Tim Urban

My book What's Our Problem? is now available. The book introduces a new framework for thinking about our chaotic political environment. With 303 drawings, it's a toolbox for understanding our societies, our group dynamics, and our own minds. Get it here: waitbutwhy.com/whatsourproblem

Snakes and it's not even close

@Nappedyret It's usually for scrambled eggs. The chef will be fine.

@waitbutwhy It is an insult to the chef not to taste the food first ;-)

I've asked 3,563 waiters for hot sauce when I order my food and all 3,563 have forgotten to bring it.

@Nabil_Alouani_ I stubbornly refuse to change my process. I need to see if any waiter will ever remember to bring it in my lifetime.

@waitbutwhy Have you tried asking for hot sauce right *after* they bring the dish? It sounds counter productive but it works much better especially if you smile and thank them.

Stories shape our future. Story tellers manifest our destiny. Someone, somewhere, is writing an epic screenplay that is more Star Trek, than Terminator. A vision of a compelling and optimistic tomorrow that will shape humanity’s next few decades. The cell phone, the internet, humanoid robots, self-driving cars, voice assistants, and Starships were all imagined in science fiction before they were built by engineers. Stories are blueprints. Question: What if we asked storytellers around the world to envision an epic and compelling future for humanity, and then funded them to produce that film? What if we could flood the world with positive visions of the future, rather than dystopian predictions? Announcing the Future Vision XPRIZE 🧵

Is Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) a longevity maximalist? A primer on 8 of his key writings, ahead of his visit to @Prosperahn during the lib/acc Summit 2026. 👇 /1

14 hours and 10 drawings later, it’s a wrap. So many good conversations and helpful ideas from commenters. Love my readers ❤️

8 hours in. Drawings are getting weird. Join us. (Link in pinned post)

Going live now! Come procrastinate with me while I do book drawings. See my pinned tweet for the link.

Since mid-2023, I’ve been working on a book about everything—from the Big Bang to the end of the universe. I’m currently in the drawing phase and will be doing them publicly today—sharing my screen on an all-day livestream starting at 11:30am ET. Come hang out, ask questions, mock my incompetence as an illustrator, or anything else you want to do. youtube.com/live/rRuaA3nrq…

Apparently I'm wrong and achilles tendons heal on their own. Happy for ancient people.

Until recently, snapping your achilles tendon just made you a cripple for life

The uterus is an absurd organ [IG: pregnancy.advice]

@mjpost Yeah I think about that a lot. With two kids there’s one sibling relationship. Having a third kid triples that number.

@waitbutwhy x.com/simonsarris/st…

We have two daughters (1 and 3). I really like them. I’m 44 and my wife is 35. Should we stop here or have a third?

@markvalorian I have Apple’s 32” 6K and Dell’s 32” 6K and Apple’s is notably better

@waitbutwhy I have never understood the reason why someone pays 5-7x the price of essentially an identical alternative from LG/Dell/etc for these Studio Display monitors.

I might be the only person who cares about this but I can't believe Apple no longer sells a 32" monitor. Their new high-end monitors are all 27" and you can no longer buy a 32" monitor from them. I can never go back to 27" so I guess I'll be buying non-Apple monitors from now on.

@vandermood86 My wife’s family fled Iran in 1979 so I know a thing or two beyond that

@waitbutwhy Tim, i bet you know nothing about Khamenai other than what US news diffuse.

Adolf Hitler, hard-line nationalist who rebuilt Germany into a European power, dies at 56

The same litmus test should be applied to all social, cultural, and religious movements

I’m far from a geopolitics expert but “if Government X had the power to do whatever they wanted, they would likely choose to annihilate our entire nation” seems like an important litmus test for whether a country can be dealt with normally vs. only with coercion.