Tim Minchin's Storm the Animated Movie
Why Hacker News recommends it
Quoted often for its line on alternative medicine that works being called medicine, and recommended as a full-length listen.
What it is
Animated adaptation of Tim Minchin's beat poem 'Storm', in which he argues with a hippie at a London dinner party. It satirizes alternative medicine and defends science and reason.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2013 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec BLKNSLVR · 2026-06 · on “Scientists find molecular-level evidence for two structures in liquid water”
"Water has memory, and whilst its memory of a long lost drop of onion juice seems infinite, it somehow forgets all the poo it's had in it." - excerpt from Storm, by Nick Minchin [this video] The entirety of this song is a listen worth your time. Doubly so if you've never heard of Nick Minchin before.
Recommends effingwewt · 2020-12 · on “The universe is expanding faster than expected”
Religion can't really explain things though. If I say a floating jellyfish did it all, and we are too stupid to ever know why, that doesn't give any clarity. Tim Minchin has a great line about this in one of his songs[1] 'Science adjusts its views based on what's observed. Faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved' [1] [this video]
Recommends PlunderBunny · 2024-05 · on “Wild orangutan seen healing his wound with a plant”
My first thought on reading this was of Tim Minchin's epic beat poem 'Storm' [0] - jump to 3:05 if you want to hear the bit that specifically deals with this. (Warning: some language NSFW) [0] [this video]
Cites salgernon · 2013-09 · on “How a Car Engine Works”
Thats really depressing. You know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine. (cf: Tim Minchin, 'Storm' [this video] )
Cites solarkraft · 2020-04 · on “Nitric oxide inhibits the replication cycle of SARS coronavirus (2004)”
Here's a nice quote from the (admittedly strawman-laden, but imo still nice) Poem "Storm" by Tim Minchin ( [this video] ): Do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proved to work? Medicine. Of course the provedness of medical treatments can vary, but statements on a random online shop don't really cut it for me.
Cites amiga386 · 2024-10 · on “19th century lions preyed on humans and giraffes”
Groups can be defined both by people's intrinsic properties that they can't change (e.g. sex, race, age, sexuality, heritage) and their beliefs which they can definitely change (opinions, philosophy, religion). It's OK to make fun of hippies. [this video]