• Ech@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    LDS former NASA engineer that makes silly devices and gadgets. Some interesting videos, though he’s big into the clickbait game. Seems at least relatively sincere in his push for encouraging interest in STEM with children, though he can be a bit “flash over substance” for my tastes. But he is better then a lot of others I’ve seen in that regard.

    • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
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      2 days ago

      he’s big into the clickbait game

      Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

      Smarter Every Day did a video on using clickbait titles and thumbnails. The data is clear: everyone complains about it, but it performs far better than anything else on YT. And if the goal is to most efficiently spread educational videos to the largest number of people, then unfortunately, it’s really the only option.

      TBH, the tone isn’t that different from Bill Nye. Wacky colors, loud obnoxious personality, gotta get kids excited about science somehow.

      • bier@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        16 hours ago

        DeArrow replaces clickbait thumbnails and title with croudsourced title and frame of the video

        • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
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          10 hours ago

          Yeah, unfortunately I never use yt from a browser, and grayjay doesn’t have dearrow support afaik.

      • Ech@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        SED also uses the clickbait tactics, so I wouldn’t exactly consider them an ubiased source. They’re also all profiting from these tactics. Let’s not pretend it’s just some virtuous sacrifice to “teach the kids”.

        • 3laws@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Correct. But at least we all can agree that the OG pillars of sciTube (and adjacent content) who keep it fresh with their unique forever updating style are the less guilty of those tactics: 3blue1brown, Vsauce, CGP Grey, Steve Mould, Matt Parker, Numberphile & 3 or 4 more that escape the tip of my tongue. They all do this for a living, but only one created a loot box and all profits go to research.

          • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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            14 hours ago

            Veritasium has gotten really bad on that front. It used to be really educational, but now it’s a lot of bullshit stuff that doesn’t matter that he’s doing for the clicks. I’ve mostly stopped watching that channel now.

      • Petter1@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        I agree! I liked his videos, but lately, I can’t watch his videos anymore…

        • Giloron@programming.dev
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          2 days ago

          Got too big and went from showing the process of building interesting things to showing off things other people built.

    • atzanteol
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      2 days ago

      though he’s big into the clickbait game

      Seriously. I used to like his stuff but lately it’s just way over-produced crap.

    • PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      he’s flash over substance

      Yeah, his audience is somewhere around the 10-16 demo I imagine. Needs something engaging or they’ll move on. I imagine the idea is if he can get them a bit interested young that they might pursue stem, and then do the actual substance there.