Kurzgesagt

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{{cquote|We create beautiful videos to share our passion for knowledge. We value quality over quantity, always. Nothing in the [[universe]] is boring if you tell a good story.|||Kurzgesagt official website<ref>''[https://kurzgesagt.org/ Home]'' (n.d.) Kurzgesagt. Retrieved December 3, 2021.</ref>}}
'''Kurzgesagt''' or '''Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell''' is a [[Germany|Munich]]-based<ref>''[https://kurzgesagt.org/about/#faq About]'' (n.d.) Kurzgesagt. Retrieved December 9, 2021.</ref> [[science]] [[YouTube]] channel, known for its quirky and beautiful animations on a wide variety of topics including [[medicine]], [[physics]] and [[philosophy]], with cute little animated birdies to be experimented upon. They operate on a quality over quantity model which means they generally only release a new video once a month or so. In addition, they sometimes collaborate with research groups and occasionally get funding from major non-profit organizations. For example, they worked with Our World in Data for the "Overpopulation – The Human Explosion Explained"<ref name="overpopulation"/> and "The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do"<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, March 19). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtN-goy9VOY The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> videos, among others, and their piece on the side effects of [[vaccination]] was supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<ref name="vaccines-side-effects"/> ''Kurzgesagt'' means "in short" (or "in a nutshell").

As of June 2022, their English-language channel has over 18.6 million subscribers and nearly 2 ''billion'' views<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (n.d.). ''[https://www.youtube.com/c/inanutshell/about About - Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell]''. YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2022.</ref> They also run an German version of the channel with public streaming service {{wpl|Funk (service)|funk|,}} '''Dinge Erklärt''', which has 1.77 million subscribers and 183 million views,<ref>Dinge Erklärt. (n.d.). ''[https://www.youtube.com/c/KurzgesagtDE/about About - Dinge Erklärt – Kurzgesagt]''. YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2022.</ref> and a Spanish version, '''En Pocas Palabras''', which has 917K subs and 48 million views,<ref>En Pocas Palabras. (n.d.). ''[https://www.youtube.com/c/kurzgesagtES/about About - En Pocas Palabras – Kurzgesagt]''. YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2022.</ref> on top of six other foreign-language versions.

==Content==
{{cquote|Here in the Kurzgesagt labs we only work on the most important scientific problems like “What if we [[nuke]] stuff”<ref name="all-nukes"/><ref name="nuke-moon"/><ref name="nuke-trench"/><ref name="nuke-city"/> or “how about we make this elephant explode”<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2017, August 10). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7KSfjv4Oq0 What Happens If We Throw an Elephant From a Skyscraper? Life & Size 1]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref><ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2017, December 21). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUWUHf-rzks How to Make an Elephant Explode – The Size of Life 2]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> or who could forget “look at this thing. It's really big.”<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, September 22). ''[https://youtu.be/3mnSDifDSxQ The Largest Star in the Universe – Size Comparison]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>|||Kurzgesagt|What if the World turned to Gold? - The Gold Apocalypse<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2021, March 9). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB_GWz25B3Q What if the World turned to Gold? - The Gold Apocalypse]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>}}
Kurzgesagt covers a variety of topics in both the soft and hard sciences, the latter of which tends to have a rather [[futurist]] bent. Some sample videos include: 
*{{web|'''The Last Light Before Eternal Darkness – White Dwarfs & Black Dwarfs'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsN1LglrX9s}} — Explains how dying stars become {{wpl|White dwarf|white dwarfs}} and how white dwarfs will themselves become {{wpl|Black dwarf|black dwarfs}} and speculates on how white dwarfs could support human civilization in an encroaching [[Big Freeze]] future.
*{{web|'''What if We Nuke the Moon?'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60}} — Exactly what it says on the tin. Examines the effects of detonating a 100 megaton nuclear bomb on the [[Moon]] and compares them to those of detonating one on [[Earth]]. In short, lack of atmosphere makes everything worse.
*{{web|'''Quantum Computers Explained – Limits of Human Technology'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhHMJCUmq28}} — Discusses the problems of increasing miniaturization of [[computer]] circuitry and the benefits of [[Quantum computer|quantum computing]] over standard hardware and touches upon potential applications, good (discovering new proteins) and bad (wrecking your encryption).
*{{web|'''Can You Upload Your Mind & Live Forever?'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b33NTAuF5E}} — Delves into the many, many obstacles involved in [[mind uploading]], in each potential step of the process.
*{{web|'''Loneliness'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Xv_g3g-mA}} — Talks about, well, loneliness, from the perspectives of [[evolution]], [[sociology]], and [[psychology]]. It also gives some tips on dealing with loneliness for people who are feeling lonely. 
*{{web|'''What Happens If We Throw an Elephant From a Skyscraper? Life & Size 1'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7KSfjv4Oq0}} — Looks at the effects of the {{wpl|square-cube law}} in animals through the lens of flinging them off of buildings, before branching out to studying the forces that shape adaptations in the insect world. It is part of a series analyzing the role of size in animal biology and the "how about we make this elephant explode" video they joke about above.
*{{web|'''Is Reality Real? The Simulation Argument'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlTKTTt47WE}} — Dissects the [[simulated reality]] [[hypothesis]] and its assumptions. 
*{{web|'''Why Alien Life Would be our Doom - The Great Filter'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjtOGPJ0URM}} — Uses [[The Great Filter]] to argue that discovering alien life would actually be bad news. (Hint: It's not because it'll cause an [[alien invasion]].)  
*{{web|'''The Rise of the Machines – Why Automation is Different this Time'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSKi8HfcxEk}} — Describes the increasingly detrimental effects of automation, particularly the kind based on [[machine learning]] algorithms, on society and the economy.
*{{web|'''Overpopulation & Africa'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMo3nZHVrZ4}} - Gives, as they admit, a very simple overview of the very, very complicated issue of combating [[overpopulation]] in sub-Saharan Africa.
*{{web|'''String Theory Explained – What is The True Nature of Reality?'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da-2h2B4faU}} — Provides a summary of, naturally, [[string theory]] and in the process introduces some background on [[quantum mechanics]], particularly Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
*{{web|'''Wormholes Explained – Breaking Spacetime'''|2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P6rdqiybaw}} — Outlines three types of wormholes, against a backdrop of synthwave aesthetics.

