As a dude, I’ve pretty much accepted that in a few decades a switch will go off in my brain and suddenly I’ll be very, very interested in learning as much as I can about World War II. For years, history buff dads have been satisfying their cravings for military lore with dusty old textbooks and the occasional documentary on the three-digit TV channels. But fathers of the future, and anyone else interested in actually knowing stuff, should be able to use the convenient technology of the future to keep up with the past.
CuriosityStream is a streaming TV service chock full of all the educational documentaries and shows a cord-cutter could ask for. It super serves a niche, but it’s one of the most deserving and legitimately beneficial niches imaginable.
After a week-long free trial subscriptions start at $3 per month. It’s so cheap; it makes me think CuriosityStream wanted to just be a free public good but the claws of capitalism got in the way. At least there are no commercials. There’s also no content locked behind the higher tiers. You just need to pay more to gain access to HD and 4K streams. CuriosityStream is also a channel on Amazon Channels, but you don’t need to go through Amazon to get it if you don’t want to. You can simply subscribe to the service directly.
Once subscribed, you can entertain and educate yourself with CuriosityStream in the expected venues. Stream on your computer, on your mobile phone or tablet, or on your TV through a streaming media device. Again, most streaming services have this kind of functionality. It’s right in the name. But it seems especially helpful for CuriosityStream. Educators can easily present the programming in their classrooms as long as they have enough screens connected to the internet.
CuriosityStream was founded John S. Hendricks, founder of The Discovery. And after sampling the impressive and vast collection the service has gathered in just two years, that pedigree makes sense. The main categories are science, history, technology, nature, civilization, and human spirit. But within those broad silos, you’ll find countless non-fiction videos on increasingly specific topics. From to The Secret Life of Snakes and The Ascent of Money to The Power of Volcanoes and Delphi: Why It Matters.
For example, within the science category, you can choose between videos on physics or evolution or medicine or space. Civilization covers everything from politics to economics to travel. History caters to military and aviation buffs and more. Human Spirit touches on art, literature, and “character values.” Between acquired and original shows, it’s all very comprehensive.
But it gets even more granular than that. There are so many videos, hours and hours and hours and hours worth, that each video has its own, highly specific tags you can search for. So if you enjoyed a documentary on termites and want to learn more about “invasive species” you can. The same goes for “industrial espionage,” “virtual reality journalism,” or “wax figures,” for all your curious Marie Tussaud needs.
I wish there was a randomize button, like Crunchyroll, to live out my fantasy of metaphorically having different encyclopedias hurled in my face without warning. It would certainly stave off the potential boredom inherent to actually learning stuff. If the variety is too much, though, you can browse through themed, curated collections on topics like Oceans, Leading Ladies, and Just For Kids. It’s like Netflix for nerds, which should interest all of you reading newszetu.com
My knowledge of the educational video scene isn’t nearly as robust as CuriosityStream’s, but I did still notice some gaps in the library. It was mostly from sources big enough to be their own thing like National Geographic, Bill Nye, or Neil deGrasse Tyson. However, there are also surprisingly prominent inclusions like a fair amount of material from BBC and Stephen Hawking. And it’s not like videos on science and history need to rely on #brands to be useful.
I’m already too committed to my frivolous internet life to ever try learning anything of substance ever again. While testing CuriosityStream, I foolishly viewed The Year of the Hedgehog thinking Sonic was involved and of course he wasn’t. But it’s not too late for you, or your dad. CuriosityStream may not be interested in entertaining you with the latest Hollywood movies or network shows, but it does want to inform about any educational topic you could think of, and it does a very good job.
Credit: Source Link