've changed amd grown as a person, and how happy I am to be alive, and be me. I haven't always had the greatest self esteem, or views on life, but I'm improving and loving that I get to live.“ — Fish pancakes #### 2026: “By maintaining your grades and your relationships, you will be in a better mental space, allowing you to enjoy and grow in your passions more. And--this is the most important thing--BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Obviously, it's easier said than done (we have terrible self esteem, that's why we have to write this whole thing in second person!), but you are a kind and understanding person, and you deserve the same understanding you give to other people.“ — Teddy “1. Time is speeding up; be intentional about how you’re spending it 2. It’s okay to have an extraordinarily ordinary life 3. Take better care of your health while you still have it 4. Appreciate every moment with your family 5. Write the damn book“ — Amy “You're going to draw and write and find joy in little things like comic books and movies and music just like you always have. You'll finally have a chance to start finding yourself. Hope always sprouts anew, so just hold on a little longer. PS--The Batman Part II is coming out in 2027. Just a reminder in case nothing else works as motivation.“ — J “I know this year is going to be filled with a lot of the same challenges from last year, but I hope there are some good times still ahead. We’re going to finish our degree, and hopefully start a career. We’re going to find time to do the things we love, and we’re going to travel to see family like we’ve been longing to do for so long. I hope that despite its challenges, we make the most of 2026.“ — Sam “You need to concentrate on yourself - health, happiness, all of it. You’ve taken care of people for the past 25 years. Now, like the Goonies, this is your time.“ — Cheryl View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # And that’s the end of the newsletter! What was the best book you read in 2025? Tell us about it! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/mystery-magnets-and-forgotten-bookmarks

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7940f0a2-a67a-4b07-ae21-ac20a3ede293/Screen_Shot_2024-03-14_at_10.00.14_PM.png?t=1711412901) Caption: ## Hello! I hope your December is proceeding apace. Here in Indianapolis, there has been a lot of snow and rain. The shed where I write was built in 1895 by Kurt Vonnegut's grandfather, and I don't like to complain, but whatever weatherproofing he did has not held up to 130 years of Indiana winters, and so the basement is wet, and the shed is drafty. But still, I am glad to be here. Home. At the end of every year, I write myself two letters: one looking back at the year that was, and one looking ahead to the year to come. This year, I'm reflecting on lots of tuberculosis and global health advocacy, an astonishing number of days on airplanes (120), and a year marked for me by grief and fear and also hope. Hope—that stubborn and audacious friend who always promises more than they deliver—has been the great gift of 2025 for me. Hope survives, to borrow a line from W. H. Auden, in the valley of its own making. Let no one steal it from you. Let no one deny it to you. Let it survive improbably in that valley, where the sun rises late and sets early. But still it rises. In spite of everything, it still rises John ###### You can always email us at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/fba26be0-7702-4dad-9b51-56957fc889d6/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711476564) Caption: # This Week in Stuff * Two strangers had an impromptu [Beyblade battle](https://www.tiktok.com/@cadamio2/video/7581955929499864333). (TikTok) * Minute Earth explained why we can’t [make fake feathers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5yV1Q9O6r4). (YouTube) * A dog decided to [take a joyride](https://www.instagram.com/p/DSYj437DPAp/?img_index=1) in the truck of an unsuspecting delivery driver. (Instagram) * Architectural Digest gave us a [behind-the-scenes look](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJAAEmnapsQ) at the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. (YouTube) * A group of bundled-up kids [jumped over](https://www.tiktok.com/@apboardman/video/7583047692067015949) (and sometimes into) a