In today's age, we are being fed with information from misleading and/or erroneous sources. With the growth of such websites, erroneous information grows as well. Here in this repository, I have tried my best to add some of the websites I follow. They are legitimate and trustworthy. To make things diverse and to serve a larger audience, I have added links to
webcomics, etc.
Instruction: Please download Google Keep and pin the link of this document along with reminders. If needed, pocket it. That's how one should be able to make the most of the links attached in the document thus far.
General Knowledge, Critical Thinking, STEM, and Philosophy Vlogs
1. Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell --
A nice channel whose videos are not hard to follow. The coolest thing is their ability to explain whatever they intend to via animations. The videos are short and well animated.
2. Wireless Philosophy --
As the name suggests, the channel is all about philosophy. If you are a novice in philosophy and are eager to learn it to a good extent, this channel would be a good start for you. The topics covered are puzzles, logical fallacies, philosophical paradoxes, critical thinking, etc,. As a bonus, you can and should subscribe to Philosophy Tube, too.
3. Vsauce --
Likewise, a very good channel which explains complex issues and technicalities that almost anybody can get it.
4. Veritasium --
Same as above, plus there is a nice feature. If you haven't subscribed yet and were redirected to his channel from this document, there is a "if you are new here, try these..." section.
5. Simone Giertz --
If the channel trailer doesn't appeal to you, I do not know what will. Follow her channel asap!
6. Sixty Symbols --
I was hooked to this channel for several years ago. It has really awesome videos.
7. CrashCourse --
It is a nice very nice educational YouTube channel started by the Green brothers, Hank Green and John Green, who are notable for their VlogBrothers channel. Originally, John and Hank presented humanities and science courses to viewers, respectively,
although the series has since expanded to incorporate courses by additional hosts. Please check it out.
8. Crash Course Kids --
Another channel of CrashCourse on YouTube, but intended for kids. Teachers as well as parents can take notes and get their kids interested in science via this channel. They can also take a hint or two on what or how to teach especially in the realm of science (even though it is quite vast).
9. SciShow Kids --
Much like Crash Course Kids, this channel has loads of interesting videos meant for kids. The videos are nice and I couldn't find any video which are erroneous or boring. I recommend it.
10. Minute Earth --
I found this channel quite recently, and this channel is very good. It covers many topics unlike some channels which are subject centric (which isn't a bad thing anyway).
11. TED-Ed --
Ted-Ed covers videos on many topics of science, philosophy, psychology, etc. The length of videos are generally longer, but worth it.
12. Minute Physics --
This is a very nice channel which summarises many topics in physics sans technicalities. I am not very regular here, now, but I used to spend a lot of time here many years ago.
13. SciShow --
Like others, this channel covers many topics of science. There's a section dedicated to science news, random facts, and "talk show" featuring scientists from different areas of science. Do subscribe.
14. Physics Girl --
This channel is pretty cool like others. It focuses on phenomena ruled by the laws of physics/nature (-- whatever you prefer). It has mind teasers, paradoxes and puzzles, too. If you are new to physics and/or haven't touched it for X years, this channel might get you hooked to physics. Space stuff and everyday physics, she does her best at explaining them, and she owns it on almost all of them. Check the interviews, too.
15. Khan Academy --
Khan academy is helpful for students who have been using the internet for their source of knowledge. This channel covers many topics which range from biology, mathematics, philosophy, etc,. But, it is helpful to a certain extent, after which there are much better sources, but for beginners, this will do.
16. Numberphile --
Here is a channel which teaches you complicated mathematical results, paradoxes, facts, proofs, etc,. They are fun to watch, but if interested -- you will have to delve a bit deeper. I recommend this website by Prof. Steven Strogatz who often writes at NY times as a guest
contributor. Check -- "essays, videos, teaching, and fun" section from his website in particular.
17.3Blue1Brown --
This channel is one of my favourites when it comes to watching videos based on mathematical topics for intuitive purposes. The videos are understandable, although a tad bit lengthy for the most part. Although, some topics may need a background knowledge, of sorts.
18. Sprouts --
I have listed many sources which will be a treat to your mind, but what about studying? I.e., when it comes to study a topic/subject, you may often lose focus. What to do then? What is the "proper" study technique? Or, are there many of them which you can follow as per your needs? This channel will help you out to answer such questions and clear the roadblocks off your mind, if any.
Bonus: You should follow this channel too for it is equally good.
19. Socratica --
This is an excellent channel. There are videos on "how to learn, how to prepare for an exam, etc,". The channel includes different topics, like learning python programming language, for example. And there's a lot more, but if you are looking something for your kids, check out their channel dedicated for kids.
