Recent global events have reminded us that science needs much more attention than it normally gets. So perhaps as you take a break from working at home, supporting ongoing COVID-19 efforts, and practicing our democratic right in monitoring our local and national government’s actions during this enhanced community quarantine, a mind-tickling video fix might be right for you.
If you think science videos can help you recharge, or know someone who could use some learning without the classroom setting, here are some YouTube channels that you can check out. A handful of them also talk about COVID-19, which might be useful when discussing it with young people.
Because Science
Kyle Hill puts super speed, teleportation, and other pop culture phenomena under the measurable confines of science, as he explains the science behind force lightning and Pikachu, while theoretically pitting Flash against a lightsaber. Why? Well, Because Science! While Kyle stopped scribbling on screen for the channel just recently, his videos are still around for you to explore: Is One Punch Man’s strength measurable? Can you go Super Saiyan with science? And could Gwen Stacy have survived her fall?
If you want to continue following Kyle’s adventures, follow him on his eponymous new channel here.
Brew
“Solving mysteries, one cup at a time,” Brew is a YouTube channel that uses different stock videos with an originally-animated narrator in discussing peculiar topics (such as “What if you never showered your whole life?” or “How do astronauts scratch their noses?”). The channel would open videos with a disclaimer whenever possible, so viewers would know exactly what they’re getting into.
Extra Credits
Do you prefer watching handdrawn animation with no talking heads? Extra Credits features different topics, most of which are on history. But it does tackle a handful of topics related to science, such as the history of vaccines, space travel, and the 1918 pandemic.
SciShow
One of the oldest science channels on YouTube, SciShow features a wide array of science-themed curiosities, from why people yawn to the good old fundamental forces of physics. If you prefer watching a human person talking with minimal animation, then this is the right channel for you.
CrashCourse
Just like Extra Credits, CrashCourse hosts a lot of topics, mostly about history. But if you prefer the right combination of talking heads, animation, and humor-driven scripts, then you will enjoy their playlist on the History of Science. This series features Hank Green, who also hosts at SciSchow (although he does sound a bit more engaging here—or maybe it’s just the random animation sequences popping up on screen that make his hosting feel so different).
Dr. Hope’s Sick Notes
Are the medical references in our favorite pop culture shows accurate? On Dr. Hope’s Sick Notes, Dr. Ed Hope from the UK reacts to fictional doctors such as Stephen Strange and Gregory House. He even has a whole playlist explaining why Cells at Work is mostly accurate. Recently, he started vlogging about his experience with COVID-19, and we might just see firsthand how the UK deals with the pandemic through the eyes of Dr. Hope.
Knowledge Channel
Last but not the least is Knowledge Channel, which still keeps cuts from every 90s Pinoy kid’s favorite science show, Sineskwela. The channel also keeps cuts from other ABS-CBN educational classics such as ATBP, Epol Apol, Math–Tinik, Art Jam, and Pahina. Be sure to check out their Science Says segments as well, hosted by none other that Pinay astrophysics extraordinaire Dr. Reina Reyes.—MF
Cover photo: Pexels
Author: Ronin Bautista
Ronin is a Christmas-loving wandering scribe who wanted to be a doctor, until he learned it meant cutting dead bodies open. He is currently finishing his MA in Asian Studies (major in Japanese Studies), while teaching journalism classes at UP Diliman’s College of Mass Communication.
