You know an article is incredible when you keep thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading. If you want pieces that have that effect, start with these 9:

1. The tragic tale of Mt Everest’s most famous dead body | BBC Future

An article about the Everest climber whose body became a landmark, and how his death reveals the psychological, ethical and physical breakdowns that happen in the Death Zone.

2. What split-brain patients reveal about consciousness | The MIT Press Reader

A piece on how split‑brain patients reveal two separate conscious selves living in one skull.

3. The Fermi Paradox | Wait But Why

An explainer on why, in a universe home to potentially millions of intelligent civilisations, we see no sign of anyone else.

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Out of the sea of generic “motivational” videos on YouTube, there are a few that actually make you stop and see things differently. For the days when you need some perspective, a bit of encouragement, or just a reminder to zoom out a little, I’ve collected my 10 favourites.

1. Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen | Baz Luhrmann

A spoken-word song by Baz Luhrmann (adapted from a column by Mary Schmich) offering practical life advice on kindness, not worrying too much about the future, and, of course, wearing sunscreen.

2. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

After his diagnosis with terminal pancreatic cancer, a computer science professor delivers an incredible lecture on gratitude, overcoming obstacles, and leaving a legacy for his children.

3. How to Get Whatever you Want | Jim Rohn

A very eye-opening video on the power of asking for what you want. Watching this was such a lightbulb moment for me — a clear reminder of something so intuitive yet so often forgotten.

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Since the dawn of time, humans have searched for the meaning of happiness. For the days when you want to contemplate what makes a good life, here are four essays worth reading:

1. Happiness doesn’t follow success: it’s the other way round | Aeon

We’re often told that success will make us happy, but research suggests the relationship may work the other way around. This article explores how happiness itself can create the conditions for success.

2. The secret to happiness? Finding joy in others. It’s free, simple and will gladden your heart | The Guardian

An article on celebrating the happiness and success of others — rather than seeing them as threats to our own — and how doing so can help us stay grounded through difficult times.

3. How the oldest of the old taught me to choose happiness | Literary Hub

An author explains how spending time around the elderly showed him that happiness isn’t something that arrives on its own. It’s a deliberate practice of paying attention to what’s still possible, even when life is full of loss and limitation.

4. As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen how chasing happiness leads to misery | Psyche

A psychiatrist argues that the modern obsession with happiness is misguided, especially for people in psychological distress. He argues that happiness is often a mirage, and that a wiser goal is modest contentment built on acceptance and an understanding that pain is an ordinary part of being human.

5. How redefining happiness can transform your life | Big Think

This essay argues that we inherit a flawed idea of happiness built on perfection, money, status and constant achievement, and that this “Old Happy” is what makes people miserable. Rethinking what happiness means gives us a better chance of finding it.

Without one, it’s all too easy to convince yourself you’re learning because you’re watching “educational” content, when in reality you’re just using it like any other social media app (as a time-sucker).

In other words, there’s a big difference between watching YouTube and engaging with it.

Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with watching YouTube purely for entertainment. But if you want to actually learn from a video, you need a way of approaching it like a student rather than a passive viewer, which is exactly what this 7-step process will help you do.

The 7-Step Strategy for Learning from YouTube

Step 1: Predict, then press play

When you find an interesting video, it’s pretty much second nature to hit play immediately. Resist the urge. Spend at least 30 seconds properly reading the title, description, and chapters, and ask yourself (where applicable):

• What do I already know about this subject?

• What do I expect to learn?

• What do I think the main argument will be?

You don’t actually need to know anything about the subject to do this; even a guess is useful. The prediction itself helps you to understand and remember the content better, and primes your brain to find answers to questions rather than passively absorb facts.

Step 2: Pause and retrieve

Once you’ve started watching, pause the video every few minutes (or at the end of a major section/chapter) and try to recall the main points.

You can do this in your head or write them down. Again, it doesn’t matter if you get it slightly wrong — the act of trying to remember is what strengthens the memory. Research shows that retrieval practice helps you remember information and learn it in a way that’s flexible and usable later, meaning you can recall it in your own words and actually apply it outside the video itself.

Step 3: Take notes *intentionally*

Taking notes can be super useful when you’re selective about it. Avoid trying to write everything down (that’s just a transcript), and instead only note down the main points in your own words. Granted, trying to figure out what’s actually important is easier said than done, but this can be a useful guide:

• Repetition: If the creator keeps coming back to an idea, reframing it, or using it to introduce the next part, write it down.

• Movement: If the idea pushes the explanation forward (answers the core question, develops the argument, or sets up the next concept), write it down.

• Impact: If the point makes something click or brings a concept together, write it down.

Step 4: Acknowledge the confusing parts

When you’re actually engaging with a YouTube video, you’ll likely have questions. This is a good thing — it means your brain is working.

