This week I'd like to nudge you in the direction of a fantastic Youtube series: PBS Ideas Channel
As you may have noticed from my previous recommendation for the Youtube channel Vsauce, there seems to be a direct correlation between quality educational videos and awesome, balding, beardy geek-men.
Hrm.
So, this week I bring you another Youtube channel that I often spend my breakfasts enjoying...
Hosted and written by Mike Rugnetta, the channel explores the links between popular culture, science and technology, maths, philosophy and art.
Quick-paced, bright, interactive and with it's finger on the pulse of internet (and 'real life') pop culture, the channel encourages you to look deeper into many aspects of our life that we take for granted, pulling them apart and comparing them across a whole host of genres.
Who knew, for example, that retro 'bullet-hell' games could be seen as 'meditative'? Or that seeing the movie Ender's Game could be a political action? Or that glitchy art shows us that broken is beautiful? Or even that a tagged Instagram serves a far greater purpose than being just a photo? You could even ask, if you were feeling seasonal, what Father Christmas and wrestling have in common.
What I enjoy about PBS ideas channel is the philosophical feel behind all of the topics, and the genuine appeal to human curiosity. Mike and his team are very well read and so often the arguments - while very approachable - are quite academic and detailed. Yet they remain light-hearted, and inspiring.
At the end of every episode Mike shows up the best comments from the community of subscribers and interacts with them. He's always open to having his mind changed, and can even openly criticise himself and his own views, occasionally returning to certain topics more than once. The community if vibrant and enthusiastic, and so there's a great dialogue that goes on even when the episode itself comes to an end.
Simply put, I love the channel, and it served as an inspiration for this blog, so you should definitely check it out.
In other news...
I've recently found a couple more PBS-funded channels which look like they have great potential: PBS Games Show and It's Okay to be Smart
I might take a closer look at the latter soon. Alas, this blog isn't gaming-focused, so I'm unlikely to speak about the former any time soon. (If it was, I'd be nudging you towards Pewdiepie, Robbaz and Vanoss too. So many great lets plays out there.)
Who needs TV when you have youtube, eh?
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