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Fighting The Reaper
As if the previous Kurzgesagt video didn't get your mind wondering, CGP Grey is here with another thought-provoking topic. While part one touches of the desire to live, this one focuses on the alternative — death. More importantly, how to fight it off. Just a little light-hearted material to ponder throughout the weekend.
How To Survive The Apocalypse
If the apocalypse arrives and you forgot to stockpile 20 years worth of SPAM, you're in luck — Asap Science has some scientific tips for survival. From finding water, lighting a fire. and what you should and shouldn't eat, it's a good way to get started on reviving society. Just don't forget to write it down.
The Rise and Fall of the Fallout Shelter
The advent of Soviet nuclear weapons in the late 1940s would launch the surreal Cold War between the USSR and the United States. In the early 1950s, the Federal Civil Defense Administration was tasked with leading the effort to inform and protect citizens at home from nuclear strikes, which lead to hopelessly comical instructional videos and a nation-wide network of fallout shelters. Vox looks at the fallout shelter boom, whether they would have been effective, and why living under the shadow of total annihilation has faded away.
To Kill a Mockingbird is Overrated
It's one of the most popular works of fiction in American literature and spawned one of the best films of all time. But is Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird really that good? Maybe not. Vox states the case for this American classic not being all that classic.
The Life Cycle of a T-Shirt
We all have a few or few hundred t-shirts in our closets. The wardrobe staple is so popular that around two billion make their way into the world every year. Although they seem harmless enough, t-shirts can have an effect on the planet. From its origin in the cotton fields of Asia to the washing machine in your home, Angel Chang goes through the complete life-cycle of a basic tee.
How to Tell if the Eclipse Ruined Your Eyes
Don't look directly at the sun. We all know it. And if you didn't have the common sense not to do it, then you probably deserved what you got. But just in case you aren't sure, here's how to tell if you burnt out your optical scans while looking at the eclipse without proper protection.
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Betabrand Dress Pant Sweatpants
If it were socially acceptable, most of us would wear sweatpants everywhere. But that level of comfort is reserved for lounging around the house — until now. If you aren't familiar already, get to know the line of Dress Pant Sweatpants from Betabrand. Available in slim-leg, regular fit, and 5-pocket, each pair features flexible 4-way stretch fabric. They provide a look that's fit for the boardroom with a level of comfort typically reserved for the bedroom.
Presented by Betabrand.
Leesa Mattress
Sourced and crafted in the U.S.A., the Leesa mattress is backed by both elite athletes and over 10,000 verified five-star customer reviews. You order online and then it's built, compressed, rolled, and shipped directly to your door. And just in case you aren't sure if you'll love it, Leesa will let you try the mattress in the comfort of your own home for 100 risk-free nights or visit a West Elm store near you to try before you buy.
Presented by Leesa.
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The Safest Place to Spend WW3
If it all goes down and Armageddon is upon us, you'll want to be in the safest possible place to wait out World War III — and that place is probably Switzerland. In the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar, "It's a trap!". As in, the entire country is a trap. With bridges, roads, and even mountain sides rigged with explosives, disguised artillery emplacements, and 200,000 troops ready in 72 hours, Switzerland has every intention of maintaining its famous neutrality.
The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall didn't just divide East and West Germany — it divided the world. Communist versus Capitalist, with the United States leading the West and the USSR leading the East, the Wall is one of the most infamous barriers in human history. TED looks at how the Wall came to be, and the events that lead to it coming down.
Life and Size
Size. It determines more about living things than nearly any other measurable factor. Kurzgesagt demonstrates this in most illustrative way possible — by throwning animals off of a tall building.
Philosophy Time with James Franco
You could pay tens of thousands of dollars to take philosophy courses in college — or you could tune in to James Franco's new YouTube channel. In the first episode, Rutgers University's Liz Camp stops by to discuss the nature of metaphor. Get all the education with none of the quizzes or home work.
The Philosophy of Kurzgesagt
Kurzgesagt takes a break from the scientific to get a little philosophical. With most of their subject matter touching on the rise of the machines or Earth-destroying Gamma-Ray bursts, their videos tend to cause existential dread. In an attempt to create something a little less depressing, Kurzgesagt touch on their own philosophy on life — Optimistic Nihilism.
The World's Healthiest Drink
From dirt water to a syringe of silicon, there are a lot of beverages with some pretty wild claims. But which is really the best? And not just the best for you. AsapScience tries a few of the supposedly most potent health drinks around — and finds a very clear winner.
Net Neutrality Day
If you're reading this, you probably like the internet. The United States is the already home of overpriced, unreliable internet service. No one wants to see it get any worse. If you'd rather not pay more for your favorite streaming services, games, and news sites — or potentially have access restricted altogether a la China — take action. Visit BattlefortheNet and tell the spineless politicians in Washington to do something that doesn't line their own pockets for a change. Keep the Net neutral.
World's Largest Super Soaker
The Super Soaker is a summertime staple for every kid. But when your dad is a former NASA engineer, the standard version just won't do. Measuring at seven-feet long, Mark Rober created the world's largest super soaker, complete with Guinness certification. However, you won't want to face-off against this water gun in a backyard battel. The super-sized Super soaker fires water at 272 miles per hour, slicing through anything from a hotdog to a watermelon.
