What Are Ideas, and Who Gets to Have Them?

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: to.pbs.org/donateidea
Finale, Pt 1 of 3
The Idea Channel farewell office hours will be on September 8th from 6 to 8pm at Caveat in NYC. RSVPs (required) will open on August 18th around 2pm ET. It is an all ages event; there will be alcohol present.
Is Mario A Surrealist Masterpiece comment responses: • Comment Responses: Is ...
Tweet of the week: / 897717530650959874
- SOCIAL MEDIA -
Find Mike at
/ mikerugnetta
/ mikerugnetta
/ rheumatictangle
Find Mike’s Podcast Reasonably Sound at
/ reasonablysnd
/ reasonablysnd
/ reasonably-sound and anywhere you listen to podcasts
Find IC at
/ pbsideachannel
/ pbsideachannel
/ pbsideachannel
#pbsideachannel on freenode
-- SOURCES --
footnotes.pbsideachannel.com/b...
---------------------------------------­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­------------------------­-­-­-­
Written and hosted by Mike Rugnetta
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

[@DoodleDabble]

It's like the editor had the idea, "Well, it's the last three... let's go all out and use ALL THE GIFS!"

[@leocelente]

What I'm gonna miss most are the GIFs (not GIFs). I've never seen a channel with a so perfect selection. Whoever selects them deserves a medal.

[@StepBackHistory]

Here's an idea idea

[@SciJoy]

What is the opposite of a welcome potato? A goodbye artichoke?

[@Viviantoga]

What's the most impactful word in Public Broadcast Service Idea Channel's name? EDIT: All of them, or none of them?

[@StepBackHistory]

A farewell funnelcake

[@runningohfive]

Here's an idea what if Idea Channel never actually existed and it is in fact a fantasy created in the minds of several pop culture nerds who are so neck deep in it that they have mentally constructed a KZbin show about over analyzing pop culture, and therefore Mike himself is actually an alter analytical personality that millions of users on KZbin have made up.

[@StepBackHistory]

The problem is that I met him once,... HOW DEEP DOES THIS GO?!?!?

[@alicepow593]

I'm about to start my senior year of university, and over the course of my time as a student, I've become increasingly aware of the elitism of ideas especially within academic circles. It certainly does not apply to every student or professor, but I've found that there are people who only want to consider ideas that come from a certain kind of source. If you happen to be as queer as I am, it's imperative to remain calm and clear as crystal in order to avoid some people's intellectual dismissal. I guess my point is that one of the things I love about Idea Channel is that anybody can comment and have their perspective valued even if they do not fit into the classic vision of a thinker. I can bring my queerness explicitly to my comment or leave it out, but I never need to hide it. I've felt continuously accepted as a viewer and as a commentator. In every episode, Idea Channel has embodied the decentralizing of the 'idea market' which I value so much. Thank you for being my favorite thing on the entire internet (that's not an exaggeration) for the past few years since I found this channel.

[@TsukiraLuna]

It took me five years to say this... Thank you. Thank you for making these great videos.

[@Blabla130]

We're never going to have the "Is skateboarding actually a kind of ballet?" episode.

[@jetsetbetties]

I've been putting off watching the final three episodes of this channel for almost five years, as a way to never have this show end. Today I guess I start the episodic walk to the funeral.

[@johncoleman1930]

Why am I crying I just want more idea channel but I want to see where mike will go😢😢😢

[@Holobrine]

Everyone can make complex ideas, but not everyone does. Some don't take the opportunity. Thank you for providing such an opportunity for those who may not have had one otherwise.

[@DoodleDabble]

I love the philosophy of A Thousand Plateaus! Everything is connected. Every idea is connected. No subject is an island. Science is processed through math, expressed through language/communication, impactful on and impacted by history, and its usage and pursuit is governed by philosophy.

[@doughboydevito4529]

1:44-1:50 BUT WHAT IS MORE UNEXPECTED THAN A POTATO, MIKE?!?!?!? :P

[@beretperson]

Doughboy Devito I know the answer: POTATO.

