When the online video-sharing and social media platform YouTube burst on to the scene in 2005, its initial content included skits, people venting about their lives and passions, and pranks.
However, nearly 20 years later the platform has become almost unrecognisable. With its expertly produced film-quality videos and numerous genres, there is something for everyone to watch.
Marko Denic, a software engineer who specialises in web technologies, refers to the platform as a “free university” because of its many learning channels that don’t cost a cent.
Denic says helping others is his passion, and that he has assisted many developers with starting their careers. He is keen to help anyone, from a student to a professional, gain new skills.
“YouTube provides so much quality content. I personally learned so much more by following development channels than I did during my studies – and I did it for free,” says Denic.
Here are Denic’s 10 recommended channels to make you smarter:
1. Crash Courses
This channel makes high-quality educational videos and short courses on a wide variety of subjects, including organic chemistry, literature, world history, biology, philosophy, theatre, and ecology.
2. Practical Engineering
Created by civil engineer Grady Hillhouse, this channel is all about infrastructure and the human-made world around us.
3. Y Combinator
It features everything related to start-ups.
According to the channel, every year they invest more than R8 million in a variety of start-ups.
4. Talks at Google
Influential thinkers, creators, makers and doers talk about their work, their lives, and what drives them to shape our world.
5. Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning community for creators. “We’re on a mission to unlock universal access to learning,” the channel says.
6. Stanford Graduate School of Business
This channel features thought leadership from world-class faculty and renowned guest speakers.
7. Vsauce
This channel, created by Michael Stevens, features videos on scientific, psychological, mathematical, and philosophical topics, as well as ones on gaming, technology and popular culture.
8. Numberphile
This educational channel features videos that explore topics from a variety of fields of mathematics.
9. Big Think
Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content. It was created by Victoria Brown and Peter Hopkins in 2007.
10. Mark Rober
A former Nasa and Apple engineer, Rober’s channel approaches science topics through creative and fun videos.
IOL Business