The “Queen of Shitty Robots” won’t be stopped.

October 24, 2018 6:00 PM

The queen is back: Simone Giertz didn’t let brain surgery stop her. What’s next? "In the six months since the YouTube star and inventor had a large brain tumor [previously] that could have left her paralyzed, blind, or a completely different person removed, Simone Giertz [previously] moved her workshop out of her house, jumped back into vlogging for her nearly 1.4 million subscribers, gave a TED talk, and kickstarted an electronic calendar — all while rocking a silvery 'supervillain scar' that runs down her scalp, flirting with her hairline."

Chips with Everything podcast: The usefulness of useless robots: Jordan Erica Webber asks robot maker and innovator Simone Giertz why she dislikes the robots she makes. And how digital technology might be useful for managing our wellbeing.

posted by homunculus (14 comments total)

She's good people and I'm glad she's doing well.
posted by Wretch729 at 6:34 PM on October 24, 2018 [6 favorites]

Badass.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:44 PM on October 24, 2018

Here's her TED Talk on Youtube, for those who prefer: Why you should make useless things

In this joyful, heartfelt talk featuring demos of her wonderfully wacky creations, Simone Giertz shares her craft: making useless robots. Her inventions -- designed to chop vegetables, cut hair, apply lipstick and more -- rarely (if ever) succeed, and that's the point. "The true beauty of making useless things [is] this acknowledgment that you don't always know what the best answer is," Giertz says. "It turns off that voice in your head that tells you that you know exactly how the world works. Maybe a toothbrush helmet isn't the answer, but at least you're asking the question."

[BEHIND THE SCENES] I gave a TED Talk
posted by homunculus at 7:03 PM on October 24, 2018

I've been waiting and hoping for her eventual occasional return to Tested (That's how I know of her). But too sad to pay much attention after losing two co-workers in too similar situations. Good News!
posted by zengargoyle at 7:04 PM on October 24, 2018

I was really upset and worried when she went into surgery. So glad she's recovering.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:06 PM on October 24, 2018

She is a super cool and amazing person. I really wish I could afford one of those calendars because they seem both stylish and useful.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 7:08 PM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm glad she's doing well!
posted by praemunire at 7:25 PM on October 24, 2018

She is good people!
posted by Glinn at 7:47 PM on October 24, 2018

I'm glad she's bouncing back.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:26 PM on October 24, 2018

Her first post surgery invention, the PEZ tampon dispenser actually seems practical (from my admittedly inexperienced male viewpoint), yet still characteristically silly, fun, and creative.
posted by eye of newt at 10:29 PM on October 24, 2018 [4 favorites]

Her XOXO talk from 2016 is also on the importance of building useless things, it's one of my favorites.

I love the idea of a gold star wall and how quickly both the pitch and her backers escalated.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:52 PM on October 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

I also had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor this April that led to various symptoms -- deafness in that ear, brain fog, distracting and nearly constant headaches, etc. This summer featured an unexpectedly intense few months of recovery that was both cognitive and physical, after complications with brain swelling kept me hospitalized for a few extra weeks, and then I started my English Lit PhD program this August. It's great to see this kind of representation out there -- not inspiration porn, but just seeing another young person living life's extremes and valuing the pursuit of their interests. Anyway, thanks for posting this!
posted by snufflepup at 7:51 AM on October 25, 2018 [14 favorites]

I am seriously digging that calendar.
posted by 4ster at 10:28 AM on October 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

The Imgur community obsessed over this. It seems like they tracked every minute of her ordeal. It was a little creepy.
posted by Brocktoon at 1:04 PM on October 26, 2018