[@hoponpop33]

See, I thought you would say two potatoes, but then you had to go an surprise me with a single potato.

[@Trinity0941]

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!

[@Arkylie]

I still remember fondly the chapter of Sideways Stories from Wayside School where one of the kids was going to get a tattoo, and he ended up getting a tattoo of a potato. And all the other kids had things to say about how he should've gotten this or that other tattoo, it would've been better or cooler, but he was just like "But I wanted a tattoo of a potato." Now that is a kid to emulate ^_^ knows what he wants and doesn't let peer pressure decide for him, or social criticism make him doubt his own sense of style.

[@Drake00075]

I would've said no potatoes.

[@pgraterol]

This channel and this community are a beacon of hope to a world that it's drifting away from the practice of nuanced thinking. Thank you Mike, for creating materials that prompted and incentivized a love for knowledge and a higher appreciation of popular culture and thanks to this community for sparking great ideas and great discussions in a very engaging and courteous way! I will certainly miss it, but I'm also very excited for all of Mike's future endeavors and for all the amazing ideas that the members of this community will have!

[@CognitiveGear]

I honestly didn't expect your videos have such a well-thought out 'strategy' (or, uh, forumla?) behind them, and I'm glad you're willing to open it up to us. It might be better that this show is ending, because I think this 'idea' is more valuable than maybe all the others you've presented - and ironically, the only way to present it, to give it justice, is to undermine the entire show as a piece performance art. Once the magic trick is revealed, the magician is out of a job. But this idea is worth sharing, because too many educators share knowledge the wrong way. They teach things to know, or methods to do, without giving the student a reason to care, beyond vague ideas of 'being educated' or 'being cultured', or more direct (but short-term) incentives, like passing a piece of assessment. Giving people direct, meaningful examples that they will care about (because it's from pop culture they consume, or it's related to recent news events) is worth more than a lecture, and I think you've done something positive. And hey, now everyone is their own idea channel.

[@methuselah2202]

Mike and the Idea Channel Team, I know you may not get to see this comment, however I just want to thank you for making these videos. They always sparked my curiosity and were such a relief to watch when I needed a break from school work. In a small way how the videos got my brain working and my ability to adequately research and study concepts discussed instilled me with the confidence to finish up my degree, and now I am pursuing graduate school! Thank you for everything!

[@AirborneSurfer]

I had a teacher in high school that reminds me of an older version of Mike. He would challenge us to find the connections between seemingly unrelated concepts/things/ideas, which he dubbed "M3s" (as in, you can hold up 3 fingers, then invert them to form the letter M). The whole point of his class was to foster the sort of thought that would generate these M3s. I think that's why I was drawn to IC when I first found it about a year ago; it brought back the sort of fun mental exercises that I relished as a kid and haven't experienced (even at University) since. Thanks Mike. Thanks PBS. I'll catch y'all on the flip flop, tally-ho!

[@DurekuDragon]

Thank you Mike for bringing us all Idea Channel. I can say that Idea Channel has helped me to develop the way that I think and go about my daily life. The mere concept of presenting concepts and receiving info as observation has helped me to better share my Ideas with others. I am so happy that you lured me in with the promise of memes and justification of my own confirmation bias. Instead of merely entertaining me you showed me a new perspective on all the things that I love and opened my mind to new things to love. The format of The Idea Channel is the best analogue for my thought process and how i process the world. The observational way of thinking has helped me to be a happier person and helped me to make other people happy as well. Once again, thank you Mike, Idea channel has helped me to become the person i am today. It might have taken me my entire life to learn the lessons that this series has taught me. I hope you get to reading this. I also hope that the Idea channel somehow outlives its brief life on KZbin so that others may learn from it as I did. -Drake

[@katiestolealltheunicorns9309]

In the context of communication ideas must be commonalities, but to stand out they must be different, this duality always plays into my concept of confidence, as it really is in many ways about what you feel you can confide to the people around you. To constrict yourself to having only original ideas is a quick way to stop communicating, so it's a real balance in making a piece of art or culture and even just in conversation sometimes to not be afraid to draw upon the world and ideas which aren't just yours, but also to keep being spontaneous, random and to keep shaping your ideas (consciously or unconsciously) to resemble yourself.