puddle. (TikTok) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DSKyc2xgDpv/) ###### ==Please send us stuff you think we should feature to ====[wereherenews+feature@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+feature@gmail.com)== View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4935fd87-8019-4245-82dd-2de86f4cc5a7/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.04.52_PM.png?t=1711476329) Caption: # How the UK government spends £100 of its budget ###### Simon van Teutem View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/be186b58-c6c6-43b2-9dfb-ce4e30513685/us-government-budget-breakdown.png?t=1766040537) Caption: What does the British government spend its budget on? The chart shows spending broken down by category, scaled to £100. It combines both central and local government spending. Social protection is the single largest item. Out of every £100 spent, £33 goes to it — more than health, at £19 per 100. The UK is typical in this regard — in every OECD country except the US, social protection is the biggest category. Public services also account for a large share: £14 per £100. These include core government functions, foreign aid, and interest payments on government debt. Education and economic affairs, which support the broader economy or specific industries such as fishing and manufacturing, are also prominent categories. ###### [Our World in Data](https://ourworldindata.org/) is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights [here](https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights). View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7caa1683-f3dd-4e83-9dd0-3c58c104fd26/complexly.png?t=1711421332) Caption: # This Week at Complexly John and Hank have each designed their own handmade DH&J logo tees for this year's Complexly holiday collection! Hank used markers to draw this Dear Hank & John shirt, while John cut out construction paper to create this very special Dear John & Hank shirt. Which one's your favorite? Do you want the classic Hank version, or would you rather get John's and be prepared for 2028 and the inevitable renaming of the podcast? Make your decision at [Complexly.store/handmade](https://Complexly.store/handmade), where you can also get both logos as stickers! **These shirts are only available until the end of the year!** View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f2c0d997-f1c6-4788-8f91-3b70f81eb0b9/Complexly-DHJDoodleShirt-site1.jpg?t=1764730072) Caption: designed by Hank View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/f53e8a07-bea5-4da2-acf6-9d23040cd585/Complexly-DJHDoodleShirt-site1.jpg?t=1764730079) Caption: designed by John Study Hall: College Journeys is back with a new episode featuring Smosh cast member Shayne Topp! Shayne shares his TEN YEAR college journey, from starting his career as a teenager in Los Angeles to navigating online classes between filming schedules. Shayne’s story is a funny, honest look at persistence, self-discovery, and finding fulfillment in your own time. Youtube: Shayne Topp’s 10 Year College Journey (https://youtu.be/q4SMuSjSgJM) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5f8f25bd-55a9-4267-9eb2-a45ca7ae1db8/games.png?t=1711476676) Caption: # Some Games to Play! [Costcodle](https://costcodle.com/) (by Zak Kermitz) [SpellCheck.xyc](https://spellcheck.xyz) (by Answer in Progress) Download Gubbins on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StudioFolly.GUBBINS&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1)! View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/15a9ebdc-22bb-4d0a-9936-6cd369508c63/Gubbins__79_.png?t=1765951222) Caption: This Gubbins postcard was made by Sarah. Send yours to [wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews+gubbins@gmail.com) If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” ([https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe](https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)) View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # Your recent goofs Last week, we asked for something goofy that brings you joy. Thanks to everyone who sent us a goof! “A friend of mine recently teased me for a terrible "your mom" joke so I've been making them more often just to spite her. No offense to her mother, who is a very wonderful lady.