Recommended for a decade or more
A recommendation that still comes up ten years later is the closest thing to a verdict the internet produces. 761 videos, widest span first.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2026HN refers to it for the moment where Knuth asks a question and addresses the Steve Jobs anecdote, a favorite geek moment.
- 14 HN recommenders 12 months 2009–2026HN returns to it repeatedly as the best single introduction to understanding clinical depression.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2009–2026Recommended as a brilliant, hilarious talk, though not the most educational.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2026T TheRichterScales · music videoResurfaces in threads on startups, valuations and hype cycles as a funny, prescient bubble satire.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2026HN suggests it as a free lecture for beginners that eases them into writing readable, reusable code.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2009–2026N New Scientist · demoIt is the go-to demonstration HN links whenever traffic shockwaves, phantom jams or cascading failures come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2009–2026Used as the primary source for what Go's creators originally promised, such as fast compiles, systems-language framing, safety and generics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2007–2024D dftube · demoCommenters cite it as an early example of projectional or intent-based programming tools when discussing alternatives to text-based code.
- cited 14× 0 months 2009–2026Mostly posted as a joke or reference when threads touch on status, difficulty or jobs.
- cited 4× 0 months 2007–2024D dftube · demoHN cites it as an early demo of projectional, AST-based programming whenever editors, code views or non-text programming come up.
- cited 5× 0 months 2009–2026Cited to argue that people do not know what they want and that markets should be segmented.
- cited 4× 0 months 2009–2026I InsaneNutter · comedy videoHN cites it as a darkly funny, often-quoted take on police encounters, referenced in policing and parenting threads.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2007–2023HN repeatedly recommends it as the iconic explanation of why git is designed as it is and why distributed VCS beats centralized ones.
- 6 HN recommenders 9 months 2008–2024HN has recommended it for years as the most useful and entertaining talk on sleep, often to people struggling with tiredness or productivity.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2009–2025B BUTTONTANG · demoHN repeatedly holds it up as the benchmark for what procedural generation and size-coding can achieve in 4K.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2010–2026C CappyNJ · comedy videoHN keeps linking it in threads on clutter, storage units, real estate and consumerism as a perfectly apt comic take.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2026HN commenters call it a favorite introduction to Valley history and cite it whenever government and military funding of tech comes up.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2026Q Question Copyright · music videoLinked constantly in copyright and piracy debates as a short explainer of the difference between copying and physical theft.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2009–2025HN treats Cliff Click's talks as an excellent source on JVMs, garbage collection and hardware-assisted Java.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2009–2025A Alex Felker · interviewHN returns to it constantly as the definitive critique of adversarial TV punditry, still seen as relevant to polarized media and online discourse.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2010–2026HN points to it as an example of ambitious, practical-effects creativity in music videos, made without CGI.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2010–2026A Andrea Dorfman · videoHN commenters point lonely people to it as a moving, comforting piece of art about getting comfortable with solitude.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2026J Johnny Lee · demoIt is the classic reference for head-tracked parallax displays, cited whenever new 3D or holographic display tech appears.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2009–2025HN returns to it as the original Wave pitch, both for its wow factor and as a case study in a hyped product that was later shut down.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2010–2026K kb · demoHN recommends it as the demoscene showpiece to show someone what extreme size-limited real-time graphics look like.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2026HN cites it whenever money as an incentive comes up, as evidence that rewards can backfire for creative white-collar work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2009–2025M Matt Mayfield Music · explainerHN keeps linking it as the shortest clear explanation of over-compression and brickwalled mastering.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2026S smalin · music videoRecommended as a music visualization that makes the structure easier to follow than sheet music.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2026Cited as a watchable early introduction to deep learning from its pioneer, and remembered as a mind-blowing moment in the field.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2026HN commenters cite it for Pinker's analysis of profanity and of why talking about taboo words differs from using them.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2025J Ji Lee · videoCited as evidence that ordinary users often don't understand basic technology like browsers, as a reminder for designers and developers.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2026HN mentions it mainly for Conan's roasting of the interviewer and Google's leadership, not for any informational content.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2007–2023L Lizzie Steven · comedy videoHN mostly posts it as a joke whenever someone says things were harder in the old days.