20. Today I Found Out --
A channel where one gets to learn about different, new, and interesting things/facts about anything and everything. It is much like Reddit's r/TIL.
21. School of Life --
It is often said that knowledge is power and once in awhile ponder where is our life heading, if not someone else's. To learn what life is we should unlearn some things and re-learn them in their entirety (or in snippets) so that we can get a grip on things. Or, if there's a grip anyway, information is always fun and/or interesting and that's the whole point of this channel.
Information about the "school" of life. It you want a much more detailed content along the same lines, please visit Academy of ideas.
22. What I've Learned --
Just like r/TIL or Today I Found Out, here's another channel to help you with your daily dose of information.
23. Great Big Story --
Great Big Story is a global media company devoted to cinematic storytelling. Since their launch in late 2015, their producers have traveled to more than 80 countries to discover the untold, the overlooked and the flat-out amazing.
24. Big Think --
Big Think is a Vlog that features interviews, multimedia presentations, and roundtable discussions with progressive speakers from a range of fields.
25.Vox --
Vox is an American news and opinion website owned by Vox Media. Herein, I have linked the Vlog of Vox on YouTube which covers a wide range of topics from general knowledge, technology, to politics.
26. Techquickie --
Learn about the latest cool technology in only a couple minutes!
27. FightMediocrity --
FightMediocrity is a channel dedicated to fighting mediocrity through big ideas. It is amazing.
28. ASAPScience --
Your weekly dose of fun and interesting science from a YouTube channel created by Canadian YouTubers Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown. The channel produces weekly videos that touch on many different topics of science.
29. Brady Haran's Vlogs --
Brady Haran is an Australian-born British independent filmmaker and video journalist who is known for his educational videos and also for his YouTube channels, the most notable being "Periodic Videos" and "Numberphile".
30. Thomas Frank --
Thomas makes videos that help you be awesome at school and college. That includes study tips to help you learn faster and ace your exams, advice on destroying procrastination, reading and note-taking strategies, and more.
31. Wendover Productions --
Wendover Productions is all about explaining how our world works. From travel, to economics, to geography, to marketing and more, every video will leave you with a little better understanding of our world.
32. Siraj Rawal --
Siraj says he is on a warpath to inspire and educate developers to build Artificial Intelligence. Games, music, chatbots,etc., and he will teach you how to make it all by yourself.
33. Smarter Everyday --
Destin Sandlin explore the world using science. His videos explore a wide array of other topics including the effects of hypoxia on the human brain, the curiously sturdy Prince Rupert's drop, the physics of potato guns, and a nearly-impossible to ride bicycle that turns the opposite direction of its handle bars.
34. ACapellaScience --
In this channel, YouTube Vlogger Tim Blais with his sheer creativity and beautiful voice creates scientific musical parodies based on popular tracks. He also gives tips to people how to create their own musical pieces. This channel is a gem.
Science and Technology Websites
1. Physics Today -- It is published on behalf of AIP which is a very prestigious institute, and many Nobel laureates have written for it, too (some of which can be accessed for free).
2. Quanta Magazine -- To be honest, this website is a mixed bag of sorts which includes nicely and well researched articles on biology, physics, computer science, and mathematics. They also publish interviews with eminent scientists and mathematicians.
3. Physics World -- This is another of my favourite channels and they have a nice section called "100 second science". Do check that. Their website is something I would recommend everybody if you want news from the world of physics without any sort of sensationalization.
4. Symmetry Magazine -- This website is a joint venture by physicists from SLAC and Fermilab. Herein, you will find articles to a particular section of physics -- particle physics. From Higgs Boson to the future of particle physics, you will find articles explained here which any lay person can follow. I will also recommend everyone to follow Don Lincoln's Facebook page. He is a senior particle physicist working at FermiLab, as well as a science popularizer.
5. APS Physics -- This is a very nice website which focuses on all aspects of physics. If you are clueless about the website, here are two places which will grab your attention. A> Physics articles -- They are analysis of research papers published in their journals made accessible for lay people. B> This month in physics history -- In this section, you will find events which happened on a particular period. PS: What you must explore, IMHO, are programs and Careers In Physics.
6. Nautilus -- This is one of my favourite science e-magazine. I wouldn't call it a mere science website because of the suave eloquence in the articles that if one shares a passion for the topic, they'd get goosebumps. At least I do. Please go through the entire website, and if you like the articles then do subscribe.
7. Nature News & Comment -- Nature news and comment publishes articles based on research in many areas of STEM. The articles also cover the policies and politics involving STEM, the life of a researchers. I recommend everybody to follow this website.