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Anicorn Series 000 Automatic Watch
Compliment your collection of Submariner's and Speedmaster's with something truly unique. The Series 000 from the independent, Hong-Kong based watchmaker Anicorn is housed in a 42mm stainless case with a sapphire crystal face and replaces traditional hand movements with concentric circles to tell the hour, minute, and seconds. It'd be easy to power the Series 000 with a battery, but Anicorn instead opted to pair this modern watch with a traditional automatic movement from Japan. A custom, Swiss-designed typeface ensures the watch is up to the standards of even the most design-obsessed. Each piece arrives with a blacked-out, unique serial number card and detailed instructions on how to tell the time using the circular markers. But you won't need that, right?
Filson Padded Computer Bag
Adapting tried-and-true classic design to cover modern needs, this Filson bag will stand up to just about anything and look great the entire time. The rugged twill and leather bag, available blacked out or in Filson's timeless tan hue, features interior and exterior pockets for organizing smaller items, as well as the ubiquitous padded compartment for a laptop up to 15 inches wide. A removable and adjustable 46" bridle leather strap is also included for carrying over the shoulder, and this classic design will complement your suit--or your flannel and jeans--through all the seasons to come.
Width: 16.5" / Height: 14" / Depth: 7.5"
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DIY Airsoft BB Gun
From the ceator of the World's Fastest Nerf Dart comes this 4000 PSI BB Gun. With a talent for making seemingly harmless children's toys the most dangerous weapons around, Giaco Whatever makes what might just be the World's fastest airsoft gun. To demonstrate it's power, he blasted through some Coke cand and wine glasses and highlighted the destrucion in super slow motion.
Breaking in the Bronx
In the 1970s, DJ Kool Herc began isolating the break while playing music at block parties in New York's Bronx. That inspired a new genre of dance — breaking. Those 80s images of the b-boys and b-girls breaking on the city sidewalks still happen, but most of the breaking occurs at competitions where cash is king. Vox looks at the origins of breaking and how it evolved over the last 40 years.
The Best Spot To Live On Earth
Weather. Scenery. Entertainment. These preferences are all personal to each individual when it comes to picking a place to live. But things like safety, happiness, and living the longest life possible are all something we can all agree on. Using these parameters, here's the best place to live on planet Earth.
Why We Love Fails
Someone straddles the handrail during a grind, faceplants during a parkour run, or bites it on a mountain bike. We love to watch people fail. But why do we get so much enjoyment out of other's failures? The answer is Schadenfreude. It's a German term for taking pleasure our of someone else's misfortune. The term even applies to politics. In this video, Evan Puschak explains the reason we take so much pleasure out of other people's pain.
Wood Support with Nick Offerman
Carpentry is an ancient craft, and Nick Offerman is no master — but he has read a lot of books. Since you can't just call the woodworking hotline for questions about the best joint for drawers, Mr. Offerman and WIRED took to Twitter to answer some questions from fans.
Why Binge Watching Can Be Bad
Laying in bed and watching a marathon session of the latest Netflix show is a great time — but not so great for your body. AsapScience looks at the ways one of our more recent pastimes can be bad for our health.
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Dinosaurs of the Sahara
100 million years ago, the Sahara desert was a huge system of rivers and lakes — and home to some of the most vicious predators the planet has seen. Nizar Ibrahim details what the fossil record says about the massive beasts and how the Sahara was radically different from the dry desert we know now.
Japan Leads the World in Vending Machines
Japan has an aging problem. With an average age of 46, the population is not only among the oldest in the world, but it's also declining. This means Japan has a massive shortage of unskilled labor — and vending machines have stepped in to fill the gap.
Maximize Your Misery
When you're happy, no one cares. When you're miserable, the world wants to know why. With an entire industry dedicated to showing you how to be happy, CGP Grey has seven tips to do just the opposite — maximize your misery.
This Is How You Got Here
It took billions of years to get you here, right now. As it stands, we humans are the pinnacle of evolution — which is kind of depressing, depending on how you look at it. AsapScience looks at what it took to get from a molten piece of rock orbiting a star to watching videos on the internet.
The Fortune Tellers
Authors love telling the future. Dark dystopias and surreal comedies give a warning to our future selves that we'd be wise to take to heart. But there aren't any clear visions, and some predictions hold up better than others. Blank on Blank looks at interviews with authors Ayn Rand, Kurt Vonnegut and Aldous Huxley to see what they got right — and what they didn't.
The Earth is Round
It's a sad day when you have to make a video explaining that the world isn't flat. While flat-earthers haven't taken over science, the wonder of the Internet means that lots of half-brained theories have a platform to reach a far larger audience than they should. The selfless crew at Life Noggin took upon themselves to fight the good fight, and offer the scientific proof of our spherical planet.
If Every Human Were Alive Today
The dead outnumber the living by about 11 to 1. The current population of Earth is estimated at about 7.5 billion people. So what would happen if those 108 billion dead people were suddenly alive? Real Life Lore answers the biggest questions behind a very interesting thought experiment.
Being a Cannibal
The rules of cannibalism are pretty straightforward. Clean your kill properly, and don't eat the brains, guts, or blood. As for whether or not you would like the taste, you'll have to find that out for yourself. AsapScience looks at what to look out for if you're eating other people.
