Thinking With Others 

For the record: it's okay if you want to thumbs this one down because it's the last scripted video. I'll understand.

Here's an idea: A youtube channel can change your life.

Here's an idea: Lurkers and listeners also gained a lot by simply reading and watching without articulating the inspired thoughts in a forum visible to y'all. This space has influenced many of my conversations completely disparate from the space itself, and its impact is greater than what you may extrapolate from the visible participants. Thanks for all your work and best wishes.

Here's an idea: This has been a heck of a trip. Godspeed and good luck, man.

So long, and thanks for all the thinks!

Here's an idea: I'm really thankful there is a backlog of all your videos on the RU-vids. So I'll be watching those. WILL MISS THIS CHANNEL!

In the words of the Green Brothers, "Imagine people complexly", and "the truth resists simplicity". Farewell, this little haven of critical thinking has been a wonderful stay for some time now. DFTBA.

Thanks for all the "thinking and feeling with" to this creative, opinionated, smart, funny, infuriating, and enlightening community. And to PBS, Eric, Andrew, Patrick, Ben, Brian, James, Molly, Jack the Dog, and Mike (and all the others involved with production, road trips or guest appearances over the years)... thanks for the forum and... well, just everything. It's been a delightful and thought provoking ride. Hope to see y'all around the interwebs! Best wishes from belgravia (aka bennycatgirl).😽❤️

How unique for a RU-vid channel to have a finale. An appropriately special conclusion to a wonderful, one of a kind show. Thank you for all you have done, and good luck for the future.

I am here, I exist, I comment.

Take a sip of water everytime he says the word 'thinking'

When I first started watching Idea Channel I found it hard to keep track of what Mike was saying, now I'm fluent in Rugnet-ese (The Dialect of Mike Rugnetta ) and I can happily watch a video at X1.25 whilst drinking my morning coffee. GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE OF IDEAS!

I'm crying, this was a awesome ride I will miss this show and the comments. This show really changed the way I think about a lot of things.

Can't think of a better way to end it all than metacognition, thinking about thinking.

Mike, You were always a ray of sunshine in this dark, ominous world. Thank you.

Thanks for 5 years of ideas. Some of them were amazing, all of them were thought provoking. I'd like to ask if you could get the rest of the crew on camera for the comment response video. It would be nice to get a visual idea of those that helped make this show a reality.

The end of this channel which I have enjoyed for two years is a sad and bitter event. There are not many like you and this channel. But I wish you and others well and that may more good come from it. I and others have learned a lot from it.

Where is "The sunset"?

I didn't think I'd be as effected as I was. Idea channel has been a mainstay in my life for 3 years and it really shaped my view on philosophy, social issues and it's inherent importance. It showed me that pop culture is important and thinking about the things I love can be just as satisfying as the culture itself... so thank you Mike and thank you IdeaChannel You gave me more ideas than you know Also FIRST

still bitter we didn't get a Gilmore Girls inspired idea...

....This is my first time actually being in the comment section of these videos. I guess I'm just used to thinking about things, ideas and opinions by myself, so looking for other people's ideas of the matter hasn't exactly occurred to me. But hey, it was the whole point of this show, so I thought it might be worth a shot. I may have managed to miss that point for this entire run time, but better late than never, right?

I cannot tell you how sad I am that Idea Channel is ending, RU-vid has been a huge part of my life for a long time now and Idea Channel was one of the most impactful channels on my life. You challenged me, inspired me, confused me and helped me grow. I only wish I could thank you in person but life is difficult and frustrating so hopefully I can thank all of you at idea channel via the power of the internet. So here it goes. With every fiber of my being both past present and future, I want to thank everyone who has worked on Idea Chanel over the years. I frequently hear that RU-vid doesn’t contain videos worth critical praise or deep thought and I would always redirect those to your videos. Your videos and discussions broadened my horizons in ways I never expected, and challenged and changed my own world views with grace and kindness. Of course I don’t want this channel to end however I know even if the episodes stop the discussion will continue. The community this channel has created is something unlike I’ve ever seen. We will continue to work, think and argue together and hopefully keep Idea Chanel alive in our minds and hearts till the end of time. Thank you again, with love Chris

Thank you for all the amazing episodes over the years. I hate to see it ending, but I love how you've done the ending. These last four episodes (Mario revisited and the ending) were amazing, and a so much better way to end a series than simply not uploading one week. We'll miss you.