8. News from Science -- The academic journal Science/AAAS, publishes science-related news, opinions on science policy and other matters of interest to scientists and others who are concerned with the wide implications of science and technology. The articles are balanced and cover everything.
9. Scientific American -- Scientific American is a site where you would find news articles, book reviews, guest posts, interviews, etc. on topics related to science and mathematics. Some of them are written by experts in their respective fields. Unfortunately, some contents are behind paywalls, which is quite unfortunate to many.
10. Wired -- Wired is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Herein, I have linked only the science section of the online magazine, but you can subscribe to it to get updates on business, culture, etc.
11. arsTechnica -- Ars technica is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Many of the site's writers are postgraduates and some work for research institutions.
12. The New Yorker -- The science section of the New Yorker is very good. The articles are sophisticated, well researched, and unbiased. They have a bonus section named annals of science, too, which has been named after the peer reviewed academic journal. The section publishes a series of essays which are well researched and informative.
13. Wait But Why -- Wait But Why is a site founded by Tim Urban and Andrew Finn and written and illustrated by Tim Urban. The site covers a range of subjects as a long-form blog. The posts involve long form explanations of various topics, including artificial intelligence, outer space, and procrastination using a combination of prose and rough illustrations.
14. Bonus -- The linked article was created by Jolene of Futurism two years ago (from now) citing reputed sources to trust. I also made something for them which got a decent feedback.
Mathematics
Mathematics is a branch which is fascinating, yet many people dislike it or are scared of it. One of the prime reason for this, IMO, is because of the way they teach mathematics at school/college. The reasons can be many and merit a discussion of its own. But, since this is meant to be a repository, let me add some of the websites which would help you a lot.
1. NRICH -- A prize-winning site for students from age five from Cambridge University which is dedicated to mostly kids and people who really want to learn mathematics from the scratch.
2. Plus Magazine -- The website is fascinating. It has oodles of articles, puzzles, problems, etc. for students studying at high school and laypeople alike. I recommend it.
3. Cut The Knot -- This gem of a website is one of my favourites. During my undergrad years, it taught me the beauty of mathematics and mathematical proofs and why they are so important. If you have the zeal and patience, you will love the contents of this site. I'd rather call it a community than a website, to be honest, because it actually is a community of mathematicians.
4. Gonit Sora -- Another beautiful website where you get to know about many interesting and beautiful mathematics facts, articles, biographies, solve puzzles, book reviews, etc. 5. Tricki -- A Wiki-style site that is intended to develop into a large store of useful mathematical problem-solving techniques.
6. Metamath -- A site and a language, that formalize mathematics from its foundations. Metamath is not for everyone, of course. A person with no interest in math may find it boring or, optimistically, might find a spark of inspiration. On the other hand, Metamath can appeal to those who enjoy picking things apart to see how they work. Others may like the absolute rigour that Metamath offers.
7. PlanetMath -- An online mathematics encyclopedia under construction, focusing on modern mathematics.
8. AMS Blogs -- The American Mathematical Society hosts a variety of blogs, edited and authored by mathematicians at different career stages and in various fields of mathematics and education. These blogs offer an opportunity for the authors to share their experiences, opinions, and ideas about mathematics and the profession, and for readers to respond with comments.
9. The New York Times -- The mathematics section of this esteemed national daily is very good and diverse. Often, you'd find articles written by mathematicians explaining beautiful concepts and theorems. Obituaries commemorating the works by math giants and new discoveries in mathematics are covered, too.
10. The New Yorker -- The New Yorker's math section is big and pretty diverse. The reports are more like full fledged well researched articles than mere one page news reports which can be easily understood by a lay person. It's a shame that their annals of mathematics didn't cover any other article than that of Prof. Perelman.
Webcomics
IMO, Life would be pretty boring if there's no touch of humour to add to our lives, albeit sensible. This section, though, links not only webcomic URLs which have witty puns, but some even can instill a ray of hope onto you, especially if you are feeling a bit low.
1. XKCD -- Randall Munroe is one hell of a webcomic artist. The comic strips make puns based on thoughts of people, affairs of current world and academia, science-y puns. You have to open it to see the treasure inside if you aren't familiar with it at all.
2. SMBC -- To be honest, it is very much like XKCD and at times even outdoes it. 3. Zen Pencils -- The creator of this webcomic, Gavin, left his "monetarily" satisfying job and set out for what he always wanted to do. Make cartoon strips, but what is different in Zen Pencils is that he gives a literal meaning to quotes by famous personalities from the past as well as present by drawing them based on his interpretation. They'd often make you smile and on top of that, inspire you and at times make you laugh.
