Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

What's the easiest way to make friends?

People make friends with other people when they spend casual time together. This is how our ancestors formed their relationships, because humans lived in small, close-knit communities in which options for making friends were limited, so we just formed good relationships with the people who were around us. This is why it is so easy to form new friendships in school and university. In fact, proximity can be more important than similar interests. One study found that in student dormitories, the distance between rooms was the strongest friendship predictor – living closer together meant a higher chance of becoming friends. Another study showed that being physically present in a class a lot, without saying a word, makes others more sympathetic to you. So the most important principle of making friends is to regularly spend time with people in the real world. This alone can make it happen automatically and trumps all other advice.

2 days ago | [YT] | 12,460

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Supervolcano? More like, super trouble!

In all seriousness, the term “Supervolcano” is a media invention and not a scientific term. The main issue with them is that not every eruption from a supervolcano is a supereruption. What makes supervolcanoes special is that they have been waiting to erupt for hundreds of thousands of years. Pressure builds up in colossal magma reservoirs several kilometers deep, until it becomes strong enough to lift the rock above it by several meters. Rocks crack under the pressure, until they finally give way and billions of tons of gas and ash blast out at supersonic speed. It's an insane explosion of magnitude 8 on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI), meaning that the measured deposits for that eruption exceed 1,000 cubic kilometers, and it has an impact on every corner of the globe. The most recent supereruption is the Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago in New Zealand, and it is estimated that one of the few volcanoes capable of supereruptions on Earth could cause a catastrophic eruption every 17,000 years on average.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 11,588

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Meet the Star Birds crew! 🚀
This team of daring explorers is ready to venture into the unknown. Are you ready to guide them?
Wishlist our upcoming PC game on Steam and join the adventure later this year: kgs.link/starbirds

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 16,479

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

What is nuclear waste?

Nuclear waste is a fuzzy term and comes in categories which vary from country to country.
Generally, there are three broad levels.

90% of it is low level nuclear waste: tools, gloves or trash used at a nuclear facility that could be weakly contaminated, and contain short-lived radioactivity. All of that is generally safe for normal disposal. 7% of it is intermediate level nuclear waste. That mostly includes materials that have been in close proximity to a reactor core long enough to become dangerously radioactive. With proper handling, it is either safely buried or melted down and mixed into glass or concrete and stored deep underground. Lastly, the remaining 3% is high level nuclear waste and mostly consists of very concentrated, spent fuel taken out of a reactor core. It's made of various dangerous and often highly radioactive elements, so it must be handled, stored and disposed of with a lot of care.

1 month ago | [YT] | 12,277

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

New 16-minute Behind the Scenes on Patreon🎬

Ever wondered how we bring our characters to life? In our “How A Nuclear War Will Start – Minute by Minute video”, we created one of our most detailed character rigs yet – the General. It’s not only highly detailed but also features an "angriness-slider".
Our latest 16-minute Behind the Scenes video breaks it all down and also shows you how the 3D space was created.

Watch now on Patreon: kgs.link/MrPresidentBTS

PS: With the Producer tier or higher you get free access to all Behind the Scenes videos and wallpaper collections 👀

1 month ago | [YT] | 7,103

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Small gift for you 🎁

After gathering wallpapers and soundtracks from all of our 12,024 videos and adding them to our shop's "12,024 Wallpaper and Music Collection", we've also added a small gift for everyone who'd like to start their year with brand new wallpapers!
It's a selection of 4 wallpapers adjusted for all devices, and they are available for free to everyone on our most recent post on Patreon: kgs.link/4jBK3gD ✨

These wallpapers feature various themes, from the tiniest viruses to the gigantic black holes. We hope these wallpapers will spark your curiosity and remind you how fascinating the world around us really is! Let us know which one is your favorite! 🤗✨

1 month ago | [YT] | 11,085

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

You decide what our next Patreon Behind the Scenes video will be about!

Last month, we gave you a glimpse into how we created the 12,025 Human Era Calendar (watch it here: kgs.link/12025Calendar-BTS ), and this time, you decide what you want to see next.

💥 Option 1: A deep dive into the 3D process and character animation behind "How A Nuclear War Will Start - Minute by Minute" – where we used a first-person POV visual angle for the very first time, as well as a prominent main character, the General. It was a wild, technical ride to create something so immersive. Katrin, the Motion Director for this video, will take you behind the scenes and show you how the 3D space was created and reveal the hidden features of the General's character rig, which is not only highly detailed but also features an "angriness-slider"...

🎨 Option 2: A peek behind the curtain of "We Fell For The Oldest Lie On The Internet" – our very first experiment with mixed media. This one pushed us to try new techniques, blend styles, and step out of our comfort zone. Daniela, the Art Director of this video, will walk you through the steps taken during the planning, filming, and post-production of this video, with behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot and raw footage. It's a glimpse into the production process and our kurzgesagt office.

Both were huge creative challenges, and we’d love to show you how they came together. So, which one would you like us to reveal next?
Vote below, and we’ll make it happen! 💖

1 month ago | [YT] | 3,595

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

✨ UP TO 60% OFF ON kurzgesagt CLASSICS! ✨
shop.kgs.link/Clearance25

We’re refreshing our shop and doing a bit of spring cleaning 🌿 This is your chance to get a beloved kurzgesagt classic with huge savings!
Once these items are gone, they won’t be back. It’s the perfect chance to grow your collection.

Check out our Limited Sale – enjoy up to 60% OFF on some of our most iconic kurzgesagt designs.

It’s our way of giving back for all your support, and the perfect moment to grab your favorites before they’re gone. ✨

1 month ago | [YT] | 3,912

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Beautiful from far away, terrifying from up close.

Supernovae are the most powerful explosions in the universe, unleashing enough energy to outshine galaxies. It's not a regular explosion that happens and ends quickly. Metaphorically speaking, a supernova is like a volcanic eruption followed by a tsunami. At first, there is a colorful ball of hot, expanding gas, creating a spectacular cloud that will shine for about a month – but then it doesn’t stop. Hot and dangerous gas rushes outward at speeds of 10,000 km/s through the near vacuum of space, sweeping up the sparse gas of the galaxy. This wall of gas expands for tens of thousands of years and will eventually span up to dozens of light-years until it finally cools off, and disperses its substance back into the galaxy.

1 month ago | [YT] | 11,639

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Happy 12,025! 🎉

We’re already hard at work on the next videos and are planning to release the first one in early February. ✨
In the meantime, we’ve created something special on Patreon: our very first Behind the Scenes video! It’s a 10-minute journey through the making of the 12,025 Human Era Calendar – from the first spark of inspiration to the final touches. Teddy and Raph from our team take you through the entire process, sharing how this year’s calendar was created to celebrate humanity’s story and potential.

👉 Check it out: kgs.link/12025Calendar-BTS

We’re hoping to do more of these behind-the-scenes looks in the future!
Thank you for being part of our journey – we’re so excited for what’s to come in 12,025. 🦆💖

1 month ago | [YT] | 8,438