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PBS SpaceTime

526 points by andrewstuart 4y ago

ziofill 4y ago
I like it because they go one step further than other science outreach channels, and they don’t renounce on accuracy while simplifying obviously complex physics topics.
arturventura 4y ago
I love watching SpaceTime on youtube! If you watch it, it will give you a surprisingly deep understanding of the state of the art on physics, but is the kind of show that if you don't have a massive background in physics, you either need to be extremely focused to understand it, or blazed out of your mind.
- nickthegreek 4y ago
  repeat viewings also help.
sen 4y ago
One of my absolute favourite YouTube channels of all time. Very well presented, truly fascinating topics, and explained in a way even a pleb like me can understand (at least enough to know that I don’t understand shit about the universe, but am still endlessly fascinated by it all).
Vanit 4y ago
Somewhat related, Kurzgesagt is amazing.
- spacemanmatt 4y ago
  Much agreed, and you may also enjoy Exurb1a
zekica 4y ago
I like them, Matt doesn't like to make everything sound like a mystery, but instead explain it to the point and not dumb it down too much. I also like watching Sabine Hossenfelder for physics topics.
pokolovsky 4y ago
I love this channel.
gigatexal 4y ago
I rewatch their videos on YouTube all the time. After maybe 8 watches each I begin to understand. It’s amazing and very well done.
formerly_proven 4y ago
Spacetime is nice because they / Matt often acknowledge uncertainty (indeed, gaps being found or closed in current understanding are probably one of the most common themes of the show), unlike many others which tend to present theories as facts (e.g. kurzgesagt often does this). Likewise, they don't shy away from making relatively complex explanations instead of leaning all to heavily into bogus analogies. They made a well-regarded by physicists (as far as I can tell) series on relativity, for example.
- nkrisc 4y ago
  I think acknowledging uncertainty is one of the most important jobs of science communicators. It’s important that they say, “…but we really don’t know for sure” and emphasize when something is theoretical, a best guess, or a rough model. I think Matt and team do this very well.
  - dylan604 4y ago
    Unfortunately, there are people that take that "we really don't know for sure" comment as a negative as "proof" of whatever thing they are pushing instead. The internet is full of them.
    - ff317 4y ago
      I still think it's important that scientists be factual about the uncertainty, though. The alternative whacko theories also have uncertainty, so if we hold ourselves to that standard, we can also rationally hold them to their even greater degrees of uncertainty. When we try to pretend that a current theory is 100% certain and factual just to win an argument with idiots, it invites obvious and IMHO reasonable criticism of all of science. Science is not a set of facts caved in stone. Science is a process; a way of thinking critically and exploring the boundaries of reality in a way that makes a best effort at getting closer and closer to the boundaries of the knowable in a rational and reasonably-objective way. It often makes missteps and corrections along the way, and we can acknowledge that openly while also contrasting it to non-science junk that isn't even on the right track.
apinnes 4y ago
SpaceTime is an amazing channel, if you enjoy the in depth videos then I'd also highly recommend ScienceClic (no K at the end) and History of the Universe, both channels similarly go in deep on a lot of physics, and have really great visuals.
qrybam 4y ago
If you enjoy Matt @ Spacetime, Sabine Hossenfelder, and Kurzgesagt, and are into astrophysics, I would highly recommend Anton Petrov’s YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/c/whatdamath https://m.youtube.com/c/whatdamath
- otikik 4y ago
  Thanks, will give it a go
- spacemanmatt 4y ago
  Best contextualized recommendation of the morning. TY.
- mettamage 4y ago
  Yep, he's awesome. I am kinda surprised that he himself seems to be a data scientist? I'd have suspected he'd be a phycisist.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - mtnygard 4y ago
    Physics degrees were the gateway into data science before there was such a thing as a data science degree. So it's possible that he works as a data scientist but was trained as a physicist.
- willis936 4y ago
  I started off really liking Kurzgesagt but got tired with how often they started with conclusions and then constructed narratives to justify it, rather than starting with observations. It's just the wrong way to think and present things.
  - electrondood 4y ago
    I prefer this "main idea up front" presentation. In Slack messages, emails, articles, etc. Everything but drama/fiction.
barredo 4y ago
I love this channel very much.
can16358p 4y ago
One of my favorite channels on YT. There are many channels who try to explain similar topics, but PBS Spacetime is among the top 3 in how it engages the viewer and keeps them interested while explaining in (relatively (no pun intended)) simple terms.
setuid9001 4y ago
Matt and his team are doing such a great job.The visuals are great and the music is alway on point! Also, when I'm stressed out, I can watch an episode and my mind calms down again. Thank you guys!
- kikokikokiko 4y ago
  The visual effects team that does the cgi for Spacetime is amazing, and being a fellow brazilian those guys make me really proud.
spacemanmatt 4y ago
PBS SpaceTime is easily one of my favorite channels on any platform.
LUmBULtERA 4y ago
Love this channel!
cyri 4y ago
For all the German speakers have a look at https://urknall-weltall-leben.de https://urknall-weltall-leben.de
shrikrishna 4y ago
A channel worth subscribing. Matt (and team?) manages successfully to walk the fine line between managing the complexity of the topics they discuss (which are sometimes extremely dense), making it consumable for the population that's interested in science and physics, but doesn't pursue it on a daily basis. At the same time, they don't fall for the trap of dumbing it down to the point where the audience develops misconceptions and starts believing in pseudo scientific claims. There are some series they sometimes do, which are entertaining to follow. I also enjoy things like Journal club, where they pick a paper and deep dive into it. The audience also participates, in a way, where they pick the questions/comments from the previous video and answer them. However, it's not all academic either. There are some running jokes etc, which keep the content entertaining, while being informative, a format that I see common in some of the best Youtube channels.
- wing-_-nuts 4y ago