3. Zen Pencils -- The creator of this webcomic, Gavin, left his "monetarily" satisfying job and set out for what he always wanted to do. Make cartoon strips, but what is different in Zen Pencils is that he gives a literal meaning to quotes by famous personalities from the past as well as present by drawing them based on his interpretation. They'd often make you smile and on top of that, inspire you and at times make you laugh.
4. The Oatmeal -- This webcomic is just gold (and weird, I daresay). The comic strips make fun of absurdities of life, but in a sensible and creative way which will make you giggle as well as think. 5. The Awkward Yeti -- What if parts of your body could speak? What if each of them behaved as we do? This comic is about it! The comic takes practical aspects of our cells, muscles, organs, based on their function and portray them as living characters, albeit with a sense of humour.
6. PHD comics -- Are you a in a grad school? Are doing research in an academic institute? Are you a TA? Then this comic is for you. It takes various parts of woes faced by students, in general, and presents them to audience at large with a touch of humour and sarcasm.
7. 2D Goggles -- In this webcomic series the genius Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage are portrayed as heroes (and quite rightly so) by Sydney Padua where they embark in their adventures of creating the first computer.
8. Brief History of Everyday Objects -- Like the name suggests, Andy's comic is all about brief history of objects which are used by all of us, for example a toothbrush. He's on a hiatus at present, but do go through the stories drawn by him in the past. Here's his tumblr URL.
9. Abstruse Goose -- This webcomic is one of my favourites. Much like XKCD and SMBC, the comic strips were a sarcastic take on many areas of science, psychology, mathematics, etc. It is widely believed by many that the creator of abstruse goose took inspiration from Randall Munroe of XKCD.
10. Math with Bad Drawings -- This is a webcomic which is focused on mathematics and life of mathematicians, in general. The coolest thing about it is, you will learn a thing or two while going through an entry.
11. Sarah's Scribbles -- Sarah's Scribbles is a webcomic by Sarah Andersen since 2011. Sarah's Scribbles follows Andersen's experiences as a Millennial and focuses on themes such as adulthood and maturity.
Miscellaneous
Here I will link sources which will be based on whatever I like and have liked thus far in no particular order and topic.
Slate Star Codex -- This blog is being run by a US based doctor who goes under the alias; Aaron Alexander. The blog has no central theme in the posts written by him. The topics range from cognitive science, psychology, history, politics, medicine, religion, statistics, etc.
Mathbabe -- The blog's owner is Cathy O'Neil who is a New York based mathematician who left academia in 2007. After her disillusionment from the finance industry, she joined the Occupy Wall Street movement. She writes on various topics such as data science, finance, politics, etc. I would recommend everybody to follow her blog.
Vi Hart -- This channel is a gem. Victoria Hart is a mathemusician who posts videos on many topics, but almost all have a link with math. The fascinating thing is she has an unconventional take on how to apply math to make musical pieces, etc,. In this way, you will find that you have grasped some nice concepts about math. Even if you don't, it is fine..
Less Wrong -- A very nice collective blog-cum-community which is being run by a group of people. The posts cover a wide array of topics including AI, Philosophy, Atheism, Science, Logic, Psychology, Biases, etc. I especially follow the posts by Eliezer Yudkowsky who has written the fan-fic; HPMOR. His articles in LW are linked here.
Effective Altruism -- There are times when you feel devastated or moved by some sort of calamity or disaster, even if it is not related to you. At times like these, you may want to donate or feel like doing something for that very cause. But chances at times are that your help might get wasted or go to an illegitimate organisation. Humans often base their conclusions on sympathy and emotions, but what if being part of such causes are erroneous at best? Herein comes effective altruism. If you wish to do something for others, whenever you feel like or/and are capable of, this organisation will help you get started.
The Unit of Caring -- As the name suggests, this blog is all about making the world a better place. Check it out to know what is so special about this. 80,000 Hours -- Sometimes people are often plagued by the thought if the decisions they are making regarding their career is the correct one. This gem of an organisation helps people decide their career choices with
maximum social impact.
Giving What We Can -- There are countless people in the world who are less privileged than us. Giving What We Can is a charitable movement promoting giving some of your money to the developing world or other worthy causes. If you're interested in this, consider taking their Pledge as a formal and public declaration of intent.
• Brain Pickings -- This blog is run by Maria Popova. It covers a wide variety of topics such as history, current events, and images and texts from the past. The articles are eloquently written to keep a reader hooked onto the topic s/he is interested in.
Letters of Note -- Created and run by Shaun Usher, this website helps us take a peek into the past by reproducing letters written by distinguished personalities and common people alike. It is not the people who matter but the letters themselves which often would touch a cord in the reader's heart.
