Veritasium Appreciation

Tl;Dr: Veritasium on YouTube is really good, e.g. Nobel, 6 degrees and genetic engineering are awesome & apropos

Veritasium is a YouTube channel focusing on science and math, and it does an amazing job. Both in making things comprehensible and relevant. Some recent examples:

The story of Alfred Nobel – he invented high explosives, then plastic explosives, then the Nobel Prize. Fascinating physics and the social back story. Interesting history on philanthropy. Very timely.

Kevin Bacon & 6 steps away: they did the math on social networks (think friend groups, not social media). It’s kinda standard story until they get towards the end, modeling how actual human networks work. What’s interesting is that ‘short cuts’ are so influential, and how that plays out in real life. It seems like a pointed message about social change.

Genetically Modified Crops: all about Monsanto. Totally changed the way I think about genetically Modified Crops. And really, really sticks it to Monsanto.