- 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 2010–2026M Manuito · demoLinked in aviation threads to show that engines are designed to contain a failed fan blade.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2024HN uses it mainly as the place where Stephenson addresses criticism of his novels' endings, plus as a fun author talk with jokes.
- cited 5× 0 months 2010–2026HN mentions it as a joke or a shared favorite Onion classic when tech frustration or The Onion comes up.
- cited 9× 0 months 2009–2025HN uses it as the standard illustration of animal tool use and adaptive intelligence in crow threads.
- cited 4× 0 months 2008–20241 1doony4u · comedy videoHN uses it purely as a joke, quoting the chant when threads discuss how much a company or platform depends on developers.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2026S Steve Packard · videoLinked in missile defense threads as a striking illustration of the Sprint's acceleration and its interception tests.
- cited 5× 0 months 2010–2026P politiclips · news clipUsed as a joke or cautionary example of confident financial punditry that proved wrong, often referenced during bank scares and bubbles.
- cited 5× 0 months 2010–2026F feraldarryl · comedy videoUsed as a joke reply in threads with 'how to' titles, not as a recommendation.
- 15 HN recommenders 11 months 2011–2026L Landon Proctor · documentaryA perennial HN recommendation, brought up whenever sampling, copyright or music history comes up, often described as a must-watch.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2009–2024R Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science · lectureHN regards it as a famous, mesmerizing talk, especially for the point that distant galaxies will become unobservable.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2011–2026HN commenters return to it for perspective, comfort and Sagan's soothing voice, and suggest watching it periodically.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2011–2026HN returns to it constantly as a prescient talk, cited whenever threads cover DRM, locked-down devices, app verification or restrictions on running your own software.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2009–2024HN regards it as the best introduction and advertisement for Org-mode, and many say it was enough to get them started with it.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2010–2025M Michael Lawrence · interviewHN uses it as the source of the 'bicycle for the mind' quote, which commenters cite in discussions of computing, programming and LLMs.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2025HN points to it as the best account of what Self made possible and what its team went on to do.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2011–2026B Brant Walsh · comedy videoHN commenters bring it up whenever Microsoft product naming, branding or marketing is confusing, pointing to it as a long-running self-aware critique.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026S steffyweffy777 · music videoPosted as timeless, comforting life advice in threads about careers, aging, and uncertainty.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2011–2026It is the go-to viral demo whenever HN discusses vibration, acoustic attacks, or sound affecting hard drives.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026A Alamo Drafthouse · comedy videoIt is cited as a viral example of Alamo enforcing its no-talking and no-texting rules with humor.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026HN commenters recommend it as the key talk on why game AI is built to be fun rather than to win.
- 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.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2008–2023Brought up whenever threads touch on mimicry, voice cloning or bird vocalization, and people say the ending is startling.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026HN uses it as the go-to evidence for Toyota pickup durability, and as a benchmark in discussions of truck toughness.
- 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 2011–2026T teraera08 · explainerRemembered fondly as a fun, memorable animated explanation of how perpendicular disk storage works.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2026B budagum · interviewHN quotes it as a prescient take on industry decline and on how young, hip managers can be more conservative than the old guard.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025G Greg Granito · videoMostly used as a joking or nostalgic reference in threads about nuclear war, AI and security exploits.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025R rlcarnes · comedy videoHN uses it as a joke whenever jargon-heavy or meaningless technical pitches appear, and praises it as a masterclass in technobabble.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2009–2024B batxg3 · interviewHN returns to it as a reminder to stay humble and as a source of Feynman's view on awards and prestige.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025P People Like Us - The CNAM Channel · documentaryHN uses it as the standard audio example of the Tangier accent in discussions of archaic or colonial-era English.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025Posted as a joke and a reference whenever threads discuss newspaper bias and media pandering to readers.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025HN cites it as a model of emotional product storytelling and as inspiration for visualizing one's own search history as a narrative.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025O Old Spice · comedy videoUsed as an example of a viral ad that worked through humor and clever in-camera production.