Project Gutenberg -- Founded in 1971, Project Gutenberg's aim is to digitize and archive books written in the past and make it available to people for free. If you are a bibliophile, this website is for you.
• Internet Archive -- Like Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive's mission is to digitize information, which not only constitutes books but other things too, like music, movies, softwares, etc. for everyone.
StackExchange sites --Stack Exchange is a QA forum. Now, there are many sites in SE which you can join based on your interests or needs. It is a no-troll zone. So, I would suggest you to read all the rules of any stack exchange group/forum before you join and see examples of previous questions based on the number of votes they received. Some of my personal favourites there are:: Physics.SE, Mathematics.SE, MathOverflow, Photography.SE, Skeptics.SE, MartialArts.SE, Physical Fitness.SE, CognitiveSciences.SE, and Academia.SE.
• Reddit -- Reddit is a very diverse and huge community. Trolling and personal attacks are not accepted in any subreddit, but light humour is acceptable. There are sub-reddits which can be beneficial for you if the subreddit happens to be among your key interests. Please read the rules and FAQ of the subreddit you wish to subscribe, thoroughly. Some nice subreddits which I follow or/and find to be interesting are: Physics, TIL, AskScience, AskAcademia, AskHistorians, Aww, IAmA, DataIsBeautiful, Science, ELI5, Books, History, Math, EducationalGIFs, Fitness, and InternetIsBeautiful.
OpenCulture -- This is one of the best sources of knowledge on the internet. The website categorises and posts repositories of/on all subjects/topics such as, free e-books, historical photographs, MOOCs, to name a few.
• PhysicsForums -- As the name suggests, the webforum is a diverse community of groups based primarily on physics, but there are groups for other sections of STEM, such as chemistry, biology, etc.
Top Web Fictions -- I seriously do not need to say anything about this, I presume.
• Beeminder -- Beeminder is an evidence-based willpower augmentation tool that collects quantifiable data about your life, then helps you organize it into commitment mechanisms so you can keep resolutions. They've also got a blog about what they're doing here.
Metaculus -- Metaculus is a platform for generating crowd-sourced predictions about the future, especially science and technology. If you're interested in testing yourself and contributing to their project, check out their questions page.
Triplebyte -- Triplebyte is building an objective and empirically validated software engineering recruitment process. They don't look at resumes, but just look at whether one can code.
Jane Street -- Jane Street is a quantitative trading firm with a focus on technology and collaborative problem solving. They're always hiring talented programmers, traders, and researchers without a background in finance and have internships and fulltime positions in New York, London, and Hong Kong.
AI Impacts -- The website is all about the work which is being done on artificial intelligence, including the decisions taken by philanthropists as well as policy makers.
Overcoming Bias -- As the name suggests, the blog focuses on our rationality, biases, how can we improve our way of thinking, overcome biases, etc. Emphasis has been laid upon how we perceive and think about AI, too.
Nothing is Mere -- Who knew that a phrase from the Feynman lecture series would inspire Rob Bensinger from MIRI to open his blog of the same name. The blog primarily focuses on no central theme but various pickings and amusing articles over the nature of consciousness, politics, etc.
• Agenty Duck -- The blog started off after the author came across this list. If one wants to learn (or re-learn) more awesome stuff, here is where one should check in.
• Brute Reason -- The blog covers social justice, psychology, mental health, sexuality, and much more.
• EconLog -- Bryan Caplan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University and Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center. The articles herein focus on many topics ranging from economics, politics, welfare, etc.
• Ideas -- Ideas is the blog of David Friedman who is an academic economist and teaches in a law school. His interests include poetry, medieval cooking, science fiction and fantasy, computers, and most of these stuff is covered in his blog.
Center For Applied Rationality (CFAR) -- CFAR was founded in 2012 with the prime motto to train a small number of people they think are in an unusually good position to help the world. Their goal is Actually to figure out what the world is made of (from an existential point of view), what are the problems that our society face (by large or small) and how to successfully act on it, in collaboration with other people doing same.
Time Well Spent -- Time Well Spent is an organization which advocates that people be aware of how commercial interests design mobile devices to capture as much attention as possible without regard to how using these devices in this way may reduce the quality of life for individuals and society. There are multiple ways that technology companies try to maximize the use of their products: by using an intermittent variable reward system, causing people to fear missing something important, increasing the desire for social approval, strengthening the need to reciprocate others' gestures, and interrupting individuals' daily activities to alert them of a notification. This website will help you introspect and help you get out of this vicious cycle.
This list will be updated, again, in future. Please like my page for more updates and share this document with everyone. Please let me know how did you find this document to be by texting my page. Regards!
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