  >making it consumable for the population that's interested in science and physics, but doesn't pursue it on a daily basis. While I love the channel, it seems like they're more targeted to someone with a lot of physics education, more so than lay people. This is the only channel I've ever watched and genuinely felt dumb on a regular basis.
  - lc9er 4y ago
    There's definitely a lot of material that, I have to accept that "I don't have the math for it"[0]. But Matt does a pretty good job of breaking things down conceptually, so that even though you don't know the specifics, the broader picture is at least vaguely understandable. Even if it means you need to watch previous episodes to get the gist of other discussed concepts. [0] Harry Wilson, from John Scalzi's "Old Man's War"
  - ravi-delia 4y ago
    I think that's the key. Without a somewhat rigorous treatment, most interesting physics just doesn't work. The magic is that a well made resource is still consumable without quite understanding the complicated stuff. Then, if you come across something else later, maybe the commonalities make something click.
thejackgoode 4y ago
I have enjoyed them for years, I can recommend their merch and also give a slightly embarassing advice for insomniacs. If you have insomnia, find a subject that you are genuinely interested in (but not too much) and watch videos on it while in bed. After a while, your brain slowly drifts off. After even more awhile, you learn to do this without a video. PBS Spacetime, Sabine Hossenfelder, Isaac Arthur cured my insomnia, for which I am infinitely grateful.
- maaaaattttt 4y ago
  I was wondering if I was the only one and glad to find out I’m not. I was a bit embarrassed because I absolutely love the videos (and have done so for years) but if I watch them in bed they put me to sleep in < 10 minutes. Great quality and content. I recommend this channel for anyone interested in space and physics in general.
- ricardo81 4y ago
  I'm not an insomniac but as a layman, the drifting certainly happened. Found their content a little too deep for my general curiosity.
- taude 4y ago
  Another YouTube channel I watch on this type of stuff is SEA [1], and the channel even has a curated list of their videos to help sleeping [2]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/SEAmedia https://www.youtube.com/c/SEAmedia [2] Space Sleep playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoaIad9k4NIlsG6g-almaZH6MzR_T5eV https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoaIad9k4NIlsG6g-alm...
- kosh2 4y ago
  I got the best stuff ever for you: In depth chess videos. I once had bought a chess game (not sure if it was the chess master series) and it contained a whole bunch of annotated games by a GM. It was interesting but also tired my brain so quickly, that it was the best sleep tool ever.
- Ygg2 4y ago
  Doesn't work for me since I am interested in physics. Can recommend Elden Ring lore channels, for very smooth tone of voice and little variations, really put me to sleep. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYDs_Inzkz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYDs_Inzkz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXN1oi4BmxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXN1oi4BmxQ
vladkovalev 4y ago
Great show
sylware 4y ago
The only way I can pay on the net, is by using a wallet code (like with amazon). Namely, I need a monetary account I can fuel with wallet codes I will buy at my local monetary outlet. Then upon payment at pbs, I would log to this "wallet code" service where I would validate (one time code receive via email, sms, etc) that payment. All that must be possible with noscript/basic (x)html browsers.
- bdhcuidbebe 4y ago
jmartin2683 4y ago
I’ve been watching these guys for years, they’re great. Perfectly approachable deep dives into things I know very little about… I love it.
wvh 4y ago
PBS SpaceTime has been running for quite some time already. Beyond the obvious space/time and physics aspect, it's also a good example of a fact-based show that shows scientific method and critical thinking in action, without unnecessary drama or exaggerated sensationalist style; it strikes a perfect balance between science and narrative, serious and not-so-serious, in-depth and manageable chunk size. The graphics help to understand some of the material for us non-physicists or math geniuses, and Matt O'Dowd calm voice and wit create an environment suitable both for deep learning and deep relaxation, occasionally battling insomnia. This is one of the gems of Youtube for sure.
- digisign 4y ago
  Why not watch on PBS, rather than subjected to the drawbacks of youtube?
  - tzs 4y ago
    I've never seen it on my local PBS station. Is it actually aired anywhere? It is streamable on the PBS website, and via the PBS apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire TV and others, but YouTube is still better. As far as I've seen the PBS streams just include the episode itself, compared to the YouTube version which included the episode itself plus replies to points raised in the comments to the previous episode or two. Also the PBS apps on some of those devices are buggy or have serious interface annoyances. If you watch on the web on a platform where your browser can run an ad blocker, YouTube beats the PBS website because of the comment replies. If you watch on the YouTube apps on a device such as a FireTV where you cannot block ads, I'd say YouTube still beats using the PBS on the device. The PBS apps often have 30 to 60 second promos for other PBS series. These aren't as annoying as YouTube ads, but can get pretty annoying after a while because there is a much more limited set. The Space Time episodes are short enough that most of the time you will only get YouTube ads up front, and those tend to be shorter than the promos in the PBS app, and often let you skip after 5 seconds. Even if the ads in the YouTube ad are more annoying than the promos in the PBS app, I think for most people they won't be more annoying enough to counter the YouTube app being less buggy and having a better interface and including the comment reply segments.
osigurdson 4y ago
I love the deep dives into the basics like the "What is energy?" and "True nature of matter and mass" episodes.
gigamike 4y ago
I rarely comment but PBS Spacetime is an amazing channel and Matt a great host. Even though they don't (hell, I don't) understand it all, I love watching it with my kids and see their eyes get huge when they see the excellent graphics and concepts.
zabzonk 4y ago
This, together with The History Guy and The Critical Drinker are my three favourite channels on YouTube.
- plandis 4y ago
  I’ve been adding a bunch of new recommendations from this post… If you had to give like a one line pitch for each how would to describe them?
