Topics › Politics, History & Society

Best Social issues & culture videos, as recommended on Hacker News

112 videos about social issues & culture that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2011 and 2026. Mostly commentary, explainer, talk. Channels that come up most: TED, Innuendo Studios, TEDx Talks, ContraPoints. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is DON'T PANIC — Hans Rosling showing the facts about population: HN repeatedly recommends it to counter overpopulation alarm with data on falling birth rates.

• lectureDON'T PANIC — Hans Rosling showing the facts about populationGapminder Foundation · 8 HN recommenders · 2017–2021
• commentaryMusic Theory and White SupremacyAdam Neely · 11 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• documentaryAlain de Botton: Status AnxietyAlain de Botton · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• explainerAmerica Keeps Rejecting an ID Card It Already HasCGP Grey · 14 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• documentarySeattle is Dying | A KOMO News DocumentaryKOMO News · 10 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
• commentaryWhy Are You So Angry? Part 1: A Short History of Anita SarkeesianInnuendo Studios · 7 HN recommenders · 2015–2022
• commentaryIncels | ContraPointsContraPoints · 7 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
• lectureNVC Marshall Rosenberg - San Francisco Workshop - FULL ENGLISH SUBTITLES TRANSCRIPTIONCentrum Nadania · 6 HN recommenders · 2019–2026
• documentaryBrainwash: The Gender Equality Paradoxhgoetkehgoetke · 6 HN recommenders · 2014–2021
• explainerImmigration, World Poverty and GumballsNumbersUSA · 7 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• talkHow not to be ignorant about the world | Hans and Ola RoslingTED · 5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• talkMillennials Don't Exist! Adam Conover at Deep ShiftAdam Conover · 5 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
• explainerWhy We Won't Raise Our Kids in SuburbiaNot Just Bikes · 7 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• lecture"Two incompatible sacred values in American universities" Jon Haidt, Hayek Lecture SeriesDuke University Department of Political Science · 6 HN recommenders · 2017–2026
• commentaryCanceling | ContraPointsContraPoints · 7 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• lectureJames Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley (1965)The Riverbends Channel · 5 HN recommenders · 2016–2024
• lectureCollapse of Complex Societies by Dr. Joseph Taintervlada888 · 5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• talkWhy I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies. | Daryl Davis | TEDxNapervilleTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• commentaryJohn Cleese vs Extremismeroosters · 4 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
• commentaryThe Bell CurveShaun · 6 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• explainerThe Lively & Liveable Neighbourhoods that are Illegal in Most of North AmericaNot Just Bikes · 5 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• documentary13TH | FULL FEATURE | NetflixNetflix · 6 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• talk[AUDIO FIXED] The Truth Cannot be Sexist - Steven Pinker on the biology of sex differencesGravitahn · 6 HN recommenders · 2017–2018
• talkHow one tweet can ruin your life | Jon RonsonTED · 5 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• explainerThe Houses that Can't be Built in America - The Missing MiddleNot Just Bikes · 4 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
• explainerThe Alt-Right Playbook: How to Radicalize a NormieInnuendo Studios · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• explainerOverpopulation – The Human Explosion ExplainedKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• talkReligions and babies | Hans RoslingTED · 4 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• explainerThe US Has More Tribes Than the World Has CountriesCGP Grey · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• talkGermany: Low Crime, Clean Prisons, Lessons for America | Jeff Rosen | TEDxMountainViewHighSchoolTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2022
• lectureWhy the world population won’t exceed 11 billion | Hans Rosling | TGS.ORGTHINK Global School · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• talkJames Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate from 1965Aeon Video · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• interviewHomeless man talks openly about being addicted to heroin. We have an opioid crisis in America.Invisible People · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2021
• lectureAndres Duany Lecture. Suburban Sprawl.Andriy Kosetsky · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• documentaryThe Part of History You've Always Skipped | NeoslaveryKnowing Better · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• documentaryDon't Be a SuckerUS National Archives · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• podcastCan We Pull Back From The Brink? (Episode #207)Sam Harris · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
• talkMEETING THE ENEMY A feminist comes to terms with the Men's Rights movement | Cassie Jaye | TEDxMarinTEDx Talks · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2021
• commentaryJ.K. Rowling | ContraPointsContraPoints · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• explainerThe Suburbs Are Bleeding America Dry | Climate Town (feat. @NotJustBikes)Climate Town · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2025
• documentaryHow We Bought Our Abandoned House in Japan | Process, Costs, Risks, Finance, How to Find OneTokyo Llama · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• lectureHave the Boomers Pinched Their Children’s Futures? - with Lord David WillettsThe Royal Institution · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• commentaryThe Alt-Right Playbook: Always a Bigger FishInnuendo Studios · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• explainerThe Internet is Worse Than Ever – Now What?Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 5 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• talkRSA ANIMATE: First as Tragedy, Then as FarceRoyal Society of Arts · 3 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
• explainerRSA ANIMATE: Smile or DieRoyal Society of Arts · 3 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
• commentaryWOKE BRANDShbomberguy · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• explainerGender Neutral Pronouns: They're Here, Get Used To ThemTom Scott · 3 HN recommenders · 2013–2015
• commentaryThe Alt-Right Playbook: IntroductionInnuendo Studios · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• podcastJoe Rogan Experience #1191 - Peter Boghossian & James LindsayPowerfulJRE · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2019
• documentaryDenmark's Forest KindergartensSBS Dateline · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2021
• explainerWhy Japan's Conviction Rate is 99% (Actually Explained)That Japanese Man Yuta · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2020
• musicGil Scott-Heron - Whitey On the Moon (Official Audio)Ace Records · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2026
• explainerWhy is it so Easy to be Thin in Japan?Joseph Everett - WIL · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• explainerTea ConsentBlue Seat Studios · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2024
