YouTube channels I follow

I probably spend too much time on YouTube, but it offers a lot of great educational content that I can’t find anywhere else. These are the channels that I find most useful and follow, with my favorites listed in bold.

Engineering

I like to live vicariously through the projects of others and have found a few creators who document their work on YouTube.

Woodworking

There aren’t many good woodworking resources for the kind of woodworking I want to do (small projects with Japanese hand tools), but it’s good to see how others achieve end results regardless.

• Rex Krueger focuses on inexpensive, rough hand tool woodworking. He makes a good case, but I find his projects a bit inelegant.

• Matthias Wandel has an interesting approach to woodworking, building his own power tools. I’m not sure I have the nerve to do this, but it’s interesting to see how he’s built up his shop over the years.

• Peter Millard uses power tools to make cabinets, but has a very practical and safety-focused approach to woodworking. I probably won’t buy any of the tools he owns, but it’s good to see someone thinking consciously about tool efficiency and safety.

• Lemongrasspicker uses Japanese hand tools in a rough-and-ready fashion for small projects.

• Shoyan Japanese Carpenter is a bit impenetrable as a Japanese-oriented channel, but has some useful content.

Prototyping

I don’t have much interest in prototyping mechanical objects myself, but have always been fascinated with tools and robotics.

• Stuff Made Here is one of the best channels on YouTube for engineering content. It’s funny and does a great job of documenting the challenges of engineering.

• Applied Science does original research in chemistry and physics, primarily in materials sciences. I really enjoy how the dead-ends are described and a critical view is taken of existing research.

• Simone Giertz makes funny videos about off-beat inventions.

• Dan Gelbart is an inventor that describes his prototyping process. While I’ll never own the tools needed to follow his advice, it’s interesting to see how high-precision engineering is done.

• Ivan Miranda makes a lot of weird machines.

• Mark Rober has gone a bit commercial and flashy, but it’s still entertaining to see science being put to use for a good cause.

Homesteading

I like to think that a less technology-intensive life is as focused and bucolic as these channels make it seem.

• Primitive Technology has almost a fanatic attachment to building things from scratch. The videos have documented various stone-age processes and is now working on smelting iron for better tools.

• Farmhand’s Companion describes somewhat-primitive American farming practices.

• Exploring Alternatives offers a showcase of ways to live that don’t follow the typical American model.

• Kirsten Dirksen travels around the world to film how iconoclasts live and their rationales.

Software

I don’t tend to enjoy software-focused YouTube, since it’s dominated by tech influencers, but I have found one channel that matches my interests.

• Russ Cox has a unique approach to tools and solving small problems.

Analysis

YouTube’s primarily 10-minute video segments are a good format for concise explainers on current events and science topics.

• Vox makes high-quality documentaries on topics I find interesting.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure, or the lack thereof, affects my life every time I ride a bike, so I’m particularly interested in seeing what other cities offer.

• Not Just Bikes rails against the car-centric culture of North America and the damage it does. It’s sort of become an outrage factory, but it does show how well thought out some European cities are.

• RMTransit describes individual transit agencies and grades how well they’re doing.

• Simply Railway tours rail lines and bizarrely enjoys Amtrak trains quite a bit.

• Strong Towns has great ideas but a lackluster YouTube presence.

• Practical Engineering describes engineering disasters in a way that’s conducive to learning from mistakes. I wish this level of introspection was found in street design and car crash follow-ups.

Technology

This is kind of a catch-all category for things that don’t fit in the others but have a technology focus.

• Game Maker’s Toolkit dives into the mechanics of games and what makes them fun.

• Technology Connections examines the history of household items, usually from the angle that they’re not good enough or should be phased out.

• Optimum Tech describes the latest trends in PC gaming and parts.

History

I’m interested in channels that try to put history in a broader context or present it in a compelling format.

• The Operations Room and The Intel Report provide commentary on the tactics of military battles.

• History Buffs rates popular media as to how well it reflects the real historical events.

Showcases

These channels offer a pleasant view into another world or lifestyle.

• Dustin Klein documents his group gravel rides in a casual but often hilarious way.

• Only in Japan shows slices of Japanese culture.

• Path Less Pedaled reviews not-race-oriented bike gear.

• VaatiVidya dives deep into the lore of role playing video games.

• Drew Simms makes stunning travel documentaries of his off-road adventures in a Jeep with drones and high-quality camera work.