Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this episode, John and Hank Green discuss everything from the mechanics of writing dual narrators in fiction to whether Earth holds more air or water by volume. The hosts debate the quality of life across human history, noting that while modern life has brought life expectancy and infant mortality improvements, human suffering has taken on new shapes of perceived injustice. They also unpack the complex logic behind book tour routing, the statute of limitations on forgotten thank you cards, and Blue Origin winning a multi-million-dollar NASA contract for Martian telecommunications.
John and Hank welcome listeners and set the stage for the episode.
They explain how infant mortality and overall life expectancy shaped human history and modern injustice.
John answers questions about his new novel, writing dual narrators, and offers advice for writers.
They answer a listener's question about whether Earth has more air or water by volume, explaining atmospheric physics.
The brothers discuss the use of the pronoun "it" in weather statements and other contexts with a young listener.
They debate why Americans often ignore other countries' successes and the impact of American exceptionalism.
The hosts recap the main topics discussed earlier in the episode.
The hosts thank the production team and give credit to the podcast crew.
Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter-Gatherersdebate
John challenges Kurt Vonnegut's late-in-life argument that society should return to hunter-gatherer times, noting the drastic differences in infant mortality and modern medicine.
Hank and John explain that historical low life expectancies were not just driven by infant mortality, but by elevated death risks across every single decade of life.
Unimplemented Knowledgeinsight
John argues that what makes the current century uniquely devastating is having massive amounts of knowledge that we fail to properly implement.
Writing Dual Narratorsstrategy
John explains how taking a four-year break between writing different characters allowed him to successfully shift perspectives in his book Hollywood Ending.
Volume of Earth Air vs Waterinsight
Hank clarifies that Earth's atmosphere takes up more volume than its oceans, extending far out into space without a hard container.
Book Tour Logisticsstrategy
John reveals the hidden publishing metrics behind book tour routing, including balancing past store events and avoiding repeated cities.
World Economic Forum Drawstory
John shares an amusing anecdote about his worst post-fame event draw happening at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Hank reports that Blue Origin secured a 700 million dollar NASA contract to build a telecommunications orbiter for Mars by 2028.
“I had a pet. I had several pet dinosaurs as I was growing up.”
“Every age was an age at which you were more likely to die than you are today until you reach, you know, the 80s.”
“The most common decade of death was the 70s, but at the same time, you were unlikely to make it, like, you had a less than 50% chance of making it to your 70s.”
“We have more knowledge that we don't implement. And so I think people are it feels much more unjust.”
“If you just like, made Earth like, equally, like, entirely smooth, then the Earth's water would make a layer about 2.7 kilometers deep, and the compressed atmosphere would make a layer about eight kilometers deep.”
How did John approach writing dual narrators? Is there more air or water on Earth? How do book tours choose their stops? How late is too late to send a thank you card? Why do people say “it” when talking about weather? Why don’t Americans look at how other countries deal with the same problems? What is the symbol in the Dear Hank and John logo? …Hank and John Green have answers! If you're in need of dubious advice, email us at [email protected] Join us for monthly livestreams at patreon.com/dearhankandjohn Produced for Hank and John Green by Complexly See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
9,073 words · 3 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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