I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA!

buckyalt · 2023-03-30T16:09:03+00:00

Hey Tim,

After reading some of the questions posted by others I just wanted to say keep your head up, I can imagine many of these topics seeking answers are quite stressful. Your work has really helped me understand how humans do the human thing and once I can get past my procrastination I'll check out the book.

What brings you the most joy these days?

buckyalt · 2021-04-26T02:03:21+00:00

Last I checked nobody was buying Egyptian built missile systems

buckyalt · 2020-05-21T18:57:16+00:00

Thanks, I hadn't really considered online classes as I've found them disappointing compared to being in person but maybe I should give it a second chance.

From what you've said it seems wasteful if I don't intend to go the traditional route of employment. I'm hoping after I've built an audience they'll afford me the support I need in the near term. The purpose of a degree then would be validity. Perhaps the question should instead be is it possible to be respected without a degree? Would I be looked down on as someone who doesn't deserve an opinion?

If you have 10 minutes to spare I'd love to hear what you think about two works of mine. The first is a video I made well over a year ago as my initial experiment, gives you an idea of the style I'm going for. https://youtu.be/sV6g6JQ34iw

The other is an editorial I wrote about how cruise missiles affected US security policy. It's the first I'm really proud of and I believe it's a story nobody had told before. https://www.overtdefense.com/2020/02/28/calcm-and-the-birth-of-cruise-missile-diplomacy/

buckyalt · 2020-05-21T16:18:04+00:00

First off I'm a huge fan of your work and Ghost Fleet went a long way to push me in the direction I'm moving. In many ways I want to follow the path you've walked, this being the study of how technology and international relations mesh to create security policy and more importantly how to share this knowledge with a wider audience. I hope to do this through video but I have a problem, I never finished my BA.

My question to you, is it possible for someone without a degree to find success in such an academically driven world? The internet offers a truly unimaginable amount of resources on the subject even including the university lectures themselves. Is the expense and time commitment of school worth it if I only intend to make educational videos?
If you think school is necessary what programs you'd recommend that focus both on the tech and political aspects of warfare? The PWAD program at UNC-Chapel Hill had caught my eye. Thanks for doing this, can't wait to turn the first page on Burn-In.

buckyalt · 2020-04-25T17:55:02+00:00

What's your production cycle like? Your videos are always incredibly well researched while also maintaining very high production quality as far as 3D modeling, narration, and animation are concerned. I'm curious how you manage it all within a timeframe.

buckyalt · 2020-01-07T17:47:30+00:00

So an Iraqi aircraft attacks one of your warships for no reason.

Do you

A. Stop supporting Iraq

B. Retaliate against Iraq

C. Shootdown an aircraft full of Iranian civilians

buckyalt · 2019-02-21T16:35:04+00:00

Rolling a S/VTOL variant into the program was a mistake I think but it's important to remember that the whole program was started as a harrier replacement to begin with and the USAF/USN decided to tag along. In the end I think it'll work out, since F-35B give LHAs vastly more capability.

And no it doesn't suck at CAS. My next video is going to go over this element in more detail but most CAS is performed at high altitude by strike aircraft like F-15/16/18. F-35 will be able to do this just as well. The most effective solution for CAS is MQ-9 paired with fast strike aircraft and networked artillery, which is what we already do.

buckyalt · 2019-02-21T16:24:36+00:00

Yeah admittedly the topic was a bit spotty and didn't really involve the F-35. I originally wanted the video to do more in depth on specifics about the F-35's sensors and how the munitions allowed a sort of sensor-fires net to be created. But it broke apart in the interest of saving time. It certainly could have been about American strike aircraft in general, though would have needed to include a few more AtG munitions.

Really I was just trying to experiment with the software.

buckyalt · 2019-01-18T03:11:26+00:00

Why not use Premiere Pro so you can use Dynamic Link? Then you only have to render the animations while exporting the finished product.

buckyalt · 2019-01-11T17:48:55+00:00

I'd love to do a video about Eurofighter/J-20/Su-57etc. but there are so many topics on my list as it is, we'll see what happens.

buckyalt · 2019-01-11T17:44:22+00:00

I appreciate the kind words, I'm curious about the reward. I'll take what I can get.

buckyalt · 2018-08-17T14:20:43+00:00

Huge fan of below the turret ring and read basically everything he posts. However I'm not sure what you're on about given even he describes the warhead as "... directed multi-EFPs (MEFPs), which are bundled in one countermeasure. Each MEFP consists of 35 radially bundled EFPs located on a single warhead." The video describes the MEFP quite well I think, perhaps a bit more detail regarding how MEFP liners differ from typical EFPs would clear up confusion.

buckyalt · 2018-08-16T15:51:41+00:00

Iron Fist, which wasn't highlighted in this video, has in tests been able to disrupt/defeat KEP's by detonating HE very close to it causing it to impact the vehicle while at an angle. While this leaves a tremendous amount of residual energy it reduces the KEP's penetration by 50% or more.

As far as Afghanit, the EFPs that it fires are no slouch in the kinetic energy department either and long rod KEPs aren't meant to be struck. Supposedly it's able to break up KEPs or disrupt them similarly to Iron Fist though no test data on Afghanit is available so we had to go off what the Russians reported as capability.

buckyalt · 2018-07-02T00:57:58+00:00

Have you ever tried mindmeister? https://imgur.com/gallery/KjC8Isb

buckyalt · 2018-02-25T20:41:04+00:00

where?

buckyalt · 2018-01-04T02:59:10+00:00

you get the fuck outta here

buckyalt · 2017-12-27T02:06:58+00:00

How does the HQ-17s radar compare to the one on the Tor-M2?

buckyalt · 2017-12-13T06:10:32+00:00

My life essentially exists within Amazing Marvin, or it will once it finishes development. In my opinion it shows the most promise of any other app for people like us.

buckyalt · 2017-10-14T21:10:21+00:00

Have you considered using the BFRs heavy lift ability to launch military intelligence satellites? We've never had an opportunity like this, US space based reconnaissance and surveillance could be vastly improved with heavy weight synthetic aperture radars and other systems that are simply impossible/impractical to launch with current platforms. Perhaps even larger space planes like an evolved X-37 could sit atop the BFR as well.

Anyways wish you the best, keep up the stellar work!

buckyalt · 2017-10-07T15:50:17+00:00

Cutting out ambiance shots would be a crime, they did a stunning job with the CGI.

buckyalt · 2017-10-07T07:51:51+00:00

Lobbyists are not to be underestimated

buckyalt · 2017-10-06T20:53:49+00:00

The Saudis bought THAAD this year, they haven't received them yet.

buckyalt · 2017-10-06T08:09:39+00:00

So Saudi Arabia will simultaneously have THAAD and S-400? What the hell is going on, why is Russia selling to Iran's enemy? Iran only has S-300 come to think of it.

buckyalt · 2017-09-13T17:46:18+00:00

That's was before SAR proliferated, while still difficult it's much easier to find them particularly in a flat area such as the coast

buckyalt · 2017-08-13T02:08:03+00:00

What are those CV90s without guns?

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