The term "critical empathy" is something new to me, however it sounds like something I've been at the very least striving for for a very long time. Now I am what you might call a liberal person, my mom was born in California, she was a punker in the 70's, she has a P.HD in psychology, and she has raised me to be a very empathetic and honest person. I used to have and occasionally do have discussions with my old band director, whose upbringing was the total opposite of mine. And we would debate endlessly about different philosophies, and I think next time we meet I'm going to show him this video, because despite our differences, we both seem to understand the very base of critical empathy. And when we both fully understand critical empathy, then I believe we can begin to understand and agree with each other. Thank you for being the vessel through which I've been practicing critical thought, Mike. You had a good run.

I have been watching Idea Channel since I was in middle school, I am in my senior year of high school now. I had never considered just how much of an impact PBS Idea Channel has had on my life, I can definitively say that after watching all of the videos on this channel I have learned how to appreciate media and critically examine it. I would also say that this channel has gotten me to think about topics I never would have thought to consider all the way from what constitutes justice to how the hoodie is more than just a piece of clothing to whether or not Magic The Gather is similar to jazz. I would like to thank Mike and the entire PBS Idea Channel team as well as the PBS Digital Studios for providing me a place to think critically and learn more about the world and expand my world view, as the vlog brothers so often remind me, "Imagine others complexly". I will admit that I am upset that I have to see one of my favorite channels go, but I am also excited to see what is in store for you Mike. I have no doubt you'll do great things! As for my question, I would like to know where we can find all the books talking about various philosophies you mention in your videos or some philosophers and other people you reference in your videos. I want to continue to learn and I want to continue to think critically about media and the world. Don't forget to be awesome (DFTBA) Mike! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to this channel and it's community.

This show has been beautiful and amazing and I'll miss it so much. Thank you and the whole team for all the effort and passion you've put into this.

Rest in peace. We have journeyed with you. Watched. Learned. It's the end. So long. Goodnight sweet prince.

I never wrote comments on these videos, but Idea Channel has informed so many of my current beliefs and perspectives. Thank you so much for the opportunity you gave so many people to be able to think critically about all aspects of our world and society! It's been an amazing few years watching Idea Channel, and I'm sad to see it go. ❤️

There have been other critical-thinking or review channels, but none quite like this one, very much for the reasons described here. What could have been one more contemporary of so many other podcasts and radio shows was elevated hugely by not merely engaging with the audience, but fostering a community. It came at it from an oblique angle, but it made people better by getting them to think, and experience, and doubt, and accept, together. Thank you.

After years of watching I finally have a comment that I feel is worth posting!! I love this idea of critical empathy, and those last lines "I hope that you'll continue to think with and about these things and I hope you'll continue to think with and about one another." That attitude and stance of being-with one another in a considerate not only brings personal growth but fosters community and really reminds me of Jean-Luc Nancy and our responsibility to the other. We were able to respond to y'all, to each other, and you even responded back. I'll miss this community!

Thank You All for doing this. I'm a fairly new subscriber and probably on the fringe of your demographic, but that doesn't matter. I've enjoyed watching your back catalogue and will most likely re-visit many of these ideas.

Thanks for this Mike! I might show this to my college freshman when I'm trying to get them to think critically. Also, I've shown, like, half of your videos to composition students. They've been such a help! Thank you Idea Channel!

Man. Idea Channel has been such a mainstay of my internet experience for such a long time in internet years. Even if I didn't keep up to date with every single upload, it was always here when I felt like watching it. It made me rethink my stance on many things and dare I say it, made me become a better interlocutor. I'm gonna miss it and I look forward to seeing what y'all decide to do next. Keep on being awesome.

Thank you! This show has meant a lot to me, and it has been incredibly fun. Great job, and thank you to everyone involved in this show and to the commenters who made this show so smart and fun. Thank you!!!

