Ideas, Learning & Language: what Hacker News watches
9 topics, 676 videos. Pick a topic for a focused list, or scan the 100 best-scored across the whole area below.
- 17 HN recommenders 16 months 2020–2025HN treats it as the canonical, near-universally recommended lecture on giving talks and presentations.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2009–2023U UMBCtube · lectureRepeatedly recommended in education threads as the definitive talk on why lectures fail and what works better.
- 6 HN recommenders 10 months 2015–2024P Pierce College District WA · lectureHN recommends it for productivity, focus and working-from-home threads, since its advice on breaks and mental modes applies beyond studying.
- 10 HN recommenders 9 months 2011–2026HN recommends it as an accessible, widely shared critique of schooling, and cites it in threads on ADHD, creativity and education reform.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2016–2023HN recommends it as a favourite tech talk full of good ideas from forgotten 1980s software, worth watching in full.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2016–2025HN people cite it constantly in C versus C++ debates as the case for teaching modern C++ idioms rather than C first.
- 4 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2025U UChicago Social Sciences · lectureHN treats it as the definitive writing lecture and recommends it repeatedly, with several commenters saying it changed how they write.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2025–2026P Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics · talkRecommended as a balanced take on AI and education, with the point that learning takes work that no technology can do for you.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2022–2026Frequently recommended in threads on learning, the 10,000 hours rule and deliberate practice as a clearer account of how expertise develops.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2021–2024The standard link whenever someone claims to be a visual learner or learning styles come up, with sources listed in the description.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2014–2024HN uses it as the standard counterpoint to the 10,000-hour rule and as an encouraging recipe for starting new skills.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2014–2019HN recommends it as an efficient, practical approach to adult language learning, with one commenter saying it changed their life.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2026Cited in threads about teaching kids and beginners to code as research-based evidence that explicit instruction beats pure discovery.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2020Recommended as a short, clear explanation of growth versus fixed mindset.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2025HN cites it widely in discussions of tacit knowledge, habit, unlearning and adult versus child learning.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2011–2012K Khan Academy · talkHN recommends it to show Khan Academy's real model of mastery learning and teacher tools, often as a rebuttal to critics.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2010–2012HN commenters recommend it as a simple, direct entry point for beginners who want to learn computer science, not just programming.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2026HN treats it as one of the canonical Bret Victor talks, cited whenever discussion turns to better tools and interfaces for thinking.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2018HN commenters point to it when discussing how to teach children or beginners, as a language-like alternative to formal instruction.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2024C CMU Robotics Institute · interviewHN recommends it for Kay's blunt critique of today's computing and standard CS curricula.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025J Jared Khan · comedy videoHN brings it up whenever curriculum fads or Common Core complaints appear, as a funny precedent from the 1960s.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025N NathanielsCAD · tutorialHN points to it as an unusually clear teaching film on how celestial navigation works, and as an example of how good old military training material is.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2017C Cynthia Solomon · lectureRecommended to anyone unfamiliar with Papert as a glimpse of his vision for computers in education.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2025HN refers to it constantly in schooling debates, as a favorite talk or as the basis for arguments about creativity, though some commenters dispute its conclusions.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2024Brought up in nearly every discussion of AI tutors and the future of schooling as the original Digital Aristotle idea.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2018Cited in tuition-cost threads for the argument that easy government-backed loans enable high prices.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017HN commenters recommend it when asked how to learn better or keep improving.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2025HN commenters recommend it for Stoll's infectious enthusiasm and his case for teaching kids science, and often mention it in threads about him and his Klein bottles.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021S SBS Dateline · documentaryRecommended as a concise look at the culture behind outdoor kindergartens in threads on parenting and education.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023HN recommends it as the best talk from Sonic Pi's creator, with live-coding examples and technical and teaching insights.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2024HN uses it in debates on video-based teaching and how confronting misconceptions helps learning, though some find its Khan Academy critique flawed.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2017S Seth Morabito · documentaryRecommended as a glimpse of Papert's vision of computers as tools for learning, shared especially after his death.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2019I Infosys Foundation USA · talkHN readers cite Kay's talks for his views on programming languages as user interfaces, thinking beyond logic, and why people struggle with complex systems.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025H HealthyGamerGG · explainerHN commenters call it enlightening for understanding the emotional challenges of gifted kids, especially those who struggle later in school or college.