willis936 4y ago
I never miss a week. It's great. I wish they would sell a Penrose diagram shirt.
- npace12 4y ago
  this! also, i used to basically only wear spacetime tshirts for a couple of summers but their quality went down quite a bit
woojoo666 4y ago
It's really sad that PBS ended their sister series on math, Infinite Series[1]. Those videos were just as deep, informative, and accessible as PBS Spacetime. Some of my favorites are the one on the mathematical "hydra"[2] and the ones on voting systems [3][4] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4aHmggTfFrpkPcWSaBN9g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4aHmggTfFrpkPcWSaBN9g [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWwUpEY4c8o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWwUpEY4c8o [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAnYQZrNrQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAnYQZrNrQ [4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVR7gFMKNg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVR7gFMKNg
- joadha 4y ago
  I had never even heard of this, and I've watched dozens and dozens of episodes of Spacetime! I'm shocked YouTube didn't steer me to this sister channel. Thank you!
  - dylan604 4y ago
    Are you suggesting that the YT recommendation algorithm is some how flawed? I hope you're doing that on a throwaway account ;P
    - frogpelt 4y ago
      Is it possible that it doesn’t serve YTs interests to have a recommendation engine that works best for the end user? I honestly think they just experiment with it a lot. The variety of videos that are recommended for me don’t seem to follow a pattern. Maybe they know my brain better than I do.
      - dylan604 4y ago
        >Is it possible that it doesn’t serve YTs interests to have a recommendation engine that works best for the end user? 100% absolutely it is similar to Goog's search >I honestly think they just experiment with it a lot. The variety of videos that are recommended for me don’t seem to follow a pattern. Possibly, but I'd posit that it's not a good system if the experiment is causing a lack of consistency. I'm sure there's a lot of people that would opt-in for a exeperimental reco system if just asked. > Maybe they know my brain better than I do. Now you're just being silly.
marceldegraaf 4y ago
PBS Space Time is great, and it always amazes me that we're able to watch such high quality content for free. If you're into paleontology, PBS Eons is equally interesting and has a similarly high production quality: https://www.youtube.com/c/eons https://www.youtube.com/c/eons
Slackwise 4y ago
If you like PBS Space Time, you'll likely also enjoy "Science Asylum": https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum This channel covers the same subjects of physics and space, but does so with some incredible insight that I've seen no other channels dig into, and thoughtful animated diagrams that really help in comprehending the subject. Here are some great episodes: "What is Quantum Spin?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1EPGmpzyg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1EPGmpzyg "Quantum Superposition, Explained Without Woo Woo": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUipVyVOm-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUipVyVOm-Y "Capacitors Are Gaps! How Does That Work?!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYRx6Zub3cA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYRx6Zub3cA
- knubie 4y ago
  I’ll throw in ScienceClic as another great channel in the same vein. https://m.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN https://m.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN
- ravi-delia 4y ago
  I love Science Asylum! It has the tone and vibe of a children's pop-sci "educational" resource, with incongruously rigorous content. The tensor video is very good, but I always laugh while watching because even with an admirable attempt to dumb it down it's so clear that there's a lot of iceberg beneath the surface. Reminds me of my favorite undergrad math profs, it's clear they're simultaneously doing their best to dumb the content down for us neophytes and not doing nearly enough.
- czbond 4y ago
  I love SpaceTime, thanks for the suggestion. As a non-physicist - I realized the details are a bit too much and I care more about the higher level.
- notRobot 4y ago
  Another cool channel in the same vein is SciShow: https://www.youtube.com/c/SciShow https://www.youtube.com/c/SciShow
- kosh2 4y ago
platz 4y ago
the quality has definitely gone downhill lately. Compared to a couple years ago, they only lightly touch on topics rather than they deep dives they used to do. Not sure if they are struggling for content or just a shift in priorities.
- desmosxxx 4y ago
  Their series on the holographic universe was peak physics youtube. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKjJE86mQRtt-kzviEIwzEYOzihIW0Tyr https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKjJE86mQRtt-kzviEIwzEYOz... Such an amazing channel & still one of my favorites, but I do wish they'd do more deep dives. Has seem scattered lately.
- conz 4y ago
  > the quality has definitely gone downhill lately. I can't agree. This video from a few weeks ago about the W Boson mass discrepancy is about as deep as a lay audience can hope to surmount: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Q4UAiKacw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Q4UAiKacw
- instakill 4y ago
  hard disagree. earlier content had more surface area to cover - as they get into more specific content in these latter years, of course topic delivery will get leaner
hateful 4y ago
I've been a fan of many channels over the years, but one I've found recently that was very good is The Science Asylum: https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum/videos My favorites are minutephysics and CGP Grey - but they have been very lacking in content lately.
Jerrrry 4y ago
I'm just here to shill Isaac Arthur's Youtube channel[1] Few people try to take our progress as a species to the next evolutionary step while making the content accessible. If you want to know how we as a species will reverse entropy and shrink into the fabric of space-time as the universe reaches thermodynamic conformity, this guy has ya covered. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g
- devnulll 4y ago
  Isaac is pretty amazing. His topic selection is like a peek into my brain. I wish he had a team of content producers working with him, rather than having to do so much re-using stock footage.
zachruss92 4y ago
I became obsessed with PBS space time over the pandemic. I love the depth of content that Matt goes into. It’s clearly a ton of work and I pays off. I’m definitely super interested in Astrophysics now.