[@Masquerola]

I started watching Idea Channel and I wish I got on board a little earlier. Time to go back and watch all the old stuff and not really participate in the community...

[@paytoncordova8598]

Sadly same.

[@JustCozItsMe]

Ive been around since early and have hardly participated. We both have our regrets. He isnt disappearing from online though, dont know what yet but hes kinda hinted at other things he has in mind after his vacation. Edit: Just want to be clear that it isnt going to be on this channel.

[@DoodleDabble]

Building vs using. I think this is an important distinction. We think of genius as someone who brings out novel ideas from the void. Genius is in seeing new connections, adding new spins, USING ideas.

[@brockmckelvey7327]

I added this video to my playlist: "Ideas". I made this playlist after the Idea Channel video "Hell is Quoting Other People". It's mostly been just Idea Channel and Extra Credits videos, but it's fun to look back on from time to time to see what ideas are worth keeping for my future self. It's a very long playlist.

[@darryshan]

Brock McKelvey It might be worth adding PhilosophyTube and Folding Ideas to that!

[@mysticjp7684]

Well you should look at it now in 2020

[@trehil]

I've been watching Idea Channel since the Hatsune Miku episode and I've never contributed to the conversation, just consumed and used the ideas presented. Thank you for all the food for thought. I just want you to know that you are appreciated.

[@JM-us3fr]

Here's an idea: Mike is a role model for hundreds of thousands of people. We love you man!

[@PhoebeGavin]

I'm going to cry when this is over.

[@kappaross6124]

OH MY GOD that Descartes pun was painful and I will miss that pain.

[@5kribbles]

This is a great example of why you write the introduction to your paper last.

[@matthomer1342]

Mike would be the best freshman composition instructor ever

[@LikeTheBuffalo]

I wish I could make it to your farewell party, but I will be there in spirit. Ideas are important, and this channel was important, too.

[@DoodleDabble]

I fear being wrong. I lose my repuatation of being a good idea person once I'm wrong. Once I'm wrong, people move on to the next thinker. And high achievers, especially in school, are known for fearing being wrong, and I feel like it is because of these expectations. Let's build communities where we don't attach ideas to the names that gave them. Where we don't pass the judgement on the idea onto the person. Where we don't take offense when we are wrong.

[@saylo8796]

This comment deserves more likes.

[@ankhprime]

In this video, Mike gives us guidelines to follow to make our own Idea Channels. You could even name it Idea Channel.

[@Ko_Zilek]

In the ashes of the Idea Channel; We think, we become the new idea.

[@SECONDQUEST]

Thanks Idea Channel, it's been a wild ride. Stay gold.

[@alirazazaidi9254]

Here's an idea, the world needs the idea channel

[@nebulous432]

Thank you for doing Idea Channel for so many years. I only discovered it a couple of months ago, and I have watched nearly every video already. A couple weeks after I subscribed, I was sad to see the video about Idea Channel ending.

[@vitormedeiros153]

I'd probably give a kidney _and_ my appendix to go to this farewell event. Oh, boy, there are so many fucking things that are in my way 1. I'm underage 2. Both my mom and dad are unemployed 3. Mom's a freelancer, but, since she is getting a master's degree she's not doing any jobs for the moment 4. My stepmother just had twins earlier this year and my dad is not only buying a house but also trying to start a company 5. I live in Brazil. Far away and in crisis. Oh, well. ... BUT MIKE WILL BE THERE SOOOOOO PACKIN' MA BAGS also R.I.P. Idea Channel, I fucking love you

[@VGSpikey]

I always figured your use of pop culture was more of a way to ease people who might not be usually interested in the ideas you wanted to talk about into listening to them in the context of something familiar and accessible, but I had never really thought about it as a way to keep the presentation dynamic and conversational. You did a good job, for the record. You don't know me, but I'm proud of you anyway. As a conversation, it can be pretty lopsided, given that it's your channel and your cahhhntent, but you always find a way to keep it level, real, and grounded. I've appreciated the videos over the years. I don't think I've ever replied but here's one for the conversation. Cheers!