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022HN commenters recommend it in college-ranking and higher-ed threads as an explanation of why rankings are a hustle for foreign student revenue.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2016T TheCoach · demoHN commenters use it as a vivid demonstration of learning by quieting the conscious mind, and recommend it alongside the book.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2018HN commenters cite it when discussing how gaps in basic knowledge pile up and how mastery learning could fix that.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2014X x1x2x3ct · videoIt is the standard reference whenever a thread turns to rote labels versus real understanding.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2020Cited in HN discussions of math and CS education reform as an argument that school math is boring because it is taught wrong.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2024Recommended as a condensed version of Kay's ideas on education and computing, showing kids using software to explore physics and robotics.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2026HN suggests it as a free lecture for beginners that eases them into writing readable, reusable code.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2025C Computação Raiz · talkHN uses it as the canonical explanation from Sussman himself of why SICP ended at MIT.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2025Pointed to in threads on training absolute pitch in children as a practitioner's account.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2025J Josh Darnit · demoHN uses it to teach kids computational thinking and as a joke whenever specs, requirements, or LLM prompts are taken too literally.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2012HN people recommend it as a look at how to get people to eagerly do useful collective work, and as the origin of Duolingo.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2024HN points to it in beginner-programming-education threads for its distinction between easy to learn and easy to teach.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2026Cited in AI-and-education threads as the optimistic case and demo for AI tutoring, and as a source on Khan Academy's LLM approach.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2025HN commenters use it as a researched, eye-opening reference whenever homeschooling oversight comes up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2012HN recommends it as an inspiring pitch for video-based, flipped-classroom learning.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023HN commenters find his insights good, especially the idea that games work for learning by doing and for teaching problem-solving, in contrast to gamification.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2024T TheGreatWorker · music videoCited as a classic, catchy explainer of the US legislative process, and half-jokingly as many people's whole civics education.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2021S SuperMemo Video · demoPointed to as a short demonstration of what incremental reading looks like in practice, though one commenter was not convinced by it.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026J Josh Darnit · comedy videoHN uses it as shorthand for how hard it is to write unambiguous instructions, in discussions of programming, tutorials and LLM prompting.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2022I iStateOfMind3 · comedy videoHN links it as a pointed comedic statement of why education is seen as broken and unlikely to be fixed.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026S Sesame Street · music videoHN mentions it as a fondly remembered classic of children's educational television.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025M Mark Rounds · lectureCited as the source for comprehensible input, the principle behind immersion-based language learning methods and apps.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025T Tom Scott plus · videoHN uses it as the go-to example of an adult learning to ride a bike, mostly in threads about learning cycling later in life.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2017HN mostly references it in passing when student loans and predatory colleges come up, with one commenter recommending the veterans benefits section.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2019HN uses it as a short, clear summary of the fast and slow thinking idea.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025Pointed to in threads on spaced repetition, tutoring and education as a thoughtful treatment of what effective learning requires.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2026Shared as a charming historical look at children learning computing, including kids acting as register bits.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022T Tarek Hamza · lectureHN language learners cite it as the source of the comprehensible input idea and apply it to vocabulary tools and other learning.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026Y Yves Messer · commentaryReached for whenever a thread touches on naming versus actually understanding something.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2024HN cites it in education and AI threads as a history of failed technology-will-transform-teaching predictions.
- cited 4× 0 months 2016–2024J Jay · videoCited as a pop-culture image of programming humans or AI tutoring in threads on education, VR and AI.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2020T The72tube · commentaryCited in immigration and STEM-talent debates as an authority's argument that H-1B is America's secret weapon.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2023HN references it in discussions of how misconceptions are studied and how interview editing can make people look foolish.
- cited 5× 0 months 2017–2023Used as a cited example in threads criticizing the direction of competitive school and college debate.
- cited 7× 0 months 2017–2022C Caitlin Spies · interviewShared to end arguments over definitions and terminology, and as a reminder that memorizing names is not understanding.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2023M Mike Boyd · demoUsed as a reference when discussing inverted-steering analogies and how hard it is to rewire a learned skill.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025I IAS | PCMI Park City Mathematics Institute · lectureHN mostly cites it as a source or related clip in math and neural network discussions, not as a strong recommendation.
- 15 HN recommenders 15 months 2012–2026One of the most consistently recommended lecture series on HN, praised as fascinating, funny and eye-opening about human behavior across many scales.
