News Hacker News recommends
Every news clip in the HackerTube list, best-scored first. The score counts the number of different months in which someone on HN recommended it, so a news clip people kept coming back to for years outranks one viral thread.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2023L Luxury Eyesight · news clipHN repeatedly cites it in any thread on why glasses are expensive, as the eye-opening explanation of Luxottica's monopoly.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2024B Bellingcat · news clipHN cites it as a striking confession obtained through caller ID spoofing and social engineering.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2016C canadarm2 · news clipHN points to it as an entertaining and informative look at the SpaceX versus ULA rivalry.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2023A Automotive Mike · news clipShared as a striking example of a fan car using powered ground effect, with an eye-popping launch, in EV and motorsport threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2016J Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory · news clipHN cites it as an astonishing glimpse of advanced thought-controlled prosthetics.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2018B Bruno Leal · news clipHN cites it as the one dramatic real-world proof that a launch escape system works.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2017H House Committee on the Judiciary · news clipHN users cite it as primary-source testimony, especially for the argument that weakening encryption is security versus security, not privacy versus security.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025HN cites it in TikTok ban debates as the accessible summary of how Douyin and TikTok differ.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2008–2017S Spacevidcast · news clipHN shares it as a nostalgic, historic moment, noting the cheers at each milestone and Musk's address to employees.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2014J jd415 · news clipHN commenters cite it as evidence that the BBB is a pay-to-play shakedown whenever BBB ratings or accreditation come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2026T TIME · news clipRepeatedly posted in immigration threads to contrast 1980 Republican rhetoric with modern positions.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024HN cites it as a fascinating look at ultrasound-based brain treatments.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2021A Andrew W (AWatts712) · news clipCited as an example of media consolidation and coordinated messaging, mostly in threads about distrust of news, though it is also posted as a plain source.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2022HN cites it as the standard example of advanced warehouse automation in grocery fulfillment.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2022Cited in car-safety threads as evidence that Tesla optimizes for real-world crash data rather than just standardized crash tests.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2022R razorfoundation · news clipHN cites it as a favorite example of a famous prank or trolling stunt that fooled a major broadcaster.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022I Institute for Justice · news clipHN commenters cite it as a concrete example of police seizing cash from innocent people on flimsy pretexts.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2024D Digital Foundry · news clipCited as the evidence that Denuvo DRM measurably hurts game performance.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022C Chrissy Miklacic · news clipUsed as a stock example of mainstream bafflement at new technology, often invoked in crypto debates.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2017HN cites it as a concise explanation of why WeChat's super-app model is so dominant and why people worry about copycats.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2018HN points to it in electric aviation threads for how small electric motors enable contra-rotating props.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024B BBC Archive · news clipHN finds it a striking historical look at early text editors and remote work that feels very modern.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2025HN uses it as the go-to illustration of Moravec's paradox and as a baseline for how far robotics has come since 2015.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026V Voevoda · news clipHN cites it as a primary source for Russia's grievances over NATO expansion, mostly in threads about Ukraine.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–20256 60 Minutes Australia · news clipHN links it as an example of extraordinary episodic memory in threads on memory and knowledge.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2016L Liberalism4Australia · news clipCited in discussions of how quiet diesel-electric submarines can evade detection by large navies.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2023A Audie Murphy American Legend · news clipCited as the classic real-world use of Morse code to smuggle out a message under duress.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022B Boeing · news clipCited as an example of effective alarm and voice-alert design and in discussions of reactions to female voices.
- cited 8× 0 months 2017–2020M McLovin · news clipCited as a concrete example of Autopilot's limits whenever threads debate self-driving safety and Tesla's claims.
- cited 3× 0 months 2024–2026A aro004 · news clipCited in threads about earthquakes and tsunami warnings as a visceral view of what a tsunami wave looks like at sea.
- cited 7× 0 months 2017–2023HN mostly cites it as an example of speed-talking debate, usually critically, in threads about the Gish gallop and debate culture.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023S South China Morning Post · news clipLinked as concrete evidence that automated EV battery swapping already works at scale in China.
- cited 6× 0 months 2024–2025C Cut The Shorts · news clipMostly used as a joke or as an example of historical resistance to safety regulation.