• explainerWhy Japan Arrests ForeignersPaolo fromTOKYO · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• commentaryGames, Schools, and Worlds Designed for ViolenceJacob Geller · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• commentaryGacha Drama and the Korean Gender WarMoon Channel · 1 HN recommender · 2024–2026
• explainerHoly Post - Race in AmericaHoly Post Media · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• documentaryHjernevask - Brainwashing (Eng Sub) Part 1 - The Gender Equality ParadoxThe Bookman · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2018
• comedyAamer Rahman (Fear of a Brown Planet) - Reverse RacismFEAR OF A BROWN PLANET · 3 HN recommenders · 2013–2016
• talkBest Speech You Will Ever Hear - Gary YourofskyTheAnimalHolocaust · 1 HN recommender · 2012–2016
• talkHans Rosling: Global population growth, box by boxTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2020
• demoWhat Would You Do? Bike Theft (White Guy, Black Guy, Pretty Girl)VladCantSleep · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2018
• podcastJoe Rogan Experience #1419 - Daryl DavisPowerfulJRE · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2020
• commentaryPAW Patrol's Dark Secret, ExplainedSkip Intro · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2024
• commentaryThe Alt-Right Playbook: The Card Says MoopsInnuendo Studios · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• lectureIdentity After Authenticity: Abigail Thorn's ProfileCarefree Wandering · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• interviewStephen Fry on American vs British Comedyanc6368 · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• talkWhat prevents the poor from reaching the middle class? | VISION TALKSAmerican Enterprise Institute · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2024
• explainerWhy Western Designs Fail in Developing CountriesDesign Theory · 2 HN recommenders · 2024–2025
• otherTinder Experiment: 18 Yr Old Woman Tries Being A Man!!!Alexander Grace · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• comedyWhen Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on EverythingRyan Long · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• documentaryPart One: The Evergreen Equity CouncilMichael Nayna · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• talkMake love, not porn (Adult content) | Cindy GallopTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2017
• commentaryFerguson, MO and Police Militarization: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)LastWeekTonight · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• commentaryJordan Peterson - Women in High Paying JobsBite-sized Philosophy · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2022
• comedyI Forgot My PhonecharstarleneTV · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2026
• talkMy descent into America's neo-Nazi movement & how I got out | Christian Picciolini | TEDxMileHighTEDx Talks · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerSOUTH KOREA IS OVERKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 3 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• documentaryThe Fight for the Soul of Seattle | A KOMO News DocumentaryKOMO News · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
• newsReagan and Bush Debate Immigration, Border Fences, and Undocumented Children in 1980TIME · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2026
• commentaryWhy Are Birthrates Plummeting Worldwide?Patrick Boyle · 2 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• talkUnconscious Bias @ Work | Google VenturesGV (Google Ventures) · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2018
• talkSee how the rest of the world lives, organized by income | Anna Rosling RönnlundTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• explainerDemographic Collapse — China's Reckoning (Part 1)PolyMatter · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2021
• talkNeil Degrasse Tyson on being Black, and Women in ScienceD- Angel · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2017
• explainerWhy You Will Marry the Wrong PersonThe School of Life · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• commentaryWhy Libertarianism Is So DangerousSchool Sucks · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2021
• comedyGeorge Carlin - It's A BIG Club & You Ain't In It!SkyEcho7 · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2026
• interviewDavid Bowie Criticizes MTV for Not Playing Videos by Black Artists | MTV NewsMTV News · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• talkThe mathematics of love | Hannah FryTED · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026
• comedyBill Burr Answers "Can Women Be Funny?"Davison · 1 HN recommender · 2015–2016
• commentaryMilton Friedman - Illegal Immigration - PT 1LibertyPen · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2016
• explainerSocial Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race - Please Watch to the End. Thanks.Peter D · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2026
• commentaryJordan Peterson | ContraPointsContraPoints · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2021
• podcastJoe Rogan Experience #1006 - Jordan Peterson & Bret WeinsteinPowerfulJRE · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2018
• comedyThe Sinister Reason Weed is Illegal | Adam Ruins EverythingDropout · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2019
• documentaryWhy Every Japanese Criminal is GuiltyRare Earth · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2023
• comedyWhy 'Idiocracy' Would Actually Be A UtopiaCracked · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2018
• interviewThomas Sowell: affirmative action creates academic failure & resentmentGravitahn · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2020
• talkHow economic inequality harms societies | Richard WilkinsonTED · 1 HN recommender · 2012–2016
• otherMarxism: Zizek/Peterson: Official VideoJordan B Peterson · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2021
• documentaryThis LA Musician Built $1,200 Tiny Houses for the Homeless. Then the City Seized Them.ReasonTV · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2021
• commentaryThe PewDiePipeline: how racist humor leads to violenceNonCompete · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2023
• commentaryHomeowners Associations: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)LastWeekTonight · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2024
• talkObesity is a National Security Issue: Lieutenant General Mark Hertling at TEDxMidAtlantic 2012TEDx Talks · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026
• talkWhy is India so filthy? | The Ugly Indian | TEDxBangaloreTEDx Talks · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2025
• documentarySilence U Part 2: What Has Yale Become? | We the Internet DocumentaryWe the Internet TV · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2019
• explainerHow to Stop a RiotWendover Productions · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2020
• commentaryThe Alt-Right Playbook: I Hate MondaysInnuendo Studios · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2025
• talkKonstantin Kisin: Woke Culture HAS Gone Too Far - 7/8 | Oxford UnionOxfordUnion · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2023