I'm sad to see this channel end, but thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into it. Idea channel always made me think, it made me laugh and at times it made me feel optimistic and excited about humanity and life when few things did. I'm going to miss it!!

I have to say, it was really hard for me to click this video. I can't remember how long I've been following you, but thank you so much for all the interesting ideas you've shot our way. Good luck to all your future endeavors.

So out of all the scripted episodes, which was your favourite?

This was a beautiful series, and I thank you all so much for making it was it was. There are so many things I never would have thought of in a different light had it not been for this show, and the community surrounding it. So again, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It was one heck of a ride.

So, when can we expect the gender-flipped reboot?

I totally make Soylent Green jokes, no matter how many times people in the room don't get it.

I may not have commented or seen every video in this series, but that doesn't change the fact that it changed my life for the better. Thank you very much for everything you have done!

Since I found Idea Channel last year I've always thrown myself into the comment section trying to find some reasonable and interesting discussions about, well, anything really. I cannot say I was, or am, the most knowledgable person in any of the topics Mike explored, however finding and learning from others who indeed were more invested in them was an amazing experience. Today, for once, I wanna drop the emotional bomb and just state how I feel about all of this. When I found Idea Channel I was just starting college, the friends and family I could have some interesting chats about popular culture and the world at large were left behind, and the internet communities I would do the same were crumbling under the weight of stupid post teen drama. I was desperate for any sort of smart conversation, to the point I would play devil's advocate in really single minded communities just for the sake of having someone arguing with me, to have someone challenge my visions of the world. To be able to think with others. Idea Channel did exactly that. It felt so refreshing to be able to discuss in a civil and reasonable way ideas with others. Not only this helped to improve my general everyday mood but also helped me see the world from a hundred different perspectives, which I can say without exaggerating that played a role in who I am now and how I approach dialogue with others when handling difficult topics. If there is something Idea Channel showed me rather quickly was what Mike describes today. When discussing with others, do not reject their ideas outright. Do not agree to disagree and shut up. Listen to them and understand what notion they are following, for ridiculous it is. Believe in it. And then challenge that belief with the skepticisim Descartes had. Challenge the premises as if they were your own. And make the other part defend it or challenge them with you. Let them see that you respect their position, stupid as it may seem, but that no position is for you above scrutiny, and theirs is not different. From a cold and calculating perspective I can say that this has worked wonders to make discussions, not only less violent and nonsensical, but also have others more open to accept their positions might be wrong. After all, nobody wants to be wrong, but everyone is more willing to accept it if they see that you understand why they believed it. But also from a more humane perspective I can say that this has made me feel a stronger connection with others, and more importantly, with the idea of critical thought in general. So thanks Idea Channel. Stay golden

I've been watching this show from near the very beginning and its become an important part of my media diet. These videos have given me so many things to talk and think about. Thank you so much for all the work and heart you put into this channel.

As our friend Ludwig W. once said: "From its seeming to me - or to everyone - to be so, it doesn't follow that it is so. What we can ask is whether it can make sense to doubt it." Well Idea Channel has taught us some very nice ways in/with which it does make sense to doubt it, and for that I am thankful. In particular, a lot of this episode will be going, more or less paraphrased, into my musicology classes. So thanks again. :) [I do philosophy now like an old woman who is always mislaying something and having to look for it again: now her spectacles, now her keys.]

Long time watcher first time writer. (Oo! LTWFTW.) In fact, I've been watching and listening since the beginning, and I regret not being a bigger part of the conversation. However, one of the biggest things Idea Channel taught me was that in experiencing media, I am always a part of the conversation, simply by decoding the messages therein. But beyond the ideas themselves, and even beyond the encouragement to communicate about ideas with one another, I think what has possibly been the greatest thing given to me by the show is the tools I needed to have a better conversation with the people around me; the show was an excellent example of positive tone and language that can be used to facilitate conversations about pop culture and media. 5 years may not seem a long time to many but I was just going into high school and as I've become an adult in the digital world these tools have become more and more useful for me. Thanks.

That was the BEST video made by Idea Chanel. Thank you so much for creating such content. Through the last 5 years you help creating a wider vision of the world for me. I hope to ear/see you again soon.