Maybe the creator skims past a concept you’re unsure about or uses a term you’ve never heard before, or you begin to wonder how the argument relates to another topic.

The moment a thought pops into your head, jot it down (this is useful for learning in itself but will also guide you on what to research next).

Step 5: Explain it in your own words

When the video’s finished, look away from your notes and have a go at explaining the concept in your own words. There are several ways you can do this:

• In your head

• Out loud to a willing (and patient) friend or family member

• Writing it down

Forcing yourself to explain it without having something to refer back to makes you actively work out the relationships between ideas and exposes gaps in your understanding. This is essential for understanding rather than just consuming.

Step 6: Have a break

Autoplay and recommendations with click-bait titles can make it far too easy to keep watching without giving yourself the chance to absorb anything.

Once you’ve finished a video, step away from the screen rather than immediately clicking onto another one. Spreading your learning out over time, rather than cramming it into one continuous session, tends to produce better long-term retention.

Step 7: Find the questions to your answers

Once you’ve been on a walk, had a cup of tea, or stared into space for a while, go back to the questions you wrote down and start looking for answers. You can look for more videos on YouTube, but I personally like to read articles to give my brain a break from visual learning (but it’s whatever works best for you).

As you look for answers, don’t treat the new source as completely separate from the original video. Keep thinking back to what you watched originally and ask:

• Does this explain the part I was confused about?

• Does it support what the creator said or contradict it?

• Does it give me a different perspective?

• How does this argument differ from what I learnt before?

This approach can help solidify any facts, train your brain to connect ideas, and is a great opportunity to get critical. Does anything contradict what the previous video said? Does it frame the idea differently? Does it rely on stronger or weaker evidence? Training your brain to question, compare and evaluate the information you consume is just as important as remembering it.

Once you’ve completed the 7 steps, I highly recommend stopping for an extended period of time. The whole point of this process is to consume with intention, not just consume, consume, consume. Learning works best when you give your brain time to process things.

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Beautiful essays are best enjoyed when you have the time to read them slowly, properly absorb them, and reflect on them afterwards. Here are ten incredible essays to read when you’re in the mood to contemplate life while sipping on a coffee:

1. The strangely beautiful experience of Google Reviews

A beautiful essay about how Google Reviews has become an unlikely record of human experience.

1. Why go out?

Reflections on the reasons we go out, if only to face the chaos and disappointment of other people.

3. Why my 85-year-old friend has devoted the last years of her life to reading the ancient classics

A narrator reflects on how an old friend’s passion for ancient art awakens his longing to love something with the same purity of purpose.

1. The four-fold imagination

An article on how William Blake’s four-fold theory of imagination can help us see beyond materialism and appreciate the true beauty of life.

1. Do elephants have souls?

A long essay that uses elephants’ intelligence and moral complexity to challenge the boundary between human and animal inner lives.

1. Stories about my brother

A sister pieces together the brilliant but troubled life of her brother after his sudden death.

1. Seventeen

A coming‑of‑age essay about learning to look back at your younger self with compassion.

1. Life is short

An essay on the undeniable shortness of life and how to make the most of it.

1. The empathy exams

An essay about a medical actor whose work leads her to question what real empathy is and how she understands her own pain.

10. Uncommon gratitude

Reflections on how to mourn damaged places and express thanks through small acts of care.

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In an effort to re-instil that childlike wonder and keep my curiosity alive, I’ve recently started using encyclopedias again. I personally find them perfect for when I want to learn something new but don’t necessarily feel like reading a lengthy article. Sometimes I just want to brush up on some interesting facts without someone else’s interpretation.

In this post, I’ve curated a list of the best online encyclopedias for when you have that same itch:

General Encyclopedias

1. Britannica

The oldest English-language encyclopedia and arguably the best-of-the-best for finding information on pretty much anything you can think of. All entries are written by experts.

Note: If there’s no encyclopedia included in this list on a particular subject, try searching for it on Britannica! It covers most mainstream subjects.

1. Wikipedia

Over 7 million articles on pretty much any topic you can think of (*not written by experts*). If you’re feeling open-minded, use Wikiroulette to surface a completely random article.

History

1. World History

The largest history publication in the world; search by time period, region, or alphabetically.

Philosophy

1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The go-to for learning about any philosophical concept. Use the random-entry tool to surface something completely random or search chronologically.

Psychology

1. APA Dictionary of Psychology

Search alphabetically for short definitions and explanations on basically any concept in psychology.

Medicine

1. Medline Plus Encyclopedia

Access over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries (I probably wouldn’t use this if you’re prone to googling your symptoms, but interesting nevertheless).

Geography

1. World Fact Book Archive

An online archive that stores 36 years of data from the CIA’s World Factbook, with information on countries, geography, populations, and global statistics.

