# Smarter Every Day

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/smarter-every-day/

13 people recommended Smarter Every Day in Hacker News comments and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 12 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended for clear, well-animated explainers on rockets and engineering, including a NASA talk. Critics find some presentation condescending and dislike a Flagella video.

Summary written by Claude from 16 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 15 of those comments still count.

## Why people recommend it

- Clear, information-dense science explainers (3 comments in the sample): "the information density he delivers versus Veritasium or Smarter Every Day on a similar length video is much lower" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49960194)) "There’s a great “Smarter Every Day” video on how rockets are made" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46399201)) "Check out the Smarter Every Day NASA talk." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45998869))
- Educational DIY and engineering tutorials (2 comments in the sample): "the YouTube ed channels are such a treasure in and of itself" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48090978)) "Smarter Everyday… and all the DIY tutorials" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46243343))
- Rocket and launch coverage (1 comment in the sample): "did a wonderful youtube video comparing what kind of documentation and planning they had for the past launches" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47710430))

## What people warn about

- Condescending presentation style (2 comments in the sample): "the repeated "we're going, right?" shtick was condescending" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45999797)) "your criticism of Destin's presentation hits" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45999907))
- Disputed takes and videos (2 comments in the sample): "But it was a really incorrect take that SLS was somehow the "safe bet" in comparison to betting on Starship." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46000424)) "Crossed the line as a science Youtuber." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49744556))

## Other YouTube channels people recommend

- [3Blue1Brown](https://hackerapproved.com/p/3blue1brown/): 79 recommend, 13 mixed, 4 criticize
- [Veritasium](https://hackerapproved.com/p/veritasium/): 37 recommend, 4 mixed, 12 criticize
- [Technology Connections YouTube channel](https://hackerapproved.com/p/technology-connections/): 36 recommend, 2 mixed, 2 criticize
- [Asianometry](https://hackerapproved.com/p/asianometry-youtube-channel/): 23 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Smarter Every Day", https://hackerapproved.com/p/smarter-every-day/ (13 recommend, 0 mixed, 4 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.