- cited 9× 0 months 2011–2026B bagheadinc · comedy videoUsed purely as a joke reply when someone misuses a term.
- cited 4× 0 months 2008–2023R rylxyc · comedy videoUsed purely as a joke reference to bad translation and phrasebooks.
- cited 15× 0 months 2010–2025J John Rearick · videoUsed as a recurring gag or jab at Stallman's social eccentricities; not recommended for its content.
- cited 5× 0 months 2011–2026Mostly invoked as a joke when nerd stereotypes come up, and once for a trivia card visible in the video.
- cited 11× 0 months 2010–2025D Duncan Robson · comedy videoUsed as a joke or critique whenever someone expects impossible image upscaling or recovery of detail.
- cited 4× 0 months 2009–2024C Chris Vertonghen · talkHN people cite it for the Ise shrine metaphor, that function rather than original material defines identity.
- cited 14× 0 months 2010–2025D David Mitchell's Soapbox · comedy videoHN uses it as the go-to link, often jokingly, whenever someone writes "could care less" instead of "couldn't care less".
- cited 5× 0 months 2009–2024N NRK · comedy videoHN drops it as a joke whenever threads touch on new interfaces, books or technology confusing users.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2025F FraternityPaddleTime · comedy videoUsed only as a joke reply, typically when someone willingly accepts punishment or abuse.
- cited 3× 0 months 2011–2026R Rezende · comedy videoMostly quoted as a joke or a snapshot of Microsoft's dated marketing style rather than recommended.
- cited 7× 0 months 2009–2024Used as a punchline whenever commenters see consensus-driven decisions, politicians chasing public opinion, or metric-driven content.
- cited 5× 0 months 2010–2025HN commenters use it as a joking reference when discussing privatization, outsourcing and absurd bureaucracy.
- 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.
- 13 HN recommenders 12 months 2010–2024The most-linked YouTube video on HN, recommended as an in-depth explanation of fructose metabolism.
- 12 HN recommenders 12 months 2011–2025HN repeatedly names it the best resource on API design, a staple answer to any 'how do I design an API' question.
- 11 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2024Recommended whenever APL or array languages come up as the quickest way to see why the paradigm is so striking.
- 12 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2024T The Qualcomm Institute · talkRecommended for years as the best technical introduction to memristors from the person who found the physical device.
- 10 HN recommenders 11 months 2012–2026P powerfuloutlet · talkA staple on must-watch lists, recommended as a starting point for Kay's thinking and for why software is often poor and ahistorical.
- 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.
- 10 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2024R Radical Discourse · explainerHN recommends it as a funny, accurate and easy primer on Keynesian versus Austrian views of the business cycle.
- 11 HN recommenders 10 months 2012–2026R Russ Cox · tutorialHN points people to it as the best introduction to Acme and its very different take on editors, shells, and GUIs.
- 15 HN recommenders 11 months 2012–2026B Ben Woodhams · comedy videoRecommended as the standard companion to any Adam Curtis film, since it lampoons the style and gives reasons to take his claims with skepticism.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2012–2026HN points to it as the definitive, entertaining account of Sun's fate under Oracle, and quotes its Ellison lawnmower advice whenever Oracle behaves badly.
- 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 8 months 2009–2023HN returns to it for motivation and perspective, and quotes it constantly, especially the connect-the-dots and remembering-death passages.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2024HN returns to it as the canonical footage of persistence hunting in threads about human endurance running and evolution.
- 4 HN recommenders 6 months 2012–2026It is HN's go-to reference whenever device lockdown, DRM, or restrictions on installing software come up, with commenters noting how prescient it was.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2012–2026HN cites it in discussions of language evangelism, community dynamics and zealotry, as an accessible account of how a good language can die for non-technical reasons.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2010–2024M Micky Thompson · interviewHN commenters cite it whenever someone asks whether to quit a job or start a company, as a simple decision heuristic.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2012–2026M MC Frontalot · music videoHN shares it whenever Zork or text adventures come up, as a fun tribute for geeks.
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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.