[@SiGeTVee]

What do I think? "Just do it!" "Don't let your dreams be dreams", etc.

[@Matthew_Murray]

This was extremely inspiration. You turned something that I was sad about, Idea Channel ending, and turned around instead of this being an ending you thrust the torch of ideas and the tools needed into the hands of everyone watching this video. Thank-you.

[@JozefLewitzky]

I'm a philosophy graduate student who specializes in the french post-structuralists (Derrida and Deleuze in particular). It heartens me to hear that your channel is so greatly inspired by Deleuze, he is the thinker whose ability and ideas I am trying to reach in my own work. I've loved this channel since I first discovered it three years ago, and now I can see yet another reason why. You will be missed my friend.

[@Corran109]

These last videos make me simultaneously excited and sad. Thank you for all your work and for inspiring us to have ideas.

[@Allyouknow5820]

The only thought that came to my mind, as the episode ended was "I love you guys, really. You've really brought joy into my life for the past 3 or 4 years !" (and I also thought about the familiarity I have now with Deleuze, or Bourdieu, or even other french authors that I didn't knew well even though I'm french, so thanks for that, been reading them, wonderful addition to my view of our world)

[@KatTallest]

I am so sad to see this channel reach its end. I think this has been one of the very best things on the internet. You've provided deep and meaningful but still light hearted insight for so many topics from the grand to the very mundane. Never above a cheap laugh, and yet a source of wisdom anyway. Thanks so much for all the thought and effort over the years. A genuine force for good in a maddening world.

[@danielmcelroy4505]

I'm going into my senior year at college in two weeks and that last quote really resonated. *Don't have just ideas, just have ideas.* As an artist/ designer/ video producer &editor/ photographer/ etc. I am reaching to "build" a great body of work. But, especially right now in this social and political climate, I'm trying to listen and respond. Find useful ideas and make something happen. And hopefully help somebody in the process.

[@claudiazg9932]

Thanks for everything Mike, and community, it has been a great ride

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

So Mike puts lots of Mike into these videos so those who think differently feel pressured to mention as such. Good idea.

[@bunkusboo]

"Be the Idea Channel you wish to see in the world." -Mike, 2017

[@gigglysamentz2021]

I find that one of the most interesting parts of the parallels is where they break down!

[@tristragyopsie5464]

I will miss new videos when you're gone. BUT this is not a sad thing. this channel has inspired deep thought, and has even been shared with others to nothing but positive ends.

[@evan-maltby]

So sadhappy to begin this farewell tour, and I love this episode because it so adroitly and clearly puts into words something that I've felt and understood about IC for so long, without the terminology to state it, BUT: Mostly, I'm just loving how Ben is pulling out ALL THE STOPS, as we head into the home stretch. Kudos, ʒife-meister.

[@SuperFenderson]

Well, now I know why I liked this channel so much. Apparently I was using nomadic thought most of my life. It's strange when we have "original thoughts" on our own, but then find out that someone else had them before us (and given them a name). I'll miss this channel. Thanks for everything Mike.

[@MaskedMammal]

There's been some good ideas and some less agreeable ones, but all in all it's been a good ride. And it's been a real treat to see my own contribution make it into a couple of the discussion videos! I've been challenged on a few things and really made to consider unconventional viewpoints, and that's always a good thing. It may be difficult to quantify the affect Idea Channel has had, but it's really a special thing when a KZbin comment section can be this consistently good, even when dealing with controversial issues. Here's to whatever comes next (maybe a bit preemptive given the two videos still on the way), and to the hope that more will be inspired to do as you've done here~

[@TheMaplestrip]

I got close to crying already. I think it is likely I'll go all out with bawling in the next two episodes. Amazing stuff as always, Mike, and the team.

