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Awesome Cgp Grey

Sidekick Desktop Notepad

Sidekick Desktop Notepad

CGP Grey’s Cortex brand created the Sidekick, a wide-format notepad that works hand-in-hand with your computer workspace. It sits between you and your keyboard and has a large, gridded area for sketching and a narrow space for to-do lists on the right. It’s made with 60 pages of premium Munken Lynx paper with a cover made from recycled coffee cups.

Metric Paper & Everything in the Universe

Metric Paper & Everything in the Universe

Unlike US paper sizes, metric paper sizes like A3 and A4 can be folded into quarters to make smaller standard size sheets. CGP Grey explains the satisfying math of this paper sizing standard, then zooms in and out to see how it relates to the exponential nature of the universe.

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Grading American State Flags

Grading American State Flags

CGP Grey has a thing for flags. In this video, he goes state-by-state through America to assess each flag and whether or not they succeed at some basic concepts like being simple, easy to identify from a distance, distinct from others, meaningful, and free from words. A surprising number of flags failed right off the bat.

The Strange Story of Antarctica’s Flag

The Strange Story of Antarctica’s Flag

While there have been flags associated with Antarctica, they have never been official. That’s because Antarctica isn’t a country. CGP Grey explains how this enormous land mass is dotted with scientific outposts representing numerous countries and how it ended up with its various flags over the years.

How Airport Codes Work

How Airport Codes Work

The airport code LAX stands for Los Angeles International, which makes sense. But why is Nashville International BNA? Or Newark International EWR? CGP Gray does his best to untangle the IATA three-letter naming conventions for airports around the globe and the further mess that the FAA made of US names.

How Runway Numbers Work

How Runway Numbers Work

Previously, CGP Grey explained the surprisingly simple numbering scheme for U.S. interstates. Now he’s back to teach us how the numbers on airport runways work. You’ll also learn how airports decide which way to run their runways and what the North Pole has to do with everything. Oh, and this is not a physics video.

How U.S. Interstate Numbers Work

How U.S. Interstate Numbers Work

When the U.S. started creating highways connecting the nation, interstates were identified with a logical numbering scheme. CGP Grey looks back at the rationale behind the numbers which have since become cluttered with intrastate interstates, bypasses, beltways, spurs, and exception cases to confuse matters.

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The Trouble with Tumbleweed

The Trouble with Tumbleweed

Most of us know tumbleweed from its appearance in old Westerns, or maybe we’ve seen a couple along the side of the road in the desert Southwest. But as CGP Grey explains, these seemingly innocuous plants are anything but harmless, with their nasty thorns, incredible flammability, and propensity to multiply like, uh, weeds.

The Tale of Tiffany

The Tale of Tiffany

The name “Tiffany” became wildly popular back in the 1980s. But the name came to be long before the I Think We’re Alone Now singer. Learn about the origins of the name and its history over the years in only the way that CGP Grey can tell a story.

The Battle of SHARKS!

The Battle of SHARKS!

While visiting London, historian and storyteller CGP Grey stumbled onto a quirky sculpture of sharks floating in a canal. Not one to ignore something so unusual, he decided to dig into the backstory of this floating artwork and discovered the piece has been mired in a battle between artists, bureaucrats, and conservationists.

Hexagons are the Bestagons

Hexagons are the Bestagons

We all know that bees make their honeycombs by creating nearly perfect hexagonal cells. But why is that they chose hexagons to do their building? CGP Grey looks into the power and strength of this basic six-sided form, especially when it comes to tiling efficiency.

Weekend Wednesday

Weekend Wednesday

In much of the world, a five-day workweek is the norm, with Saturdays and Sundays as our days off. But is that the best day arrangement for maintaining your focus and stamina? CGP Grey explains how breaking up your weekend into two parts can have significant advantages if you have the flexibility to do so.

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Which Planet is Closest?

Which Planet is Closest?

We all learned the positions of the planets from some chart on the wall in grade school. But as CGP Grey reminds us, planets rotate in elliptical orbits at varying speeds around the sun, meaning that the answer isn’t quite as simple as you thought – depending on the question you’re actually asking.

How to Be a Pirate

How to Be a Pirate

Ever wonder why pirates flew the Jolly Roger (aka Skull & Bones) flag? CGP Grey digs into the often flamboyant approach of infamous pirates like Blackbeard, along with some of the clever tricks they used to lure their victims and steal their riches. Learn about the business of piracy here. Inspired by the book The Invisible Hook.

Lockdown Productivity: Spaceship You

Lockdown Productivity: Spaceship You

As we stay home to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we find ourselves in a familiar, but now strange place… our homes now transformed into the place where we work, teach, sleep, eat, exercise, and unwind. CGP Grey provides some tips on remaining productive and sane at home, in hopes of emerging stronger than before.

Indian or Native American?

Indian or Native American?

In the first episode of his series “Reservations”, CGP Grey explains how the Europeans who took over America slapped a label on its indigenous people that would later be thought of as offensive, yet is still commonly used within tribes. Plus, the term selected to replace it has stirred controversy for other reasons.

Airplane Boarding Methods

Airplane Boarding Methods

CGP Grey explores the different ways that airplane passengers can be grouped for boarding, why it takes so long to board in the first place, and why airlines don’t use more efficient means. We love how letting people board at random is actually a viable solution.

What Is Federal Land?

What Is Federal Land?

If you’ve ever wondered why so many areas of land are considered federal property here in the good old U.S. of A., you’ll want to tune into CGP Grey’s video, which provides a great lesson on how land went from being doled out for free to being closely held by the government.

Who Owns the Statue of Liberty?

Who Owns the Statue of Liberty?

CGP Grey shares the ridiculous story of New Jersey and New York’s battle over the ownership of the Statue of Liberty. Thanks to England’s vague terms, Liberty Island has been in contention and eventually divided in the course of an unending struggle.

How YouTube Ads Work

How YouTube Ads Work

YouTube doesn’t have a schedule of shows to base the ads that will be shown alongside its videos. So instead, as CGP Grey explains, the site holds split-second ad placement auctions based on information and estimates about you and the video you’re about to watch.

Social Security Cards Explained

Social Security Cards Explained

CGP Grey explains how Americans have been forced to use their Social Security numbers as identification despite it being completely unfit for the purpose. You can get off the grid, but only under very specific circumstances.

Death & Dynasties

Death & Dynasties

“Being family is the qualification.” CGP Grey – who seems to be auditioning to become a text-to-speech voice – builds on his cynical guide to ruling with a discussion about dynasties. Supporters would rather stay under someone who’s familiar in more ways than one.

3 Rules for Rulers

3 Rules for Rulers

CGP Grey simplifies the lessons from The Dictator’s Handbook to present an incredibly depressing yet ultimately pragmatic picture of how leadership – be it of a country or a family – is achieved and sustained. Our robot overlords can’t get here soon enough.

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