1. Atlas Obscura

Catalogues the world’s most unusual, hidden places. A great tool to use when you’re travelling.

Biology

1. Biology Online

Contains the definitions of 70,000+ terms in biology, with tutorials for more detailed explanations on biological concepts.

Law

1. LLI Legal Encyclopedia

A plain‑English legal reference that explains thousands of legal terms and concepts.

Literature

1. The Literary Encyclopedia

Includes biographies of major and lesser-known writers, summaries of their works, and essays on literary, cultural, and historical topics.

Arts and Culture

1. Google Arts and Culture

A huge online archive where you can explore art, history, and cultural collections from museums all around the world.

1. Wikiart

A digital archive of visual art - search by art movement, genres, styles, artists, and more.

Astronomy

1. NASA Solar System Exploration

Planet profiles, missions, timelines, and explainers (a really fun, interactive website to explore).

1. Messier Catalog (NASA)

A list and explanation of some of the most interesting astronomical objects that can be observed from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere.

Language and Linguistics

1. Ethnologue

A huge database that documents the identity, status, and characteristics of every known living language.

1. Online Etymology Dictionary

Learn the origins of virtually every word in the English dictionary.

Maths

1. Wolfram Mathworld

Explanations of every major branch of mathematics, from elementary to research-level topics.

Gem Stones

1. GIA

Information about the world’s gemstones; learn about their history and interesting facts with photos and videos.

Animals

1. Animalia

Information and facts on over 35 thousand species - a super accessible and fun site.

Happy exploring! Let me know which one seems most interesting to you - I’m always curious to hear what other people think. And if you found this list useful, please consider subscribing to receive more recommendations and hand-picked lists.

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I looked at the alien-looking vegetable in front of me, then looked at my mum, then back at the artichoke as my face contorted in disgust, and said, “You’ve got to be kidding me, Mum. I’m not eating that.” I mean, the thing looked like a rolled-up pangolin. I assumed she had lost the plot, that she must be succumbing to her old age.

So my mum – who was very clearly desperate to diversify my palate – offered me 50p to try it, which I, of course, accepted immediately because, to a pre-cost-of-living-crisis twelve-year-old, 50p was a lot of money.

I went to take a bite, envisioning all the luxuries I would buy with my promised riches if I could endure this one hellish mouthful, and my God, I was obsessed. I had never tasted anything so good in my life.

From then on, every time my mum went to the supermarket, I would beg and plead for her to buy me an artichoke. I imagine she regretted ever offering me that 50p in the first place (karma for trying to bribe a child, I guess)?

Anyway, as it turned out, I seriously loved artichoke. It’s the first experience I remember of someone encouraging me to try what I thought I would hate and that thing turning out to be a lifelong love of mine.

There are a multitude of examples of this happening in my life.

Here’s another, slightly more consequential story (and then I promise I’ll get to the point of how this relates to algorithms):

Soon after I started studying for my A-Levels (which are pre-university qualifications for any non-British readers), I realised I had really messed up. I had chosen to take Classics, which I thought I would love, unaware of how much Latin I would be required to learn (which, on reflection, was kind of stupid of me because, obviously, you would have to learn Latin for a Classics course).

I hated it – it was like the artichoke experience in reverse – so I begged and pleaded with my teachers to change subjects. I had no idea what I wanted to change it to, but I knew I wasn’t making it into university if I didn’t swap it for something – anything – else.

My friend, sensing my panic, suggested I take philosophy instead. “You’ll love it,” she said. “It’s actually really interesting.”

I was sceptical; philosophy sounded a bit abstract to me. But I was running out of time, and I needed to make a decision.

So, I enrolled in her class, which, you guessed it, I absolutely loved. I found philosophy more engaging than any subject I had studied prior. It opened up a new world for me.

Fortunately, I did well in my exams and, without a moment of hesitation, applied to university to study it full time. It has since been one of my most defining interests.

I am forever grateful for that conversation with my friend; it opened up a new world for me.

I’m sure you can remember countless moments like this happening in your own life. A friend insisting you listen to a song you don’t like at the start but ending up playing 100 times after; a family member recommending a book that you pick up out of politeness and end up loving; a teacher making you study a topic that sounds painfully dull and you somehow become completely absorbed in it. And you look back, so glad you were beckoned out of familiarity and into a new realm of interest.

My point is this: it is part of the human experience to discover you were wrong about yourself - and to realise that something you didn’t care for can become one of the great joys of your life.

And what do algorithms do? The things whose sole purpose is to feed you content based on your existing preferences?

They erase that. They say, “here is what you like, and here’s more of it.” It’s literally what they’re manufactured to do. They have no incentive to open new doors and widen your perspective.