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

I'm so gonna go through the archive of videos when Idea Channel does end. I want to harness the powers of Nomadic Thought and learn from Mike's rad teachings. Also, gifs.

[@Holobrine]

This episode was very meta.

[@lightningmcgee]

I like the idea of having ideas and then deciding whether they're right.. it's like every essay I've ever written

[@bmorenasty8713]

"Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear." ~Lucas

[@robinjac4322]

The practice of name-giving is a fascinating one. I love the use instead of build perspective on thought, but I never had words to describe it. And now the words have lifted this perspective out of the realm of sensations into the world of concepts. Thank you Mike :)

[@KeenoG]

Thanks for all the great ideas over the past 5 years!

[@jessecooper5900]

Since i started watching your show 4 years ago, the idea channel way of looking at the world and treating ideas has become a huge part of my life. when i started university, i had never written a complex essay before, and i approached it by thinking "i need to write this like an idea channel episode". since then i have found a new enjoyment and respect of academia and essay writing ( and now i have a degree). so thanks for putting into words the methods and thoughts that have opened up the world, and how to think about it, for me in so many different ways.

[@Dzejens]

Like the Deleuzian concept of the body without organs you can never reach Idea Channel, you are forever attaining it. It is constantly moving and it is a process of becoming. I think it is very fitting to describe the principles of Idea Channel as fluid and I see it most of all as a desire to create and attain "something" that is constantly just out of reach. I think that is one of things that many fans have loved about this channel - it is never a fully fledged concept, but something that is constantly becoming before our eyes and that we get to be part in creating.

[@ak2wa2or]

the dancing mike around the four minute mark is exemplary work, and funny as hell

[@the_lograf]

I don't know if I'm ready for this to end.

[@prysmakitty]

I really wish I'd found this channel much earlier. As usual, I found something awesome not long before it ends. I'll still be going through the older videos and enjoying them, some of them more than once so I can reflect on them, but it'll be a sad thing, knowing that it's finite and there are no new ones coming. I wish you the best in wherever you're going next - and I'll be watching for that!

[@Therudicle2]

This idea about doing then deciding what you make of the experience is new and helpful for me, since I have a hard time writing due to too much self criticism. So thanks for this one especially.

[@ruairiblake]

It's really great seeing the underlying principles to how this channel has been run since it's had such an impact on how I use information academically! Heck, my undergraduate final project for my psychology degree was inspired by your video about Call of Duty and Moral Responsibility!

[@tugbacnarl6060]

you guys are awesome, thanks for touching our lives with your nomadic thoughts...

[@StealingCookiez]

How fucking sweet would it be to trip with this dude

[@DStrormer]

I'm finally making myself watch these episodes. I kept them saved in my Watch Later queue just because I wanted there to still be more Idea Channel waiting for me to watch it, but now is the time.

[@voltcorp]

seeing idea channel under the interpretation of nomadic thought was the first thing so far to actually convince me that you're right in ending such a good show.

[@BonesNeverLie]

It make me sad that I missed all of this. 8 months later and I'm finding out this show is over

[@dvklaveren]

This tends to be my modus operandi. I just have ideas, I exposit them and I guage reactions, I store them and I move on. I will get back to some of them and be surprised and that is when the building process really starts.

[@aaronborok8398]

Holy cow I've never been so early to one of your videos before, but I literally couldn't wait to watch this one. I think another kind of point to make in regards to your "taking big ideas and mixing it with other ideas," is it really creates a place for people who aren't familiar with these big-name theories a good applied introduction. You mentioned this somewhat in the video, but I think it's an important point, at least for me personally. At this point I've read stuff like 1000 Plateaus and the like, but I dunno if I would've ever heard of folks like Baudrillard or Barthes as early as I did if it wasn't for you and your videos. You do a great job of not just giving a basic overview of people, but in fact applying and using them in places that we (the audience) are familiar with. I think that's one of the best parts of Idea Channel, is that ability to make hugely complex ideas accessible without necessarily just "dumbing them down" or "simplifying" them.