===A typical example===
{{video|youtube|ulCdoCfw-bY}}
For those of you who can't see embedded YouTube, here is the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulCdoCfw-bY link]

==Views==
===Philosophy===
Kurzgesagt espouses what they call "optimistic nihilism", which, strictly speaking, is not entirely [[nihilism]]. They are [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] about the existence of a [[soul]] or [[afterlife]] and assume that everyone gets only one chance at [[life]], which they actually consider liberating. Since the universe will inevitably end in heat death, they argue all the sufferings of human life do not matter, and they contend that people should not fear [[death]] based on a version of [[Lucretius]]'s symmetry argument. Rather than accepting that life has no meaning though, as in other brands of nihilism, they advocate creating one's own meaning, which for them means finding happiness, spreading it to others, and building a [[Galaxy|galactic]] space-faring [[utopia]] for humanity.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2017, July 26). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBRqu0YOH14 Optimistic Nihilism]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

That segues in another point about Kurzgesagt's philosophy: they are ardent practitioners of futurism. They have numerous videos on futurist megaprojects and [[transhumanist]] topics such as [[Dyson sphere]]s,<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2018, December 20). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP44EPBMb8A How to Build a Dyson Sphere - The Ultimate Megastructure]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> bases on [[Mars]]<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, February 3). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKGREZs6-w Building a Marsbase is a Horrible Idea: Let’s do it!]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> and the [[Moon]],<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2018, September 16). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtQkz0aRDe8 How We Could Build a Moon Base TODAY – Space Colonization 1]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> the {{wpl|Kardashev scale||,}}<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, August 2). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhFK5_Nx9xY What Do Alien Civilizations Look Like? The Kardashev Scale]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> [[mind uploading]]<ref name="mind-uploading">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, December 10). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b33NTAuF5E Can You Upload Your Mind & Live Forever?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> and so many more.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (n.d.). ''[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFs4vir_WsTysVwsTy7hVL89W2MdQtU_k Futurism]''. YouTube. Retrieved December 9, 2021.</ref> That said, they maintain some [[skepticism]]. For example, their mind uploading video acknowledges that the technology has a huge number of hurdles to overcome and notes some terrifying applications, but they ultimately argue it still is worth pursuing, reasoning that at the very least, it will significantly improve understanding of the [[brain]].<ref name="mind-uploading"/>