Thank you so much for all those years and great episodes! This final idea is absolutely what brought me to follow and love this channel. I learned so much just by accepting and trying to understand ideas that seemed so outlandish at first glance. And so many episodes here were an inspiration to great discussion with my friends that ultimately led us to create great bonds. Here's to you and to all of the Idea Channel team to pursue and reach many more great ideas!

Dude you are going to make me cry, I cant handle this, this channel, this community, It was a huge HUGE part of my life. I'm going to miss this so much, keep us posted on what you are moving forward with, please. Best of luck to you, and us.

This was easily one of the smartest channels on youtube and has brought the standards and views of internet intelligent discussion to another level. You have successfully shown the world that youtube can and is being used to educate and discuss intelligently. Thank you for all of the thoughts and videos. Good luck bro.

Thanks for not only filling the void of a bus commute to work, but for also giving me something to think about with each episode. Also, thanks for the info for the MoMA exhibit of video games as art. It was rad, as was this show.

Finally emotionally prepared to watch this. Such a perfect send off. Hope we see evidence of more awesome work from you in the future. I would add a gif of everone standing in their desks at the end of Dead Poets Society but my phone is being uncooperative.

I have loved this show so much ever since the day I first discovered it, about halfway through its run. I think I found this when I first caught up with Homestuck in its third to last pause and found the episode about it. Thank you so much Mike, for absolutely everything you have done with us here.

thank you for this, Mike, it always makes my night to watch your videos and I'm grateful for all the nights you've kept me company :)

Been here since 2012. When I first started watching Idea Channel, I'd just started university. Went into one of those programs that stress critical analysis and "overthinking." I can't tell you how much this channel REALLY helped me with digging deeper into various topics and how much thinking I've done as a result; most importantly, how crucial it is to think about and understand people. It's been a wonderful 5 years thinking with and about y'all. Thanks for the great ideas, internet arguments, disagreements and gifs. Peace out Idea Channel. Been a slice.

I won’t lie, I teared up towards the end. This channel has been a big impact on how I and my friends think and discuss topics.

I just subscribed to this channel a couple months ago and I wish so badly that I could've found it sooner(although the one good thing about being fairly new to the channel is I have four and a half years of backlog to watch). There isn't as big of an audience for educational channels on RU-vid and it was a complete surprise to me to find a comment section that was so supportive of each other and willing to help each other think through a problem, which is such a rarity in RU-vid. I know for me personally Idea Channel will be sorely missed, and while selfish me wants you to stay on RU-vid forever, I completely support your decision and wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do. Thank you guys.

It's a really bittersweet goodbye :(( I remember subscribing really early on, and even though I didn't get to watch every episode each one still leaves me with the same sense of awe and new understanding each time , thank you for expanding my views and making it so enjoyable to watch !!!

Mike :'(

I found this channel when it was about two years old when I was bored one day and my classes were finished - after watching multiple episodes (while still not being subscribed - I didn't really use that function all that often) I finally decided to give it a follow and never regretted it. I've always been a silent viewer because I didn't know how to put my thoughts into words on here - but there was many times where me and my sister would usually have a chat about our thoughts about one of your videos and it was always enjoyable even if we disagreed sometimes. Keep doing awesome things, we'll be rooting for you!

Thanks for the conversations you inspired with my friends and my boyfriend. I have fond memories of discussing astrophysics over fancy dinner on a boat on the Seine, discussing multiverse theory, and referencing videos of yours and others we were inspired to watch as we conspired what would happen if you could do XYZ in the multiverse. Our friends have told us to consider hosting a podcast of our own because apparently we’re now fascinating to listen to having a conversation! Thank you for encouraging these conversations- culture and other people are so much more fascinating when we think about why we love what we love. I’ve always connected with people over which characters spoke to us and why; thank you for validating that experience.

This was truly a wonderful last episode Mike. I hope to carry on the ideas you've put forward here, and the rest of the Idea Channel crew's. Thanks for everything!

This is depressing. Ive been watching this channel for 5 years and it provided so much insight on various topics. I just hope that Stay Curious guy doesnt leave otherwise I'll be a wreck. Anyway, good luck with your future endeavors. RU-vid needs more shows like this.