cdubzzz 4y ago
PBS Digital Studios[0] has a couple of cool deep series like this. See also Eons[1]. [0] https://www.pbs.org/franchise/digital-studios/ https://www.pbs.org/franchise/digital-studios/ [1] https://www.pbs.org/show/eons/ https://www.pbs.org/show/eons/
dylan604 4y ago
For those of us of a certain age, does anyone else recall a series on PBS from the early 90s (maybe earlier) on physics and calculus? I remember whatching these programs well before I took those classes so that I didn't understand all of it, but when I finally got to them in school, the concepts in the videos made much more sense and the videos helped make sense of some of the textbook learning too.
- jinushaun 4y ago
  Newton’s Apple? I loved that show. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_Apple https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_Apple
  - dylan604 4y ago
    Oh wow, I had forgotten about that show. I had no idea that the theme was done by part of Kraftwerk. Unfortunately, this is not the same show as I was originally thinking. The one I was thinking was more like a video class on physics subjects. More like teacher suplemental type stuff. It was the first example of video based teacher reinforcement stuff that clicked with me, and helped me actually like the subject matter.
- bgm1975 4y ago
  Was it The Mechanical Universe (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk-XGtA5cZ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk...) from Caltech? I loved that series back in the day.
  - dylan604 4y ago
    This might have been it. There are way more episodes than I was familiar. If it's not it, then all I've been reminded today is how much amazing content has been provided by PBS.
mindcrime 4y ago
While we're all advocating for our favorite science related YT channels, let me add a plug for "Physics Girl" (aka Dianna Cowern). Note that her channel isn't so much cosmology and deep theoretical stuff, but has a lot of focus on exploring "real world" aspects of science, including lots of field trips to see neat places and things, but explored from a physics perspective. https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl Another great channel is Dr Becky (Becky Smethurst). Dr. Becky is an astrophysicist, so her channel is more specifically oriented towards astrophysics topics. https://www.youtube.com/c/DrBecky https://www.youtube.com/c/DrBecky
- Zamicol 4y ago
  Dr. Becky is stellar for astrophysics.
epaulson 4y ago
PBS SpaceTime is great. Another physics video series on Youtube that is also excellent (and maybe even a little better) are the videos by Don Lincoln of Fermilab. They don't break his videos out into his own channel, but he's a lot of the Fermilab content: https://www.youtube.com/user/fermilab https://www.youtube.com/user/fermilab
plandis 4y ago
PBS Eons [1] (history of earth related science) and and Be Smart [2] (general science topics) are also pretty good. Both are definitely more targeted for lay people than SpaceTime however. [1] https://youtube.com/c/eons https://youtube.com/c/eons [2] https://youtube.com/c/itsokaytobesmart https://youtube.com/c/itsokaytobesmart
edem 4y ago
This is the only Youtube channel where I watched __all videos__. In fact I watched many more than once! Ever since Gabe left and Matt took over the quality also increased tremendously. I've learned more about how the universe works from this source than any other source combined. this channel is a must for everybody interested in the topic!
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
colechristensen 4y ago
The best thing about SpaceTime is the balance of how much content is slightly out of reach for an average viewer. Pushing that boundary is an important thing to do with educational content especially in a world where so many things are dumbed down.
lvncelot 4y ago
A similar channel I've found recently that tackles the same kind of content is ScienceClic [1]. The visualizations are some of the best and most intuitive I've yet seen. [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN/videos
okamiueru 4y ago
If nothing else to add a differing voice, I cannot stand PBS SpaceTime. I will be completely honest and say that it's probably more due to my lack of understanding than fault of theirs. But, that said, I'm perfectly fine following other science "bloggers". I enjoy them, and I learn from them. PBS however bugs me to no end, because I rarely feel I've understood it, or even learned anything. I'm likely in the minority.
- jayknight 4y ago
  I always feel like I learn something, but by the end of an episode I'm completely lost. I love it.
parentheses 4y ago
I just subscribed to several PBS channels. Thanks!!
Zamicol 4y ago
For physics and science history, https://www.youtube.com/c/KathyLovesPhysicsHistory https://www.youtube.com/c/KathyLovesPhysicsHistory Many of Kathy's videos, especially those on quantum physics and Einstein, I've watched a few times. Here's a good one, "Joseph Fraunhofer Biography: The Father of Modern Astronomy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0cjG1UdqKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0cjG1UdqKo
etoulas 4y ago
The German equivalent is Alpha Centauri by Prof. Dr. Harald Lesch. He created over 200 of those 15 min clips between 1998-2007. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF86BBCC6E99AF968 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF86BBCC6E99AF968 Space Night is another classic that should be mentioned in this context. https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/space-night/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL2Jyb2FkY2FzdFNlcmllcy8yMDIxNzVmMC01OWJjLTQ4NTItOThkNy0yMTVkMDA4NDBlYjQ https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/space-night/Y3JpZDovL2Jy...
scollet 4y ago
I really enjoyed PBS Idea Channel when I was younger. I'm not sure about its vanguard today, but it was like VSauce but without the VSauce aspect.
kkukshtel 4y ago
Weird to see this on HN! I'm late to the party but was browsing older HN posts and just saw it — I was the director of the first "season" of this show (with Gabe) and directed about ~10 episodes with Matt before leaving the production company that makes it. Happy to answer any questions about the show/how it happened/etc. I'll also browse comments here to see if I can answer anything.
tambeb 4y ago
I was a Patreon supporter for about 2 years, at the 2nd biggest pledge level of $250/month. I only stopped because of my own, um, cash flow issues... :) I'm saying this not to show off or signal my virtue. I'm saying it to let everyone know it's a fantastic channel that is well worth your time and/or support. They have never ventured into click-bait land, nor do I think they ever will. If you like science, and physics specifically, give 'em a look.

