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Chemistry: videos Hacker News recommends
Chemistry: reactions, organic chemistry, explosives, periodic table, home chemistry experiments, NileRed, polymers, chemical engineering, lab techniques, chemistry history. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (17 demos, 13 explainers, 7 documentarys), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2015–2024HN repeatedly cites it as a striking example of Common Lisp used to push the frontier of science, and as one of the most inspiring tech talks.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2010–2023N nebulajr · interviewHN repeatedly cites it as an elegant, eye-opening explanation of fire and photosynthesis and as an example of Feynman's infectious love of knowledge.
- 10 HN recommenders 8 months 2021–2025HN regards the dishwasher videos as must-watch practical explainers, linked whenever dishwashers, detergents or pods come up.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2022–2026HN commenters recommend it whenever leaded fuel, toxic chemicals or corporate profit motives come up, praising its storytelling and accessible science.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2022Praised as a masterpiece of science education that recreates Faraday's demonstrations.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2023–2026HN points to it as an impressive, hands-on DIY demonstration of passive radiative cooling that works in practice.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2021–2026Go-to link when oxygen candles, CO2 capture or submarine air quality come up.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2026It comes up whenever radiative cooling coatings are in the news, as a hands-on DIY guide that shows the approach working with household materials.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2025HN points to it as a practical, well-researched DIY demonstration of passive radiative cooling.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025HN points to it as a well-researched, accessible overview of PFAS in PFAS-related threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023HN recommends it as a fascinating explanation of how taste is cultural and why American chocolate tastes distinctive.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2025–2026Recommended as a good, accessible explanation of PFAS, its low safe limits and why regulation matters.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2022HN points to it in origin-of-life and complexity threads as a fascinating long-form introduction to assembly theory.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2022Held up in Lisp threads as a striking example of Lisp powering cutting-edge science.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2020P Peter Klusman · documentaryHN commenters recommend it as a fascinating, Emmy-winning look at US chemical weapons stockpiles and their dangers.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022HN viewers find the film manufacturing process and the engineering behind it fascinating, especially the continuous roll changes.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2022Cited as a clear, accessible explanation of why life uses only one version of chiral molecules.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2020S SciShow · explainerRecommended as a fun companion to threads about hazardous chemistry, such as hydrofluoric acid and reactive substances.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024HN recommends it as a highly informative look at micro-etching glass and the smallest Tesla valves.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2023Recommended as an expert-made DIY build that explains why the apparatus is designed as it is, though one commenter notes a missing baseline run.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2021P Periodic Videos · demoRecommended in fluoride and fluorine threads as a short, fun demonstration of how nasty fluorine is.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022D Discovery Science · lectureRecommended by some as a blunt expert critique of origin-of-life research, while others question its claims and length.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2024M markdcatlin · documentaryCommenters share it as a favorite vintage NASA film with a sobering look at how dangerous hypergolic propellants are.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2022Recommended as a hands-on introduction to glass melting and chemistry and to Krasnow's channel.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022J Just Think · demoHN cites it as a practical demonstration that kerosene-type fuels are hard to ignite compared with gasoline.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023HN points to it as a detailed, DIY-able design for desiccant-based cooling.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2017W Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology · lectureHN recommends it as a detailed look at battery degradation, in threads on EV and grid storage lifetimes.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2023HN commenters cite it as a favorite Lehrer song and invoke it as a joke whenever elements or science-themed wordplay come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022I ILFORD Photo · documentaryHN shares it as a fun short factory tour showing that film is still manufactured.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024HN recommends it as a hands-on introduction to XRF and a fascinating teardown showing the x-ray tube and beryllium windows.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024HN links it as the accessible video explanation of the sodium-in-water research, and when Coulomb explosions or sodium batteries come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026R Reactions · explainerLinked in corn syrup and Coca-Cola threads to show that sugar type barely matters in soda because sucrose inverts into the same sugars.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025HN mentions it as an enjoyable science parody song, one of a set of A Capella Science videos.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025U USCSB · documentaryHN recommends the CSB's accident reconstruction animations as clear, worthwhile case studies of industrial disasters.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026C Chubbyemu · explainerCited as the best accessible account of dimethylmercury poisoning, and as an example of the channel's grim medical case studies.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024HN recommends it as an informative and entertaining look at how uranium glass is actually made.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025HN points to it as an example of a YouTuber getting radioactive scam products delisted by reporting them to the NRC.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2025Recommended as a solid, informative treatment of silicon-based life and the chemical limits on alien biochemistry.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2019E European Lisp Symposium · talkRecommended as one of the best talks of the symposium for the unusual scope of applying Lisp to molecular design.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2025Pointed to as a relevant, recent deep dive whenever Monsanto, GMO seeds or glyphosate safety come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026U USCSB · explainerCited as a vivid example of combustible dust hazards and of the CSB's investigative work.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024E Explosions&Fire · demoIt gets linked in threads about salt and taste as a quirky, memorable curiosity.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2025Cited as an accessible way to make lithographic masks at home, in threads about hobbyist chip fabrication.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024HN mentions it as a fascinating example of chemistry persistence and as something people learned from, such as discovering purple gold exists.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024HN points to it whenever gallium or liquid metal comes up, as a vivid demonstration of gallium destroying aluminum.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2025Mentioned in Tom Lehrer threads as a charming example of Lehrer's song reaching a new audience.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023HN points to it in superconductor and LK-99 threads as evidence that YBCO can be made in a modest home lab.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024Brought up in threads on synthetic food and flavor as a fun example of building a dish from chemicals.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021H Home Science · demoCited as a vivid demonstration that beverage cans have a plastic liner.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021Linked as the go-to hands-on demonstration of how transparent wood is made and why scaling it to large pieces is hard.
- cited 10× 0 months 2020–2025HN cites it as the debunking behind news stories about radioactive anti-5G pendants and wellness trinkets sold on Amazon.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2024HN cites it as a first-hand account of how heavy water tastes, reportedly slightly sweet with an aftertaste.
- cited 8× 0 months 2026L LabCoatz · demoHN mostly cites it as a notable example of reverse engineering a famously secret formula, not as a recommendation.
- cited 6× 0 months 2019–2025Cited as the source for claims that PVC records outgas harmful compounds, usually in vinyl revival threads.
- cited 7× 0 months 2018–2024HN commenters cite it as a vivid demonstration that roadside and tire/pavement dust contains recoverable platinum.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2026P Project Farm · demoCited as a hands-on comparison showing WD-40 is not the best penetrating oil.
Questions
What is the most recommended chemistry video on Hacker News?
Clasp: Common Lisp using LLVM and C++ for Molecular Metaprogramming by Google TechTalks: HN repeatedly cites it as a striking example of Common Lisp used to push the frontier of science, and as one of the most inspiring tech talks.
How is this chemistry list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
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.