Social Issues & Culture Videos Hacker News Recommends
Social issues & culture videos on HackerTube: the talks, lectures and explainers Hacker News commenters keep sharing, covering race, gender, identity politics, homelessness, education policy, demographics, birth rates, immigration, dating and relationships, religion in society, class.
112 videos · ranked by HN recommendations · showing 1–48
Most recommended social issues & culture videos
The ones HN returns to most often when a thread turns to this topic.
lecture#73DON'T PANIC — Hans Rosling showing the facts about population
Gapminder Foundation
“I can highly recommend this lecture by the late Hans Rosling”
8 HN recommenders · 2017–2021
commentary#74Music Theory and White Supremacy
Adam Neely
“The canonical video on the subject”
11 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
documentary#103Alain de Botton: Status Anxiety
Alain de Botton
“This doc is eye-opening”
4 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
explainer#243America Keeps Rejecting an ID Card It Already Has
CGP Grey
“this is the most enjoyable explanation for it I've seen, by CGP Grey”
14 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
documentary#283Seattle is Dying | A KOMO News Documentary
KOMO News
“Seattle Is Dying” is a great investigative report about the problems and potential solutions to homelessness.”
10 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
commentary#308Why Are You So Angry? Part 1: A Short History of Anita Sarkeesian
Innuendo Studios
“This video series does a pretty amazing job in describing those two groups and their motivations”
7 HN recommenders · 2015–2022
commentary#324Incels | ContraPoints
ContraPoints
“Natalie Wynn's video^0 on incels always struck me as uniquely useful”
7 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
lecture#369NVC Marshall Rosenberg - San Francisco Workshop - FULL ENGLISH SUBTITLES TRANSCRIPTION
Centrum Nadania
“I recommend going directly to the source”
6 HN recommenders · 2019–2026
documentary#377Brainwash: The Gender Equality Paradox
hgoetkehgoetke
“the whole series is brilliant”
6 HN recommenders · 2014–2021
explainer#401Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs
NumbersUSA
“Please, please watch this 6 minute TED-style talk on immigration numbers”
7 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
talk#404How not to be ignorant about the world | Hans and Ola Rosling
TED
“I promise it is not a waste of your time.”
5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
talk#440Millennials Don't Exist! Adam Conover at Deep Shift
Adam Conover
“Adam (from Adam Ruins Everything) does a really good talk at a marketing conference on why Millennials don't exist.”
5 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
explainer#501Why We Won't Raise Our Kids in Suburbia
Not Just Bikes
“Not Just Bikes has a really good video on why suburbia (usually single family housing) is often worse for children than denser environments.”
7 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
lecture#632"Two incompatible sacred values in American universities" Jon Haidt, Hayek Lecture Series
Duke University Department of Political Science
“This is the best intellectual analysis of the situation I've come across so far”
6 HN recommenders · 2017–2026
commentary#643Canceling | ContraPoints
ContraPoints
“I think that it’s useful to hear a balanced take on cancel culture”
7 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
lecture#692James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley (1965)
The Riverbends Channel
“I was watching James Baldwin's speech at Cambridge University the other day and was riveted the entire time”
5 HN recommenders · 2016–2024
lecture#743Collapse of Complex Societies by Dr. Joseph Tainter
vlada888
“Spend some time watching Tainter's speech on complexity and collapse”
5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
talk#762Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies. | Daryl Davis | TEDxNaperville
TEDx Talks
“I'd recommend watching his TedTalk it really helped me understand how to better work with others, and how to bring about understanding.”
3 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
commentary#888John Cleese vs Extremism
eroosters
“is delightful and well worth the two minutes it takes to watch”
4 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
commentary#916The Bell Curve
Shaun
“The video is well-researched; I've been a long-time fan of the creator for putting out quality stuff.”
6 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
explainer#935The Lively & Liveable Neighbourhoods that are Illegal in Most of North America
Not Just Bikes
“Not Just Bikes talks about zoning in the US vs Dutch cities in this video”
5 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
documentary#95613TH | FULL FEATURE | Netflix
Netflix
“This documentary is an absolute must-watch”
6 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
talk#957[AUDIO FIXED] The Truth Cannot be Sexist - Steven Pinker on the biology of sex differences
Gravitahn
“I found it to be an excellent pre-existing discussion of the merits of the memo.”
