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Ask HN: Long-form info-dense videos on YouTube you would recommend to anyone?
54 points by alin23 on Dec 11, 2021 | hide | past | favorite | 38 comments
I like watching 30-to-90 minute videos to learn about some new domain, and I feel like YouTube videos could have less fillers than Netflix documentaries in that duration range.

Examples of videos I watched and would recommend to anyone no matter their expertise:

* The Secret Life of the Electric light: https://youtu.be/W79s0PsHhDc

* Fun to Imagine with Richard Feynman: https://youtu.be/P1ww1IXRfTA

* A mind-expanding tour of the cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson: https://youtu.be/AyAK3QBnMGQ

* The magic of chemistry with Andrew Szydlo: https://youtu.be/0g8lANs6zpQ

* The Beauty of Bézier Curves: https://youtu.be/aVwxzDHniEw

* All about musical scales: https://youtu.be/Vq2xt2D3e3E

* Woodturning a modern chess set: https://youtu.be/bmTcWoXTxi4

* How Imaginary Numbers Were Invented: https://youtu.be/cUzklzVXJwo



Everything from 3 blue 1 brown: https://www.youtube.com/c/3blue1brown

Visualization of Quantum Physics (Quantum Mechanics): https://youtu.be/p7bzE1E5PMY

history of the entire world, i guess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuCn8ux2gbs

TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE: A Journey to the End of Time (4K): https://youtu.be/uD4izuDMUQA

Humanity was born way ahead of its time. The reason is grabby aliens. and Grabby aliens: when we'll meet them, how big they are, and other predictions

https://youtu.be/l3whaviTqqg

https://youtu.be/LceY7nhi6j4

Everyday Astronaut videos (he has 90 min documentary on Soviet rocket engine): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uKrU_WqJ1R2HMTY3LIx5Q

Cool Worlds - a lot of 25-35 min very nice astronomy explanations: https://www.youtube.com/c/CoolWorldsLab

'A Universe From Nothing' by Lawrence Krauss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo


This is a bit outside of technical stuff, but if you like political/social commentary, I think ContraPoints has really entertaining and also fairly well-researched video essays. She is definitely part of the left, but I think people of most political persuasions can find her engaging and funny, even if they don’t agree 100%.

https://m.youtube.com/user/contrapoints


Her video about Envy stands out as one of the best I’ve seen on YouTube. Up there with Sagan or Harari in how it’s affected my worldview.

While her videos are enjoyable to watch, they are also quite listenable during a long trip or while cooking.


Thanks a lot! I’m definitely not looking for technical stuff only. It’s just that, YouTube’s recommendation algorithm skews me in that direction.

I like watching videos about interesting bits of history, debating/solutions for various civil/political problems, seeing someone being extremely good at their craft (whether that’s woodworking, electronics, painting, building houses using old techniques, etc.).

I also like investigative videos without blockbuster content and a ton of dramatic music, but those are really hard to find.


Any Ben Eater videos really, but this is a good one.

Building a VGA video card

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l7rce6IQDWs


The Biggest Ideas in the Universe by Sean Carroll, an intro to modern physics, including homotopy and quantum field theory. He does some math but you'll follow if you've finished high school. Don't miss the Q&A videos in between the 26 regular episodes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HI09kat_GeI


Whoa, this will keep me busy for a lot of boring mornings.

There are a lot of physics concepts I struggle to understand, like what are electrons if they aren’t orbiting particles as we were taught, and what really is quantum entanglement.

This playlist will definitely help, thanks!


FYI if you watch the video and like it, he also has a great podcast (Mindscape) which often involves physics but usually combines it with some other topic being discussed with a guest.


https://m.youtube.com/c/everyframeapainting

Every Frame A Painting. A great channel (that I wish was getting new videos) going deep on about aspects of moviemaking, editing, musical scores etc. High production quality videos and interesting even if you’re not a film buff or movie nerd.


This is marvellous! I loved when YouTube recommended me some stuff about camera angles from Vox, or how interesting old 3D cameras worked.

I didn’t really know how to search for this kind of content, this channel is gold!


Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos (of Every Frame A Painting) are involved with Netflix's new show Voir, which seems to follow the same video essay format. Haven't watched it yet, but it's on my list.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80990130


This channel goes deeply (well, as deeply as is possible) into ballpoint pens, fountain pens, and other writing instruments:

* refills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr1UfM8PP0U

* Parker Jotter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8uIjfWqm4

* multi-pens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAJ9BwHKJU4


How The Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio comes to mind. It's 31 minutes long and provides a great high-level overview of basic economic principles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0&t=3s


This was my go-to video to put me to sleep, but it has sound effects and I found other videos. The two others are Clayton Christensen's talk at Google, and John Danaher's appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast. These two are just amazing as the dynamic range of everyone's voice is so narrow. They don't have ups and downs. Their voice is rather monotonic and soothing. I'm asleep in less than 5 minutes. I know because I remember the topic I slept to, and diff it with the topic I haven't listened to.