526 points by andrewstuart 4y ago

I like it because they go one step further than other science outreach channels, and they don’t renounce on accuracy while simplifying obviously complex physics topics.

arturventura 4y ago

I love watching SpaceTime on youtube! If you watch it, it will give you a surprisingly deep understanding of the state of the art on physics, but is the kind of show that if you don't have a massive background in physics, you either need to be extremely focused to understand it, or blazed out of your mind.

nickthegreek 4y ago
repeat viewings also help.

sen 4y ago

One of my absolute favourite YouTube channels of all time. Very well presented, truly fascinating topics, and explained in a way even a pleb like me can understand (at least enough to know that I don’t understand shit about the universe, but am still endlessly fascinated by it all).

Vanit 4y ago

Somewhat related, Kurzgesagt is amazing.

spacemanmatt 4y ago
Much agreed, and you may also enjoy Exurb1a

zekica 4y ago

I like them, Matt doesn't like to make everything sound like a mystery, but instead explain it to the point and not dumb it down too much. I also like watching Sabine Hossenfelder for physics topics.

pokolovsky 4y ago

I love this channel.

gigatexal 4y ago

I rewatch their videos on YouTube all the time. After maybe 8 watches each I begin to understand. It’s amazing and very well done.

formerly_proven 4y ago

Spacetime is nice because they / Matt often acknowledge uncertainty (indeed, gaps being found or closed in current understanding are probably one of the most common themes of the show), unlike many others which tend to present theories as facts (e.g. kurzgesagt often does this). Likewise, they don't shy away from making relatively complex explanations instead of leaning all to heavily into bogus analogies. They made a well-regarded by physicists (as far as I can tell) series on relativity, for example.

nkrisc 4y ago
I think acknowledging uncertainty is one of the most important jobs of science communicators. It’s important that they say, “…but we really don’t know for sure” and emphasize when something is theoretical, a best guess, or a rough model. I think Matt and team do this very well.
- dylan604 4y ago
  Unfortunately, there are people that take that "we really don't know for sure" comment as a negative as "proof" of whatever thing they are pushing instead. The internet is full of them.
  - ff317 4y ago
    I still think it's important that scientists be factual about the uncertainty, though. The alternative whacko theories also have uncertainty, so if we hold ourselves to that standard, we can also rationally hold them to their even greater degrees of uncertainty. When we try to pretend that a current theory is 100% certain and factual just to win an argument with idiots, it invites obvious and IMHO reasonable criticism of all of science. Science is not a set of facts caved in stone. Science is a process; a way of thinking critically and exploring the boundaries of reality in a way that makes a best effort at getting closer and closer to the boundaries of the knowable in a rational and reasonably-objective way. It often makes missteps and corrections along the way, and we can acknowledge that openly while also contrasting it to non-science junk that isn't even on the right track.

apinnes 4y ago

SpaceTime is an amazing channel, if you enjoy the in depth videos then I'd also highly recommend ScienceClic (no K at the end) and History of the Universe, both channels similarly go in deep on a lot of physics, and have really great visuals.

qrybam 4y ago

If you enjoy Matt @ Spacetime, Sabine Hossenfelder, and Kurzgesagt, and are into astrophysics, I would highly recommend Anton Petrov’s YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/c/whatdamath https://m.youtube.com/c/whatdamath

otikik 4y ago
Thanks, will give it a go
spacemanmatt 4y ago
Best contextualized recommendation of the morning. TY.
mettamage 4y ago
Yep, he's awesome. I am kinda surprised that he himself seems to be a data scientist? I'd have suspected he'd be a phycisist.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- mtnygard 4y ago
  Physics degrees were the gateway into data science before there was such a thing as a data science degree. So it's possible that he works as a data scientist but was trained as a physicist.
willis936 4y ago
I started off really liking Kurzgesagt but got tired with how often they started with conclusions and then constructed narratives to justify it, rather than starting with observations. It's just the wrong way to think and present things.
- electrondood 4y ago
  I prefer this "main idea up front" presentation. In Slack messages, emails, articles, etc. Everything but drama/fiction.

barredo 4y ago

I love this channel very much.

can16358p 4y ago

One of my favorite channels on YT. There are many channels who try to explain similar topics, but PBS Spacetime is among the top 3 in how it engages the viewer and keeps them interested while explaining in (relatively (no pun intended)) simple terms.

setuid9001 4y ago

Matt and his team are doing such a great job.The visuals are great and the music is alway on point! Also, when I'm stressed out, I can watch an episode and my mind calms down again. Thank you guys!

kikokikokiko 4y ago
The visual effects team that does the cgi for Spacetime is amazing, and being a fellow brazilian those guys make me really proud.

spacemanmatt 4y ago

PBS SpaceTime is easily one of my favorite channels on any platform.