In fact, they’re incentivised to do the opposite, because you’re more likely to keep your eyes glued to a screen when you’re consuming easy, familiar content that you already know you like.

This might all sound very dramatic, but it is dramatic. Algorithms are setting us all up to become a blob of one-dimensional preferences, not discovering the things that could have put us on a different path. They are stealing our potential and starving our curiosity. They’re shrinking our worlds, our possibilities – sucking us all into individual vacuums where we’re placated with familiarity.

And the danger isn’t just that algorithms show us more of what we already like. It’s that they train us to expect immediate recognition. If something doesn’t click instantly, we assume it isn’t for us, and we stop developing the patience required for new interests to emerge.

And this is all, of course, because feeding us the stuff they know we already like is a far safer bet than showing us content that we might find confusing or slow, or that requires an ounce of active thinking, when attention is the currency.

But no matter how much it tries to convince you with all its data analysis and pattern spotting that it’s helping you because it knows you so well, your algorithm doesn’t want the best for you. It just wants you, there, doing…nothing.

Now, you might be thinking, my algorithms recommended some pretty interesting stuff to me… maybe take it down a notch.

To which I would say, yes, I should calm down. But then I would say, my point isn’t that algorithms can’t surface good content. It’s that they can’t surface content that isn’t based on some pre-conceived notion of you. Because that would be too risky to monetise.

And the real knife to the throat is that even if you acknowledge that and try to change it, in serving up so much familiarity, algorithms have made us so averse to novelty that trying to engage with something genuinely unfamiliar is difficult. So we click back to something easy and recognisable. And the cycle repeats.

But when a human recommends something to you, they’re not basing it on some elaborate data analysis with the end goal of eliciting a dopamine response. They’re just sharing something they enjoyed. And in doing so, they’re giving you the chance to enjoy it too.

Algorithms aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not saying you need to throw your phone away. The internet isn’t an inherently bad place - it’s actually incredible. I mean, I love the internet; my whole newsletter is about finding and recommending interesting things on it. It’s the greatest library ever built. But it only becomes that when you use it with a bit of intention, and when you let yourself click on things that you don’t quite get at first.

We’re limiting our life’s path by letting our algorithms choose for us. Every time we choose to watch a video that’s chosen by an algorithm over an article that sounds weird or unfamiliar, we’re handing over the chance to learn something new.

Sometimes the most important things you'll ever learn are the things you'd scroll straight past. Every now and then, ignore what the algorithm thinks you'll enjoy…hunt out the weird article and give it a read.

In the spirit of human curation, here is some interesting content on the internet to explore (not based on your previous interests).

Some people love them, while others find them overly generic, preachy, or full of big promises, with speakers often presenting somewhat sketchy magic‑bullet solutions to happiness, success, or personal growth.

I understand where these criticisms come from. After watching a lot in my spare time — and while researching specifically for this post — I got the sense that a fair few present theories with more certainty than the evidence really supports.

That said, I’ve also come across TED Talks that are genuinely brilliant. These are talks where the speakers are deeply passionate about their subject, exceptional storytellers, and able to offer perspectives that feel unique rather than recycled. And it’s why they have made it to this list.

So, if you watch any, I highly recommend starting with these:

1. Do schools kill creativity? – Sir Ken Robinson

Beginning with the talk that inspired this post, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” is fantastic. With British humour and charm, Sir Ken Robinson explains that our education system was built for the Industrial Revolution and, as a result, we’ve created a hierarchy of subjects that places math and languages at the top and the arts at the bottom.

By prioritising certain types of intelligence, we unintentionally stifle creativity and teach children that they’re not cut out for success if they aren’t traditionally “academic.” Robinson argues for a radical rethink of the education system to ensure we set children up to flourish. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s ever felt boxed in by school or found themselves questioning their potential because they weren’t top of their class.

1. The Power of Vulnerability - Brené Brown

A wonderful talk that explores why vulnerability sits at the heart of connection, creativity, and emotional resilience. Brené Brown draws on years of research to explain why the people who experience the strongest sense of love and belonging are the ones willing to be seen as imperfect, and how numbing emotions or trying to appear “put together” can block the very things we’re trying to cultivate.

1. The Danger of a Single Story - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This talk is incredibly thought-provoking and a great watch for anyone who wants to strengthen their critical thinking around the stories they consume. Adichie explores how stereotypes are created and reinforced, arguing that when we repeatedly hear only one version of a person, culture, or country, it inevitably limits the way we understand them.

Adichie, who grew up in Nigeria, shares stories from her own life, including how reading mostly British and American books shaped her early understanding of what stories could be. An important reminder to read widely and to intentionally seek out voices we might not hear otherwise.

That’s it for this week’s recommendations. If you watch any of these videos, please let me know – I would love to hear your thoughts! And as always, thank you for reading.