===Climate change===
With the subject of [[climate change]], they recognize it as an extremely difficult, highly complex issue to stop. Nevertheless, they have repeatedly stressed that it can and should be fixed, and as quickly as possible.<ref name="can-YOU-climate">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2021, September 22).''[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yiw6_JakZFc Can YOU Fix Climate Change?]'' [Video]. YouTube.</ref><ref name="climate-responsibility">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, June 21). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVxxxqwBQw Who Is Responsible For Climate Change? – Who Needs To Fix It?]'' [Video]. YouTube.</ref><ref name="climate-late">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, September 29). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbR-5mHI6bo Is It Too Late To Stop Climate Change? Well, it's Complicated.]'' [Video]. YouTube.</ref><ref name="geoengineering">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, October 27). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSu5sXmsur4 Geoengineering: A Horrible Idea We Might Have to Do]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref><ref name="climate-change-and-nuclear"/> 

Kurzgesagt sees climate change in terms of the {{wpl|Kaya identity||:}} since they think emissions from population and [[economic]] growth are inevitable, they advocate a multi-prong approach that emphasizes increasing energy efficiency, transitioning away from [[fossil fuels]] to cleaner alternatives whenever possible, and fostering innovation into creating and improving [[alternative energy]] and [[Carbon sequestering|carbon capture]] technologies as soon as possible.<ref name="climate-late"/> They argue richer, more developed countries should take the charge with reaching net carbon zero and lowering the price of alternative energy so that poorer ones can follow in their stead and believe that all countries, i.e. including the [[United States]], [[European Union]], ''and'' [[China]], should work together to lower emissions as much as possible rather than play the blame game.<ref name="climate-responsibility"/>

In regards to what individuals can do, while they do consider small-scale measures like buying an [[electric car]] a good idea, they think the narrative of personal responsibility is overplayed and decry it as an attempt by corporations to absolve themselves of responsibility, calling the concept of a carbon footprint in particular "one of the most effective and sinister pieces of [[propaganda]]". Instead, they advocate voting for politicians who will initiate the systemic [[political]] and economic changes needed to tackle climate change.<ref name="can-YOU-climate"/> This stance has received criticism, however, as it doesn't advocate for any solutions outside of [[neoliberalism|neoliberal]] capitalism.<ref>[https://aninjusticemag.com/the-inescapable-neoliberal-bias-behind-kurzgesagt-in-a-nutshell-215eb1e9b70f The Inescapable Neoliberal Bias Behind ‘Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell'], Alex Mell-Taylor, ''An Injustice!'' 10 December 2021</ref> Notably, many of their videos on climate change were collaborations with Our World In Data,<ref>[https://ourworldindata.org/kurzgesagt-climate-video We teamed up with Kurzgesagt to make a video about climate change: ‘Is It Too Late To Stop Climate Change? Well, it’s Complicated’], Hannah Ritchie, ''Our World In Data'' 29 September 2020</ref> which is directly funded by Bill Gates.<ref>[https://ourworldindata.org/funding How We’re Funded], ''Our World In Data''</ref>

Kurzgesagt does not consider [[geoengineering]], specifically in the form of injecting sulfur into the atmosphere, a real solution to climate change, outright calling it a "horrible idea". They worry that in the worst-case scenario, humanity might attempt to geoengineer their planet without fully understanding its effects and wind up destroying themselves, which is why they actually oppose bans on geoengineering research.<ref name="geoengineering"></ref>

===Conspiracy theories===
While they think some [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] are just plain silly, Kurzgesagt rightfully recognizes that some are dangerous. They offer a simple rule of thumb for [[debunking]] conspiracy theories: just consider if the rich and powerful would be affected.<ref name="debunker">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2014, December 18). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hug0rfFC_L8 The Ultimate Conspiracy Debunker]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> This is essentially the opposite of a ''[[cui bono]]'' argument; the idea is to question whether the conspirators would actually benefit from their conspiracy. For example, with their tool, they argue that a global [[elite]] releasing [[chemtrails]] makes no sense because said elite would ''also'' be affected by whatever nefarious chemicals were in them.<ref name="debunker"/>

===Drugs===
Kurzgesagt opposes the [[War on Drugs]], calling it a "huge failure" and "terrible disaster" that has caused massive societal ills. Instead of a "hardline" approach, they instead advocate {{wpl|harm reduction||.}}<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, March 1). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJUXLqNHCaI Why The War on Drugs Is a Huge Failure]'' [Video]. YouTube.</ref> They also disagree with the [[gateway drug theory]] and support legalizing [[cannabis]], though they make it clear that they do not think marijuana is harmless and believe there should be further research into the drug and regulations to protect people from its negative aspects.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2018, June 10). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP15q815Saw 3 Arguments Why Marijuana Should Stay Illegal Reviewed]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

