I thought today we might do a sequel to a post I put up a week or so ago where I shared some of the YouTube videos I've watched this week. I don't really allow a lot of time for wasting on YouTube, but I do visit once or twice a week, look at what the algorithm throws at me, add any that look good to my Watch Later list, and then return at night to watch one or two of them.
Here are five videos I enjoyed, ranging from quantum computing to 1970s car chases to Japanese comedy.
Neil deGrasse Tyson has always been someone I’ve appreciated. I’m subscribed to his podcast, StarTalk, and while I don’t catch every episode, I dip in when the topic interests me. What I respect most is that although he’s an astrophysicist, his curiosity clearly extends far beyond his own field. That’s what good scientists do—they stay curious.
In this particular episode, he talks with a researcher about quantum computing. If you’ve heard the claim that “quantum computers are going to break Bitcoin encryption” but don’t actually know what a quantum computer is, this is a helpful place to start.
It explains what qubits are, why superposition matters, what makes quantum different from classical computing, and, importantly, how far we still are from practical, civilization-breaking machines.
Smokey and the Bandit is one of those movies that lives mostly in memory. I’m not entirely sure how well it holds up. A lot of 1970s comedy was very of-its-time.
But the chase scenes? Still fun.
This clip featuring Sheriff Buford T. Justice and the Bandit is pure chaotic energy. There’s something about pre-CGI car stunts—actual metal flying through the air—that just feels more alive. No green screen. No digital physics. Just stunt drivers and risk.
The only danger to this clip? If you are like me, you'll want to watch the entire film now.
Wayne's World remains one of the great comedies of the early ’90s. The whole movie works, but the “no sponsor” bit (starting around 2:51 in this clip) is still razor sharp.
“It’s like people only do things because they get paid, and that’s just really sad.”
The joke lands because it’s self-aware. They’re clearly in a studio-funded movie… mocking studio-funded product placement. It’s meta without trying too hard. And the delivery still works.
Ken Shimura was a master of observational absurdity. I've watched this many times over the years. It popped up in my recommendations, and it still works.
He’s mocking a very real phenomenon in Japan: teachers in public schools assigned to teach English who have absolutely brutal pronunciation. The humor isn’t mean-spirited; it’s exaggerated recognition. If you’ve lived in Japan long enough, you’ve seen this dynamic play out in real classrooms.
There’s always a slight cultural tension around English education there, between obligation and actual ability. Shimura taps into that perfectly.
Finally, here’s William Shatner reviewing various impressions of... William Shatner.
It’s one thing to be impersonated. It’s another to sit down and evaluate those impersonations with a straight face, and then laugh at them. That takes a certain level of self-awareness.
Shatner has always leaned into the theatrical cadence people parody. Seeing him engage with it directly is oddly charming.
That was my week in recommended videos: science, nostalgia, meta-comedy, Japanese satire, and a self-aware space captain.
What did you watch this week that surprised you?
| David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Bluesky. |
