YouTube Vault

YouTube is a wonder of the modern world. Consuming a significant order of magnitude of all internet traffic, it not only laid the groundwork for video sharing that has been supercharged today through the likes of TikTok, but it is still relevant in its own right more than 15 years after its creation.

Though I derive plenty of entertainment from the platform, YouTube and its ecosystem of creators have consistently amazed me through the years with the vast diversity of educational content, journalistic exploration, and historical examination they have explored. Today you can access some of the most incisive and informative content human beings have ever put out on the platform alongside mindless compilations and endless cat videos. There’s something amazing about that.

The following videos represent my favorites across years of watching, at least from what I can remember. They lean towards the informative, a testament to the many creators working to bring some enlightenment to the masses. I think there is no greater achievement than in curating knowledge for the benefit of others, and asking people to examine what they think they understand about the world. These videos represent the best of those attempts.