Hello!
I write to you from my hotel bed at VidCon, an online video conference that John and I started back in 2010. Yesterday, someone said to me, "I went to VidCon 2012 as a fan and now, 13 years later, I'm a Featured Creator!" Despite the fact that 12 +13 definitely equals 25, this was still not something I was willing to accept as possible.
This morning I was on a panel of "OG YouTube Creators" and, indeed, having started in 2007 makes me pretty original. One of the things the moderator (FunkyFrogBait!) asked was about how we handle things changing, and there always being new creators pushing boundaries. I can't speak for my fellow panelists, but honestly, that's my favorite part. The fact that it changes means I'm always trying to figure out something new. The fact that there are all these new creators means I'm always learning from people who have fresh eyes and are (probably) working harder than me.
People also ask me if it's bizarre to see how much VidCon and the online video world have changed, and, like, not really!! I started on YouTube when I was 27 and now I'm 45. I'm not surprised that VidCon has changed...I HAVE ALSO CHANGED!! I learned a long time ago that I'm not in charge of what any of this looks like. I’m just along for the ride.
Hank
You can always email us at [email protected]
This Week in Stuff
There are sled dog puppies at Denali National Park! (Instagram) You can watch the puppy livestream here. (NPS website)
Sage the Bad Naturalist discussed some recent headlines that claim there are more people on Earth than we thought. (YouTube)
A librarian accidentally made a horrifying book return cart. (TikTok)
There’s a whole website dedicated to owls wrapped in towels.
Static electricity is one of the most common surprise effects of fundamental forces that we interact with regularly, but no one knows what the heck it is. (YouTube)
Please send us stuff you think we should feature to [email protected]
Less than 200 years ago, one in three Dutch children died before the age of five
Simon van Teutem
Losing a child is one of the worst things that can happen to a parent.
Imagine living in a world where there was a one-in-three chance your child would die. This wasn't just the reality for your children; it could just as well happen to your siblings, friends, or neighbors.
Such a world seems unimaginable today, but it wasn’t too far from reality two centuries ago, even in some economically advanced countries.
The chart shows the share of newborns who died before age five in the Netherlands since 1840. These historical estimates are more uncertain than recent data, but it's likely that before the 1870s, about one-in-three newborns died. Each birth carried odds no parent today could contemplate facing.
But a huge amount of progress has been made since then. Today, one in 250 Dutch children dies. This progress was driven by many factors, including improvements in nutrition, access to clean water, sanitation, vaccines, and reductions in poverty.
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
Big news, fossil fans! Walking with Dinosaurs is back on PBS with stunning new visuals that bring the ancient world to life like never before. In celebration of the return of Walking With Dinosaurs, we’ve created a group of special, themed episodes. The first video is about the dinosaurs that were thought to be too big to be dinosaurs: sauropods.
We've been using lab rats for over a hundred years, and they've been part of some of the biggest medical breakthroughs ever. But what comes next? From organs on a chip to computer simulations, here are some of the ways that science might use to say bon voyage to the humble lab rat.
Some Games to Play!
SpellCheck.xyc (by Answer in Progress)
Revealed (by Britannica)
This Gubbins postcard was made by Nick. Send yours to [email protected]
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Dots are waiting for you!
Good Store just launched a loyalty program where you can earn Dots on your everyday purchases, double Dots on subscriptions, Dots for leaving reviews, and more! Join Good Dot Rewards so we can start paying you back for all of the ways that you support Good Store. Use your Dots for discounts, free shipping, merch, and more. And since we wanted to reward everyone who has been with us from the beginning, we are backdating the program a whole year, so you might have some Dots waiting for you. Check your balance and sign up here!
Our small wins
Last week, we asked you to share a recent small win with us. Thank you to everyone who emailed us! It’s nice to be reminded that good things are happening.
I learned how to curl my hair! I’ve watched YouTube tutorials but it was so much easier to understand with my friend showing me in person - and it was a relaxing way to hang out :)
My wife was told last week that she would not need Chemotherapy. She is in her mid twenties and fighting breast cancer so hearing she was not going to need Chemo was a huge win for us. She still has more treatment planned but we are hopeful as things have been going well so far.
A small win I've experienced recently is getting my first job interview out of the 20+ jobs that I have applied for since graduating college in November!
I’m an SLP working in pediatric home health, a place where we cherish and celebrate small wins. My patients are kids with medically complex conditions who need support with communication and feeding, among other things. Last week, a patient of mine used his AAC device to correct a misunderstanding about his toys, which is HUGE. For typically developing kids, repairing communication breakdowns is a normal part of development that happens pretty early on, but for him it has taken months and months of direct teaching and modeling from me and his family and an immense amount of practice and effort on his part. It was a small win on the journey of helping him learn to communicate, but it was a big win to me and his family.
I've started the habit of bringing a small sewing kit to any fancy events that I attend - usually weddings. If someone loses a button, or a dress needs to be hemmed for a new pair of heels, I got it covered. This past week, the bride's dress strap needed to be pinned in place after the snaps failed, and I put some tacks in the flower girl's dress so it fit her properly! Never underestimate the use of some bobby pins, a needle, and a little thread!
This week I started working out after recovering from major surgery. It was slow, but it was a win!
My wife and I successfully navigated public transport around Oslo for 4 days despite being extremely jetlagged and knowing very few Norwegian words.
A few days ago I invited my parents to a fancy restaurant to celebrate my first paycheck! I got to spoil them a little, celebrate a milestone, and we had a great time!
I have severe energy limitations which often makes my mental health spiral, but recently I've managed to get back into bullet journalling.
It's lifted my mood by both making me more productive and helping me see what I'm accomplishing.
My plant grew a mushroom! He must have been hiding in the compost and only now popped his head above surface, I’m calling him Mushromeo.
You made it to the end!
Is there a song that always takes you back to a specific memory or period of your life? Tell us about it!
Send your song to [email protected].
