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Tim Urban of Wait But Why at MiXiT 2016

by Cyril, on April 10th 2016

Tim Urban runs a blog: Wait But Why. Some would say it’s about science popularisation. But they would miss its handmade cartoons, its wordy but funny tone, and, above all, its thorough researches.


One day, Tim Urban got a phone call: that was Elon Musk’s personal assistant (yes, Mr Tesla and SpaceX). At first, he thought "that must be a bad joke". But no, Elon Musk is actually fond of his blog, and was offering a tour of his factories, and a discussion about his view on the World. Of course Tim accepted, and wrote not one but four articles in a serie named “Elon Musk, The World’s Raddest Man”, which explain why electric vehicles are important, and why the humanity should colonize Mars.

His last article will explain to you why cryogenists may be less crazy than you have originally thought. Before that, he got his first buzz with a lighter post on seven ways to be insufferable on Facebook. Then he created the now famous characters of the Instant Gratification Monkey and the Panic Monster, driving the brain of a procrastinator.

Instant Gratification Monkey on Wait But Why Panic Monster on Wait But Why

Tim knows also how to step back, and is talented enough to know how to hand it down. By looking at his weekly life calendar, filling a single paper sheet, your life seems suddenly very short, but also full of opportunities.

If we had to name an article that really changed us, that would be for sure the one on artificial intelligence. That’s why we wanted to have him at MiXiT. Computers and software are the tools of a revolution that will deeply change the Humanity, and we can’t know yet if it will be a good or a bad one.

However, Tim Urban won’t be there at #mixit16. Whaaat? Tim Urban is a busy man. When he’s not on TED’s stage talking about procrastination, he’s in SpaceX headquarters to live-comment the rocket launches of his BFF Elon Musk. He won’t be physically there in Lyon, France, but he will give his keynote on Skype: so XXIst century!

Let’s hope the visiocall’s gods will be on our side on Thursday 21st at 5:50pm. We’re so proud to have him, even virtually. The subject might eventually be nerve raking, but also fun, for sure.

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