Thanks for all the work you've done over these years. It's been great to have such an insightful channel fill up my sub box every week. I'll miss it.

We'll all miss you Mike! Seriously, we all have been affected by you in a great way. You have been an inspiration for so many people, the same way you were inspired by so many. Please remember that. You made a great thing here.

Thank you, PBS Idea Channel, for such a long and successful run. I'll miss seeing you pop up in my subscription feed on RU-vid, but I'll continue to point others toward your videos for a long time. Think on!

Gah, who thought I could tear up at the ending of a youtube show. I just want to say Thank You. This show really did create a large impact in the way I analyze my media and life. I will miss you guys. So long, and thanks for all the thoughts about thinking.

really gonna miss this channel dude I've been watching it since I was 13

May these videos live on as a quality archive of the beginning of many people's journeys into opening up to to the world and opening up themselves. Cheers Mike, cheers everyone else.

I'm so sad that it's going away! 😢😭 I barely found this channel before they announced it ending, and I've loved everything you guys have done! There's not enough stuff like this on youtube!

Your channel has been my glass of intellectual water in a seemingly vast desert. I still cite your "Is math real" as my favorite episode. Thank you for giving me something interesting to reflect on after a few too many mundane moments. Godspeed. I hope to shake your hand someday & say thank you in person.

Saying goodbye is difficult, it's been a tremendous 5 years, I enjoyed learning, thinking and over-thinking with you. I wish Mike and everyone behind the scenes all the best

So much sonder right now. A pleasure sailing around with you. Luckily, the sunset makes a whole circle ever so often, so we'll be seeing you again! One way or another. Thank you for thanking us, and thank you back for giving us reasons to thank you.

Thank you for making Idea Channel such a wonderful place for thought and curiosity for these past few years. This channel will always have a special place in my heart!

When I was teaching college English at Valencia in Central Florida, the department broke down "critical thinking" into three aspects: (1) influence of context (i.e., examination of the relevance of various contexts in the presentation of ideas), (2) bias (i.e., evaluation of one's own assumptions and the assumptions of other people), and (3) use of evidence (i.e., comprehensive synthesis or analysis of ideas and of the "things" related to the ideas, be they events, experiences, objects, other ideas, or what have you). In this view, one who thinks critically (1) understands the role of context in how an idea is generated, communicated, and received, (2) considers an idea from one's own perspective and from others' perspectives all the while appreciating that what is not said may matter as much as if not more than what is said, (3) not only identifies but also explores the relationships among ideas and between ideas and whatever is left of the world besides ideas, and in doing (1) through (3), opens oneself up to growth--intellectual and otherwise, individual and otherwise.

oh man. Mike (& co), I just want to add my voice to the choir and say a profound thank you for the heart and soul you've put into everything - I got into idea channel so late in the game and have probably three of the five years of videos to catch up on. I've been watching weekly ever since someone pointed me in this direction and I can safely say that after five years out of academia it is a breath of fresh air to find a community like this.

Thank you for so much, thanks to mike and all the team behind this videos, i going to miss this

Mike and the Idea Channel Team, I want to opine that there is no higher calling than what you all have done here with this show. The most important, and most difficult work in the world is to foster the minds of others - not only in creativity, subtlety, and nuance, but also, as you said, in empathy, humility, and bravery. The legacy of this show won't be that you had interesting ideas about pop culture. It won't be that you responded to comments in an unprecedented way. It will be that you all helped show thousands of people that it was possible and crucial to widen their worldviews, to critically examine their own opinions and experiences, and to engage in this process WITH other people. You say that you don't think engaging each other in critical empathy is the solution to the world's problems, but respectfully, you're mistaken. What you've taught in this video, and what you've been relentlessly teaching throughout every episode of this show, IS the answer. There will be no resting on your laurels, for I don't believe you all to be those kinds of people. But regardless of what comes next, I want to make sure you understand this: you've done it. You have made the world a better and lighter place. You should hold your heads high. You have been the change you wanted to see. You should be so, so proud of what you have done with Idea Channel. We, your viewers and friends, will always be grateful.

I'lll definitely mis that no new episodes will come out. Thanks for all you've done!