“ — Elodie “I was reading Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and came across a line that read, “it was the moment between six and seven”. I was so excited that she didn’t even know about the joke she made. I took a snap shot and sent it to an elementary art teacher friend with a gif of the hand motions. She sent back an audio clip of a classroom of children yelling, “6 7!”. It made me so happy! The kids were so happy to have a reason to yell it.“ — Charman “Last year, I went to Disneyworld and while we were in Haunted Mansion, the ride stopped multiple times and also completely glitched and also sent me a complete stranger’s photo in the app. So I did what any of us would do in this situation: I used the app to get a custom made ornament with that picture. Today was the first year that I got to put it on the family tree. Ah, such happy memories! (Not mine, you know, but probably theirs! They are smiling in the photo!)“ — Parker “One goofy thing that brought me joy this week was my school’s Christmas Choral concert; we love to do some silly stuff in between the somber tunes, and we sang the theme from Elf - including kazoos that everybody had somewhat conspicuously stored. It was a treat to hear 120 people singing into kazoos on a huge stage!“ — Nirjara “I recently made a drive from Baton Rouge, Louisiana back to St. Paul, Minnesota for my winter break and on the way was listening to Dear Hank & John, episode 171 when Hank and John started talking about the swans in England and it devolving into smuggling a swan on a plane as a 2-year-old. It was the silliest thing but I laughed so hard that I had to pause the pod so I could actually hear the rest of it! It didn't help that instead of imagining a swan, I kept imagining a Canadian Goose...“ — Maddie “Something goofy- last night my partner made me laugh as hard as I've laughed in a while. We were playing the game where you count down and try to say the same word and we kept being bad at it so I was getting fake frustrated. Finally I said "pillow" and they said "bed", and then we said "bed". I was very happy and then then said "good, I thought you were going to say top sheet or something". It made me laugh so hard I don't even know why. I was about if breath for like 5 minutes. Anyway I love my silly husband.“ — Arlo “A few years ago, I decided I wanted a Porch Goose, and my dad bought me Lily for my birthday! Lily has lots of outfits and now two brothers- Lewis lives in my home studio and Larry guards my desk at work. The neighborhood kids call me The Goose Lady. It brings me so much goofy joy!“ — Brittany View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: # You finished the last We’re Here of 2025! We’d love for you to write two letters to yourself: one looking back at 2025 and another looking forward to 2026. Feel free to share these letters with us, in whole or in part. (If youwant to share your letters with us but don’t want them to be featured in a future We’re Here, please let us know in your email.) ==Send your letters to ====[wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com)==== == View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2a4e7237-4a21-4d63-9c6d-0f28e40d4484/Screen_Shot_2024-03-26_at_12.08.56_PM.png?t=1711477282) Caption: ###### We're Here is the newsletter of Nerdfighteria; the community of people that sprung up around Hank and John Green's YouTube videos. That community has many focuses and has spawned many projects but the overarching theme is that hopelessness is the wrong response to imperfection. What makes the world better is groups of people trying to understand and solve problems, and people can only do that for an extended period if they're having at least a little bit of fun. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/0fa2a516-e193-4da3-99f8-2d5747e39528/We_re_Here_Teapot_White_Backing__1_.png?t=1711674293) Caption: This and our header image were created by Allison Conway ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/beyblade-battles-and-joyrides