- cited 20× 0 months 2010–2021S sunshinepress · news clipHN cites it as the key evidence of what Chelsea Manning leaked and as an example of civilian deaths in war, with some early commenters disputing how to read the footage.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2017V vogonford · news clipCited as the canonical footage of the famous four-inch flight, usually when discussing aborted launches.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2024S Sam Abdullaev · news clipCited as the source clip whenever threads discuss government pressure, backdoors, or trust in the Linux kernel.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2022P peoplefor · news clipHN cites it as a primary-source quote in discussions of voter suppression.
- cited 5× 0 months 2018–2025J Jack Larkin · news clipHN cites it as a joke and shorthand when governments try to legislate against encryption or math.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2024P PCWorld · news clipHN cites it as evidence that Jobs originally intended web apps to be the iPhone's app model.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2024HN cites it as the example of physically trucking data when network transfer is impractical.
- cited 6× 0 months 2013–2017R RobUniv · news clipCited as a reference whenever threads turn to the NSA, drones, defense contractors or whistleblowers.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2023T TODAY · news clipCited as nostalgic comedy and as an example of media hype and misunderstanding around new technology, often in comparisons to Web3.
- cited 5× 0 months 2015–2019H headintheclouds46 · news clipHN links it as a vivid example of a bird strike taking out an engine, and praises the calm crew and ATC response.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2022Used as an example in debates on rideshare economics and Prop 22 of how platforms can exploit drivers.
- cited 7× 0 months 2010–2022T theyTOLDyou · news clipHN cites it as the source of the quote and as a critical example of the nothing-to-hide attitude toward privacy.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2020S StopProgressivism · news clipHN commenters cite it as the canonical example of an intelligence official lying to Congress under oath without consequence.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2020Cited as a concrete early example that AI-faked video was already convincing, in discussions of misinformation and trust in media.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2022HN commenters bring it up as proof that laser mosquito defense is technically feasible, in threads about DIY pest-zapping projects.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2014HN mostly cites it as a reference for the Google/NASA/D-Wave partnership and as a basic intro to quantum computing's potential.
- cited 7× 0 months 2017–2026W wonkmonk · news clipHN commenters use it as a primary-source clip for the argument that a currency-issuing government cannot go bankrupt in its own currency.
- cited 4× 0 months 2018–2019Cited as a visual reference in discussions of social credit, surveillance and facial recognition in China, usually with a dystopian framing.
- cited 5× 0 months 2020–2026S SoldierMWS · news clipCited as shorthand for one of the most effective moments in console marketing and for how a price announcement can sink a rival.
- cited 5× 0 months 2012–2014HN commenters link it as a concrete picture of Kiva-style robotic warehouses whenever threads discuss warehouse automation and same-day delivery.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2023HN cites Zipline as an example of a drone company doing meaningful work with a fixed-base delivery approach.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2017A Ali · news clipHN commenters cite it as the source of the known/unknown unknowns framing, sometimes noting he was unfairly ridiculed for it.
- cited 5× 0 months 2019–2024P People Over Politics · news clipHN cites it in Assange, Manning and press-freedom threads as evidence of alleged US war crimes, not as something to recommend.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2019N NaOHKDBO · news clipCited as real footage of someone surviving brief vacuum exposure.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2023HN cites it as the standard precedent for remote car hacking whenever connected or self-driving vehicle security comes up.
- cited 6× 0 months 2021–2026W WTHR · news clipHN cites it in threads about large vehicles and pedestrian safety as a vivid demonstration of front blind zones.
- cited 11× 0 months 2013–2022F FreakyVidsDaily · news clipCited in surveillance threads as a concrete example of persistent wide-area aerial surveillance that already existed in 2013.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023HN cites it as evidence that knowing an iPhone passcode is enough to take over an Apple account.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2026HN links it as the original footage of the famous framing of knowledge and ignorance.
- Madeleine Albright - The deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children was worth it for Iraq's non existent WMD'scited 12× 0 months 2013–20239 91177info · news clipHN commenters cite the clip critically as evidence of US sanctions policy and its human cost.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2021S Stop Schaliegas · news clipHN cites it as evidence that small underground nuclear devices were used to stop well fires and leaks.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2025J Jim Cristea · news clipCited in discussions of perfect memory as an illustration that it can be a burden rather than a superpower.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2021T The Wheel Network · news clipHN references it as evidence that pedestrian-detecting emergency braking is routinely tested by independent agencies.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023K KATU News · news clipCited as the direct link to the infamous exploding whale footage, and used for jokes about explosions and whales.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025R Robert Exley · news clipUsed as a historical analogy for public resistance to new safety rules, and as an amusing vox pop.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2021A AviationWeek · news clipUsed as a concrete example of automation successfully saving an incapacitated pilot.
