Talks at Google: the videos Hacker News recommends
Not the channel's most viewed videos: the ones HN commenters kept linking with real commentary. The top pick, "Republic, Lost | Lawrence Lessig | Talks at Google", a perennial HN recommendation whenever lobbying, SOPA, taxes or political corruption come up, with several commenters saying it changed their views.
- talk recommended in 11 different months by 10 HN users, 2011–2017A perennial HN recommendation whenever lobbying, SOPA, taxes or political corruption come up, with several commenters saying it changed their views.
- talk recommended in 10 different months by 9 HN users, 2018–2026HN commenters recommend it as a pointed critique of philanthropy and win-win thinking, delivered inside Google itself, and cite it across threads on wealth, tax and tech power.
- talk recommended in 10 different months by 11 HN users, 2018–2026HN treats it as the standard one-hour teaser for the book and recommends it for its deep-modules thinking before buying or reading the book.
- talk recommended in 9 different months by 8 HN users, 2016–2022Frequently recommended in threads on nutrition, cancer and veganism as a science-focused case for plant-based diets, with at least one commenter saying it made them go vegan.
- talk recommended in 8 different months by 8 HN users, 2013–2024HN recommends it as an 80-minute way to get the gist of the book and a different view of what money is.
- talk recommended in 7 different months by 8 HN users, 2018–2023Praised as a charismatic, engaging talk with practical security lessons, like why credit cards protect you better than debit cards.
- talk recommended in 7 different months by 7 HN users, 2019–2025HN points people to it as the clearest single video on simple, long-term index fund investing.
- talk recommended in 6 different months by 6 HN users, 2011–2022Recommended in diet and weight-loss threads as the accessible case for the carbohydrate-insulin view of obesity.
- lecture recommended in 6 different months by 6 HN users, 2017–2026HN commenters share it as an accessible case for worker cooperatives and workplace democracy as a model for a modern left.
- talk recommended in 6 different months by 4 HN users, 2012–2026It is HN's go-to reference whenever device lockdown, DRM, or restrictions on installing software come up, with commenters noting how prescient it was.
- talk recommended in 4 different months by 4 HN users, 2013–2021Often the first thing suggested to HN programmers asking about posture and back pain.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 3 HN users, 2019–2025Recommended to people with chronic pain, fatigue or RSI as a rigorous but balanced case that pain does not always mean injury.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 3 HN users, 2010–2014Strongly recommended as a gripping hour on K2 and on leadership and summit fever in extreme conditions.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 3 HN users, 2015–2022HN commenters recommend it for the finding that idea exchange and connectivity drive productivity and wealth, which they apply to cities, offices and online communities.
- talk recommended in 4 different months by 3 HN users, 2010–2016HN commenters point to it in discussions of shorter workweeks and productivity, arguing that rest and energy matter more than hours.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 2 HN users, 2011–2023Recommended as a one-hour substitute for the book's opening chapters for those short on time.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 4 HN users, 2010–2022Recommended as a relatively clear introduction to Zizek's thinking, especially his account of ideology and unknown knowns.
- talk recommended in 3 different months by 3 HN users, 2018–2019HN suggests it as an easy alternative to the book for people who want Walker's sleep findings.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2020–2021Shared as the author's own hour-long overview of his aging research, though some commenters doubt that the book's claims hold up.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2021–2026Recommended as a clear description of how Kanban works and a practical alternative to sprints.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2021–2022HN commenters link it in housing and urbanism threads as a clear explanation of unsustainable car-oriented development and fragile systems.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 1 HN user, 2012–2016HN cites it in MBTI threads as an attempt to link personality types to measurable brain activity patterns.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2010–2026HN commenters cite it for Pinker's analysis of profanity and of why talking about taboo words differs from using them.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2015–2017Used as a source for Searle's own argument in Chinese room discussions, though some find nothing new in it.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2016–2024Referenced in threads about disruption and incumbents as a clear statement of his theories.
- comedy video recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2010–2026HN mentions it mainly for Conan's roasting of the interviewer and Google's leadership, not for any informational content.
- talk recommended in 2 different months by 2 HN users, 2018–2021Recommended as the protocol designer's own detailed explanation of SCP.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2020–2023Recommended as an approachable case that the Everett (many-worlds) interpretation is the simplest reading of quantum mechanics.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2013–2024Pointed to as an accessible introduction to intuition pumps as thinking tools, and shared in remembrance after Dennett's death.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2012–2022HN commenters link it as a source on Babbage's machines, especially for the section around minute 36 on Ada Lovelace's insight beyond numeric computation.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2015–2018HN commenters bring it up in economics and politics threads as a historical critique of austerity policy and the thinking behind it.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2013–2023HN mentions it mostly in passing as a Taleb talk on market volatility and predicting crises.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2020–2022HN cites it for first-hand ARM history, including Thumb's origin, and for Jaggar's endorsement of RISC-V.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2018–2019Cited to support the view that human progress comes from networks and social learning.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2008–2024HN uses it mainly as the place where Stephenson addresses criticism of his novels' endings, plus as a fun author talk with jokes.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2008–2018HN commenters point to it as an easy-to-grasp introduction to Chomsky's ideas on universal grammar and the language faculty.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2014–2018Recommended for hearing Engelbart's vision of collaborative hypertext systems straight from him, including his view of Wikipedia.
- talk recommended in 1 different month by 1 HN user, 2008–2026HN refers to it for the moment where Knuth asks a question and addresses the Steve Jobs anecdote, a favorite geek moment.
- talk cited on HN 4 times, 2017–2018HN mostly links it as background in political arguments or for a memorable moment, rather than as a recommendation.
- talk cited on HN 3 times, 2008–2016Referenced for his answers on technology policy and the famous bubble sort question, and for comparing politics then and later.
- talk cited on HN 5 times, 2012–2013Linked in threads about Kurzweil joining Google, mostly as a source for his exponential progress charts and his ambitions there.
Questions
Which Talks at Google video does Hacker News recommend most?
Republic, Lost | Lawrence Lessig | Talks at Google: recommended in 11 different months by 10 HN users between 2011 and 2017.
Is this every Talks at Google video?
No. Only videos that at least three different HN users linked, in at least three different months, with at least a sentence of their own commentary. That filter is what makes the list useful.