I also listen to old tool restauration videos/CNC/industrial sounds as they put me to sleep as fast if I haven't booked a hotel room on the first floor of a hotel that gives to a busy city street at peak time, or at a specific place that overlooks a mechanic shop with pneumatic tools during work hours. I can't control traffic or people's work hours, so these videos are the closest I got to reproducible, predictable, on-demand sleep.


You might like this channel called Nomadic Ambience: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRTj-Nu_8to3jIBlXptOtA


Thank you, jorgesborges. I will try it.


https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16yXRcZ04IFJaQuQlnRFUU...

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16yXRcZ04IF5T99iStpbCj...

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16yXRcZ04IEZqlddjFac3G...

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16yXRcZ04IGCZ0I9iUXS3o...

I love how he explains his thought process and explains the principles that guide decision making.

I can watch him for hours.


Check this one out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZA9Hnp3aV4

"Exponential Growth Arithmetic, Population and Energy, Dr. Albert A. Bartlett"


This sounds just like the kind of thing I was looking for! Thanks!


World's Most Advanced Video Editing Tutorial (Premiere Pro) - Editing LTT from start to finish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ERELse_QY


Damn, 4 hours!

I just got into a bit of video editing because I had to do a real app demo for my new app, for it to be approved on the App Store (https://lowtechguys/rcmd)

This should come in handy for the next app!


"Around The Corner - How Differential Steering Works (1937)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAw79386WI


I'm not generally a fan of made-for-youtube, but they do have some classic documentaries on there. Including "the most expensive factual series ever made", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_at_War . Made in the 70s, it was long enough to regard it as history but recent enough that senior participants were still alive and available to be interviewed.


https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFjonLo8gYHIXC35K4Ujrbu6X...

The unanswered question series by Leonard bernstein. Great stuff for studying the evolution of western classical music and its parallels with intellectual movements till the rise of 20th century nihilism.


I just got started into wildlife photography and this video has been a great starting point for me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9YBeNBoKVw

It is long, but goes into a lot of details on what makes a photograph look good.


How to Speak, Patrick Winston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY&ab_channel=MITOp...

(And, more generally, just any/all of the MITOCW stuff.)


Not exactly designed for YT, but Sapolsky’s Human Behavioral Biology is great.


2nded. Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL150326949691B199


Some History and Tech topics

Fall of Civilizations - multi-hour documentaries on historical events and, well, the fall of civilizations. The one on early Sumer is brilliant.

Kings and Generals - brilliant episodes on Military History around the world and big time span. E.g. one in Caesar's Gallic campaigns is brilliant.

Code-report - Programming, APL introduction, book workshops on books like SICP.


I really enjoy history civilis! https://www.youtube.com/c/HistoriaCivilis

Great animated history videos that really go into a lot of detail and provide useful information, especially ancient Rome.


"What Bitcoin Did", "The Future of Bitcoin" with Nic Carter (7 days old) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yhW5HsuNJs

When Pubs Briefly Replaced Banks, Patrick Boyle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFIQWWt4UaA

Why Jurassic Park Looks Better Than Its Sequels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKALxKbjOaE

Animation Is Under Appreciated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYUCzG8CgLw

CASEY NEISTAT: WHAT YOU DON'T SEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbiJqTBCQuw

Joe Rogan, when he interviews restauranteurs and hunters


Lindsay Ellis does very engaging video essays, mostly critical analysis of mass media:

https://www.youtube.com/c/LindsayEllisVids/videos


If you’re into guitar and specifically guitar pedals, almost any video by JHS Pedals where he talks about technology and/or history of a specific pedal type or brand/model.


Why China's Largest Volcano Is So Unusual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C2HVOB-g5s


Thanks for this. Great timing as school holidays have just started in Australia and I like to get my boys watching some interesting educational content.


Century of the Self:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ3RzGoQC4s


Almost nothing

it's due to (almost) all you tube educative info contents is terrible as youtuber just target the max viewers as much as possible without caring content's truthfulness and quality


Yes, but "almost nothing" in a domain of millions of educational videos is still a lot. One just needs help curating, like this thread.




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