Very often I have found myself trying to grapple with a complicated subject, such as some long-winded mathematics or a tough physics concept that is almost impossible to visualise let alone understand. In the past I have found it almost impossible to be able to fully understand these concepts from books alone. In the last week I have explored the possibilities for help offered by streaming websites such as YouTube.
You tube is well known for videos of cute animals doing funny things or videos of people experiencing things going wrong at the worst possible moment, however, it is much less well known as a source of technical information. In fact, there are a great many channels offering support on a wide range of topics. During the past few years of my doctoral studies, YouTube Channels, such as that from MIT, have proved to be an invaluable source of help. Reviewing a difficult topic that was skirted over quickly during the lecture, but questioned in detail for coursework, has often been challenging and relied on being able to quickly make very good notes during the lecture. But with finite time available during a lecture, there were inevitably bits that I could not digest at the time. However, in the past I have used YouTube to supplement my University lectures, as I could revisit a topic several times in order to fully understand. Even now, I continue to use the YouTube channels on a daily basis to get information on using Matlab, particularly when I need guidance on the application of a specific function. Ultimately, online presentations and podcasts provide an enhanced level of support that can be used beneficially alongside conventional textbooks.
In must be caveated that, as with any online source, the credibility of the source should be checked before wholly relying on the information provided. However, given the number of channels belonging to many famous institutions, there is a lot of dependable information available to use.
Notes from a materials researcher 