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Fortunately, all that time spent has paid off. Over the years, I’ve built up a hefty list of pieces that I love (and I think you will too). By sharing a handful of them here and more in future posts, my hope is that you can skip the searching and go straight to the good stuff. I guess that kind of works out as net time saved for humanity?

So, without further ado, here are 4 articles that are absolutely worth your time this week:

1. No one is self-made - Aeon

I loved this article. It’s an incredibly well-written piece that challenges the idea that people “get what they deserve,” using Confucianism and Daoism to show why meritocracy is far less fair than some people make out. It essentially looks at how moral rankings become tools of power, encourage self‑exploitation, and ignore how much luck shapes success.

The general premise — as the name suggests — is that no one is truly ‘self‑made,’ and once you see how much your life depends on circumstance rather than will, any moral justifications for inequality start to fall apart. As someone who is guilty of beating themselves up for ‘not doing enough’ and viewing failures as a result of personal shortcomings, I found this article incredibly comforting. A great read for when you want some respite from hustle-culture content.

1. Why do people, like, say ‘like’ so much? - The Guardian

As an avid ‘like’ user, I found this article super validating. In sum, it criticises the idea that “like” is just a lazy filler word, arguing that much of the disapproval directed at people who use it is nothing but linguistic snobbery.

The article traces the word’s history (Shakespeare used it), explains the useful purposes it serves in everyday conversation, and shows how the backlash against it is actually rooted in classism and sexism rather than faulty grammar. A pretty watertight defence to deploy the next time you encounter a self-appointed member of the grammar police.

1. How much is your kidney worth? - Neoma

A hugely thought-provoking article that explores whether paying living kidney donors could help tackle the chronic shortage of organs, and whether it would be morally right. It follows the story of a woman whose son’s decision to donate a kidney to a stranger inspired her to campaign for financial compensation for donors.

I was pretty torn at the end, which highlights how well the article explains both sides of the argument. If you're interested in moral dilemmas and nuanced journalism that doesn't offer easy answers, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read.

1. How self-fulfilling prophecies have shaped world history - Big Think

This article is wild. It tells the true story of an emperor who essentially manifested his own death, and explains how common self-fulfilling prophecies are. From Oedipus Rex to political events and social experiments, it explores how our beliefs can shape our actions and, ultimately, the reality we create around us. A fascinating reminder that sometimes the things we expect to happen influence what actually happens.

Happy reading, and let me know your thoughts on these recommendations! I have plenty more to share and would love to know if you’d be interested in seeing them.

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The Feed Filter

1. Why the Roman Empire Collapsed

Kicking off with a big one. The fall of the Roman Empire is a hugely fascinating, multifaceted topic that you could quite literally spend the rest of your life researching. Many historians have done exactly that, spending years debating how and why it collapsed. The result is a wide range of competing theories attributing it to Christianity, economics, military decline, immigration, widespread lead poisoning, or some combination of them all. The sheer number of explanations, ideas, and arguments make it an ideal topic for falling down a rabbit hole.

Resources to get you started:

• Fall of the Western Roman Empire

• The Fall Of Ancient Rome: The Events That Ended The Romans | Rome: Empire Without Limit | Timeline

2. The Aftermath of the Black Death

The Black Death is one of the most interesting case studies for understanding the impact of disease devastation on society. From its effects on religion to the weakening of the feudal system, it’s fascinating to see how society - willingly or not - reshapes itself in the face of catastrophe.

Resources to get you started:

• Effects of the Black Death on Europe

• Religious Responses to the Black Death

3. Cognitive Biases

I had no idea how many cognitive biases there were, but since learning about them I’m convinced I’ve probably never made a rational decision in my life. Always good to be self‑aware, I guess.

But in all seriousness, studying cognitive biases helps explain why intelligent people can arrive at completely different conclusions, why misinformation spreads so effectively, and why humans are often far less rational than we assume. It’s super interesting in its own right, but also incredibly useful for understanding the world around us.

Resources to get you started:

• List of Cognitive Biases

• What is a Cognitive Bias?

4. The History of Hysteria

The history of hysteria is a great topic if you’re at all interested how women have been perceived throughout history. I’d known for a while that pseudoscience was used to justify the oppression of women, but learning that people once believed the uterus could literally wander around the body and cause health problems was a new one for me.

A great topic for understanding not only how medicine has evolved, but also how deeply social biases can influence what we accept as scientific truth.

Resources to get you started:

• Hysteria: A Historical Mirror in the Misogyny of Medicine?

• Women and Hysteria in the History of Mental Health

5. The Psychology of Conformity

I think most of us like to believe we'd stand our ground if everyone around us was clearly wrong, but research in the psychology of conformity suggests otherwise. If you haven't looked into the Asch Conformity Experiments, I highly, highly recommend doing so. The experiment itself uses a fairy mundane scenario, but the implications on wider society (jury duty springs to mind) are pretty concerning.