In the past, Kurzesagt endorsed the idea that [[addiction]] is purely psychological and caused entirely by a stressful or unfulfilling life, previously proclaiming that "it's not the chemicals. It's your cage!", in reference to the {{wpl|Rat Park}} experiment, which studied addiction in populations of rats in vastly different cages.<ref>El Amigo Vergara. (2019, March 4). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvyo7UAjetA Addiction | Kurzgesagt (Deleted)]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> As they've freely admitted, their stance was poorly researched: they used only one source, [[Johann Hari]]'s ''Chasing the Scream'', and while they worked closely with Hari, they did not consult any scientists or fact-check his book.<ref name="trust-kurzgesagt">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, March 3). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtUAAXe_0VI Can You Trust Kurzgesagt Videos?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> They've also been accused of oversimplifying Hari's book,<ref name="rogue-rocket">Stenn, L. (2019, March 13). [https://roguerocket.com/2019/03/13/youtuber-coffee-break-accuses-kurzgesagt-of-being-untrustworthy-founder-responds/ YouTuber Coffee Break Accuses Kurzgesagt of Being Untrustworthy, Founder Responds]. ''Rogue Rocket''. Retrieved November 25, 2021.</ref> which is rather funny given that the book itself has also been criticized for oversimplifying the drugs issue.<ref>Krieg, A. G. (2016). [https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X16633462 Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs]. ''Teaching Sociology, 44(2)'', 132–134. </ref><ref>Mnookin, S. (2015, February 13). [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/books/review/chasing-the-scream-by-johann-hari.html 'Chasing the Scream,' by Johann Hari]. ''New York Times.'' Retrieved December 8, 2021.</ref> Kurzesagt has since retreated from that position: while they still think the addiction-as-only-psychological perspective is valid, they feel that they failed to acknowledge other theories of addiction. In 2019, they deleted their old video on the topic<ref group="note">Though they still have a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuoIs5_J0rw German translation] of their video up in their German channel, Dinge Erklärt.</ref> and promised to make a new version that presents other viewpoints.<ref name="trust-kurzgesagt"/>

===Genetic engineering===
Kurzgesagt is a proponent of [[genetically modified food]], arguing that GMOs/GMFs are key to sustainable food production. While they disagree with the notion of GMFs being "[[Appeal to nature|unnatural]]", they do believe that concerns about over-reliance on pesticide-resistant GMOs and similar issues are valid, though they consider these more criticisms of agribusiness in general rather than GMOs in particular.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2017, March 30). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TmcXYp8xu4 Are GMOs Good or Bad? Genetic Engineering & Our Food]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

Kurzgetsagt predicts that [[CRISPR]] and [[genetic engineering]] in general will inevitably and irreversibly reshape the humanity in the years to come, proclaiming that "as soon as the first engineered kid is born,{{efn|It already happened in 2014.<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00673-1 The CRISPR-baby scandal: what’s next for human gene-editing: As concerns surge after a bombshell revelation, here are four questions about this fast-moving field.] by David Cyranoski (26 February 2019) ''Nature''.</ref>}} a door will be opened that won't be closed". Moreover, they believe the technology will become normal and commonplace, comparing it to predictions about major advances in computing forecast in the 1980s. They are against banning research into genetic modification of humans, arguing that this will only lead to research being conducted under more ethically dubious institutions.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, August 10). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAhjPd4uNFY Genetic Engineering Will Change Everything Forever – CRISPR]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

Speaking of [[CRISPR]], Kurzgesagt finds popular discussion of the debate regarding using it and {{wpl|gene drive}} to combat [[malaria]] quite lacking, particularly given the sheer number of deaths caused by the disease. They present themselves as neutral on the issue, but they arguably lean in favor of the technology: they believe it holds great promise and contend that in the worst-case scenario, it simply proves ineffective, and their main concerns are that the technology is unproven and should be handled carefully.

