Awesome Learning

(PG-13: Language) Exurb1a rushes through evolution and genetics to share a thought: if mental illnesses can be genetically edited out of us, should we do it? It’s hard to say without knowing the consequences, but a world where misery is extinct certainly sounds wonderful.

We often feature videos from Kurzgesagt. Like many of you, we take what they say at face value. But it’s always smart to question things. Now, the channel offers insight into their research and writing process, admitting to mistakes and biases along the way.

(Gore) Wisecrack gives us a brilliant crash course on the history of horror films, and why their topics and tropes have changed across the decades, from pre-World War I films to today’s social and post-apocalyptic craze.

Dogs are known for their impressive olfactory systems, and their ability to suss out all kinds of minute scents. In this clip from Deep Look, we learn how researchers are working with rescue dogs to better understand how their scent tracking abilities really work.

“Fight on! Fight on!” Made by the creator of One Punch Man, the hilarious anime Mob Psycho 100 is also about the struggles of a character with god-like powers. But as Wisecrack explores, the lesson here is about hard work and realizing one’s place in the world.

It’s been drilled into our heads that the majority of Earth is covered in water, but just how much is there? Wren of Corridor Crew provides some great visualizations to give us a better idea of the volume of H2O, and when packed into a sphere, its size is surprising.

For over 150 years, Hong Kong was under British rule. When the terms of an agreement expired, it was returned to China. But how does a city with over 7.4 million people change countries? Wendover Productions explains some of the finer points of the transition.

Kurzgesagt takes a break from its lesssons on theoretical science to focus on something a little closer to home – the sense of feeling alone or disconnected from people, a sociological problem that’s been disturbingly on the rise as the world has modernized.

Ahoy resumes his engaging series on firearms with the MP40. Created in Nazi Germany, this submachine gun became both a symbol of evil and rebellion in pop culture. Despite its brief real world usage, it has become one of the most recognizable guns in shooters.

These days, those of us in big cities take subways for granted. But in the 1860s, the idea was just being tested for the first time. London, England’s underground project wasn’t exactly easy, but its impact on urban development would be felt to this day. TED-Ed explains.

For an art form that’s so dependent on technology, movies and the film industry have lots of inventions and ideas for which to be thankful. But CineFix thinks these three developments in particular had the most impact on filmmaking over the years.

(PG-13: Language) Punk rock shook up the music scene back in 1976, but “proto-punk” bands dating all the way back to the late 1950s defined the genre without even knowing it. Trash Theory looks back at the history of punk rock, and the roots of its anti-establishment sounds.

Animorphs’ book covers are more famous than the actual stories. Lazy Game Reviews got his hands on the software that artist David Mattingly used for his covers. But due to the software’s limitations, he painted about half of each cover to make them look, uh, better.

Up until the mid-2000’s, the displays on devices were mainly covered with plastic. Then in 2006, Steve Jobs asked Corning to create a durable and scratch-resistant glass, and Gorilla Glass was born. Here’s how Corning makes its money-making material.

Wendover Productions made this great overview of how submarines work. The video goes over crew shifts, food, communications technology, and the watercraft’s weaknesses. It’s amazing what man’s thirst for revenge can accomplish.

Want to go down in history? You don’t need to solve an obscure problem. Mental Floss’ List Show enumerates 19 common topics that science hasn’t fully figured out, including laughing, hiccups, ice skates, and of course the common cold.

“Unexpected token else!” Serial learner Mike Boyd recognizes that programming is one of the most relevant skills today. He challenged himself to learn how to code and make a simple game. He encountered a lot of bugs and errors, but he eventually succeeded.

While those of us with small businesses typically just brainstorm product names, big companies rely on experts like Lexicon Branding and its founder David Placek, who gave us memorable names like Swiffer, Febreze, Sonos, Blackberry, and more.

CGP Grey explores the different ways that airplane passengers can be grouped for boarding, why it takes so long to board in the first place, and why airlines don’t use more efficient means. We love how letting people board at random is actually a viable solution.

“What if I don’t want a hand? What if I want a tentacle?” The Guardian spoke with amputees as well as experts about the present and future of prosthetics and bionics. Research on technology such as brain-machine interfaces raise both possibilities and dilemmas.

Have you ever noticed how when a bicycle wheel rolls along the ground that its top spokes appear to be much more blurred than the bottom ones? Michael of DONG explains the physical and optical properties that bring this effect to life.

Despite our fascination with Mars, the red planet isn’t exactly the most hospitable place. Kurzgesagt looks at some of the many challenges we’d face if we ever wanted to colonize Mars. Humans can’t breathe there, it’s freezing cold, and Martian dust is poisonous.

In 1976, just a few years after the Beatles disbanded, a British journalist published an article about a band named Klaatu. The writer was almost convinced that they were actually the Beatles. Even without today’s social media, the hype train left the station.