LUmBULtERA 4y ago

Love this channel!

cyri 4y ago

For all the German speakers have a look at https://urknall-weltall-leben.de https://urknall-weltall-leben.de

shrikrishna 4y ago

A channel worth subscribing. Matt (and team?) manages successfully to walk the fine line between managing the complexity of the topics they discuss (which are sometimes extremely dense), making it consumable for the population that's interested in science and physics, but doesn't pursue it on a daily basis. At the same time, they don't fall for the trap of dumbing it down to the point where the audience develops misconceptions and starts believing in pseudo scientific claims. There are some series they sometimes do, which are entertaining to follow. I also enjoy things like Journal club, where they pick a paper and deep dive into it. The audience also participates, in a way, where they pick the questions/comments from the previous video and answer them. However, it's not all academic either. There are some running jokes etc, which keep the content entertaining, while being informative, a format that I see common in some of the best Youtube channels.

wing-_-nuts 4y ago
>making it consumable for the population that's interested in science and physics, but doesn't pursue it on a daily basis. While I love the channel, it seems like they're more targeted to someone with a lot of physics education, more so than lay people. This is the only channel I've ever watched and genuinely felt dumb on a regular basis.
- lc9er 4y ago
  There's definitely a lot of material that, I have to accept that "I don't have the math for it"[0]. But Matt does a pretty good job of breaking things down conceptually, so that even though you don't know the specifics, the broader picture is at least vaguely understandable. Even if it means you need to watch previous episodes to get the gist of other discussed concepts. [0] Harry Wilson, from John Scalzi's "Old Man's War"
- ravi-delia 4y ago
  I think that's the key. Without a somewhat rigorous treatment, most interesting physics just doesn't work. The magic is that a well made resource is still consumable without quite understanding the complicated stuff. Then, if you come across something else later, maybe the commonalities make something click.

thejackgoode 4y ago

I have enjoyed them for years, I can recommend their merch and also give a slightly embarassing advice for insomniacs. If you have insomnia, find a subject that you are genuinely interested in (but not too much) and watch videos on it while in bed. After a while, your brain slowly drifts off. After even more awhile, you learn to do this without a video. PBS Spacetime, Sabine Hossenfelder, Isaac Arthur cured my insomnia, for which I am infinitely grateful.

maaaaattttt 4y ago
I was wondering if I was the only one and glad to find out I’m not. I was a bit embarrassed because I absolutely love the videos (and have done so for years) but if I watch them in bed they put me to sleep in < 10 minutes. Great quality and content. I recommend this channel for anyone interested in space and physics in general.
ricardo81 4y ago
I'm not an insomniac but as a layman, the drifting certainly happened. Found their content a little too deep for my general curiosity.
taude 4y ago
Another YouTube channel I watch on this type of stuff is SEA [1], and the channel even has a curated list of their videos to help sleeping [2]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/SEAmedia https://www.youtube.com/c/SEAmedia [2] Space Sleep playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoaIad9k4NIlsG6g-almaZH6MzR_T5eV https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkoaIad9k4NIlsG6g-alm...
kosh2 4y ago
I got the best stuff ever for you: In depth chess videos. I once had bought a chess game (not sure if it was the chess master series) and it contained a whole bunch of annotated games by a GM. It was interesting but also tired my brain so quickly, that it was the best sleep tool ever.
Ygg2 4y ago
Doesn't work for me since I am interested in physics. Can recommend Elden Ring lore channels, for very smooth tone of voice and little variations, really put me to sleep. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYDs_Inzkz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYDs_Inzkz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXN1oi4BmxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXN1oi4BmxQ

vladkovalev 4y ago

Great show

sylware 4y ago

The only way I can pay on the net, is by using a wallet code (like with amazon). Namely, I need a monetary account I can fuel with wallet codes I will buy at my local monetary outlet. Then upon payment at pbs, I would log to this "wallet code" service where I would validate (one time code receive via email, sms, etc) that payment. All that must be possible with noscript/basic (x)html browsers.

bdhcuidbebe 4y ago

jmartin2683 4y ago

I’ve been watching these guys for years, they’re great. Perfectly approachable deep dives into things I know very little about… I love it.

wvh 4y ago

PBS SpaceTime has been running for quite some time already. Beyond the obvious space/time and physics aspect, it's also a good example of a fact-based show that shows scientific method and critical thinking in action, without unnecessary drama or exaggerated sensationalist style; it strikes a perfect balance between science and narrative, serious and not-so-serious, in-depth and manageable chunk size. The graphics help to understand some of the material for us non-physicists or math geniuses, and Matt O'Dowd calm voice and wit create an environment suitable both for deep learning and deep relaxation, occasionally battling insomnia. This is one of the gems of Youtube for sure.

digisign 4y ago
Why not watch on PBS, rather than subjected to the drawbacks of youtube?
- tzs 4y ago
  I've never seen it on my local PBS station. Is it actually aired anywhere? It is streamable on the PBS website, and via the PBS apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire TV and others, but YouTube is still better. As far as I've seen the PBS streams just include the episode itself, compared to the YouTube version which included the episode itself plus replies to points raised in the comments to the previous episode or two. Also the PBS apps on some of those devices are buggy or have serious interface annoyances. If you watch on the web on a platform where your browser can run an ad blocker, YouTube beats the PBS website because of the comment replies. If you watch on the YouTube apps on a device such as a FireTV where you cannot block ads, I'd say YouTube still beats using the PBS on the device. The PBS apps often have 30 to 60 second promos for other PBS series. These aren't as annoying as YouTube ads, but can get pretty annoying after a while because there is a much more limited set. The Space Time episodes are short enough that most of the time you will only get YouTube ads up front, and those tend to be shorter than the promos in the PBS app, and often let you skip after 5 seconds. Even if the ads in the YouTube ad are more annoying than the promos in the PBS app, I think for most people they won't be more annoying enough to counter the YouTube app being less buggy and having a better interface and including the comment reply segments.

osigurdson 4y ago

I love the deep dives into the basics like the "What is energy?" and "True nature of matter and mass" episodes.

gigamike 4y ago

I rarely comment but PBS Spacetime is an amazing channel and Matt a great host. Even though they don't (hell, I don't) understand it all, I love watching it with my kids and see their eyes get huge when they see the excellent graphics and concepts.

zabzonk 4y ago

This, together with The History Guy and The Critical Drinker are my three favourite channels on YouTube.

