Wait But Why

VIDEO: What I saw in Bhutan, the mysterious kingdom of the Himalayas. (For full post, see link in profile.)

I live with a totalitarian dictator. Full post in bio.

The second baby is much easier. Full post in bio.

NEW POST. All my thoughts from the weird and wild world of toddler fatherhood. Link in bio.

Step into the mind of Tim Urban, the visionary behind Wait But Why and author of What’s Our Problem: A Self-Help Book for Societies, for a fast-paced, mind-expanding journey through the grand sweep of history. With his signature blend of wit, depth and stick-figures, Tim unpacked humanity’s biggest questions’where we’ve been, where we’re headed and what it all means at Summit Detroit.

Opinionated people on social media tend to fall into one of these five categories (blue = vocalized opinions)

It’s 2025. Time to talk about time. We’ve officially put a bow on the first quarter of the 21st century and are in day one of quarter #2. Much of what still feels like recent history is beginning to look a lot like ancient history. NSYNC’s “Tearing Up My Heart” came out closer to the moon landing than to today. E.T. hit theaters closer to the 1930s than to today. And Billy Joel’s “She’s Got a Way” was released nearer to World War I than the present moment. Likewise, times we grew up envisioning as the far future aren’t so far away anymore. Even if lifespans stayed as they are now, many of today’s college students will live to see the 22nd century. Many of today’s babies will still be in the peak of their careers in the year 2100. And 2040, 2060, and 2100 are now closer to us than 2010, 1990, and 1950. If Back to the Future were released today, Marty would be heading back to the ridiculously retro year 1995. His teenage parents would be doing hilariously old things like talking on big cell phones and hanging out in AOL chat rooms. And of course, no existential time crisis would be complete without The Wonder Years. The show aired from 1988-1993 and took place in the years 1968-1973. If the show debuted today, it would be set in 2005-2010 and cover nostalgic old things like Obama’s election, Instagram like counts, and Taylor Swift concerts. Happy New Year, and thanks for keeping me company during this rapid little life we’re all living. 🫶

Baby’s first launch

last night's debate (link in bio)

All my eclipse thoughts on Wait But Why (link in bio) [Image: NASA/Keegan Barber]