- cited 5× 0 months 2016–2020N neway47 · news clipCited in threads about evacuation rules, mostly as an example of a certification test that commenters call unrealistic.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2026B British Pathé · news clipHN uses the footage as a visual illustration of resonance and oscillation growing until structural failure.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2026R Reuters · news clipCited as visual evidence when commenters compare energy scales, such as nuclear yields versus volcanoes or charged bodies.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2026K KGET News · news clipCited as a real example of coded language used to get help in emergency calls without alerting an abuser.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2020C CBC News: The National · news clipCited in threads on Apple repair and battery policies as evidence of questionable repair practices, rather than recommended as a must-watch.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2022V Video Clips · news clipPosted as an archival counterexample in debates about Islam, headscarves and Egypt's politics.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2014I ICANN · news clipHN cites it to show how seriously root key ceremonies are secured and to let people watch one.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2023Cited in Tesla Autopilot crash threads to show how deadly car-into-trailer crashes are and why underride guards matter.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2023P profwaggstaff · news clipHN commenters use it as a favorite example of how TV imagery can craft a misleading reality.
- cited 20× 0 months 2012–2024S smugmacgeek · news clipCited again and again as the classic example of incumbents dismissing a disruptive product.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2023A AIRBOYD · news clipLinked in aviation threads as a concrete example of the Cirrus parachute in action, including its rough touchdown.
- cited 5× 0 months 2010–2026P politiclips · news clipUsed as a joke or cautionary example of confident financial punditry that proved wrong, often referenced during bank scares and bubbles.
- cited 6× 0 months 2015–2021Cited in threads about Apple's chip transitions as the primary source for the Intel switch announcement and the secret x86 builds.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2022HN uses it as a quick example of reinforcement learning agents acquiring locomotion in simulation, rather than recommending it as a deep resource.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2026Referenced in threads on busking, art perception and context as the standard example of great work going unnoticed.
- cited 12× 0 months 2012–2026S SiliconNews · news clipCited whenever Nvidia's relationship with open-source and Linux drivers comes up.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2026W What You Haven't Seen · news clipCommenters cite it as vivid proof that pressure-stabilized rocket tanks can fail catastrophically when pressure is lost.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2020H HillClimb Monsters · news clipCited as evidence that electric cars can beat combustion cars in racing, here in a hillclimb where altitude and short runs suit electric power.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2023I Inside Edition · news clipCited as a concrete example that humans can learn echolocation, in threads about animal and human sonar.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023Cited in surveillance threads as a demonstration of wide-area aerial tracking that existed years ago.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2026F Faffi H · news clipMostly cited as an example of people still wanting nuggets after seeing how they are made, and sometimes criticized as misleading.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2018O Omar Diaz · news clipHN cites it as a concrete real-world example of how much warning earthquake early-warning systems can provide.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2024C CMU Robotics Institute · news clipCited as evidence that autonomous driving has been demonstrated for decades and that progress was slow.
- cited 5× 0 months 2022–2026B Bruce Lawson · news clipHN cites it in platform-power and PWA debates as proof that Apple originally wanted the future of apps to be on the web.
- cited 14× 0 months 2020–2025Cited repeatedly in threads on wokeness, cancel culture and outrage as an authoritative voice from the left criticizing call-outs.
- cited 4× 0 months 2018–2024A azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic · news clipHN mostly cites it critically as evidence that early Waymos drove hesitantly, though one commenter points to the full video for context on a braking incident.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2025L Linux en Casa · news clipCited whenever Nvidia's Linux driver behavior comes up, as the famous example of the kernel community's frustration.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2022Shared as a period piece showing how past TV predicted technologies that later became common.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2019Cited as a concrete example that 3D-printed houses already exist and are cheap.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2026G gamingandtechnology · news clipCited as the primary source for the original App Store terms and Apple's stated reason for the 30% cut.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2023T Teknikens Värld · news clipHN cites it as evidence of a vehicle stability flaw that Toyota was slow to fix.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 102. Use search to find the rest.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.