Resources to get you started:

• The Asch Conformity Experiments

• Conformity

Happy researching! If you look into any of these topics, let me know how you get on - I’m always curious to hear other people’s thoughts.

The Feed Filter

1. UnHerd

UnHerd is a publication that, quite fittingly to its name, “challenges the herd with new and bold thinking in philosophy, politics, and culture.” I’ve taken a particular liking to it because it isn’t contrarian for the sake of shock factor, but instead offers genuinely interesting perspectives on current affairs that I hadn’t considered before.

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If you’re looking for a publication that doesn’t blatantly lean in one political direction, I highly recommend it. It is behind a paywall (£3.99 for the first three months), but you can read three pieces for free to decide whether it’s something you’d find worth paying for.

2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a gem. It has peer-reviewed entries on basically every philosophical topic you can think of, and is great for learning about complex ideas in a structured way. There’s also a ‘random-entry’ button, which is useful if you want to learn about something totally obscure. Click it and you’ll be redirected to a page on something like Plato’s shorter ethical works or knowledge by acquaintance vs. description. Perfect for going down rabbit holes.

One thing to note is that it’s quite academic in tone and not designed for quick skimming, but is ideal if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge. It was a go-to for me when I was studying philosophy at uni, and although I graduated years ago, I still go back to it (which I think says a lot). Plus, it’s completely free, which is always a bonus.

3. The Ghosts of Green Sahara - Miniminuteman

This was such a fascinating and engaging video essay. It explores the Green Sahara (also known as the African Humid Period), which was a time when the Sahara Desert was filled with lakes, wildlife, and human settlements. The video goes into detail about the civilisations that lived there and paints a vivid picture of what life might have been like.

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Despite the fact that Miniminuteman has 3.25M subscribers, I actually hadn’t heard of him until this video in particular was recommended to me, but I’m very excited to watch more of his content.

4. Meditations on Moloch - Scott Alexander

I finally got around to reading this recently, and now that I have, I absolutely had to include it in this list. Meditations on Moloch is a fairly lengthy essay that explores why societies end up trapped in destructive competition, even when everyone would prefer a different, better outcome.

It shows this through a range of examples, including capitalism and modern scientific research, and might be even more relevant today given concerns about AI. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read to sink your teeth into, I cannot recommend this enough.

That’s it for this edition. These are just a few things I’ve come across recently that made me think differently and kept me away from social media. If you enjoy the recommendations, let me know! Always curious to hear other people’s thoughts.

Thanks so much for reading,

The Feed Filter

YouTube is one of the best resources we have for learning and I will die on that hill. But, given that there are over 14 billion videos on the app, finding the good stuff can be hard.

It’s made harder by the fact that the algorithm can be shit, largely because it recommends content to keep you glued to the screen rather than what’s actually useful or good for you.

Now, I don’t like to blow smoke up my ass, but I personally believe I’ve single-handedly beaten the algorithm. It wasn’t easy, and I’ve lost many hours of my life to BetterHelp and HelloFresh ads that I’ll never get back. But I’ve come out victorious, and along the way, I’ve curated a definitive list of some of the best YouTube videos you will ever watch.

I should probably add a disclaimer that this is literally all opinion-based. I don’t have a quantitative scoring system or a fancy rating scale, but I do have a fairly decent sense of what’s interesting and well-made. I am also a human, not an algorithm, so I hope I gain some trustworthiness points given that fact.

I should also add that this list has no theme, i.e., this isn’t all going to all be history videos or videos on quantum physics. I am no specialist when it comes to YouTube recommendations for specific subjects. But, if you’re reading this, I trust you’re a curious person who enjoys learning new things and hearing different perspectives, which is exactly what this list will help you do.

So, without further ado, here are 20 YouTube videos that you should absolutely watch before you die:

1. History of the Entire World, I Guess - bill wurtz

It would be blasphemy to the YouTube Gods if I didn’t include history of the entire world, i guess in this list. Wildly entertaining and informative, this video is an absolute must-see.

1. This is Water - David Foster Wallace

A beautiful (and very famous) speech on the true value of education, regarded by some as the best speech ever written.

1. How the Economic Machine Works - Principles by Ray Dalio

A great example of a video that explains a complex topic in an impressively simple way — essential watching for anyone who wants to understand the basics of economics.

Share The Feed Filter

1. The Egg - A Short Story - Kurzgesagt

A profound short story that explores life, death, and the nature of human existence. Will likely make you see yourself and others very differently.

1. The Evolution of Absolutely Everything - Curious Archive

A slightly chaotic (but wonderfully made) video on evolution and the philosophy of kindness. Reminds me of history of the entire world, i guess (in the best way).

