In this blog, I’ll share a list of teachers who are so amazing that I’m addicted to their YouTube channels.
The teachers who draw me in are easy-to-follow, insightful, and normally they’re quite funny too.
I’ve been focused on my next steps in life, so this list of teachers is tied to the technology of tomorrow.
I believe that 2021 will be the year that AI, neurotech and human-computer hookups will change the world in a profound way.
Today’s neurotech is incredible if we look back a few years. But in terms of practical neurotech, they’re inconvenient, inaccurate, and the UX sucks on most of them.
In this newsletter, I’m sharing links to teachers on Youtube who were so good I found myself binge watching their lessons.
I hope you can find a few new teachers in this list.
NEUROSCIENCE & BIOLOGY
If I could go back to school, I’d do a PhD in neuroscience and computer science. Here are some of the people I turn to for neuro insights:
Robert Sapolsky
The grand puba of behavioral biology is unquestionably Robert Sapolsky. If you really want to understand what drives behavior, watch Robert’s amazing Stanford lectures and get a copy of his book Behave.
Professor Dave Explains
You can’t penetrate neuroscience without a grip on several key biology lessons. I teach applied neuroscience at a higher level, but for those who need to go into technical explanations of biology, Professor Dave has AMAZING lectures.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0cd_-e49hZpWLH3UIwoWRA
Cool Video
Ninja Nerd – Technical
Most software and algorithms that I develop are based on biomimicry of the nervous system. Every so often, I need to take a deep dive into specific parts of the nervous system. Whether it’s the spinal cord, motor control, or motivation, here’s the ninja master of neuroanatomy. This is extremely advanced and only suitable if you need extreme details on specific parts of the nervous system.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/NinjaNerdScience/videos
Cool Video
Neuralink
If you’re interested in designing interfaces for brain controlled technology, Neuralink is on the extreme end of what’s coming. To see where humanity is headed, check out Elon’s product demo. My favorite part was the open discussion at the end where they went into technical details.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLt4d8cACHzrVvAz9gtaARA
Cool Video
Dr. Ramani
It’s not just criminals who are psychopathic. The smart ones are overwhelmingly our CEOs, presidents and leaders. We all fall somewhere on the psychopath scale, so it’s a good idea to understand these personality types. Dr. Ramani is the best researched and most articulate scholar and educator I’ve encountered on the subject.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Qixc77KhCo88E5muxUjmAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RFH2O-rsBM
Cool Video
PSYCHOLOGY
Richard Thaler
Many behavioral economics proponents misrepresent the field, make absurd claims, and tell you BE can do everything. Richard Thaler is not just one of the prominent scholars in behavioral economics, but he’s far more realistic about BE than many of the new gurus. This lecture provides a reality check and keeps you grounded in the strengths and limitations of BE.
Ling Space
Computational linguistics is one of my passion subjects. I have to admit, I had a huge obsession with the Ling Space. Their content provides incredibly well rounded mini-lectures on all things linguistics.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdZcGRaBV-VRRyU4t6Ur0mw
Cool Video
COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATH & AI
Computerphile
Holy crap. This is one of the best sources of university-grade educational videos by leading computer science specialists. They have advanced lectures, presented with incredible clarity. Try not to get addicted.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-y-6csu5WGm29I7JiwpnA
Cool Video
Carnegie Mellon University Deep Learning
I’ve been glued to some of these lectures on AI from Carnegie Mellon University. Many people who claim to be AI experts are just technical coders who can run processes, but lack true insight into the subject. For those who are looking to develop a deeper understanding of the subject, check out this incredible series of full university courses.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8hYZGEkI2dDO8scT8C5UQA/featured
Cool Video
3Blue1Brown
Grant Sanderson has done an INCREDIBLE job using visualizations to make complex math incredibly simple. My life would have been very different if in my childhood I had access to teachers like this. THANKS!!!!
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYO_jab_esuFRV4b17AJtAw
Cool Video
Two Minute Papers
This incredible channel translates the latest scientific and community breakthroughs in AI and turns them into simple videos. The quality of their research and presentations is incredible. Try not to binge watch these.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/keeroyz
Cool Video
Sentdex
Some people blow me away. Want to cover a gazillion tutorials on python, AI and maker tinkering? Check out Sentdex, the hacker-teacher ubermaster:
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/sentdex/featured
Cool Video
John Philip Jones
While upgrading my Python skills, I found John Philip Jones’ videos incredibly helpful. His approach to teaching is slow, repetitive and EXTREMELY comprehensive. He helped me overcome many confusing points in object oriented programming that changed the game for me. Wonderful if you’re at a beginner or intermediate level.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgMTcyEBwCfn7Z_rDYlMM0A
Cool Video
Christopher Okhravi
During the COVID downtime, I got hooked on Christopher Okhravi. If programming is your thing and you don’t yet know the Gang of Four and design patterns, here are the BEST online tutorials I’ve found on the subject.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbF-4yQQAWw-UnuCd2Azfzg
Cool Video
MAKERS & NEUROTECH
If you’ve attended any of my classes, I’d like to say thanks. You’ve helped me finance numerous research projects and coach numerous co-op students who attended my summer co-op programs.
For my next research project, I’m taking a mega dive into neurotech. Barriers to entry into the brain are lower than ever. We can all be neurohackers.
I’ve decided to rebuild my knowledge of electronics from the ground up. When I want to learn any new subject, I start with kids books and take it from there.
This may sound crazy. Why would the mighty Dr. Cugelman read kids books? They provide a broad framework for understanding a subject that allows you to quickly understand the main concepts and work your way to an advanced level with profound insight.
I’m now upgrading my knowledge of Arduino, electronics, materials engineering, and more.
Here are some of the Youtube teachers who are helping me learn fast:
ElectroBOOM
I’ve been binge watching these educational videos. They helped me rapidly rebuild and extend my knowledge of electronics. These are possibly the funniest educational videos I’ve ever seen. Brilliant and HILARIOUS!
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ0-OtVpF0wOKEqT2Z1HEtA
Cool Video
Adafruit Industries
Adafruit is a big online supplier of electronics that does incredible work to support the maker community. You’ll find their products and network referenced in the scientific community, including some of the higher-end neurotech products. MIT engineer Ladyada gives you a straight-shooting description of each product and how you can use it.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/adafruit/featured
Cool Video
Cody Rall MD with Techforpsych
If you’re into neurotech, measuring your EEG, EMP, EKG, or whatever bio-signals matter, you need to check out Cody’s videos. He’s a research specialist in medical brain imaging/measurement with a YouTube channel on the latest consumer neurotech. Don’t buy any neurotech without checking what he has to say.
Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMIs6RbQ1sAr_RmYyfc4iQg
Cool Video
FINAL WORDS
I hope you enjoyed these YouTubers as much as I did. Our learning journey is never fully completed, so keep an eye out for more updates!
Brian