plandis 4y ago
I’ve been adding a bunch of new recommendations from this post… If you had to give like a one line pitch for each how would to describe them?

willis936 4y ago

I never miss a week. It's great. I wish they would sell a Penrose diagram shirt.

npace12 4y ago
this! also, i used to basically only wear spacetime tshirts for a couple of summers but their quality went down quite a bit

woojoo666 4y ago

It's really sad that PBS ended their sister series on math, Infinite Series[1]. Those videos were just as deep, informative, and accessible as PBS Spacetime. Some of my favorites are the one on the mathematical "hydra"[2] and the ones on voting systems [3][4] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4aHmggTfFrpkPcWSaBN9g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4aHmggTfFrpkPcWSaBN9g [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWwUpEY4c8o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWwUpEY4c8o [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAnYQZrNrQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAnYQZrNrQ [4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVR7gFMKNg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVR7gFMKNg

joadha 4y ago
I had never even heard of this, and I've watched dozens and dozens of episodes of Spacetime! I'm shocked YouTube didn't steer me to this sister channel. Thank you!
- dylan604 4y ago
  Are you suggesting that the YT recommendation algorithm is some how flawed? I hope you're doing that on a throwaway account ;P
  - frogpelt 4y ago
    Is it possible that it doesn’t serve YTs interests to have a recommendation engine that works best for the end user? I honestly think they just experiment with it a lot. The variety of videos that are recommended for me don’t seem to follow a pattern. Maybe they know my brain better than I do.
    - dylan604 4y ago
      >Is it possible that it doesn’t serve YTs interests to have a recommendation engine that works best for the end user? 100% absolutely it is similar to Goog's search >I honestly think they just experiment with it a lot. The variety of videos that are recommended for me don’t seem to follow a pattern. Possibly, but I'd posit that it's not a good system if the experiment is causing a lack of consistency. I'm sure there's a lot of people that would opt-in for a exeperimental reco system if just asked. > Maybe they know my brain better than I do. Now you're just being silly.

marceldegraaf 4y ago

PBS Space Time is great, and it always amazes me that we're able to watch such high quality content for free. If you're into paleontology, PBS Eons is equally interesting and has a similarly high production quality: https://www.youtube.com/c/eons https://www.youtube.com/c/eons

Slackwise 4y ago

If you like PBS Space Time, you'll likely also enjoy "Science Asylum": https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum This channel covers the same subjects of physics and space, but does so with some incredible insight that I've seen no other channels dig into, and thoughtful animated diagrams that really help in comprehending the subject. Here are some great episodes: "What is Quantum Spin?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1EPGmpzyg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1EPGmpzyg "Quantum Superposition, Explained Without Woo Woo": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUipVyVOm-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUipVyVOm-Y "Capacitors Are Gaps! How Does That Work?!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYRx6Zub3cA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYRx6Zub3cA

knubie 4y ago
I’ll throw in ScienceClic as another great channel in the same vein. https://m.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN https://m.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN
ravi-delia 4y ago
I love Science Asylum! It has the tone and vibe of a children's pop-sci "educational" resource, with incongruously rigorous content. The tensor video is very good, but I always laugh while watching because even with an admirable attempt to dumb it down it's so clear that there's a lot of iceberg beneath the surface. Reminds me of my favorite undergrad math profs, it's clear they're simultaneously doing their best to dumb the content down for us neophytes and not doing nearly enough.
czbond 4y ago
I love SpaceTime, thanks for the suggestion. As a non-physicist - I realized the details are a bit too much and I care more about the higher level.
notRobot 4y ago
Another cool channel in the same vein is SciShow: https://www.youtube.com/c/SciShow https://www.youtube.com/c/SciShow
kosh2 4y ago

platz 4y ago

the quality has definitely gone downhill lately. Compared to a couple years ago, they only lightly touch on topics rather than they deep dives they used to do. Not sure if they are struggling for content or just a shift in priorities.

desmosxxx 4y ago
Their series on the holographic universe was peak physics youtube. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKjJE86mQRtt-kzviEIwzEYOzihIW0Tyr https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKjJE86mQRtt-kzviEIwzEYOz... Such an amazing channel & still one of my favorites, but I do wish they'd do more deep dives. Has seem scattered lately.
conz 4y ago
> the quality has definitely gone downhill lately. I can't agree. This video from a few weeks ago about the W Boson mass discrepancy is about as deep as a lay audience can hope to surmount: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Q4UAiKacw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Q4UAiKacw
instakill 4y ago
hard disagree. earlier content had more surface area to cover - as they get into more specific content in these latter years, of course topic delivery will get leaner

hateful 4y ago

I've been a fan of many channels over the years, but one I've found recently that was very good is The Science Asylum: https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/Scienceasylum/videos My favorites are minutephysics and CGP Grey - but they have been very lacking in content lately.

Jerrrry 4y ago

I'm just here to shill Isaac Arthur's Youtube channel[1] Few people try to take our progress as a species to the next evolutionary step while making the content accessible. If you want to know how we as a species will reverse entropy and shrink into the fabric of space-time as the universe reaches thermodynamic conformity, this guy has ya covered. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g

devnulll 4y ago
Isaac is pretty amazing. His topic selection is like a peek into my brain. I wish he had a team of content producers working with him, rather than having to do so much re-using stock footage.

zachruss92 4y ago

I became obsessed with PBS space time over the pandemic. I love the depth of content that Matt goes into. It’s clearly a ton of work and I pays off. I’m definitely super interested in Astrophysics now.

