I am part of a generation that grew up using encyclopedias, text books, and magazines for research and to satisfy my own curiosity. Also relying mostly on TV for various documentaries about science and nature and all the other cool stuff. If we had cable, Discovery channel and Nat Geo are our go to. Fast forward to the Internet Revolution; access to credible information and education has never been easier. YouTube is an extraordinary tool for learning amongst other things, there is a treasure trove of channels that can nurture your interests, supplement your education and maybe even entertain you along the way. Here are my top 5 suggestions:

 

1. CrashCourse

I love CrashCourse. This YouTube channel was created by John and Hank Green that started with their World History and Biology series and since then grew and grew to one of the most educational channels on the internet. Their expansive content now includes business education to media studies and other specific subjects. They have also partnered with PBS and Arizona State University to produce even more educational videos absolutely free and accessible to everyone. CrashCourse, with 12.5 million subs, is one of my favorite YouTube channels ever, go check it out and Don’t Forget to Be Awesome.

 

2. Veritasium 

Founded by Derek Muller, an Australian-Canadian science communicator, Veritasium tackles scientific conundrums and other very interesting topics. The videos that Muller makes are usually very well-produced and well-researched. He travels to different places of interest and conducts the experiments himself. If you like mind-blowing physics, math and overall good old science, this channel is for you. My personal favorite is Veritasium topics about mathematics which truly is the language of the universe. I wish Math was introduced to me as a language and not a subject of drudgery.

 

3. Kurzgesagt 

More educational and mind blowing content coming your way but this time using a minimalistic animation using flat design style. Kurzgesagt is based in Munich, Germany and tackles different perspectives about science, technology, philosophy, and even politics. Their animations are superbly crafted to give a certain simplicity to the depth of their topics. More than just learning facts, Kurzgesagt takes the viewers hand and leads them to view life from a scientific perspective. This channel currently has 15.4 million subscribers and about 1.4 billion views.

 

4. MIT OpenCourseWare

Yes. Free lectures straight from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Do you want to learn or introduce yourself to computer science in your spare time? Why not learn from one of the best schools in the world? Or simply yet, use MIT lectures to supplement your studies right now.  And there’s a wide range of introductory lectures available in their channel. For more information you can go to https://ocw.mit.edu/

 

5. Ted-Ed   

Tired of your usual internet shenanigans? Take a break by watching a few Ted-Ed animated educational videos that showcases anything from Science and Tech, History, Writing workshops and even Riddles. Ted-Ed’s ever-growing library of carefully curated videos is a sight to behold and their shorter video format can make you even watch more and more and more. The channel has more than 2.5 billion views.