There’s a million great recommendations in this thread already so I don’t feel the need to add, but I wanted to chime in that the type of channel that would just use AI slides/“footage” today was always around but were just doing lazy work instead. Also a rule of thumb that seems to kinda work so far is if it’s also on Nebula then it’s usually pretty well made and researched.

pbs eons, there are bunch of channels related to this one, some people on reporting on paleontology/new discoveries, or bio, i like how some people in the comments try to accuse the channels of AI without actual evidence. almost all the influencers AI for thier thumbnails, which i find cringey.

i would be careful watch pbs terra though, because there seems to be some sort of misinformation(like the alleged experts are speaking from an misinformed point of view), like how they are trying to save american chestnut species being devestated by blight, but doesnt go into detail(omit) why they are using the chinese hybrid to prevent disease, which makes it not a natural species since it was the chinese one that spread the disease in the first place, same goes with the devil holes pupfish(claims they are saving the species but doesnt really say why its being hybridizing with another species). there is just something off about that channel that doesnt have with the other pbs channels.

LEMMiNO’s production quality on his mystery documentaries is brilliant.

Ahoy mainly focuses on aspects of video game history and video game weapon design. I love his voice.

3Blue1Brown for pure mathematics.

Dime Store Adventures is a guy who researches local history from around New England, travels there and makes videos about it. Often researching or trying to find something while filming, making it feel like an actual adventure. A lot of it is centered around cemeteries, background stories about the people buried there, grave monuments with crazy backstories, but also old newspaper articles, local legends and forgotten historical landmarks or geographical features. He seems pretty serious about doing his research, he clearly knows his way around local libraries and archives and I find his way of presenting the information and his enthusiasm about the subjects very engaging. Especially when he goes around looking for something and actually finds it.

What on Earth is This? Is a British guy who travels mostly around Europe (sometimes further) and goes to see engineering features or other manmade structures that have interesting backstories or stand out in some way. He tries to do a pretty deep dive into why something was built or operated a certain way while keeping his videos short and to the point. I also really like his enthusiasm and way of explaining things.

Don’t see “Half As Interesting” listed here. His stuff doesn’t usually go super deep, but I’ve learned a lot from him.

And just recently he was accused of using AI for a thumbnail and this was his response:

allegedly Scary Interesting uses no AI generated content

I like:

Technology Connections. Alec is a refrigeration cycle enthusiast from the American Midwest in a tweed jacket who talks about gadgetry. He’ll change your understanding of dishwashers.

History For Granite. Join him to explore ancient Egypt. A no bullshit no ancient aliens channel focusing on old kingdom Egyptian monuments, particularly the pyramids of Giza and Dahshur. His hot takes include “The ascending passage of the Great Pyramid is built of lower quality limestone, possibly because the higher quality Tura limestone used for most passageways wasn’t available. As the passage ascends, you can see the work getting more consistent and gaining quality, as if the masons were gaining skill working with this inferior material.” And he casts solar eclipse quantities of shade at Zahi Hawass. It’s hilarious.

Cathode Ray Dude. A computer and video hardware enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. He’ll find some electronics artifact and explore its quirks and features, including a whole series on weird old laptops.

Paul Fellows. Bri’ish astronomer type who delivers short-ish briefings on astronomical objects. “Once Around: The Large Magellanic Cloud.” I’m getting to where I prefer his content to SEA or Astrum.

TierZoo. Animal documentaries in the style of video game commentary. Animals are player characters in a massively multiplayer game called Outside. A typical video will be titled “Are snakes OP?” and he will rank various snakes on a tier list. “Next we have the rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes have spent evolution points on the rattle ability, a mid-level intimidation and area denial attack intended to evade encounters with carnivore mains.” The fact he’s been able to keep up this shtick so long is the most entertaining part.

For video games:

https://youtube.com/@neverknowsbest

Several hours-long dives into either a specific game, a series of games, or even the entire history of video games. His voice somehow locks you in. You won’t even feel the time go by and you will feel richer for the experience.

For interviews, Lex Fridman.

Scotty Kilmer, ChrisFix and Project Farm for cars.

Philosophy Tube.

Lindybeige.

Exercise - Chloe Ting, Move with Nicole, Yoga with Adrienne.

Folding Ideas is a favorite for me. His stuff is professional, entertaining, and educational.

I’ve enjoyed DW Documentaries since I found them on a now defunct community TV channel back in the early 2000s. The format is the same now as it was then, so if they’ve worked in some AI slop, I haven’t noticed. Topics are varied - science, history, politics, the environment, how local traditions of varying places cope with change - as are the run times.

Some examples:

Zanzibar - Island Paradise in Flux

Father Unknown? Life as a Sperm Donor’s Child

Organic Farming as a Career Choice - Italy’s Young Farmers

Neutrios: Do They Reveal the Secrets of the Universe?

The Swiss Bar Fire Disaster - Life After the Nightmare

Toxic Colonialism: Secret Chemical Warfare in Algeria

Strong Women: The Fight for Self-Determination

Muscles - More Than Power and Pumping Iron

Final Days Full of Life - Hospice Stories

Opioid Crisis in the US Part 01: Business and Addiction

Opioid Crisis in the US Part 02: Business and Addiction

If you’re on a browser, I’d recommend:

https://github.com/amitbl/blocktube

And perhaps other YouTube client apps have a similar feature.

I find, for a given topic, that there are a few common channels spamming hundreds and hundreds of junk videos. Block them as you find them, and it cleans up the feed immensely.

It’s absolutely mind boggling that YT doesn’t include this as a default feature.

Also, respectfully I would not get too invested in YT.

The other day, I found my TV (with the stock app) auto skipping sponsers. That’s just one of a bazillion ways Google is crushing creators that make anything but attention slop, intentionally, so that kind of long-form content you like may not last.

I’m a big fan of the b1m.

https://youtu.be/EruSZNI4th4 <- tunnel under the Faroe islands & world’s only undersea roundabout

If you are interested in (astro)physics, here are two channels which i enjoy and can assure for their correctness on research topics:

Dr. Becky Astrophysicist talking about what’s happening in space from planets currently visible by nakedness eye to new impactfull research papers. She explains everything in an approachable way.

Angela Collier Theoretical physicist, makes long story telling videos about physics and societal topics surrounding research. Most videos are >50 minutes, some are more than three hours. However, they often stray from the original topic.

For some talk about philosophy, I can recommend Philosophy Tube. Most videos are somewhat short of an hour, but explain some philosophical topic in an approachable and interesting manner. Just don’t be detered by her extraordinary costumes for each session. I think she research the philosophical questions quite well.

Veritasium is my favourite, especially for math stuff. The videos tend to be about 20m.