Moreover, their framing of the issue is problematic. There's barely any talk of costs or logistics, and Kurzgesagt portrays the debate as "should we use this technology or not?" rather than "should we use this technology or pursue a different solution?", as though it were a matter of ethics rather than opportunity costs. After all, if genetically-engineered mosquitos turn out to be useless, that not only means malaria is still around, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, but also that we've wasted millions (or possibly even billions) of dollars of funding that could have went towards something more productive. They also fail to mention other possible approaches for eradicating malaria, such as giving out insecticide-treated nets, enhancing malaria monitoring and distribution of anti-malaria drugs, developing a malaria vaccine, or just generally fostering economic development so that people don't have to live in conditions that promote malaria.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, September 21). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzcwTyr6cE Genetic Engineering and Diseases – Gene Drive & Malaria]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

===Homeopathy===
Kurzgesagt  - In a Nutshell's position on [[homeopathy]] is, in a nutshell, complex. On one hand, they think [[potentization]] and [[water memory]] are absurd and consider homeopathy to be no better than a [[placebo]]. They also criticize the homeopathy industry as [[hypocrisy|hypocritical]] for billing itself as an underdog fighting against [[Big Pharma]] when it's really as much a big business as its opponent and highlight links between it and the [[anti-vaccination movement]], as well as distrust in [[evidence-based medicine]] in general.

''That said'', Kurzgesagt doesn't ''completely'' dismiss [[homeopathy]]. In fact, they believe [[evidence-based medicine]] could adopt certain aspects of the practice, such as using the [[placebo effect]]. In particular, they argue homeopathy is so successful because its practitioners' more personal touch appeals to those who feel lost and dehumanized by modern medicine and advocate for what they see as a return of empathy to the healthcare system.

To put it another way, they, in their own words, believe "[[faith]] can move mountains, but sugar pills can't cure [[cancer]]." That is, they advocate for creating a more empathetic medical system that engenders faith in the industry and harnessing faith in treatments via [[placebo effect]], as an addition to, not a substitution for, proven medical treatment.<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2018, February 22). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HslUzw35mc Homeopathy Explained – Gentle Healing or Reckless Fraud?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> In a sense, they ''do'' believe in homeopathy, but only up to a limit.

===Nuclear energy===
Kurzgesagt supports [[nuclear power]], reasoning that [[statistics]]-wise, it is much safer than it appears,<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2021, February 2). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzfpyo-q-RM Worst Nuclear Accidents in History]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> and oppose closing nuclear power plants, on the basis that the resulting gap in energy generation would be taken up in at least part by [[fossil fuel]]s and thus raise carbon emissions. They advocate using both nuclear energy ''and'' renewables to lower CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, believing that the risks of climate change are so severe that any and all means of reaching net-zero carbon should be pursued. The high cost of constructing nuclear power plants, they argue, is offset by the environmental and public health benefits of low carbon emissions.<ref name="climate-change-and-nuclear">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2021, April 13). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAemz1v7dQ Do we Need Nuclear Energy to Stop Climate Change?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

Kurzgesagt also supports research into [[nuclear fusion]] power plants. In a manner similar to [[Pascal's wager]], while they acknowledge that fusion power plants are an expensive gamble that could be too expensive to be viable, they believe it would be well worth the risks, because the payoff would be unlimited energy. To them, the prospect of needing to go to the Moon and mine for [[helium]]-3 to feed nuclear fusion is "one more argument for establishing a moonbase, if you weren't convinced already."<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, November 10). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZsaaturR6E Fusion Power Explained – Future or Failure]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

The channel is also somewhat infamous for their series where they blow things up with nuclear bombs. In addition to the video above on nuking the moon,<ref name="nuke-moon">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2020, December 15). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60 What if We Nuke the Moon?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> they also have videos on nuking a city,<ref name="nuke-city">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, October 13). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iPH-br_eJQ What if We Nuke a City?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> nuking an oceanic trench (which they made as a reaction to a video by Ridddle,<ref>Ridddle. (2018, January 10) ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7eb1DHZ9GQ If You Detonated a Nuclear Bomb In The Marianas Trench (Just Fantasy, not science!)]''. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved November 18th, 2021.</ref> which they referred to as the "video that shall remain unnamed",<ref name="nuke-trench">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2018, July 22). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tbxDgcv74c What If You Detonated a Nuclear Bomb In The Marianas Trench? (Science not Fantasy)]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>){{cn}} and setting off every nuke at once.<ref name="all-nukes">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, March 31). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyECrGp-Sw8 What If We Detonated All Nuclear Bombs at Once?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> Lest they be mistaken for ardent [[Posadism|Posadists]], Kurzgesagt is vehemently against nuclear weapons, calling them "deeply immoral", and believes they should be dismantled and never built again.<ref name="nuke-city"/>

