Personal blogs are no longer cool or in vogue. Most people gravitate towards Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram rather than writing long posts. Writers tend to join websites that pay them for their posts. But the blogs of old aren’t dead yet. For those who love the written word, here are a few must-read blogs written by one person.
1. Wait But Why (Web): The Most Interesting Reads on the Web
Before we get to the list of blogs we haven’t featured before, we need to mention Tim Urban and his website Wait But Why. We’ve already talked about him a few times on MUO, but as the best single-person site for intelligent people, we couldn’t omit him in this article.
Urban takes his own time in updating the blog, but every post is worth the wait. He researches a subject from every angle and adds a unique perspective and context that is a joy to read. Your brain will be learning and entertained simultaneously.
2. More To That (Web): A Curious Mind’s Deep-Dive Into Questions About Humanity
More To That is driven by the innate curiosity of its author Lawrence Yeo. Lawrence doesn’t claim to be an expert in anything. And that’s for the best, as his mind explores different questions about humanity and takes you on a journey to discover the answers.
In each post, Lawrence explores something innately human and comes up with unique thoughts on the matter. For example, take one of his most popular posts on the meaning of life. It goes into philosopher Thomas Nagel’s paper on the subject, random musings from pop culture, the expanse of space and time, evolution, and many more. But somehow, Lawrence is able to keep it not only coherent, but also brisk and enjoyable.
That’s the core of More To That. In the end, these posts make you think a little more about something that you take for granted while touching on a variety of topics along the way. It even feels modern and relevant as Lawrence peppers the posts with his own illustrations, memes, and other internet-speak. Start with the Best Posts or subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.
3. Overcoming Bias (Web): Re-evaluate and Rethink the World
Overcoming Bias started in 2006 as a place to find articles that make for great brain food. After a few times where it had a group of writers, it is now firmly the founder Robin Hanson’s personal blog. But the type of writing and topics remains focused on overcoming cognitive biases and acknowledging the reality around us.
Robin’s writing style is heavier than others in this article, but it’s not complicated or dense. He seems to assume a certain level of intelligence from his readers, and writes for such people who are looking for a challenge to how they think. Whether the topic is UFOs or philosophy, every essay is a comprehensive and well-reasoned look at why things shouldn’t be taken at face value.
The website actually looks a bit dated, like an old blog that has survived the many changing moods of the internet. You can browse topics quickly through tags like Future, Disagreement, Politics, Academia, and so on, or quickly go through the recent posts and comments to find active discussions.
4. The Straight Dope (Web): Q&As With the World’s Smartest (and Funniest) Human
Cecil Adams is the world’s smartest human (even though he may not be a human at all). Ask him any question and he will answer. And usually, that will be with some hypothetical leaps of fancy, an attitude of superiority and sardonic wit, and a dollop of in-depth facts.
This was the premise by which the syndicated column The Straight Dope ran from 1973 to 2018 in US newspapers. All of the articles are now available on the website, as Cecil takes on vexing queries like “Why is there no blue food?” and “How did public libraries get started?”
Even though it’s no longer updated, the website is a treasure trove of brilliant reads. Browse by categories like animals, drugs, food, religion, politics, or origin (my personal favorite). Heck, even the About section is a joyful read.
5. The Human Marvels (Web): Of People and Stories Beyond the Normal
Conjoined twins. Deformities and Disfigurement. Gigantism and Dwarfism. The Human Marvels chronicles the stories of remarkable people who overcame their physical oddities by being exceptional humans.
Much like the film The Elephant Man, the site celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, and is careful not to exploit the tales of these individuals. As the writer puts it about the intrigue behind respectful sideshows of the past: “You would not gather just to stare with mouth agape as the common misconception denotes. These exhibitions were instead enlightening and educational experiences filled with questions, answers and personal interactions.”
The website is full of fascinating essays about these human marvels, with some posts being particularly well written to weave a story. You can browse by category, but I would say the better way to read the site is to start with a post, read till the end, where you’ll get a recommendation for another random article. You can keep reading in this manner for ages.
If you like this, you should also check out our list of other weird and funny history sites. Both Damn Interesting and Badass of the Week are brilliantly written, and there are some great podcasts to listen to.
6. Why Is This Interesting (Newsletter): Daily Newsletter With Intriguing Insights
All right, so this pick is run by two people and not a single writer, but it’s still worth it. Plus, both Noah Brier and Colin Nagy have their own distinct writing style, so think of it as following two blogs in one place through the Why Is This Interesting newsletter.
Subscribe for free to get a daily email about a new and intriguing subject. These aren’t news topics, although they might be relevant due to a trending item. The writers cover myriad topics such as why CRT TVs are suddenly selling for thousands of dollars or Goodhart’s Law and its effects on productivity.
Each entry follows a certain pattern. First, you’re told about some phenomena, new or old, and their importance. Then a brief section explains why it is interesting and why you should care. The whole thing is well-researched, written in a breezy manner that you can consume on email or newsletter apps.
Look Beyond Blogs
While you have these six and a few other blogs for smart and curious reads, the choice is definitely dwindling down from the array available years ago. Several former “smart blogs” like You Are Not So Smart have migrated to podcasts as their preferred medium now. If you prefer reading, the best option seems to be paid newsletter subscription services like Substack.