1. The Unending Violence of Vincent Van Gogh - Horses

Explains the tragedy of Van Gogh’s life in such a beautiful way. Highly recommend it if you’re curious about the life of one of the most famous artists to exist.

1. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator - TED

A must-watch for any procrastinators - hilarious, insightful, and not preachy at all.

1. The Most Misunderstood Concept in Physics - Veritasium

I had no burning desire to learn about entropy before this video, but it turns out it’s a fascinating topic. A super complex subject broken down very clearly.

1. The Art of Life - Science and Nonduality

More of a professional documentary than a typical YouTube video. Explores one man’s journey to living life entirely on his own terms. Utterly inspiring.

1. A 97-Year-Old Philosopher Faces His Own Death - The Atlantic

Follows a 97-year-old philosopher reflecting on life, death, and what really matters. This was a beautiful watch.

1. FACISM: An In-Depth Explanation - Ryan Chapman

A hugely informative video that explains a contentious, often misunderstood topic in a balanced, engaging way. Everyone should watch this.

1. How Ai Slop will Spark the Next Human Renaissance - After Skool

A refreshingly optimistic take on AI (humanity may not be doomed after all).

1. I was Almost a School Shooter - TEDx Talks

I remember watching this video when it first came out, and it fundamentally changed me. A powerful, personal story that really drives home the importance of kindness and human connection.

1. Every Major Human Mistake that Changed History Forever - The Paint Explainer

One of my favourite videos by The Paint Explainer. Such a fun and engaging way to learn about history.

1. The 1950s Were Not Good - BritMonkey

A super well-made and interesting video on how nostalgia is human, but not always rational. A good counterargument to launch at anyone who says we should go back to the good old days.

1. Inside Hong Kong’s Cage Homes - Vox

A look inside Hong Kong’s cage homes and the human cost of the world’s most expensive housing market. Upsetting, but an important watch.

1. Pale Blue Dot - Carl Sagan

One of the most eye-opening videos on YouTube. Watch this when life feels overwhelming.

1. A Russian Scientist’s Plan to Save the Planet - VICE

An absolutely fascinating documentary about one man’s bold, unconventional plan to fight climate change. I came away with a lot of respect for his determination and vision.

1. Improve Your Speaking - Conor Neill

Absolutely great advice for anyone looking to improve how they communicate.

1. That Time Our Ancestors Almost Went Extinct - SciShow

Did you know our ancestors almost went extinct? I didn’t, but now I do. This video is super interesting and engaging.

And that concludes our list of 20 YouTube videos to watch before you die. I hope this gives you plenty of content to keep you occupied and learn some cool, new things. If you enjoyed these recommendations and want more, please let me know! I have a long list of recommendations I would love to share.

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Thanks so much for reading,

The Feed Filter

Welcome or welcome back! If you’re new here, this newsletter is a weekly list of the best resources & content I find online to help you learn instead of scroll. I basically trawl through the internet so you don’t have to.

Without further ado, here are this week’s finds:

1. The Pudding

This website is so cool. It explains all sorts of ideas and debates in culture using interactive visuals and really engaging storytelling. It’s very data-focused, but it’s a great way to understand numbers and statistics without it actually feeling like you’re reading about numbers and statistics.

From visual stories about how women are misrepresented in the news to models that predict the quality of wine based on its properties, it covers a pretty vast range of topics. If you’re like me and love learning about niche, slightly random things, you’ll probably spend hours on this site. Highly recommend.

Why Science Needs Outsiders - Works in Progress

This article explains that some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs came from outsiders rather than deeply established experts. Einstein was a patent examiner, and a man with no postgraduate training, named Tu Youyou, discovered a malaria treatment that saved millions.

The author argues that deep expertise can create blind spots, while ‘outsiders’ are more willing to question assumptions and try new approaches. It’s a great read if you enjoy challenges to the status quo and are curious about how to overcome the pitfalls of academic snobbery (without tipping over into anti-intellectualism).

3. Rest of the World

Rest of the World is a great publication with an admirable mission: to highlight how technology affects non-Western countries.

I was so pleased to discover it because, as someone living in the UK, I’ve become a little sceptical about how “objective” mainstream tech reporting really is, given that its default perspective almost always centres on Western audiences. This isn’t exactly surprising, but it’s something we’ve all become accustomed to, though it often misses important nuances and perspectives.

According to Rest of the World’s about page, the name was chosen as it “encapsulates the problems [they] fight head-on: a casual disregard for billions of people, and a Western-centric worldview that leaves an unthinkable number of insights, opportunities, and nuances out of the global conversation.”

I highly recommend exploring it if you want to broaden your perspective, step into other people’s shoes, and diversify your news sources.

