A bank robber, a Google sheet & the Mongol Empire
A few things I found on the internet while unemployed.
On 17th February, 2026, I lost my job.
As I was getting ready for some calls, I got a meeting invite from someone way up the corporate ladder. I was told my role was made redundant. Just like that, I was made redundant.
I had plans, you know. My annual bonus was due in a month or two, and I really wanted to buy a PS5 this year. Well, that’s not happening anymore.
Anyway, I’m taking a small break right now. Not actively looking for jobs, just thinking about what I actually want. Which means I have a lot of free time. And a lot of free time means a lot of consuming. Articles, videos, podcasts, shows, anything I find.
A lot of you have asked me where I find the stories I write about. My answer has always been that I spend way too much time on the internet. So I thought – why not share some of it? Some of these might even end up inspiring what I write next.
So here’s a mix of fun things I consumed this past month:
Note: If you want this to become a monthly thing (just me sharing things I consumed), there’s a poll at the end.
#1 The Bicycle Thief
A man named Tom Justice robbed 26 banks. Every time he robbed a bank, he escaped on a bicycle. A bicycle. I can almost imagine him cycling away from the cops with dhoom machale playing in the background. It would be hilarious.
Anyway, what makes this story interesting is that this fellow was a very talented cyclist who was once preparing for the Olympics. His backstory is what makes this story baffling for me.
It’s a long read, but totally worth your time.
Oh, and did you realise that his name was Tom Justice? It’s exactly the kind of story I would write here.
#2 Geopolitics and the Mongol Empire
If you’ve been reading this newsletter since the early days, you know I was obsessed with Genghis Khan’s story. How a boy from nowhere became one of the most powerful men in history.
This article, however, answers a different question: how were the Mongols able to conquer so much, so fast?
“Geography and environment often shaped but did not dictate outright the rise and history of the Mongol Empire. Political needs, military requirements, and the skills of particular individuals also contributed to specific developments and choices in Mongol policy. Determinists would assert that environmental factors did, in fact, dictate the course of events for the Mongol nomadic pastoral society, a challenging but untenable position when studying the 13th and 14th-century Mongol Empire.”
Environmental factors were just one reason for their expansion. The temperature drop in the 1170s destroyed livestock across Central Asia, leaving the Mongols no choice but to unify and expand their territory. GK just happened to be at the right place at the right time. But the article argues that climate alone doesn’t explain it.
There were trade disputes with neighbouring kingdoms that gave GK economic reasons to expand. His leadership style attracted people from across the region. There were political, environmental and economic factors, reaching feeding into the next.
It’s fascinating how much of history can be backed by science. But we still don’t fully understand how GK’s campaigns (which required over 800,000 horses) survived in the middle of a desert for years.
Read here: Geopolitics and the Mongol Empire
Note: if you haven’t read my version of Genghis Khan’s story, you can find them here: Part 1 and Part 2 .
#3 The Last Bell Foundry in Britain
I didn’t know watching bells being cast would be this fascinating. Especially at the UK’s only remaining bell foundry.
Tom Scott had been on a break from making YouTube videos for a while. But he’s back now with a new series where he travels across every English county, filming something interesting in each one.
The first episode is shot at the John Taylor Bell Foundry, where they are casting four massive church bells. The process is insanely fascinating and quite medieval. What makes this video even more fun is the people at the foundry. There’s Antony, who gets stressed easily, and there’s Sam, who doesn’t stress about anything. And Tom does what Tom does – ask questions until he understands everything!
Watch here: I helped break a 142-year-old bell, and that’s okay.
#4 Ask Hank Anything feat. Jason Mantzoukas
Hank Green is my all-time favourite YouTuber for years. The man has answers to everything.
Ask Hank Anything is a show where celebrity guests come on and ask Hank whatever they want. Odd, funny, surprising, mysterious, NSFW questions - nothing is off limits. The answer is always a mix of science and curiosity.
I recommend starting with this episode featuring Jason Mantzoukas. You might know Jason from Brooklyn 99 or The Good Place. He is just too much fun to watch. And him opposite Hank is the kind of chaotic and funny I love.
Watch here: Should I Wipe My Dog’s Butt? | Jason Mantzoukas Asks Hank Anything
#5 Taskmaster (Season 19 with Jason Mantzoukas)
Since we’re talking about Jason, I wanted to share how I binge-watched the entire season of Taskmaster he’s on. I have no regrets whatsoever. Hank and Jason also discuss the show in the episode I shared above, and how could I not watch something that Hank Green loves?
For those who don’t know what Taskmaster is, it’s a British comedy show where five comedians are given absurd tasks and expected to complete them to win points. It’s total chaos. And it’s hilarious.
I guarantee you will not stop laughing. Just start with Jason’s season.
It’s on YouTube: Taskmaster Season 19
#6 Life in Weeks by Buster Benson
I’m sure most of you have read the Wait But Why article by Tim Urban about visualising your life in weeks. If you haven’t, go read that first.
While shortlisting references for my portfolio, I came across the portfolio of someone named Buster Benson. On their website, I found this small project they built, inspired by that article. It maps their entire life in weeks, marking the important moments (good and bad) as they happened.
It’s a small project. But it’s one of the most thoughtful things I’ve come across in a while.
#7 Project Hail Mary
This one is actually what gave me the idea for this whole recommendations post.
Everyone is watching the movie and talking about the book right now. I listened to the audiobook a while back, and it is honestly mindblowing. I’m not going to get into the movie vs book (vs audiobook) conversation because, honestly, both are good in their own way.
The book makes you feel like a genius. It unfolds the science piece by piece like you’re problem-solving alongside Ryland Grace. The movie is more about the bond between Rocky and Grace, and lets the science sit in the background. The science is all there, though.
Anyway, the recommendation is neither the book nor the movie. I’m assuming you’ve come across one or the other. And if you have watched the movie, here is a video by Hank Green where he breaks down the science decisions the movie made. As someone who loves Project Hail Mary, I couldn’t not watch Hank’s commentary on it.
Watch: Project Hail Mary’s “Science Mistakes”
And while I was nerding out on Project Hail Mary, I came across this gem in a newsletter I subscribe to. Andy Weir apparently put together a Google Sheet with all the scientific calculations behind the PHM mission. Every number in the book is worked out. Just wow.
That’s all for this one. I hope at least one thing on this list was worth your time.
I’m thinking of making this a monthly thing. A short list of whatever I’ve been consuming that month. But only if it’s something you’d actually want in your inbox. Vote below and let me know.
See you all next week!