- 15 HN recommenders 14 months 2019–2026U UChicago Social Sciences · lectureHN users repeatedly say it changed how they think about writing, calling it a masterclass useful far beyond academia.
- 16 HN recommenders 13 months 2017–2023M MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center · lectureRecommended again and again as the best accessible overview of fusion physics, useful for judging fusion announcements and understanding why high-temperature superconducting magnets matter.
- 14 HN recommenders 12 months 2009–2026HN returns to it repeatedly as the best single introduction to understanding clinical depression.
- 11 HN recommenders 12 months 2013–2025One of the most frequently recommended online lecture series on HN, praised for giving people vocabulary to examine ethical positions and for Sandel's skilled teaching.
- 11 HN recommenders 12 months 2011–2020It is HN's default recommendation for learning linear algebra, praised for Strang's teaching and for building real understanding useful in machine learning.
- 12 HN recommenders 12 months 2008–2023C Carnegie Mellon University · lecturePerennially recommended as an inspirational talk for people facing setbacks or choosing a direction, and a source of oft-quoted lines like the brick wall.
- 10 HN recommenders 10 months 2019–2026HN people recommend the SICP lectures as a deeper, livelier route into the book and a formative course even for seasoned programmers.
- 11 HN recommenders 9 months 2012–2024Seen as a classic and often the moment programming 'clicks'; commenters praise Abelson's opening that computer science is not about computers.
- 13 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2025W wonderingmind42 · lectureA perennial HN recommendation for building intuition about exponential growth, cited whenever endless growth, energy or population come up.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2008–2020Recommended as the rigorous, math-heavy original course, deeper than the Coursera version, for learning machine learning.
- 10 HN recommenders 10 months 2008–2022HN cites it often in debates on inequality, cost disease and stagnant middle-class income, praising its data-driven approach.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2017–2026G Google DeepMind · courseFrequently recommended as an excellent, clear introductory RL course from the lead of AlphaGo, pairing well with Sutton and Barto.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2020–2023M Missing Semester · lectureHN frequently calls it the best single video on git because it teaches the underlying data structures.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2017–2024HN commenters repeatedly recommend Barkley's lectures as the best introduction to understanding ADHD.
- 11 HN recommenders 9 months 2016–2026B Bartosz Milewski · lectureHN commenters repeatedly name it as the friendliest entry point to category theory for working programmers.
- 7 HN recommenders 8 months 2012–2025HN regulars treat it as an essential, fun Hofstadter talk for any discussion of concepts, analogy and metaphor.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2022Several HN commenters credit the lecture series with helping them through depression or personal collapse and recommend it as long-form learning.
- 8 HN recommenders 7 months 2013–2026Frequently recommended as the clearest plain-language explanation of what a computer fundamentally is, with at least one commenter saying it changed how they think about programming.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2013–2022HN people recommend it as a masterclass in explaining physics clearly without condescension, accessible without formal training.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2023C CMU Database Group · lectureFrequently recommended as the best free university course on database internals, praised for depth and Pavlo's presentation.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2019–2022J John Vervaeke’s Lectern · lectureHN recommends the series as a thorough, non-dogmatic look at meaning, spirituality and escaping nihilism.
- 10 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2023Y Yale University · lectureDuring the 2022 Ukraine war threads, HN commenters recommended it as a non-Western perspective on Russia-West relations and Putin's motives.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2024E Eva CollinsAlonso · lectureFrequently recommended as a delightful, influential way to think about story structure.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2013–2024D Diego Ongaro · lectureRecommended as a clear, lucid way to learn Paxos and Multi-Paxos, ideally alongside the companion Raft video.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2016–2021S Science Communication Lab · lectureRecommended as a clear, authoritative lecture series on plausible origin-of-life theories.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025C Central Washington University · lectureHN commenters offer it as a dry but fascinating, hype-free introduction to Cascadia earthquake risk and the evidence for past events.
- Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 1: Ukrainian Questions Posed by Russian Invasion6 HN recommenders 5 months 2022–2025Y YaleCourses · lectureStrongly recommended as an accessible, well-taught history of Ukraine and a counter to propaganda narratives.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2014–2024I Insights into Mathematics · courseRecommended as an easy-to-follow math history course that gives perspective on the subject.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 676. Use search to find the rest.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.