4. 10 Numbers to Understand the Population of Tomorrow - WonderWhy

This video (and channel generally) is a gem. This one in particular breaks down the future of the world’s population with 10 numbers, showing how countries like India, China, and those in Africa will grow, shrink, or age over the next century.

If you’re curious about why populations rise and fall, and how fertility, mortality, and demographics shape economies, this explains it all in a super clear, simple way. I’m a sucker for concise, to-the-point explainers, and this video is exactly that.

That’s it for this week. If you watch, read, or use any of the things I’ve mentioned in this list, please let me know your thoughts. And as always, if you have any feedback on how this newsletter is structured or how I can make it more useful for you, leave a comment to let me know.

On another note, if you enjoy my newsletter, you can show some support by making a small donation or pledging to become a paid subscriber.

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Thanks so much for reading,

Notea

Firstly, I want to say thank you for reading this - whether you’re a subscriber or someone who has found this post some other way. I think it’s really cool that someone other than myself is reading what I’ve written.

I suppose I should briefly explain why I’ve created this newsletter and what you can expect from it. Let’s start with the former.

I’m a big believer that the internet is the ultimate double-edged sword. On the one hand, we have access to an incomprehensible amount of information at our fingertips. If I wanted to learn about the engineering behind the surface area of the keys I am using to type this, I probably could with a quick Google search (I just checked - I can). That is a luxury our ancestors could have only dreamt of.

On the other hand, that same internet access makes it all too easy to waste our time watching or reading things that are absolutely not worth it. And it is precisely this content that is engineered to pull us away from the good stuff, kill our attention spans, and leave us quasi-addicted to scrolling.

I want this newsletter to help you find the good stuff and steer you away from the bad. That is, in a nutshell, why this exists.

This leads me to my second point: what this newsletter will include. Each week, I’ll be sharing 3-5 resources that are a much better use of your time than scrolling. They could be on totally unrelated topics, but meet one or all of the underlying criteria:

a) It will help you learn something about the world
b) It will help you learn something about yourself
c) It will help you learn something worthwhile about someone else

I’m aware that those are incredibly broad guidelines, but that is intentional. Often, the most interesting things I’ve learned online are topics I would have never deliberately searched for. I want to keep the recommendations as broad as possible for this reason.

The types of resources I share will be varied: YouTube videos, podcasts, articles, and interesting websites that have been overshadowed by social media. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Okay. I think that’s enough explaining. Here are some of the best things I’ve discovered on the internet for you to peruse:

1. Standard Ebooks

Kicking off with a website I absolutely wish I had found earlier: Standard Ebooks. This website is essentially a digital library that formats and proofreads publicly available books so they can be downloaded to an e-reader or read online.

In other words, it takes classic books that are already free and makes them look and feel like professionally produced e-books, with proper typography, clean formatting, and no annoying errors. It’s free, pretty easy to use, and just a really cool way to explore great literature.

If you enjoy reading but don’t want to wait until you have a physical copy or spend any money, I highly recommend it.

2. How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You) — Wait But Why

This article is fairly lengthy but, without a doubt, worth the read. As the title suggests, it breaks down how to choose a career with genuinely helpful and actionable advice, illustrated with a graphic of a yearning octopus.

I often find advice articles to be a bit generic or preachy, but this one is refreshingly unpretentious and easy to read. If you’re feeling a bit stuck in your career or need a little self-reflection, this article is fantastic.

On a general note, Wait But Why is a really cool website. You’ll probably find yourself revisiting it after.

3. The Unending Violence of Vincent van Gogh — Horses

I was genuinely captivated by this video. The narration is beautiful and sheds light on Van Gogh’s life in a way that’s often overlooked, covering his mental health struggles, his relationship with his brother, and the mystery surrounding his death.

Videos like this one have helped me appreciate art in a way I never did before. I’m probably painting myself as a bit ignorant here, but I used to struggle to understand how people could stare at paintings for so long. I just didn’t get it.

Since I’ve put in a bit more effort to learn about artists’ lives and the stories behind paintings, my perspective has totally changed. This video, in particular, inspired me to make it a mini goal to explore as much as I can about different artists and their work. I highly recommend giving it a watch.

That concludes our list for this week, it’s a shorter one, given the longer intro, but as I said before, these lists can include up to 5 recommendations. If you watch, read, or use any of these resources, let me know how you get on, I’m always curious to hear other people’s thoughts!

I’m also open to feedback on the newsletter itself, like what kind of content you’d like to see, how you’d like it structured, or anything else that could make it more useful for you.

On another note, if you enjoy my newsletter, you can show some support by making a small donation or pledging to become a paid subscriber. I don’t have paid subscriptions at the moment, but this will give me an idea of whether it’s worth considering in the future.

Thanks so much for reading.

Notea

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