W.E.B. Du Bois was, without a doubt, one of the greatest geniuses in American history. He wrote the most accurate history of the Reconstruction Period of anyone until 1988, and that book couldn’t have been written without Du Bois’s. Du Bois also had a deep understanding of many American problems far before anyone could even articulate what those problems were. This video animates one of his most significant contributions: his work on the color line.

The Germans were virtually unstoppable in the early stages of World War Two, thanks to their “Lighting War” or Blitzkrieg strategy. While Poland, Holland, Belgium, and France fell to the Nazis, Russia was able to stop them. Although the Russian tanks were far lower quality than the German tanks, their sloped armor made them more able to withstand the German shells. That combined with Russia’s ability to mass-produce their tanks meant that Germany’s tactic didn’t work. 

Cypher’s Judas moment in The Matrix was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the whole movie. Everyone thinks that he did it just because he wanted to get back into the Matrix, where he could eat good food and flirt with beautiful women. But this video makes a good argument that Cypher’s greed wasn’t the case. Perhaps Cypher was actually upset because his crew obviously didn’t like him that much, and because he was in (unrequited) love with Trinity. 

Juvenile detention has changed a lot in the last few decades. For a time, children were regularly being tried as adults and being sentenced to extreme periods in juvenile detention. Those centers used to be about containment and punishment, not necessarily about rehabilitation. But in this detention center, the administration tries to offer whatever they can to help the kids move forward. Grab some tissues and prepare to have your heartstrings tugged with this video.

Since the Aziz Ansari accusation in January of 2018, there has been increasingly vocal dissent about the #MeToo movement. Some women have come out against the direct the movement took, but are they as divided as they seem? This Vox piece, and accompanying poll, suggests that most women are totally on board with the gist of the movement––that women, for too long, have had to endure sexual harassment or downright assault. Anything on top of that is semantics.

There are two things in life you can’t escape: death and taxes. It’s not likely that taxes are going away anytime soon, but let’s just say that death suddenly stops. What would happen? Overpopulation is probably what you think of first, but that’s not the first thing that would happen. An entire industry around death would die out––funeral homes, etc. Take a look at this video, which explores the next consequences of this strange scenario. 

Has the internet ever gone out at your house? Maybe it’s an ISP issue or maybe your router broke, but whatever the cause you’re left without internet. Funny how the internet is only recently become a part of our lives, but it’s nevertheless critical to our happiness. So imagine what would happen if the internet died all over the world? This video explores some of the horrific consequences––besides, of course, severe and crippling boredom. 

It’s common wisdom––and it seems to be common sense––that if you have abusive parents you will become abusive too. That’s not exactly the case. Yes, on the one hand, being abused makes you more likely to abuse your children. But on the other hand, it’s definitely not a guarantee––and it’s not even the most powerful predictor of future abuse. Rather, witness domestic abuse teaches children that violence gets people what they want and the way to solve problems. 

If you saw the movie “The Martian,” you probably remember that Matt Damon’s character used his own poop to fertilize his Martian crops. Can you really do that? Actually, humans have been using their own feces for fertilizer for years. But there is a catch: human poop carries a number of scary pathogens. Composting is one way to deal that problem, but there are others. Take a look at this video to learn more.

Often people don’t think of Marvel movies as the paragon of intellectual art. But Thor: Ragnarok is challenging that assumption. A number of things make a movie smart: artful self-reflection or self-reference, powerful and well-articulated themes, a cleverness in the writing that defies simple description. Thor has all that and more. Take a look at this Wisecrack video, which illuminates some of the deeper themes of the movie and might help you enjoy it a little more. 

If you experience FOMO, then consider this your trigger warning. So if you can’t afford a $25,000 initiation fee––for the least exclusive club on this list––you may not want to watch this video. Otherwise, watch this video to learn about the secret club you might have heard about at Disneyland, Club 33. It’s offers access to the only restaurant in Disney that serves booze, a bunch more special Disney benefits, and it’s going to cost you a whopping $25,000 to join. The next level of of club is going to blow your mind. 

Most people remember Monty Python movies and quotes. But that’s not the extent of the comedy group’s impact. Rather, the Monty Python had its finger on the pulse of a major cultural shift. In short, Monty Python was influenced by, and in turn perpetuated, the Post Modern movement. See, Monty Python took all of the normal tropes of storytelling and questioned them, mocked them, or turned them on their heads. The result is all around us––think “Rick and Morty,” for example.