6 HN recommenders · 2017–2018
talk#980How one tweet can ruin your life | Jon Ronson
TED
“I'm reminded of this TED talk in these scenarios, by a journalist and author who interviewed many people who have been publicly shamed”
5 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
explainer#1028The Houses that Can't be Built in America - The Missing Middle
Not Just Bikes
“you need to watch the NotJustBikes overview of the Missing Middle problem”
4 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
explainer#1077The Alt-Right Playbook: How to Radicalize a Normie
Innuendo Studios
“I think Innuendo Studios' video on this problem is one of the best explanations”
4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
explainer#1085Overpopulation – The Human Explosion Explained
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
“Kurzgesagt has a good video on this”
4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
talk#1126Religions and babies | Hans Rosling
TED
“Then watch this video to understand the real trends in population growth.”
4 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
explainer#1140The US Has More Tribes Than the World Has Countries
CGP Grey
“CGP Grey made a very convincing video on the argument that at least in the US, unexpectedly enough, "Indian" is probably the most appropriate term”
4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
talk#1171Germany: Low Crime, Clean Prisons, Lessons for America | Jeff Rosen | TEDxMountainViewHighSchool
TEDx Talks
“the whole talk is rather worthwhile to watch”
3 HN recommenders · 2017–2022
lecture#1197Why the world population won’t exceed 11 billion | Hans Rosling | TGS.ORG
THINK Global School
“This video might be more approachable”
4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
talk#1211James Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate from 1965
Aeon Video
“he mesmerises the audience by telling them what it's like to grow up black in America not even knowing you're black”
3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
interview#1253Homeless man talks openly about being addicted to heroin. We have an opioid crisis in America.
Invisible People
“Extremely powerful 5 minute interview with an obviously intelligent homeless person addicted to heroin: Terrifying”
3 HN recommenders · 2021
lecture#1284Andres Duany Lecture. Suburban Sprawl.
Andriy Kosetsky
“His talk from 30 years ago is still so eerily precise and comprehensive”
3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
documentary#1378The Part of History You've Always Skipped | Neoslavery
Knowing Better
“presented a compelling case that US slavery truly ended in 1942”
4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
documentary#1440Don't Be a Sucker
US National Archives
“long, but worth a watch sometime for anyone who hasn't seen it”
4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
podcast#1442Can We Pull Back From The Brink? (Episode #207)
Sam Harris
“Sam Harris did an excellent podcast (in my opinion) touching on the topics you mentioned.”
4 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
talk#1492MEETING THE ENEMY A feminist comes to terms with the Men's Rights movement | Cassie Jaye | TEDxMarin
TEDx Talks
“This is a good TEDx talk from a feminist”
4 HN recommenders · 2017–2021
commentary#1524J.K. Rowling | ContraPoints
ContraPoints
“This is a good, calm, nuanced discussion about why LGBTQ people and our allies don't like Rowling as much as we used to.”
3 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
explainer#1655The Suburbs Are Bleeding America Dry | Climate Town (feat. @NotJustBikes)
Climate Town
“A funny, yet very well researched video on that exact same topic of Zoning nonsense. Entertaining AND informative.”
2 HN recommenders · 2022–2025
documentary#1665How We Bought Our Abandoned House in Japan | Process, Costs, Risks, Finance, How to Find One
Tokyo Llama
“this video goes through the costs of buying an abandoned house in Japan”
3 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
lecture#1693Have the Boomers Pinched Their Children’s Futures? - with Lord David Willetts
The Royal Institution
“One of the best expositions of the problem I've seen is this talk”
3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
commentary#1697The Alt-Right Playbook: Always a Bigger Fish
Innuendo Studios
“I think Innuendo Studios/Ian Danskin explains this mechanism very very well”
3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
explainer#1743The Internet is Worse Than Ever – Now What?
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
“I view social media through this lens now.”
5 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
talk#1755RSA ANIMATE: First as Tragedy, Then as Farce
Royal Society of Arts
“well worth a watch (10 minutes) and approachable by those without philosophical backgrounds”
3 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
explainer#1843RSA ANIMATE: Smile or Die
Royal Society of Arts
“I strongly recommend you to watch Smile or Die, a talk by Barbara Ehrenreich.”
3 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
commentary#1887WOKE BRANDS
hbomberguy
“a very poignant discussion of the problematic underpinnings of brands adopting a particular aspect of a "personality”
3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
explainer#1912Gender Neutral Pronouns: They're Here, Get Used To Them
Tom Scott
“Tom Scott has a great video on grammatical gender that is worth a watch”
3 HN recommenders · 2013–2015
Channels HN cites most for social issues & culture
Each channel page lists every video of theirs that HN recommends.
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