===Overpopulation===
Kurzgesagt is quite optimistic about the future of population growth. They argue that the population booms in the 20<sup>th</sup> century were simply signs of various nations undergoing the {{wpl|demographic transition||,}} not portents of some imminent [[Cornucopian vs. Malthusian debate|Malthusian catastrophe]], and believe that people across the entire [[political spectrum]] should help improve standards of living in [[Third World|developing countries]] (they particularly note to the anti-[[Undocumented immigration|immigrant]] crowd that doing so will reduce influx of refugees.) In fact, they think all the additional people is a ''good'' thing, seeing it as more potential scientists, doctors, workers, etc. who will make the world a better place.<ref name="overpopulation">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, December 22). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsBT5EQt348 Overpopulation – The Human Explosion Explained]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

Regarding overpopulation in sub-Saharan [[Africa]] specifically, they believe that while the issues at hand are massive and overwhelmingly complex, they can be overcome with improvements in [[education]], health care, and [[birth control]], citing [[Ethiopia]] as an example. They argue that the region needs "not pity or gifts but attention and fair investment."<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, December 15). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMo3nZHVrZ4 Overpopulation & Africa]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

===Refugees===
In the wake of the massive wave of immigration created by the [[Syrian Civil War]], Kurzgesagt released a video where they came out staunchly in favor of raising refugee quotas and condemned the opposition as "[[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] rich cowards behind fences".<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2015, September 17). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20190212123849/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvOnXh3NN9w&feature=youtu.be The European Refugee Crisis and Syria Explained]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref> Years later, after much deliberation, they deleted the video, feeling it was "toxic" and "divisive". While they still stand by their views, they dislike how they expressed them. They wish they had presented a calmer, more balanced perspective that reached out to both sides and examined the nuances of the issue than an oversimplified take that relied on insults and [[appeal to emotion]].<ref name="trust-kurzgesagt"></ref>

===Surveillance===
Kurzgesagt vehemently opposes mass surveillance programs such as the [[USA PATRIOT Act]], comparing the expanding scope of government monitoring to adding more hay when looking for a needle in a haystack. Instead, they advocate find better uses of existing laws rather than making new ones to combat [[terrorism]].<ref>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2016, April 14). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9_PjdU3Mpo Safe and Sorry – Terrorism & Mass Surveillance]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

===Vaccines===
Kurzgesagt firmly supports vaccination. They compare vaccines to seat belts: while they might be a bad idea in some cases, those cases are exceedingly rare, and abstaining from these safety measures opens up far greater risks. Their video on the topic ''strongly'' emphasizes that [[scientific consensus]] shows that vaccines do not cause [[autism]], calling the idea a [[PRATT]] in all but name.{{efn|Seriously, one section (or "chapter" as YouTube calls it) is literally named "NOT cause autism", as in "vaccines do NOT cause autism", and in case that wasn't direct enough, they end their argument with a slide that outright says "Vaccines do NOT Cause autism".}}

In a refreshing aversion of [[balance fallacy]], the video is also staunchly critical of the [[anti-vaccination movement]] (which they call "anti-vaccine conspiracies") for causing undue death and harm by forgoing vaccines and being based on [[appeal to emotion]], [[anecdotal evidence]], and misinformation rather than [[evidence]] and [[logic]]. Parents of children who are allergic to vaccines, they argue, should be stridently advocating ''for'' vaccination rather than against it, since the risk of their children catching a [[disease]] rests entirely on enough people getting vaccinated to create [[herd immunity]].<ref name="vaccines-side-effects">Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2019, May 12). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBkVCpbNnkU The Side Effects of Vaccines - How High is the Risk?]''. [Video]. YouTube.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Professor Dave]]
*[[Professor Stick]]

==External links==
*{{wpa|Kurzgesagt}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/Kurzgesagt The English-language channel].
*[https://www.youtube.com/c/inanutshell/channels Links to channels in other languages], which currently includes German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, (Brazilian) Portuguese, Arabic, and Korean. Translation work is still ongoing, so not every video will be available in these languages. 
*[https://kurzgesagt.org/ Their website], because they also do a bunch of graphic design work.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Business]]

Categories: YouTube, Science, Business