cdubzzz 4y ago

PBS Digital Studios[0] has a couple of cool deep series like this. See also Eons[1]. [0] https://www.pbs.org/franchise/digital-studios/ https://www.pbs.org/franchise/digital-studios/ [1] https://www.pbs.org/show/eons/ https://www.pbs.org/show/eons/

dylan604 4y ago

For those of us of a certain age, does anyone else recall a series on PBS from the early 90s (maybe earlier) on physics and calculus? I remember whatching these programs well before I took those classes so that I didn't understand all of it, but when I finally got to them in school, the concepts in the videos made much more sense and the videos helped make sense of some of the textbook learning too.

jinushaun 4y ago
Newton’s Apple? I loved that show. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_Apple https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_Apple
- dylan604 4y ago
  Oh wow, I had forgotten about that show. I had no idea that the theme was done by part of Kraftwerk. Unfortunately, this is not the same show as I was originally thinking. The one I was thinking was more like a video class on physics subjects. More like teacher suplemental type stuff. It was the first example of video based teacher reinforcement stuff that clicked with me, and helped me actually like the subject matter.
bgm1975 4y ago
Was it The Mechanical Universe (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk-XGtA5cZ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_xPU5epJddRABXqJ5h5G0dk...) from Caltech? I loved that series back in the day.
- dylan604 4y ago
  This might have been it. There are way more episodes than I was familiar. If it's not it, then all I've been reminded today is how much amazing content has been provided by PBS.

mindcrime 4y ago

While we're all advocating for our favorite science related YT channels, let me add a plug for "Physics Girl" (aka Dianna Cowern). Note that her channel isn't so much cosmology and deep theoretical stuff, but has a lot of focus on exploring "real world" aspects of science, including lots of field trips to see neat places and things, but explored from a physics perspective. https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl Another great channel is Dr Becky (Becky Smethurst). Dr. Becky is an astrophysicist, so her channel is more specifically oriented towards astrophysics topics. https://www.youtube.com/c/DrBecky https://www.youtube.com/c/DrBecky

Zamicol 4y ago
Dr. Becky is stellar for astrophysics.

epaulson 4y ago

PBS SpaceTime is great. Another physics video series on Youtube that is also excellent (and maybe even a little better) are the videos by Don Lincoln of Fermilab. They don't break his videos out into his own channel, but he's a lot of the Fermilab content: https://www.youtube.com/user/fermilab https://www.youtube.com/user/fermilab

plandis 4y ago

PBS Eons [1] (history of earth related science) and and Be Smart [2] (general science topics) are also pretty good. Both are definitely more targeted for lay people than SpaceTime however. [1] https://youtube.com/c/eons https://youtube.com/c/eons [2] https://youtube.com/c/itsokaytobesmart https://youtube.com/c/itsokaytobesmart

edem 4y ago

This is the only Youtube channel where I watched __all videos__. In fact I watched many more than once! Ever since Gabe left and Matt took over the quality also increased tremendously. I've learned more about how the universe works from this source than any other source combined. this channel is a must for everybody interested in the topic!

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

colechristensen 4y ago

The best thing about SpaceTime is the balance of how much content is slightly out of reach for an average viewer. Pushing that boundary is an important thing to do with educational content especially in a world where so many things are dumbed down.

lvncelot 4y ago

A similar channel I've found recently that tackles the same kind of content is ScienceClic [1]. The visualizations are some of the best and most intuitive I've yet seen. [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/ScienceClicEN/videos

okamiueru 4y ago

If nothing else to add a differing voice, I cannot stand PBS SpaceTime. I will be completely honest and say that it's probably more due to my lack of understanding than fault of theirs. But, that said, I'm perfectly fine following other science "bloggers". I enjoy them, and I learn from them. PBS however bugs me to no end, because I rarely feel I've understood it, or even learned anything. I'm likely in the minority.

jayknight 4y ago
I always feel like I learn something, but by the end of an episode I'm completely lost. I love it.

parentheses 4y ago

I just subscribed to several PBS channels. Thanks!!

Zamicol 4y ago

For physics and science history, https://www.youtube.com/c/KathyLovesPhysicsHistory https://www.youtube.com/c/KathyLovesPhysicsHistory Many of Kathy's videos, especially those on quantum physics and Einstein, I've watched a few times. Here's a good one, "Joseph Fraunhofer Biography: The Father of Modern Astronomy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0cjG1UdqKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0cjG1UdqKo

etoulas 4y ago

The German equivalent is Alpha Centauri by Prof. Dr. Harald Lesch. He created over 200 of those 15 min clips between 1998-2007. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF86BBCC6E99AF968 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF86BBCC6E99AF968 Space Night is another classic that should be mentioned in this context. https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/space-night/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL2Jyb2FkY2FzdFNlcmllcy8yMDIxNzVmMC01OWJjLTQ4NTItOThkNy0yMTVkMDA4NDBlYjQ https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/space-night/Y3JpZDovL2Jy...

scollet 4y ago

I really enjoyed PBS Idea Channel when I was younger. I'm not sure about its vanguard today, but it was like VSauce but without the VSauce aspect.

kkukshtel 4y ago

Weird to see this on HN! I'm late to the party but was browsing older HN posts and just saw it — I was the director of the first "season" of this show (with Gabe) and directed about ~10 episodes with Matt before leaving the production company that makes it. Happy to answer any questions about the show/how it happened/etc. I'll also browse comments here to see if I can answer anything.

tambeb 4y ago

I was a Patreon supporter for about 2 years, at the 2nd biggest pledge level of $250/month. I only stopped because of my own, um, cash flow issues... :) I'm saying this not to show off or signal my virtue. I'm saying it to let everyone know it's a fantastic channel that is well worth your time and/or support. They have never ventured into click-bait land, nor do I think they ever will. If you like science, and physics specifically, give 'em a look.