HN treats it as the definitive, compassionate documentary on why people fall into conspiracy theories.
Topics › Ideas, Learning & Language
The best religion, belief & skepticism videos, according to Hacker News
45 videos about religion, belief & skepticism that Hacker News commenters keep pointing each other to, ranked by how many separate months they were recommended. Part of Ideas, Learning & Language.
Several HN commenters credit the lecture series with helping them through depression or personal collapse and recommend it as long-form learning.
HN regards it as a famous, mesmerizing talk, especially for the point that distant galaxies will become unobservable.
HN recommends it as a funny, fascinating talk on cuneiform tablets and the ancient world by an engaging curator.
Pointed to as the clearest, evidence-based debunk of the Gimbal footage, and a model of how to analyze such claims.
HN points people to it as an entertaining, thorough takedown of Hancock's pseudoarchaeology whenever his claims come up.
HN cites it in threads on churches, tax exemption and religious fundraising, as the go-to explainer on seed faith televangelism.
HN commenters recommend it as an entertaining and thoughtful look at flat earthers that frames the belief as a distrust of failing institutions.
HN commenters repeatedly cite it as a checkable, math-based debunking of the famous UFO clips whenever UAP stories come up.
Recommended whenever population growth comes up, as a data-driven correction to common assumptions.
HN fans say it offers value even to atheists by interpreting Bible stories as psychological and evolutionary archetypes, and some credit it with helping them through depression.
HN points to it whenever the 432 Hz versus 440 Hz debate or tuning systems come up, and as an accessible entry point to music theory for non-musicians.
HN users recommend it as an impressively well-sourced, academic look at the origins of the Abrahamic religions.
Quoted often for its line on alternative medicine that works being called medicine, and recommended as a full-length listen.
Recommended by some as a blunt expert critique of origin-of-life research, while others question its claims and length.
Recommended as a concise, broad-strokes history of racial injustice, including the lasting effects of redlining.
Cited to explain the default mode network and how meditation may quiet it.
Recommended when religion, mental health or psychedelics come up, for Sapolsky's biological framing.
Pointed to for Penrose's own explanations of the Big Bounce and his three-worlds idea.
HN commenters point to it as a liberating account of present-moment awareness and mindfulness.
Recommended by some as a provocative critique of scientific dogma, and also cited as the talk TED pulled.
HN uses it as the go-to rebuttal to irreducible complexity, showing that even simple photoreceptors are useful and stages exist in living animals.
HN commenters point to it as a skeptical debunking of the Pentagon UFO videos.
Recommended in threads about consciousness and reality as a clear exposition of the Vedantic view of waking, dreaming and deep sleep.
HN cites it as an example of efficient, machine-assisted mass feeding of people for free.
HN uses it as a reference for epistemic humility and how wrong even the smartest people have been.
HN cites it as a concise debunking of a UFO case and an illustration of how a triangular aperture creates triangle UFOs.
HN points to it as an example of a YouTuber getting radioactive scam products delisted by reporting them to the NRC.
Cited as an example of someone publicly changing their mind on the Moon landing hoax and of why skeptics had rational-seeming doubts.
HN commenters link it as a funny, quotable takedown of alternative medicine and cite its lines (such as 'alternative medicine that works is called medicine') in threads on homeopathy.
Used by skeptics in UFO threads as a debunking of the Navy pilot videos.
Cited as evidence that meditation can work as prison reform.
HN links it as an approachable interview with a working astronomer who is also a Jesuit, whenever the Vatican Observatory or science and religion comes up.
Pointed to in discussions about engaging with fringe beliefs and distrust of institutions rather than dismissing people.
HN commenters use it as the go-to debunking of the Navy UFO videos, though one commenter also praises it as entertaining.
Commenters cite it as the primary source for Thiel's Antichrist argument whenever his views come up.
HN cites it as the debunking behind news stories about radioactive anti-5G pendants and wellness trinkets sold on Amazon.
HN uses it as shorthand for the divide between systematizing and humanistic outlooks, applied to arguments about science, society and language.
HN commenters point to it to explain the religious motivations behind US evangelical support for Israel.
HN mentions it mostly as an amusing look at flat earthers in their own words, not as a recommendation.
Used as a punchline in threads about snake oil, bogus tests and startup fraud, rather than recommended as such.
Linked by commenters as a reaction or meme reference in unrelated threads, with little explanation.
HN commenters cite it as a quick, witty reference whenever someone warns against being so open-minded that you become gullible.
It is cited as an example of mystical or energy-based martial arts failing against real fighters, alongside the Tai Chi master incident.
HN cites it as a debunking whenever Pentagon UFO footage is discussed.
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