Hank Green, SciShow, Crash Course

I watch/listen to Neil deGrasse Tyson at times and often listen to his podcast Startalk. I watch/listen everything I can find of Carl Sagan, Sean Carroll, and some Brian Greene.

This last few months, I have fallen in love with the work of Hank Green and associates. (SciShow and Crash Course that I know of.)

Hank Green, his brother, and the related projects sit in a very unique place for me. When I listen to Sean Carroll’s podcast, I often have to listen 3-4 times for the ideas to penetrate. I would use words like “serious, challenging, difficult” to describe it. It can take me a full week to get through one of his AMA podcast episodes, and I could not claim to comprehend more than some of it. But Hank and company are doing something very different. They are exciting, casual, curious, and very easy-going. He’s personally excited, rambling, and relatable. The intent feels educational, enthusiastic, and approachable.

I always find myself referring to the basics. As an example, a couple of years ago I found an elementary algebra textbook and did all the problems. It was amazing to me how rusty my rudimentary math had gotten, and what has changed since I was learning calculus in the early 1990’s. I had so much fun! I find it incredibly helpful to review things that I think I know about. I find it relaxing and I always learn new stuff along the way.

When I’m relaxing in the evening and my mind is tired of it’s mouse wheel, I prefer chilling to a good video game and listening to science communication, lectures, interviews, or debates. News media makes me feel sick, though I tolerate it in an effort to understand what is happening. Science media makes me feel delighted to be alive and excited about it. Only my direct experience of nature, time spent with close friends, or a good book is comparable.

I find Hank and company to be a delight to listen to or watch, grounded, reasonable, enthusiastic, and easy to digest. I have enjoyed and learned or remembered so much from this group’s work and content! A treasure of the modern internet.