Michael’s opening monologue in the latest Vsauce video goes like this:

“Hey Vsauce! Michael here. Down here. But which way is down? And how much does down weight? Well, down weighs about a hundredth of a gram per cubic centimeter. It is light and airy, which makes it a great source of insulation and buoyancy for waterbirds. But if you let go of down, it falls down. So that’s which way down is. It’s the direction gravity is pulling everything in. Now, for someone on the other side of the Earth, my down is their up. But where are falling things going? Why do things fall? Are they being pushed? Or pulled? Or is it because of time travel? First things first, let’s turn the sun into a black hole.”

It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? And this blistering pace keeps up for the entire 26 minutes of the video. But, somehow, Michael knows how to make you think you understand it.

Vsauce is the name of Michael Stevens’ YouTube channel. Since 2010, he has been uploading videos about the world around us, explaining topics in physics, math, human behavior, and space. Each video often has an intriguing question as the title and goes on to answer that question and many more related to the topic at hand. Some title winners are “Why Are Things Creepy?, “Travel INSIDE a Black Hole,” "Should You Eat Yourself?," “What Color Is A Mirror?," and “Is Anything Real?”

Michael is a master of explanation. Not only does he understand the complicated theoretical dilemmas he explores in his video essays, he knows how to make anyone with a basic understanding of math and physics understand. He does this by first breaking down the subject into its most basic parts. So, in the video the quote comes from, rather than jumping straight into the time travel bit, he begins with a rudimentary crash course about gravity, mass, and forces. Gradually and seamlessly, he builds these ideas into more and more complicated theories and before you even notice, he’s discussing transformation of the space-time continuum—and you get it.

Part of what makes Vsauce videos special is that they’re not just lectures, they’re videos. Michael takes advantage of this by using nonstop visual aid. He uses demos like in real science courses. Important words pop up on the screen as subtitles. Forces and vectors superimpose themselves over his demonstrations. Computer animations turn complex ideas into easy-to-digest graphics. And each video description provides online sources where eager viewers can learn more.

The ingenious structure of Vsauce videos mixed with the clever editing and visual aid are what makes Vsauce my favorite channel on YouTube. Not only does Michael teach about the world around you and provide neat fun facts, he also likes to give a little nugget of wisdom or a cozy feeling of existential dread (Jake Chudnow’s ethereal music adds to the effect). Like I said before, most videos start off harmless enough and evolve into something more complicated. But near the end, Michael always likes to throw in a twist, connecting the subjects discussed throughout the video to some grand statement about the human condition or insight into what’s really important about his videos. For example, the video “What Is The Speed of Dark?” ends with Michael saying,

“When it comes to understanding our world, knowing why is obsolesced by asking why. Knowing facts makes you bright, but the equally quick, sometimes quicker, and most rewarding prize is the dark. In admitting that you don’t know everything, but you’d like to know some of it.

And as always, thanks for watching.”