[@n.m.8728]

Idea Channel has been kind of formative to me through highschool and college. Also, I have a blanket which I crochetted entirely while watching Idea Channel episodes in high school

[@Morgan-wu9gs]

I really appreciate how you tried to allow for differing ideas and perspectives, and how you recognize that others can experience a complete different reality from you. I am queer and the gender episodes you did way back helped turn me on to philosophy and cultural theory. In those episodes especially you drew from ideas that were based around an experience that was totally different from yours and still allowed for a discussion that recognized different perspectives as valid. Compared to the lack of civil discussion occuring in the present, the fact that this community has stayed open to contrasting views without polluting discourse altogether is inspiring. It's sad to see you go.

[@General12th]

Metacognition is awesome. But metametacognition is even better. Next week's video should be about "What are ideas, who gets to have them, and what are ideas about ideas, and who gets to have them?"

[@TheMayorofSpace]

i'll miss this show

[@stuartaxelbrooke9586]

I love this! The idea that the value in ideas is their application. Here's an idea - our brains are incentivized to discover simpler and better ways of predicting the world. Each idea is a component in the stew of synapses, contributing to larger ideas that your brain learns to reach for in certain situations. As you experience more things, you are better able to find commonality and reduce the number of neurons needed to sufficiently "describe" an idea. There are a lot of tempting analogies from machine learning, where we are constantly looking for more efficient ways to teach computers strategies for learning from data (experiences) - to the point where the representation of the data inside the model is also learned, much like it appears to be in our brains.

[@JoshuaHillerup]

Next episode: What are Channels, and who gets to have them?

[@Finkster5]

I just watched an interview with Neil DeGrasse Tyson where he talks about how people who are struggling to survive don't really have time to wonder about the nature of the universe, and I get that. To some degree, our ability to have complex ideas is due to the security of homes and reliable food; we have the luxury and _time_ to consider impractical things (not saying impractical stuff is bad, it's just that some people can afford it and some can't).

[@cr9pr3]

I think this is a very healthy and productive way of looking at things. We tend to be daunted by the giants of the past. We think we cannot match them, but their greatness is built upon their past and so we can do the same. The only thing left to do is trying.

[@roryokane5907]

When Idea Channel goes, I'm going to struggle without regularly hearing Mike say "Content" in his pirate voice.

[@cheaterman49]

As already noted in the comments, it seems like this is more an idea about ideas :-) "the philosophy of Idea Channel" in a sense. It feels like you explain the thought process in depth, with care and honesty. Love it :-)

[@gigglysamentz2021]

It's such a good idea for a finale!

[@TheWarrrenator]

I'm just so plucked that one of comments made it to a response video! Thanks Mike and gang and good luck!

[@mb12320]

Thank you for providing years of provoking thought.

[@fromroots]

Great thinking. Thanks for sharing. "Nomadic thinking" is also a great way of thinking for people who like to think aloud/verbalize and exchange their thoughts with others.

[@MissNickel]

Honestly Mike, I think you should seriously consider your next step as confronting all the "bad" ideas out there. You have previously steered relatively away from the polarizing ideas, with a few amazing exceptions. Our world is increasingly becoming an ideological war front and I think you could do some amazing work digging into the trenches and start more dialogues across isles. I'm pretty positive that this needs to happen more, and it needs someone thoughtful to lead it. I can think of no one better than you. I hope you at least consider this and thank you for all you've done.

[@SciJoy]

I'm going to be in New York that week! Also, I kind of wish this was more what VidCon panels were like, the structured thought of how to run a channel. Not just how to get more view but how to have and execute a mission for a community.

[@torabisurandomT]

+

[@danielmcelroy4505]

+

[@00mongoose]

SciJoy +

[@uispeccoll]

I will be there too. Would love to have this conversation.

[@CDeruiter5963]

Meta Ideas...I love it! Great episode, I especially like your ending remarks because I am always overly cautious in trying to express my ideas. I guess I should be more concerned in expressing them period.

