If you are a procrastinator like me, you have probably seen the immeasurably relatable TED Talk “Inside The Mind of a Master Procrastinator,” by Tim Urban. If you haven’t, go watch it because it’s hilarious and has a great message at the end regardless of how much of it relates to you. The presentation was derived from a post on his blog “Wait But Why” a few years prior. Similar to many future blog posts Urban would write, this one explains a rather ambiguous topic in a simple way that is both funny and informational.
From satirical presidential debate scripts to a post titled “You Won’t Believe My Morning,” which delves into Urban’s morning hallucination about a tiny society living in the grass outside of his apartment, this blog has a range of options for anyone who likes his comedic style.
Most of his posts, however, are intended to frame a big question in a way that’s easier to digest. Artificial intelligence, space and cryptocurrency are recurring topics on the blog.
He has explained his interesting learning process while writing and researching, which gives you insight into how his posts are so eloquent and captivating.
“I’ll start on Wikipedia for just a basic foundation,” said Urban in a 2018 podcast interview. “Wikipedia is good at telling you where the walls are… I’ll go to the bottom of Wikipedia and start clicking on reference links. And then I’ll go on YouTube… So the more I learn, the less icky the topic gets. When the topic gets un-icky, it starts to be super delicious. [By the end], you hear seven different people articulate it in seven different ways and it just rounds out your understanding.”
Since the inception of the blog in 2014 Urban has maintained the quality of his writing, meaning there are troves of content on a variety of matters that will be sure to keep you entertained and fascinated in 2021. The header of the blog’s website features the charming phrase “new post every sometimes,” so if Urban’s content sounds interesting, make sure to check waitbutwhy.com for new posts. Only sometimes, though.
Screenshot from waitbutwhy.com
