YouTube isn’t just vloggers, pranks and cat videos. There
is legitimate informative stuff to be found here, that is,
if you know where to look. Luckily for you, we have made
a list of some of the most interesting channels out there
for you to check out.
NERDWRITER1
One of the masters of the video essay. The Nerdwriter uploads a new episode
every Wednesday. Subjects vary greatly; his case studies about understanding
art delve deeply into film, music, paintings and poetry. He does not limit himself to
those already versatile subjects. The man explores science and social sciences,
examining, for example, how Donald Trump uses Twitter to manipulate his audience.
Interesting and powerful videos, filled to the brink with profound background
knowledge and unexpected sources to back up his view of the world.
KURZGESAGT
The banner hovering above the Kurzgesagt channel reads: One video a
month. Quality > Quantity. That statement could not be more true. This
small team from Germany explains things in their own, as they call it, “optimistic
nihilistic” way. This not only makes heavy subjects more easily digestible, they also
tend to ask the most absurd and interesting questions, such as: what is the most
efficient way to destroy the universe? Kurzgesagt makes science look beautiful,
and they do so with humour, intellect and a fun and unique animation style.
MENTAL FLOSS
Information junkies rejoice! Mental Floss isn’t so much a channel about video
essays as it is a barrage of facts and trivia. These guys make sure a new epi-
sode is uploaded every Wednesday, in which they throw an incredible amount of
did-you-knows at you, for you to impress your friends with. Their “misconceptions”
videos are enlightening. Their “big questions” videos are, well, refined and their facts
videos provide enough reason to skip school for another day.
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