If you want to expand your knowledge and find out the answers to some intriguing questions, take a look at our list of 11 best science documentaries on YouTube.
Science is extremely fun and never stops to amaze us. Science documentaries can be fun, but they are not always accurate. If something is packed as a science documentary, you shouldn’t immediately believe everything documentary says. There were numerous cases where documentaries made outrageous and false claims. In other cases, completely made up movies were portrayed as science documentaries. Mermaids: The Body Found is just one of those examples. It follows the team of scientists investigating an unknown sea creature that could be related to humans. Well, makers of the documentary didn’t really make an effort to tell the audience that the documentary was completely fake and that scientists were in fact actors. Fake claims are not just relatable to science documentaries, but also nature documentaries. If you are interested in nature documentaries that have more touch with the truth, check out our list of the 13 Best Nature Documentaries on YouTube.
Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.com
If a science documentary is well done, it can have a great educational value, especially for kids. One Turkish school did a small study about the use of documentaries in classrooms. 113 students of eighth grade were divided into two groups. One group continued to follow the usual curriculum for science subject while other group had 6 documentaries incorporated into their curriculum. The conclusion of the study is that the group that had documentaries as part of their curriculum showed a better understanding of particular science topics and was more engaged. So don’t hesitate, squeeze some science documentaries in your kid’s TV schedule.
To compile our list of 11 best science documentaries on YouTube, we picked up recommendations from Interesting Engineering, Reddit, and Quora among others. We then checked the titles on YouTube to find out whether they are available in full for free. Those that were, we ranked according to their IMDb rating and formed our list. Let’s check it out:
11. DMT: The Spirit Molecule
IMDb Rating: 7.3
DMT or dimethyltryptamine is a compound present in almost every living organism on our planet. This compound also has strong psychedelic characteristics and was consumed by humans through the history. The documentary investigates DMT from both scientific and spiritual point of view.
10. Alien Planet
IMDb Rating: 7.4
This is an animated documentary that investigates a possible scenario in the future where technology is so advanced that humans can explore the space in search for alien life. The documentary was based on predictions of scientists like Stephen Hawking, David Moriarty, and others.
9. Project Nim
IMDb Rating: 7.4
The documentary revolves around a 1970s research project titled “Project Nim,” which had a goal of finding out whether a chimpanzee could gain the ability to communicate using sign language if it was raised by humans.
8. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.
IMDb Rating: 7.5
This documentary, next in line on our list of best science documentaries on YouTube tells a story of Fred Leuchter, an execution devices expert and advisor for various American prisons, who tried to use his “expertise” to prove that the holocaust didn’t happen. He created a report for Ernst Zündel, a publisher famous for denying the holocaust, in which he tried to prove that there were no gas chambers in Auschwitz.
7. Bigger, Stronger, Faster
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Everyone would like to be bigger, stronger, and faster, even if that means using methods they shouldn’t. The documentary examines the use of steroids but also other techniques that enhance performances.
6. Cosmic Voyage
IMDb Rating: 7.6
The shortest documentary on our list of 11 best science documentaries on YouTube, but well worth watching. The goal of the documentary is to show where our place in the universe is. The bonus is the fact that Cosmic Voyage is narrated by Morgan Freeman.
5. Chasing Ice
IMDb Rating: 7.8
You may recognize Chasing Ice, the number five on our list of best science documentaries on YouTube from our list of nature documentaries, but it is worth recommending in terms of science documentaries as well. The documentary is made by James Balog, who previously didn’t believe in climate change, but changed his mind after visiting icy parts of the planet and seeing the effects of climate change. Chasing Ice is his attempt to show the truth to the wider audience.
4. Hubble 3D
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble 3D follows the story of 7 astronauts who are on the mission to repair Hubble Space Telescope. It features some of the most amazing pictures of space you will ever see.
3. The Enemies of Reason
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Part science, part medicine documentary, The Enemies of Reason, next on our list of best science documentaries on YouTube explores the methods of alternative medicine. Evolutionary biologist and maker of the documentary, Richard Dawkins believes that there are no scientific proofs for the efficiency of these methods, but somehow people still believe in them, so he embarks on the mission to debunk them.
2. Your Inner Fish
IMDb Rating: 8.7
This documentary miniseries will answer all your questions about the evolution of human’s body. Of course, this applies for all of those who believe in evolution. Scientist Neil Shubin leads the viewers on a journey through history, revealing our ancestors and the living beings we have much in common with.
1. When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions
IMDb Rating: 8.8
We will conclude our list of 11 best science documentaries on YouTube with another miniseries. When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions tells a story about efforts of humans to conquer the space. In six episodes, you will find more about first space missions, the Moon landing, construction of International Space Station, and more. Alongside the original footage, the documentary contains numerous interviews with astronauts who were part of these space programs including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn.
