Q&A With Grey: 500,000 Subscribers Edition

Hello Internet,

Here we are: 500,000 subscribers -- well, actually... by the time I finished this video it's a bit more than that -- but who knew that after I promised to do a Q&A that the pope would resign?

Anyway... When I uploaded my first explanation video just over two years ago now, I would never have expected this: over half a million subscribers and 16 videos with over a million views. Who knew rapidly spoken educational videos could be so popular? Thank you, Internet.

Now, as promised -- though slightly behind schedule -- it's time to answer some of your questions.

"What's your educational background?"

Rodrigo, Campo Grande, Brazil
I went to school in New York where I earned two college degrees, one in physics and one in sociology. After that I moved to London and earned a PGCE in Science Education, and became a qualified physics teacher in England.

"How long does it take to create a video?"

Tracey, Ohio
I've tracked my time to get an accurate answer and every minute of final video you see takes me between 10 and 20 hours of writing and animating to make. So a typical 5 minute video is 50 to 100 hours of work. While that's a lot, it doesn't include the research phase which is difficult to quantify -- some of the videos I've made I'd been collecting notes on for more than a year before starting.

"What was your favourite video to make?"

Brittany P, UK
The 2012 video was the most fun by far -- mainly because I didn't have to do a lot of complicated research and I got to complain about things I don't like.

"What change would you make to the education system?"

Lumbajack Gangsta, Austin, TX
Instead of grouping kids by age, I'd try grouping them by ability instead. The idea that just because a kid is 14 years old they're ready for trigonometry is weird. No other part of human society organizes itself this way and for good reason: it artificially slows down the best and brightest.

"What is do you think should be in the curriculum but isn't?"

Jamaal, Arizona
Computer programming. I was kind of shocked and horrified when I started teaching in the UK to discover there were no real computer programming lessons. Of course, there are only so many classes in the day, and everyone wants their pet subject taught in schools, so the equally important question is what to get rid of to make room for computer programming and, without the slightest hesitation, I'd ditch the foreign languages classes -- after all, computer programming is getting us closer and closer to a universal translator anyway.

"What do you do when you receive pennies?"

johnjac, Owasso
I die a little inside thinking about how political systems can distribute tiny costs across large numbers of people to the benefit of a few.

"What's your favorite element?"

Rasmus, Denmark
I don't have a favorite but I'm irrationally fond of Tungsten mainly because my wedding ring is made out of it.

"What's the story behind your logo?"

Joshua B.
It's basically a personal flag for my love of science and technology. When I first started this channel, I thought that I would make videos mostly about those two things, but for various reasons, that hasn't happened yet. And besides, it's not like there's a shortage of good science channels on YouTube. By the way, If you really like the logo, you can get it on T-Shirts and now coffee mugs -- which is particularly appropriate as coffee is the fuel that, without which, these videos could not be made.

"What do you do in your free time?"

Sam L, Higginsville, MO
I like to horseback ride through the mountains. Nah, it's mostly just reddit. Speaking of which...

"Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?"

techtakular, Alex, VA
One horse-sized duck. The cube-squared law means the legs of a horse-sized duck probably wouldn't be structurally sound. Easy fight.

"Are there going to be more 'politics in the animal kingdom' videos?"

Oli
Yes, I'm sorry, I know this playlist is unfinished and, if any of the videos I've ever made can be said to be important, it's these. I promise at least one more about the single transferable vote, but I don't make any promises about when that will happen.

"Do you think third parties will ever gain ground in the United States?"

Kerl, Florida
No. The problem isn't politics or voter apathy, it's the system that creates the politics and voter apathy. The US election system is pretty much the worst in the civilized world -- often voting for a 3rd party isn't just a waste it's also a vote against your own best interests. 3rd parties really can't thrive under those conditions.

"What's one technology you wish to see before you die?"

zigonick, MO, USA
Immortality technology.

Where do you get your ideas?

It's been my experience that creative projects are self-sustaining. The more you write, the more things you want to write about and the more you program, the more programming ideas you have. For me, each video spawns more videos. The daylight saving one, for example, originally contained spots for information about longitude and time zones and the seasons that got cut but will probably become their own videos at some point. Also, I listen to a monstrous number of audiobooks and podcasts. If you're interested, you can see some of my favorites here. These help me keep in touch with the wider world and expose me to ideas and information that I would not have come across on my own.

"If you could live at any time in history when would it be?"

Bonnie, Scotland
I wouldn't. Allow me to summarize all of human existence with this single graph.

"What's the best way to be successful on YouTube?"

Joe Kowalski, 44074
Make videos people want to watch. I'm not trying to be glib here but when asked this question I see many YouTubers talk about the importance of upload schedules and managing your social media and collaborations, and my experience says that's completely backwards. If your videos aren't interesting, no one will care that you upload them regularly. And Twitter followers don't get you views, views get you Twitter followers and people who want to collaborate with you. I know it's not very helpful advice, but it's the most truthful advice I can give.

"What is the most interesting fact you've ever been told?"

Stu1278, England
It's difficult to pick just one from an entire lifetime, but last year Veritasium visited me in London and walked me through the process by which trees get water from their roots to their leaves. That sounds really boring but it was one of the most mind-blowing conversations I've had in a long time.

"How often do you engage with professionals while you research?"

theLarom, Washington, DC
For me, being confused and frustrated with a topic is a vital part of figuring out how to explain it to others so I'd say 95% of research I do on my own. If I'm really out of my depth on a topic -- like the debt video and the pope video -- I try very hard to find an expert to look over the final draft of my script, but time constraints and finding trustworthy experts is sometimes a bit difficult.

"What is your favorite internal organ?"

trint99, DFW, TX
The Brain -- because it's the one that's me.

"Is there any part of science do you want to be proven wrong?"

Jrod N, Massachusetts
Yes, the current interpretations of the ultimate fate of The Universe all make me sad.

"Can you answer 10 questions in under 30 seconds?"

YouReadMeName
1: "What is your favorite scientific study ever published?"
Marie, Reno, NV
Unskilled Are Unaware: Further Explorations of (Absent) Self-Insight Among the Incompetent. Link in the description.

2: "Hogwarts house?"
Zeinoun Awad, Lebanon
Ravenclaw. (I'd hope)

3: "Celsius or Fahrenheit?"
Kubez
Fahrenheit.

4: Kirk or Picard
Picard.

5: "Do you wear glasses?"
Spartacus McFancy Pants
Uh, yeah.

6: "Favorite empire?"
Caleb Glickman, USA
The second one. Those monks were awesome.

7: "How can a country be totally self-sufficient -- as in no imports or exports?"
Amberjack1973
Simple, resort to a medieval level of technology.

8: "Favourite sport?"
soccernhlfan, Canada
No.

9: "Should science play a bigger role in politics?"
Dip, London, UK
What, you mean the method by which we determine truth? Yeah, I think it should.

10: "Can you answer 10 questions in under 30 seconds?"
YouReadMeName
Apparently.

Alright, thanks to everyone who submitted questions -- it's been fun, Internet.