View image: (https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.c102BcGbWVrTSyG-HeX9kXtMUEJFjwWPeAkZWm-loqQM4JhfAkceF_sj44xIB5LKrr981RiBgy1Q5tS9VDifN84yRT3GHBODCDeFvxxVJ7O-k-D6EOeOXz71mONeG-rsL3YSVM2Zdb8H-Y-BHf7VQFsJ9NcaHTp33j3vJMrascjCyQAfUk0M8cwRmRvuS9eAgOiC71kx9WgK_-k3HHWoMfSooMDCLTmP322j6v4DYeePdjqv9YYfp8lYOzFYzd5RQ0CXnKWPPWOdzeH9dgqZ8pZ__BzxV_U-6MDe6nKapr8/4mi/btLQJ4pgRduE0HTpUCsoHA/t0/h001.nIvqn9USiryM3zpI_YQ2jgXHdUbzcoINAZFREAz7zm4 Caption: ## Hey There! Do you ever feel like the whole entire world is ravenously hungry for your attention and, indeed, would rather constantly expose you to the worst instincts of your fellow humans than show you the one thing that might actually end your perpetual scroll? Us too. That’s why we made “We’re Here” a weekly newsletter for people from Earth. Hopefully, that’s why you signed up! #### Every week, you’ll get a little email with some things in it: 1. **A short list of great things.** Whether it’s audio, video, text, or image. Our goal is to find enriching things that help us better understand our place in the world. 2. **Something Cool. **There are some people who write and share cool stuff. Then they put that stuff on the internet where it gets surrounded by people yelling at each other. Instead of that, we’re just going to be putting some of it here. 3. **Hank and John Things**. This newsletter was started by Hank and John Green, and they’ll share what they’re reading, what they’re up to, and where they’re headed. 4. **Other stuff.** We’ll also be sharing some games, art, and stories for our little world. We feel that the email inbox is a pretty important place and the fact that we have been invited into it is a big deal. Your attention deserves to be preserved, so we make it very easy to unsubscribe. If you want to make sure that you see this email every time, you can click “reply” and send us a little message. That will tell your email filters that this message matters to you! ###### _You can always email us (if you want to share cool things, ask questions, or whatever) at __[wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com)__. Header art is by __[Allison Conway](https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.m7JnzEfDnZU8Q3P9YHO1Cz7yBixWxtOrfKucRrzfLaEVWXubjou5FQU7iMqNZV6v/4mi/btLQJ4pgRduE0HTpUCsoHA/t1/h001.rhFvl6um2pM1b5Z4yCEfkk9hQ1zeEYaLslAIodONMG8

View image: (https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.c102BcGbWVrTSyG-HeX9kXtMUEJFjwWPeAkZWm-loqQM4JhfAkceF_sj44xIB5LKrr981RiBgy1Q5tS9VDifN84yRT3GHBODCDeFvxxVJ7O-k-D6EOeOXz71mONeG-rsL3YSVM2Zdb8H-Y-BHf7VQPxIfWWG5uCuycaAFNNuHaVOhJKYuyzNm5pJkNwucZglIS86tiDPOIC6FMVNRAppyyRamgJQGCRbh7KvVm6pIVpou5u6d8M13GkYYQrNUY1hzewLiPSY3JMjAVqKkgChrQFb6TP2uHlcNOj3K5053gU/4mi/iuac_kkRRsmxjUo9Xcqk0w/t0/h001.Ac-nXmr5LbPinfgOq3FaYdrIXNLBpik8pYq6reiDwoM Caption: ## Hey There! Do you ever feel like the whole entire world is ravenously hungry for your attention and, indeed, would rather constantly expose you to the worst instincts of your fellow humans than show you the one thing that you might actually enjoy? Us too. That’s why we made “We’re Here” a weekly email for people from Earth. Hopefully, that’s why you signed up! Hank made a little welcome video for you. Youtube: You're Here!! (https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.VJERSShyNqGSmAVMkarYdAZyWo9064SQbT0Q3xw8V59oziDzAlbHi8bdjjWSxOhK/4mi/iuac_kkRRsmxjUo9Xcqk0w/t1/h001.W4Zt4zAqhG-101cQAibUioPNNJo4qo2eij-OsaI6KQ0 ### Every week, you’ll get a little email with some things in it: * **A short list of great things.** Whether it’s audio, video, text, or image. Our goal is to find enriching things that help us better understand our place in the world. * **Something Cool.** There are some people who write and share cool stuff. Then they put that stuff on the internet where it gets surrounded by people yelling at each other. Instead of that, we’re just going to be putting some of it here. * **Nerdfighter Things.** This newsletter was started by Hank and John Green, and they’ll share what they’re reading, what they’re up to, and where they’re headed. * **Other stuff. **We’ll also be sharing some games, art, and stories for our little world. We feel that the email inbox is a pretty important place and the fact that we have been invited into it is a big deal. Your attention deserves to be preserved, so we make it very easy to unsubscribe. If you want to make sure that you see this email every time, you can click “reply” and send us a little message. That will tell your email filters that this message matters to you! ###### You can always email us (if you want to share cool things, ask questions, or whatever) at [wereherenews@gmail.com](mailto:wereherenews@gmail.com). Header art is by Allison Conway.