Awesome Kurzgesagt

Astrophysicists estimate that our universe came into existence roughly 14 billion years ago, and it’s been expanding ever since. Kurzgesagt ponders the question whether the universe is truly infinite if it keeps growing, or if it has an edge somewhere that we just can’t see.

We always thought about time in very linear terms. However, scientists have theorized that the past, present, and future simultaneously exist. Kurzgesagt explores the theory that the entire history of the universe has already happened, and we’re just experiencing our tiny sliver of it. Warning: your brain might hurt after watching this.

We’ve featured many size comparison videos from channels like MetaBallStudios and RED SIDE. Kursgezagt wanted to make a different kind of comparison video, examining opposingly small and large things relative to the size of an average human, from the tiniest proton to the vastness of observable universe.

We still don’t know if there’s extraterrestrial life out there, but if there is, there’s a chance that they won’t like us Earthlings and will want to get rid of us. Kurzgesagt takes the aliens’ side in this theoretical conflict and offers strategies to help them wipe out humanity forever. Though they assume our enemies are more technologically advanced than us.

Scientists estimate that life began on Earth about 3.7 billion years ago. But it’s quite plausible that life existed before this, shortly after the Big Bang created the universe. Kurzgesagt explains why this might have been possible and what sort of life forms might have been cooking in the universe’s primordial soup.

Sixty-six million years ago, everything seemed to be going just fine for the dinosaurs. But then something changed, wiping out the thriving beasts. Kurzgesagt looks at how one seemingly minor change in the skies led to the rapid extinction of most life on Earth. It’s a dramatic reminder to live each day as if it was your last.

Kurzgesagt has a long history of exploring existential threats. Like many revolutionary changes, biotechnology can be used to improve civilization or bring it to its knees. In this video, they talk about how rapid advancements could wipe us all out by engineering an unstoppable virus, then propose some things we could do to limit those risks.

Given the vastness of the universe, it’s almost impossible to fathom that there aren’t other life forms out there. In this video from Kurzgesagt, they explore the hypothetical idea that aliens are just a few steps behind us, and will soon catch up with technology that allows them to explore space and visit other planets.

Ants are fascinating creatures. While some may battle other colonies for supremacy, there are kinds of ants that enslave others. Kurzgesagt explains how Polyergus ants raid colonies and force their offspring to do their bidding until they die. They’ve become so reliant on their slaves that they can no longer care for themselves.

We’ve always enjoyed learning about science and nature from Kurzgesagt. They explain all kinds of theoretical events and technologies with an authoritative voice. SilentSushi edited together some random bits and pieces from their videos which make absolutely no sense when taken out of context. And then there’s this video.

What could be more terrifying than a regular volcano? A supervolcano, that’s what. Kurzgesagt explains how these massive ash, lava, and gas-spewing volcanoes form, and what sort of catastrophic consequences they might have on the Earth and its inhabitants for if the planet’s superheated insides erupted.

The Universe is enormous. But here on earth, there’s a seemingly endless universe inhabited by insects, bacteria, plants, microorganisms, molecules, and atoms. Kurzgesagt zooms in beneath our feet for a journey to these tiny worlds among us, using the size of our world as a frame of reference.

There’s a lot of crazy and negative stuff going on in the world these days, but is it really the end times? Kurzgesagt asks the hypothetical question of when the last human might be born by examining population growth, birth rates, and animal extinction rates. But human ingenuity, technology, and space travel are serious wildcards.

Let’s face it. Change is hard. Even if you have solid goals and desires, you might find it difficult to adapt your behaviors to get there. Kurzgesagt explains the physiological reasons that make it hard to change and some practical advice on how to break through when you’re stuck in a rut.

You might feel like you’re standing still right now, but we are always moving. But our place in the universe isn’t absolute. Instead, our location is entirely relative to other objects. Kurzgesagt explores this concept, and how each person, place, and thing has its own point of view for its position and movements.

Every now and then, you might see a story in the news about a “brain-eating amoeba” that turned up somewhere. But is this microscopic organism as terrifying as it sounds, or is it all just hyperbole? Kurzgesagt digs into the true story of the naegleria fowleri, and what it’s likely to do should it enter your body.

We still don’t know if there are other species out there in space, but it certainly seems possible that we’re not the only life forms in the universe. Kurzgesagt goes one step further to explore the possibility that aliens life once roamed the Earth long before the dinosaurs.

Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall envisions what might happen if the Moon came out of its orbit and crashed into the Earth. Kurzegesagt takes a more scientific approach, and explains what might happen if the moon gradually got closer to the Earth, and the big problems we’d experience long before the Moon ever got here.

While we’ve never found evidence of intelligent life outside of our planet, scientists hold out hope that someday we might. Kurzgesagt looks at one particularly dark theory that says other civilizations could be out there and intentionally hiding, ready to eradicate us at the first sign of contact.

Kurzgesagt explores the complex systems at work to help keep our 40 trillion cells alive and well, adapting and facing off countless times each day against foreign organisms teeming inside of our bodies. For a deeper dive, grab a copy of Kurzgesagt founder Phil Dettmer’s new book IMMUNE.

Thanks to movies like Jurassic Park, we have some very specific notions of what dinosaurs looked like. But as Kursgezagt explains, between missing fossils and misinterpreted skeletal reconstructions, it’s quite possible that these prehistoric animals appeared very different than we thought.

While we sit here staring at our screens, a war is being fought all around us. Trillions of microorganisms are battling it out for resources while viruses attack and take over. While it’s was believed that viruses aren’t alive, recent discoveries point to giant viruses that act more like living organisms. Kurzgesagt explains.

Kurzgesagt provides a layperson’s explanation of human immunity, the amazing and complex system that helps keep us alive – and sometimes needs a little help to build a memory against disease. Be sure to check out Kursgesagt’s new book Immune for more on the topic, and keep your eyes peeled for episode 2.