It was a great ride, and I'm glad to be here since the beginning! this video and the passion you talked about comment responses really made me regret not participating, but I'm glad to have watched your content non the less. Best of luck to all your future endeavors, much love.

"Think with one another. Peruse intellectual civility and intellectual empathy, not because these things are the solution to the world's problems, but because they will help you learn and grow. Think about one another, and believe each other. Believe someone when they tell you some piece of culture has helped or hurt them, is meaningful or inpactful even, and especially, if it's in a way you would have never expected." Man, I really wish this idea was common. It's truly difficult to get other to simply believe in each other, but, if this channel has taught me anything, it's that just trying to start a conversation on pop culture topics inherits more insight, wisdom, and believability that I ever would've expected. So thanks. Thanks for ideas given, and the stories told. I'd be a much lesser person had I not subscribed to this channel.

so...I loved this show, I first discovered it because of the Orphan Black inspired idea but stayed (at first) because I REALLY liked your voice, Mike. then it started to resonate with me more and more, but never actually put thought into knowing why; why I jumped and left everything I was doing in order to watch a new episode, why the prospect of an upcoming show made me happy, why the ideas presented made me question myself and start a conversation about those topics with my friends , why I would stay up at night thinking about such proposals... now seeing this I realize that maybe it was me trying to be empathic. I've always considered myself egotistic, in the only place where that would change is literature, and perhaps, now that I think about it, here. To be honest I didn't comment much because english is not my first language and always felt kind of intimidated by the well versed peps, but always read those comments with curiosity and willingness to learn... willingness to BELIEVE. mayyybe now I'm a little more emphatic than before being a fan of this show and this is all because of y'all (inclusive because, as much as I love you, Mike, all the wonderful humans behind the camera and the thoughtful commentators also contributed to make of this an incredible space) I'm so sad it's ending just as I discovered why I was (and still am) so obsessed with this *idea* . FAREWELL IDEA CHANNEL YOU HAVE BEEN A DELIGHT! * *I'm so emotional RN* *

I still miss this show. It's actually surprising that you only edited it three years ago. It feels a lot longer. Maybe because the internet has a way of making a year ago seem nostalgic. Though I don't think I had really made much good responses to these videos, it did give me a kick of excitement when I was at one point referenced. I think that I've grown considerably in my dialogue aptitude since then, as this show taught me how normal, creative people think; and how a crazy creative like me might reach someone like you guys. Opening the door for me to open up my own blog, and share my own ideas in a way that will make sense to the world. I thank you for this effort that you've all made. It was interesting, it was fun, and most importantly: it was valuable exercise.

This has been an interesting journey to watch , and I truly wish this kind of content would continue on and become a growing genre . Thank you for your work .

Mike and crew, this show has been such a joy for me. I only ever commented one time (not the most interactive type), but I watched every single episode and learned a lot. I feel my critical thinking skills have improved an immeasurable amount directly because of this show. Thank you so much!

It might sound a little bit melodramatic but, I'm actually in tears. This has been my favorite show since I watched Beakman's Lab as a kid. I'm 100% sure this made me choose Social Communication as my major and has driven me towards a better, healthier living by aplying the complex thinking method towards analyling my own life. So, thanks, for the best trip I've ever been on.

Well this has been awesome. I've loved all of these, thank you. I'm about 1.05 times more thinking now. That's pretty incredible.

It awes me how big the amount of text, ideas, concepts and interactions have been enhanced by this channel. I love you guys, and I really love to have this big conglomerate of people to discuss what's going on in your heads. And what amazes, awes me, me more is how all what's going on in here is just a small amount of the content and traffic going each day through the internet. Is a similar sensation of the bastness of the universe, in which I can feel so little, but at the same time in this little corner is where I found meaning for myself. Thank you all.

Thanks for everything, everyone related to Idea Channel! This show will never truly go away for me - I'll take this as "see you later" instead of "goodbye"! Stay curious, lovely humans.