[@febijaimon7466]

RIP Idea Channel - will miss you ;(

[@SinisterSi718113]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I'm gunna cry after part 3

[@holdencovington151]

I'm going to miss this so much

[@alltheotherhandlesweretaken]

Anyone else feel like the gifs and animations person was just going ham in this episode?

Yeah at 2:41, he lists religion and the TARDIS shows up 😂

[@somniad]

The comment responses are understated pretty severely, I think. There are a few important functions that comment response videos serve, and one of the most important ones is to provoke thought. Inviting all kinds of constructive thought into a discussion creates a sort of natural desire to be part of that conversation, and to help advance ideas further than before comments were left. Comment response videos are important because they remind the viewer that the conversation isn't over with what the video says - there is always room to question, expand, and modify existing ideas to make them better, even the time-tested ones by famous philosophers, and anybody can take part in this process of idea refinement, and the very concept of idea refinement is one of the most powerful thinking tools a person can have.

[@JoshuaCasper]

inspiring... going to miss this channel. Though, on and up!!!!

[@pokechao196]

1:18 "All subjects of mental activity, all things that you think with or about, are ideas." I think, therefore idea. Fits perfectly with the picture of Descartes. I'm kinda surprised it wasn't a speech bubble.

[@zachmelisi568]

So I don't actually comment in any media a lot, but I just wanted to say that nothing has made me want to interact in forums like KZbin more than Idea Channel. KZbin comments are famously fickle, and the idea of embracing that forum as completely as this channel does has, for me, really expanded the idea of what an Internet community can look like. The conversations that have been supported through this channel, the material for the episodes, and the wide variety of media that Idea Channel has introduced me to, have noticeably impacted my own conversations, interactions and ideas since I first subscribed. I point people to this channel's material as often as I can, and will continue to do so as long as it is conversationally relevant (Which will be at least as long as I keep using GIF/JIF/ZHAIF to discuss the fragility of language and irritate my friends). So thanks, and best of luck to all in whatever other communities we find ourselves.

[@DamnFoolishKids]

Nomadic thought for you - living inside of our shared reality bubbled up into our species and out of our mouths is ideas...and we take these ideas to mean exactly what is the reality we share. and then we live by them as if they were not quite so fictional, not fragile stained glass of ancient churches but the mountains our holy men came down from. and we build the cathedrals so that we can come together and share. the more we share the more bricks are in the church the more it seems to be a mountain. it becomes inescapable. so we abstract away enough for perspective but as we do we have reformed once again and collapsed back into this shared space so that when we synthesize we are still inside. you are the architect of my thought and I of yours. and we keep moving and building and breaking and remaking and underneath it all still lies the same truths about ourselves. we are still telling the same stories and creating the same frameworks that we did when we first arose from the dust upright. and we feel as if each telling is more pure more right more just more correct...what if it was the first concepts that were at the truest they could ever be...when the first brick was laid and I went next door to your cave and struggled to make sounds that we could share and when we shared them we felt the purity of the concept and the purity of sharing it... or more likely we began to fight because you didn't understand exactly what I was saying and I couldn't fathom how this revelation didn't immediately overwhelm you with a sense of awe and absolute truth.

[@UltraSuperGamer]

"Don't have just ideas, just have ideas." What a beautiful idea to work from. Mike, your work has definitely been inspiring, and sparked many conversations about ideas. In my own life I find the phrase "Here's an Idea" creeping into my everyday speech, often preceding an absurd but curious thought. I was wondering if your philosophy of "nomadic thought" has anything to do with the onslaught of Zhaifs and references accompanying you in upper right corner of the screen. What thought goes into those? Cheers, good luck, and thanks for everything.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

I can only imagine a ton of people making idea channel copies to keep the idea chain going.

[@nkanyisoinnocentkhwane3752]

As a filmmaker & visual artist I want to share ideas. It's hard to articulate when you've spent most of your life behind an easel or at an editing bay. I think it important to get your ideas out there because we get bogged down by ideas if we allow them to stagnate.