Hello!

The most recent episode of Dear Hank and John 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 [email protected]

This Week in Stuff

Cleo Abram visited LIGO 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! (podtrac.com)
A conductor instructed a choir to sing what they see. (Instagram)
Life in Jars explained what happens if you leave an aquarium full of water alone for seven months. (YouTube)
Victorians predicted how people would dress in the future, with a few surprisingly accurate details. (Instagram)

Please send us stuff you think we should feature to [email protected]

Over 40,000 near-Earth asteroids have been detected since 1990

Edouard Mathieu and Pablo Rosado

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 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.

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!

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!

Some Games to Play!

Bean Sort (by CoffeeFirst)

SpellCheck.xyc (by Answer in Progress)

Download Gubbins on iOS or Android!

This Gubbins postcard was made by Rottie. Send yours to [email protected]

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)

Double the Good: BOGO Socks, Undies, Soap and Bath Bombs!

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 while supplies last and make your Valentine’s gift do twice the good.