Hi Mike and the folks at PBSIdea Channel. I don't usually comment on youtube videos in general but in the five years that Idea Channel has been doing what it has been doing, it has changed my perspective about what I consider to be worthy of critical thought and has expanded and enriched how I think about all media and helped me develop a more accepting/believing approach to the way I emphasise with people. I find that I have come to better understanding and better conversations with other people, even though I never was engaging with the audience. Something i think I shall change next time I come across a community like this again. Thank you for that.

Well now I'm sad. This show has carried me through some tough times. It's helped me grow from an ignorant troll on the internet to who I am today, which I hope is a lot better of a person. The first episode I ever watched was your episode on Steven Universe, and it blew me away. From then on I've watched as many episodes as I possibly could and introduced this show to all of my friends. I have to admit that sometimes I couldn't make it through an episode if I was tired, but I always went back to watch it. Although this is the end of the show, it's a new beginning for you and us, and we get to use the ideas you gave us to further ourselves and our community. Thank you, Mike and the team behind Idea Channel, for presenting us with a great opportunity to learn and grow. Happy Trails.

Final idea episode... It's been a good, productive, enlightening adventure with you guys. My mind and life have been improved in measurable ways by the thoughtful discourse presented by this channel. Things I'd never expected to challenge or consider. Things I'd never expected to empathize with. I love this program dearly and I look forward to whatever yall have in store for us next. Sad as it might be to me that the show is ending, I'm optimistic and I know the future is bright. ....definitely still pretty sad tho. I'm not crying, you're crying.

I've watched many youtubers thank their audiences, but your words at the end of this video resounded with me quite intensely. Although I've been much more of a lurker than a commenter in the IC space, I've certainly grown and learned from that lurking, and somehow I do feel like we've become friends. Until your heartfelt thankyou message I hadn't realised how much I'll miss this channel. Here's to enjoying your future work - I already listened to all released episodes of reasonably sound a while ago... more please! I look forward to seeing you around on the internet (maybe IRL someday! I'd love that). Peace and love!

This show was a large part of my transition from adolescence to adulthood, and I truly believe it was instrumental in my obsession with critical, over-complicated, multi-faceted thinking. Without this show, I would still be the person who thinks that anyone who listens to pop music is inherently stupid, I would be dismissive of the greater and deeper impacts of popular culture, and I would not have the toolbox for critical thought that I have now. So thank you for the wonderful years, to the whole team. Thank you so much.

At around 6:10 when you finished with the thinker animation, my computer actually crashed and I had to reload the video. Not 100% sure if it's coincidental or not.

I have sometimes felt alone in my appreciation for the value of critical thinking and - moreover - alone in my compulsion toward the seemingly impossible kind of thinking that true critical thinking requires. I want to say thank you to Mike and to the rest of the PBS Idea Channel community for demonstrating that critical thinkers are not nearly as rare as they sometimes seem. I am sad to see this channel ending, and I hope that something else comes along to organize my fellow critical thinkers into a more powerful force for the common good.

Thank you. Like a lot of other people seem to be saying, I've watched for a long time but never commented - just listened and read and absorbed. But having something like idea channel around to do that with has definitely shaped the person I am and the way I engage with the world around me. So again, thank you.

Thank you so much for the past few years. Mike you've been amazing, you've taught me to think about the world around me, the people in it and so much more. You shaped my views on culture and philosophy, and helped me imagine others complexly. I'm not sure I can imagine a world without this show but I'm sure that your next project will be just as inspiring for us. Best wishes.

Thank you. Thank you so much for this series. For pushing not only to think more but to tackle ideas from new angles. You're going to get a lot of thank you's and miss you's but I want you to know this series has been helping me when I started my own channel and how I can work to improve it. I could go into details, but thank you. I hope you read this cause this show has meant sooooooooo much. Thank you. Thank you. And most of all... thank you.

Thank you Mike. I've been subscribed to Idea Channel since the early days. I've left comments here and there, but unfortunately didn't make too many serious attempts at conversation (which I sort of regret). Your ideas and those of all the people you pull from and the all the people in the comments have greatly influenced how I think and feel about myself and the world in the most positive. way. Thank you. And I guess I'll see you on twitter. 👍

You have said so many things that I have *thought* at some point but never properly talked about with anyone. Finding this channel is such a great start of 2020! I know I'm a bit late to the party 🤷