Recommendations

Must-Watch Videos

While I recommend entire channels, these specific videos have had a profound impact on my thinking. Each represents exceptional content that demonstrates principles applicable far beyond their immediate subject matter.

🧠 Neural Networks & AI Fundamentals

But what is a Neural Network? | Deep learning, chapter 1

3Blue1Brown | This video fundamentally changed how I visualize neural networks. Grant's approach to building intuition before diving into mathematics is something I've adopted in my own work. The visual representation of how neural networks process information provides the conceptual foundation that makes advanced AI topics accessible.

Why it matters: Understanding neural networks at an intuitive level is crucial for anyone working with AI. This video bridges the gap between abstract mathematics and practical understanding.

Why Deep Learning Works Unreasonably Well

Welch Labs | Part of an excellent series on how AI models learn, this video explores how activation functions like ReLU "fold" space to create complex decision boundaries, and why deeper networks are exponentially more efficient at approximating functions. Uses geometric analogies and the universal approximation theorem to explain backpropagation.

Why it matters: The geometric intuition for how neural networks transform data through layers provides crucial insights for architecture design and understanding why depth matters in AI systems.

🔬 Science & Discovery

But how do AI images and videos actually work?

3Blue1Brown x Welch Labs | An exceptional collaboration explaining diffusion models, CLIP, and the mathematics behind text-to-image generation. This video breaks down how AI models like Stable Diffusion work, using animations to show how random noise becomes coherent images through the denoising process.

Why it matters: Understanding the mechanics behind generative AI helps in making informed decisions about their application, limitations, and potential in product development.

World's Most Explosive Liquid

Veritasium | Derek explores nitroglycerin as the "world's most explosive liquid," diving into Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite and the origins of the Nobel Prize. Covers the chemistry of explosions, historical accidents, and safety innovations through demonstrations and storytelling.

Why it matters: The intersection of chemistry, engineering, and safety considerations mirrors the challenges we face in AI development—managing powerful technologies responsibly while pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

🏗️ Engineering & Architecture

How a Student's Question Saved This NYC Skyscraper

Veritasium | The incredible story of the Citicorp Center skyscraper, which had a structural flaw that could have caused collapse under "quartering winds." An engineering student's question exposed the issue, leading to secret reinforcements. Covers wind loads, tuned mass dampers, and engineering ethics.

Why it matters: This story perfectly illustrates the importance of questioning assumptions, peer review, and building systems with multiple failure safeguards.

The Hidden Engineering of Gas Stations

Practical Engineering | Grady Hillhouse traces the evolution of gas stations from dangerous curbside pumps to highly engineered systems. Explores underground fiberglass tanks, vapor recovery systems, automatic shut-off nozzles using the Venturi effect, and safety innovations that transformed refueling from a fire hazard into a safe, efficient process.

Why it matters: This demonstrates how iterative engineering improvements solve complex safety and usability challenges over time. The principles of designing fail-safe systems, environmental protection, and user experience apply directly to building reliable infrastructure and AI systems.

How a Bombproof Building Works

Stewart Hicks | An architectural analysis of Chicago's Dirksen Courthouse, revealing how post-9/11 security measures are seamlessly integrated into urban design. Explores blast-resistant materials, vehicle barriers, surveillance systems, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles that balance security with accessibility and aesthetics.

Why it matters: This showcases how to design resilient systems that protect against extreme threats while maintaining usability and user experience. The principles of layered security, threat modeling, and graceful degradation are directly applicable to AI system security and infrastructure design.

Inside the Hyatt Regency Skywalk Collapse

Stewart Hicks | A detailed analysis of the 1981 Hyatt Regency disaster that killed 114 people, caused by a seemingly minor design change that halved the skywalk's load capacity. Explores how fast-track construction, communication failures, and inadequate oversight led to catastrophic failure, and examines the lasting impact on engineering ethics and professional standards.

Why it matters: This demonstrates how small changes in complex systems can have catastrophic consequences. The lessons about thorough testing, clear communication, and rigorous oversight are crucial for AI development, where minor modifications to models or systems can lead to unexpected behaviors with serious real-world impacts.

♟️ Game Theory & Strategy

This game theory problem will change the way you see the world

Veritasium | A deep dive into the Prisoner's Dilemma, exploring Robert Axelrod's tournaments that showed "Tit for Tat" as a winning strategy. Covers real-world applications like Cold War nuclear disarmament, evolutionary biology insights, and how cooperation can emerge among selfish actors.

Why it matters: Understanding game theory and cooperation dynamics is crucial for designing incentive systems, building trust in organizations, and creating AI systems that promote beneficial outcomes in multi-agent environments.

Something Strange Happens When You Trace How Connected We Are

Veritasium | Derek explores the mathematics behind "six degrees of separation" and network theory, covering the small-world model, network hubs, and preferential attachment. The video demonstrates how network structure influences behavior, cooperation, and information flow, applying these concepts to the prisoner's dilemma to show how connectivity shapes global outcomes.

Why it matters: Network theory is fundamental to understanding how complex systems interact, how information spreads, and how to design systems that promote positive emergent behaviors. The insights about hubs, weak ties, and network effects are crucial for building scalable platforms and understanding systemic risks.

✈️ Systems Thinking & Safety

"Designed by Clowns!" | How Boeing's Mistakes Led to the 737 MAX Crashes!

Mentour Now! | Aviation expert Petter Hornfeldt examines the Boeing 737 MAX's development and the corporate and engineering failures that contributed to the two fatal crashes. This deep dive critiques Boeing's decision to update the 737 rather than design a new aircraft, highlighting the flawed MCAS system and certification shortcuts that led to catastrophic failures.

Why it matters: This analysis reveals how organizational pressures, management decisions, and engineering compromises can create cascading failures in complex systems. The lessons about safety culture, proper testing, and the dangers of prioritizing speed over thoroughness directly apply to AI system development and deployment.

🧭 Personal Development

You Need to Be Bored. Here's Why.

Harvard Business Review | Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks explains why boredom isn't a bug—it's a feature. This video explores how boredom unlocks creativity, activates powerful brain networks, and might even protect against depression. Essential viewing for understanding how the mind wanders and why that's valuable.

Why it matters: In our hyper-connected world, understanding the value of boredom and mental downtime is crucial for creative problem-solving and innovative thinking in technical work.

💡 Why These Videos Matter

Each of these videos exemplifies several key principles:

  • Deep expertise communicated with clarity and precision
  • Systems thinking that reveals underlying principles
  • Visual storytelling that makes complex topics accessible
  • Cross-domain insights that apply beyond their immediate subject

The best learning happens when we can see patterns across different domains.

While a video about neural networks can teach us about information processing, game theory reveals principles for cooperation and system design and engineering failures show the importance of questioning assumptions and building redundancy.

Together, these insights underscore the value of interdisciplinary knowledge in fostering resilient, ethical, and innovative approaches to technology and society.

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