We would have all had this sensation while browsing online – one minute being mentally engaged in something and the next suddenly bored and unsure what to do next. Whelp, as someone who experiences this on an almost daily basis, I would like to share three websites and video series which I recommend binging the next time you are stuck in a moment like that. The content on offer ranges from the educational, where you can learn random tidbits of fascinating knowledge, to one of the internet’s longest-running creative projects.
A word of warning, however… do not read or watch these before going to bed. I can attest that your likelihood of being still awake at 5am increases exponentially after going down any of these rabbit holes.
1SCP Foundation
You know, there is something that puts a bit of fear in your heart when you load up the SCP Foundation Wiki and are welcomed by the ominous warning:
WARNING: THE FOUNDATION DATABASE IS
CLASSIFIED
ACCESS BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED
PERPETRATORS WILL BE TRACKED, LOCATED, AND DETAINED
I first accessed the site when there was less than 2,000 entries, and it spooked me so much that it took me weeks to work up the courage to click through to other pages.
The SCP Foundation is a (slightly horror-oriented) creative-writing web series which launched in January 2008, taking place in an alternate universe where it falls to the titular organisation to search for, contain, and protect the population from thousands of abnormalities plaguing the planet. Written as observational, scientific reports as well as short stories; visitors can read about more than 6,000 supernatural entities. These include a studio lot which forces those who enter it into a deadly game show, a vending machine which allows you to get drinks no ordinary vending machine could get, a justification why the current US President got into power in this alternate universe and a pocket dimension taking the form of an IKEA.
All submissions are vetted by the community, so in general, you have many thousands of quality pages to read through and be inspired by. With such an active community also comes many actively providing feedback, thoughts and routine updates; and a consistent stream of new, innovative ideas. Not a native English speaker? The project has been expanded into other languages, each with their own national SCPs to track down.
Even after reading everything on the site (if you ever manage to do it), there are a range of off-site works available because of the license powering SCP Foundation. These include fan-made video games, which were very popular with big-name Youtubers such as Markiplier and PewDiePie back in the day. More recently, SCP Foundation served as the inspiration behind Remedy Entertainment’s latest game – Control.
Check out the SCP Foundation Wiki by clicking HERE. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for international variants, including the International Translation Archive which attempts to make some of the major SCP from other countries available in English.
2Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
When I commuted up to the city for work five days a week, I would usually zone out to podcasts such as No Such Thing As a Fish, which provided interesting, random insights around curious things I might otherwise never look for. Now that I don’t have to worry about long commutes or my phones dwindling battery life, I have been able to branch out and enjoy informational Youtube videos. While there are many great options out there, Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is one of my highlights!
Through some amazing 2D animated videos ranging from 8-15 minutes in length, viewers can receive interesting insights on psychological and scientific questions such as “What is Loneliness?“, “How to Wormholes work?” or “What if we Nuke the Moon?“. Lets uh, hope that there is never a day we have to ask the latter. Videos are released a couple of times each month, and with more than 100 videos in their repertoire, lots of learning awaits you!
Plus, they have an online store where you can pick up a range of posters, calendars, books and more based on the series. If you are looking to decorate your bedroom or even your house with creative artwork and knick-nacks, you may just find what you are hunting for there!
You can check out Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell on Youtube by clicking HERE.
3Morphologis
I love the beauty that can be found in video games, that is why here on The Otaku’s Study, I have a whole series dedicated to celebrating creative screenshots. But while it is certainly enough to enjoy a game’s graphics and design language at the surface level, sometimes it is nice to look into the thought processes of their design, or how they could be improved. Many videos from Youtuber Morphologis dive deeper, and provide architectural commentary on what can be found in game worlds.
As an architect in real life, many posts on Morphologis‘ channel focuses on Star Citizen, an in-development space simulation game which seeks to give players the freedom to explore a scale-version of a persistent universe. With hand-crafted space ships to roam through and futuristic cities to explore, his ‘An Architect Reviews’ series focuses on looking at one craft or area, talking about the pros and cons from an aesthetic standpoint. It really helps put into perspective not only how far Cloud Imperium Games have gone with building larger ships since the MISC Starfarer, but also how amazing design choices might be bad in terms of practicality, or vice-versa.
Even if you are not interested in Star Citizen, Morphologis has also recently expanded into other games – including their most recent video on Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City.
You can check out Morphologis by clicking HERE.
