• ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.deEnglish
          24·
          3 years ago

          The video in question

          • was on climate change optimism
          • primarily suggested experimental carbon capture system that Bill Gates had invested in as potential solutions
          • only mentioned the sponsor in the end screen so most people did not notice

          Supposedly, several other videos were sponsored by foundations and exhibit similarly subtle biases.

          Also, lots of their research comes from their partnered publication, Our World in Data, which was sponsored by philantropists and found to be biased and unreliable on many accounts.

          Does it mean they are as crazy and oblivious to science as PragerU? Not even close. However, their claims and presentation should be treated with a pinch of salt even if they provide footnotes. Personally, I find the biases too slight to matter – I would not really watch their videos anyway (I don’t like the pacing, language, obsession with cleanliness and animation style).

          • projectd@lemmy.world
            English
            6·
            3 years ago

            Could you reference some of these claims that our world in data was found to be biased? Sounds like a pretty solid judgement was made, but a cursory search didn’t yield anything untoward. Maybe if it’s definite, you could update the Wikipedia entry to reference the controversy, as that’s always a good place to signpost that kind of thing.

              • projectd@lemmy.world
                English
                2·
                3 years ago

                Thanks, that’s a really interesting piece. I don’t interpret that it’s really about bias though, he’s gone through to offer to some more ideas for context. The takeaway seems to be that while the OWID stats are accurate, historical context changes that changes the way people lived and would be good to add - it’s really clever, but I don’t think there’s much to suggest there’s anything nefarious. In times where we are presented with outright lies, it still seems to me to be a source which shines light

      • firecat@kbin.social
        1·
        3 years ago

        The video title is very misleading, current video “How to win interstellar war” has actual no real science behind it. We can not predict a war, no one has. Another thing, we haven’t even proven if aliens are real. kurzgesagt just made it up.

  • lolcatnip@reddthat.comEnglish
    4·
    3 years ago

    I want to like them but I don’t find them trustworthy after watching their climate change optimism video and a takedown that explains how ridiculous it is.

  • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    3 years ago

    I used to like Kurz back when he was discussing things I had no knowledge of, but the moment they entered an area where I was experienced in it became clear that it’s primarily on the entertainment side of edutainment.

    Nothing they say is explicitly incorrect, just vague and missing critical context.

    For example, a video about the potential for a space elevator spoke of an alternative that would require aircraft to be “caught” by an orbital trebuchet style system. The reason the alternative was even conceived was because we don’t have the material for a space elevator given our planet’s high gravity well. During the discussion Kurz let it slip that the system would require an aircraft to fly at MACH 12!

    If materials science has developed the technology for an aircraft that could fly that quick with atmospheric friction… We’d just be able to make a space elevator anyways.